Things that Will and Will Not Happen in 2020

Things that will happen in 2020:

1.      God will love you, His child, no matter what.

2.      God will meet every one of your needs through His storehouse of grace.

3.      God will give grace for every trial you encounter.

4.      God will empower you to do that which He has called you to do.

5.      God will shower mercy upon you, though you don’t deserve it.

6.      God will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

7.      God will be faithful to complete the work He has begun in you.

Things that won’t happen in 2020:

1.      God will not leave you, nor forsake you.

2.      God will not abdicate His throne.

3.      God will not share His glory with another.

4.      God will not forget your labor of love.

5.      God will not lie.

6.      God will not fail you.

7.      God will not slumber nor sleep.      GF

2020 Resolutions

On Making Resolutions

The turning of the calendar page toward a new year is always a great opportunity take stock of our lives and attempt to make positive adjustments.

Leaving a year of victories and losses behind, we all hope for a happier, healthier, more successful and less dramatic year ahead.

And so, as sure as the calendar turns from December to January, most of us will resolve to do some things differently to put us in a position to thrive in 2020.

Most of the common resolutions you have probably considered in past new year’s plans: lose weight, eat healthier, give up a bad habit, be a better person, etc.

As you consider this year’s promises to self, I’d like you to ponder the following:

          *Make daily time with God a high priority by praying and meditating on His Word

      *Be filled with the Spirit every day

         *Suit up with the Armor of God before leaving home

        *Try to see souls as God sees them, as loved and going to spend eternity in one of two places

         *Seek first His kingdom in every aspect

        *Attend His house every time the doors are open 

         *Carry out the Golden Rule, doing to others as you’d have them do to you

         *Be guided by the question, “What would Jesus do?”

By all means, in 2020, prosper, be healthy, love others, do right, bless and be blessed.

Throne-Stable-Cross-Tomb-Throne

It began on the throne, the plan of salvation

The Son would be sent, to redeem the creation.

Then to a manger of hay, a crude makeshift cradle

God condescended, to a lowly stable.

From there to a cross, a gruesome, painful death

“Father, forgive them!” and He breathed His last breath.

From there to a grave, a cave’s cold stone table

With Him our sins were buried, when we were unable.

But then He arose, death’s power was undone

As He ascended on High, to regain Heaven’s throne.

On that throne, He ever intercedes

To save us, and keep us, and meet all our needs.

The Lord's Self Described Character and Job Description - Ex 34

Exodus 34:5  And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7  Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 

1. YHWH, Jehovah - The self existent, eternal. Repeated for emphasis!
2. God, El - Almighty.
3. Merciful
4. Gracious
5. Longsuffering
6. Abundant in Goodness
7. Abundant in Truth
8. Keeping Mercy
9. Forgiving Iniquity & Transgression & Sin
10. Just
And for good measure:
11. Jealous, 14. (He demands allegiance)

Moses' reaction: 8  And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 

Israel's Actions were a Bunch of Bull

The Golden Calf - Exodus 32

Why would the people resort to such an extreme measure as worshiping this idol?

They had recently experienced:

*Delivery from Bondage

*Miraculous supply in the desert of Water, Manna and Quail

*The presence of God in the Cloud and Pillar

*The lightnings, thunderings and an earthquake at Mt. Sinai

Talk about your basic, "but what have you done for me lately?" mentality!

So, what happened?

1. Impatience - people want what they want when they want it.

2. Impertinence - they lacked respect for God and His chosen leader.

3. Impotence - they were so incapable of caring for their own spiritual well-being.

4. Indolence - they were lazy. Rather than being vigilant of the important things of life, they easily let down their guard, and thus were low hanging fruit for the enemy.

5. Incongruence (idolatry) - they wanted an empirical god. One they could see and touch, rather than the true God Who saw their conditions in Egypt, heard their desperate cries, knew their plight and came down to save them. Passing over them on the night of the deaths of the firstborn.

A Lesser Light - Ex 31:1-11

Bezaleel - "In the Shadow of the Almighty"

This special servant of God gets zero mention in modern preaching. He dwells in the shadows of Bible, on the periphery of the attention. People like him give way to the biblical giants: Mary, Abraham, Moses, David, Paul...

But he was definitely big stuff in his day and deserves a look from us!

What was so special about our friend, Bezaleel?

*His Enrichment (Heritage): His dad was Uri ”Fiery,” His grandpa was Hur “White Linen,” and son of Aaron, of the tribe of Judah “Praise.”

*His Empowerment: He was filled with the Spirit of God.

*His Endowment (traits): Wisdom, understanding and knowledge. He was at the same time theoretical and practical. He is noted for his cunning (he was skilled and adept) as a metallurgist, artificer (craftsman), stonemason, carpenter.

*His Compliment: (appointed by God) Aholiab (tent of his father), who was Ahisamach (brother of support). In other words, there should be no Lone Rangers in the Lord's work, we can't go it alone. We need suitable help. Even Tonto was there to support the Lone Ranger. He was there to offer support and wisdom to Bezaleel!

*His Employment: an extremely high calling, crafting the tabernacle, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat, table of showbread, golden candlestick, brazen altar, the golden laver (pan) and altar of incense. Also, crafting the holy garments of the ministers. As well, he was responsible for compounding the anointing oil and incense (see chapter 30:22-38 for the details of the exacting recipes demanded).

Bezaleel was:

Ø  Essential to the Worship of God

Ø  Responsible to the Work of God

Ø  Integral to the Word of God

You may not receive the lime-light or the marquee billing, but God, your Heavenly Father, has a great work for you to do. He is gifting you to do it. He is surrounding you with encouraging supporters, and the Holy Ghost imbuement is available for your enabling. Do something great for God as you become essential, responsible and integral in your place of service. The Worship, Work and Word of God would benefit from your service today.

Happy Reformation Day!

Wycliffe, Huss, Calving, Melanchthon

Knox, Luther, Cranmer, Latimer

Zwingli, Bucer, Tyndale.

We honor these and many others today.