BUT

Monday Morning Commentary.

Yesterday, we continued our summer series, “The ACTS” from the book of ACTS in the bible. This book in the bible tells of the founding of the Christian church and the spread of the good news.

If we were to highlight verse by verse each week, we would be studying this book for months to come. Instead, we have taken handful of verses each week. I have read through this book more than a dozen times, but I have learned more over the past three weeks and we have only covered a handful of verses.

It’s incredible the powerful and practical truths that are hidden in these verses. I love God’s word! It brings healing to my brokenness, hope to my hopeless situations, power to my weakness and victory over my failures, temptations and areas in my life that I experience defeat.

This past Sunday was one of my top three of BJ’s messages at Influence Culture to date. I won’t even attempt to draft a commentary for its entirety. You have to watch it on the APP tomorrow if you weren’t there to experience it yesterday.

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. BUT you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:7-8‬ ‭

BUT.

“BUT is an important three letter word in the bible that separated what the disciples WANTED to hear with what they NEEDED to experience” Pastor BJ

In my life right now, there are things that I desperately want. There are things that I am standing for and believing God to do in and through my life. BUT, when I yield my life to God, I must choose to believe that although I might not get what I want, God will give me what I NEED to experience.

We are on summer break in the Johnson house (which is going by way too fast by the way). Every morning or at the end of each day, my kids want to hear the schedule of the day. They don’t want general information, they want to know the play by play. Who’s going to be there, where are we going and is it going to be FUN?  When there are days with no “big” plans they begin suggesting the many things they WANT to do. I usually conclude the conversation with, “We might not do all of that, BUT, I promise it will be awesome.”

This drives them crazy because they want to know WHAT is going to be awesome. Details reassure them and provide them great confidence–the unknown doesn’t seem that fun.

The same is for me, I’m sure for you and the same was true for Jesus followers. We want details and we want them now. BUT, we don’t always get those details. We must constantly remind ourselves in the vision for our lives (His promises to us) instead of getting mixed up in the details.

The disciples were asking a timing question, but Jesus didn’t respond it, instead He spoke to what had already been promised.

I like to plan and I love writing things on a calendar. When I was pregnant with my twins or my son, I loved looking to their due dates. Knowing the timing of something brought me peace. BUT, our God doesn’t operate in due dates, He works in due seasons.

Even writing that frustrates me a bit, but in the same breath I breathe out fear, anxiety and doubt and breathe in His grace. He reassures me, he reassured you that whatever it is He calls us to, wherever He leads us in, it’s going to be worth it… It’s going to be awesome.

BUT- A three little word that carries a lot of significance in the bible. Sometimes separating what we want to hear with what we actually need. Often separating a sobering reality of a situation with a God promise that restores hope and confidence.

My prayer for you is that whatever it is you are facing or walking through you will be on the look out for your BUT… (I had to)

Here are some other scriptures where we find this word, I hope they encourage you!

Genesis 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

Genesis 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.

Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

1 Samuel 23:14 David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

1 Kings 5:4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster.

Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them.

Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.

Jonah 2:6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

Acts 5:39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

2 Timothy 2:9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.

** check out this message in its entirety Tuesday!