Anticipation

Anticipation

“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer
and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.”
                                                      Daniel 9:3

We can all identify with occasions and situations where our anticipation kicked in and caused us to act in a certain fashion. Maybe we anticipated heavy traffic in winter weather and left a little early for work, or we anticipated the light getting ready to change and hit the gas pedal to make sure we got through without a ticket. At other times, we might have anticipated a problem coming up at work and prepared in advance for the possible eventualities, letting our spouse know that we might be late for dinner. And, of course, you may anticipate Thanksgiving Dinner and have a few extra large meals between now and then to stretch your stomach. The dictionaries’ definition of anticipate says this: “to foresee and act in advance, to thwart by acting in advance, to regard as likely, to foreknow, to prevent by taking countermeasures.”

In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel anticipated those Israelites who had been taken captive to Babylon being released and being allowed to return to Jerusalem, their home and place of worship. How he responded to that anticipation is a lesson on acting in advance to see the promises and purposes of God come to fruition in our lives. When he realized that it was time for God to move, Daniel turned to the Lord and sought Him in humility, with prayer, fasting and a passionate desperation. His response was anything but passive; he didn’t take the promises of God for granted, and he didn’t leave their fulfillment to chance. His anticipation resulted in heartfelt, sincere prayer that moved God to act on His people’s behalf.

The lesson that we each have to grasp and put into practice is not always easy. The bridge between the promises of God and their coming to pass in our lives is nothing less than persistent and passionate prayer. Are you sensing that God is about to do something fresh in your life, your family, or your church? Then it’s time to pray! Are you at a place where anticipation should kick in and cause a corresponding supportive action? Does your response to a promise God is speaking to your heart reveal complacency or anticipation? Daniel’s response showed just how important the fulfillment of God‘s promise was to him – he went all out to see God’s people restored to the land of their inheritance.

God has special and specific promises for your life. When the time comes that you sense in anticipation that “now is the time,” may your heart be stirred to action, causing the Lord to rise up on your behalf, to intervene against all opposing forces, and to answer your prayer.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Stepping Back

Stepping Back

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of
  the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
                                               Habakkuk 2:14

From the middle of the lake, seated in a small fishing boat, the picture of the lake that you are left with is imposing, daunting, and at times overwhelming. The distance to the shore, the size of the waves and the sheer unharnessed power that the lake represents leave you feeling weak and small by any comparison. Maybe that’s why it’s hard to reconcile that picture with the image gained from looking at the very same lake from the vineyard covered hills that surround it. What stands out is that the journey from hard and intimidating to awe-inspiring and breath-taking only requires that one step back and look at the scene from a wider, broader and more all encompassing viewpoint.

In the same way, looking at the situations in our lives from too close a vantage point can leave us with a personal perspective that is disheartening and discouraging. We can get so focused on the here and now that we lose sight of the big picture of what God is doing over the long haul. We can get so caught up in the everyday that the process of character building and faith development never come into focus. We can be so centered on what is going on today that we fail to see anything in the light of a God whose plan for our life is worked out over a span of time, a span rarely measured in days, weeks, or even months.

As we get caught up in the busyness of life, the need to step back and look at what is happening in our lives from a different vantage point becomes crucial. Try this: find the largest picture in your house; stand with your nose about an inch from the picture and take in the sight. Then step back, one step at a time, observing the change that takes place and how the picture is only beautiful when looked at from the right perspective. So many are discouraged, not because God isn’t doing anything in their lives but because they are so focused on the up close that they are unable to see the big picture of a God who has an incredible plan for their lives.

Step back, away from the temporary trials of life, away from the process of life-building that God must do in each of us, and catch a vision of a God at work in us so that life goals are accomplished, and plans and purposes attained. The result will be greater encouragement, a leap from strength to strength, and an understanding that results in patience and perseverance.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Moorings

Moorings

“You are not restrained in us, but you
are restrained in your own affections.”
                       II Corinthians 6:12

After almost two weeks of studying, meditating on, and preaching about the story of when Jesus told Peter to launch out into deeper waters and throw the nets out again, something was still missing. The proverbial missing piece of the puzzle couldn’t be found. More than I can remember for some time, this message seemed really important to me, moving to deeper waters spiritually, living a life of faith, and, because of that, finding greater fruitfulness in the Lord.  And it has become my prayer: Lord, lead me into the deeper waters of the Christian life. In the midst of those prayers, God spoke just one word:

Moorings – the ropes, anchors, and chains that keep a vessel secure and stable

Quite honestly, I had to turn to Webster’s 3rd for an explanation. The tie-in was clear; for all our desires to go deeper in the Lord and for all our good intentions to be fruitful in the Lord, we have to address those areas in our lives that are like moorings. Those are the areas that keep us tied to a shoreline Christianity, anchored to a life of weak faith, and with little or no fruit to show for our efforts. Eugene Peterson, in The Message Bible, words the verse above this way: “We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small but you’re living them in a small way.” We can have all the possibilities that God has purposed lying open before us, yet be moored in shallow waters that leave us living our Christian lives “in a small way,” frustrated but not knowing how to change things.

The job of identifying and loosing those moorings is left to each of us. For one, it may be an attitude we’ve adopted that keeps us focused on circumstances and not on faith. For another, the rigor of obeying God when he asks us to go the second mile may be something we’ve always said no to. Thinking we have God all figured out, what He would or wouldn’t require of us, is a surefire way to stay tied to the shoreline. And sin issues have to be dealt with, inward sins of the heart, and outward actions that grieve the heart of God and hold us back spiritually. 

That there are deeper waters for you to live your Christian life in should be a great encouragement. That there may be moorings to cut loose so that you can launch out into greater things in God is a challenge you will have to face. My prayer is that you will have the courage to address those areas inside you that are holding you back from all God desires.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

The Footsteps of Faith

The Footsteps of Faith

“…who also walk in the footsteps of the
faith that our Father Abraham had.”
                            Romans 4:12

By far the most difficult climb up the Turk Hill Road toboggan hill went to the person who had the unenviable task of blazing a trail through the freshly fallen snow. Those who followed after were blessed to be able to follow in the footsteps of another on the many trips up our favorite hill. The same was true on my early morning paper route during the 60’s in Upstate New York, especially on those mornings when delivering papers meant trudging through a knee deep snowfall. The first morning was the hardest; the next few were easy by comparison, nothing more than following in yesterday’s footsteps.

Maybe those memories help to make it easier to understand Paul’s encouragement that we “walk in the footsteps of the faith that Abraham had.” Abraham trusted God to fulfill the promise He had made to make Abraham the father of many nations. He trusted despite his circumstances; he trusted despite Sarah being past the age of childbearing; he trusted with eyes fixed on a God who is faithful to His every promise. The fruit of his faith was it happening “just as it had been said to him” – Abraham became the father of many nations and, in so doing, left a trail of footsteps we would be wise to follow in.

The tracks those footsteps leave behind are easy to recognize. Some tell of the importance of obedience in the face of contrary circumstances. Others have the words “never give up” emblazoned on them with a boldness that only a hope fulfilled could write. The message “God can be trusted” can be seen next to footprints all along the path and paving stones with the words of Jesus, “only believe” clearly mark the way. The footsteps of the faith of Abraham tell the story of leaving all behind for the Lord, of fighting for and rescuing others in need, of offering up a promised son to God, and of living a life marked by a determined faith in God.

Having footsteps to follow in is a blessing we should never minimize. The faith stories of those men and women who trusted God, who hoped against hope, and who saw their every promise and dream realized to the fullest, are to be anchors that keep you and I on the road of faith.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

A Passport to God

A Passport to God

“In Him and through faith in Him, we may
approach God with freedom and confidence.”
                                 Ephesians 3:12

Our trip had taken us first to Baltimore to help Linda get unloaded, up to the cottage on Seneca Lake, and then on to Rochester for a short visit with family. We were on our way home, heading toward Niagara Falls to cross into Canada, when I realized that I had not remembered to bring my passport along. The passport that had gotten me into Japan, the Philippines, Honduras and countless border crossings between Canada and the United States was nowhere to be found, and panic set in. The new law seemed to be clear: no passport meant no entry into the US.

Quite honestly, I had forgotten that story until this week when I heard this quote from J.C. Ryle:  “The name of Jesus is a never failing passport for our prayers.” Now I know the scriptures that express the thought Ryle is trying to convey. Ephesians 2:18 says, “For through Him (Jesus) we have access to the Father,” and the scripture above beautifully declares that we can approach God with boldness and confidence because of our faith in Jesus. Because Jesus made a way for us by offering Himself in our place, we have access to God and need never be afraid to go before Him with our deepest needs, presenting our every desire to God in prayer.

Wondering if I would be allowed into the US without my passport, I called a friend who is a customs agent and his response to my situation was noteworthy: “As a US citizen, you cannot be denied entrance into the United States.” The choice had been taking the long way around Lake Erie through the States, and adding three hours to the trip in the process, or chancing it by going through Canada without a passport. His words were all I needed to hear; we crossed the border into Canada, and a short time later I was declaring my citizenship, without the necessary passport, to the customs agent in Port Huron. A few questions later, a huge sigh of relief breathed, and we were back in the United States, heading down I-94 towards home.

The parallel couldn’t be clearer. You and I have access to God for all our prayers, to present our needs, to come before Him for help in time of trouble – and all because of Jesus. We have full access to the Creator, to our Refuge, to our Rescuer, to our Provider, to the God who loves us enough to send His Son to die for our sins. Confidence and boldness are words that rightly describe the freedom you should feel in approaching God whenever you pray. You have a passport to God, the precious name of Jesus, that grants you access to the throne of grace, an access that cannot be denied as you come before him with a heart filled with faith!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Limitless

Limitless

“I realize that everything has its limits, but your
commands are beyond full comprehension.”
                                         Psalm 119:96

They are found everywhere, while driving a car, in our personal finances, and even in our national government: limits on what a person can do. From the 15 mile per hour speed limit on the Lewiston Bridge over the Niagara River to the 70 mile per hour speed limit on Interstate 94, the speed at which we are allowed to drive is limited; we can’t go as fast as we want, as fast as our schedule dictates, or even as fast as our car is capable of going. Let’s face it, when it comes to driving our cars, we are limited.

Credit cards present us with a similar situation; they have a limit on what we can spend and how much in charges we are allowed to accumulate. Some cards might have higher limits than others and some might be usable in more places than others but the phrase “credit limit” is known to all. Even getting a money order last week presented the same problem; there is a limit to how much you can get a money order for. Try cashing a check at a bank you don’t have an account at. No matter how much money is in your account, you won’t leave happy. When it comes to finances, we are limited.

We don’t usually think of the President of the United States as being limited but our form of government limits the power of each branch of government. Our government’s recent fiscal crisis, when the debt ceiling desperately needed to be raised for the government to continue to operate, reinforced the limits on presidential power. He may have a position of great power and he may be the highest elected official in our nation but when it comes to taking certain actions, the president’s power is limited by the Constitution. And we may pay taxes and take part in elections but we have a representative government in which elected officials wield power. In government, we are most certainly limited.

But thankfully, there is someone whose strength has no bounds, and whose power has no limits. There is a God in heaven for whom nothing is impossible, for whom no problem is too difficult, and before whom none can stand. We serve a God whose power is limitless, a God who has promised to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” That a limitless God is on our side and has only our best interests at heart should help us fend off discouragement and hopelessness, and by faith pursue God’s best for our lives.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

The Sands of Time

The Sands of Time

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise
but wise, making the most of every opportunity…”
                                          Ephesians 5:15-16

As the scene unfolded, the actor set the hourglass down on the kitchen table, firmly declaring “You have 48 hours. When the sand runs out, I want your decision.” Without knowing how many takes it took to get the scene just the way they wanted it, I started to picture them stopping, turning the hourglass over, waiting until the sand had all run to the bottom of the hourglass and starting the filming over. And I pictured them repeating the process of turning the hourglass over, time and again, as they searched for the perfect balance of drama and intrigue in the scene they were filming.

And although we sometimes forget it, real life isn’t like that. We may get second chances from the Lord for which we are so grateful, but we don’t get to turn the hourglass of our lives over and start again. In one sense, the Lord turned over the hourglass of our lives on the day we were born and the sands have been running uninterrupted ever since with only the Lord knowing the measure of our days.  But we do know that one day the sands of time will run out for each of us. And that makes it even more important that each one heed the warnings of God’s Word to make the most of the time we have been blessed with.

The verse above talks about “making the most of every opportunity.” The opportunities we are afforded to affect other lives can be dismissed as inconvenient and bothersome or they can be taken advantage of despite the cost and sacrifice. We can make the most of every life opportunity; we can make good use of our time being careful that it is spent on the things that matter most to God, or we can flitter away our time on vain, self-centered pursuits. The choice is most certainly ours but the hourglass doesn’t get turned over, no matter which direction we choose to go. The sands of time keep running in the hourglass of our lives.

The verse begins with “be very careful” and carries the thought of our being exact, precise, and accurate with the use of our time and with how we live. God has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives that we are to live out in our daily walk. How we use our time does matter and what we do with life’s opportunities does matter. The challenge is to make the most of the sands of time we have been given, to turn each and every opportunity that arises into the most good in ways that give the most glory to God.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church