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Spiritual Dream Home

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison whatever they did there it was his doing.              Genesis 39:21-22 

My wife and I are somewhat addicted to HGTV home remodeling shows. We enjoy watching while either the Property Brothers; Rick and Joanna Gaines or Hillary Farr rip to shreds and then rebuild old worn out houses and make them into someone’s dream home!  Have you ever noticed that construction zones and demolition zones seem very much alike? Maybe that’s because both involve some smashing down and some digging up that are equally painful. Recently we experienced lots of digging up, filling in and then digging up and filling in again of several large pipes under our street. The issues were complex and the rerouting didn’t work the first second or even third time. One night they were smashing and pounding till 11 o’clock. My response to waking up to the racket was to put my jacket on over my pj’s and march indignantly down the street to complain.

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The tired foreman of the job took off his hardhat and politely answered that they couldn’t wait to go home either but they had to finish before they were allowed to quit. Sheepishly I went home realizing that I was not the only one who wished the work was done.  In Joseph’s life he also passed through a construction zone when he was unjustly thrown into prison.  Unlike me, Joseph was patient and continued to listen rather than complain. The heavy construction that God was doing in his life became a season of blessing and growth because Joseph chose to listen.

On those occasions where I have followed Joseph’s example and tuned my ears to listen I have discovered as he did that it is God who is at work digging and pounding and He won’t stop till He has finished! God’s promises are real. He hasn’t abandoned us or forgotten the dream which He sent. In fact the painful circumstances which we are in today are what God is using to build the spiritual dream home which He has prepared for us in eternity!

 

In Remembrance

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For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you; that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread and when He had given thanks He broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.                                           1 Corinthians 11:23-24 ESV

That night when Jesus sat down for the last supper it seemed that just about everything was going wrong. Judas had gone to the high priest to betray him. The Sanhedrin had decided to have Jesus put to death. The other eleven disciples were spending part of their time at the table arguing over which one of them was the most important. But in the presence of so much going wrong the Bible tells us that on that night when he was betrayed Jesus blessed and shared the bread and then the cup. Not one single detail of His plan was stopped.

In some ways this scene reminds me of what we are passing through now with the Corona virus snatching away from us innocent lives. And in the middle of our own time of testing if we look to the Lord and remember we will find a promise of a rejoicing in faith; hope in the face of any sufferings and most of all the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord even in the shadow of the cross.

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For those wishing to share in an online service that includes communion I invite you to join us today at 9 Am 11 AM and 5 PM Eastern Standard Time. We are Generations Christian Church of Trinity Florida and whether you live in our community of not we would be delighted to have you join us! You can either just click on the link below or look for us online at Generationscc.com  – God bless and have a wonderful Lord’s Day!

Generations Live Worship

An Invisible Faith

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Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 ESV

Some days it is easier than others to walk in our invisible faith. The circumstances around us seem confusing and often our friends and family wonder why we would choose to blindly follow Jesus Christ. But the power of invisible faith carries us forward one step at a time. It cannot be destroyed because no one can see its form and strike it dead with visible weapons. It cannot be explained, conjured up or reasoned into existence. Our faith in Jesus is a gift from above that arrives like seeds blown in the wind that quietly settle in our hearts when we are looking for Him.

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And when that invisible faith enters in to the secret place of our inner person it begins a work that usually remains unseen for a while. Then the unseen seed silently yet irresistibly grows. From the beginning of our journey God has plans for that seed will in the end be a reflection of His own eternal love. And then we will understand the promise that Jesus told Thomas about when He said, “More blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” What an amazing thought that 20 centuries after His death we are offered a greater blessing than Thomas – if only we will believe. We must simply trust  that one day we will know the visible reality of that blessing when we stand in His presence and see with our own eyes the face of Jesus Christ.