Not One Word Has Failed

Week of July 15, 2022

“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth.  And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you.  All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.”  Joshua 23:14 (NKJV)

Close to the end of Joshua’s life he gathered the Israelites so that they could reflect upon all God had done for them since they first began following Him.  God had given them the assignment to conquer a foreign land with fortified cities and armies more powerful than their own.  They were commanded to go forward with nothing more than God’s promise that He would go with them and take care of them.  Now Joshua was looking back over their experience and reminding the Israelites that God had kept every promise.

Twenty-four years after God promised Abraham and Sarah a son they were still waiting but in the twenty-fifth year they were able to look back and say that God is faithful. David had to flee for his life from Saul and he probably questioned how God would keep His promise to make him King but at the end of his reign, David was able to review how God had kept every promise. Hindsight always gives us a clearer picture of how faithful God has been to us. We must not be tempted during a crisis to wonder if God will be faithful to His promises.

Do you feel like there is a crisis going on in your life?  If so, I encourage you to hold on to the promises of your Lord because He will not forget His promises to you.  Take some time right now and look back and recount the ways in which God has been faithful to His word in your life.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

Wisdom

Week of July 8, 2022

“Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” (Deuteronomy 4:6, NKJV)

Wisdom is not what we know about the world but rather how well you know God.  Human reasoning will not make you wise.  It may even lead you to reject the ways of God.  God raised up a nation to be an example to demonstrate His wisdom to the world through the obedience of His people.  And as the Israelites followed God, He would bless them, and the wisdom of obeying God would be evident to all.

God gives us the same opportunity to base our life on His wisdom.  When someone who is not a follower of Jesus Christ makes a decision, they must rely on their own knowledge and understanding.  The Holy Spirit within us will open our eyes to the truth of the scriptures so that we can see God’s perspective.  As we obey and follow the ways of God, the wisdom of obeying God will be evident to all.  Others will be confused about what to do in our complicated world, but God will guide you to the correct choices in life.  As a result, you will be blessed; your family will be also.  Your friends will gain wise counsel from your obedience, and the result of that obedience – wisdom from God will be an enlightening experience for many others to follow.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

If My People

Week of July 3, 2022

“If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV)

Patriotism has not gone out of style. For a Christian it has very special implications because July 4th is really dependence day for us.  It is a day to reaffirm God’s vision for America, the dream He gave to our founding fathers and the place that our nation has in His strategy for history. July 4th is more than a day for picnics and parades. It is a day of prayer for our nation, our leaders, and God’s blessing on us.

The promise of today’s scripture holds a promise with a great if. If we humble ourselves and turn from the things that contradict His will and pray, then His promise is that He will forgive our sins and heal our land.

Just as evil people cause what distorts our nation, the solutions that heal must come through people who are committed to God.  Elisha once said about Elijah in 2 Kings 2:12, “my father, my father the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” Elijah and his righteous living had done more to save Israel from destruction than all of the chariots and soldiers. The hope of America is not in her military might or natural resources but in God’s people being a channel through which He can bless our land. I believe that there is no other time in our lives like right now that we must be those vessels of honor so that God hears our prayers.

God Bless, Pastor Rick