Scripture Reading: Luke 2:9-11 (New International Version)
“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
Thought for the day:
As anyone who knows me will tell you, my memory isn’t so good but way back in the mists of time something happened that I remember very vividly.
It was 1977 and early one morning I was travelling in the car with my mother when I saw a newspaper advertising board outside a newsagent. It wasn’t the board that caught our attention; it was the 2 words on it that were so compelling: “Elvis Dead”.
This was pre-internet days and we certainly didn’t have the wall to wall news coverage that is so prevalent today. This really was news and it shocked us both. How can something like this happen so suddenly? The so-called King of Rock n Roll was dead and none of us saw it coming. It really did happen suddenly.
Suddenly is a very interesting word. In 2015 when we visited Swansea City Church, the pastor, Michael Williams gave us this word and stated that God would indeed work ‘Suddenly’. I’m sure that we all can clearly see the outworking of that prophetic word to our fellowship. It really has been amazing in the life of Oasis Community Church. But let’s think a little more about that word.Going back to our Elvis story, we all know now that his health was deteriorating over a long period of time and due to the amount of medicine he was taking, it really was no surprise that he was about to die. But for those of us who didn’t know the inside story, it appeared to be a sudden death. The shepherds in the field that night were shocked when the angel showed up because it really was a sudden event for them. To God though, nothing was a surprise. Ever since the fall of Adam in the garden, God had declared that this night was coming. Through all the prophets, God had spoken that one day, the Messiah would be born. And suddenly, that day had dawned. In the life of Oasis Community Church, God is doing a fantastic work and for us everything is happening suddenly just as God had promised. We are in awe though, to consider that God had planned all of this before the creation of the world. Nothing that happens to us is a surprise to God. His Hand has been on it the entire time. This is the outworking of His will and His purpose. It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. May God continue to surprise us as we marvel at all that He’s doing and will do ‘suddenly’ at Oasis Community Church.
Prayer and Application:
Bring the most difficult circumstance your facing to the Lord today. Think about the impossibility of God becoming flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and just reach out in faith to God for your circumstance. Believe that He’s been working all this time on your behalf and ask Him to break through ‘suddenly’ into that circumstance.