God Still Meets the Needs of His Family

Philippians 4:19, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

It would be amazing to know the number of times that this passage of scripture has been read or quoted during this year. It is probably one of the favorite passages for those of us who are facing challenges or for those of us who have faced challenges. These words of the Spirit spoken and written through the life of the Apostle Paul encourage us to remember that God has power over all situations and in all situations. God, the Creator of the Universe still has the ability and let me add His Word teaches that He has the desire to share with His people those resources they need to meet the challenges of life.

I am reminded of the promise spoken through Paul very often as I am praying for the needs of others both in the public setting of a church service as well as during my private time of prayer and intercession. During this past week I have spoken at a Men's Conference as well as a local church Revival meeting. There was one common denominator of both of those meetings; there were people with needs BUT the presence of God was revealed to meet those needs in each of the meetings. 

The presence of God will remind us of His power, authority, and rule over all of the powers that seek to hinder, destroy, discourage, frustrate, etc. our walk with God. I prayed with many individuals who released their faith and brought to God various struggles, needs, situations, battles, etc. But in each case I was able to pray with boldness, faith, courage and great hope according to the promise found in Philippians 4. I sensed that same promise this morning as I "prayed through" my prayer list of people in need. God is certainly "able and fully qualified" to meet any need that you are facing today. Do not give up, do not give in, and do not surrender your faith to the attacks/strategies of the enemy. 

God can still defeat and overthrow the attempts of the enemy to derail your faith in the promises of God!!

Thirsty for God

Psalm 42:1-2, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When can I go and meet with God? (NIV)

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I have thought on this passage of scripture many times in the recent years. I am sure that I have referenced it from time to time in a Bible Study or message. Yet, I still don't know if I actually live this out on a daily basis. Is my soul truly "thirsty for God" or is that just some of the Christian "language/verbiage" that I have learned to toss around so that I can appear to be a spiritual person? Let us be honest with each other; it is a lot easier to "talk the talk rather than walk the walk." I can shout these words from a mountain top day after day but reality is calling me to put this passage of scripture into daily operation in my life.

I know where the refrigerator is located when I become thirsty at home. Thirst will quickly move me toward my destination. I also quickly partake of what I was looking for once I arrive at its location. God is awakening our spiritual thirst. But will we arise and draw near to His presence? Or will be just become comfortable with the status quo and only discuss our need for more of God? The second option is far more simple and requires less commitment on our part. But let me hasten to add this nugget of truth, "We are still thirsty after all of the discussions." A lot of talking only adds to our problem of thirst; it never alleviates it in any manner, shape or form. 

What action will we take? Will we choose to talk or will we choose to pursue more of God in our lives? 

Let me share something with you that I read this morning. These words express much of what I feel in my heart. 

"There's something in the depths of my soul that desperately yearns for the Lord. I have a desire to know Him in the unfathomable wonder of His glory. I want to move beyond the heartless worship and empty religious forms and have an overwhelming experience of His presence.

I don't just want to know about the Lord. I yearn to encounter Him in the fullness of who He is." 

Our Walk with God

Psalm 40:8, "I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” (NLT)

The enemy of our soul seeks to make our walk with Christ as difficult as possible. I believe these challenges can serve as distractions and discouragements. The Bible reveals many of the enemy's "tricks of the trade" as we read and study the Word of God. Some of these challenges can be avoided as we seek to make correct decisions on our daily journey through life. But it does appear that some of the other challenges that we face in life can not be avoided. 

But the real test of our faith is found in our response to those challenges. How will I handle those challenges that are presented to me? I think that it is safe to say that the Psalmist David faced some challenges in his life. I think that it is also safe to say that he did not always handle those challenges correctly. But this verse in Psalm 40 offers some insight into our method of successfully handling the challenges that we will face in our lives.

1) We can take joy in the living out the will of God to the best of our ability on a daily basis. Let us resolve that we will walk with "joy" as we obey God. Obedience should not be a weight that we carry around. A heart that is set on living in obedience will find their decisions liberating rather than cumbersome. 

2) The strength and joy of God is found in having the instructions of God in our heart and not just in our mind. True Christianity will require more than just knowledge about God. True Christianity requires knowing God in a personal manner and that happens through our relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you just know "about God" or do you know God through a relationship with Jesus Christ? 

Take time to allow the instructions of God to be written on your heart!!

How Can All Be Well?

Last night I participated in a group discussion with leaders in which we discussed means, plans, ideas, strategies, desires, etc. to reach this generation with the message of the Gospel. It did not take us very long into the discussion before we began to identify some of the obstacles, challenges, sins, and difficulties that we face. I don't believe that it is wrong to identify the strategies of the enemy because this process of identification affords us the opportunity to plan our counterattack against the enemy. This process of identification will work for us as individuals as well as benefit a congregation of believers in my opinion.

I will not name all of the obstacles or challenges that we identified last night but I will share that the stress and anxiety of life quickly appeared in our conversation as a major struggle that we face. Many of you who read this blog have faced and maybe continue to face the stress of everyday life (marriage, finances, rearing your children, concerns with employment, health issues, just to name a few.). This post is not written to discourage you but it is meant to let you know that it is all right to "get real" with God and let Him know about the "real" issues of life that we face on a daily basis. I will confess that I have learned that honesty with God during my personal prayer time is one of the best decisions that I have learned to make regarding my walk with Christ. Christ already knows our struggles but as we verbalize those needs it opens the door of faith and we are able to invite Christ into our situation.

Our Call to Worship leader a few weeks ago shared a story about Horatio G. Spafford. You may not be familiar with Mr. Spafford but many of us will be familiar with one of the songs he wrote. He was led to write a powerful song in the midst of a great challenge in his life. His family has perished in a trans-Atlantic voyage and Mr. Spafford shares these words with us at one of the darkest moments in his life. You may ask, "How did he write this song at such a difficult time in his life?" He must have chosen to identify his hurt and sorrow yet at the same time he chose to allow God entry into his wounded heart and soul. He penned words that would resonate throughout Christianity and I dare say that many of you have sung this song or at least a portion of this song. The song actually has six (6) verses but I am most familiar with four (4) of them. I will share those verses with you. Allow the Spirit to speak peace to your heart and soul as you read these words.

1. 
   
2. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well with my soul,
     It is well, it is well with my soul.
3. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
4. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
5. 
   
6. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
7. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
8. The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
9. Even so, it is well with my soul.

There is peace, rest and calm assurance in the midst of your storm!!

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Reminders, Part 2

I sense that God continues to encourage me to remind each of us of the need to remember and reflect on those marvelous blessings that God has provided for us. I know that each of us have not traveled through this world without cares, trials, battles, struggles, challenges, etc. As a matter of fact some of you may even carry "battle scars" from some of the situations that you have faced. But each of  us need to realize that God has been at work in our lives even as we have faced those challenges. Lamentations 3 teaches us that the compassion of God is new each morning. Most of us like to eat fresh bread rather than stale or dried out bread. We can find spiritual rest and peace in the fact that the compassion of God is fresh from the presence of God on a daily basis.

I have heard several testimonies this week regarding prayers that have been answered during the lifetime of different individuals. In the midst of conversations these individuals felt led to share them with me. Could this have been a coincidence or was this arranged by the sovereignty of God? I personally believe it was one of God's ways to remind me that He does work in the lives of people even when they may feel overwhelmed or discouraged by all of the circumstances that they are enduring. We have come this far on our journey by faith in the goodness and greatness of God. Would you join with me and offer praise to the Lord God Almighty for what He has already done in your life? Don't wait for another blessing before you praise Him for the blessings that He has already provided!!!

I would like to share a quote with you that I read this morning. 

"We need deliberately to call to mind the joys of our journey. Perhaps we should try to write down the blessings of one day. We might begin; we could never end; there are not pens or paper enough in all the world." — George A. Buttrick

Reminders

I believe that God has assigned me a specific task with this blog post this morning. I feel an urgency in my spirit to "remind" you about the greatness of God. I can imagine some of the early thoughts that you will have as you read the words "remind" and "greatness." You may even think that I already know that those two ingredients of our relationship with God are important ingredients to remember. And you may even be correct in making that assumption. But reality lies in the fact that we do forget to remember and we do forget about the greatness of God ESPECIALLY when we are facing a time of struggle, concern, anxiety, frustration, disappointment, etc. I believe that the enemy does his best to create a spirit of "spiritual amnesia" during those moments in our lives.

It is during those moments that we bring our thoughts under the influence of the Word of God and the Spirit of God. I understand that we do not even have the ability to know all of the provisions that God makes for us much less remember each and every one of them. BUT WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY to reflect and meditate on the goodness and greatness of God as we travel this road of life. Spiritual contemplation (deep and sincere meditation) in my opinion is one of the weapons of our spiritual warfare and it may have been inadvertently discarded because of the busyness of the world in which we live. It is possible that our time to "think" about the goodness and greatness of God has been pushed aside so that we can accomplish things that satisfies the flesh. Is it possible that our soul is growing weak while all of the time the appetites and desires of the flesh are growing stronger? 

How long has it been since you sacrificed some of your plans so that you could spend time in the presence of God in meditation, contemplation and prayer? We need to remember to never forget the goodness and greatness of God!! Our (my) walk with God will grow stronger if I (you) will spend time in His presence!!

True Transformation

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)

I continue to rehearse some of the thoughts that God placed in my heart to share during the message this past Sunday. I believe the Spirit placed the word "transformation" in my heart during prayer this morning. Aren't you thankful that God has the ability to see you as the person you can become and not just see you as the person that you are at this present moment? God is in the business of transformation. He takes a life that is marred and scarred by the sins in his/her life and turns them into a beautiful life that reflects His glory in this world. Did I just hear someone lift a "Thank You Jesus" toward Heaven as they thought about the process of transformation that has taken place in their life? I shout a resounding AMEN as I type these words sitting at my desk reflecting on the goodness of God.

I would like to share a portion of a story that I shared during the message on Sunday. It gives us a brief glimpse into the life of a man who desperately needed transformation BUT it also gives us a true glimpse of the heart of God for lost humanity. Would you take a moment and read these words but would you also take a moment and remember your own personal story of conversion?

Pressed into service in the Royal Navy, John Newton was dismissed for insubordination and turned to a career trafficking in slaves. Notorious for cursing and blasphemy, Newton served on a slave ship during the cruelest days of trans-Atlantic slavery, finally working his way up to captain.

A dramatic conversion on the high seas set him on the path to grace. He always felt a sense that he did not deserve his new life. He became a rousing evangelical preacher and eventually a leader in the abolitionist movement. Newton appeared before Parliament, giving irrefutable eyewitness testimony to the horror and immorality of the slave trade. We also know him as the author of the lyrics of perhaps the best-loved hymn of all time, “Amazing Grace.”

Newton described any good in himself as an outworking of God’s grace. In doing so, he stands with these great heroes—a murderer and adulterer (King David), a coward (the apostle Peter), and a persecutor of Christians (the apostle Paul).

This same grace is available to all who call upon God, for “in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians. 1:7). 

You may remember a verse of one of Newton’s song.

"Amazing grace—how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see."

We can rejoice in the "Amazing Grace" of God. Your story may not be as dramatic as the story of John Newton. BUT you and I do need to share our story when God provides the opportunity. Each of us need to always be open to those opportunities to share our story with others. 

God's View of You

Matthew 14:13-14, "When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick." (NKJV)

This past weekend at church reminded me of two (2) very important truths that I need to remember. 1) God has provided many miracles for His children. 2) There are many people who are in need of miracles in different areas of their lives. I just described two different scenarios yet the same God is present in both of those scenarios. We see and remember God who has worked a miracle and through the eyes of faith we see God who is able to work many more miracles for His children. I am encouraged as I realize that I have seen God at work and I also can realize the opportunity for God to work. Today I offer thanksgiving to God who has worked in my life. Today I offer praise to God for what He is planning to do in the future. And today I also offer worship, honor and adoration for those things that God is providing at this present moment in my life as well as the lives of other people that I know and serve. 

We must remember that Christ looks at us through eyes that are filled with compassion and concern. He makes this declaration in this passage of scripture found in Matthew. Other passages of scripture remind us that Christ takes an unique perspective as He looks at the struggles of His children. How will we respond to the concern and care of Christ? Will we listen for His voice that is calling us nearer to Him? Will we surrender our weaknesses to His strength? Will we place our trust in His Words of love and in some cases correction? Will we choose to follow His way rather than our own way? 

Let us make the decision to respond to Christ in a heart of obedience, trust, and surrender. He will minister to our lives if we choose to receive the Grace and Mercy that He offers to us through His sacrificial death on the cross. I want to say YES to the concern and care that Christ is offering to me!!!

Trusting in God

2 Corinthians 4:7-9, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed." (NLT)

Tuesday, September 30th will be a day that will be remembered by our family for a long time. Our oldest grandson is a Freshman at the high school in Louisville in which an incident of gun violence took place. Thankfully no one lost their life although one of the students was wounded by another student from the school. The initial reports from the Police Department indicate that this was an isolated event rather than a gunman on a campaign bent on mass destruction. We are thankful that all of the students as well as the faculty of the school and surrounding schools were sparred any further harm. We also appreciate the quick response of the school security staff as well as the Sheriff's Department and the Louisville Police Department. Their quick, thorough, and professional response to this terrible incident led to the safety of the other students as well as the apprehension of the perpetrator of the crime. The police are often criticized over the misstep and unethical actions of a few but they are very seldom ever recognized for their professional performance on a daily basis. I do not deny that there are "bad people" in the Police Departments of our nation but this is also true in all professions. But there are also many brave men and women who place their lives on the line for the citizens of this nation on a daily basis and they deserve our respect, recognition and appreciation.

There are many things that have gone through my mind the past couple of days. There were many things that went through my mind as I paced back and forth in a local park waiting on our grandson as well as the other students and faculty to be released from the lockdown at the school. These emotions ranged from fear, frustration, aggravation, disappointment, anger, and thankfulness once we received the "all clear" word from the Police. I soon moved away from the "why" of the situation and began to look for our grandson to walk down the road into the park. I knew that when I saw him we were closer to leaving for home so that he could be reunited with his family. I could write more details about the wait and about the reunion of our family as well as the wait and reunions of the other family members who were also in the park. FYI: The High School has over 1500 students. Can't you imagine the joy that was expressed in that park when the first students began to arrive?

I had previously witnessed the scene of family members waiting for news concerning their children after a shooting incident in a school. But that has always been at a distance via a television screen. I never imagined that I would be one of those family members who would be in a location listening to policeman carrying shotguns, automatic weapons and dressed in protective body armor sharing information with us concerning the incident. I never imagined that I would hear the helicopters flying overhead and seeing television cameras from all of the local stations covering this tragedy in our city. But it was happening right before my eyes and "our grandson" was in the school and he was located on the same floor where the attack took place. The events that were unfolding before my eyes on Tuesday never crossed my mind when I was praying that morning. I can tell you what did cross my mind Tuesday morning. I was reminded of the greatness of God. I was reminded of the fact that ALL of us need God more than ever before. I was reminded that we live in a world of sin, rebellion and disobedience but that God's Grace is greater than all of the challenges we face. 

I will spare you the full content of my prayer time.  I felt inspired to share with our church a list of five (5) things to pray about concerning our children/students as they began their new school year. This Prayer List has been in our bulletin each week since the middle of August. Number 5 on that list is: "Pray for safety on the school properties." I AM THANKFUL THAT I PRAYED ON TUESDAY. I AM THANKFUL THAT I PRAYED THIS MORNING. 

HAVE YOU PRAYED TODAY?