Searchin'

A series of events has been happening in my life lately which makes me wonder, "Is the Lord trying to tell me something?"

In Genesis 24, Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for his son Isaac. The servant prayed for a sign to happen. And when it did, the servant knew that the woman at the well (Rebekah), who was watering his camels, was the right one for Isaac.

"Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’ - let her be the one YOU have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” - Genesis 24:12-14

Have you ever had that happen to you? Prayed for something, and then received a confirming sign?

I am beginning to wonder about a task I am working on. Things have been happening that are impeding my progress. Are these events from the Lord? Or, are they from the devil? Hard to tell.

So, how can we find out if something is from the Lord?

1. Pray - Ask God for answers to your questions.
2. Is it according to God's will? - Is what you are doing something that God would desire?
3. Consider the fruit - What will the outcome be? Does it bring glory to God?
4. Seek Godly counsel - Talk to your pastor or a brother or sister in Christ about it.
5. Trust and Obey - Wherever the outcome of the above steps leads, trust it.

We can't be so fixated on doing something that we forget who we are doing it for - God. 

A friend of mine once told me, "It's hard to turn a parked car. Take a step. Move! If it's the wrong direction, you'll know."

So, whether you are thinking about switching jobs or starting a new ministry, begin to move in that direction. If blessings occur, continue on. But if nothing happens, perhaps more prayer is warranted. It may not be what God wants you to do.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew t:7-8

Searching So Long - Chicago

The Parable of The Runaway Trailer

We were having such a good day. My wife and I were helping our daughter and her husband move into their new house. First we took some bags of leaves to the recycling center. I had my truck and an old trailer. Things were going good until my daughter exclaimed on the way home, "Dad! The trailer's gone!"

Well, that sure got my attention but I had to check my mirrors anyway, like my daughter surely had not seen . . . a 45 square foot trailer. Yep. It was gone. LONG gone!

As I turned the truck around we all began scanning the ditches for our missing trailer. The kids finally spotted it in the ditch next to a busy intersection. It must have become detached when I had stepped on the brakes there a few minutes earlier.

Miraculously the trailer was undamaged. Again, miraculously, the trailer turned to the right after coming loose and simply went into the ditch. Instead of turning left and into oncoming traffic at a MAJOR intersection. Some would say we were lucky. Not me. God was definietly watching over the whole situation as things ended with the best outcome possible.

Our faith can become "detached" sometimes. We can easily lose our way, living in the world in which we do. So many dangers. So many temptations. We need to watch the warning signs in our walk with Jesus or we too can end up in the ditch.

In the case of our trailer, several small things led up to what could have been a big accident. The emergency chains on the trailer were too short to attach to the truck. I recognized that when I hooked the trailer up that morning. I knew I would have to replace them but surely things would be okay today. Then, when I emptied the trailer at the recycling center I detached it because the trailers tipping mechanism was rusted shut. I "placed" the trailer back on the hitch after dumping the leaves but I never locked it in place. I got distracted. I was clearly my fault for not being doubly sure about these very small but important things.

In our faith we need to make sure we are reading His Word, attending church, serving others and participating in a small accountability group. Otherwise it is easy to veer off the narrow road and onto the broad one.

"Maybe just one more drink," we say. "Just one more hit."

"No one will ever know," we tell ourselves, and then we find out we're pregnant.

"I don't believe in God anymore. How could He let my father die like that?"

Many things can distract us from the truth. In my case, I was careless in making sure the trailer was safely hooked up to my truck. I could have injured someone. Or worse. That was a wake-up call for me.

Are you in need of a wake-up call spiritually? Most people don't think so until it's too late. That's why we need to examine ourselves daily to see if we come up lacking. BEFORE we get out onto life's highway.

Have you given your life to Jesus yet? Is He LORD of your life. Is He your master? Are YOU His slave? I hope so. Tomorrow could be the day someone's trailer comes loose in front of YOU. And maybe that's the day it veers to the left instead of the right and suddenly everything goes dark. Eternally dark. Too late.

This stuff happens everyday my friends. It happened to me this past Saturday. Are you ready? Be prepared. Be ready.

"3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" - 2 Corinthians 13:3-5

I AM STILL ON THE ROAD OUT THERE PEOPLE!! :O

Examine Yourself - John MacArthur
Examine Yourselves - Charles Spurgeon
SUV Caravan Challenge - Top Gear

Contrails

Do you know what this is? I bet you probably recognize this as a jet's contrail . . . the trail planes make when they are flying really high and really fast. Here's an official definition.

Contrails (short for "condensation trails") or vapor trails are long, thin artificial clouds that sometimes form behind aircraft. Their formation is most often triggered by the water vapor in the exhaust of aircraft engines, but can also be triggered by changes in air pressure in wingtip vortices or in the air over the entire wing surface. Contrails are made of water in the form of a suspension of billions of liquid droplets or ice crystals.

Artificial clouds. Interesting.

You can barely see it in this picture, or in real life for that matter, but at the front end of this "artificial cloud" is a jet airliner carrying hundreds of people to some far away destination. If you zoom in a bit and take a closer look you can actually see the plane and begin to understand just where these contrails come from.

As I was out walking last night I watched one of these planes, flying towards the sun. I thought about the people on board. Some were heading home from business trips, others were going on vacation. Some maybe were heading off to the military or some might be flying home to say goodbye to a loved one. Many different people, just as many different stories.

I wonder. Do you think there were any Christians on that plane? I bet there are a few. Hard to tell these days. Here's another thought. Do you suppose the plane took off without someone? Did someone miss their flight and was left standing at the gate, sad at being left behind? Again, it's possible. We'll never know.

There once was a man at an airport, holding his suitcase and staring out the window watching the planes taking off. A lady at the counter made an announcement and people started getting on the plane. Soon the passenger lounge was empty, except for our friend with the suitcase. He stood there watching as his plane backed away from the terminal, taxied to the runway and then took off. He looked sad.

The lady at the counter came over and asked, "Sir, wasn't that your flight? You're still holding your ticket."

"I was going to California! I have a ticket! Now I'm just standing here. I thought I was going and now I'm not. What happened?"

"Well, sir, at some point you simply have to get on the plane!"

It that us standing there in the lobby with our "faith" in our hands? We can think we "believe" in God. We go to church on Sunday. We think we are going to heaven. Will we be the ones asking ourselves, "Why am I still here?" after Jesus comes back to collect His children - the church?

Saying you are a Christian does not make you one. Going to church on Sunday doesn't make you a Christian either. What does? Being IN the plane. Being IN Christ Jesus makes all the difference. Never heard of the phrase "in Christ?" Is appears 460 times in the Bible.

"14 Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ." - 1 Peter 5:14

"To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi . . . " - Philippians 1:1

"8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1

SO, how do we get IN Christ? This answer comes from Gotquestions.org:

To be "in Christ" means we have accepted His sacrifice as payment for our own sin. Our rap sheets contain every sinful thought, attitude or action we have ever committed. No amount of self-cleansing can make us pure enough to warrant forgiveness and a relationship with a holy God (Romans 3:10-12). The Bible says that in our natural sinful state we are enemies of God (Romans 5:10). When we accept His sacrifice on our behalf, He switches accounts with us. He exchanges our list of sins for His perfect account that is totally pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 5:21). A Divine Exchange takes place at the foot of the cross: our old sin nature for His perfect one (2 Corinthians 5:17).

To enter the presence of a holy God, we must be hidden in the righteousness of Christ. To be "in Christ" means that God no longer sees our imperfections; He sees the righteousness of His own Son (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 8:12). Only "in Christ" is our sin debt cancelled, our relationship with God restored, and our eternity secured (John 3:16-18, 20:31).

Are you "in Christ?"

If not, get on board! Take a seat and enjoy the ride. Refreshment is coming your way and your destination is assured - paradise . . . for ALL those who have a ticket and are IN Him.


Who I Am In Christ - Stephen LeBlanc