He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands - Purity 475

                                               

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Purity 475 07/20/2021   Purity 475 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo comes to us from our dear friends and the co-hosts of our weekly Bible Study, Arthur, and Suzanna Cincotti, who know how to appreciate the wonder of God’s creation and to not take themselves too seriously.  Here Suzanna has positioned Arthur to be the recipient of God’s blessings as they enjoyed a recent rainbow in the front yard of their home in Stottville, NY. But the quizzical look on Arthur’s face makes me pretty certain that he fully intends to share all that he receives with his dearly beloved wife and anyone else who is in need.  Our weekly Bible study highlights our common desire to grasp the truth of God’s word, receive the blessings of knowing Him more, and sharing our thoughts and insights to help other Christians with walk.  To listen in to our Bible Study discussions, check out the mt4Christ247 podcast available on most podcast services.

Today’s photo reminded me of the African American spiritual, “He’s got the Whole World in His Hands” that was first published in 1927 and became an international pop hit in 1957 when English singer Laurie London covered it.  But I have to say I prefer Mahalia Jackson’s version that captures the soulful origins of the song that reminds us all that God’s got this!  

I listened to Mahalia Jackson version just now and Amazon music started sharing more of her gospel music after it finished and my spirit soared. I had to stop it to concentrate on finishing today’s blog.  But I highly recommend you check out her gospel music, oh brother, talk about Worshiping with your soul and spirit!

Anyway, God does have us. He’s got the whole world in His Hands!  So as we have made it through Monday and head into day two of the work week, let me encourage you that God is over and above all things. He loves you dearly and wants you to come into harmony with His plan for your life through placing your faith in Jesus Christ and by living your life with and for Him. 

The peace that goes beyond all understanding only comes through seeking and following the Lord.  Don’t harden your heart, open it up to Him.

Give your pain and heartache to the One who can heal it.

Give your fears and anxieties to the One who will give you strength and protection. 

Give your confusion and chaos to the One who defines Truth and puts all things in order. 

If you’ve felt that you’ve “quenched” the Spirit, turn from the selfish life you’re living and surrender to His wisdom, power, and love.

Don’t just pray for it. Pursue it. Change your mind. Change your heart. Change the direction of your life by following the One who brings you out of the darkness and bathes you in His magnificent light.  

So keep walking and talking with God.  He’s got you and me, brother in His Hands. He’s got you and me sister in His Hands. He’s got the whole world in His Hands!  

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Mark 12:25 (NKJV)
²⁵ For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Today’s verse contains a mystery straight from Jesus that can confound us but can also bring some of us a great deal of comfort and hope.    

The Lord recently shared Mark 12:26-27 a few days ago via our random verse selection. Those following verses encouraged us of the truth of a resurrection of the dead and our lives’ continuity into the kingdom of God.  

The context of this verse is Christ answering the Sadducees’ hypothetical question about woman who had the dubious distinction of marrying and outliving seven brothers.  Like wow, I suspect she might have been a “black widow”. She mates and she kills. 

But seriously no foul play is mentioned, each husband dies, and she marries next brother, until all the brother’s die and then she also dies.  The Sadducees ask Jesus which brother will be her husband in the resurrection, which they don’t believe in.    

Christ gives us a spiritual insight that puts our earthly concepts of life and fulfillment on its ear.  Jesus responds that we” neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven” when we rise from the dead.      

This is one verse that isn’t given much explanation and is certainly not highlighted at the weekly church service that seems to almost exclusively minister to married couples.  

Our earthly conception of family and fulfillment is the highlighted in the American dream of a married father and mother with a few children.  While that maybe the model that we are to seek to follow here on earth, from Christ’s words, it seems that there may be a whole different program after the resurrection. 

While well meaning pastors assure congregants that we will all see our lost loved ones and things will be much like they are here on earth when we get to heaven, Christ’s words may be describing a whole different society where the spiritual aspects of our relationships will supersede the needs that marriage meets here on the terra firma.    

With this one verse there is lots of room to speculate. For instance, the happily married among us could say “Well Jesus is just saying that there are no “new” marriages. They don’t marry, meaning no weddings, and they are not “given in marriage.” meaning no engagements.  Looks like you missed your chance at wedded bliss, sorry!”  

Anyway, as distressing as Jesus words could be for the happily married among us, His words could actually be a comfort to those who are single, divorced, or who are suffering in a bad marriage.  Christ words tell us that His kingdom will be different. 

While a happy marriage may be the be all to end all, here on earth because of the concept or myth that we each have a soul mate somewhere out there that will complete us, Christ words put marriage in its place as secondary to kingdom of God.   

As nice as your wife or husband may be, there is only One Person who completes us: Jesus Christ.  

So Jesus’ words here are a mystery, and whether you are happily married or not, whether you’ve never been married, or are divorced, we don’t have to fear them.

Christ’s words indicate that we have much to learn about our lives beyond the testing grounds of this fallen world, but the good news is that as long as we have Christ as our Lord and Savior we know that the next place will be good and that we will be with the One who completes us forever.   

 

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today we continue with Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory Over the Darkness, continuing Chapter 8.

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work. If you need this title you can find it online at several sites for less than $15.00:

Proper Guidelines Lead to a Proper Walk

3. Fulfillment. Key Concept: Role Preference

Fulfillment in life can be summarized by the simple slogan, "Bloom where you're planted." Peter said it this way: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another" (1 Peter 4:10). Fulfillment is discovering our own uniqueness in Christ and using our gifts and talents to edify others and to glorify the Lord.

God allowed me to understand this simple principle before I entered the ministry while still employed as an aerospace engineer. I knew God wanted me to be an ambassador for Him on the job, so I started a breakfast Bible study in the bowling alley next door to the office. My announcement about the Bible study had been posted in our office for only about an hour when a Jewish fellow pulled it off the wall and brought it to me. "You can't bring Jesus in here," he objected.

"I can't do otherwise," I said. "Every day I walk in here Jesus comes in with me." He was not impressed with my response!

One of the men who found Christ through the Bible study became a flaming evangelist. He passed out tracts everywhere he went. When I left that aerospace firm to enter seminary, he took over the Bible study.

A few months later I went back to visit my friends in the Bible study. "Do you remember the Jewish fellow?" the leader asked.

"Sure, I remember him," I said, recalling his brash opposition to our Bible study.

"Well, he got sick and almost died. I went to the hospital and visited him every night. Finally I led him to Christ."

I was ecstatic at the realization that I had become a spiritual grandparent. The sense of fulfillment was exhilarating. It all happened because I started a simple little Bible study where I worked so I could do what Paul said: "Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Tim. 4:5).

God has a unique place of ministry for each of us. It is important to your sense of fulfillment that you realize your calling in life. The key is to discover the roles you occupy in which you cannot be replaced, and then decide to be what God wants you to be in those roles. For example, of the six billion people in the world, you are the only one who occupies your unique role as husband, father, wife, mother, parent, or child in your home. God has specially planted you to serve Him by serving your family in that environment.

Furthermore, you are the only one who knows your neighbors as you do. You occupy a unique role as an ambassador for Christ where you work. These are your mission fields, and you are the worker God has appointed for the harvest there. Your greatest fulfillment will come from accepting and occupying God's unique place for you to the best of your ability. Sadly, many miss their calling in life by looking for fulfillment in the world. Find your fulfillment in the kingdom of God by deciding to be an ambassador for Christ in the world (see 2 Cor. 5:20).

Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

 

God bless you all!

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com. 

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship