Encounter God

We're getting ready to begin a new season of ministry at Life Bridge.  Building changes will be making the environment a bit more welcoming.  In addition to "sprucing up the place, for the first time in over 10 years we will have a place to baptize people right in our own building!  Work is under way to better communicate with, pray for, and serve our community.  Not only that, the "Not a Fan" series has convicted many people to live out our faith in Jesus in a much more tangible way - not as fans on the sideline but as followers of Him.

Moving forward as a church body, it is exciting to open ourselves up to His Spirit changing us as individuals and as His Body.  I would like to take the rest of the posts this week to share some thoughts about how we might allow Him to work in us and through us to make that change.

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."  (Exodus 3:1-3 NIV)

All too often, God reaches out to get our attention but we simply don't notice.  His reaching out could be as simple as a sunrise, a bird chirping, a rain (or snow) storm, or an unexpected interruption in our day.  God didn't stand right in front of Moses to stop him from doing his daily tasks.  Instead, he offered an anomaly - a bush that did not burn up - from a distance.  God put something in Moses' day intending to get his attention.  Moses didn't think the burning bush was a figment of his imagination.  Moses didn't brush it off as being unimportant.  Moses didn't say he was too busy to check it out.  Moses drew closer to see what was going on.  That decision would change his life forever.

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." (Exodus 3:4-5 NIV)

Moses encountered God.

God-encounters are actually much more common than you might think.  We often do not encounter God because we don't want to encounter God.  Churches like Life Bridge work hard to create an environment where you will encounter God every week, yet people see the invitation and decide that it's not real, they are too busy, or it is not worth their time.  Those who do listen to the invitation and draw near, though, can have their lives changed forever.

Every week, while we are getting to Know Him, Life Bridge will have weekend services designed to help you encounter God - up close and personal.  You are invited.  Take the time to check it out.  Don't think it's unimportant, not real, or that you don't have the time.  This is your burning bush.  This is your invitation.  Let's get together this week and encounter God.