Caught In The Nett

You think you know God? You think you have Him all figured out? You ain't got nothin'. Wait until you hear THIS story!

I drove up to Nett Lake on Wednesday. There's nothing like a nice 6-hour drive to try figuring out what God will be doing when I get there. I thought I knew what was going to happen. Wrong. This is how I thought the day would go.

I would arrive at my friend's house, install a bunkbed I had built for her kids, and then we would talk about life and about God. It was going to be an absolutely wonderful day. But then I arrived and all of MY plans went right out the window. Enter GOD's plan.

I thought for sure God had placed me in my friends life so I could tell her about God and the joys and responsibilities of being a Christian. It was going to be perfect, or so I thought. That's not what God had in mind. Why? Because that was MY plan, not His.

When I got to my friend's house her boyfriend was the first person I saw. Then I saw my friend walking towards me from down the street. There were also two teenage girls in the house - cousins, I was told. Plus my friend's two kids. One was having way too much fun showing off. The other was having just as much fun, being cranky.

All of these people were getting ready to leave for an appointment as soon as I finished assembling the bed. Well, there was not going to be any conversation about God I guess. No moments of deep reflection or prayer. I was going to assemble the bed and that would be it. Then another 6 hours of driving back home to think about what had NOT happened. Wonderful.

I clearly thought God had me drive up here for a reason. But now nothing was happening. Did I miss something? Did I not pick up on some sign from above?

As I was tightening the last bolt on the bed my friend asked me, "Could you drop my cousin off in Virginia on your way home?"

"Sure."

Virginia, MN was 20 miles down the road but it WAS on my way back home. I was doing a favor for a friend plus I have no idea what's going to happen next so, okay, let's go.

I was feeling a bit awkward, being in the car with a teenager I barely knew so I introduced myself. "Hi. I'm Bob. What's your name?"

[Here it comes - the revelation of God's plan for my day, my trip, and perhaps my life.]

"Joelle."

One word. A name. And just like that, God's blessings poured down on me. Big time! So, who is Joelle?

On May 8th I wrote a story called "Why?" (Click on the link and read it).

In the story I wrote about the struggles we face in life. Joelle was definitely struggling, having just lost her sister at such a young age. In the last paragraph of my story I asked you to pray that God would put a Christ-follower into Joelle's life. To show her someone cared and to share the love of Jesus with her. God answered those prayers. I just never thought it was going to be me.

So Joelle and I talked for 20+ minutes about her sister Chere, the pain of someone we love dying, Nett Lake Baptist church, Pastor Kevin, The Warrior Leadership Summit. I even got her laughing a bit.

If you ever think you have read the Bible enough or prayed enough or learned enough about God, get ready. You're about to learn some more.

All the way home I was praising God for the gift He had just given me. What an encouragement! I hope our conversation helped Joelle. I KNOW it helped me.

So, what's next? I'm not even going to try to guess. But these verses come to mind.

"9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” - 1 Samuel 3:9-10

God Speaking - Mandissa

The Appointed Ones

Do you think you are special? Unique? Our fingerprints prove that there is no one exactly like YOU, but are we actually unique in a spiritual sense?

I was listening to the Book of Acts in my car the other day. The Book of Acts leads me to write more of these stories, I think, with every time I read it or listen to it. I will hear something from Peter, Paul, Stephen or Phillip, and "boom!" I get convicted in some way or it makes me notice something in a different way. Like when I heard this:

^"44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. ⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us: 

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,

That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 

⁴⁸ Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." - Acts 13:44-48

Only those who had been "appointed to eternal life believed." If they were "appointed," who did the appointing? Well, that would be God. But this sentence implies that there are those who hear the Word but were NOT appointed. They did not believe. My take away from this is that not everyone is appointed to believe. Not everyone will be saved.

Jesus confirms this in the Book of Matthew when He speaks about the "sheep and goats."

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ - Matthew 25:31-36

So some of the non-believers we know might not make it? What if that means that our mother, or brother or sister-in-law is doomed? What hope is there for them?

God knows when, where and how every person will come to believe in Him. HE has appointed the day, the hour, the very second that we will be His. Hmm. So, what is the point of evangelism then? If God already knows we are going to be saved next Thursday for example, why should WE care?What does that have to do with us?

What if God wants to use you to do it? What if God wants to use YOU to deliver His message of salvation to one of the goats?

No pressure.

The point of this story is to serve as a reminder to us that . . .

1. God is in control.
2. God knows all things.
3. God knew the person who spoke the words of life into each of us.

With those facts in mind, here are some questions to be answered by each of us:

Question 1: Is God going to use YOU to speak into someone's life today?

Question 2: Are you ready?

Jesus told us that we are to be a light unto the world . . .

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

Are we shining brightly? Are people looking at us and seeing Jesus? We who believe, were chosen. We were chosen by God! And WHY were we chosen? Not because we're pretty or because we smell good. I believe we were chosen for a purpose. The question has already been asked. Are we ready?

^"14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Matthew 22:14

"You don't need no ticket, you just praise The Lord."

 People Get Ready - Curtis Mayfield

Do You Have A Family Like Mine?

After being away from home the past two weekends it sure was good to be back to worship at my home church. The guy I usually sit next to, Robbie, greeted me warmly, saying he was concerned that I was sick because I hadn't been there the past few Sunday's.

When I got home after church my wife asked me how the service was. I related the story of Robbie's concern to her to which she replied, "No one asked me where I had been these past two Sundays." And that is exactly the problem the many churches today. They are not . . . a family.

My wife belongs to a different church than me. Theological differences and the importance of "tradition" keep us from worshiping together. Her church is much larger than mine, filled with tradition, liturgy, robes and a pipe organ. The church I attend is much smaller, has no liturgy or tradition and the worship team is composed of two grey-haired gentlemen with guitars. But that's the beauty of the church I attend. It's simple, it's humble, and it's . . . a family.

Big churches are okay I guess but I prefer small ones. They're more family like. In bigger churches it's hard to feel like part of the family when you have 1000 or more brothers and sisters. Still, even though the early church was small, God added to their number daily and it grew quite large.

Small groups might seem like the answer - smaller size, more intimate relationships - but the accuracy of scriptural knowledge and theological discussions are dependent upon the most educated person in the bunch. Sometimes that's a drawback.

What make a church family a family? Well, the first thing is the Holy Spirit. He is that common thread that binds us together. Our mutual faith in God is another thing. When we believe the same things it is very easy to get along . . . just like family.

My earthly family is great but we do not always agree with one another, theologically speaking, That is not the case with my church family. We all love Jesus, we all believe He is the Son of the Living God. He was crucified, died and was buried but then on the third day He rose from the grave and walked among His "family."

Family is a precious thing. It is a gift that is given from God, but it can sometimes be lost. When we lose a family member it is always a difficult thing to go through. But family helps. Family helps us get through.

The Easter season is upon us or, as my church likes to call it, Resurrection Sunday. Have you come to know Jesus yet? All will get to meet Him one day. Some will be happy to do so. Others will not be as joyous. How amazing would it be if entire families were called to be a part of God's eternal family.

We all have a choice. Has God called you to be part of His family?? Is He knocking on your door?

"20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” - Revelation 3:20-22

Lauren Scruggs - I Am Second

A Ray Of Light

There is a saying that goes, "It is always darkest before the dawn." I'm not so sure that's true. Right before the dawn the sky actually gets lighter. Check it out for yourself.

I know what that old saying was trying to convey to us though. We can go through trials in our lives and, just when we are about to give up, something happens to give us hope. It's like that sudden ray of sunshine that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Have you ever experienced that? Was there some dark moment in your life that you made it through due to a sudden reason to hope?

I saw a short two minute video this week that was kind of like that. It's from the movie God's Not Dead. Please watch it with me and see if you can see that moment occur in the mind and the heart of the man in the room.

Comfortable Prison Cell - God's Not Dead

Moments like that don't come along every day. They usually seem to occur right after our darkest hours.

Near the end of my father's life he was much like the lady in that film clip. He had Alzheimer's. He didn't know who I was. Yet, shortly before he died, he recognized his children. What a blessing that was!

I have come across numerous "rays of light" when I am reading my Bible or listening to a sermon in church. You have too I imagine. We hear a sermons that seem to be written especially for us. Suddenly there is a ray of light in our dark world and we finally get it.

There is a scene in Close Encounters of the Third Kind that is a perfect example of this. Ray is driving along a deserted country road, totally lost. Suddenly there is a ray of light and his life becomes forever changed.

Ray Of Light - Close Encounters

Some Christians walk through life having never experienced that single defining moment. Then there are others who have come to the sudden realization that all these "stories" they have heard are true. They believe and are forever changed.

"9 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.[a] It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.  8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.  9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank." - Acts 9:1-9

From that moment on, Saul (whom Jesus later named Paul) believed.

If you have never had a "Damascus Road" experience, not necessarily with a sudden bright light, but with a sudden realization that God is NOT dead, He's alive! He's alive!" I suggest you cry of to God to see if He can arrange something for you. I believe God reveals Himself to us. And often, not is such obvious and amazing ways. Sometimes it is a whisper, not a shout. May He whisper in your ear on THIS day. God's not dead. He's living . . . on the inside.

God's Not Dead - The Newsboys

None Shall Pass!!

There are some things that are hard to understand about the Christian faith, while other things seem to be quite obvious. Then there are those nebulous things that no one will ever fully understand. Such is the Holy Spirit of God.

Have you ever tried going somewhere and seemingly been stopped at every traffic light. Later, you arrive on the scene of an accident and think, "That could have been me."

Something like that happened to me a few years ago. On my way to work in the pre-dawn darkness. Suddenly . . . a deer! I was going 72 mph when the deer hit me. My car was totaled! I, however, did not have a scratch. 72 miles an hour. Nothing. God's hand of protection? Could be.

When I think of the Holy Spirit I am at first reminded of "spirit-like" movie characters and mentors like Gandalf and Obi-Wan Kenobi. When THEY spoke, people listened.

"You shall go to the Dagobah System. There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me."

"None shall pass!!!"

I believe that God watches over His children. I also believe that God directs our paths as we walk through this world. He arranges meetings, causes us to "feel" like doing things we otherwise would not have done. I can't prove any of this but there is evidence of it in The Bible.

"6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." - Acts 16:6-10

Is there something you are being called to do? And how do we know it's God's Holy Spirit leading us and not some other spirit? Or indigestion?

What happens if we ignore God's call? What if we try our hardest NOT to pay attention to the yearnings? What if we are comfortable right where we are and don't want to risk losing the things we have worked so hard to obtain? We might as well ask, "What if we deliberately disobey God?"

Are you sensitive to God's leading? I am beginning to recognize it, more so by looking at past events than anything else. But after a while one begins to recognize it, and delight in the ability to see it. Now, if we would just have the courage to follow Him, completely. What's that Jesus said?

"24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" - Matthew 16:24-26

Ouch.

Let us follow and not doubt. Let us take bold steps in obedience to God's calling.

The Potter's Hand - Darlene Zschech
You Shall Go - Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Call

When I was in college I played in a three-man band named Aries. We weren't astrology nuts by any means but we WERE all born in the month of March.

Our lead singer, Michael, wrote a song he entitled The Call. The subject of the song was to address that deep down desire in all of us that draws us to do something . . or to be with someone. Michael likened that desire to the spirit of a stallion - driven, spirited, and powerful.

Have you ever felt drawn to something or someone with a stronger than average pull? Maybe it's someone you meet on the street who you felt like you already knew. Or maybe it's a desire to DO something. Maybe that calling is so strong that you quit your job and and become a missionary. You feel an inner desire to follow that thought or leading.

Or maybe it's a major life-altering event like the death of a loved one, or the doctor walking into the waiting room, clipboard in hand, and saying, "I have some bad news."

I'm going to ask you to do a little thinking this morning. I'm going to ask you to think beyond your own view point and see something from a different perspective . . . through the eyes of God.

God is after a few things. He wants our obedience, He wants our attention and He wants us to love Him.  Do you think God does things that effect our lives in ways that will lead us to do things? DO you think God orchestrates meetings, causes traffic delays, makes you switch jobs, or has you meet someone all according to some master plan He has for us . . . and for Him? I do.

Do you think God would make someone's work environment so bad that they would leave that job and take another job someplace else so that that person could interact with someone else for His ultimate glory? I do. It happened in MY life.

Do you think God would cause someone to be sick or get a disease to get their attention or the attention of someone else? I do. Stories like that are found everywhere in the Bible.

Have you ever felt a calling to follow a particular career path? Or have you gotten sick and, without your even knowing it, inspired someone else to become a doctor or a nurse?

When we are going through a struggle or an illness, perhaps it was "arranged" to help someone else grow in an area of compassion or mercy.

SO as you go through today, keep your eyes open for the work of His mighty hand. Perhaps He will use YOU today to effect the life of someone else . . . all for His ultimate glory.

"26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
    and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he opens not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
    Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus." - Acts 8:26-35

Through this one orchestrated meeting God brought two men together for ultimate His glory, and to spread the Good News of The Gospel to Ethiopia.

The Event That Changed Ethiopia