Extraordinary

Week of August 4, 2023

 “2. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush.  Moses stared in amazement.  Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.  3. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself.  “Why isn’t that bush burning up?  I must go see it.”  4. When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses!  Moses!”  “Here I am!”  Moses replied.”  Exodus 3:2-4

Moses was going through the routine of his day when he noticed an ordinary thing      ; a burning bush.  He also noticed an extraordinary thing; the bush though burning was not being consumed.  Moses turned aside to give a closer look.  When the Lord saw Moses turn aside from the routine of his day, He spoke to him.

There will be times when in the ordinary details of life, you may be oblivious to the extraordinary that is right next to you.  There may be times when in the middle of your day you notice something unusual.  Your first reaction might be, “I’m not going to disrupt my life for this” or “I’m too tired to investigate this”, but in that moment may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

God usually speaks out of the ordinary experiences of life.  The next time you see the unusual in the midst of the mundane, don’t continue business as usual.  It may be that God has ordained that moment to be a life changing time for you and those around you.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

Daily Provision

Week of July 28, 2023

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.”  Matthew 6:11

We are dependent on God for everything in our lives.  We would be unable to breathe a breath, think a thought, move a muscle, work a day, or anything else without His moment by moment provision.  Put your finger on your pulse right now and give thanks to God for your life.  List all that is yours and know it is from His gracious provision that you have obtained it.  You can praise Him for the food that you eat, your body that moves you around, the people that bring joy into your life, and all the opportunities presented to you throughout the day.  Clearly, all that we have and all that we are comes from the unmerited favor of the Lord.

The scripture above deliberately uses the word daily.  This word reminds us that we cannot live on the stale grace of yesterday.  We most definitely need His new mercies and grace for today’s ever escalating challenges.  The Lord has given us this day, and He shows us the way for this day.  Andrew Murray, who was a 19th century pastor and author, once said, “I have learned to place myself before God every day as a vessel to be filled with His Holy Spirit.”  Each morning we should start our day by asking God for His daily provision.  I am quite certain His provision always makes for a better day.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

You Are Not Lost In The Crowd

Week of July 21, 2023

“And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”  Luke 19:5(NKJV)

We live in a large world and it is easy for us to feel that we are just insignificant specks in the midst of a multitude of people. Our world tends to depersonalize us but remember that God loves us in specific ways that are particular to us.

Great crowds of people had come to see Jesus as he traveled through the land and the Bible tells us that one particular person was a not so tall man named Zacchaeus. Since his height prevented him from seeing Jesus through the crowd he climbed up into a nearby tree to get a better view of Him as he approached. When Jesus passed by the tree that Zacchaeus climbed, he stopped, looked up at Zacchaeus, and spoke directly to him.

Jesus will relate to you in ways that are unique to you.  He knows your past and He knows what you will face in the future.  Now because He knows everything about you, His word will perfectly fit the circumstances of your life.  God will personalize His word to you.  Take comfort in knowing that you have not been lost in the crowd.

God Bless, Pastor Rick