God's Way is My Way

Many decades ago, Frank Sinatra sang Paul Anka’s song which epitomized that generation. Anka had heard the original French song, and acquired the English rights. He thought it was just right for Frank as it defined Sinatra.

It was the time of the “Me Generation”. We were, in 1969, thought of as the first generation to do what we wanted and couldn’t care less about anyone else. It was the year I graduated from high school and to be frank, I had somewhat taken on this attitude myself, with limits. I wore different, unusual clothes, cowboy boots and had longer hair. Yes, I had hair back then. This attitude within society, has continued even to this day and in some ways, growing more pronounced and edgy. But, and you knew that was coming, but I drew the line in many areas of my life. We all took on different levels of My Way. Most didn’t go outside the law or transcend the norms of the day.

In other ways, we learned we didn’t need to conform to be true to ourselves. At the same time, we knew who we were and proud to be an individual no longer tied to conformity. Today, maybe this new found freedom of the Me generation has been taken it to a new and dangerous level.

In the new study we are engaged in here on site at the church we are looking at what Jesus said. His words and what they say to our next generation. At the start of Jesus ministry, He basically said to all twelve men, two words, “Follow Me”. I believe we are people who do exactly that. Predominantly we are a world of followers, with a few leaders who can take us down the road to destruction or elevate us as a society.

Don’t get me wrong, we can still be our own person, while recognizing who the right person we need to be following. And as we follow the right person, those who follow us, will also be following the right person. We are all heroes to someone. Be the best influence to others.

As the disciples followed Him, I to have chosen to follow Jesus, and I hope I honour Him so others who follow me follow Him. Who are you following?

Something to think about.

Rob

 

What Next?

What next? I’ve heard that line most of my life. Sometimes looking forward to something and sometimes not so much. Sad to say, many times I said it with anxiety. The first person I remember hearing it from was my mother. She wasn’t always the most optimistic person in my life but not the most pessimistic either. Many times I remember her saying “What Next?” while doing things around the house and many times when she was cooking. (She wasn’t a great cook but we did get fed). I will tell you about her cooked liver sometime.

I would even venture to say, many, if not all of us, have used those two four letter words in a sad way.  Most of those times, it wasn’t really earth shattering. It probably evokes a time in our lives when it was more of a diversion if anything. Those times when nothing seemed to be going right or we had to do something one more time to get it right and move forward.

In the southern USA right now, they are saying it about the ninth flooding from tropical storms, even as the next storm is on its way. The same is being said about the wild fires devastating so much of the western US just as another fire explodes on the horizon.

We are all looking at our next horizon, hoping and praying we can get over one problem before the next fire, flood, famine appears eminent. What about the pandemic? It’s been with us for seven months and no relief in sight as the experts say there may be not one but many new waves in our future. What next? Do as you are told. And, just like every other time, we will get through it. Case in point, Spanish Flu.

What next? is doing what we are told and then drawing closer to God. Yes, God. He told us many things about the trials of life. But we forgot to listen to Him. He said He would be with us, we just have to hold His hand as a young child holds tightly to their parents hand. He warned us about things coming, things we create and some that don’t. But we didn’t listen. I remember tossing my kids in the air and they trusted me to catch them. They laughed and I caught them. So does He. We will get through all of this.

Here is what I know. God cares about each one of us. But what He cares most about is not found in the ‘what next?’ but in what’s inside our hearts. After the thousands of ‘what next? we will realize this world is not our home. This journey we are on has us saying ‘what next?’. One day we may say it for the last time just before we walk into His presence and standing there He will says to us, “come into your rest”.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Something to think about

Rob

 

Storms of Life

I was reminded this morning how things can change so rapidly. It started early, real early. I thought

of all those people that live in this area and how they would soon wake up to wind & rain, flashes of light & rolling thunder. I just happened to be already up and awake. In another way, I thought of what the world is going through right now.

It to, rolled in so quickly and so unexpectedly. You might remember how years ago, a few individuals warned us something like this pandemic could be on its way. Most of us didn’t listen. This morning when we were startled by the lightning and thunder we just rolled over and worked on going back to sleep. Not so with this virus. But as each storm that barrels down on us, we tell ourselves “this too will pass.”

This is what I know; God will take care of you. The Book tells us this and we just need to turn the storms of life over to Him and He will do what He does best. He will instruct us and work it out with Him and us doing our part. With the storm this morning, we all knew it will move on. They always do.

There are two things we know about storms. They come quick and in most cases they leave quick. God gives us rainbows as a sign of the bright and beautiful reassurance that if He brings the storm, He will get us through and the sun will always come out again.

The disciples were in the boat and Jesus was sleeping. The storm quickly showed up. They called Jesus, who wasn’t worried and He instantly ended the storm. It’s a picture of what we experience all through life. This thunderstorm is almost over. It has moved on and in every situation we need to sing the word the Andrea Crouch penned:  Through it all Through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus I've learned to trust in God. To which l say, Just trust Him, He knows.

Something to think about.

Rob