Sunday Recap - Caleb the Beast!

"The mountains shake before Him, the demons run and flee.
At the mention of the name 'King of Majesty'
There is no power in hell or any who can stand
Before the power and the presence of the great I AM!"

Hallelujah, Holy Holy
God Almighty, the great I AM
Who is worthy, none beside Thee
God Almighty, the great I AM.

My heart is still singing this today (and I occasionally let my voice participate)!  Worship is such a joy for me because when I have the opportunity to celebrate who God is and what God has done, my faith is strengthened and I am reminded of the totality of God.  It gives me courage, strength and peace.

As we read through Joshua last week, it seems that Joshua gets all the publicity as the leader of Israel and for having faith enough to call out for the sun to stand still.  But if you want another role model in faith, Caleb is a spiritual BEAST!  Caleb was with Joshua as a spy 40 years before when they had their first opportunity to take the promised land.  Even though he recognized that in that land there were giants who made them look like grasshoppers and strong fortified cities, he told the people not to be afraid.  They should go take the land because the Lord was with them.  They didn't listen to Caleb (and Joshua and Moses) and suffered for the next 40 years.

Now 45 years later (Caleb was 85 years old!), after the land was generally conquered Caleb was given his portion of the land.  It was the area of land in which the descendants of those very giants he saw all those years before still lived.  This octogenarian looked up in that hill country where the giants were and with great excitement went after those giants with everything he had.  Age didn't stop his zeal for the Lord, or his trust in the Lord.  That is the kind of faith I want, but oftentimes decide not to live.

Yes, that kind of faith is a decision.   It shows itself in action.  Not a foolish rush into the enemy's line, but the passionate actions of doing what God wants us to do.  With no excuses.  Just believing that what God would have us do is possible not because of us, but because of God.

 If God has planned it, God will empower it!

An Apprentice of Jesus,

Kevin

October 7 Recap

Thanks, Del, for the great job in bringing us to worship "The Famous One!"  Of course the horns and all the musicians and singers made it a special worship for me.  It is so important to celebrate our God, allowing us to remember what God has done!

And a special shout out to our tech team, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!  Even in the craziness of technology going haywire, you kept calm and worked the problems.  Thanks for all of your hard work.

What do we do when God shows up?  We often think that we would cheer like we would for the conquering hero coming home.  Or perhaps we would bow in solemn respect.  Maybe even quake in fear like so many did in the scriptures when they came into the presence of God (maybe everyone in the Bible did this!)  And sometimes we weep.  How can we not when we come face-to-face with the hopelessness that we see all around us?

And yet we, much like the Israelites going to the promised land, are so focused on our own fears and insecurities that all we want (all we crave) is for God to take care of us and do all the work of our faith life.  We refuse to take hold of the promises given to us AND to work at the responsibilities given to us.  We have allowed discouragement and fear to drive our focus back onto ourselves.  We have decided that since our needs have not been met in the way we want that it would have been better if we were back in a different land following a different God.  We don't put it that way, but we do give ultimatums to God to meet our needs while we neglect to take the steps to live life God's way.  And we defiantly shake our fists at God and say, "We will not do what you have said!"

Why do we act this way?

• Fear drives us more than God's greatness
• Although we believe in God we do not TRUST God.
• We believe in a small God and live as if God cannot...
• Selfish Craving (sensuality) drive our decision-making.
• We end up being Monday morning quarterbacks for God's actions (or non-actions), as if we know more than God.
• We forget God!

 Will you trust God this week, or will you let other things drive your relationship with God?

An Apprentice of Jesus,  Kevin