There is some truth to this cartoon.....
We have a propensity to sit at the very back of the room. Don't know where it comes from, but I have seen it in action. I remember going to a celebrate recovery in Cedar Town Georgia. Massive church and the sanctuary would seat over 600.....guess how many were there for the recovery meeting? Less than 20. Guess where they sat? The very back of the room. I told them that from my perspective it looked like we were in terrorist mode....like someone had called in a bomb threat, and everyone was trying to scatter out in hopes that if a bomb did go off some would make it out alive. Ah...I digress. On to the business at hand.
Psalm 107:1- 2
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed say so. Who He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
It was a great weekend, beginning with VRC.
Good group. Had some first timers come and join us on Saturday.
The message was on "Situational Christianity", using the story from Acts 16:22-25 about Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown in to prison. Yet through the entire ordeal, Paul and Silas never turned away from God, angry at what had happened. In fact it seemed like the more stress and persecution they encountered, the more they pressed into God. The two of them were not just thrown into prison.....they were put in the "Inner" prison. Yet at the darkest time when others would have been cursing God...these two bozo's began to pray and (Get this) SING TO GOD!!! They had a worship service right there in the jail.
So how did they do this?
What kind of man operates in this fashion?
When in the face of pain, rejection, persecution, and humiliation.....
Has a prayer meeting and worship service.
They could operate in this fashion because they trusted God.
They had no answers as to how they were going to get out....
They didn't even know if they would live through the night...
But they trusted God to the point that they were willing to accept whatever came their way.
The same kind of trust that we find in the three Hebrew men we read about in the book of Daniel. Ol' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego got themselves in a terrible jam. They refused to obey the King's order to bow and worship a statue of the king when ever they heard a trumpet blast. King told them they were going to have to die for their refusal to worship his image. Get this reply they gave to the king --- "If that is the case (our death), our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from you hand, O king. But if not let it be known that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image you have set up." Isn't that crazy weird? Hey king....God can deliver us...and even if he doesn't...He is still God and we are not going to worship your hokey statue. Got love it!
Bottom line.
That is the kind of relationship I want. That is the kind of trust I want to have in my God. That no matter what situation I find myself in, I can be steadfast in my love for Him.
kind of like what ol' Paul wrote about in Philippians......"I can do all things ( I can face all things) through Christ who strengthens me. Now that there is some good stuff.
Anway...
Another week to face....
Coffee-ed up and ready to go.
See you tomorrow, right here on Greene Street.
God on you...
mbb
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