Jammy Church 10.13.13

"We are the variable in other people's lives" was a statement made this morning that resonated with me.  We have a brother that attends a local Bible study with people from all over the world. We talked about how the love of God can just intervene in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.

We noticed that in our upbringing, we often feel like we have to prepare and plan and "do" in order to get a Bible Study going. Several people shared testimonies that God would use them, not to quote scripture with someone, but simply to 'be' who they were in Christ. Our UN Bible study have people from all over who want to come. The brother finally realized that the Holy Spirit could do more than any of his 'planning' could do, and he's learned to just relax and just let God do it. Let's face it--the God of the Universe is more than willing to show His love.

God can take our measly mud-pies and do something with them. God is not shocked or surprised at anything we say or do. It's not like any of us can mess up anything God's got planned. Could you imagine God saying, "Oh no! I had this good speech for you to give the lost person, and you messed it up! Now he's going to go to hell!" I mean, seriously? Nothing we do will catch God off guard, and nothing we say will hinder His will. If someone is ready to accept the Grace of God, then God will get it done, and nothing we do, will mess it up.

Oh no, I've got to get these people saved!  was a mindset of times past, according to our Cajun brother. He finally realized that the salvation of the world is not on his shoulders. Too often we fall in that trap, but thankfully, the love of God will pull us out.

God is the initiator, we get to just sit back and watch God do, what God does. was also said as an encouragement. After all, God is bigger than any mountain ;)

There is Nothing New Under the Sun

So, this morning in our Jammie Church, the discussion got around to cares of this world. Remembering of how things were "back in the day", most of us recalled not really worrying about anything as far as the dangers of this world. Now, it seems we are over run with the evil of this world. A brother shared a story of having his boys out in their garage playing, ages from 6-10, I believe, then suddenly hearing some older boys in his garage. The fear that he read in the news, was overlayed onto these boys in his garage and he immediately ordered them to leave. The innocence of his own boys let him know that the older kids were being nice. The brother decided to go see for himself. The thing is, we didn't use to hear about all of the bad stuff going on. Did that mean it wasn't happening, or just that we didn't hear about it? After all, there is nothing new under the sun. 

Another brother made the statement that we seem to be thinking and growing in the knowledge of good and evil. Focusing on the evil, we wind up being so cautious, our lives are being dictated through fear. This doesn't have to be. 

Although this world is waxing worse and worse, we can still live in dependence on our Heavenly Father. Let Him worry about the world, while we enjoy being in the Family, and relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Segue into the Metro Message of II Peter 1.  "It's good to remind you again" Everything we experience, including the cares of this world, can be viewed through the eyes of the New Covenant. We all need reminded just how deep and wide God's love is for us. Peter reminds his readers how intimate Jesus is, and how he's going to remind them again and again. In light of living in a dark world, hearing the gospel message just once isn't enough. We need to hear it again, again and again. It is essential that we know that no prophecy of scripture comes about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. These were spoken from God, through the personalities and voices of His servants as they are carried along by the Holy Spirit. 

Are your eyes focused on the cares of this world, or on the face of Jesus?