In a Pit?

Bible Reading: Genesis 50

Focus Verse: Genesis 50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

Joseph underwent trial after trial, the first being that Joseph's brothers put him in a pit in the ground and then sold him into slavery.   God meant it for good so that Joseph could save his family during the famine.  This was intended for harm, but it brought a better outcome because of God.

Do you ever feel like you are in a pit?  Some pits are just part of life, some pits we fall into for lack of awareness, some pits are from decisions our leaders or others make around you, and other pits are from our own decisions.

There's a story: One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Understand this :
Life is going to shovel trials like dirt on you, all kinds of trials.  In the story of the donkey, the people intended the dirt for burial, but God used it for GOOD.  We can get out of the deepest wells just by trusting God to show us the way out.  Shake it off and take a step up. God will provide our path when we are trusting in Him. (proverbs 3:5-6) There is always God's presence, God's purpose and God's promise in the lives of those who belong to Him.

~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
 

When Will Jesus Return?

When Will Jesus Return?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:5-8, 32-44

Focus Verses: Matthew 24:36  "No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”

The short answer is nobody knows when Jesus will return.  Only God knows.   Jesus has given us some important clues in verses 5-8.  “Many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”  We are seeing all of these things happening today that are mentioned in these verses.  

Jesus could come back today or it could be a thousand years from now.  We need to live expecting that He could return at any time.  The Bible says that Jesus' return will be like it was in Noah’s day.  Noah warned them that rain was coming. But people went about their lives as normal.  They didn’t realize what was about to happen.  The flood came and swept them all away.  

I see people today not giving any thought about God.  Just as Noah warned the people of his day.  We need to warn the people of our day.  We are responsible for this generation.  Romans 10:14 says, "But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?”   We don’t know when Jesus will return, but He will return.  So we need to share the good news of the Gospel with them before it’s too late.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Tempted to go Back

 Tempted to go Back
Bible Reading: John 21:1-14
Focus verse: John 21:3-6 – “I am going out to fish, “Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We will go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning Jesus stood on the shore but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends haven’t you any fish?” “No, they answered.”

When life becomes unbearable we often get tempted to go back to our initial way of life. We try to justify why we cannot continue holding strong into the faith. Some begin to think that God did not clearly speak to them about serving Him or maybe they did not make a right choice to follow God. They think it would have been better off for them in their previous way of life. These people may end up winning others to go back with them to their past way of life. Simon Peter finds things unbearable for him after Jesus was crucified and he feels he is not safe to continue with life as a disciple and a fisher of men. He shares his new decision to go back with other disciples who also jointly agree to go back with him. He forgets that Jesus had taken them away from fishers of fish to fishers of men.

The result of this decision is very disappointing! They did not catch any fish despite an all night struggle to get some. Isn’t this what others have faced when they are tempted to go back to their initial way of living? Actually others have ended worse than before and have lived not to see the joy they had hoped for in their going back. They try fixing it again and again but end up wasting their strength and resources. As it happened to Peter and the friends; a decision to go back will never result in any fruit. It is a decision for grief, disappointment, shame, regrets and even death. Regardless of the circumstances we must not think of going back. But Jesus is faithful and is out looking for a soul which is tempted to go back into former life so that he may bring him back. He has the power to restore and bring back those which have abandoned service for God’s Kingdom. All our life victories have been because He has been our side and unless we stay in him we cannot get any catch. John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the brunches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Pastor Eliazar Wambo
Makira Baptist Church – Mfangano Kenya

Keep Moving Forward

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 4

Focus Verse: 1 Timothy 4:1  “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith, they will follow deceptive spirits and teaching that come from demons.”  NLT

There are many indications that tell me that we are living in the end times.  One of those signs is that people will turn away from the true Gospel and follow a false gospel.  My friend Pastor Greg Laurie gives some good notes on this:  "We must be on our guard against Satan’s clever counterfeits, because as this passage tells us, he will be at work in the last days.  In fact, we are warned that some in the church will fall prey to these deceptive spirits and teachings. Therefore, as you listen to various teachers and pastors today, remember this:

* Any so-called gospel that distorts the message of Jesus as found in the Bible by either adding to it or taking away from it is not the true        

  Gospel.

* Any so-called gospel that offers Christianity without Christ or the cross is not the true Gospel.

* Any so-called gospel that promises forgiveness without repentance is not the true Gospel.

* Any so-called gospel that presents the hope of Heaven without the reality of hell is not the true Gospel."

"These are watered down versions that will give you false assurance. Such teachings are extremely hazardous to your spiritual health. Stay away from them at all costs."

There is no such thing as staying still in your spiritual journey.  Either you are going forward or you are moving backwards.  Satan will do all he can to get you to move backwards away from God.  Let us stay focused on God, the source of our strength so we can keep moving forward.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries