Stay In Your Lane!

Lane: Way or track, road, path, an aisle.

Today, I want to share with you the importance of staying in your lane. In the natural, we usually have to drive to get from point A to point B; so we get in our car and stay in our lane. There may come a time when you have to change lanes - maybe you see a sign telling you to change or merge lanes - so you do and once you've finish the task, you get back in your lane. That’s a sure way to prevent an accident from happening... not to mention it's much safer when we stay in the right lane.

Have you ever noticed how people sometimes try to drive in the Lord's lane? We see this happening a lot in our churches, on our jobs, and in our homes (side note - the outcome of that is never good). Take King Saul for an example -- he was anointed to be the King of Israel; in fact, the Lord fought battles for him. I Samuel 10:6 tells us that "...the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man." But even after the Lord did all those things for Saul, he still couldn't stay in his lane. Instead, he tried to do the Priest's job by offering up sacrifices. In fact, he went so far as to try to do the Lord's job and as a result, he deliberately disobey Him. The Lord sent him to wipe out the Amalekites, but Saul decided to keep their king alive and he took their cattle and other valuables as spoils (I Samuel 15). Saul's unwillingness to stay in his lane causes him to lose the kingdom and his life.

Samson is another example of someone who chose not to stay in their own lane. Samson was a special child; so special that the angel of the Lord instructed his parents how he should be raised even before he was conceived! Judges 13:5 reminds us that Samson was to be set apart to God from birth. He was a Judge of Israel who was to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines, but he didn’t stay in his lane. Noooo - instead Samson decided that he wanted a wife of the uncircumcised Philistine, which was unlawful. We all know how that turned out, right? Samson got out of his lane and that Delilah betrayed him. Getting out of his lane caused Samson to lose his freedom, his eyes, and in the end, his life.

Gideon, on the other hand, was a very ordinary person. Similar to Samson, he was appointed to be a Judge in Israel, only His job was to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, with the help of the Lord, of course. In Judges 6:15, Gideon said unto the Lord, "...oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father house." Sometimes the Lord calls us when we are nothing because that's exactly how He wants us; but we waste so much time trying to be/become something. Fortunately, Gideon was humble and he did as the Lord commanded, which was to tear down the altar of Baal. He went to battle with the Midianites and the Amalekites with only 300 men and the Lord... and you better believe they won the battle! Gideon stayed in his lane and because of it, Israel had rest for 40 years.

When we stay in our lane and drive by the standards the God has laid out in His word, we both honor our Lord and we protect ourselves from unexpected disasters. We must remain humble and thank the Lord for what He has given us to do. If we can just stay focused on our lane, there won't be a desire to get in anyone else’s lane. Of course that doesn’t happen over night; there has to be much time spent with the Lord to build that personal relationship with Him. That relationship is built by spending time in prayer and in His word. Once we have that foundation, it's easy to believe He’s going to take us just where we need to go... as long as we can remember to stay in our own lane!

With all that said let the church say amen... and AMEN!

Vengeance Belongs To God!

Vengeance: Punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense.

Sometimes we are like King David - we say the same thing he said in Psalms 94:3, "Lord how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" We don’t always like suffering long with people (and it doesn’t matter who they are), especially when we feel like they have done us wrong… it's often worse when it looks like they are going to get away with doing someone else that we care about wrong. That's when we want to take matters in our own hands and retaliate, but friends - that’s not God's way.

Romans 12:19 tells us "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." As a believer, we know that the Lord will do just what He says… but every now and then, it's like we want what we want when we want it, right? It feels like the Lord's time takes too long, we want vengeance NOW! We want vengeance when we feel like we have been mistreated; vengeance when we've been talked about; vengeance when we feel like someone is talking down to us. And don’t let our spouses make us angry… vengeance can't come fast enough, can it?! And what about that person driving too slow in the fast lane when we're in a hurry? We want to ride their bumper, blow our horn, or exact our own vengeance by running them off the highway (or is that just me)? It could be just one person or a whole bunch of folks that does something wrong to us and we immediately want to be the Prosecutor, the Judge, and the Jury… but that’s not the Lord's way.

The Lord doesn’t want us taking matters into our own hands, because He knows we won’t be merciful in our search for vengeance. That's why we have to turn things over to our merciful High Priest who says, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Be not overcome of evil, but over come evil with good" (Romans 12:17, 18, 21).

I assure you my friends, the Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps. He sees all things, He knows all things, and He’s everywhere at the same time. Hebrews 10:30 (Amplified Bible) reminds us, "For we know Him who said, Vengeance is mine (retribution and the meting out of full justice rest with me); I will repay (I will exact the compensation), says the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge and determine and solve and settle the cause and the cases of His people." To sum it up in a nut shell - no matter how bad we feel that we've been wronged - we can’t retaliate - vengeance belongs to our Lord. And when you really think about it - there is no one better to handle our woes!

With all that said, let the church say amen… and AMEN!

There Is No Testimony Without A Test!

Testimony: An outward expression of a religious experience; witness
Test: An examination to determine one knowledge skill, intelligence or other qualities.

I personally know what it means to go through a test; and I’m glad to say that each one has made me stronger in my walk with the Lord. My faith has increased and I’ve grown spiritually. If the Lord doesn’t allow us to be put to the test, we would never know what’s on the inside of us. If I had not been put to the test of not being free to go serve the Lord in His house as I pleased; I would have never learned how to persevere. If I had never been diagnosed with three different types of breast cancer; I would have never known that God can heal. I’m blessed to say that after passing that test, I can share my testimony - eleven years later, I’m healed and cancer-free - with no chemotherapy, no masetocemy... just my faith in God and His healing power! Always remember that The Lord allows us to be put to the test so He can redeem us out. The awesome thing about that is we don’t come out of those tests empty handed.


Job, for example, was a perfect and an upright man. One that feareth God, and escheweth evil (Job 1:9), but the Lord still allowed Satan to test him… not because Job did something wrong, but because the Lord wanted to take him to the next level. Satan began to go to work on Job - his first assault was on Job’s wealth, his children, and his servants. Some of his servants were slain with the sword; some were burned up in the fire along with his sheep. On top of that, there came a great wind from the wilderness that smote the four corners of the house and caused it to fall upon the young men and they all died. Even after Job heard all the bad news, he still worshipped The Lord. Job 1: 21 tells us that he said “naked came I out of my mother womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In the midst of that test, Job still worshipped and maintained his integrity.

Satan’s second assault was on Job’s body - he smote him with sore boils from the soles of his foot to the crown of his head. Job’s wife said unto him in Job 2:9-10, “dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God and die. But he said unto her, thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?  In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” Job came through his test with an awesome testimony - The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before – i.e. his latter end was much more than his beginning. It was truly an outward expression of a religious experience.

We always  think it’s the devil that brings things upon us, but my friends, the devil can’t do anything to us without the Lord’s permission. If we never had a problem, we wouldn’t know that God could solve them. We wouldn’t know the love and the mercy that He has for us, we wouldn’t grow and our faith wouldn’t increase. 

Remember, there is no going to the next level without a test and there is no test without a testimony. The victory is ours, as the Lord blesses and delivers us, He wants us to share our testimonies with others. I’ve shared mine, so make sure you get out there and share yours! Don’t forget, no matter what test you might be in the middle of, Jesus loves each and every one of you!

With all that said, let the church say amen… and AMEN!

There's A Message In The Mess

Message: A sign, indication, communication in writing or in speech

Mess: Disorder, confusion, trouble

We so often get ourselves in a mess - sometimes it's because we choose not to listen; sometimes it's because we get selfish and "decide" that it's going to be our way or the highway; and sometimes we just sit around and allow things to escalate and we simply don’t handle our business. There are many reasons why we find ourselves in a mess, but I'm here to tell you in every mess there’s a message!

Let’s take a look at Haman in Esther 3:1-2 -- the King promoted Haman and advanced him, and set his seat above all the Princes that were with him. "And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the King had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence." As a result, Haman got himself all worked up, just because one man would not bow down or give him reverence, so worked up that he sought to destroy all the Jews. All he really wanted to do was destroy Mordecai - he wanted to hang him, so much so that he had a gallows built for him - but in the end, he got himself into a big mess. Haman was exposed to the King by Queen Esther and they hanged Haman on the very same gallows that was prepared for Mordecai. The message there is don’t dig a ditch for someone else, because you could be the one to fall in it!

As parents, we sometimes get ourselves into a mess by trying to rescue our children (especially us moms). Sometimes we get ourselves in a financial bind that causes problems with our spouses. Most of the time our children don’t have the opportunity to learn and grow, because their crutch is right there to bail them out (that's us just in case you missed it). Much like being in school, life is a learning process for our kids. If they don’t pass the test, they will just have to repeat the process again, which means they will turn up at our doors again looking for that crutch. The message there is for us to stop trying to take the Lord’s job, as my daughter always tells me. It could be they are right where the Lord wants them to be, because He’s working on them - teaching them how to lean and depend on Him. Before bailing them out, be sure to go before the Lord and ask Him what He would have us to do and He will guide us.

Young ladies often get themselves in a big mess, because they think their biological clock is ticking and they need a husband, so they can have kids. The man could be on a page all to himself and that young lady still won’t listen to the Lord or any one else. She marries him and the next thing she knows, she's gotten herself into a big, old unhappy mess. The message there is, don’t go out and find a Bozo, pray and ask the Lord to send you a Boaz. The book of Ruth tells us that Boaz was a man of quality and character; a mighty man of wealth. Boaz didn’t fall in lust -- he fell in love.

Remember, God is not the author of confusion, He is the God of peace. He is our protector, our healer, our guide, our bank, our doctor, our lawyer and so, so much more! If we would just turn to Him and wait, we won’t get ourselves into such a mess and that is my message to you, my friends.

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!        

The Lord is MY Shepherd

* * Happy Wednesday Friends! Ms. Gloria is away this week, so I ask you all to bear with me as I attempt to fill in for her! Don't worry - Lord willing, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled program next week! * * 

Shepherd: a person who tends sheep; a pastor (a spiritual overseer)
Surely: with assurance, confidently; without doubt, certainly 

How many times have you said/rehearsed the 23rd Psalms?? Any "regular" church-goer has probably recited this at least a 100 times; but how many of those times have you ever stopped and really thought about what you were saying?

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Do you know what it means to be a Shepherd? A Shepherd is a person who looks after and tends to the needs of the sheep in his flock. He protects them from danger and makes sure that they are where they need to be, when they need to be there. As your shepherd, The Lord is looking after you and making sure that all of your needs are met.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

As your Shepherd, He allows you to get your natural and spiritual bellies fed with the good stuff -- not the dried-up, used-up fields that won't fill us up and keep us properly nourished. Oh no, we get to graze and rest within the hearty green pastures. And He makes sure that there are plenty of times of peace and calm (still waters) in our lives.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even when we feel beat down and broken, He restores our soul -- He fills us with His grace and peace and He makes us whole again. Like that spiritual GPS we talked about back in June, He's always guiding us along the path of righteousness to our ultimate destination (by His side).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Even when we've sunk to what feels like the lowest of the lows and it seems like death is shadowing us, He's right there... and if we will just believe and follow him without question (much like those sheep faithfully follow their Shepherd) we will have no reason to fear -- just ask Ms. Gloria - she's a living testimony! He is with us and He will use His rod and His staff to fend off any evils that try to attack His flock - be that illness, depression, or anything else that might try to come after us.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

In the natural, most of us tend to watch our backs around our enemies... and our so-called "frienemies" as well! As sheep are cautious of coyotes and foxes; we have to be cautious of anyone who tries to steer us from The Lord. How awesome is the Shepherd that prepares a table for us right smack-dab in the middle of those enemies?! There's no need to watch our backs when our spiritual Shepherd has anointed us with His holy oil and is watching our backs for us!

On top of that - our Shepherd is here to make sure that our cups are running over. Take a quick minute to visualize that -- a cup that's so full that the contents inside are literally spilling out -- talk about having more than you need, right? That can and will be you - if you will just have faith and keep believing. You might feel like the brokest of the broke right now financially-speaking, but stand strong, flock and keep following your Shepherd... sometimes it takes a little while to prepare a table! After all, we'll wait <somewhat> patiently for hours for a table at a nice restaurant. Can't we be patient enough to wait for The Lord's perfect time? I truly hope so, because this table and that overflowing cup are certainly well worth the wait!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This verse is one of those verses that really brings things home for me personally. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."  Not "possibly," and not "maybe," no, the Word says SURELY -- our definition tells us that means without doubt or certainly -- goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. The next time the world seems against you, rehearse that - "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life"- and say it until you believe it, because if your Shepherd is with you, who can be against you??

So stay true to your Shepherd and He will stay true to you... and He will dwell within and around you for ever!

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!