Welcome to “Coffee with Phil,” a podcast where faith takes center stage. In Episode 55, the host, Phil, tackles the intriguing question: Does God do surprises? As we approach the end of 2023 and eagerly anticipate 2024, Phil delves into the reflection of life’s unexpected moments and God’s mysterious plans. Drawing insights from Amos, Daniel, Abraham, and Jesus, the episode explores the responsibility of voicing divine plans, interpreting mysteries, and walking intimately with the Lord. Join the host on this thought-provoking journey through the surprises of God’s actions. Subscribe for more engaging conversations. Cheers!
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- Previous Episode: Episode 54
- Bible Reference: Amos 3:7-8 | John 15:15 | Daniel 2 | Genesis 18
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Introduction
Well, g’day and welcome to the podcast. Welcome to coffee with Phil. My name is Phil of course your Host and this is where we talk about faith made real. We go on a journey to unpack stuff that’s going on in my world, stuff that might be going on in your world and really trying just to walk together. And today in episode 55. We’re kind of saying holy moly. What is that? And the context of that is really that we would answer this question. Does God do surprises? Does God do surprises? You might pick up from the tone of my latest episodes that I’m quite reflective, but also preparing myself for 2024.
So that timestamps this episode to be the end of 23 closing of the year. Well, looking into the new year, pretty excited actually about 2024 in the fact that I sense God doing lots of things and you know, have been quoted as saying lately, as people are chatting to me, I’m really excited. I just wish I knew exactly what God was doing Because I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited. Let me put some context around this conversation.
I want to wrap a thought together. Does God do surprises? Because sometimes things happen in life and we kind of get a little bit shell shocked. We’re like, holy moly, what is that or, you know, the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Well, actually, if you read the Bible, you would understand these things must happen. As God progresses as planned towards the consummation of this age and the coming of our Lord, so no surprises, he says. ‘You will see these signs’, so we shouldn’t be surprised. I think that’s the main point but. Does God do surprises, or do we get surprised? That’s really the question of the day. I want to point you to a verse in the Bible. It’s a little a little obtuse, but in Amos Chapter 3 God has this conversation, which I will talk a little bit about. But in Amos chapter three, verse 7. The Bible says surely the Lord your God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
This is really, I suppose, the crux of the matter. Holy moly, what’s God doing? God does nothing that he has not yet already revealed to his servants the prophets, and as I looked into this verse and I contemplated what’s going on around me at the moment, which I’ll speak about shortly. I read this phrase as I looked at the commentaries and the context and what God is doing in Amos chapter 3. Who is Amos and what’s happening? I read this statement. Now listen to this because this applies to you. Here’s the statement that one Bible commentator made. “The people of God should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action.”
Now let’s put that in the context of the next year coming or the year ahead for you, the season you’re walking into, whenever you’re listening to this, I want you to think about the future that’s before you. The stage of life you’re in, what you’re hoping and anticipating God is doing in the coming season. And we would remind ourselves that the people of God should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action, and I want to talk about that. There are four situations that I want to talk about and apply to this. And before I do though, I suppose I should just dial back and talk about where things are at for me, and why this is important. You know, we have been wrestling recently in prayer over what we sense God saying.
So, there’s a group of. Us that get together and where we do it online, we do it in a group. In the same room, we wander around, we jump up and down, we do whatever God asks us to do, but we’re we’re pressing in to hear from God because we understand that surely the Lord does nothing, that he has not yet revealed to his servants and those that would seek to serve him and. And just this morning, in an online prayer meeting, we were reminded by the Holy Spirit of several things that God has already said. And some of my system works in filing and in this case it did. And so, I was able to go back into the cloud and retrieve some of those prophetic words that God had spoken in January 2016, which is what this person was reminding us of in the prayer meeting, and we were we were excited about that because again, we go back in time and you see a marker, a pointer, to God, a word from the Lord that’s pointing towards something that he’s going to do.
Well, while I was bouncing around inside that folder in the cloud, I saw something else that I didn’t recognise, and I opened it up and it was a prophetic word that someone brought to our church in September 2016. And as I read it to the group in the prayer meeting, we were blown away in amazement and in celebratory praise at the things that God had said through that prophetic word in September 2016, which is over 7 years prior to today. And they were things that God said to us this year that we saw walking out in practical terms in the journey of the church, this is absolutely amazing.
And so, does God do surprises? Well, I’m not sure God does. I think the main point would be that Maybe God doesn’t do surprises, even though we feel surprised most and so I want you to put that into context of your story. I’m certainly putting into the context of mine because I think if I learn to walk and step, and treasure and steward well, what God has already said through the Bible and through my relationship with him, then I might not be as surprised. Or at least when I’m like, holy moly, what’s God doing? I can actually go and try and find the answer for myself.
And I want to point you to a couple of things. Like there’s a reference here for in my notes for a conversation that the Lord had with Abraham in Genesis 18. God had determined that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. But he says in Genesis 18, verse 17, he says. Should I hide from Abraham, what I am about to do? This this this thing God saying. “Hang on, I think I might reveal something. I think I might Pull back the curtain of my plan and reveal it to my friend Abraham.” And I want to talk about Abraham in a minute.
But also, in the Book of Daniel the Daniel Chapter 2, there’s a conversation. Daniel is sort of in the service of the King Nebuchadnezzar, and he steps before the King and reveals this answer to a prophetic dream that the king had. And then the king says this to Daniel, he says. In Daniel 2 Verse 47. “Your God is truly the God of all gods and Lord of Kings, the revealer of mystery. Since you were able to reveal this mystery to me” and there’s this aspect of Daniel’s responsibility there that I want to talk about. But what’s the reason? I’m pointing to it is to remind you that God is the revealer of mysteries. And it’s exciting for us also.
What About Us?
And finally, in my list of examples here, I just want to read to you John Chapter 15. In verse 15, which says in the words of Jesus. “No longer do I call you servants. For servant does not understand what his master is doing, but I have called you friends because everything I have learned from my father. I have made known to you.” And so here is my point is that perhaps God doesn’t do surprises. Even though we get surprised, even though we feel surprised, maybe God is always moving before us and always revealing things to us, sometimes in a mysterious way, sometimes in a, you know, in a way that takes a little bit of working out and sometimes we’re just not in a position to hear it.
So, and I say to people you know, I wish I knew what God was doing. I wish I knew what he was saying. You know, we’re careful to remind each other. That it’s not that God is not talking, it’s just that I’m not catching the message. And I would say that to encourage you to present, which I think we’ll talk about at the end here, but anyway.
Oh, I promised you I’d come back to these characters. I’ve got 4 characters in my examples that we might like. I’m talking to myself here, guys, and you’re welcome to the conversation. It’s like, yep. Phil’s had too much coffee, and now he’s just talking to himself, giving himself a pep talk. And you’re along for the ride. Well, you’re welcome. Enjoy the journey.
Amos
Let’s look at the first character that I wanted to reflect on and that’s Because it’s the prophet that we found this verse in Amos Chapter 3 verse 7. Says “surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” Now Amos is a prophet of the Lord. Amos is someone that was called by God to bring messages of correction and warning to God’s people. In Amos chapter 3. God begins by saying this message is for you Israel, my people. This message is for the entire clan that I delivered out of Egypt, and Amos has this responsibility and look, I don’t want to jump into teaching the Bible, but I like it’s an interesting read if you get your device out and have a look at it. Amos Chapter 3.
But I just love like Anyone that says God doesn’t have a sense of humour just doesn’t read the Bible. They don’t understand the tone of God or the way he leads us and the and the verses leading up to verse 7. There’s kind of this rhetoric that’s God going on, he’s bouncing out these statements. Yeah, kind of like don’t need an answer. Because you already know the answer Yeah? Do two people walk together without having met. Does a bird swoop down into a trap if there’s no bait? And if alarm sounds, do people not fear? God’s going. Come on, get with the programme. He’s setting us up. He’s saying. “Look, you know this, and you know that, and you know the sound of the alarm. You know how the lion roars in the woods as he has cornered his prey. And yet, are you not listening? Says God. Because I never do anything without revealing my plan to my servants the prophets.”
And so, what’s my point in looking at Amos? As Amos has a responsibility, Amos has a responsibility to voice what God is saying. And it says in verse eight, He’s going come on. You need to understand that hang on… hang on, I’ve got a phone call. Isn’t that life? I left that in there because I thought, you know, you guys can appreciate you probably smiling right now going why don’t they just cut that out? No, no. You need to understand what life is like and the person who called me will be listening to this and be slightly different colour as he’s listening to it because he knows who he is.
But anyway, we’re talking about Amos, look, Amos’s responsibility to voice this message for Israel. And it says in verse 8. “The sovereign Lord has spoken. Who can refuse to prophecy?” Now this is clearly God saying to Amos. “Come on. You know what I’ve said. You know who you are. And you know what I’m Asking you to do.” What’s my point in pointing to Amos for me? Sometimes I hear what God says and I have a burden for God’s people, but I got to be honest. That comes with a weighty responsibility. Cause like, do I really want to say that? Do I really want to risk offending people? Recently I stood up and I said to the church. You guys, you’re fat. You’re fat, you listen to sermons and. You do nothing with them. And it went down like a cup of cold sick. You can we’ll put the link to this to the YouTube and the notes. That’s a reference for the team to do that. But yeah, have a listen. Well, what’s the point of me saying that there’s is sometimes you’re just going to share What God sees. And trust that his Holy Spirit brings a conviction for people to move in it. But here’s the thing, this is how we walk together as the body, the body being the body we’re actually designed to speak out and speak into other people’s lives and to bring feedback and correction when God invites us to, and that’s responsibility, that Amos says.
Daniel
So, does God do surprises? Well not necessarily, if you’re going to actually step up and play your part in what God’s doing and that leads me to Daniel. Daniel’s the second character I wanted to look at and I told you about Daniel Chapter 2 and the King had a dream and it was disturbing. And they found out there was a young man. A Hebrew boy. Belshazzar is actually his name, but we know him as Daniel. And he gets in there and he, he says, look, it’s not up to me to do this. But the God of heavens, the God of Israel. He can interpret your dreams. And the king says this, he says I read it before. Surely your God is truly the God of gods. The Lord of All Kings, the revealer of mysteries. And what’s my point here? When we get involved and walking out what God is saying and helping other people. God gets glorified. Look, the king totally glorified God, because God revealed the mystery. It’s not man’s job to explain what God is doing. It’s man’s job to point to what God is doing, and that’s a key thing. Does God do surprises? No, we should expect God to show the signposts, and in the signposts, we can anticipate what God is doing and expect this prophetic message before God does what God is going to do.
Abraham
And so, with character B, the Daniel and my list here, people are dependent on us, and we should step into that space and point to what God is doing so that God is glorified. Which leads me to Abraham, and I shared with you the scripture from Genesis Chapter 18, where God says, shall I hide from Abraham what I’m about to do? And in this, Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah he wrestles as it were, with God. And he says, God, come on, seriously. Can we not see people saved? But what’s my point in this? Abraham is a key person, and the plan of God. And so are you.
God, doesn’t often… In fact, almost always God doesn’t sovereignly move without using people and I believe that there’s a bunch of prophetic stuff over your life that’s not Happening the way God intended, because people have shrunk back, step back or said no to God and therefore the consequences flowed from their disobedience. But what if it’s you?
What if God’s called you to a place to intercede for someone in line with what God has planned and prepared, and you’re chickening out? You’re stepping back, you’re being lazy, you’re not praying. You’re not interceding. You’re not petitioning God. If Abraham hadn’t petitioned God, the way he did. In the story, go and read it. Genesis 18, if he hadn’t petition God, there would have been greater destruction. Abraham was a key person in the plan of God. And so are you. So holy moly, what is God doing? You’ve got to get in a place where you understand that.
Walking With Jesus
Which leads me to Jesus. John, 15, is a beautiful passage of scripture. It’s the discourse and the which we believe is in the garden and it’s the mount of olives we believe we believe they’re walking through a vineyard. We don’t actually know because it doesn’t say they just said let’s go. And Jesus uses an example that I am the vine, and you are the branches. My father’s the gardener and you are in me because I’m in the father and you remain in me because you bear fruit.
And then he talks about Love, and he draws the disciples, and he says. “I no longer call you slaves. Servants, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing.” So, if you’re not connected. Relationally, then, there’s no chance you’re going to have a knowledge of what God is doing. the servant doesn’t understand but Jesus says no, you, he’s talking to you. He says of course you’re friends. I’ve chosen you. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. And I appointed you. I’ve called you friends and to my friends, I reveal those things that the father has shared. With me.
And so, let’s come back to Amos, God says come on, the Lord does not move without revealing to his friends his servants the Prophets, it’s not a slavery mindset. It’s a sonship mindset. When you’re in sonship with God, you could expect the father to reveal his mysteries in order that you would walk in them and lead others into what God is doing. So, Jesus says walk with me, walk with me in the garden, abide with me, remain in my love as I have obeyed my father and I remain in his love. I’ve already told you this thing says Jesus. So, my joy might be in you, and your joy might be complete. So, this is the fullness of how we walk with Jesus, to abide in him remain in him, to obey him, to love him and in that trust, what he reveals to us is from the father.
But it’s part of our fruitfulness. And I’m personally challenged by this, I’m sitting here at the end of the year contemplating life, staring into my empty coffee cup, wondering what God has given me as a responsibility as part of the family of God, to help others to walk into. And I think speaking frankly if more of the church actually got off their cushion and walked with Jesus in intimate understanding of what he was doing and had revealed to them. Then the church would walk in greater blessing and greater manifestation of the glory of the Kingdom. Which would mean that the world would see the glory and the light that comes from the church and turn to God as their saviour.
But perhaps the reason they’re not turning is because you’re not shining. Come on, this is challenging to me you know, I’m now going back to those words that God’s given me and I’m wrestling with them to You know. I know there’s a cost to pay. I know there’s a price that’s coming for setting myself, aside to say, “God, would you use me? Would you reveal these mysteries to me, would you allow me to participate in what you’re doing in order that others would see you.” and I’m a bit nervous about it because the price is not cheap. It’s a price of sacrifice. It’s a price of self-denial. It’s a price of time, considerable time and being willing to carry a burden of prayer that, Jesus might give as an assignment.
For me, recently through a prayer time. The Lord said through someone who is a prophet in this nation that said Lord is calling you higher, calling you to climb the mountain to take up the posture that Moses took at the top of the mountain to receive the revelation on behalf of people who need to hear what God is saying. God has called you to be mouthpiece. He’s going to reveal mysteries to you. And that sounds exciting, except that it means I’ve got to put aside a lot of other things to make room to climb the mountain.
And I submitted this to my board, my elders. We sat. We prayed about it. We talked about it, and we recognised that God was indeed speaking. There was a certainly an agreement, A conviction that this was a yes, we are. We are partnering with this word and Moses; we realised Moses went up the mountain for 40 days and. 40 nights. Didn’t seem practical or reasonable. We didn’t feel like God was saying for me to climb the mountain for 40 days and 40. Nights but. In 2024, the year coming, they have asked me to set aside 40 days and blocks of time over the 12 months in order that I would take myself away. Up the mountain, not necessarily physically Upper Mountain, but certainly to the high place of intimacy and connection with God, in order that I might be obedient to the word and have anticipation and expectation that God is going to do something as a result of the obedience.
Because God’s blessing always flows on the other side of our obedience. That people should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action. We believe God is moving in this season. He’s preparing his church for a sovereign move of God, which means we should all be leaning in, and we should all be anticipating greater degrees of revelation. And this for me will require me to go back and to review some of those prophetic words that are on file. Some of those ones that I’ve stored away knowing that God is faithful to his word is he’s alert and he’s active. And he’s always watching over his word, willing and waiting to see it fulfilled.
That’s from Jeremiah chapter one. Go and read it. But that’s the way that I see God. That’s the God that I know. That’s the God I have a relationship with. That’s the God I’m choosing to walk with. As Jesus said, come and walk with me. So holy moly, what is God doing? That should be an exclamation of surprise and joy. In anticipation of a divine move of God and a sovereign hand of God in our life, we should be saying holy moly. Look at that. Look at what God is doing in the way that Nebuchadnezzar glorified God in the revelation of the mystery. Your God is our revealer of mysteries. And May God. Be a revealer of mysteries for you. Maybe over the next few weeks you would find time yourself to go away, to get away, to have alone time. Don’t be afraid to be alone with God. Spend time, learn to quiet yourself down, learn to shut out the noise and the distraction. For goodness sake, put your phone in the glove box over your car and lock it away. And to sit on the beach and stare at the waves, listen to the birds, or go for a walk in the forest and appreciate that God is around you and he’s in you because Jesus says I have called you friend.
And as I closeout my year with you, I look forward to next year and what God’s going to call us to journey together. But I my prayer is with you, friend. My prayer is with you and for you that you would truly find an encounter. With the Lord. That takes you to a place where you meet God’s face. To face. And that you learn how much he loves you and how much he has for you. And I do pray that you you’ll walk in there.
So, this is me signing out. Thanks for having coffee with Phil. Don’t forget to subscribe. Click the subscribe button. Get these downloaded as quick as you can because it’s good to look together. I certainly enjoy it. Take care. God bless you and I’ll be back with you soon. Cheers.