Preaching Through a Misfortune

Preaching Through a Misfortune

Scripture reading Acts 28:1-10
Focus verse: Acts 28:3-6 - "Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god."

Did you ever become a topic of discussion because of your misfortune? It’s true, people will always try to find a reason to explain why you are going through such misfortunes. You may be accused falsely when you pass through some troubles of life. Paul gets bitten by a very dangerous viper snake which fastened itself on his hand and hung on it. The people observe this and branded him a murderer who is getting justice for his killings. But Paul instead of arguing with them, shook the snake into the fire. They wait to see him swell up or fall dead but their waiting goes in vain. When the waiting went beyond, they changed their minds and called Paul a god. 

Paul knew that whatever accusations put on him were wrong, and that he had done nothing wrong to deserve such punishment. He knew that the snake bite was nothing to do with his character so He didn’t waste time arguing with them but looked upon God to do His will. God showed himself through this tragedy by not allowing Paul to swell or die. Later, after the people had waited for long and nothing was happening to Paul, they changed their language and called Paul a god! This incident later gave Paul the opportunity to preach to the gospel and heal their sick. God used the snake bite to introduce Paul to the island of Malta. Sometimes our misfortunes are God’s planned platforms for His gospel to be preached through us.

John 9:3 – “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” God is always at work in our lives even when the worst happens to us. He does cause or plan evil to our lives but can allow evil upon our lives and work through it for our good.  He allowed Joseph’s brothers to plot evil against his life but later worked through that evil to save the same brothers and their father. Genesis 50:20-21 – You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. 

God bless you,

Pastor/Director Eliazar Wambo, 

Bethesda Faith Ministries & Makira Baptist Church

Called into Storms

Scripture reading: Matthew 14:22-36
Focus verse: Matthew 14:28-29 “Lord, if it is you, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 

The phrase, “out of the frying pan into the fire can best describe the situation with Peter.” Peter and the other disciples are getting tossed by the strong opposing winds as they get to cross over to the other side of the lake. From late evening to early dawn the boat is buffeted with strong winds and they all get terrified. Jesus comes to them walking on the same opposing storms and this even terrifies some of the disciples. Peter observes this and asks Jesus to command him to come to Him. Jesus permitted him and he began to walk over the stormy and terrifying wind towards Jesus. This he does for some distance before he gets afraid and begins to sink.

It would be right to say that by logic, it was a little safer for Peter to stay in the boat than to jump out into the raging waters. Jesus did not call Peter to a calm lake but to a stormy and life threatening storm, neither did he calm the lake first before He commanded Peter to come. He called him into the storms! Believers need to understand that Jesus has not called us to a life of calmness. We must be ready to face storms of life as we move towards Jesus. There will be sicknesses, rejections, persecutions, pain, death, marital challenges among other storms. We must prepare our mind with the same attitude and be ready to face life storms. Some storms may be worse than before but our motivation is that Jesus is right with us in that storm. He didn’t call Peter and leave Peter on the storm alone, He was right there with Him. We may fail as we walk on the storms but let’s be consoled that He is there to restore us when we fail.  

Paul’s words to the church as recorded in Ephesians 6:13 – "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Paul prepares the believers that there are days of evil ahead and so they should not be lazy but get ready for it. The days of evil may come like a thief, when you don’t know so you must get ready all the time. Peter would later tell the church to consider it pure joy when they face many trials since through the trials our faith produces perseverance which makes a believer to be mature and complete and not lacking in anything – 1 Peter 1:2-4. 

God bless you,

Pastor/Director Eliazar Wambo, 

Bethesda Faith Ministries & Makira Baptist Church

Portrayal of God’s Grace

Scripture Reading:  Genesis 43:19-34

Focus Verses: Genesis 43:33-34  "Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest. And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him."

You probably know the story of Joseph well.  He was a young man who was hated by his brothers because they were jealous of him.  So they planned to kill Joseph, but then decided to sell him as a slave to some travelers headed to Egypt.  Once Joseph got to Egypt he was hired for a job in the house of Potiphar.  Potiphar’s wife had lust for Joseph and accused Joseph of rape even though he did nothing wrong.  So then he spent years in prison for something he didn’t do.  But God was with Joseph, and God was working out His plan in Joseph’s life.  

Twenty years after Joseph was sold by his brothers he was second in command in all the land of Egypt under Pharaoh.  There was a great famine in all the land and Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt for food.  Now Joseph was in charge of all the food.  How do you think Joseph would treat his brothers after the way they treated him?  He treated them kindly, he even gave them grain free of charge.  Then he prepared a big feast for his brothers at his home.  And at this point the brothers still did not know this was Joseph, the brother they sold into slavery many years before.  Joseph loved his brothers in spite of what they did to him.

Joseph’s life is a great example of how Jesus came to our rescue.  Joseph had the power to have his brothers killed, but instead he extended incredible generosity and mercy.  Instead of blaming them, he forgave them.  instead of being punished they were seated at his table for a feast.

This is a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us at the cross.  He took all our sins and forgave them all.  Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.”  Do you long for Him?  He longs to be gracious to you.  That’s great news.  These brothers deserved none of this.  What God is offering to us in His Son Jesus, we deserve none of it.  But it is a gift.  And like any gift, if we want to enjoy it we must receive it.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

God Knows Everything

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139

Focus Verse: Psalm 139:1-2  “O Lord, you have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up, you discern my thoughts from afar.”

It’s comforting to know that God knows everything about us as David has shown us in Psalm 139.  Maybe it’s not so comforting to know that God even knows when you and I have sinned.  God even knows what sin we are going to commit in the future.  But it’s comforting to know He loves us anyway, and wants us to be more like His Son Jesus.

There is nothing that God does not know.  Nothing escapes the knowledge of God.  He created billions and trillions of stars in the universe.  The Bible tells us that God “counts the stars” and calls each one by name  Psalm 147:4.  God has created everything for a purpose.  Could it be that God made the universe so big so that we would know that God is big?  God made you for a purpose.  God made you so that you would glorify Him.

Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!”  What do you do when things are not going your way.  Sometimes I get upset when things don’t go the way I planned.  Let’s remember God is in control of everything.  Could it be that God allows something to not go our way so that something worse would not happen to us?  When the attacks happened in America in 2001 I remember hearing stories of some people being late to go to work that day.  If they had been on time for work they would have been in the twin tower buildings and would have been killed when they collapsed.  God caused them to be late for a reason, to save their lives.

Let’s live our lives today is such a way that we would not be embarrassed for God to know what we are doing or thinking so that we can bring Him honor.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

What Do You Delight In?

Bible Reading: Psalm 1

Focus verse: Psalm 1:1-2 "Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers"

And the Good News Bible version interprets it: 

"Happy are those
    who reject the advice of evil people,
    who do not follow the example of sinners
    or join those who have no use for God."

There are just two paths presented here in Psalm 1.  You are either on God's path or the world's path.  Look around you and see who you are walking with. Who are you looking to, texting, calling and visiting for advice in your life?  Where do you find delight? 

Walking in God’s ways and under godly counsel is the way to being blessed.  Is your heart blessed with true peace and joy? Reading and listening to God's Word is foundational ...Meditating on God’s Word day and night is like a tree planted by water.  Just as water is to a tree, God’s word will ensure your life-sustaining supply of the Living Water. Continue walking in prayer, obedience, and godly counsel and you will find spiritual growth and blessings of delight in the Lord.

Have you been walking your own way without the input of God?  Do you ever walk in the counsel of the ungodly because you have been with these people more than with God and God's people?  Maybe you have been delighting in the ways of the world.  These ways are a temporary thrill that will be "like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind" and be condemned. Worldly ways have no place with the godly.   We can learn the wisdom of, "Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined;  whoever hates correction will die." Proverbs 15:10

You can die to sin's hold on you and you don't have to do it alone.  Walk with the wise council of the godly and rely on the Holy Spirit.  Romans 6: 6-12 tells us that those who are in Christ are no longer a slave to sin, but empowered to righteousness through Christ.   Each person plans what they will do today and there is a path they will take.  What is your path today?   If you are God's child, do not uproot yourself to follow worldly desires.  Follow and delight in the Lord with joy and peace!

Page Johnson

 

Are You Hungry?

Bible Reading: Genesis 25:27-34

Vocus Verse: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

"Are you hungry?" Three words that we all use quite often.  When I was a boy, my parents occasionally took me on a long car ride between North Carolina and New Jersey where I was born.  After riding for a few hours the question would always come up, "Are you hungry yet?"  As a young teenage boy, the answer was always "yes". 

Esau in our Bible reading Genesis 25: 27-34, made a very foolish decision when he was hungry.  He came home one day very hungry from hunting and sold his birthright (his wealthy father's inheritance) to his brother Jacob for just a bowl of food.  

There are many types of hunger.  To want good food to help our bodies grow strong is definitely a good hunger.  Unfortunately there is also a bad hunger for things that will not help us.  Some people have a hunger for foods that will not nourish our physical bodies or minds, such as harmful drugs, sex outside of marriage, or even eating too much food.

And what can we know about spiritual hunger?  Jesus said in Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled."  Let us all ask ourselves when we get up each morning "Am I really hungry for what God has in His Word for me today?  Are we really hungry to know more about Him and feed on His love letter to us... the Bible?

Rev. Bob Johnson, Jr

Retired Director New Life Camp

God is Enough

Bible Reading: John 1:1-13

Focus Verse: "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone." John 1:4

We learn in the book of John that Christ is the eternal Word. Christ was with God and was God and was existing in the beginning with God.  Through Him all things were made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  We know that in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden, that God breathed life into Adam.  God then provides everything that we need for life.  God is enough.  

There are a few things that many people agree that we need for life.  If we have air, water, food, shelter and sunlight then we can survive. The Bible tells us that all of those things are available in a spiritual way as well!  Let's look at them.  Air: Genesis 2:7 tells us that God is the breath of life". Water: Jeremiah 17:13 says that the Lord is the fountain of living water.  Food: John 6:35 shows Jesus saying that He is the bread of life.  Shelter: Proverbs 18:10 tells us that the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. Sunlight: John 8:12 Jesus said that He is the light of the world and if you follow Him, you will have the light that leads to life.

If we believe, accept and give our lives to follow Him, He gives us the right to be called children of God. (John 1:12) We are reborn into a spiritual birth that comes from God.  (vs 13)  God doesn't leave us as orphans, but sustains us as Psalm 54:4 says, "Behold, God is my helper; the upholder of my life." Life itself begins with God and ends with God, but also is sustained by God.  "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17  You can trust that God is enough for your life.

Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries