God Does Not Pull Our "Jacket"

This is a "faith note" written by my husband for our congregation that I want to share.

I like detective shows, especially ones that give enough clues to enable you to figure out who did it, like the British series Foyle's War.

Very often, some suspect has a police record, so the detectives pull the "jacket" - the record of arrests and convictions, and then treat the suspect accordingly.  The presumption is that if they committed some crime before, they are likely to have done it again.

Unfortunately, we all have had a "jacket" before God, and we know it, so sometimes we think that the Holy Spirit is like some TV detective who pulls our record when He deals with us.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The psalmist wrote, "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor deal with us according to our iniquities."  

If God was going to deal with Israel according to their sins, He would have destroyed them in the wilderness.  Instead, He revealed Himself as the God of mercy and steadfast love - the love that never gives up.

Paul wrote something similar to the Colossians, that when we were dead in sin, He made us alive - "canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands."

The record of our sins has been canceled!

God does not pull our "jacket".  He looks toward our future to bring His purpose to fruition.  

We are a new creation, brought into His family, and invested with His Spirit.

God Himself has come to dwell with us, with you.

He will continue to work out the brokenness of sin in us, but it is not punishment, it is His gracious work of restoration and renewal.

As the psalmist said - "Bless the Lord!"

Pastor Bruce Garner

Do We Know God?

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.  Psalm 103:7

Moses met God at the burning bush where He revealed His covenant name, the LORD.  God made Himself known personally to Moses and said to him, "I will be with you."

God would come to meet with Moses at a tent set up outside the camp of Israel.  Moses had access to the LORD that no one else had.  When jealousy prompted Miriam and Aaron to complain about Moses, God told them that He spoke to other prophets in dreams or visions, but He spoke to Moses face to face.

The psalmist says that this intimate contact helped Moses know God's ways, not just what He did. The Israelites saw what God did. They experienced deliverance, divine provision, and God's glorious presence, yet they did not discern God's ways as a merciful, compassionate and loving God.

When Moses went up to the mountain, they could clearly see and experience that glory of God coming upon the top of the mountain, yet they made a golden calf to worship.  Later, when the spies came back in fear, they wanted to return to Egypt.

Moses had learned His ways, so that when God threatened to destroy the people, he appealed to God's character and purpose: "remember Your promise, Lord.  Don't do this or the Egyptians will hear of it."  

Is God afraid of the Egyptians' opinion?  No!

God plans to use Israel to reach the Egyptians and all other nations. The Egyptians do not need to hear that the LORD, who demonstrated to all Egypt that He is God, killed off the people He chose. 

Moses knows what God is about, saving the world, and wants the people to be a part of it.

Reflect and Respond
Do we know His acts or His ways?

~Pastor Bruce Garner
                                                                       

Fighting

Being up north at the lake cabin has always been a relaxing time for me.  This is my get-away place. I bring my study materials, notebooks, pens, computer and iPad to get alone with God and nature.  It's a time for me to reflect on my spiritual life, to take inventory of my growth or lack thereof, to pray and hear from God, to ask questions, journal and then move forward either with a giant step or little steps.

On my third day, it was time to put everything down and take some giant steps.  A giant step in prayer and intercession again.

Today, my husband called me to talk about Kelly, my oldest daughter.  She has been experiencing panic attacks since her move into a new apartment with her 19-month-old daughter Analiese.  The past two years for Kelly has been loaded with stress.  A single mom, now living alone for the first time since her move there in 2012.  She's always lived with people - a family or a girlfriend, but not by herself.

Each difficult stage, she has moved forward, learned some lessons about herself and others, and deepened her faith in God.  I moved forward as well in prayer, trusting God with my daughter, believing He alone can bring her through.  My faith deepened as well.

I believe she will move forward again and defeat this fear and anxiety as well.  The lessons learned will never be taken away from her.  She will learn that we have an enemy who wants to destroy our lives and will use our weaknesses against us.  She will learn that in this anxiety and fear, there is someone greater who can help her overcome - that the enemy will never triumph when God is on our side.  She will learn not to fear "man" and that God has her future in His hands.  There is hope.  God has a plan that will never be thwarted......ever.

So, I have been praying for her and speaking scripture over her as if she is standing right in front of me. The enemy will not win.  He hasn't won these past two and half years since her move to Colorado and becoming a single mom, and he won't now.

Just this afternoon, I sent a pray to her phone and a scripture to encourage her.

Psalm 94:19 "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations, Your comfort delights and cheers my soul."

I reminded Kelly that God's Word has power, so speak it out loud, speak it in your car, your apartment, at work, everywhere you go - get it out in the atmosphere, surrounding you, covering you.

When I had my panic attacks 18 years ago, it was the Word of God and soothing worship music that brought healing to my soul.  They have never returned.

Faith conquers fear every time.

My belief is that Kelly will become even stronger.  She will learn to express her thoughts, not internalize them, her trust in God will further deepen, her fighting spirit will rise up and say, "enough of this enemy, you will not triumph here."

My daughter has a warrior spirit.  She's fought before and won and she will fight again and win.

As Isaiah 54:13a says: "No weapon fashioned against us will succeed"........

Psalm 32:7 also says this: "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

The enemy has no say so in my daughter's life, nor does he have any say so in yours, if you are a Christ follower.

God will contend with our enemy.  God will fight for us.  God is on our side.

This is what I believe for my daughter.  I will never back down.

The fight is on and Kelly will survive and thrive.

What about you?  What battle are you fighting?  Use the Word of God.  It is alive and powerful and will defeat fear, anxiety, and give you confidence in your battle.