CURRENT RADIO SERIES All in: The Family   CURRENT TV SERIES All in: The Family

…in your presence there is fullness of joy… --Psalm 16:11 Most adults are pretty accomplished when it comes to staying busy. But we need to guard ourselves against getting so busy that we miss out on what’s really important.   In Luke chapter 10, you and I are introduced to a woman who got so busy “doing” that she missed “being” in the presence of Jesus. And he was right there in her home!   On this day, Martha had invited Jesus to come to her home for fellowship. And she began busying herself with preparations for their time together. But somewhere along the way, the focus of her attention became more about the preparations and less about Jesus. Making matters worse, while she slaved away, her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet listening intently to his every word. Martha even asked Jesus to tell Mary to leave him and to help her! But instead, Jesus lovingly told her that while she had grown increasingly anxious, Mary had chosen well in spending time with him. You see, activities done in the name of the Lord can never replace time spent in adoration of him. Work cannot satisfy the place intended for worship. There is nothing more important to a Christ-follower than time spent in his presence! Don’t ask Jesus into your heart only to ignore him. Come and sit at his feet. In his presence is fullness of joy! ACTIVITIES DONE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD CAN NEVER REPLACE TIME SPENT IN ADORATION OF HIM. Friday, September 28, 2018 God Already Has a Plan by Dr. Paul Chappell “And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.” John 6:4–7 Almost every day something happens that we do not expect. It may be large or small, and the surprise may be pleasant or unpleasant, but events occur that are not on our schedules or part of our plans. That never happens to God. The problem that seems to us to be overwhelming, like a crowd of thousands of people who need food when there is nowhere to buy it and no money to buy it with, already has a solution in the mind and plan of God. He wants us to trust Him, no matter what circumstances we may face. The miracle we call the feeding of the five thousand (although that is just the number of men and the actual crowd was much larger) is recorded in all four Gospels. It is not filler or repetition—it is an important story designed to strengthen our faith. We must remember who God is and what He is willing and able to do when we are tested by the unexpected. Charles Spurgeon said, “Alterations and afterthoughts belong to short-sighted beings who meet with unexpected events which operate upon them to change their minds, but the Lord who sees everything from the beginning has no such reason for shifting his ground.” Our faith cannot be in ourselves, for we have neither the wisdom nor the resources to respond to the unexpected. When things catch us off guard, we must remember to run to God and seek His help. Today’s Growth Principle:  God is able to deliver us when the things we face are beyond our ability and plans.