Look Up 316

There’s always a lot of hype about Super Bowl commercials. One commercial was rejected by Fox Sports this year for containing too much “religious doctrine.” Yet, just before the 4th quarter, up it popped to the surprise of many. The commercial actually didn’t air in all the markets, and its audience was quite small in comparison to being broadcast nationwide, but boy, what an impact it had!

The commercial drew so much traffic to its website, www.lookup316.com, that it was difficult to load the web page. Before anyone knew what had happened, the whole thing had gone viral on the internet.

What kind of commercial could draw so much attention? A message of hope with no preaching. The website offers a simple explanation of John 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

When God decides to do something big, get out of the way. Even Fox Sports can’t stop Him.

MLK, Jr - Dreaming the Dream

Do you ever dream about things you want to do? Many great things accomplished in life have started with only a dream. It’s a good thing to analyze our dreams to see if they are within the will of God. If they aren’t, don’t waste your time dreaming about them. The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will so don't let your dreams get you off-center.

So, how do we find the center of God’s will? Years ago there was a story told about the ship channels in Italy. It was dangerous for ships to travel the long channels inland from the sea since there was little room on either side for navigation and they were at risk of running aground. Therefore, a system was designed using three lights to guide the ships inland.

As a ship entered the channel, three lights could be seen. The goal of the ship captain was to line up all three lights until only one large light could be seen. Then and only then would the ship travel safely through the channel and not run aground. If at any time the captain saw two or three lights, he had to quickly make adjustments until all three lights were lined up again into one large light. The system never failed and the three lights that became one light guided many ships inland to safety.

In Bob Mumford’s book, Take Another Look at Guidance, he tells about the three lights that will guide us safely into the center of God’s will. The first light is The Word of God. The second light is the Holy Spirit. And the third is our circumstances. Unless all three lights line up, we should stop and consider if we are on course and in God’s will. Very often we allow our circumstances to dictate the direction that our life should take. In reality, our circumstances are the lesser of the three lights. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit giving us God’s peace are the most important. When all three are in line, we can be sure God is guiding us safely.

Are all three lights in your life lining up into one large light? Do your dreams take God’s Word and the Holy Spirit into account? It’s never too late to make adjustments. Let the peace of God rule your hearts in Christ Jesus... Colossians 3:15-17