Don't Worry; The Lord Will Deliver You

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."

Psalm 34:19

Make no mistake about it, as a child of the Most High God you are guaranteed afflictions along this Christian journey… When you are walking upright, in honesty and blameless throughout this world (which are all characteristics of righteousness) you are assured to be persecuted and afflicted… There are none on this earth who are righteous; however, through the bloodshed of Jesus we can be clothed in righteousness and therefore walk in victory as oppose to darkness… I state this about righteousness because it is important to understand that when you face trials because of your desire to walk in righteousness you must remember that the attack isn’t’ against you but against the one you are clothed in… This is why the psalmist states that even though we are afflicted, “…the Lord delivereth him out of them all…” This battle is about the God you serve; remember this in the midst of your storm because it will help you to know that you are not alone and not fighting this battle within your own abilities… This Christian walk isn’t green pastures, it isn’t fields of orchards or streams of rivers and despite what you may want to believe, you must understand this so that you don’t find yourself susceptible to the attacks within your mind by the enemy… In times of adversity God is going through it with you, that’s the only way that you make it out every single time and this is the greatest example of love…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Learn From Past Experiences

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

The biggest challenge of a Christian is the ability to forget yesterday while striving for tomorrow… There are a lot of things in life I am not proud of, but in Christ we must make the decision that our past will not restrict or limit our future; in fact, the past will provide experiences for a foundation of better decision making and yearning to do the will of God… Not only must we be able to overcome failures and skeletons, we must also realize the weight and bondage associated with our past if we do not overcome and release it… Ponder this statement very closely as we study today’s verses from Paul’s epistle to the church of Philippi… The more you carry on your shoulders, the more energy that is required to take a step… We all are probably aware of the great work Paul completed or begin in his life upon this earth… Several missionary journeys, many letters of encouragement and/or reform and even through all the years, at this point in his life he pens to the church that “I count not myself to have apprehended…” Though we toil in the garden that we have been called to tend, we can never make the mistake of thinking we have reached the heights of success that we are called to meet… We can never be satisfied or become satisfied on this earth as we are clothed in imperfection from the womb… I contend that every day you see on this earth is a day in which God has something that you have been designed to do… You have more work in your vineyard, you have more toiling in your fields and to understand this you must be able to leave the past in the past… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Christ Came To Defeat The Enemy; Not You

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:8

The path of life you travel does not have a happy ending without the bloodshed and nail-scarred hands of Jesus Christ… There are no works of our own which can justify our walk of life, you and I enter this world as sinners headed to hell and it is only through Jesus that we have a chance to inherit Eternal Life… Know that you are filthy rag and in need of a Savior, this is why John declares to us today that it was for this purpose the Son of God was manifested… The bondage of Sin was too great for us to overcome, the shackles could not be broken by our finite power, and there was a dire need for a Savior and Redeemer… Mankind was unfit for the task which would lead to liberation; there were none who could pay the penalty of sin which is another reason why it took the very Son of God… Today’s focus verse not only speaks to the damnation of mankind, it also speaks to the love and admiration which God displayed for His creation… There are very few of us who would give their son or daughter for the greater good of the world (let alone for a people which do not love and desire you); however, this is the very act which God partook in over 2,000 years ago… The bible declares that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us… It wasn’t that we loved God, but that He loved us in spite of… Before you were even in the midst of your situation, before you were neck deep in sin, Christ was born in a little town called Bethlehem… Before you even know God and the level of love and reverence you have for Him, the bible declares that Jesus laid down His life for you and destroyed the works of the devil… Know today that Jesus came to this earth with a purpose already set by God; a mission ordained for Him before the beginning of time. His mission was to defeat the enemy and give you an opportunity to live.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Suffering Is Part Of Your Calling (Part 2)

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Philippians 1:29

Paul writes to the church of Philippi encouraging them in their time of despair and need! The church is going and has gone through some rough spots and many have turned to idol worship… Paul reminds them today that Christ’s death is a privilege for us to partake of, to suffer for His name sake is also to be considered an honor… The church was under heavy persecutions; many had become weary and began to lose hope in the future and precious promises of God… Paul is reminding them that the same Christ that gave Himself up for you is the same Christ that will lead you through times of despair! Paul wants us to understand today that we will indeed be tested, we will indeed have weary days, we will indeed feel the pains of life, but we must overcome, we must hold to His unchanging hand, we must remember that Christ suffered and said that we would suffer for his name! We can take joy in our suffering because we are carrying out the will and word of God, we can smile in adversity because we know that Christ died and now lives for all eternity!  We believe in Christ and will even stand for Him even in times of inconvenience. No matter what you are facing or dealing with, you must stand for Christ and be willing to suffer for His name sake. This is how we are able to receive and achieve all that God has in store for us… This is why Paul told the Church of Philippi, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Suffering Is Part of Your Calling (Part 1)

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Philippians 1:29

You may not think this to be true at first, but to believe in Christ and to suffer for His name sake is a gift… We would never truly equate suffering with a gift; however, in the body of Christ suffering is gaining… This is why Paul says “For unto you it is given…” You have been given a chance to allow your tears to water a seed, you have been afforded an opportunity to allow your pain to produce growth and allow your work to not be in vain… We believe in a lot of things, when we are young we believe in Santa Clause, when we get a little older we believe in our friends and soon we believe in the first relationship we have… Each of these things are either untrue or lead to disappointment… Today, place your belief in something real, place your belief in something that will last throughout eternity, place your belief in Christ… It is only in Him that through suffering we can smile knowing what will eventually come to pass… It is only in Jesus that we can be cast down amongst our peers and have faith that we will be exalted… I was once told that if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything… I was also told that when you don’t make a choice you have already made one… Today, many of us are trying to straddle the fence of life that divides good and evil… We want to “have our cake and eat it too;” however, for many of us the one thing we don’t want to do is work to succeed… 

Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi teaches us a very valuable lesson in life; this lesson is simply that suffering is inevitable… We are given a golden opportunity to suffer for the name of Christ as opposed to suffering for monetary gain and worldly riches… When one suffers, they bear, endure or go through something… Challenges are at every turn in life; however, the outcome can either be positive or negative… One who suffers for wealth will forsake their kids, sometimes their own health and will never be satisfied… One of the most interesting facts that I have learned is how many kids that come from wealthy families have become alcoholics or had bouts with drugs... Despite what you have been told or even what you have heard, we are afforded the opportunity of a lifetime, everything we suffer for can have true meaning, everything we endure can be worth the battle and everything we go through can add to our growth personally, spiritually and in the direction of our family when we are fighting the “good fight…”  Today let us look at our lives and see how much suffering we try to avoid for the name of Christ, take a look at how many times you have quenched your thirst for Christ because of what people might say or do, let’s see how often we refute His name around certain people or how often we put our religion on the shelf to fit in or get ahead… Like I said earlier, suffering is a part of life, the thing to note though, is that it can either lead to growth or death… Which path of suffering are you choosing today?

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's No Life Without Christ

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:24-25

There are two paths that one can travel in this life, the first is the path of eternal life paved with submission, humbleness and modesty while on this earth… This path requires one to sacrifice the desires of the eye in order to store up rewards for when this physical life has ended… The second path is the path of worldly lust; this path is paved with all the fine riches and measures of success as decreed by the standards of the world we live in… In choosing this path, one is required to focus on self, seek the advancement of their lives at any cost and to reject future rewards always desiring to have things now… As we come to understand these two contrasting paths, the question I pose to you today is simple, what is your spiritual destination worth to you? So many of us proclaim that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, but how much does Christ really mean to you and the direction in which your life will go? These two profound and critical questions are the questions that we must ask as we decide on whether we will pursue the dreams that the world lays out or the vision that God has for us which will not bear its truest rewards on this earth… Understand that Jesus wants us all to understand that walking in the will of God is no small task and it takes a dedicated, enduring and persevering person to reach the levels of which God has set…  Take up our cross today, don’t be troubled by the ways of the world or the views that people may hold; know that by giving up yourself you will find your true worth and live life more abundantly!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

A Mess Won't Be Blessed

"Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order."

1 Corinthians 14: 39-40

There are a lot of things that go on in a church service, there are a lot of “moves of the Holy Spirit” aligned with shouts of praise and adoration… Even though these things are apparent, it’s imperative that we come to understand and realize today that “…all things be done decently and in order…” We intentionally examine these verses from back to front knowing that we serve a God of order… We all desire to please God and walk in the gifts that He has bestowed upon us; however, it is of the utmost importance that in walking in our gifts we travel the path that has been laid before us instead of putting the cart before the horse… There is nothing wrong with prophesying or speaking in tongues; however, there is a correct order in which these things are to be carried out… I can recall a story that my father has shared with me several times; this particular story depicts a woman who attended his home church in Washington D.C. Every Sunday at the same time this individual would catch the “Holy Ghost” and begin to shout… One Sunday, at the appointed time this lady jumped up, swung her hand out and knocked another ladies hat off of her head… To my knowledge, no fights broke out or words were exchanged; however the following Sunday the lady who had her hat knocked off confronted the lady with the “timed praise” and told her that she better not touch her hat again… 

Wouldn’t you know when the clock struck her appointed time to shout, she lifted her hand up ensuring that she would miss the ladies hat… I recall this story today to highlight the importance of sincerity within our praise… The Holy Spirit flows without a timetable; however, there are some people in the church who want to display gifts that God has not given them and so when they do this they are not “done decently and in order…” I have been to a lot of churches and have been turned off by what I gathered as stumbling blocks of praise… A lot of people have been misled or are being misled by the gift of speaking in tongues, this is not for everyone nor is it to be done at any given time… The bible says that there is a time and place for everything and I believe that this rule applies as well in Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth… Speaking in tongues isn’t a bad thing, prophesying isn’t a sin, but understand that in all things God is to be glorified and His name is to be exalted (not yours)… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!