Out of Focus - Out of Faith

 

01-18-2022

When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel, he said to them, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.' 

The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said. And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land.

The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with these people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” 

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

As we put together this week’s newsletter we are busy getting ready for our church’s Annual Conference this coming Sunday evening. We will get to see our wonderful District Superintendent, Kevin Brouillette and share what God has done for his people at Cornerstone Community Church this past year and focus on what we hope to see our heavenly Father do this year.

This is a vital exercise for our faith because we need to remember what God has done and focus on what he is and is going to do - for that is the springboard of faith to trust him.

To be honest - we don’t know what 2022 holds in store for any of us. We are not sure of anything at this point. We think most of us may be a little uncertain of what we are supposed to be doing. The Church, as we know it, is rapidly changing. Ministry is going to look alot different moving forward. We think all of our lives are going to look different moving forward as well. And, maybe that’s a good thing.

With that in mind we offer the following verses to guide us as we journey into 2022...

John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Matthew 6:31-34: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Now, notice a few things which will undoubtedly encourage you in the days ahead…

1.) Become aware of how many times these verses point to where our focus should be. God. Yahweh even speaks to himself as the place where we should concentrate. So often we revert to situational faith where we center on our problems. God says, in a nutshell, “Your situation is temporary. I am eternal. Look to me - I do not, will not change nor will I leave you.”

2.) This world is filled with obstacles and disruptions, disease and disaster. Nothing is going to change that. Rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, loved or unloved. No one escapes struggles. The sooner we accept this truth the better we will better understand —

3.) God has overcome the world and its problems. WHATEVER, WHOEVER, WHEREVER - God has already overcome. Victory is his and therefore ours. Hence —

4.) Don’t worry about a thing. Rather, seek. When worry comes - and it will for ALL of us - take that worry and move it to seeking. Seek God. Seek his comfort. Seek his peace. Seek his strength. Seek his hand of mercy. Seek his kingdom. When you do —

5.) God, through his Son Jesus the Christ and his Holy Spirit, will provide what you need…he will provide the way. Not the way out. Not the way around. Not even the way through. Wait. What? Remember, He is the way…”For I am the way, the truth, the life…” IE: He will provide himself. What more do we need?

So many questions face the bride of Christ (the church) presently that it’s difficult to know where to begin. Some of the issues Missy and I are struggling with: Can we continue in the ministry full-time or is it time to revert to being a “tentmaker?” Will fellowships of faith need to focus more on collaborative ministries…or even come together and unite under one roof? Is it time to do away with the “system” which has run the church for the last 70 plus years? Where will the funds come to support what the local church seeks to do? What role does fellowship play moving forward? To what extent do local missions mean more? How do we care for our online friends? 

Yes, we are worried about a lot - therefore we need to be focusing on God and his deliverance. We need faith. You need faith. We all need more faith. The great Christian George Muller once wrote: “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”

André Masséna, was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. As one of Napoleon's generals, he one time suddenly appeared with 18,000 soldiers before an Austrian town which had no means of defending itself. The town council met, certain that surrendering was the only answer. Why risk the lives of all of the innocent people of their town?

The old caretaker of the church reminded the town council that it was Easter and encouraged them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God's hands. Rather than focus on Masséna and his 18,000 soldiers, the man of faith urged them to focus on the resurrection of Christ. Incredibly, they followed his advice. 

The caretaker went to the church and rang the bells to announce the service. Loud and long they rang. The French soldiers heard the church bells ring and immediately concluded that the Austrian army had come to rescue the town. A quick decision was made to brake camp, and before the bells had ceased ringing, the entire group had vanished.

Let the words of Paul remind us all how we are to make our way through 2022: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:6-7.  

Focus on God. Focus on your faith. If we do, perhaps we will “see” our way out of this.

Steve and Missy