The Promise of God

Did you know that God promises to bless us beyond our wildest dream? Read this: As it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has con­ceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” - but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. It’s a real comfort to know that God has blessings in store for us be­yond even our wildest dreams; and if I walk in the Spirit, He will reveal these things to us. I want to share some thoughts on the Holy Spirit and how we can tap into His power and presence. I want to know the deep things of God. I want to know about the things “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived.”

I want us to be an empowered church, one ready to move for the Lord, one ready to do powerful things for Jesus. Remember Jesus’ words in John 14:14; I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. I want Mt. Oak doing even greater things than these, because the Spirit empowers us to do them.

God has blessed Mt. Oak. We have seen His hand upon us. Yet if there is more, don’t we want that too? John 1:16 reads; From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. There’s more...

The Word says that there are dif­ferent kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:6-7 The Word goes on to describe the Spiritual Gifts that God has manifested in the Body of Christ for our own good. Aren’t you ready for that next step in Mt. Oak’s develop­ment? Aren’t you ready to learn what God has prepared for us?

I don’t want Mt. Oak to stay where we are in our relationship to God. I want us to be the best church, the best representation of the body of Christ we can possibly be. I don’t want God to say about us what Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth... Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-- mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.

Are you interested? Do you desire the things that God has in store for Mt. Oak? The author of Hebrews was disgusted with the believers he wrote to because they had gone to a level and hadn’t grown in their faith. Hear what he wrote... though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some­one to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about bap­tisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. Hebrews 5:12-6:3.

The time has come. We must divorce ourselves from the world and center our lives on Christ. Remember Romans 12:2... Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will. Pray with me that God will lead us in our studies and in our searching.