Thursday, February 27, 2014
In Between Blessings
It's not so much that we're afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it's that place in between that we fear . . . . It's like being between trapezes. It's Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There's nothing to hold on to. ~ Marilyn Ferguson
Scripture:
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)
First of all, let me publicly acknowledge that today’s title and message were inspired by Pastor Larry Smith of New ST. Mark Baptist church. As I sat listening to the man of God, I was taught what it means to be in between blessings. In between blessings are periods of time when one thing has ended and you are waiting on something else to begin where difficulties may occur.
The ending might be a job, a marriage, a relationship or simply a season in your life. What Pastor Smith pointed out was that while we are in between, we must hold on to our hope and our faith. He cited several examples in the bible where different people held out hope and held fast to their faith while they waited for their breakthrough or miracle.
Sarah in the book of Genesis who thought she was too old to bear children; the woman in the book of Mark who had the issue of blood. And what about the lame man who was at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years who never gave up hope that one day, if he could just make it into the pool, he too would be healed. The list goes on and on. These are but a few examples of what it means to hold on to hope and to hold on to your faith.
The quote that I used to day is actually an oxymoron in relationship to today’s message. The line that states being in between is like being between trapezes, there is nothing to hold on to. Personally, I beg to differ. Today’s scripture states that no matter where we travel, what we are going through or where we are, God is right there in the midst with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
In other words, things may look bad now, but hold on to your faith. Romans 15:13 tells us; “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 11:1 reiterates; “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
And most of all remember, On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Hold on to His unchanging hand.
Be blessed
Prayer:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel. Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. Lord, we come before the throne of grace thanking You for our miracles. Father we come into covenant agreement and standing in the gap for our brothers and sisters who may be weak. Touch them Lord Jesus. Magnifying Your power and Your presence in their lives. Father, our city and our world is full of stress and strife. Allow Your power and Your spirit to rain down on us this day. Father many of our brothers and sisters may be faced with losing jobs. Have mercy Lord. Lord, and as we have to go through our valleys, to GET to the other side, be by our sides. Keeping us in perfect peace. Lord, use us and allow us to bless someone else this day. We love You Lord. We praise and uplift Your name. We give You all honor, all praise, and all the glory to You alone. Hallelujah, anyhow. Hallelujah in spite of. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Praise God, Amen.
Scripture:
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)
First of all, let me publicly acknowledge that today’s title and message were inspired by Pastor Larry Smith of New ST. Mark Baptist church. As I sat listening to the man of God, I was taught what it means to be in between blessings. In between blessings are periods of time when one thing has ended and you are waiting on something else to begin where difficulties may occur.
The ending might be a job, a marriage, a relationship or simply a season in your life. What Pastor Smith pointed out was that while we are in between, we must hold on to our hope and our faith. He cited several examples in the bible where different people held out hope and held fast to their faith while they waited for their breakthrough or miracle.
Sarah in the book of Genesis who thought she was too old to bear children; the woman in the book of Mark who had the issue of blood. And what about the lame man who was at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years who never gave up hope that one day, if he could just make it into the pool, he too would be healed. The list goes on and on. These are but a few examples of what it means to hold on to hope and to hold on to your faith.
The quote that I used to day is actually an oxymoron in relationship to today’s message. The line that states being in between is like being between trapezes, there is nothing to hold on to. Personally, I beg to differ. Today’s scripture states that no matter where we travel, what we are going through or where we are, God is right there in the midst with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
In other words, things may look bad now, but hold on to your faith. Romans 15:13 tells us; “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 11:1 reiterates; “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
And most of all remember, On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Hold on to His unchanging hand.
Be blessed
Prayer:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel. Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. Lord, we come before the throne of grace thanking You for our miracles. Father we come into covenant agreement and standing in the gap for our brothers and sisters who may be weak. Touch them Lord Jesus. Magnifying Your power and Your presence in their lives. Father, our city and our world is full of stress and strife. Allow Your power and Your spirit to rain down on us this day. Father many of our brothers and sisters may be faced with losing jobs. Have mercy Lord. Lord, and as we have to go through our valleys, to GET to the other side, be by our sides. Keeping us in perfect peace. Lord, use us and allow us to bless someone else this day. We love You Lord. We praise and uplift Your name. We give You all honor, all praise, and all the glory to You alone. Hallelujah, anyhow. Hallelujah in spite of. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Praise God, Amen.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
You Can't Conquer what You won't Confront
Stand
up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that
they haven't half the strength you think they have. ~ Norman
Vincent Peale
Scripture:
What,
then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who
can be against us?
He
who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will
he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans
8:30-32 New International Version (NIV)
As
we journey through life, we are often confronted with people or
situations that cause us to halt right in our tracks. We become
frozen in place and unable to move forward or make a decision for
fear of making the wrong one. We try to pretend that what’s
happening isn’t real or will quickly dissipate and just go away.
Far too often we would just rather ignore our situation than deal
with it.
Men
and women who may feel that their significant other may be cheating
on them would rather close their eyes to the truth than confront it.
Parents choose to ignore the obvious signs of drug abuse in their
offspring than address the signs of addiction. We will often accept
less than substandard conditions as apposed to trying to change them.
We would accept wrong in our lives rather than try and make it
right.
The
word of God tells us time and time again that we don’t have to
accept something just because. If we truly believe in His word, that
word lets us know we can change our circumstances and that He can do
anything that we ask with His help. We are reminded time and time
again that if we believe in Him that He can and will change our
circumstances. Saints of God, the word of God tells us if we have
faith in Him and His word we can positively conquer our problems and
situations if we are willing to confront them.
Yet
in all
these things we are
more
than
conquerors
through Him who loved us.
Be
Blessed
Prayer:
Father
God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving
on our tongues and in our hearts. Lord, we thank you for fresh grace
and mercy and for the love that You so freely give to us. Father,
just like a wayward child, I know that I often disappoint You. I
realize that when I choose to do things on my own and don’t put You
at the forefront of my decisions, I become paralyzed with fear. When
I fail to feed my faith I am unable to confront the obstacles in my
way. When I do not partake from the bread of life, I become weak and
scared. I become frozen in place and unable to move forward or make
decisions because of fear. Help me to remember to always hide Your
word in my heart and to call upon Him who strengthens me in my
weakness. I thank You Father God for Your Son, Jesus. Jesus, the
sweet, comforting empowering name that helps me to confront my fears
and helps me to conquer my demons. It is in His name that we pray.
Amen.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
His Grace is Sufficient
Remember, God's love for us is not a love that always exempts us from Trials, but rather, a love that sees us through trials. ~ Anonymous
Scripture:
For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:11-12
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the righteous suffer? These are questions that has been asked since the beginning of time. A prominent American Rabbi by the name of Harold Kushner wrote a book entitled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
Rabbi Kushner wrote this book as a reaction to his own personal tragedy. His son Aaron had premature aging, which he died from. This provoked a crisis of faith for Kushner, He wrote this book for people "who have been hurt by life", to help them find a faith that can aid in getting through their troubles, rather than making things worse.
In his book, Rabbi Kushner outlined the various ways that people try to salvage their view of God and His orderly world. They explain that misfortune occurs because;
-Someone made a mistake, or failed in the observance of some religious duty.
-God has a hidden purpose, or is making use of knowledge we don't have.
-Suffering itself will turn out to be good for us.
-God's purpose is in the grand design of the Universe (which is good and beautiful),not in the life of the individual.
-Suffering teaches something, either to us or to those who see us suffer.
-Suffering is a test.
-Death leads us and our loved ones to a better place.
Without getting into a long theological dissertation, for or against his arguments, I will try to summarize as best I can. The word of God never said that we didn’t have to suffer. The word of God never said that his people would be except from the cruelties of this world. The word of God does not say that we won’t be faced with pain and suffering in our lifetimes, but rather states emphatically that we can expect to suffer, in His name.
As Christians, we must accept this fact. Yes, we will suffer many things in this life. Most of which will seem unwarranted and even unfair. Even our Lord and Savior endured suffering that was not of his own doing. However, he realized in the garden of Gethsemane as he prayed to God, that suffering is sometimes a necessary process in order to die to the world and live for God.
Be Blessed
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Prayer:
El-Elyon, Most High God , El-Shaddai, Almighty God, El-Olam, Everlasting God, Father, Abba, You who are my everything. Lord, sometimes we get weary and tired. There are days when life seems more than we can bear. There are nights that my pillow is covered in tears and it seems as though no one cares. Father, I have hidden Your word in my heart. I dwell and meditate on Your word night and day. I thank You Lord for Your word that strengthens me. Lord, You have said we can do all things through Christ Jesus. You have told us that You are with us always, even until the end of times. You are in the fiery furnace with, on our ship that is caught in the storm, and in the valley of death. We don't ask that You come into our hearts and lives, only that You magnify Your presence. Touch us today, our minds, our hearts, our spirits, our very souls. Keep us in perfect peace. Strengthen us once again. Father, when I grow weary from the weight of my cross, empower me and order my steps so that I may continue down the path that You have chosen. Thank You Father. Thank You Lord. For the one who first carried my cross, Christ Jesus in his name we pray. Praise God, Hallelujah, Amen.
Scripture:
For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:11-12
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the righteous suffer? These are questions that has been asked since the beginning of time. A prominent American Rabbi by the name of Harold Kushner wrote a book entitled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
Rabbi Kushner wrote this book as a reaction to his own personal tragedy. His son Aaron had premature aging, which he died from. This provoked a crisis of faith for Kushner, He wrote this book for people "who have been hurt by life", to help them find a faith that can aid in getting through their troubles, rather than making things worse.
In his book, Rabbi Kushner outlined the various ways that people try to salvage their view of God and His orderly world. They explain that misfortune occurs because;
-Someone made a mistake, or failed in the observance of some religious duty.
-God has a hidden purpose, or is making use of knowledge we don't have.
-Suffering itself will turn out to be good for us.
-God's purpose is in the grand design of the Universe (which is good and beautiful),not in the life of the individual.
-Suffering teaches something, either to us or to those who see us suffer.
-Suffering is a test.
-Death leads us and our loved ones to a better place.
Without getting into a long theological dissertation, for or against his arguments, I will try to summarize as best I can. The word of God never said that we didn’t have to suffer. The word of God never said that his people would be except from the cruelties of this world. The word of God does not say that we won’t be faced with pain and suffering in our lifetimes, but rather states emphatically that we can expect to suffer, in His name.
As Christians, we must accept this fact. Yes, we will suffer many things in this life. Most of which will seem unwarranted and even unfair. Even our Lord and Savior endured suffering that was not of his own doing. However, he realized in the garden of Gethsemane as he prayed to God, that suffering is sometimes a necessary process in order to die to the world and live for God.
Be Blessed
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Prayer:
El-Elyon, Most High God , El-Shaddai, Almighty God, El-Olam, Everlasting God, Father, Abba, You who are my everything. Lord, sometimes we get weary and tired. There are days when life seems more than we can bear. There are nights that my pillow is covered in tears and it seems as though no one cares. Father, I have hidden Your word in my heart. I dwell and meditate on Your word night and day. I thank You Lord for Your word that strengthens me. Lord, You have said we can do all things through Christ Jesus. You have told us that You are with us always, even until the end of times. You are in the fiery furnace with, on our ship that is caught in the storm, and in the valley of death. We don't ask that You come into our hearts and lives, only that You magnify Your presence. Touch us today, our minds, our hearts, our spirits, our very souls. Keep us in perfect peace. Strengthen us once again. Father, when I grow weary from the weight of my cross, empower me and order my steps so that I may continue down the path that You have chosen. Thank You Father. Thank You Lord. For the one who first carried my cross, Christ Jesus in his name we pray. Praise God, Hallelujah, Amen.
