Can You See Tomorrow? Pastor Mike Spaulding

The Bible is the ageless, always perfect, always applicable word from God’s mind to the hearts of HIs people. I have walked in faith with Yahweh for 37 years now, and I am consistently amazed at the things He reveals to me in the Bible.

Reading in 1 Peter 1 today, a statement there popped off the page. Have you ever experienced that? A passage of Scripture you have read many times before comes into sharp focus? Here is the passage I was reading.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you.

That statement made me pause. I remind people often that what we do today does have an impact on our tomorrow. The same truth applies to groups of people and nations. The choices we make today will impact our tomorrow. My thoughts turned immediately to my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren. Am I truly serving them by my actions today? The prophets of old sought to understand the things the Spirit of God was speaking to them and through them to others and were told that the things God called them to do and say were for the benefit of future generations.

That spiritual truth and principle must be rediscovered and taught to Christians today. We are most certainly serving God in our own day BUT He desires that we leave a legacy of His goodness toward us, a living testimony if you will, that will serve as a strong foundation for our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren long after we have left this earth for our eternal home in heaven. Amen?

I pray you are encouraged today to begin looking beyond the current circumstances of our own times to those of our loved ones who will follow after us. What can we do today that will serve them tomorrow and after we have gone on to our glory?

May God be honored in our choices!

Pastor Mike

Matthew 3:13 – 4:11

matthew-study

I remember reading a story last year during the annual fires that seem to rage uncontrolled through the forests out west.

One national magazine sent a photographer to take some pictures of the devastation. He was told to go to a certain small airport where a plane would be waiting for him.

When the photographer arrived at the airport he found a plane with engine idling waiting for him on the runway as promised. Hopping into the front seat of the two-seated plane the photographer told the pilot, “Ok, let’s go.”

Once they were airborne the photographer told the pilot, “Now, I want you to fly over the north front of the fire and make 3-4 low-level passes.”

The pilot looked at the photographer and asked “why?”

To which the photographer responded “because I want to get some close-up shots of the fire.”

With a “deer-in-the-headlights look” the man in the pilot’s seat said “you mean you’re not the instructor?”

Assumptions can be very dangerous!

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