Come April 27 we depart to Bangkok for a mission trip. Including Uganda Mission last 2004, this is the 4th time we sent a mission team outside of the country. It’s the third time in Thailand. God uses people to accomplish His purpose. And you are that people, dear church. With your generous help and support, responding to God’s call, you have made yourselves partners with us. And with that, thank you!
Remember the story of Gideon? Gideon’s force was already hugely outnumbered…
Oh how great our God is! He is our sufficiency. He specializes in using the weak to shame the strong! He is expert in the impossibilities – for what is impossible with man, is possible with God! Remember the story of Gideon? Gideon’s force was already hugely outnumbered. The Midianite army was 135,000 strong, while Gideon’s force numbered a mere 32,000re 32,000 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja!
WP-Bible plugin. Gideon must’ve been pondering his slim chance of survival. Yet God said, “That’s too many.” The downsizing resulted in a vulnerable 22,000e 22,000 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja!
WP-Bible plugin man reduction-in-force. Gideon was left with a meager 300 troops. His only option was to trust God or perish. He was left virtually without an army. God’s reason for this downsizing is so that they would not glory in themselves, that they would not say it’s their own strength that gave them victory. You know the story - God gave the victory!
Now God frequently trims our resources to get us to depend entirely on Him. Sickness, financial reversal, family conflict, and other difficulties cause us to turn our lives over to God. Unlike popular psychologists, God does not propose that we should believe in ourselves. Our self-centered society celebrates self-reliance. But God strips us bare, forcing us to recognize our frailty and inadequacy. God shows us that human resources are insufficient for the battles we face. God then teaches us the lesson of dependence, which results in confidence. Here’s the truth of the matter: When the odds seem overwhelming, God overwhelms the odds!
When the odds seem overwhelming, God overwhelms the odds!
Missionary statesman Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote: Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning… He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all… Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.
This is the theme of our recently concluded Pastors and Wives Conference. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12Matthew 5:3-12 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. falsely: Gr. lying
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Just about every time I pray for someone, for anyone, I pray that God may richly bless them… But what do I mean with that?
BLESSING. We like that word. Besides God is God of blessing. He does want to bless His people. Just about every time I pray for someone, for anyone, I pray that God may richly bless them. But what do I mean with that? Depending on what our understanding of blessing is, it can mean very different things. So in the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus gives us a whole other meaning to the word “blessing”. There are two basic measures of blessing. There are worldly measures, and there is a Godly measure. Jesus only has one measure. But the world has many. The Jews of Jesus’ time used worldly measures of their blessings. By the world’s measure, if you are rich, successful, happy and popular, that means you are blessed by God. By the same token, the world says that if you are poor, miserable, ugly and rejected, you have a disability, then you or someone in your family has done something to displease God.
Blessings, by worldly standards, are understood as circumstances. There are possessions, independence, fame, power. All those things are located in the realm of this world. Now don’t misunderstand, of course, God blesses us materially or financially too but that’s only a part of a greater blessing that cannot be measured by what we see nor touch. It’s within. It’s an attitude. This we see from the Beatitudes. Notice it’s a BE-attitude not a DO-attitude. It’s not a means to salvation but rather characteristics of those who have received salvation; those who are subjects of God’s kingdom, those who have submitted their lives to the King, Jesus!
The word “blessed” means “How satisfied, how fulfilled, how truly happy you are.” However, we must be careful not to reduce blessedness to merely being happy. To be “blessed” means to be approved or to find approval. In this case approved of God. And there can be no higher “blessing” than to have God’s approval, God’s favour, undeserved favour! The fundamental question is, who’s approval will you seek? Will you seek man’s approval, or God’s approval? And in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus describes the characteristics of one who has God’s approval. How? By trusting in Christ as one’s saviour and totally submitting to His lordship over our lives. That produces in us the characteristics of blessedness. Are you blessed?
Few days ago the Thai government put the nation under state of emergency due to the protesters briefly forcing their way into the parliament compound wherein Lawmakers fled and several senior government figures were airlifted by military helicopter to safety. You see, in a spiritual sense, being Christians in a hostile world we are always in a “state of emergency.” We cannot put our guard down for our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet.5:8). Eph.5:15-16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
"Be very careful"…
“Be very careful” - These are words which are very familiar to all of us. In fact, we use these words to exhort one another quite often. When our children leave the house, we often say, “Be careful.” If one is driving the car, we might say, “Be careful, drive safely.” What we are saying is “Watch out! Don’t do something foolish! Look out for the other guy! Watch your step!” You see the words “Be careful” comes from two Latin words which mean “Looking around” which literally means, “exactly, uprightly.” It’s to keep our eyes wide open, looking around, and discerning the times. The Christian’s walk is to be one that is given careful consideration. It is one that is to be the outgrowth of thought, of purpose, of deliberate and disciplined action. The opposite would be walking carelessly and without proper guidance and forethought.
I read of a news about the senseless injuries and deaths of men and women soldiers after the Persian Gulf War ended. It happened because these soldiers were lulled into a false sense of safety and security. Sometimes in the course of duty, and other times in the pursuit of souvenirs, soldiers carelessly went about in places where mines and booby traps had been placed by the enemy. And this carelessness led to injury and death for some. Now how would you walk when you know that there are booby traps and mines buried somewhere in the ground? You would walk very carefully not carelessly. Christians live in a fallen world, in a hostile and dangerous world. We dare not live our lives in a haphazard fashion. We must give careful thought to our attitudes and actions and decisions. This is what God’s Spirit calls for, nothing less.
Think! Be wise! Look out for detours that take us away from God - and keep your guard up!
With these words Paul is telling us to look down the road before we make our choices, to consider the consequences of our actions before we act. We all know how easy it is to become distracted. We also know what can happen when we are distracted. Think of driving a car. It’s dangerous when you’re driving and you allow yourself to be distracted by anything. Our walk with God should be one that is given great care. We need to watch what we are doing. We need to watch our steps, giving attention to circumstances and consequences, by guarding against everything improper and unbecoming for a Christian. Look first, consider the situation before you take a step! So Paul says, “Don’t be unthinking when you make those choices. Think! Be wise! Look out for detours that take us away from God – and keep your guard up!
It’s such a blessing to come together as a church family to celebrate the most important event in the history of man. In this very day the whole nation and millions all over the world celebrate the best news man has ever heard – that Jesus Christ rose from the dead! This is the single greatest event that changed the world permanently. The world has never been the same again. Indeed He is Lord of all!
And because it’s the first Sunday of the month we will break bread together. Today we also remember the cross for before the resurrection is the cross. What does the cross of Jesus mean?
In the days of Jesus, the Roman Empire had a strict and ruthless justice system. They glorified courage and viewed mercy as a sign of weakness. A popular philosopher called mercy “the disease of the soul.” Jesus came into this heartless society teaching the benefits of mercy. In the Sermon on the Mount He said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7Matt. 5:7 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
WP-Bible plugin). Mercy is a characteristic of God, an essential part of His nature. The psalmist declares: “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps. 103:8Ps. 103:8 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
WP-Bible plugin). Mercy can be defined as providing for people in need, ministering to the miserable, helping the hurting… in essence , offering people what they don’t deserve.
"God is a just judge…"
God is also completely just. The psalmist reveals: “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Ps. 7:11Ps. 7:11 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. judgeth…: or, is a righteous judge
WP-Bible plugin). Another word for justice is righteousness. It means to render everyone their due. Therefore, you might logically say, “I don’t understand! How can God be both just and merciful at the same time? If God is completely just, shouldn’t He punish sin? If He’s completely merciful, doesn’t that negate His justice?” Good questions! But God had the answer: Jesus Christ.
At the cross, both justice and mercy were accomplished. Justice was served when Jesus died, paying the price for our sins. Mercy was extended through Christ’s atoning death. We did not receive the punishment we deserved, but were offered eternal life instead. God is truly the Supreme Judge! Beloved, as we partake of the bread and drink of the cup, remembering the Lord this morning, thank God for being both a merciful and just judge. For if He’s not, we won’t even be here today!
It was an interesting week. Interesting in a sense that, within a week, there were a number of deaths that occurred to loved ones of whom we’re directly or indirectly connected to. Now, I know deaths are occurring every day, it’s just that it reoccurred to my mind that we’re indeed dying; how life is so fragile and short. And the thing is – life is fragile and short and so many people are not living their lives to the full. And when they leave the earth, with wasted lives, directionless and meaningless, no joy nor bliss nor glory await them but ultimate suffering.
That is what God has decreed upon men – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The only way to have life and live life to the fullest is surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life. But for us who have been born-again, who have this hope of eternal life, what kind of life should we be living here and now? How can we live the life to the fullest? When we live for the glory of God (1 Cor.10:31). “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it (2 Cor.5:9).”
This world is not our home…
There is no other way. And be reminded that we are strangers and aliens in this world (1 Pet.2:11). This world is not our home. All the great blessings of life would not necessarily be found in this present time but we’re waiting for them in glory. Therefore we do not need to be distressed if we do not have everything that those around us are trying to get in this life. That is the truth that will deliver us from the pressures of the times. We must hold things lightly. We must not think that houses, cars, money and material gain is all that important. Even if we lack these things, the great treasures of our life remain untouched. To strive constantly to gain what everyone else has is a mistake. God teaches us to hold these things lightly. We must never forget that we are in the world but not of it. We are never to settle down here for good. C.S.Lewis has put it: “Our kind heavenly Father has provided many wonderful inns for us along our journey, but He takes special care to see that we never mistake any of them for home.”
We are pilgrims and strangers, passing through this world…
We are pilgrims and strangers, passing through this world. We are involved in it, deeply sometimes, but we are never to see ourselves as a part of it. And one day, we’ll be home just as He promised! “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor.4:18). “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col.3:2-4).”
With all that’s happening in the world today (earthquakes, El Nino, political instability, moral downward spiral, etc), this is a timely reminder. Our text says, “Be still….” Other versions translate it as, “Cease striving…” It literally means “relax”, “to let go, to let your arms down to your side.” What? Is it possible to relax when you are in trouble? Yes! God’s Word says so! Of course this is not our normal response to troubles; so this advice doesn’t seem to make much sense. Any time I have been involved in a struggle I have wanted to do something.
Is it possible to relax when you are in trouble?
Think how vulnerable you feel when you drop your arms, let go, cease striving, and relax! Yet, this is what God instructs us to do in this Psalm. But God doesn’t just tell us what to do here….He doesn’t just tell us to “relax”….He also tells us how to relax. He says “Be still………ANDKNOW that I am God.” In other words, there is something we can KNOW to help us cease our striving in the midst of the battles of life. There is something we can KNOW that will help us to relax when things get rough. Often we respond to problems in life emotionally…based on feelings of fear and insecurity and panic….but here, God challenges us to respond…not emotionally but on the basis of something we KNOW….instead of something we feel. So what? What is that we can know in the midst of our battles?
KNOWTHATHEISGOD! That He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble(Psa.46:1); that He is the River of Life, the Fountain within us, the source of everything that we need (vs. 4-5); that He is the Lord Almighty (vs.7); the Victorious One who defeats His enemies (vs.8&9); He is the Ever-present One, who never leaves us nor forsakes us (vs.11 - The Lord Almighty is WITH us)! Know that God is sovereign and absolutely perfect in His dealings with us. It means that there is nothing which escapes His notice, and there is nothing which is beyond His ability!
He is the River of Life, the Fountain within us, the source of everything that we need…
Another thing that we can KNOW when we face the battles of life – We know that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28Rom. 8:28 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
WP-Bible plugin).” There is a story about a fisherman who, with his two sons, went out fishing. The catch was good; but by mid-afternoon a sudden storm blotted out the shoreline, leaving the men groping for the direction home. Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the kitchen of their cottage. Before it could be extinguished, the fire had destroyed the family’s earthly possessions.
Finally, the father and sons were able to row their boat ashore. The man’s wife was waiting to tell him the tragic news of the fire. “Honey, fire has destroyed everything,” she said tearfully. “We have nothing left.” But the husband was unmoved by the news. Didn’t you hear me?” she asked. “The house is gone!” “Yes, I hear you,” he replied. “But a few hours ago were lost at sea. For hours I thought we would perish. Then something happened: I saw a yellow dim glow in the distance. It grew larger and larger. We turned our boat toward the light. The same blaze which destroyed our home was the light that saved our lives!”
The same blaze which destroyed our home was the light that saved our lives!
So when we face the struggles and battles of life we may not KNOW how things are going to work out presently, but we can be still…we can cease striving…we can relax….because even though we don’t know how things are going to work out, we do know Who is going to work things out – and when He does things, He does it for our good! Life is not always good, often the battle turns against us…we do WIN some and LOSESOME….life is fickle…good for some and bad for others…but God is always good! And beloved, this God is for us, not against us!
It’s been raining hard, floods in some parts of Manila, classes and offices suspended at the time of this writing. And there I was missing my kids terribly, can’t wait to go home. It was a good time with my family though. Nice to minister and spend time with my Dad and Mom who are not getting any younger. Well your life may be in a storm right now and the flood waters are engulfing you. If you are, let me remind you that God has the whole world in His hands.” Remember the old gospel song? He’s got the wind, the rain, the tiny little baby, yes, even you and me in His hands.
He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran…
His Sovereign Hands
How easy it is to forget that! And it isn’t limited to our geography or our culture, you know. He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran, Cuba and India, Indonesia and Russia—all right there in the palms of His sovereign hands. And while we’re at it, He’s got our future, our children, our circumstances, our friends, and our foes in His hands … within His grasp … under His control. He’s there—in charge.
God Knows Your Ways …
But there are times when we find it really hard to believe that our circumstance is truly in His hands. Not only are the wind and the rain and the tiny little baby in His hands, but so are life’s minor interruptions as well as major calamities. In fact, would you believe they never leave His attention? There will be times we will need the reminder of the wise prophet named Isaiah, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16Isaiah 49:16 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
WP-Bible plugin) In other words, God sees us exactly as we are … warts and all, needs and all. He sees everything. And how close does He view it? It’s in the palms of His hands. God knows your ways … and He knows them continually. That includes your responses, your experiences, your reactions, what you call your calamities, your dead ends, your so-called impossible situations.
He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control…
Unshockable
Not only does He have you and me, the wind and the rain, and the tiny little baby in His hands, He has yesterday’s failures. He has today’s challenges, He has tomorrow’s surprises right there in His hands. And not one of them causes God to gasp. Not one causes Him to react with surprise, “Ah! I never knew that.” Not one. He is unshockable, He is immutable.
He’s got the whole world in His hands. What’s more, He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control.
Just the mention of it we wince. We don’t pray it comes to us but it does. Why is there pain? Why do well-meaning, God-loving followers of Christ suffer? C.S. Lewis had a great answer for that. “Why not?” he said. “They’re the only ones who can handle it.”
Suffering was interwoven into the life of Paul, and he knew the right way to handle it. In Acts 13-14, Paul suffered opposition and slander from the Jews in Antioch and Iconium. When they found him at Lystra, they stoned him, dragged him out of the city, and left him for dead. Paul was doing God’s will when this happened. It would have been very easy to question God’s love and God’s calling on his life. But how did Paul interpret these experiences?
Look at 2 Corinthians 1:8-92 Corinthians 1:8-9 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: sentence: or, answer
WP-Bible plugin. “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” Paul is saying, “Yes, it was bad, but it caused me to trust God as I never had before.”
Paul talks about his sufferings throughout 2 Corinthians, and he even boasts about it because of what it taught him. What do you do with pain? You shouldn’t apply some quick-fix, false theology to it: “I bind all pain and all suffering in Jesus’ name.” You should pray for an end to your pain, but you should also pray, “Let me not waste this time.” You should ask God, “What are you trying to teach me? What lesson should I be learning?”
For Paul, that lesson was summed up in 2 Corinthians 12:9-102 Corinthians 12:9-10 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
WP-Bible plugin. The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” And Paul concluded that he would take pleasure in his infirmities, and in the persecutions he suffered. He knew that his true strength came from God: “when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10).
Are you in some kind of pain today? I pray that you and I would learn what God is trying to teach us, even in the midst of pain. And rest your heart in the fact that His grace is sufficient for you!
peek into the very heart of God, in this intimate conversation between the Son and the Father…
Have you ever eavesdropped on someone when they pray? In John 17, we have the opportunity to eavesdrop on Jesus as He prays to His Father. It’s the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the New Testament, and what makes John 17 so wonderful is that you get to see what’s important to Jesus. In this chapter the veil is pulled aside and you get to peek into the very heart of God, in this intimate conversation between the Son and the Father.
Jesus meant for us to eavesdrop on Him. He spoke this prayer out loud so that people could hear it, and so that it would be recorded for all history. And we should pay close attention to it, because these were the things that were on Jesus’ heart to pray for; these were His priorities. After praying for Himself and the disciples, in the last verses Jesus prays for “those who will believe in Me through their word” (v. 20). That’s us, you and me. Jesus had you in mind when He was speaking to His Father. Can you imagine that — Jesus putting you on His prayer list? Does that excite you? Jesus Christ loved you enough to pray for you and He’s still praying for you, even today (see Romans 8:34Romans 8:34 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Because Jesus prayed for the things in John 17, it means that this is the basic will of God for our lives. When we cooperate with the very things we read about here, when we pray for the same things, we are lining ourselves up with His will. The secret of prayer is to find out what He wants, and pray that. When you pray for the will of God, you will see results, and you’ll see joy and power in your life. 1 John 5:14-151 John 5:14-15 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: in: or, concerning
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
WP-Bible plugin says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
John 17 is the greatest prayer ever prayed, and it’s wonderful that Jesus allowed us to eavesdrop on Him. Read it over, study it, and become conformed to what Jesus expresses to His Father. You can’t go wrong that way!
Take a look and see why his promising career as a lifeguard did not flourish…
Smile and have a blessed day with our Lord and Savior!
Moses did not make it as a lifeguard, he failed! He also had his own share of run-ins on several very serious setbacks. Read the following post about how God gave Moses second chances. If you’re experiencing failures like Moses did, there too, is hope for you:
If you have anything that we can use for “Things that Make You Smile and Think”, please give us the link or email us at calvarychapel.dgt@gmail.com (this is the CCD email address exclusively for website matters), and we will post it here with the name of the contributor…We however, reserve the right to edit and choose which contributions will finally be published.
One word I can describe our recently concluded Senior Pastor and Wives Conference is this word, “Overflowing!” Spiritually, the messages were awesome, full, solid, encouraging, overflowing. And literally, the food was overflowing too! The fellowship and the fun – faith building! I remember what David wrote in Psalm 23:5Psalm 23:5 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. anointest: Heb. makest fat
WP-Bible plugin – “…You anoint my head with oil, my cup OVERFLOWS! God not only fills our life but overflows our life. The overflowing cup. What a beautiful apt description of the Christian life. Not just peace, peace that passes human understanding. Not just joy, joy indescribable and full of glory. In fact, our Lord gives us everything we could need and more. Paul expressed that thought in this way, “Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to power that works within us.” (Ephesians 3:20Ephesians 3:20 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Think about it: He is able to do…“Immeasurably more than” - This word carries with it the meaning of a river or lake with a water level that is above capacity, or at flood stage. The flood of God’s power is over and beyond all reasonable limits. It literally means, “Superabundantly, with more added to that.” God has enough power to do immeasurably more than we can ask or think with more added to that. In fact, in the original language…Paul uses a double compound word…he makes up his own word phrase. He is so caught up in the BIGNESS and AWESOMENESS of God, he creates a new word phrase to make his point…He stacks these words upon each other in an attempt to say how God is so immensely, infinitely big! Paul is saying that God is — Incredibly Incredible. Extravagantly Extravagant. Awesomely Awesome in His Awesomeness. Outrageously Outrageous. Fantastically Fantastical. Amazingly Amazing. Infinitely Infinite – all the time! There Ain’t no box Big enough – to hold our God! And His ability? Super able! God is Ably Able in His Ability. Our words cannot fully Express what we know and Feel. There’s no such word that can contain ALL of WHOHE is and ALL of what He can do. Our God is Indescribably indescribable. God Can! God is! God is Able to do! That would be enough to have our hearts beat with Confidence and Faith. Sure it’s impossible… Sure it’s outside of our power…Sure it seems hopeless… Sure it’s beyond our ability. BUTOHPRAISETHELORD… HEISABLE! Our God is Able to do FARMOREABUNDANTLYBEYONDALL!
Indescribable Louie Giglio
There are No Limits to His Love. No Boundaries to His Blessing. No Fences withholding His Faithfulness. No Lines drawn separating us from His Salvation. No Guard Rails against His Grace. No Containers holding His Compassion. No Restrictions to Experiencing His Righteousness! God is Able to do far more and abundantly beyond ALL we ask or think. Aren’t you glad that God is not limited to what we ask or think? I’m glad that God is God and I’m not. I don’t get it - all the time and I don’t get it all – most of the time. I don’t know what God knows. I don’t see what God sees. I don’t understand what God understands. I’m not sure where God is… I’m OK with that. I’m OK with letting God be God – because I really don’t think I have a choice in that matter anyway. God is God and God is Able! My cup overflows! Beloved, O, may we overflow with His love, joy and peace in the midst of an empty, dry and troubled world!
When my kids were small I told them they had my permission to come into my study room whenever they wanted, no matter what, no matter when. I wanted them to know that their concerns and questions were important to me, because they were important to me. And they took advantage of that right — sometimes to the surprise of my visitors or people I was counseling! (hahaha)
Did you know that we have the same access to God? It’s true. The God of heaven and earth, the Creator of all that exists, is available to you at all times, for any reason. Hebrews 4:16Hebrews 4:16 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
WP-Bible plugin says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The reason we can come “boldly” is in verse 15. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” That High Priest is Jesus Christ. He understands it all, and He is never surprised at our struggles.
God doesn’t condemn us for our sin when we approach the Throne of Grace. After all, when we come to Him, we’ve already admitted we’re in the wrong, we have a problem, and we need His help. If we didn’t want to admit we were wrong, we would hide. That brings me to the scripture that I want you to read. Psalm 139 is full of wonderful truths about God and His knowledge and love for us. Read it over slowly several times and digest it.
Verse 7 in particular stands out. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” The psalm goes on to explain how that very idea is nonsense. There’s nowhere to hide. But that’s the great part. Not only is there nowhere to hide, there’s no reason to even try. We can come to Him at any time, with any problem.
Are you struggling with a sin? Come to the Throne of Grace. Are you depressed or grieving? Come to the Throne of Grace. Are you angry, or confused, or full of doubt? You guessed it — come to the Throne of Grace. God is waiting there, eager to hear your problem, eager to give you His solution, His care, and His love. You can come anytime. Isn’t that what being a child of God is all about? He’s never too busy, and He’s never annoyed that you want to talk to Him. What a wonderful God we serve! What a wonderful Father we have!
Can you think of a time in your life when you acted impulsively and came to regret it? Maybe you bought a thing on impulse and were sorry afterward. Maybe it was that contract you signed without reading it carefully. Maybe it was that business deal you entered into that you should have taken more time to consider. Whatever the decision may have been, you regretted it later.
WP-Bible plugin says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven”. The Bible talks about a man of God who had really bad timing. If this man were in a race, he would have been the one to come out of nowhere, take the lead, and then suddenly self-destruct. The man I’m speaking of is Moses. Although Moses was one of the greatest men of God, he also was a man who had some serious setbacks and committed serious sin. It is worth noting that, along with Saul of Tarsus, Moses is one of the men God used who actually was guilty of murder.
Moses was a bit on the impulsive side. But being impulsive has its drawbacks, and Moses’ impulsiveness brought some devastating results. As the children of Israel cried out to God for deliverance, enter Moses, the man of God. When he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew he in turn killed the Egyptian. Clearly, the Lord had not told Moses to do this. Moses probably thought that his fellow Hebrews would be grateful for what he had done, but things didn’t turn out that way. Everyone knew what he did, but no one applauded. When Pharaoh heard what had happened, Moses had to flee for his life. Off he went, into the wilderness. God wants us to do His will in His way in His timing. Moses was a leader in training, but he wasn’t ready yet. He had lost his people. He had lost his reputation. But he had not lost God. What looked like the end was actually the beginning. Forty years later, God appointed Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. What Moses did not realize was that God had been preparing him during that time. Notice what God said to him: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”.
What was God saying? I am the God of ordinary men who have accomplished some extraordinary things. There is hope for you. I am not just the God of Abraham. I am not just the God of Isaac and Jacob. I am the God of Moses. I am calling you. I am giving you a second chance. God still uses ordinary people today. Even people who have made mistakes. Even people who have sinned. Maybe you are in a situation right now in which you can identify with Moses. Can I make a suggestion? Confess your sins to God. Deal with them and learn from your mistakes. And know this: God can still use you. He gives second chances. Maybe you need one today.
He also had his own share of run-ins on several very serious setbacks. Read the following post about how God gave Moses second chances. If you’re experiencing failures like Moses did, there too, is hope for you:
One word I can describe our recently concluded Senior Pastor and Wives Conference is this word, “Overflowing!” Spiritually, the messages were awesome, full, solid, encouraging, overflowing. And literally, the food was overflowing too! The fellowship and the fun – faith building! I remember what David wrote in 
or grieving? Come to the Throne of Grace. Are you angry, or confused, or full of doubt? You guessed it — come to the Throne of Grace. God is waiting there, eager to hear your problem, eager to give you His solution, His care, and His love. You can come anytime. Isn’t that what being a child of God is all about? He’s never too busy, and He’s never annoyed that you want to talk to Him. What a wonderful God we serve! What a wonderful Father we have!