Two Immutable Things
Blog written by Tom Morey, UPCI Sages Mississippi Sages District Director, Retired Pastor
For those who may be wondering if I had a devotional ready for March 1st SAGE Day here it is. If you are wondering a SAGE has lived a life of many experiences and has wisdom that they share to enlighten the younger generation. We all have some experiences that are of value to our children. We teach, our children, we train them to act the right way in every situation regardless of company, and we explain how they may have made a mistake and what they should do to correct it. If they are a wise child, they will take your instruction and correct their error and live on. We all should enter into each day with the idea if you make a promise you will keep it.
Tom Morey, UPCI Sages Mississippi District Director, Retired Pastor
When we follow examples in the bible you will find the promise God gives us is his word that will not fail. He has given a promise that he will not go back on. Is that the way you live? Do you keep your promise? My promise to my wife is the vow I repeated on our wedding day. I try to keep it to the best of my ability, but I must say there are times I come up short. It is not intentional at all to break a promise.
Broken promises are remembered. They write songs about broken promises. I made broken promises to God. We all have at some time. The important thing to remember is he forgives us and wants us to be put back on the path Here is the partial song lyrics that is passionate about broken promises entitled.
I MADE BROKEN PROMISES TO GOD
Late Night Tears Fall on My Bedroom floor, I’ve Been Talking to Heaven, but I still feel Ignored. Gave my heart to the wrong ones, I was sure they were sent. Now I’m paying the price for the trust that I spent, I told you I was ready, I told you I was strong, But I went back again, Told you I learned my lesson still repeating my sins. If you hear me...
.The You Tube link is here. https://youtu.be/1_mk-gnG7HA
Just in those few short words the song captures the emotion to someone who is struggling in keeping his promise to God. I believe we all have been there at some point in our lives. We all have sinned and come up short. God is not that way. We know he is faithful and true to his word. In my short devotional regarding promise keeping, we find great comfort and trust in God’s word.
Heb 6:18-19 (NLT) So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. (19) This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God’s inner sanctuary.
Today, our hope is that we communicate to you how we as seniors have made living for God a journey and an adventure and we wish to pass on the knowledge of God we have gained through the years.
All the trials and temptations we have endured have made us stronger and more resilient.
Paul said it this way. Phil 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
And again in 1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. We know in whom we are anchored too, and what we have anchored our life in.
Today a whole host of gifting’s and talents and experiences has walked through the doors of this sanctuary. We may not have met or I might have forgotten your name, but God has not.
We want you to connect with God today with this one purpose in mind. God has given all of us both his promise and his oath.
You are uniquely created by God and his plan for you is you to know his love.
With this as Christians, I believe we are obligated to offer wisdom and understanding to the entire church body.
Because we are recipients of Gods promise of the Holy Ghost, we are now commanded to share talents to grow spiritually and advance in his kingdom. Jesus taught this concept by example and the through the parables he taught.
The Lord made an astounding statement to his disciples that resonate yet today: Speaking of John the Baptist.
Mal 3:1 (NLT) The Coming Day of Judgment “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD Almighty.
God’s promises hold true no matter where you are in life. The scriptures Old and New Testament describe many faithful men and women ministry that had lasting impact and demonstrated his promise.
Mat 11:11-12 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (12) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
John’s ministry was anchored in scripture. Even though his life was shortened with a violent end.
What does it mean the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence? It means we are in spiritual warfare. Warfare requires planning, knowing your enemy, action plans of engagement and the fight.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12)NLT
JOHN THE BAPTIST had purpose
John being sent from God was to prepare the way of the Lord. Now that certainly has purpose.
Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:
John in his preaching was met with a lot of resistance from the religious of the day. In his preaching to the common people he met the resistance head on.
Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mark 1:7-8 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
He knew he had a ministry that was meant for one purpose. He was to introduce the coming of the Messiah. However his ministry was to change when he was arrested by King Herod.
He preached and baptized with a passion and fulfilled his purpose for one reason. To fulfill his calling.
Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
John fulfilled his purpose as the messenger. A prophet that was6” the voice crying in the wilderness” was now being silenced in a prison cell.
Disciples that remained with him were sent by John to ask Jesus a simple question. Did he have doubts about his purpose?
Luk 7:19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?
We can learn from John. It is a good thing to ask the question. Am I finding purpose in serving the Lord like John, or Peter, or Paul or any of our fellow Christians we read about in the bible?
John had to ask the question, are you the one that I should look for? Did I fulfill my purpose to announce you as Lamb of God? Are you the sacrificial lamb, the Messiah? DO we keep looking?
John’s life, his purpose, was very focused from the very beginning.
John pointed everyone to Jesus Christ.
John understood his ministry was coming to an end. John 3:30 yet he pressed on.
John was eventually arrested and thrown in jail.
John the Baptist found himself unsure of how things would end while in the jail cell, but he never backed down, he never compromised, he never gave up.
Many bible characters are described to give us confidence that we can be assured of the two immutable things. his promise and his oath.