But did we? The chili ingredients were all in the Crockpot. The lid was on. The temperature was set on low. In a few hours we would be enjoying a great bowl of chili, or would we? What is missing in this picture? It’s not plugged in!

This morning, I had a great conversation with a dear friend about this very thing…being “Plugged In”! He said, “Ya know, Robert, I’ve been working hard…really hard and things just have not connected. I trust God and I’m trying to do His work. I get up early & go to bed late, yet I almost didn’t have enough money for gas last month.” He continued with, “But get this Robert, I made a change. Before I started work…just after I got my coffee, I prayed…I thanked Him for all He has done.” “BAM, everything has changed. And I had nothing to do with it. It was God!”

Question, are you leaving home unplugged? Did you spend time with the Lord in prayer thanking Him for all He has done…for your very breath? Did you spend a few minutes reading His Love Letter, the Bible? Afterall, He had His Love Letter written for you & me to read, study and to use as a guide for our life. His Plan, His Way is spelled out in His Blueprint. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

So, how are non-Bible scholars going to understand the Bible? Great question. First Jesus told us in John 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Stop trying to read & understand the Bible using your own ability. Allow God to be your personal trainer. Plug into His Power. In Ezekiel 37 God gave us a great example of how essential the Holy Spirit is in our life. God had taken His servant/prophet Ezekiel into a valley of dead bones. God revealed His power of resurrection by restoring the bodies but…they were bodies with no life without the Holy Spirit. “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.” (Ez 37:10). Then in verses 13-14, we find, “Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live…”

 Get enrolled in a Bible study that offers an in-depth study of the Scripture that connects His Word to real life. My friend this morning also referred to how BSF (Bible Study Fellowship – https://www.bsfinternational.org/) had played a pivotal role in his life change. “Robert, I would read the scripture and answer the questions…then when we meet, I would hear guys that read the same scripture I read and see something I missed. It’s so cool.”

Get connected with a Bible-centered church. I grew up in church and attended church most of my life, even when I was living a wretched life. But God met me at the bottom, where playing church no longer worked. Mary and I have found our church home at FirstNLR (https://www.firstnlr.com/) where God’s Word is clearly taught every weekend. God’s Word is “Our Guidebook For Living.” At FirstNLR, “Every Soul Matters To God.”

Isn’t it time to get “Plugged In?” Only God has the Power to transform your mess into something of value & beauty. I challenge you to read and ponder John 4:1-42. Put yourself in the place of the Samaritan woman at the Well. This is what Jesus does. He transforms people. What about you? Are you ready…had enough of the world’s way?

It was on 9.20.1984, after Jesus whispered to me, “Have you had enough, or do you want some more of this?” I cried out, “Jesus help me!” And, like the woman at the Well, He changed my life. I can only echo her words, “Come and see.”