God's New Normal

God’s Family Plan: Establishing Generational Blessing

I want to begin today’s Podcast by reading the words of Jesus found in Luke 21:28. I am reading from The Voice Translation…..

So when the troubles begin, don’t be afraid. Look up—raise your head high, because the truth is that your liberation is fast approaching.

These words are a portion of Luke’s account of Jesus’ prophetic warning of cataclysmic and catastrophic events. In previous verses of Chapter 21, we find the prophesy regarding the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the temple. Jesus knew what was ahead for those who listened that day. And, as we now know, the Romans did indeed destroy Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD.

In view of the attack on cities and the attack on churches today…not just in the US, but around the world…when we consider this passage… I believe that both its context and its text are meaningful to us today as God’s children…as followers of Jesus...as the Church.

The message of Luke 21:28 is an important message. It is so important that its theme is repeated later in the New Testament in the Epistles of both James and Paul.

James says it this way in James 1: verse 2…reading from The Passion Translation…

My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!

And, compare that to the theme of the Apostle Paul’s message to the Church at Rome in Romans, Chapter 5: verses 3-5 in The Message Bible…

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

These passages reveal a foundational Spiritual principal that can be observed throughout Biblical history. They also contain prophetic insight and understanding for the time and season we are in today in the summer of 2020 and the last days of the Hebrew year 5781.

From these passages we are invited to discern…that as God’s children…, when troubles begin, when fragmented, chaotic tests and trials come…notice, I said “when” they come and not ”if” they come….But, when they come, they should not blind “the eyes of our heart…the eyes of our spirit” from receiving the revelation of a higher Truth…the truth of God’s will being done on earth as in heaven. Troubles and difficulties should not distort our Spiritual insight into a new life of wholeness to be birthed…and the unveiling of restoration, redemption, deliverance and blessing.

In John 8:32, we find that it is God’s will for us to know the Truth, and when we know the Truth it will set us free...it will launch us into a new era of life in the Spirit. When we are hemmed in by trouble…the revelation of His Truth is the way of escape.

In order illustrate how this works, I would like for us to look at an example from Biblical history. There is more than one example that I could draw from, but the example I am drawn to is found in the story of Noah and the Ark.

Now many of you may be familiar with this story… in case you are not…it begins in Genesis, Chapter 6. For the purpose of this podcast, I’ll try to hit some of the highlights as we move through this story and after that, I would like to make five points of application based on what we learn from this story.