BUT GOD...
Each word…three letters long…. Such power in these words…But God
BUT GOD…
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Whether it be sex outside marriage, a bitter heart, unforgiveness, alcohol/drug abuse, cheating, lying. Each of us has a story, a part we want to go back and change, we have encountered situations and people we would rather avoid (you know, switch the lights off, don’t answer the phone, yet your car is in the drive).
We want to throw in the towel, no matter what we do, things just keep on getting worse, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING is against us, nothing is going to change, its over, USELESS, there’s no hope left, we will never recover. Through our own eyes we see defeat, failure, doubt, OH YOU LOSER! (how many of you switch off the TV if your team is not winning only to find out the next day that they won! that it was the most interesting game to date!!!)
Turn with me to a well-known parable found in Luke 15:17-24
And when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my fathers have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Ok, I see that you like the story but that it all it is, a story but nobody understands what I am dealing with, I am not a child, it is far too late for me to change my ways, I have made a lot of mistakes and the consequences, well I am still paying for it, you do not know what I have done or who I am…
I GET IT!!!, we have all messed up, have had deep moments of shame, guilt, loss, you are stuck in a web of sins/lies. Maybe even more. Maybe you wish to harm someone. Maybe you feel that your life is falling apart. Maybe you present yourself as one person in public yet in private you are different. Maybe you are going through the motions of a life that is not what you wanted it to be. Maybe you are chasing money, success, relationships, sex, status.
YOU NEED A BUT GOD MOMENT…
Or just perhaps you were emotionally abused by the negative remarks you have heard all your life. Maybe someone close to you betrayed you. Maybe you loved or cared for, physically or sexually abused you. This moment drags us down, leaving us feeling hopeless, lost.
YOU NEED SOMETHING TO CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE!
YOU NEED A BUT GOD MOMENT!
When we don’t know who we are in Christ, we experiment, we wonder and yet get lost along the way. We are unhappy always blaming others, always searching for more. Our so-called choices keep us from having a honest relationship with God, we are empty and don’t know how to fill it.
It is real people, most of us do not want others to know how we are, what is happening. Consequences can last a long time.
BUT GOD…
We allow the hurt to control our life, our future and we try to hide our wounds from man and God, we put our fig leaves and start to avoid God, we listen to the voice of our enemy and believe the lies, wondering if God would ever love us, we hide and push God away. We hurt others just like we are hurting, we feel justified in our anger and bitterness, for years we speak hate!
We have broken hearts, weary spirits and aching bodies. Pain makes it hard to trust again, we don’t want to get hurt again, pain, bitterness, fear and bad attitudes rule the day. So, walls are constructed, and defence mechanisms are put into place.
YOU NEED A BUT GOD MOMENT…
This young man in the story hit rock bottom, frustrated, disgusted with himself, maybe heart broken, full of depression, self-contempt yet he knows his father will treat him better and give him a decent work. What happens… he goes home expecting anger, harsh words, rejection? Instead his father runs toward him, holding him, loving him. BUT GOD…
No matter what we have done or not done, how we have sinned against Him, we are still along way from home…
BUT GOD runs out to meet us…
BUT GOD welcomes us with open arms…
BUT GOD can satisfy the hunger in your heart…
We need to understand that no matter what we may go through, no matter how bad things might get, no matter how the enemy attacks…BUT GOD…
BUT GOD… LOVED ME SO MUCH THAT HE SAVED MY SOUL, HE DIED FOR MY SINS, HE DIED FOR YOU AND FOR ME.. BUT GOD THEN ROSE WITH ALL POWER IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDS.
GOD HAS A PLAN for every life and ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS SEEK AND FOLLOW HIS WAYS.
It is so easy to give into the feelings of insecurity, doubt and settle for less instead of waiting on God.
BUT GOD MOMENTS are when God steps in, he is always present in your life, willing to help you, to welcome you home, to provide for your needs, to comfort and protect you, we have to admit that we need Him.
We need to leave our comfort zone:
Acknowledge your fear, unhappiness, recognize that you are lost without Him, ask God into all areas of your life.
We need to submit to God in obedience:
Regardless of what other people may think or where we are in life, God knows our hearts, our fears, our dreams, our mistakes and our efforts/victories.
Do we really want to encounter God, be empowered and know the full extent of His power, many people ask for His power yet have filthy hearts?
We need to make room for God:
More time is needed to learn about, to praise and worship God, to talk with him, read His word. If the spirit of God, the voice of heaven speaks in your life, starts to dwell in you, power not yours BUT GOD won’t just affect us but everyone and everything around us, when we have a relationship with God, give all to Him, pain , anger, bitterness, situation, people. We know God’s love, peace. I DON’T THINK ANY OF US HAS ANY IDEA OF WHAT LIFE WOULD BE LIKE IF GOD SUDDENLY CEASED BEING WITH US, WITHIN HOURS ALL GLORY, JOY, ALL DELIGHTFUL MOMENTS WILL BE GONE, NO HEALING, NO POWER.
If you need a change, a breakthrough, freedom from additions, a new direction, no longer lost, broken…BUT GOD… sees you and wants to change you, HE IS CALLING YOU, LISTEN TO HIS VOICE, STAND BEFORE HIM, ACCEPT HIM AND THE DESTINY HE HAS FOR YOU, BECOME THE PERSON HE CREATED YOU TO BE, BE HEALED, RECEIVE SALVATION.
GOD IS HERE, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT CHURCH, GOD IS HERE
Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy,
God has the final word
BUT GOD says victory
BUT GOD says healing
BUT GOD says love
BUT GOD says restoration
BUT GOD says unity
Because NO MATTER WHAT the situation or problem, or how bad…BUT GOD…can make it better.
DO YOU WANT YOU BUT GOD MOMENT?
WILL YOU LET HIM?
