HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO FIGURE OUT GOD?

I have heard it said that trying to figure out God is like fishing in the Pacific Ocean with a 1 ft. long piece of dental floss. I guess that means it is frustrating, to say the least. 

Consider the season of Easter we are currently celebrating. Aren’t there many other ways God could have gotten our attention? I am sure that a marketing agent would have suggested Jesus make some changes to the last few days and weeks with his disciples. I am also sure that agent would have scheduled nonstop appearances for Jesus after the resurrection. Sometimes, we must simply bow to God’s wisdom and have faith. Isn’t that what it is all about anyway?! Jesus gave many clear messages as to how and why events would unfold as they did. The disciples, so much like us in so many ways, were just too thick headed to believe. They could not get out of the possibilities to which their mind limited the Son of God.

Well, God seems to love a good surprise doesn’t he? He delights in blessing us with wonderful thing we never could have seen coming our way. He loves showing up when, and where, we do not expect him. He thrills at the idea of constantly pushing our boundaries back when we tend to go for the “God in a box off the shelf” mentality.

Really, we should have seen it coming. Look at all the times in the Old Testament God brought the impossible into reality –

• Old people giving birth to children!
• Slaves gaining their freedom and plundering their former taskmasters!
• Cross a huge body of water on foot and not getting your sandals muddy!
• Giants being brought low by children!
• Raising the dead!

All of these only as a warm up to his greatest event of all!

Making you and me children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and obtaining an eternal inheritance for us! What could possibly be next?

Pastor Craig

HUMILITY

Humility is the possible fruit of being humbled. I say “possible” because there are those who have had chances to learn humility; they have indeed been humbled; but the lesson was not assimilated into the individual’s life.

It is said the General Robert E. Lee was one of the most humble Christian men of his day. Here is an account showing his humility.

I had been a most bitter anti-South man, and fought and cursed the Confederates desperately, I could see nothing good in any of them. A ball shattered my left leg. I lay on the ground not far from Cemetery Ridge, and as General Lee ordered his retreat, he and his officers rode near me. As they came along I recognized him, and, though faint from exposure and loss of blood, I raised up my hands, looked Lee in the face, and shouted as loud as I could—‘Hurrah for the Union.’ The General heard me, looked, stopped his horse, dismounted and came toward me. I must confess I at first thought he meant to kill me. But as he came up he looked down at me with such a sad expression upon his face that all fear left me, and I wondered what he was about. He extended his hand to me, grasping mine firmly, and looking right into my eyes, said: ‘My son, I hope you will soon be well.’ If I live to a thousand years I shall never forget the expression on General Lee’s face. There he was defeated, retiring from a field that had cost him and his cause almost their last hope, and yet he stopped to say words like those to a wounded soldier of the opposition who had taunted him as he passed by! As soon as the General had left me, I cried myself to sleep there upon the bloody ground.

Of all the Scriptures on humility, maybe it is best that we remember this one first, as our example: For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Pastor Craig