Living Word Live! A Stealthy God

``You know, God didn't march Joseph up the steps of the palace with herald trumpets playing and a fanfare and confetti parade. He didn't he didn't announce to pharaoh. Joseph didn't announce to pharaoh, you know what? I'm gonna fix your economy. Make Egypt great again. You know? Yeah. Too soon. There were no warning sirens, no divine proclamations or or press releases for it. God sent Joseph thirteen years early and as a slave. [00:35:37] (37 seconds)  #GodsStealthyPlan

And and somewhere along the way, Daniel, his faithfulness planted seeds that outlived him by centuries. God used Daniel to prepare pagan magi to receive the messiah. I mean, I don't know about you, but that gives me chills thinking God had that plan in place and hundreds of years passed and it still happened. [00:41:59] (31 seconds)  #FaithPlantsGenerations

Because hundreds of years earlier, while Israel was in exile in Babylon, god slid a a faithful teenage boy named Daniel into Babylonian leadership, number two in the in the nation of Persia. [00:41:06] (19 seconds)  #GodPositionsTheFaithful

But here's the part of the story that stops me every time. These wise men, these magi, they weren't they weren't Jews. They weren't even believers. They didn't believe in this god. They they were pagan magi from Persia, which is, modern day Iraq, probably from Babylon. Idol worshipers, occult scholars, Zoroastrians. It's a big word. I just wanted to throw a big word out there so so you know that I'm studying something. [00:40:10] (34 seconds)  #GodUsesTheUnexpected

But think about this. There these rabbis all educate who feels threatened by a 12 year old boy besides other 12 year olds, you know? No rabbi, walks into the temple thinking, I'd better be on my guard with my theology today. There's a middle schooler in here. Sharon will be on guard around middle schoolers from now on. She will like But, no, a rabbi wouldn't do teachers of the law wouldn't be threatened by a 12 year old. My point is their defenses were down when Jesus first showed up in the temple because this time, Jesus didn't storm the temple this time. He didn't flip tables over this time. What did he do? He sat and he asked questions. [00:45:52] (62 seconds)  #TruthThroughQuestions

Because if we become like first, you know, the moment that you think you've arrived spiritually, that you have all the answers, that's the moment that you stop being reachable, teachable. [00:47:02] (15 seconds)  #StayTeachable

Because god knew the condition of their hearts, and he knew what they could handle and what they needed to hear. And guess what? He knows the condition of our hearts as well. Hebrews four twelve. Oh, I know that. It says that the word of god penetrates even to dividing spirit and soul. So god, before we can raise our defenses, god slips in under the radar because because he loves us too much to leave us untouched. We just have to pay attention. [00:52:52] (42 seconds)  #WordPenetratesHearts

Because god still uses stealth, flies under the radar, and god still uses us, people, his sons and daughters. So let me ask you let let's just pause here for a moment because I have a question for you. You know I always do. Where has God been working maybe under the radar in your life? [00:55:28] (26 seconds)  #GodWorksUnderRadar