ONLY TWO VERSES...
Last week we began our look at the book of Philippians. We covered two verses. For those who were not there, you are probably thinking "Wow, that is Pastor Lonnie's shortest sermon. I can handle that!" Well, you will have to come and find out for yourself ... who knows what the future holds.
Actually, for us to understand the relationship that Paul has with the folks in Philippi, we needed to dig in deeper. So we visited Acts 16. This is an account of Paul and Silas' visit to the City of Philippi, the incredible people that they met, the crazy experiences that they had, and most of all, how God began to change an entire Region of the Roman Empire. We see a deep, strong relationship that is developed. One that is based in love, trust, sharing, and caring. And it all happened quickly.
God's timing is always perfect. Sometimes it is quick and sometimes it takes a while. And honestly, it usually depends on the parties involved. The Children of Israel. "God's Chosen" took wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Why because of their doubting, fear, and lack of commitment. The people in Philippi, most of them Gentiles, and even considered "heathen" by some, responded to the Gospel quickly. And they responded individually, in situations specific to them, such as Lydia, the Jailer, and their families. Basically, these two examples show how people made their choice by what they did or did not do. And God was there with them for the entire time. And He let them make their choices.
God is still here - always. And His timing is always perfect. But he lets us, just like those before, make our choices and in our timing. And sometimes our timing does not coincide with His. A challenge for us all is to seek and be in God's timing. Put away the fear, the excuses, and claim the victories and enjoy the adventure of following God's direction, seeking to know Him in a more deep and personal way, and living in His timing. That may mean you need to make some changes. You may need to take a few risks. You may just need to quit finding reasons "why not to" and instead, "do it". In fact, I bet it will be more rewarding, fulfilling, and lots more fun and exciting. Try it.
By the way, the beautiful picture below was taken by Patti Morena a few nights ago prior to a wedding that was held at the Church. It is so beautiful and reminds us to sometimes to find and be in God's perfect timing we just need to "be still and know".
I hope to see you Sunday as we continue to dig into Paul's letter to his friends in Philippi. If he wrote us a letter today, I am sure that he would remind us that ...
You ARE Loved!
Pastor Lonnie