Trust in God's Timing in life

 The past three weeks God has been reminding me of how important it is to trust in God's timing for our life.   At times,   God's timing may be not our timing.   We have to wait and seek his will and leading for our life.   A friend showed me that I God's ways are bigger than ways.   God knows what he is doing in these specific waiting periods we face in our life.   

Some of the great leaders in ministry had to wait for their time to be used by God.   Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness and did not start his ministry until he was 30 years old.   Joseph was thrown into the dungeon by his brothers,  accused of raping Pharaoh's wife,  and mistreated by the cupbearer before he was able to start serving God.   Paul spend three years in the desert in Arabia before he started serving God in ministry.   He had to go through persecution before God would end up using him in ministry.   Lastly,  it was not until Moses was 80 years old that God called Moses to lead his people into Egypt. 

Pastor Jered reminded me how God used specific times to mold leaders into his image.   These leaders had to go through trying times before they could serve God in ministry.   Those circumstances molded these leaders so they were ready for the hard times in ministry.    Also,  he reminded me how these leaders had to wait for God's timing to serve him.  Even the greatest of leaders had to wait for God's appointed time, to serve him in ministry. 

How are you struggling to wait for God's timing?   What are ways in which you need to trust in God's timing and not your timing?  Observe the ways in which you are striving for your will and not God's will for your life.   Pray about specific ways you can train yourself to trust in God's plans for your life.  Lastly,  remind yourself that God is in control and he is still working in the waiting.

The Institute- at First Irving- 1 Timothy 3

 God has been using the Institute at First Baptist Irving to reaffirm my call to serve him in ministry.   I am thankful for the leadership of Pastor Jared Richard.   I am thankful that the church set up this gathering of those in the church that desire to learn about gospel centered ministry.    This morning reminded me that our character and how we lead comes before being a great teach of the Bible.   Pastor Jared discussed how character of a pastor/elder is more important than having great charisma.   

Also,  discussing these qualities reminded how important it is to lead others well.   We have to represent Christ inside and outside of the church.     Jered mentioned a point that stood out to me as well.  He said if you're character is out of line,  you're not qualified.    It remined me how we need to model the character of Christ.    These character traits we discussed can influence others for godliness when we are growing in Christ.  

This meeting showed me God is maturing these character traits in me.   It reminded me that God's timing is not my timing as well.  Many leaders in the Bible had to wait on God for the appropriate time to serve him in ministry.   God has been molding me into spiritual maturity described in Colossians 1:28.   He has been using this waiting period in my life to mature my faith and character to become into the image of Jesus Christ.    

Unseen Realm: End Times

 The Supernatural Worldview of the Bible informs how we think about the the End Times.   It helps us interpret specific events that occur in the end of the age.  Dr. Hesler discusses how the Supernatural Worldview impacts our view of Armagedon and other important passages in the Revelation that discuss the end times.    Also,  Dr.  Hesler talks about how this supernatural worldview gives us a big picture of Jesus' ability to overcome the unseen realm during the end times events.  

Unseen Realm/Supernatural Worldview

 Dr. Heiser also discusses Jesus' descent into Hell or Sheol at great length.   He paints a clear picture of how he takes the keys from Hades and death while overcoming the "Watchers" or "sons of god." When Christ takes the keys from Hades,  he shows that he has authority over death and the unseen realm.  This parallel is shown when Peter 3 and Revelation three describing Christ taking the key over Hades and clarifying us his authority over the supernatural realm.  This overall picture of Christ overcoming death shows us a supernatural worldview of the Bible.   

Unseen Realm: Michael Heiser Part 1

 God has been showing me a couple different things from this book called Unseen Real: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.   The book shown the clear verses and passages that detailed the Supernatural Real working against us.   Also,  the book also explained certain well known passages in the Bible such as Genesis 3 and Job 1-2.   The book explains why Israel faced giants such as goliath and his origins.   Lastly,  it gives you the passages for origins of the spiritual worldview in Psalm 82 and it helps you understand God and his Word.  

The concepts discussed in this book are never described in the church.   Heiser does a great job of developing and helping the reader understand that God did have divine beings on this divine council that rebelled against him; Psalm 82 and Job 1-2.    Also,  Heiser helps the reader understand the "Satan" is not a serpent but a divine being that was on God's divine council but rebelled.   In Job 1-2,  "Satan" is shown as arbiter or judge in the story of Job.  Heiser reveals that there are multiple rebellions that took place in the Old Testament: Genesis 3, Genesis 6,  and the tower of Babel in Genesis 11.  

These "sons of god," rebelled against God in the passages of Genesis 6 and Psalm 82.  These "sons of god" are referred to as elohim similar to God but in lower than God. Their descendants would end up becoming the Anakim and Repalim.  Their descendants were the Nephalim during the time of the flood.   Their future descendants would become the giants as Moses sent out Joshua and Caleb to spy out the land.  This is also where the offspring of Goliath and his clan of giants would come from.   Lastly,  they would end up becoming a type of demonic forces during the time of Jesus' ministry.  

Another important concept is the Deuteronomy 32:8-9 worldview,  which describes how God disinherited the "sons of god," to the other surrounding nations.    He sent them out from Israel's midst because they disobeyed God and his commands.   This worldview shows how Israel was battling these nations throughout the whole Old Testament.   It helps you understand the Old Testament more clearly.  Lastly,  this worldview helps shape how we see the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.  

I will be posting a part two soon.  There is so much in this book to detail and discuss in length.  I will have to review and do another post this weekend.   There will be another update when I finish this book.    God is calling me to do multiple reviews of this life changing book.  

God's love for us

 In reference in Valentine's Day,   God reminded me of his love for in my time in his the Bible this morning.   I was reading Lamentations 3, which is a book of the Bible that is rarely read by many.   The verses in Lamentations gave me a picture of God's love for me.   It also showed me the depth of God's love for us.    Lastly,   it helped me reflect that God's love for us is new every morning.  

First,  this acrostic poem in Lamentations 3:21 describes God's love as never ceasing and his mercies never come to an end.   The poem says,  "The steadfast love the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end."   Think about that for a minute.    God's love for us never ever ceases and his mercies on us never ever come to and end.   Then the poem goes on in verse 22,  "they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."   God's love for us is new every morning,  meaning when we repent of our sins that God gives us grace the next day.    He loves us and pursues us with this everlasting love and compassion for us.  

This is similar to how God loved and pursued Judah despite their sin.  God's steadfast love his (covenantal action on the people's behalf) never ceases.    This type of love replaces judgement with restoration.    God desired Israel and us as believers to repent,  he shows mercy and grace toward us.  God's covenantal integrity remain intact in all situations because he was faithful to his chosen people and is faithful to us. 

Important themes in Jeremiah

 There are a few important themes in Jeremiah were that Jeremiah preached God's Word to the people despite persecution that he faced.   Also,  the Israelites and Judeans were unrepentant of their sins.    Jeremiah constantly preached about judgement of their sins and yet they still would not repent.   He was faithful to speak what only God revealed to him through spoken word.   Despite speaking the truth of God's Word,  he was persecuted consistently for depending on God and speaking the message he had been given.   

In Jeremiah 26,  God commanded Jeremiah to preach to the people in people's house of worship.  He preached a message of repentance calling the people to turn from their sins and back to God.   God said through Jeremiah he would relent of the coming judgement if the people repented of their sin.   After he had prophesied this message from God in 26:3-4,  the priests and prophets were enraged because of this message from God.   In verse eight, the priests and prophets grabbed ahold of Jeremiah saying, "You shall die."  They then inquired as to why he prophesied this future judgement pronounced on them by God.    Then shortly after this at the at the entry of the New Gate over the house of the Lord these same false prophets and priests threatened him with death,  "This man deserves death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."

In the next section in verses 12-15, Jeremiah told the prophets and the priests what God called him to say to the people.   He repeated his message once again that God called the people to repent of their sins and evil ways to turn to God.   If they repent of their sins, then God will relent of judgement on the city.  Also, if they put Jeremiah to death, then they will bring innocent blood upon themselves and upon the city.   Jeremiah was also put in prison and a cistern in 37-38.

In the following section in verses 16-17,  the elders and the people cautioned them to not put Jeremiah to death.      They realized former prophet Micah prophesied in the days of Hezekiah.  The elders and people decided not to harm him because Micah feared God and depended on him.   The elder,  Ahikam the son of Shaphan protected Jeremiah.  

In Jeremiah 42,  the commanders of the forces of Judea asked for a word from Jeremiah from God for for mercy.   Jeremiah sought God's direction and what he will say to them.   At the end of ten days,  God said if they remain in the land,  then he will build them up and not pull them down.   If the people do not remain in the land and go to Egypt there will be famine and die by the sword.   They ended up going to Egypt and disobeying God.   This is another example of the people's constant disobedience against God's plans for them.