Good morning -
It was an inside job. The window had been left unlocked by someone at the Midweek service and they later returned to steal a new piece of sound equipment. Only someone with inside information would know where the equipment was and be able to efficiently access and steal it as they did.
On a decidedly more positive note, it took an inside job to get us on the path to the kingdom of God. Only Someone with detailed inside information could pull off the job, and that's exactly what's been done:
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God." (Ezekiel 36:25-28)
While Ezekiel's message applied primarily to the people of Israel, the application extends to us as well. God's "inside job" involves purification with water, redirected worship, a heart and mind "transplant", Spirit enablement for the purpose of obedience, hope of an inheritance, and adoption into God's family. That which we could never do ourselves has been done for us by our Creator.
The older I get the more aware I am of my Father's internal work in me. The cleansing that came through water baptism in 1973 opened a well of Spirit life that continues to provide refreshment and life daily. It has taken some time to recognize the inner voice of God through the Spirit but the voice is clearer now than it has ever been. The Spirit of the living God is actively working to keep my heart responsive to the teachings and directives of the Lord, and to remind me of Whose I am and where I'm headed.
My "inside job" is no more or less significant than yours; we each have undergone an amazing transformation. The purpose of it is to set us on the path to the kingdom of God. The kingdom, or the reign of God, has begun with the transformation and it continues today. As we daily pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven", the kingdom grows both within us and and in the world. As we await the visible fullness, which can only come at Jesus' appearing, we are directed by the internal Spirit to participate in kingdom plans and preparations today. We are called to serve as His "advance people", much like John the Baptist, as we prepare the way for greatest transformation that the world ever has or ever will see.
Enjoying and anticipating the transformation,
Pastor Steve
It was an inside job. The window had been left unlocked by someone at the Midweek service and they later returned to steal a new piece of sound equipment. Only someone with inside information would know where the equipment was and be able to efficiently access and steal it as they did.
On a decidedly more positive note, it took an inside job to get us on the path to the kingdom of God. Only Someone with detailed inside information could pull off the job, and that's exactly what's been done:
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God." (Ezekiel 36:25-28)
While Ezekiel's message applied primarily to the people of Israel, the application extends to us as well. God's "inside job" involves purification with water, redirected worship, a heart and mind "transplant", Spirit enablement for the purpose of obedience, hope of an inheritance, and adoption into God's family. That which we could never do ourselves has been done for us by our Creator.
The older I get the more aware I am of my Father's internal work in me. The cleansing that came through water baptism in 1973 opened a well of Spirit life that continues to provide refreshment and life daily. It has taken some time to recognize the inner voice of God through the Spirit but the voice is clearer now than it has ever been. The Spirit of the living God is actively working to keep my heart responsive to the teachings and directives of the Lord, and to remind me of Whose I am and where I'm headed.
My "inside job" is no more or less significant than yours; we each have undergone an amazing transformation. The purpose of it is to set us on the path to the kingdom of God. The kingdom, or the reign of God, has begun with the transformation and it continues today. As we daily pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven", the kingdom grows both within us and and in the world. As we await the visible fullness, which can only come at Jesus' appearing, we are directed by the internal Spirit to participate in kingdom plans and preparations today. We are called to serve as His "advance people", much like John the Baptist, as we prepare the way for greatest transformation that the world ever has or ever will see.
Enjoying and anticipating the transformation,
Pastor Steve
posted by steve @ 9:56 AM
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