Vengeance Belongs To The Lord!

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!

God is Love!

Love: Attachment, Affection, Adore, and Worship

God is the only one who knows how to REALLY love. His love is real, it’s unconditional, and it’s eternal. His love picks us up when we are down... and we were down - WAY DOWN - but God loved us so much that He sent His son - His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. God didn't have to do that. And He didn't do it because WE loved Him, but because He loved US. He is our saviour, our hero, our redeemer. He said in His word, He would never leave us nor would He ever forsake us. Why?  Because God is love!

Isaiah 49:15 asks the question, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Why?  Because God is love!

God's love will never fail; it will never fade out or become obsolete, and it will never come to an end.  If we go down a path that’s not pleasing to the Lord, He said My anger is not turned away, but my hand is stretched out still. His hand is stretched out because He wants to pull us back to Him. Why?  Because God is love!

He will never give up on us and He will never put us down. He’s attached, He adores us. His love for us endures long and is patient and kind; it is not conceited, it’s not rude. His love toward us is SO AMAZING! I’m not saying that there will never be unpleasant times in our lives - there will be - but just know that His love and His mercy is there to gather us up with His arms and carry us in His bosom and gently guide us. He told us that He will stick closer than a brother - if we will just trust Him; He will redeem us out of our unpleasant situations. Why?  Because God is love!

There's a song that says "What the world needs now is love, sweet love, that’s the only thing that’s there’s just too little of," In my opinion, what she was really saying is - "What the world needs now is God." Why?  You got it - Because God is love!

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!  

Believe and Trust in God!

Believe: accept as true, to have a firm conviction about something
Trust: to place confidence, to rely on

Some people believe that hell is right here on earth, while others believe that all they need to do is be a good person and they will spend eternity with the Lord. There are people who believe there is no God, while others believe only in their riches. Today, I want to share with you how we should believe in the real and true God - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's look at Daniel. Daniel believed in his God and accepted God's word as the truth when He said; "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). And wouldn't you know it - all the Presidents of the Kingdom, the Governors and the Princes, the Counsellors, and the Captains - basically everyone with any type of power - then consulted together to establish a royal statute AND make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days shall be cast into the den of lions. As you might know, Daniel continued to pray to his God three times a day as he had always done and as was decreed, he was put in the den of lions. Daniel 6:23 tells us that Daniel was taken up out of the den, and that no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. That's the type of confidence we must have in God. If we're able to do that, He will deliver us from our situations, just as He did for Daniel.

Friends, when God is for you, tell me who can be against you? No One! But it's essential that we do our part by believing and trusting in Him. God said that He would never leave us or forsake us, so that means wherever we are, God is right there in the midst. We don't have to worry about other people and what they might do (or might not do, for that matter), because with God at the center - they might dig a ditch they intend to be for you, but they will be the ones to fall in.

If your faith ever begins to get weak, just stop and take a minute to remember what He did for the three Hebrews boys, for Daniel, and the many wonderful things that He has done for us -- that should be enough to snap your faith right back into place!

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