it's been a while

Hey everybody!


I hope that God is blessing each and every one of you with glimpses of His presence this week. Sometimes we look so hard for the blessings that come from the hand of God that we neglect the blessing of simply being with God.



At Route 66 on Wednesday night, we were talking about the way that God has left his imprint on each of us. Every man, woman, and child… no matter what color, creed, economic status, sexual preference, or political affiliation… every person bears the image of God. Now, as we permit sin to dwell in us, that image becomes tarnished- it becomes more and more difficult to see. As we decide to follow the path that Christ has laid before us, we reestablish a connection with God and find His image renewed within us. When we journey with Jesus along the path of faith, we change. We leave old ways behind and adopt new ways for our new life. We adopt new ways of thinking, new ways of feeling, new ways of behaving, and even new ways of speaking! God does all of this inside of us as we make decisions in life to choose God’s way over our way.



We've been looking at the book of Philippians during our sermons on Sunday morning. In Philippians there is a lot said about joy. (It says a lot about a lot more too, but we're going to focus here for now.) Paul is almost constantly talking about having joy in this or rejoicing in that… There’s joy all over the place in this letter! As we face trials or as we face times of peace, we are told that we should take things in stride and rejoice through it all. We are going to have times of trouble, but how do we handle them? Do we pout? Do we complain? Do we throw a fit until we get our way? Do we get angry? Do we point fingers at others? Do we focus so much on the problem that we become a part of the problem instead of working to find a solution? People who are “journeying with Jesus” should be looking to do things God’s way. We should be letting God’s image come through in our actions as we rejoice and act in selflessness to find beneficial solutions to life’s problems. We should be trying to “live Christ” so we can avoid letting the “Me mentality” destroy the great things that God wants to do in our lives.



Trials eventually pass. Trying times do not last forever. But our God is greater than our trials. Jesus has paid the ultimate price in order to secure victory over every plan that Satan tries to throw our way. Check out what Paul writes in Romans 8:28-39:

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those
he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who
can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us
all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who
will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who
justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who
was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
‘For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to
be slaughtered.’ 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God works out everything to bring good. Our trials, our trying times, our triumphs… whatever… through everything, God is going to bring good. But we need to trust in him and keep going. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! Nothing! As we face condemnation and hardship we will find strength in letting God show through us. As we face trying times as a body of believers we must let God show through us as we move in unity and love.

What trials are you facing? How are you handling it? In what ways can you “live Christ” in your present circumstances? Are you a part of the problem or a part of the solution? Have you talked with God about your trials or are you relying on your own strength? Is a “Me mentality” preventing you from overcoming obstacles?

I know that this was a long one… thank you for your patience. I was just feeling God pressing me to write this to our family today. Transitions in life are seldom easy.