If God truly is knowable – and He is – the question we need to ask is, “How can we come to know Him?” God has revealed facts about himself and His nature in different ways so that we can know Him. For the next four weeks we will look at four ways He reveals Himself.
Through Creation Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” No one would argue that the universe is not a complex and majestic creation. Even scientists agree that there had to be a beginning. Something cannot come from nothing. This law is called “first cause.” When you break it all down, the perfection of creation cannot be by accident. It is not the result of a big explosion that just happened at the right time. That would be like saying that an explosion in a print shop resulted in the creation of this devotional. The idea is totally irrational! In Job 38, Job is arguing with God and seeking answers about the world around him. Look at how God responds… The formation of the world “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7 The vast universe “Can you bring forth constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?” Job 38:32 The balance of land and water “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?” Job 38:8-11 The division of day and night “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place,” Job 38:12 The life / death cycle “Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?” Job 38:12 The seasons and weather “Have you ever entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain and a path for the thunderstorm.” Job 38:22-25 Whether you are in your office, traveling on the road, or enjoying the sunshine, take the time today to praise the Lord for revealing Himself by leaving His fingerprint for all to see. Invite someone to church this weekend. It will be a powerful service as we continue to look at the Parables. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45).
Every year we venture out in our community and participate in the Backyard Mission Trip. Over a thousand people embark upon many homes who have applied for assistance in order to help them with much needed repairs. We come together with several churches in our community to make a positive impact in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus set the example when He was on this earth. He said that He did not come to be served, but to serve. We are called to go and do likewise. As a matter of fact, when Jesus ascended up to heaven He said these words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matthew 28:18-20. One way of making a disciple is to be a faithful disciple and show people by our love. We may know the full impact it will have on people if we love as Jesus loved. But that isn’t the reason why we do these kinds of things. We may not be around when the consequence of our action takes place. We just keep before us the words of Jesus when He said, “Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” Matthew 25:40. There are several reasons why we have enjoyed participating in this project. Let me name just a few:
The date for the Backyard Mission Trip is Saturday, April 22. Tonight there is an organizational meeting at 6:45p in room 102 beside the church office for those who want to sign up or those who want to know more about it. No matter your skill level or the amount of time you can offer that day, come and find out more details so we can get a good group together to complete the project. We would like to have the biggest group we have ever had this year. So what are you waiting for? God is on the move at Findlay First Nazarene. Invite someone new this Sunday to experience what the Lord is going to do. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike It is good to be home from Haiti. Our team arrived in Detroit at 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday night and then we made our way back to Findlay. The shock to our system going from 90 degree weather to 14 degrees was hard to get used to, but all in all it was a good trip. We will plan to share some of our trip details in the next few weeks.
There are many names for God found in the Old Testament. As the children of God, we are called to live out His name every day to the fullest. As I list just a few of the Names of God found in Old Testament Hebrew, try to take the time today to see if you are living these names out in a dramatic fashion. If not, you are just a prayer away from allowing God to fill you with His all powerful presence and make the necessary changes to glorify His name. The corresponding verses will accompany each name allowing you to saturate in them today.
Let me encourage you to live the Lord’s names in victory and power today. He is worthy of all the honor and glory we place on His name. Imagine with me for a moment. The God of the universe wants to live through our lives in such a way that people will be drawn closer to God. He trusts us enough to give people a right impression of Himself. I look forward to worshipping together with our church on Sunday. We will continue our series on the Parables as we look at the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15. We will also be bringing in 9 new members. It’s going to be a great day! May God continue to reveal Himself to you as you serve Him this day… Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike UThis week's devotional is from Pastor Mike via phone from Haiti: We are preparing to go off to our worksite this morning. The trip would normally take about 3 hours but there are unforeseen things happening on the regular route, so it will take about 5-6 hours to arrive at our destination. Not only that, but it will be a rough, bumpy road over the mountains in the back of a truck on hard benches. Pray that no one gets sick. Our plan is to get started working when we arrive today. We will work all day Thursday and Friday. Friday night will be the dedication service. Then we will return to the Seminary on Saturday. The project consists of putting a roof on the structure the Haitians have built. I believe it is 35' x 50'. We will build and assemble the pews and paint the church. Add a few other odds and ends in and there you have our project. One of the things we look forward to the most is the relationships we build. This church has a young Pastor that is eager to reach their community for Christ. We appreciate the blessing bags and bracelets people from our church prepared. Pray for us to be able to accomplish what the Lord has planned for us. Whether it be completing the project or seeing His hand at work in all things. God is at work already, He has never stopped. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. Do not become a stumbling block, whether to the Haitians or our own team (my translation), or the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, it is the good of many, that they may be saved" 1 Corinthians 10:31-33. As we accomplish the Will of God today, may you be passionate about accomplishing His will in your sphere of influence today. To God be the glory! Pastor Mike PS. Here is another update with photos from March 11 that I posted on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mike.mcclurg.18/posts/1392443160815270 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
I remember a few years ago when I bought a digital camera. I was so excited to use it. It had many buttons on it. Now, I don’t know how to use all the buttons and don’t have the desire to learn but they are there if I ever want to. After having it for a few months I began to notice other cameras around me. People were able to remove the lens and replace it with other types of lens. I know, there are some of you very proficient in photography who are thinking that we all should know that information before we buy a camera. Unless of course you impulsively purchased it under sheer excitement. “Guilty!” I want all our professional photographer types to bear with me for a moment. Also forgive me for not getting all of this as precise as you can. But different lenses help you find and photograph more than the eye can see. For example, a standard lens cannot take in the sweep of a canyon, so you use a wide-angle lens to capture the beauty of the wide canyon. In order to capture a waterfall springing out from the canyon below, you use a telephoto lens. To capture the tiny details like wild flowers against the rocks or the weathered rocks, you would use a zoom lens. In other words, you use different lenses to extend your vision and see from a new perspective. You begin to see things around you in a new way because you can. That is exactly what prayer is for the believer. Prayer ignites your imagination. You begin to see things from God’s perspective when you ask Him to show you the things that He sees. Dreams that seem unreachable, abilities that seem insurmountable, situations that seem unsurpassable – all become possible when you see them from God’s perspective as you give them to Him in prayer. One of the biggest gifts that God gives to us as children is our imaginations. Many of the gadgets we enjoy today are from a child whose imagination gave them the ability to invent something as they matured. Our imaginations feed us the ability to create or invent different medicines, different medical procedures, different forms of transportation, different forms of communication, and the list goes on. Prayer unlocks our imagination to help us get past what appears to be limitations and obstacles. From God’s eyes, everything is possible. God imagines the unimaginable. I invite you to continue to set aside time each day to meditate on the Lord and pray for a new way to see the world and the people around you. Put on a new set of lenses and see things from a different perspective. Maybe we are not seeing miracles because we are not taking the time to pray as we ought. This Sunday begins our series on “The Parables.” I enjoy each Sunday as we gather to worship the Lord together and share the stories of how God is working in and through our lives. Pray for the anointing of God upon our time together. We will also be praying for the Haiti Team as they leave the following day for the adventure of building a new church and ministering in Jesus’ name. Thank you for your prayers and resources you have prepared for us. May God give you a desire to continue to saturate in His Word and pray beyond your own needs to see the needs of others around you. May He fill you with the same love He has for a lost and broken world. Make a difference today wherever you go. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike www.findlayfirstnaz.org |
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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