52 Weeks Of Gratefulness #6 – A New Generation

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - 52 Weeks Of Gratefulness #6 – A New Generation

In Week 6 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks to God for a new generation.

My nephew and I were out one Saturday and happened upon a car broken down in the middle of traffic. There’s a young man driving with several other young men in the car.

You could see in their faces they weren’t sure what to do. So, my nephew and I stopped to see if we could at least help to push them out of traffic. As it turns out, their car, a 2013 Ford Escort, has a shift lock mechanism that prevents the car from being put into neutral if it doesn’t crank (darn new-fangled doohickeys).

As we’re figuring out how to disengage the shift lock and get the car in neutral, the driver, a young man by the name of Jeremiah (who is no more than 16) introduces himself to my nephew. He engages in conversation, sharing that he and the young men that were with him were on the way to a baby shower. He asks my nephew, “Are you a new student at State? What are you studying?”

Then Jeremiah says (as we’re all standing closely around a car in the middle of traffic), “Man, it’s great to meet you. I really appreciate your help today. If you don’t have a church home, I invite you to come hang with me at Peter’s Rock.”

I could have swallowed my head I was grinning so wide at this young black man’s poise, confidence, boldness and willingness in his witness.

Though this young man didn’t know what to do about the car, he fully understood the ultimate assignment.

In the words of KB,
“They say [young people] are leaving God.
I just smiled, like, ‘You really need to see the squad.'”
-From the song, “We right here”

God is doing something
in every generation.
(1 John 2:13-14)

I’m grateful.

#52WoG

How Work for Him Establishes Our Plans

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - How Work for Him Establishes Our Plans

Proverbs 16:3,

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and He will establish your plans.”

What a curious turn of phrase.

I find it interesting that the verse does not say “give your plans to Lord that He may establish them”.

Because that’s typically how we approach things, right? We plan; we set priorities and goals, then we do the work to establish those plans.

But, I find the Word of God to be true and observe something amazing.

When I do what I do for God —even when I don’t know where I’m going, He establishes my plans —He gives me what I didn’t know I wanted or needed. He gives me the truest, deepest desires of my heart —which is always some expression of Himself in various forms.

I didn’t put having a warrior of a wife, loving sons, in-laws that are blood to me, a host of delightfully different people made dear family to me through Jesus Christ, fullness, wholeness, satisfaction, joy, peace or many of the indescribably wonderful things I currently enjoy on my vision board.

But, God.

God gave them to me in the course of my trying, and often failing to follow Him, even when I didn’t know what I was really doing or where I was going.

Jesus said don’t seek after what everyone else in the world seeks after, because your Father knows what you have need of even before you ask (Matthew 6:8). And, He also knows what you want most deeply even before you do.

What I see, is that to obey with a heart committed to the Lord is to experience the kingdom. And, His Kingdom is what I want most deeply. This is my plan, though largely unknown to me, that He establishes.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:9

It’s true.

So, my strategy is simple: love God, do what I do for Him and I cannot fail.

#thriveday

Never Forget We Are At War

Never forget we are at war. Hearts are a strategic objective—for us and the evil one. One of his primary aims is to make us bitter.

“Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”
— Hebrews 12:15

Bitterness cannot be contained. You cannot hate people or desire their harm without poisoning the well that waters every other area of your life—including those you love most dearly.

Guard your heart. Fight to love everyone.
#spiritualwarfare #perfectourlove

The Communion Principle

If it does not promote or protect Communion with God through Christ, it is wrong and sin.

Communion reflects who Jesus is, what He seeks and what He does, and has become a useful principle against which I can test everything else to bring it into obedience to Christ.

In just one example, it guards me against dabbling in worldly philosophies such as stoicism. Stoicism is clearly unacceptable because it seeks something other than communion and has at its core, from which it draws, something other than Christ.

Likewise, it makes clear why Jordan Peterson is not someone to follow.

Christ alone. Communion with God though Him is the pursuit.

#communion

A Table In The Presence Of My Enemies

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - A Table In The Presence Of My Enemies

Last week sometime, God made two things burn on my heart that seemed contradictory, but as I prayed into it and when He showed me their harmony, it blew me away.

They both flow out of “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” – Psalm 23:5.

The first revelation was “the treasure is in the trouble,” which means blessing (nearness to God) and strength come in the fire—representing the conflict, adversity, and hardship enemies bring. The challenge brings me closer to God and grows me (resulting in greater glory).

Said another way, when my enemies show up, I know I’m finna eat! Because “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

Hallelujah.

And the second revelation came from a question, “Why are enemies and the table He prepares for me in any proximity to each other?”

My enemies are there so they could be invited to eat.

I remember a table where our Lord sat and broke bread with His enemies. It’s a table that we continue to this day, where He shares not only bread and wine but His body and blood with us, His enemies.

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
— Romans 5:10

Or, said more accurately concerning those who believe, former enemies because He used His table to make us children of God.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”
— 1 John 3:1

Oh, hallelujah! Bless Your name, Lord.

In a culture of clap-backs, punching people in the mouth and the appearance of strength this is hard to hear.

We are called to fight but not like that (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). If you want to fight so bad, fight toward communion.

That’s the call.
#perfectourlove #communion