All Things Worked Together for Good…

I attended the last part of Pastor Joseph Portado’s Stressbusters series. He discussed the Psalm 23 seven verses for seven Sundays. He discussed one verse each Sunday and expound on it on why we should live each day with an expectant joy. And now for the seventh verse….

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”—Psalm 23:6 (KJV)

We should not face the future with a question mark. Instead, we should face it with a question mark.

There are three reasons why we do not need to fear the future:

1. Because God is watching over us. “The Lord watches over all who love him” Psalm 145:20 (NIV)
2. Because grace is working in us. (Psalm 103)

3 He forgives all my sins. He heals me. 4 He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 6 He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7 He revealed his will and nature to Moses and the people of Israel.

8 He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. 9 He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. 10 He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, 11 for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

1. Because Heaven is waiting for us. (2 Corinthians 5: 6, 8)

⁶ Now we look forward with confidence to our heavenly bodies, realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in heaven with Jesus….⁸ And we are not afraid but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

Not all things that happen to us are good, but we can be assured that the Maker of all things can make all these things work together for His good.

I turned 34 last May 11, 2015. But I spent 20 years being resentful towards God.

My mom left us when I was seven years.  After she was gone, the uncertainty, the fears, the feeling of always not belonging, of having no one to turn to, of having nowhere to run were just some feelings I had to deal with. The basic questions like where I was born, mother’s maiden name, father’s maiden name, etc were the hardest question for me then. I know nothing about who I really was. Being broken is an understatement.

Now when I look at myself, I am surprised how God turn around all the unhappy years into wisdom. I finally see that God allowed me to live on my own for 20 years.

Remember the Israelites? They were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. They were made to wander the desert for 40 years. God could have just easily let them enter Canaan, the promised land, in less time. But they were ungrateful and always grumble. They were fearful. They do not trust God.

Numbers 32:13 (NIV)

13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.

He made them wander around until the all the Israelites who have the slave mentality all die out.

That’s what struck me most. I can now see that God allowed me to live apart from my family so that he can put a whole new mind set, a winning attitude in my heart. So, that I can be like Joshua and Caleb.

If there was one thing I regretted all those 20 years, it was the time that I allowed myself to wander in the desert far too long, being stubborn. I remember the chorus of a song entitled “From the Start” that goes like this….

I’ve waited so long but I saw I was wrong in not in loving you

It took me some years and some pain and some tears, but you pulled me through

I’ve waited so long, but I see you belong deep down in my heart

And I wonder why I didn’t love you from the start

God has watched over me all those years. He was working in me until now. And the best things of all, I have heaven to look forward to.

God’s Way to Heaven

1. God loves you and wants you to have eternal life with Him.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

1. But you have a problem that separates you from God: SIN

“Everyone has sinned and is far from God’s saving presence….” Romans 3:23

1. The good news is that Jesus is God’s solution to your sin problem. He is the only way to heaven.

“For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God….” 1 Peter 3:18

1. Therefore, you must repent of your sins and place your faith in Jesus to save you.

“For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it. “ Ephesians 2:8-9

1. On receiving Jesus, you have a new life with complete assurance of salvation.

“I write these things to you who believe in My Name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” 1 John 5:13

Contact Us:

Turning Point Fellowship

3^rd Fl. 1^st Valley Bank bldg.

Roxas Ave., Iligan City

Tel# 222-9584

Contact Person:

Pastor Joseph A.G. Portado

Cp# 09165476381

For High School/College

Contact: Remi, 0917 315 8405