Seek The Lord First!

 Seek: to look for; attempt to obtain.

You know my friends, we are always looking for something - be it, good, bad, or indifferent. I think it's just in our nature. The great thing about that is the Lord doesn't have a problem with us seeking to obtain -- as long as what you're trying to obtain is in the will of God. The word tells us in Colossians 3:1-2; "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Some of us like to seek things of the world for our own selfish interest. For instance, we try to see how many houses we can buy or how many cars we can obtain. Others even push others down to elevate themselves in order to get the highest positions at work. That's not to say that those things are wrong necessarily; in fact, God's desire for us is that we should have those things. But there's an order by which we must obtain these things. We must seek first.

Here are three things we should be seeking:

• God's Kingdom. Matthew 6:33 tells us, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." God said in His word we can have the desires of our heart, but we have to do something first... SEEK

• True Wisdom.  Proverbs 2:7 says, "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly." We need true wisdom to obtain and to keep what we have obtained.

• Another's Benefit.  Ephesians 4:32. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you." It's not all about us, the Lord wants us to bless others as He has blessed us. So let's start by giving, forgiving, and being tenderhearted.

When we look for things and at least attempt to obtain them in the order that God wants us to; we won't have to try SO hard to chase things down. That's not to say that you won't have to do anything (remember, faith without works is dead!) - but it won't be as hard. The Lord will see us doing things in an orderly fashion and He will then bring those things to us. Let's remember to seek the Lord first.

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

How to Get the Peace of God in Your Life!

Peace: Not quarrelsome; free from disturbance; calm

Even in today's world - full of torment, unrest, disturbance, and in the midst of trouble on every hand - we can still have peace. The peace that I'm talking about begins within, where we know that God is with us every step of the way; where we realize that God is the head over all things. Once we really understand that on the inside, it will be reflected on the outside. The word tells us in Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." In other words, when our mind is stayed on Him, we are free from disturbance and  we will have calmness in him.

You might be asking yourself, "Self, how can I get this calmness?" Well fortunately, Paul gives us some answers in Philippians 4:4-7:

Step 1 (verse 4): "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice." We must rejoice because it is written that the joy of the Lord is our strength. My aunt often talks about how the Lord will give you peace in the midst of your storm. For her, these are not just words - when she lost her only child, it was then that she truly realized that God was her peace. 

Step 2 (verse 5): "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." In other words, let every one see your calmness, show that you are unselfish, and be very considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon! 

Step 3 (verse 6): "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." As that old song says, don't worry about a thing; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what your needs are and don't forget to thank Him for His answer.

After we complete these three steps, verse 7 finishes it off for us: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

By following these steps, you will experience God's peace, in an abundant way - which is more wonderful than the human mind can understand or even imagine. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

Remember the Lord said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I into you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let is be afraid" (John 14:27).

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

God Specializes In Your So-Called Failures!

Specialize: To focus one’s efforts in one field of activity or study
Failure: The state of failing, a breaking down in health, action, or strength

Our God is an awesome God! He didn’t call us because of any special talent that He’s has given to us, or because we were wise, nor because we were strong. In truth, God is looking for a people that are weak.  

Paul tell us that not many that are noble, not many that are mighty are called; God is looking for someone who is so weak that they will have no choice but to depend on Him. God is looking for failures; for people that can’t make it on their own. He’s looking for people who are so low that they can't even pretend to be Super-Righteous or Oh-So-Holy; He’s looking for the folks that didn’t know how they were going to make it until they found God.

You might be asking yourself why the Lord would be looking for those types of people? Why? Because He specializes in failure, that's why. He specializes in people who are trying to get some place, but are struggling so much that they can’t make it to the next stop. Some times those people even falling down and say, "God help me," "God give me strength," "Pick me up Lord!" That’s what He’s waiting on - those that are so broken down and humble that all they can do is cry out to Him. Not those who think and act as if they can make it on their own, those who just DARE someone to get in their way - you know the type, right? Well, you better believe that is not the type of person that God is looking for.

Even as Christians, we occasionally get too strong and we get to the place where we say or think that we don’t need God. We may not always say it out loud, but our actions certainly reflect it. Like when we get so strong that we think that we don’t need to pray everyday; or when we begin thinking that we made it to this place of great success all by ourselves. Guess what, friend? God is not looking for a people like that.

Let me share with you a quick example of some people who came up short when they tried to make it on their own. Luke 5:3-6 tells us, "And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

In our example, you see that Jesus put the Word in first - he taught the people the word first and then blessed the people next. He did that because the Word is where success comes from; whether it’s natural or spiritual. If you're feeling a bit like Simon - maybe you feel like you've toiled all night and you still have nothing - let me tell you that there is hope, but not until we acknowledge that we don’t know everything; that we are weak and that we can't do anything without the Lord. It's at that point of "failure" that the Lord can work with us.

Our failures serve as a reminder that we have left something critical out -- that something is the Word. Get in the Word and turn your failures over to the Lord... because He specializes in them. We no longer have to depend on ourselves, all we have to do is put the word in our ship (or in the present, put the word in our heart).

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

God will Make a Believer Out of Us!

Believer: to have a firm conviction about something

If we chose not to humble ourselves and give God the glory that He so rightly deserves, then we will be very sorry. We have no strength or power within ourselves to do anything, so let's give God the glory He so rightly deserves. I want to share a story about a man who didn't give God the glory that he deserved. Instead, he gave the glory to himself.

As you can imagine, God made a believer out of Nebuchadnezzar! He got so full of himself that he said, I, By My Own Mighty Power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence, and as the capital of my empire. While he was still speaking these words, a voice called down from heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you: you are no longer ruler of this Kingdom. You will be forced out of the palace to live with the animals in the field, and to eat grass like the cows for seven years until you finally realize that God parcels out the kingdom of men and give them to any one He chooses." That very same hour this prophecy was fulfilled.

Nebuchadnezzar was chased from his palace and ate grass like the cows, and his body was wet with dew, his hair grew as long as eagles feathers, and his nails were like birds claws. "At the end of seven years I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity return, and I praised and worshiped the Most High God and honored Him who lives forever, whose rule is everlasting, His kingdom evermore. all the people of the earth are nothing when compared to him; He does whatever He thinks best among the hosts of heaven, as well as here among the inhabitants of earth."

"No one can stop Him or challenge Him. Now, I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of Heaven, the judge of all, whose every act is right and good; for He is able to take those who walk proudly and push them into the dust" Daniel 4:31 - 37 (TLB).

My friends, let's stay humble so that God can use us. Our strength and our might all belong to the Lord.

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