The Hand of God R1274

Welcome to The Encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton well-known author and evangelist, and today's message on the hand of God during these next few moments were to be talking about what Vista not only see the hand of God and other people's lives, but pursue it in our own lives in such a way that we can be affirmed that removing in the center of God's will, not his permissive will, but his perfect will. That's what we seek. Following God's perfect will.

As we do so no that were getting connected online@theencouragingword.org, The Encouraging Word.org and this phone number 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 would love to connect with you to pray with you some of our resources that will help you grow in your walk with Christ ballots open our hearts in our Bibles together with Dr. Don Wilton going to be speaking today on the hand of God before before we open God's word want to sit this is what I know God wants me to say to you, want you to think about your own life your own circumstance. Just think about where you all at this moment in time. Good things, not so good things some really bad things. Who amongst us today is going through backing field today worshiping the Lord. Quite frankly, you, you really don't know how to cope. Who amongst us today facing an uncertain future. Who amongst us today is lonely.

Who amongst us today has lost everything someone today you been diagnosed with cancer.

Who are you not know quite a few of you it's not about whether or not I know, or someone else knows now let's turn the tables and just think about people who just your riding on a cloud right now you be certainly blessed. You know all of a sudden you find yourself in a good place good to be in a good place is not. Maybe you are about to go on a journey. Want to speak to you about the hands of God. This is the word I want to share with you we going to discover that God has hands and that he places his hand on people, don't you want God to place his hand on you.

I do. So what can you do today about where you are today. The greatest thing you can do is to ask God to put his hand on you can do that.

All right, here's the issue.

What do we do, how do we do it, what is our response. Have you got something coming up in your business. Is there a business person who is making a business decision right now. What you gonna do about it. What is the greatest thing that you can do about it. Curators also gone to put his hand on, and he will ask Chapter 11 book of acts. Chapter 11 is going to read a few verses but I think that this is going to help us to understand something that happened here is a background of the church like ours had just begun. The New Testament church and these people were facing everything from blessings to crossings ministries were exploding, but at the same time they were facing unprecedented persecution.

Anyone here going through divorce. Anyone facing something and if you pick up this passage in verse 19 of Chapter 11. Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenician Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews, but they were some of the men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists. Also preaching the Lord Jesus.

Look at verse 21. If you see and hear nothing today. I'm praying that this verse is going to find a precious special home in your heart. Verse 21 and the hand of the Lord was with them the hand of the Lord was with them in a great number who believe turn to the Lord, and this report came of this to the use of the church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas followed by Barnabas was missed to encourage.

I like that so I'm going to show you in a minute here comes God's hand in here comes encouragement here comes Mr. encouragement, and when he came and sold the grace of God. He was glad he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit fight and a great many people were added to the Lord when God's hand is on you three things will happen. I just want to give this to you. Number one, it means that God is with you means God is with you. When God's hand is on you.

It means that God is with you it's it's much like thunder and lightning in the heart of a little child, my son and daughter had to move houses this week and Karen has been helping them move in and so I went down during the week to go and help a little bit is will and one of the we we were around a swimming pool and all of a sudden we noticed something in the swimming pool. You know, was was a crab. You would've thought.

Listen those twins about us went to stick. I mean you would've thought there was some kind of monster in that swimming pool and if it wasn't for big chief. I mean, I'm so bright yellow. I mean getting that swimming pool and and get this monster. I mean this monster was about that big and the twins were running around squawking like chickens. I mean, with their heads cut off. You would've thought they were about to you know they lives were going to end and chief came to the rescue and you know eventually all you have to do with the trial.

You know you end up but you not the bottom line is you can get rid of all the crabs in the world you want to do the greatest thing you can do for trial. Just hug put your hand on is what it seems to that child. It seems to that child. You know what my grandpa's with me.

My grandmother's with me dance with me moms with me when that bolt of lightning comes in the middle of the night.

That's why that little one charges out of that bid gets straight into bed with mom and dad. Ruins the rest of your night sleep. But that little child will sleep so well what is it mean when God's hand is on you someone that God is with you friend. If God's not with you. You not going to do very well greatest presence in your life is the presence of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus on that plane through the valley on the mountaintop in that hospital room going through that medical exam hearing that diagnosis trying to explain how something happened that was so wonderful that you cannot explain the hand of God in God's hand is on you. It also means that God is touching you, doesn't just mean that he's with you. You can be with someone but not touch them. Sometimes you and I can be like ghosts parsing in the night you can be around someone, but never connect with when God touches you, he inches into your life. You feel him but it also means that God is blessing others through you. So what's that what's the threefold impact of the hands of God in God's hands are on you. If you look at the dynamic of the Scriptures and God puts his hands on you. That's what I'm praying for you today that God would put his hand on you would you pray that for me. Can we pray that for each other that God would put his hands on us. It means God is with you means that God is touching you, but it also means that God is blessing others through you. God's presence. He's hand in your life literally means that when others come around you because you got God's hand on you others become blessed.

They feel that. Have you ever been around someone you cannot explain the property but you just know that they walking with the Lord you just know that so many people that I know that I love being around because you just know that God's hand is on now look what happened in this passage if we would all ask ourselves specifically what happened here just to provide a basis by which we can connect into what God is trying to say to us, forgive the interruption will be back with more from Dr. Don Wilton on this topic. The hand of God in just a moment, but we want to remind you that every single morning as you launch your day. What a perfect time to spend in God's Encouraging Word.

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We are not in a Good Pl. in America.

What would God say to us today without God we can do nothing to stand strong in a country turning away from the path God has laid out for us as our nation endorsed tragedy after tragedy.

It is so important that we follow the second greatest commandment and love our neighbors unconditional. Your gift of some work to be in courage and work this month you will receive Dr. Wilton's powerful sermon. God's message to America along with the bonus book when a nation forgets God by his longtime friend Erwin Sir, these resources will engage in light and encourage you to walk with Christ since one many great resources you on our website EW online.org that's TEW online.org now back today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton so many people that I know that I love being around because you just know God's hand is on now look what happened in this passage if if we would all ask ourselves specifically what happened here just to provide a basis by which we can connect into what God is trying to save us. Look what happened to them in the New Testament.

Number one when God's hand was on them. Number one, many believed that's what verse 21 tells many believed this 21. A great number believed turning to the Lord, don't you want that to happen.

Many believed number to use. Use spread.

Look at verse 22 Bible sees this report came to the is of others. By the way, the good news about Jesus is worthy of spreading around the world.

I want that news to spread. I love it when we going to prisons all across America.

Steve leads us and as we will without young people is an amazing thing were going to these into these prisons and it's voluntary, which means you cannot force anybody to come to quote unquote a religious service. This is America, he can't mandate you cannot say you must come and listen to our young people sing and me. You can't do that. Totally voluntary. So what we do is we just get on with the business and you know what happens.

The news spreads. I mean how many times do you have we been up there and everything's going on and suddenly there comes another hundred of these men or women who are incarcerated and they walk in and it's like deer in the headlights. They don't know what's going on. They don't know what they're about to get smacked up one side of the face with when it comes to the gospel that got no idea, but words out. It sprayed something is happening this something going on.

I need to know you spring number three help arrived. Verse 22 tells us in the second part that Barnabas immediately was dispatched and it's by no mean accident that Barnabas was the encourager of the group do not believe happens when God's hand is on God immediately dispatches the right people and the right circumstances for your very need the very person who needs to be with you will be there. I mean how many times do you and not find ourselves going to see someone and you walk in man. Then someone sees I cannot, but you are the exact person I need to see you know what I want to be the exact person. Someone needs to see that's why need the hand of God on me, but I also want you to have the hand of God on you because I need the exact person to come and see me help arrived just by the way, this is got nothing to do with this message. One of the greatest things that you can do is you go through your journey is to just simply accept and admit that you need help gentleman if you are one men look at me guys, it's one of the greatest weaknesses we have is men just admit that you need help if if you are fighting something right now. Stop doing that alone. That's why you not winning, just admit that you need help when you admit that you need help. You going to receive that hope help arrived number full grace showed. These are all great things that happen here when the hand of God came on them. Grace showed it's a beautiful picture of verse 23 when he came and sold the grace of God, by the way, the grace grace of God.

What is grace. It's God's undeserved unmerited favor one of the things about being in the trough of life is that you will rarely get to the point at which you recognize that you don't deserve anything grace, God will not come and bless you and put his hand on you because you deserve it he will do it because he's the God of grace because he loves you so many of us deserve what God does for us on think so.

Grace showed number five gladness resulted.

Look at verse 23. The second part, he was glad that the word gladness by the way is a derivative of the word to be happy, don't you love being glad you want to be happy.

I'm not talking about a frivolous, just simplistic smile on your face when you talk about gladness in Christ you talking about a complete completeness, a fulfillment. Are you in a good place right now. Can you genuinely say you're in a good place right if not, I want to pray that God's hand would come upon you, look what happened to them. Gladness resulted number six encouragement pulled out that's a fantastic statement that is major in the latter part of verse 23, because he said he exhorted them all to remain faithful depth of the word exhorted, there is the same word to encourage he encouraged them, encouraging you now. I'm I'm trying to encourage that's all I'm fond of the I want to encourage you because God loves you because Jesus died for you because your life can be completely different. These things that I'm told that believing in him.

Hearing that great report being being given the right help when you need the grace of God.

Gladness and happiness sending encouragement in your life and the final one you have blessings abounded. I love the lost verse that I read to verse 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit faith and a great many people were added to the family of the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessings abounded blessings abounded. It all has to do with the hand of God.

So here's the question greatest explanation you can give is the hand of God we talking about all this opportunity to serve the Lord around the world. The goings on the comings of a people actively engaged, can we ask God to put his hand upon us were talking about our individual lives we talking about the struggles that we have, we talking about the joys that we experience. We talk about the obstacles that we face the mountains that we have to climb the hand of the Lord was on. Are you hearing him would you bow your heads with me for just a moment just value heads with me for just a moment I want to pray for you.

You'd say to me today. Pasta I just want God's hand to be upon me, would you allow me to pray for you as we pray for each other. Lord, in this beauty, this beauty this incredible beautiful place where your holiness permeates our lives. Beauty of your presence. I pray for all of us today.

I hold out my hands mere human hands in the name of the Lord just like they did in the New Testament. Lord I pray that you put your hands upon a people today on us as a church on every mission for Christ this summer on every journey. I pray for people today Lord who need your hand physically, medically, financially person when a price. So much for somebody today who really finds them so in a really not good place that your hand would come down through the heavens that you would hold this person in the palm of your hand touching them with you grace be with us, touch us. Use us to be a blessing, put your hand on our nation to handle announcements hand on hand on parents this week. Pray, amen. If perhaps the Lord is stirred your heart, maybe to a new adjustment of your past a new commitment to Christ. Or maybe you're committing to Jesus for the very first time. Let us walk alongside with you your one of the joys of the Christian life. The body of Christ, as it were built for community are designed to be together in fellowship growing in the relationships we have as individuals is father's son's mother's daughters, but also as parts of a unit in a local church you don't have a look church but would love to help you find what we do it every single week.

We have opportunity through Michelle who lead that team in finding a summer in the next couple of ZIP Codes from right where you are Bible believing church that we have partnered with you can be guaranteed will lift you up. Encourage you to also allow you a place to roll up your sleeves and get involved… What we receive in going to church more about how we get involved know that were ready to connect with you both online@theencouragingword.org and this phone number 866899 word before we go closing thoughts on this very special offer. How certain are you of your eternal destination. If you look at the world today. It's easy to see.

We are not living in the best of times while in the midst of all that's going on in America. The Bible is clear, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again at a time. Only the father knows this month. As you give a gift of any amount to The Encouraging Word broadcast ministry, you will receive the return of Christ.

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