Confusion

We need to remember that the enemy seeks to hinder our walk with Christ through the spirit of confusion. Confusion can arise in marriages, in families, and even in local churches. We must seek to defeat this spirit through our desire to draw near to God. Is it possible that confusion begins when we stop desiring what God wants for our lives? It is so easy to drift off into a spirit of selfishness which places my desires above the plan and will of God that is revealed in His Word. How do I change directions and avoid taking the road of confusion? First, I begin to read His Word and meditate on the direction for my life that He has placed in the Word. Second, I begin to re-focus my thoughts on Him. I remind myself of His love, care, interest and concern that He has exhibited toward me. Third, I begin to pray. I do not begin by asking for more "things" from God; no, I begin by seeking for a deeper revelation of His presence in my life as well as a stronger relationship with Him. I also begin to ask Him for wisdom so that I can make the right choices when the tough decisions of life confront me. It is during these times that I will recognize the depth of God's love for me as an individual member of His family. Much of our confusion will clear up when we view the world from God's perspective.

Hebrews 10

Our world is one in which there is much confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty; this would be on the individual as well as collective level. But we understand from the Bible that God is not the author of confusion. He desires to bring rest, peace, and calmness in the midst of the storms and challenges of life. The Spirit gives strong encouragement through today's passage found in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise" (NLT). Confusion comes when we waver, or it can cause you to waver when you are are uncertain about which road to take. But you will be hopelessly confused if you don't even know what you are looking for at the end of the road. If you take the Word of God as your compass for life; you will at least be certain about what road not to take. This is a day in which we need to make the right choice with regards to the road that we will travel. God is calling for all of us to remember that He is still "the way, the truth, and the life." We can feel safe when we follow His leading and we can feel secure when we know that He is in charge of our lives and nothing about us escapes His attention! The meeting at Hazel Green was a great blessing. The Spirit challenged our hearts each evening. What will we do with what we have heard; that is the question that all of us must answer with regards to our walk with God. We must put into practice the revelation of His truth so that our lives can mature into a deeper passionate love relationship with Christ. Oh, that I may know Him in a more intimate relationship which will lead me to love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and passion. Thank you Pastor St. Clair and Hazel Green church for such a wonderful welcome into the local body of believers.

Acts 20

The service last night was very challenging; the Spirit reminded us that there are all types of forces which seek to interfere in our fulfilling our purpose from God. Some of these are demonically imposed while some of these are self-imposed. Our view of ourselves will either lead us to the life of success or our view will lead us to the chasm of failure and defeat. I firmly believe that Christ came to break the curse of satan and that we are able to walk in victory based on the provision that Christ made for us at Calvary when He died on the cross. But the choice to succeed or fail lies in the sphere of my ability to believe and receive the blessings of Christ into my life. Each and every day I sense a greater desire in my heart to fulfill the purpose that God has intended for my life. I can only present myself to Christ so that He can take me and mold me into His pre-determined design. God has a plan and it becomes my responsibility to follow that plan. Pay close attention to our scripture for today; Acts 20:24, "My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. " (NLT) What a wonderful opportunity that God has given me; He has called me to join Him in the process of spreading the Good News to people who are in need of hope and direction. Oh God, help me remain focused on my responsibility to obey You and to surrender my life to Your direction. Always remember; God has called you to succeed and not to fail in your walk with Him. Rebuke the spirit of failure in the name of Jesus; make a conscious decision that you are going to follow Christ and watch Him manifest His presence in your life.

Psalm 42

The first two verses of Psalm 42 were brought to my attention during prayer and study time this morning. I want to remind you of what the Spirit said through the Psalmist; "As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before Him?" (NLT) As I wrote that passage I was reminded of the action words that were being used by the writer. The words "pants, long for you, thirst, come and stand." Each of these words and phrases leave us with the idea that there needs to be a desire flowing out of our hearts. Over the past years, I have spoken much about passion, fervency, intimacy and surrender to God. But I am convinced that this is the call from God; this is the hour in which the people of God must move from passivity into an active response to God where we put into action those spiritual desires that God is placing in our hearts. In come cases these are new desires that we sense and in some cases He is simply re-awakening those desires which have become dormant in our walk with God. In either case, I desire to respond to God in the appropriate manner and allow Him to draw me into deeper fellowship with Him. The service last night was powerful. The Word of God was given free course in the lives of those who were in attendance and I truly believe that there were eternal changes that took place in the lives of those who sought after the presence of God. It becomes our responsibility to walk in the strength of what God reveals, declares, and releases in our lives. God will provide but we must walk by faith into the promises of God. I look forward to another outpouring of the Spirit in tonight's service.

Weekend Review

The services in Hazel Green, Alabama went very well on Sunday. Pastor St. Clair and the local church offered me a warm welcome back to the church. I was here one year ago in revival services; this is also the second church that Ann and I served as Pastors during the early years of our ministry. This local church gave us the opportunity to grow and mature in our journey with God; as a matter of fact some of the youth and children that were here during our Pastorate are now leaders in the local body. I am honored to be able to serve them this week and I have a burning desire to share those things which will glorify God and edify the local body of believers. This passage of scripture was in my daily reading today and it confirmed a thought that I received during prayer this morning. Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength" (NLT). Many of us battle the fear of failure; we are always afraid that we will not be able to please God with our lives and then usually we go on to list the reasons that we will fail. But I have come to share some good news, God has not planned for your failure; He has planned for you and me to succeed. But our trust is not in our power or ability but our trust is in the strength that God will provide through our on-going relationship with Jesus Christ. He is our STRENGTH! Our confidence can not come from our abilities but it comes from the inner assurance that God is by our side, making His power and wisdom available to you and working out His purpose for your life. When you begin to lose confidence in God, go to His promises in the Bible and allow the Word to reassure you regarding His presence and power. Today, take a moment and remember the promises that He has already fulfilled in your life and allow these memories to encourage you to continue your journey of faith and surrender. Let us continue to pray, fast, and seek after more of God's presence as we continue our journey into 2009.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 32:8, "The LORD says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Many of us can remember the television commercial concerning the E.F. Hutton company. The punchline of the advertisement said; "When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen." Is that true when we hear God speak to us through His Word, through the impressions and directions that He places in our lives, or through the encouraging words of others? The first three words of the passage drew my attention this morning; "The Lord says..." We are blessed that we can place our confidence in God who is speaking the words to us. Words are only as good as the ability/power of the one who is speaking the words. The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life." We can feel confident that God has the ability to accomplish that promise in our lives. God assumes that responsibility to provide guidance if I will truly recognize Him as the Guide of my life. God is not just a map; He is the Guide. The guide not only shows you the path to travel but you follow the guide as he leads the way. 2009 will require us to follow the Guide even when we are unsure of the path. Remember the Words of the Lord, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life." Let us resolve to commit ourselves to him today and invite Him to be the Guide of our journey!

Fear or Anticipation

We are completing the first week of 2009. Some of us are still trying to recover from the challenges that we faced in 2008 and it is difficult for us to anticipate much good happening in 2009. But I have come with some good news; you and me do not have to be trapped by fear, we can walk in the anticipation and knowledge that God is with us on our journey. Listen to the words of this passage; Hebrews 13:5, "Stay away from the love of money, be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, I will never fail you. I will never forsake you." (NLT) WOW, what a promise from God Himself; He will not fail neither will He walk away from us. I write these words to encourage those of you who are facing mountains of circumstances in your life that seems impossible to overcome. There comes a time in our lives in which we must seek to trade our fears for faith in God. Fear doesn't respect anyone. Fear touches all ages. Fear is acquainted with every walk of life. Fear can be destructive and paralyzing. Fear can bring torment to our lives. But faith can bring us into the calm assurance that God is with us regardless of the storms that may be swirling around our lives. Take a moment, lift your heart to God and say this prayer from the depth of your soul. "Dear God, I trade my fear for your promises. I trade my doubt for faith. I trade my weakness for Your strength. I trade my concerns for Your hope. In the name of Jesus, AMEN! It was a pleasure being with Pastor Wheat and the Harvest Church this week. Truly the presence of the Lord was in the services each evening and I am convinced that God deposited much in all of our lives. Thank you Harvest church for such a warm welcome and thank you Holy Spirit for such powerful unction and anointing. Thank you Holy Spirit for the response of the people who were hungry to seek after the face of God.