Phaith, Pharoah and a Phuture!

Isaiah 40:21-22 " Do you not know, have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning?
I just got back from vacation. I decided to reread the book of Isaiah. It's no surprise that it's a little different than I remember. I consistently refer to my favorite paasages, but there is more to it than that. Surprise number 1. The first 39 chapters are a relentless appraisal of a negative reality(no wonder the prophets were hated by people) The truth hurts. Surprise number 2. The reliance on Egypt for a defense. God wants to defend and protect his people."Hey guys I'm OMNIPOTENT maybe you can trust me." But we talk ourselves into protection from horses and chariots, things we can count, things we can see. Final surprise... Isaiah 40:28-31. In the midst of so many people doing wrong God still steps into our lives with a heart for bringing strength to the weary, power for the weak, understanding for the confused, a reason for hope, renewed strength, the joy of soaring, the ability to run without tiring and to walk and keep on walking. If your in need of clarity of what God does for his people open up to Isaiah 40-41.

Winds of Change

Last week was spent out at Covenant Park Bible Camp. One thing I enjoy is flying stunt kites, and the wind blowing off the lake onto the shore was perfect. In the course of flying stunt kites there is a very powerful angle that creates some serious pull. It was all I could do to lean away and keep from getting pulled off my feet. Then there are the edges where the dance of the same kite is light and a great point of rest by contrast. The Bible speaks of wind in a similar way. The drying wind on a scorching hot day has exceptional destruction. Farmers this year across our country have witnessed it's destructive force. But there is a wind that God grants to us like Noah. A wind that solves the problem, a wind that drove the grasshoppers west and solved the plague in Egypt. In John 3 "the wind blows wherever it pleases." and it's compared to people born of the Spirit. Stopping the movement of the Spirit in us should be like stopping the wind... a pointless task. Instead of fighting it, let's unfold the kite and see what the Lord has for us. The balance of advice lies in the fact that a kite flies because it is connected to something. We don't want to be blown and tossed by every doctrine of scheming people. Rooted in Christ, following the Spirit is a great opportunity.