Surprises, surprises...
Well this week has been full of surprises. I forgot to mention before, that last week on the early morning hours of Sunday, like around 3:30 a.m., we had a small earth tremor. I was sleeping, but had to get up to go to work like in 10 minutes, and that thing woke me. Immediately I was reminded about a service a few weeks before in which my pastor during the sermon said that it was going to tremble, but that we shouldn't be afraid, that God would still be in control. The epicenter was off out at sea in the Atlantic side and later I found out that it had been like 5.6 in the Richter scale. There were no damages. Panama has been blessed, because we never have these natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes or tidal waves. We are such a small country and have so much ocean to both sides that if one of this disasters occurred, I think we would disappear or something. So I thank God for his goodness towards my country.
Second surprise, I was given the 24th off, but I have to work on the evening of the 25th. I was not expecting to have this day off, so I thank God for it. Also on thursday the 23rd they let me get out earlier, like 2 hours before.
Third surprise, on the 23rd when I was leaving work, I had to go to the general manager office to look for something, when I was there I saw this huge pile of wrapped gifts and I knew they were for a raffle they do for Christmas. I was telling my friend, "surely they'll do the raffle tomorrow when we are not here"...too bad I thought, because I also remembered that last year, if your name came out but you where not there, they took out another name. "I never win anything anyways"...I thought, and it's true, I never win anything on this raffle type of stuff. But to my surprise, I did win this time and they kept it for me...I won a microwave, which I think I will sell, as at home we already have one. So I thank God for the microwave also!
Now I will like to share a little bit of my pastors sermon last week on friday. I thought it was very good. It's amazing how rich the word of God is. This year my pastor has been speaking the whole year about God's visitation. Last friday he preached about "the enemies of God's visit". The passage that he used is Psalms 106.
Enemies:
1) Verses 7-13. The first problem can be ourselves. In this passage it were the people themselves, they did not understand and rebelled against God (v.7), they forgot what God had done, they forgot all the miracles, all the plagues, the death of the first borns, etc. Please God let us understand what is going on and never let me rebel against you simply because I do not understand. Rebellion against God can't be among us.
2) Verses 13-15. Another enemy can be impatience. They did not wait for God's counsel and God gave them what they asked for. Be careful what you ask for. You can have serious problems if you become impatient, it may lead you to make mistakes. You can start comparing things. You can't compare God things...."ohh, we were so much better in Egypt, we had good food there". You shouldn't compare yourself with anybody. Impatience is just a step away from ingratitude, it makes you forget what God has done, it leads you to a lack of hope. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
3) Verses 16-17. Another enemy can be envy. Be careful with being jealous. Do not give in to these feelings, or God will have to first remove them from your heart. (Numbers 16). Envy and jealousy can contaminate you, these feelings look for another person to also contaminate, and they keep you from the seeing the good in the person you are being envious about. They stop and hold you from going forward. They were not happy with what they had, but were uncomfortable with what they didn't have. Be joyful with what God has given you.
4) Verses 19-22. Idolatry. They changed His glory for an image of a bull, who eats grass. Don't let us never change your presence, your glory, for anything else. There are moments in life when we feel God is silent. But we walk by faith, not by sight, not by feelings. When we substitute what guides us, what guides our decisions and our life, with something else that is not God, we have an idol. There can't be anything that directs you in what you are going to do or not, if it's not God. When you can't see Moses in the wilderness, what takes the place of what guides your path?
5) Verses 24-25. Incredulity. They did not believe his promise. Be very careful with this enemy, is very hidden and secret inside. The wilderness was coming to an end, but they did not believe. Whenever you are going to receive something big from God, there is a space of spiritual conflict, you can have attacks from all over. God had already told them since the beginning, since Egypt, that He was going to get them into the promised land, don't believe the giants. They chose to believe the giants and not God's word. Faith is not for good times. It's easy to have faith when you are doing well. Never believe the negative report. Incredulity corrupts, contaminates, blinds, stops you from seeing what God wants to do, magnifies the negative. Faith magnifies God's power and diminishes the negative. God will never visit someone who doesn't believe. (John 12:37-43).
6) Verse 32. Be careful with contamination. They angered the Lord. When we contaminate ourselves God does not visit us. Moses was irritated and tired of the rebellion of the people. (Numbers 20:2-13) Never blame God or another person for what is happening to you. Be careful when following God's instructions. Moses was angry and instead of speaking to the rock he struck it twice.
7) Verses 34- on. Do not abandon God's principles, you can fall into this worlds temptations. If you are friend with the world you are God's enemy. Being worldy is a spirit, a style and its practices can sometimes get into the church. Do not make allegiance with other nations, with the world, when you least expect it you will be oppressed by them.
But thank God that He is merciful...He doesn't leave us nor forsake us, he is the God of the second chance. Verses 44-on. He is not forgetful, like we are. What He promises, He delivers.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Second surprise, I was given the 24th off, but I have to work on the evening of the 25th. I was not expecting to have this day off, so I thank God for it. Also on thursday the 23rd they let me get out earlier, like 2 hours before.
Third surprise, on the 23rd when I was leaving work, I had to go to the general manager office to look for something, when I was there I saw this huge pile of wrapped gifts and I knew they were for a raffle they do for Christmas. I was telling my friend, "surely they'll do the raffle tomorrow when we are not here"...too bad I thought, because I also remembered that last year, if your name came out but you where not there, they took out another name. "I never win anything anyways"...I thought, and it's true, I never win anything on this raffle type of stuff. But to my surprise, I did win this time and they kept it for me...I won a microwave, which I think I will sell, as at home we already have one. So I thank God for the microwave also!
Now I will like to share a little bit of my pastors sermon last week on friday. I thought it was very good. It's amazing how rich the word of God is. This year my pastor has been speaking the whole year about God's visitation. Last friday he preached about "the enemies of God's visit". The passage that he used is Psalms 106.
Enemies:
1) Verses 7-13. The first problem can be ourselves. In this passage it were the people themselves, they did not understand and rebelled against God (v.7), they forgot what God had done, they forgot all the miracles, all the plagues, the death of the first borns, etc. Please God let us understand what is going on and never let me rebel against you simply because I do not understand. Rebellion against God can't be among us.
2) Verses 13-15. Another enemy can be impatience. They did not wait for God's counsel and God gave them what they asked for. Be careful what you ask for. You can have serious problems if you become impatient, it may lead you to make mistakes. You can start comparing things. You can't compare God things...."ohh, we were so much better in Egypt, we had good food there". You shouldn't compare yourself with anybody. Impatience is just a step away from ingratitude, it makes you forget what God has done, it leads you to a lack of hope. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
3) Verses 16-17. Another enemy can be envy. Be careful with being jealous. Do not give in to these feelings, or God will have to first remove them from your heart. (Numbers 16). Envy and jealousy can contaminate you, these feelings look for another person to also contaminate, and they keep you from the seeing the good in the person you are being envious about. They stop and hold you from going forward. They were not happy with what they had, but were uncomfortable with what they didn't have. Be joyful with what God has given you.
4) Verses 19-22. Idolatry. They changed His glory for an image of a bull, who eats grass. Don't let us never change your presence, your glory, for anything else. There are moments in life when we feel God is silent. But we walk by faith, not by sight, not by feelings. When we substitute what guides us, what guides our decisions and our life, with something else that is not God, we have an idol. There can't be anything that directs you in what you are going to do or not, if it's not God. When you can't see Moses in the wilderness, what takes the place of what guides your path?
5) Verses 24-25. Incredulity. They did not believe his promise. Be very careful with this enemy, is very hidden and secret inside. The wilderness was coming to an end, but they did not believe. Whenever you are going to receive something big from God, there is a space of spiritual conflict, you can have attacks from all over. God had already told them since the beginning, since Egypt, that He was going to get them into the promised land, don't believe the giants. They chose to believe the giants and not God's word. Faith is not for good times. It's easy to have faith when you are doing well. Never believe the negative report. Incredulity corrupts, contaminates, blinds, stops you from seeing what God wants to do, magnifies the negative. Faith magnifies God's power and diminishes the negative. God will never visit someone who doesn't believe. (John 12:37-43).
6) Verse 32. Be careful with contamination. They angered the Lord. When we contaminate ourselves God does not visit us. Moses was irritated and tired of the rebellion of the people. (Numbers 20:2-13) Never blame God or another person for what is happening to you. Be careful when following God's instructions. Moses was angry and instead of speaking to the rock he struck it twice.
7) Verses 34- on. Do not abandon God's principles, you can fall into this worlds temptations. If you are friend with the world you are God's enemy. Being worldy is a spirit, a style and its practices can sometimes get into the church. Do not make allegiance with other nations, with the world, when you least expect it you will be oppressed by them.
But thank God that He is merciful...He doesn't leave us nor forsake us, he is the God of the second chance. Verses 44-on. He is not forgetful, like we are. What He promises, He delivers.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
posted by Mary Gaby at
11:40 PM
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