I May Not Know What The Future Holds, But I Know Who Holds The Future!

In today's world with so many bad things happening around us, it's easy to find ourselves worrying or being afraid, but I'm here to tell you that there's no need, because although we don't know what the future holds, we know who holds the future!

We must have the faith of Shadrack, Meshack, & Abednego. As the story goes, the King had issued a decree that said that the people had to fall down and worship the image he had made anytime they heard the sound of music. If they did not, they would find themselves placed in the fiery furnace. The three Hebrew boys refused to bow down as they said, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us  out of thine hand, O King, but if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. And off they went into that fiery furnace!

If you are familiar with the story, then you know that God did indeed deliver them. They didn't know what the future held for them, but they did what they knew to do - worship and trust the One who held the future!

This is one of the reasons my friends that the scriptures tell us in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths." Our God is able to do everything but fail! Maybe you've been in a situation where you've asked God for something, but you didn't see it happen right away. Well, I'm here to tell you that just because it didn't happen yesterday or today, it doesn't mean that it's not ever going to happen. We must have faith in God's ability to do all things and hold on to our faith - both in season and out of season; when things are good and when things are in turmoil.

Consider Noah. The Lord told Noah to build an Ark because He was going to bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. Noah had never seen anything like that first-hand and he didn't  know what the future held, but he trusted in the One that held the future!

And then there's Abraham. The Lord told Abraham to take his son and offer him as a burnt-offering. Abraham was more than 100 years old when he and Sarah were blessed with Issac. Can you imagine waiting that long to have a child with your spouse only to be told that he must be given up as a burnt-offering? Regardless, Abraham went forward doing what the Lord had instructed him to do not knowing what the future held - but trusting in the One that held the future!

Our God is an awesome God and  is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Remember, we don't know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

Let's Leave The Blues Behind!

Blues: Sorry, cast down, weary, grief, sad, depress, heart broken.

Going into the new year the Lord wants us to be thankful, full of joy, and in good spirits. After all, if you really think about it, God has it all in control. Ephesians 5:20 says, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." The Lord wants us to be happy and thankful every day, now how can we become cast-down, depressed or heart-broken if we are happy?

Here's how we are going to do our part and beat the blues in this new year!!

1. Believe: what are we believing in? The positive word of God, of course! John 4:49-51 tells us, "The nobleman saith unto him, Sir come down err my child die. Jesus saith unto him, go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth." Jesus didn’t have to preach him a sermon, or show him a sign, the man simply believed. That’s the kind of trust we must have in His word.
2. Look for God's Purpose (i.e. Plan): to find God's purpose in this new year, we might have to go through a test; but friends, remember those tests are designed to take us to the next level - not to make us sad or cast-down. We must go through each test with a thankful heart, knowing that God is too holy, too righteous, and too just to allow anything to cross our path that’s not for our good and His Glory. As 1 Peter 5:10 says, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
3. Utilize the Promises in the Word of God: we must be sure to make use of God's word, and rehearse His word back to Him. He said that He would never leave us or forsake us; and that He is a very present help in the time of trouble. Philippians 4:19 says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" and Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." How can we become sad or cast-down if we are utilizing God's word?
4. Encourage other people: this may come as news to some, but it's not always about us - we must spread some cheer among others, encourage, and motivate someone else. As II Corinthians 1:4 tells us, "Who comforteth us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted to God."
5. Sing God's Praises: finally, no matter what our situation is, we must still be thankful. Look at Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25-26. They had been beaten and put into prison, and despite that, at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God. If they can sing praises after all of that, surely we can manage to make a joyful noise unto the Lord and be thankful for the many, many wonderful things He’s done for us.

So you see, it’s easy to beat the blues this new year - we just need to continue to be thankful for all things and all situations. Remember, it’s very important that we give thanks, because God gives blessing by the way we give thanks.

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

The Devil Has Plots, But God Has Plans!

Plot: a conspiracy, to scheme secretly
Plan: a method for achieving some thing, have in mind an intention or purpose

In Jeremiah 29:11 the word of God says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord, thoughts of peace,and not of evil, to give you an expected end." In other words, God knows the plans He has for you. Those plans are of peace (or calm) and not of evil (misery, woe, and affliction). We should trust in His plans for us and know that God had an answer to whatever our situation is BEFORE He ever put us into it. Now, on the other hand, all the devil has are plots - schemes to steal, kill and destroy. As we see in 1 Peter 5-8, the devil is like a roaring lion, walking around looking for lost souls to devour.

The devil's plots are those burdensome, hurtful, and ugly situations that we all find ourselves in every now and then. The thing we have to realize is that the Lord allows these situations to happen, because they are a part of His master plan. God has plans for us and those plans are designed to get us where He wants us to be. When it's all said and done, God's people always come out blessed. I heard T. D. Jakes say the other day that blessings and burdens go hand-in-hand - have you ever considered that? Well, if you think about it, another way to say that is this -- if we can be faithful to do what we know is pleasing in the sight of God in the midst of the devil's plots and schemes (i.e. the burden), we will come out on top (i.e. blessed).

Let's look at the plot of Haman, as told in the book of Esther. Haman is next in line behind the King with everybody in the kingdom bowing down to him - with the exception of one man, Modecai. Haman was so angry that he hatched a plot against the Jews because he was angry with one man. Haman had the gallows (structures made for hanging criminals) built for Mordecai, and then had the King to send out letters calling for the destruction of all the Jews. Little did Haman know that God had a plan! The evil that was plotted against the Jews was returned to his own bosom. Haman was hung on the gallows that was prepared for Mordecai and Mordecai was exalted! The word said that Mordecai was great in the King's house; next to the King, wearing royal apparel and the King's ring.

God allowed this plot to elevate Mordecai, in the midst of that storm, the Jews were fasting, praying, and calling on the name of the Lord -- all of the same things we must do. God is the head of all things, so we must trust Him. If we can do that, God will bring us out in His time and we will see His awesome intentions, purposes, and plans for our lives!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

When A Man's Ways Please The Lord!

To Please: to make (someone) happy or satisfied; to make a choice about what to do, have, etc.

The Bible says, "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverb 16-7). Today, let's spend a little time talking about Joshua and how he pleased the Lord. Joshua's life is a great example for us to follow and he left a profound legacy for each of us. Joshua was faithful to the Lord and his faithfulness kept the children of Israel faithful all his life. We need to be sure that we are living our lives more like Joshua - setting a good example for our children, our employees, our co-workers, and our fellow Christians.

As a result of his faithfulness, Joshua had favor with God. If we do what Joshua did, we will get the same results he got ("same God right now, same God back then" right?!). The Lord told him in Joshua 1:8, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

It's obvious that Joshua did as the word said, he was focused and obedient. We can see that by the way he went out to fight a battle. The Bible tells us that God fought for them. It also tells us of how the Lord cast down great hailstones from heaven upon their enemies, and how Joshua had favor with the Lord, so much so that when they were fighting in battle that "he said in the sight of all Israel, Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou, moon in the valley of Ajalon." And my friends, the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies (Joshua 10:11-13).

We may not be fighting a physical war, but we've all got some sort of battle going on - on the inside and on the outside. Some of those battles might be small and some probably feel like giants, but just as the Lord fought for Joshua and Israel - He will bless, fight, and protect us, but of course - we must stay the course! We do this by staying in His word and meditating on it day and night. We must also ask  for directions and be obedient when He directs us; i.e. we must accept the assignment He gives us. When we are pleasing unto Him, He will make our way prosperous. Remember, the walls of Jericho fell down with just praises unto God!

I’m sure that some of those in the battle were worried and that some were afraid, but the Lord took down every giant and there were no survivors. We can experience that same success and overcome our battles when our ways please the Lord. Whatever your battle might be, the Lord is saying the same to us as he said to Joshua - be strong and be courageous!

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

God Is Looking For Honesty!

Honest: Free from fraud or deception; truthful

It takes courage to be honest; but if we want to see God's blessing working in our lives, we must learn to be honest. God rewards honesty, integrity, and faithfulness. We may get away with not being honest for a while - but God knows. Not only does He know, but His word tells us that we will reap what we sow.

Honesty is a reflection of what’s on the inside of us; our actions are a reflection of our faith; and the truth in our actions is a part of being a good witness. Learning how to become a more honest person will also help us keep a clear conscious. If there is something you don’t like, by all means just say, "Lord - I really don’t like this, but help me to do it if it’s Your will." Just be honest with Him, because God is not going to bless a lie. The Lord - and other people - will forgive us if we will simply be truthful. 

While it is sometimes tempting (and easy!) to lie, misrepresent ourselves, or down play uncomfortable truths in an effort to avoid conflict; dishonesty is never good for our relationships. Remember - speaking the truth and living the truth helps those around us come to the truth. 

If something is built on dishonesty, it shall surely fall down, so we must be honest in our heart about who we are. If someone is dishonest with you or about you - you can’t do anything about that - you're not them. What you can do something about is what’s in you.

We should strive to be honest in all things, to all people - even our children. After all, they're people too and it's just as wrong to be dishonest with/to them as it is to any other person. God is looking for honest and fair people; how can He bless us with much when He can’t trust us with little?!

No one can be consistently honest without making a commitment to tell the truth. Speaking the truth and being honest and fair in all things is a mark of a healthy relationship. John 14:6 tells us that "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This means that when we follow dishonesty, then we are moving away from the Lord. Being honest is about following in God’s footsteps - for He cannot and has no need to lie. Trust in the Lord enough to be honest and fair in all things, my friends, so that you may draw nigh to Him.

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and Amen!