The Rock Church

Justice

God does not turn a blind eye to injustice. To my shame, I can wrongly assume that if justice isn’t served immediately, justice won’t be served at all. As a result, I mistake God’s grace or patience as “looking the other way” when a sin is committed against Him or His creation. I am wrong. God does not “look the other way” when we sin or are sinned against. He doesn’t let anything slip through the cracks. Surely, there is no statute of limitations with God. 

Next time you question His goodness (or His seemingly slow timing) remember this. God is our judge; we are not His. Indeed, it is sinful for us to judge Him. He is slow to anger, but this does not mean He will let sin and evil prevail.

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God’s Judgment

When we think of Noah and the Ark, we imagine a coloring book page of a boat (with a happy Noah and happy animals), lots of primary colors and blue skies. However, this is not at all how it would have been. Everything about this event would have been surprising, terrifying and devastating. Most theologians believe this was the first-time rain had ever fallen on the earth. The experience of water coming from the heavens (and bursting forth from the ground) would have been a surprise, to say the least. People never had to seek shelter from rain before that day.

Imagine yourself living during that time. Unstoppable water rushed everywhere. It was terrifying as it consumed everything in its path. Heavy debris and trees crushed and pinned anything and anyone. People screamed for their loved ones as homes and other structures broke apart. As a result, there was no escape, no safe place to go — except the Ark. The giant boat the “crazy” preacher had been building for 120 years. Noah had said it was going to happen. 

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Long Shot

When my co-worker asked me if I’d be interested in helping him with electrical work for a church remodel, my first thought was that it was a long shot. Why? Because the church was in Hawaii! My co-worker (who is also a Christian) is good friends with the pastor of the Hawaiian church. 

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Darkness

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” — Psalm 139:7-8

Years ago, I worked in an underground mine. When we were done with the job each day, my co-workers took the buggy (side by side) up to the surface and unloaded some of our tools — they needed to make room for me. So, for about half an hour, I was alone (with nearly a mile of earth above me). 

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You and God

Think about this for a few minutes, Christian. God has been waiting for (and looking forward to) relationship with you since before the foundations of the earth. 

In other words, God’s desire for relationship with you is older than the stone that David killed Goliath with. It’s older than the mountain that Noah’s Ark came to rest on. It’s older than any dinosaur bone and older than anything in the periodic table of elements. In fact, God’s desire for relationship with you is older than the dust that Adam was created out of. You have access to this incredible relationship with God through His Holy Spirit, who lives in you.

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Fellowship

On Labor Day, an old friend invited me to go to a BBQ at his house. I hadn’t seen him in years and he told me a few of our old friends were going to be there. I decided to go and catch up. It was great to be with people that I’d experienced so much of my young adult life with; after a few minutes of small talk, it was totally natural to be with them again. We spent five hours standing around the kitchen eating, laughing and reminiscing about the stuff we used to do together. I drove home that night with a smile on my face, thinking about how intertwined our lives used to be and one word kept coming to my mind. Fellowship. 

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Fire!

A few days ago, my wife Ashley and I were sitting in our living room while I played the guitar and she sang some worship songs. It was refreshing and encouraging. You could say we were literally distracted from the world, because right across the street from our house, a neighbor’s tree was on fire! 

By the time we finally noticed the fire, there were people (from up and down the street) with fire extinguishers and a hose, spraying down the tree. Less than a minute later, two fire engines and an ambulance pulled up with lights flashing and firefighters ready to do their jobs. 

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The Beatitudes

I’ve found a lot of wisdom and comfort in the Beatitudes lately. If you’re not sure what the Beatitudes are, they’re eight little proverbs that Jesus used as an introduction to His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Chapter 5.

I think one of the reasons they’ve been so encouraging to me is because there is no circumstance in which these truths should or shouldn’t be applied. These eight gold mines (that our King and friend Jesus teaches us) are timeless, incredibly practical and able to be applied to all areas of our lives. 

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The Right Place at the Right Time

Do you understand that God knit us together, in our mother’s wombs, to be born at exactly the right place and time — to experience this pandemic together in our various stages of life? God orchestrated it. Let this verse from Acts 17:26 sink in, “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” In other words, we were born at the right place and time.

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Fully Prepared, Kept Safe and Cared For + News

As Christians, we shouldn’t be living in fear. We should be living to glorify Christ — especially now. Most of those around us are crippled with the fear of needing to be fully prepared. We know that apart from God, there will never be enough to sustain us. 

Only in Jesus can we be fully prepared, kept safe and cared for. NOTHING will be able to separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 

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