Don’t Sleep on God

The story is told about a Sunday school teacher who asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” And one little girl named Annie replied, “Because people are sleeping.”

Acts 20:9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.

Apostle Paul had a lot to say when he was delivering his farewell sermon. He just went on speaking. The Church just loved listening to him. Indeed he was not boring. But there was this young fellow Eutychus who was tired and gradually gave into the sleep. He was probably sitting by the window because it was too humid inside and thus he fell down in his sleep. Apostle did not lose his temper and went ahead to raise up Eutychus and got back to preaching. Probably Paul was speaking to people of God in Troas for the last time so he did not want to miss anything.

Many people knowingly or unknowingly sleep through spiritual fellowship. Whether it might be personal prayer, small group fellowships or Worship service, some can sleep anywhere, anytime. Surprisingly the same folks are up and alert for anything else all day and night.

• Adam fell asleep and woke up married and missing a rib!

• Samson fell asleep and woke up bald and beaten!

• Jonah fell asleep in the boat and woke up wet!

• Eutychus fell asleep and woke up dead!

Don’t Sleep on God.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com

Are you in a drought ?

Scott Lewis, owner of Scott Machinery, attended a conference where Bill Bright challenged people to give one million dollars to help fulfill the Great Commission. This amount was laughable to Scott—far beyond anything he could imagine, since his machinery business was generating an income of under $50,000 a year.

Bill asked, “How much did you give last year?” Scott felt pretty good about his answer: “We gave $17,000, about 35 percent of our income.” Without blinking an eye, Bill responded, “Over the next year, why don’t you make a goal of giving $50,000?”

Scott thought Bill hadn’t understood. Fifty thousand dollars was more than he’d made all year! But Scott and his wife decided to trust God with Bill’s challenge, asking him to do the impossible. God provided in amazing ways; with a miraculous December 31 provision, the Lewises were able to give the $50,000. The next year they set a goal of giving $100,000. Again, God provided.

1 Kings 17:13,14 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

Who better than a poor widow can understand lack and shortcomings. But I tell you these Pastors will still be preaching on tithing and offering. Those taglines, give the first and the best. Not so exciting. I want to apologize for preachers who just keep greedily preaching about giving. I am sad that for most it comes out of selfish ambitions and fleshy desires.

But we often forget that when we give it's about honoring God. It's about telling God and the world, that I don't trust in the Money, but on the one who has given me the blessings. So when Elijah asked the widow to give him food during a drought, it might have looked very sad and selfish. But Elijah was only teaching her to put God and things of God first. She was thinking about one meal, but God had planned for the whole season of drought. Are you in a drought ?

Inspired by Sis. Grace Johnson's sermon in Crossway on 4th March 2018.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com

So get going

A young girl had to pass through a bad neighborhood. As she went down a dark street she noticed a shadowy figure stalking her. She was gripped with fear, but to her relief the stalker did not attack. Later, she read of another young lady who was attacked that same night in that same place. The police asked anyone who might have seen anything that night to come forward as a witness. After giving her story she asked the accused attacker why he hadn’t attacked her. His answer was “Why, Miss, there were two men guarding you.”

1 Kings 17:6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

As one prepares for a ride far off, we make sure that we have enough fuel and the basic supply for the way. But when God says that I will provide just get going. It becomes a little tricky in this day and age.

But prophet Elijah who had complete trust in God went to the East of Jordan. He obeyed God just as he was told. It really looked funny to believe that he was supposed to drink from the brook and wait for the ravens to bring him food. But as he trusted God, it would have been fascinating for God to provide for someone who trusts him completely. When there was drought all over the country, Elijah was being fed from the unexpected sources. A brook which would have been the first thing to dry up in a drought, and raven an ugly bird became a testimony of what God can do even in the worst of the situations.

As you the beloved of God trust HIM completely in the journey of life, there might be storms and droughts, but he has got your back. If you can completely trust Him, HE will surely provide for His beloved. So get going.   

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com

Are you still checking out ?

Missionary statesman Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God's faithfulness. In his journal he wrote:
Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning... He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all... Depend on it, God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.

1 Kings 17:4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”.

Often when we obey God after a long time or once in a while, it's kind of experimenting. We expect God to honor us and glorify us, the moment we obey him. In v.3 God told Elijah to hide away when he was doing really good as a prophet. But then he was asked to move deeper into obedience.

So Elijah obeys God and hides away from all the limelight and he moves to the East of Jordan. Probably he would have expected some good arrangement from God. As per his status and standard he would easily qualify for a deluxe suite. But then God surprises him again. He was asked to drink from the brook and receive food through the ravens, and he obeyed.

Perhaps this kind of obedience can only come from a deep relationship with God and an effective understanding of the Father's heart. Let's not experiment on God by obeying once in a while. Can we move into a relationship of trust and complete trust. Are you still checking out ?

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com