8/27/2023 0 Comments Pastor’s PenBeloved, God has placed each of us in our own sphere of darkness in order to bring the light of the gospel to those around us. For the Apostle Paul, that sphere of darkness we will study today is the city of Ephesus – a city dominated by satanic and demonic activity; a city known for the temple of Artemis (Diana) and for all of its magical and occult practices. Ephesus was a city where God was going to demonstrate that the power of His Word and of His Works could be victorious in radically changing lives and rescuing people from the bondage of their life of futility.
Thus, today’s message begins and ends with power, God’s power. We begin with the power behind the proclamation of God’s Word, then we proceed to cover the power of God’s kingdom over demonic forces and finally end with the producing of powerful results. All of this brings us to the point of God being glorified. Beloved, the Holy Spirit is power. Ephesians 3:20-21 reads, “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, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (KJV) Beloved, may we rest in God’s power working in our lives today!
0 Comments
8/20/2023 0 Comments Pastor's Pen Beloved, as we close our study on Habakkuk, He moves from burden to blessing, from wonder/worry to worship, from restlessness to rest, from a problem to God’s Person, and from a complaint to consolation, from confusion to confidence!
Beloved, only our great God and Savior can supernaturally turn sighing into singing so we must like Habakkuk take time to wait before Him in prayer and listen to His Word. It is always "worth the wait!" In 1851 an English Missionary, Alan Gardner, was shipwrecked on the bottom tip of South America with many others. They would eventually die of hunger. Alan was the last one to die. The very last thing Alan wrote in his journal was Psalm 34:10, “Young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” Alan also wrote, “I am overwhelmed with the sense of the goodness of God!” When do you say, “God is good?” When the fig trees are blossoming, when there’s money, etc. You and I infer the goodness of God from stuff. Alan Gardner and Habakkuk, for that matter, learned that you can know the goodness of God in the midst of starvation and lack. 8/13/2023 0 Comments Pastor’s PenBeloved, the Book of Habbakuk tells us how to deal with evil times and maintain joy when everything is going wrong. There are three principles to giving: give sacrificially, joyfully, and graciously. We must recognize that everything is a gift from God, so we’re giving back from his gifts. Habbakuk points to Jesus as the true source of our strength.
Habakkuk is describing an economic disaster! Figs, grapes, olives, and grain were the four ways the land produced fruit so you could eat and produce wealth. Sheep and cattle were where investments were made. This was their portfolio. While there was some currency- the main manner in which money was made and transacted was through the means Habakkuk mentions. Habakkuk is essentially alluding to the principle of first fruits. So, we will initially look at Deuteronomy 26 and then finish in Habakkuk 3:17-19 |
Archives
January 2025
|