Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book. Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (p. 63). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. I know you have heard of the story of Charlton Heston leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea.   It really was Moses but there was another crossing of another river the again the children of Israel walked though.   It was just a little bit different. The river was the Jordan and the leader was Joshua and God gave the instructions to the priests, the religious leaders to the Ark of the Covenant, it was a kind of symbol of God’s presence, well God told them to start walking into the river.   Now the other time at the Red Sea God parted the waters right where they were walking but this time He did it up river.   Again He told them to start walking while there was still water.   They first got their ankles wet, “it’s coming, I know it’s coming”.    Then the water was up to their knees, “I know He di

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (pp. 44-45). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. There is a story in the New Testament about Jesus walking on water.  I’m sure you have heard about it.  Well Jesus had just spoken to a bunch of people and had even fed all 5,000 of them (that was also an extraordinary thing He did) and it says in Matthew 14.22&23 (MSG), “ As soon as the meal was finished, He insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while He dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, He climbed the mountain so He could be by Himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.”    So they got in the boat and left.  Now after they had gotten far out in the lake the wind came against them and they were battered by the waves. They were having a rough time. Verses 25-27 (MSG), ”At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (pp. 44-45). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. There is a story in the New Testament about Jesus walking on water.   I’m sure you have heard about it.   Well Jesus had just spoken to a bunch of people and had even fed all 5,000 of them (that was also an extraordinary thing He did) and it says in Matthew 14.22&23 (MSG), “ As soon as the meal was finished, He insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while He dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, He climbed the mountain so He could be by Himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.”     So they got in the boat and left.   Now after they had gotten far out in the lake the waves came against them and they were battered by the waves. They were having a rough time. Verses 25-27 (MSG), ”At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (p. 30). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. We don’t usually have faith when things are going great.  What we usually have is credit.  We usually take credit for how much we have accomplished.  “Wow, look how smart I am.”  Or we give credit to the wrong thing.  Now here is the secret in handling the dark times.  If we give God credit for the good in the good times not ourselves or whatever political party is in power then when the dark times come, which they will, our faith will be strong enough to handle the dark times, our faith will shine bright.  How we Christians are handling these dark days tells a lot about how we handled the good days.  Our faith in these darks days should be brightest if our faith is and has been in Him. Somehow we need to see that the darker life gets is the best time to show that our faith really makes a difference.

A thought from Steven Furtick, (2010-09-21) from his book, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (Kindle Locations 230-231). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. What an awesome, soul searching question.  I’ll be honest, I want as a 64 year old retired church planter to believe that even at this stage of my life the impossible can happen and I don’t want to sleep through some of the best parts of my Christian life.  I really don’t believe the effective time of my life is over.  I really don’t. But what is the impossible that God wants to do through me?  I am very serious about asking that question.  Oh I know I should just be satisfied with the life I have lived so far and to just settle in to living out my retirement but if I do that I just might miss some of the best parts of my Christian life.  I don’t want to do that.  I have been for the past three years getting my emotional and physical life in order.  I really was tired after fighti