Perfect Timing

Have you ever felt you were in a hurry for something but found that God was not on the same time schedule as you? I have and have found most of us live this out in some form or another daily. What I have discovered is that God’s time table is not set around my time table and flesh, but rather around His mercy. During the times of waiting on Him, He is working out the imperfections in my character and preparing me for what’s to come.

In the book of Acts (9:20-25) we see Paul after He first began to follow Jesus, at that time he jumped right into public ministry. Although it was clear that God had this as a purpose in Paul’s life, he wasn’t quite ready for such a visible place of leadership. God had a plan to prepare Paul for how He wanted to use him. Paul points toward that process later in 1 Thes. 2:4, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people.” This is a great verse for showing us how God prepared, tested and finally released Paul for his purpose.
The word “approved” in the original language means to test, examine, inspect, scrutinize; to determine the quality or sincerity of something. The word is dokimadzo. This word was used to describe how coins were tested during Paul’s day to be found real or counterfeit.
The metal was refined by fire to remove all of the impurities, three times in fires with a greater heat each time. The impurities were not even visible to the naked eye but left in the metal these hidden impurities would result in a break or fracture at a later date. This purifying process was lengthy and hot.
Paul is saying to us, “I went through the process, the refiners fire, to get to this place in my life and for God to get the desired results. I passed the test and God saw that I was ready.”
So I want to encourage you as you read this. Don’t get discouraged. The dreams and desires that God has placed in your heart take time to become realities. God’s timing is perfect. He wants to use you, but He cares more that you are ready to be used so that there are no “hidden impurities” that will result in a break or fracture later on. Enjoy the journey as God prepares you, changes you and grows you. When He is ready to promote you, you’ll have what you need both spiritually and naturally to finish the race that He has given you to run with excellence.

Make it your prayer today that God would change your character in any way He sees necessary to prepare you for what He wants to do in and through you. His timing is perfect!

How To Eat A Cinnamon Roll

Just in case you missed the weekend services, I taught everyone the right way to eat a cinnamon roll. It all starts with the proper amount of butter. I always ask for mine to be “baptized” in butter; completely immersed, not a dry spot on the entire roll. Then I set the very center apart from the rest of the roll to save it as my last bite. It is the best part of the roll, the center is the reason I eat cinnamon rolls. (It is a test of my love when my wife asks for the center as a bite!)

The point from the talk this weekend is that we have been “set apart” by Jesus as pure. Not set aside and discarded, but “set apart”, special, savored, kept for Him. “Then they will be… given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.” (Acts 26:18) What is it that we are “set-apart” from? Worldliness.

Worldliness is having the same purpose, perspective and priorities as someone who does not follow Jesus. It means that we are participating in the things of this world without consideration of the things (purpose, perspective and priorities) of God.

I love the phrase from the weekend: “Either we influence the world, or the world influences us.” We are set apart to influence the world with the purpose of God, the perspective of God and with God’s priorities.

This week, take some time and have a “baptized in butter” cinnamon roll and while you’re eating it consider how God has set you apart for His purposes.

Toxic Thoughts

Over the weekend we started a new series called Toxic. The response to this first teaching was awesome. There are a few things that are really sticking with me from the weekend:

Our lives conform to our thoughts.

Living like Jesus is the result of thinking like Jesus.

Control your thoughts and you control the direction of your life.

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Prov 23:7 (NKJV)

Memory Verse from this weeks talk: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” Phil 4:8 (NIV)

If you were Spring Breaking and missed the services, there were some other great things that happened over the weekend. First, we baptized 5 people at the Oro Valley campus. Second, we introduced our Interim Campus pastor for the Twin Peaks campus; Phil Thompson. You can connect with Phil on Face Book. As we look forward to re launching that campus over the next several weeks, going into Easter, I want to encourage you to contact Phil and join the team and together let's reach the Continental Ranch community for Jesus. We have needs in all areas of ministry there.

Hope you all have a great week. If this weeks teaching was a help and encouragement to you, why not take a moment and invite a friend for next weekend, they will be glad you did!