Unfamiliar Roads

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path.

Psalm 27:1

Have you ever taken an unfamiliar road and it led to trouble. I took an unfamiliar road sometime ago, following my GPS. I confessed - “it should know where I need to go”, so I leaned on it totally. I tried to navigate through unfamiliar city streets, listening to my device, all the while not paying attention to an upcoming stop sign. I proceeded through, not stopping, totally distracted! Almost at once, I was stopped by blue and red lights flashing, truly it was an embarrassing moment as I sunk down in my seat when the officer gave me a ticket. He reminded me I should have stopped. Unfamiliar or uncharted roads can lead us to the wrong destination the wrong experience, or the wrong direction!

But in life we often have to walk down unfamiliar paths – paths that may feel threatening. So how do we do that without making costly mistakes? We take Someone along who knows the way, and we say, “Teach me Your way, O Lord and lead me in a smooth path.” Does your path today seem unfamiliar? Ask your Father to travel the road with you.

Paul writes to Timothy (2 Tim 3:1) stating “the last days will be perilous”, extreme times of stress. I think that could be said of what many in our world are experiencing today. We are embarking on a very unfamiliar road in these times and need the Lord to lead us every day. Jesus made reference in Matthew 24 about Last Day events including wars, plagues, and persecution. He then adds a little emphasis in verse 8 “this is the beginning of sorrows.” It is very clear that as we approach those days, it won’t be business as usual, God is reaching the hearts of mankind that it is “vital” that we get understanding that we get wisdom to change our thinking, our values and most importantly, to allow His Word to transform us so that we permit His hand to direct our lives. There is a destiny to arrive at. Let’s be a little more thankful, we serve a God of enormous mercy, so we need to be grateful that Holy Spirit is in our corner and always present to bring clarity from God’s Word.

I’m sure everyone likes a little sunshine in each day, and maybe add a little laughter to that. But the reality is that there are some pebbles on the road of life, things that can trip us up and test our devotion to God, family and community. We experience days of seeming darkness, especially in our present season, as well as days of loneliness caused by isolation. Realize, God is not your enemy, He is not intentionally trying to discourage you, nor abandon you, but teaching us to hold tight to what we have learned from His Word. We can stand on past revelations of God’s loving relationship with us, but also He prepares us to know that Truth will triumph in the coming days.

Zechariah 14:1-23 is a tremendous passage, it speaks of the “last days.” We have entered into a part of our journey as humans realizing no one has a detailed map as to what will happen, when it will take place or even how! There will be dark days that quite honestly will cause some to wonder. But God has preserved His Word for those who are diligent to seek out a matter, His earnest desire is that we study and discern His message in these difficult times. God is telling us to “Not be Shocked”, but to hold tight as we trust in His presence and guidance. Yes, we are facing some unfamiliar roads now, but watch out for the signs – to stop or proceed with caution, or go the speed limit, things we will have to navigate.

Discouragement dogged Israel in Zechariah’s time, they lost their enthusiasm as the foundation to the temple had been laid. However opposition prevented any further progress, life was hard, taxes were high. There was little evidence of the transformation that the prophets had anticipated after their return from exile. People concluded that their days were a “day of small things” (4:10). God must be absent, faithful obedience was useless so it made more sense to pursue the best life possible in the present day difficulties. Does that sound familiar, we are waiting for this pandemic to be over so we can at least carry on where we left off. Folks, this is a message for us today giving us courage and hope because we are in the “last Days”, and will never return to the familiar its impossible.

Zechariah reminded his hearers that God’s envoys were watching, and when the time is right God will re-order the Universe (Zechariah 1:8-11). Heed the word of the prophets, turn to God, and we will discover that God is turning to us. A time was prophesied when sin would be dealt with, the Branch would arrive and establish peace, harmony & prosperity. Jesus came, dealt with the sins of humanity and brought salvation, the Good Shepherd will take care of the flock, He will provide for all.

In closing, the Lord does not want us to focus on how bad things are or how worse they might get. Our focus must be on Him, because He is faithful, He never leaves nor abandons us. God is always moving on hearts by His Spirit, to rescue us, to draw us, preparing us for that Day when He remakes this world into the Paradise He originally created it to be. The last days are not really the end, but the beginning of our lives. That is something to be ready for. Are you ready for those days?

DB

“The Spirit within us will faithfully guide us”

Relational Virus and Storms

”Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to God’s wrath, for it is written: ’Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19

In the past several weeks, many folks have been segregated from society and advised to stay in their individual residences, for obvious reasons. Others have even been quarantined within the home, understandably so for their own personal health and protection for others. The result is that you ladies have little chance to window shop or wander around stores, while others miss a time of coffee and conversation with their friends. Cabin fever sets in, now the atmosphere has the potential to escalate into some pretty tense moments. Some of our biggest storms in life can happen right under our noses, in our very own household or with close friendships. Point: You might not be able to control other people’s actions and how they respond BUT we can have control over our own response!

In situations like we are experiencing today, we are not used to spending time with each other for several hours at a time. There are few reasons to go anywhere now because no major retailers are open for business. There are many people that had experienced disappointing difficulties in life, be it where a parent never really expressed acceptance or love for a child, or where heated family discussions ended up in some form of negative physical response. It could even be a mother who felt she could not continue to raise a child alone, it was too overwhelming, so she released the child to an adoption agency. Maybe there is a prodigal child under your roof that challenges your every decision, or a spouse that calls an end to your marriage. The list goes on. What I’m attempting to relate is that we have lost the art of building a relational foundation in the home because we have put so many other priorities on the table, they all need our attention and time. How on earth can God help me in times like this? Given our present struggles with this virus, whatever was the under—tow in the home before (or the unsettled), I believe this virus is beginning to cause many unresolved issues of the heart to surface. I would call it a relational virus, a storm brewing on the horizon that if left unchecked, will erode the very strength that holds society together -> that being a strong family that honours God and each other in the home — that is truly what holds a nation together.

Folks, a relational storm is a different kind of storm, but God has equipped us with the Power of His love and forgiveness to see restoration take place in very difficult circumstances. You have heard of stories where a drunken driver lost control of their car and killed an innocent child walking down the street, all brought about by gross negligence. Then, taking it one step further, you hear a testimony of that parent who is grieving the loss of their child, go to that prison, visit the offender and extend forgiveness, extending mercy and compassion, giving out what they received from God without condition. If I forgive a wrongdoer, I’m not saying their action is excused, nor am I saying we are obligated to reconcile with a person who may bring harm to our family.

Paul explains this well in Romans 12:19, we can become obsessed with taking revenge, but the Lord is saying — Leave it to Me! Then vs 20 is indicating that we should heap coals on them, give them a drink, demonstrate kindness to them. You know why? - You will cause their heart to shift, hearts get changed and shame will surface in them for what they had done. Proverbs 25:21-22 surprise your so-called enemy, be generous to them, buy them lunch, it will awaken their conscience; HERE IT IS: ”God will reward you with favour, so be mindful of the unruly member of your body — the Tongue, never say anything (like gossip) that will cause a relational storm! Don’t be conquered by evil, scripture says we are more than conquerors through our union with Christ.

In closing, Ephesians 4:32 sums it up well, ”Instead of bitter words and insults, be kind, affectionate toward one another. God has forgiven us, He has been gracious to us! Can we do any less than forgive one another from the depths of Christ’s love that resides in us, a born-again Spirit filled believer. Amen

DB

Expanding Our Trust

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

2 Corinthians 1 : 3,4 NKJV

Storms are never random, they are never hit-and-miss and that's it! There are times we may treat a storm as insignificant, but they are never without purpose. The disciples climbed into the boat, pushed off into calm waters. Just a regular day. The day before Covid-19 virus hit, life was normal. But then it hit the globe with a furry, it seemed to gain so much momentum in a matter of days, not unlike the Sea of Galilee – it can be calm one minute, furious the next. We are often surprised when storms or hard times hit. However we find that trials, suffering and storms are not strange events. Reading Old Testament stories, we find prophets suffered greatly as they carried God’s Word to the people, disciples were New Test. Messengers – they endured hardships for their faith, homelessness, stoning, even prison. Peter wrote to Christians of that day saying, “Don’t be surprised, these fiery ordeals have come upon you to test you. Isn’t that a strange concept!

But regardless of the storm, God is doing a unique internal work to bring us eternal blessings. It is in that place of “helplessness” and “desperation” that we see the power of Christ. We experience a deeper understanding of His love as the sea begins to calm, we now know that His identity over wind and sea opens our heart to experience the Rescuer and Deliverer.

As we read the above passage, Paul endured more sufferings than any other messenger, but it is with heartfelt praise to God that he shares his experience and encouragement with us today. Think of all the personal trials you have come through. You are on the other side of that experience, as you reflect, take time to pass it on to others in their trials. Remember, you came through, now give out what you received because of God’s mercy! Paul wanted to know Christ, to know the power of His resurrection, to participate in His suffering and become like Him in his death. Give others hope, Hope is what hurting people need! Read Philippians 3:10-11.

This present trial that many are facing today is life-threatening, but it is not without a new reliance and trust upon Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 4:17 Paul makes reference to his outward man wasting away, but in his spirit he was being renewed more-so every day. It is a mystery, but trials prepare us for eternity. Paul refers to these struggles as being light, momentary experiences in comparison to the eternal glory of which nothing can compare. Know that God is “the Father of Compassion, that your suffering will end. But also realize that trials won’t be wasted, it will bear fruit, both now and for eternity. Jesus tells us a deep but encouraging truth in John 16:33 that “in Him we may have peace, take heart for I have overcome the world.”

One of the greatest weapons Satan uses is our desire for comfort. He wants us to seek comfort and self-fulfillment over seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. We can’t live without hope. God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, He rains on the righteous and unrighteous. As a believer, you live in the same world as unbelievers, you encounter a mix of good and bad, but God can use both to expand our trust in Him. Your response to trials is seen in how you relate to others. God never stops loving us, His plan takes His involvement but also our trust and obedience to Him. Two voices are speaking: One - The devil would say “God must not love you to let this happen to you, your plans are over.” 2nd voice The Comforter says, “take heart, nothing will touch you that doesn’t pass through the nail scarred interceding hands of Jesus..” God will never abandon, never short change you, never be unfair, He is making you more like His Son, Jesus.

In closing – Look at your storm scars, let God use them for His glory and give the hope of heaven to others.

DB

What is your source of strength?

Mark 4:37-39 “a great windstorm arose, and the waves splashed into the boat, so that it was now filling the boat. He(Jesus) was in the stern asleep on a pillow. They woke Him and said, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing.” He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace be still.” Then the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” 

I would like you to notice something in this short passage: First - the wind arose, the result was that it caused great waves to come into the boat, panic followed. Secondly, faith started to wane, the disciples call Jesus “Teacher.” The third notable event is that Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, not the waves and told the sea to be still. Result: a great calm brought perspective back to the hearts of the disciples. The disciples responded by saying “what kind of Man is He, that even the wind and the sea obey Him.” 

The world is in a storm today and has been for several weeks. Isn’t it true that all of us are trying to fight this storm by ourselves. That’s noble and we need to listen to those in authority over us. But here’s my point: We have the oars in our hands, pulling hard as this virus seems to have the upper edge. These disciples didn’t wake Jesus as the waves grew higher, they didn’t wake him when the water covered their feet. They waited until they were depleted of strength, fear set in, now they were sure they would drown before they woke Jesus up. They thought they could
save themselves. 

So many people today want to be strong and self sufficient, like we got this, we can rescue ourselves. Folks, the world is in a storm, there is great speculation and precious time being spent on who caused this to happen. What is really at work in this pandemic is Silence – the masses are trying to control the spread while buying time to come up with an antidote. “Silence” – maybe its time to humble ourselves, break the silence and call upon God to stay this disease, His people need to cry out. As well, our Pride is also an issue as we try to use our training, experience and influence to address the problem. It is imperative that we use every available resource to bring finality to this disease. We understand that, but “Pride” stands in the way of our seeking God to intervene. Lastly, our Self- sufficiency is prolonging and deepening human suffering. We listen very closely to the media, we depend on earthly remedies everyday. The problem with all these updates is that it depletes our hope, it takes our strength that is needed to keep going, we need to be directed to our Source of Strength. I believe that God is getting the attention of many during this time. We are shut up in our homes, restricted movement, many people are not working, Spirit of fear is trying to undermine and replace our foundational faith in Christ. He is our only answer.
I close with this: when we keep silent, our bones waste away, (Ps. 32) we begin to groan. Maybe its time for us to break the silence, admit to our pride, repent and ask God to restore the joy of our salvation Then I believe we will be in a favoured place with God to teach transgressors His ways Lets make a commitment to God to do that and turn from our wicked ways. Let God arise, what God is about to do through this perceived devastation will shock you and the world. If we will allow God to have our heart and attention, this will be our greatest season to see souls added to His Kingdom.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in Jesus’ name. Amen D.B. 

Fruitless Fretting

Who could have imagined, a few months ago what would be going on in the nations of the world in this hour! This coronavirus pandemic has captured our conversations, our resources, in fact it has captured the world literally as it has touched billions of people. As believers in Christ we know God exists, we also believe He is all powerful, He is all knowing and everywhere present. His greatest desire is for us to come to Him and rest, as Mat 11:29 states “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke ie easy, and My burden is light.” (NKJV) This is a marked time in history for the souls of mankind, we need to press in and desire to hear from the Lord. He will expand our understanding of how He is calling and directing the church to be instruments in these trying times. Many Christians are anxious and troubled, it reveals the reason for their distress. Some have never learned to rest in the Lord, they fail to experience the “quietness and confidence” of Isaiah 30:15; this posture comes to those who daily fellowship with Him through Bible study and prayer. Don’t become a victim of Fruitless Fretting! Instead, set aside part of each day to talk with God, thank Him for who He is and what He has done for you. Press in, listen, God is putting a heightened burden on our hearts. Then, by reading His Word and believing His comforting promises, you will witness your faith growing stronger and a supernatural peace will flood your soul. In uncertainty, He remains faithful because He never changes. He is our True Rest.

“When we put our problems in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hands” (unknown)