Let Us Stop Examine And Evaluate Our Lives

If you have been to a big busy city like New York or even London and compare them to other smaller cities, you will notice a difference in pace. The people and the traffic move faster. The bigger cities tend to be faster while the smaller ones are much slower. We often get caught up in the fast, paced busy schedules of life, like living in a huge busy city.

But in relation to our goals, dreams and achievements , we all tend to want to get to the next place quickly and more preferably easily. Having said all that, let me say this: the unexamined life is not worth living. If we flow through life without evaluating who we are and what we believe, we have not really lived. Deep down, we all desire to take a stand and live according to a consistent set of beliefs. This requires a boldness to explore beneath the surface of our beliefs, into our very soul! Without this boldness we may give the appearance of living, and may even fool ourselves for a number of years, but there will always be an emptiness until we look deep within and deal with what we find.

But God knows every detail of our hearts; “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). But our Heavenly Father desires for us to know our own heart as we are being transformed; “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). WHERE DO YOU STAND?

I have often heard people say that they sometimes wonder who they really are. As we seek to understand who we are – with all our hidden motives, pride, and selfishness – we find we’re somewhat difficult to understand. Without the spiritual help which God freely gives, there will be parts of our life which remain covered and dark. There may also be portions of our heart we would rather not face. THIS IS THE REALITY OF LIFE.

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

However, we make fools of ourselves if we think for one moment that we can hide anything from God! It’s equally foolish to intentionally close areas of our heart from examination when we know those areas are keeping us separated from God. What do we really believe? And are we living consistent with that belief?

We have been given God’s Word as a guide, “a lamp to my feet” (Psalm 119:105). And as we dig deeper into His Word, we find the same lamp which guides our steps also reveals our heart: “The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being” (Proverbs 20:27). Using God’s Word to truly examine our hearts can be painful. It seems we strip back one layer only to expose additional layers of sin we didn’t even know we had; but this process must continue without fear! That is the only way out. Let God's WORD shine in our lives and Let Him show us the areas that NEED RE-EXAMINTION.

Please start your day with 15 minutes of your day in prayer and ASK God to help you. The Bible encourages us to ASK, SEEK and KNOCK ( Matt. 7:7). Also Remember that If we desire to live in the presence of God and bring Him glory and honor in all we do, we must determine today to know ourselves. We must know what we believe, with all our strengths and weaknesses, and know our level of resolve to follow where He leads. Let’s open our heart and allow His Spirit to search and wash us with His Word. Let’s follow according to a consistent belief and commit to living the examined life. Let ask the Holy spirit to guide us and lead us on this path.

Have a Blessed Day!! THIS IS OUR GOD!

We Can Overcome Superstorms In Our Lives

Dear Friends,

Those of us who live on the east Coast of the united states of America recently witnessed and millions of others experienced what the monstrous superstorm Sandy did. This superstorm was underestimated thereby taking many by surprise including all the weather experts and goverment agencies.

This is one of the many devastations that have taken place causing loss of lives and properties around the world. This is by all means not easy! There are no words that I can possibly use to describe how those that have lost loved ones and property feel. It broke my heart to watch the story of a mother whose two little children were swept out of her hands during superstorm Sandy while trying to find a safe place for them. This story and millions more here in the USA and around the world are most heart breaking beyond words!

And for others it was not superstorm sandy but the economy. Some were layed off from work and have not found jobs for months perhaps years to take care of their families. The question here is WHAT DO WE DO WHEN FACED WITH SUPERSTORMS IN OUR LIVES? PLEASE BE ENCOURAGED THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE!.

The Word of God has quite a number of scriptures which encourage us in our struggles to mention but a few.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest".

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Romans 8:35.37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ....No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Each of these acknowledge that there is or will be a struggle and exhort us to keep moving forward. But there are times we become weary and even the thought of pressing, running, or fighting becomes difficult. Yet, we know we must endure – we must overcome!

Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

It is important to note that we MUST endure and overcome but NOT by our own strength but by our faith in Jesus and holding on to His Word! This is what allows us to endure. There are times we must run and times we must fight – times we will be called to be a mighty warrior for the Lord. But there are also times when we are terribly weak – times we must grab on to Jesus and allow HIS strength to carry us through the storm. These are times we will need to simply hold on!

When the battle seems unbearable, “Hold on to what you have – I {Jesus} am coming soon” (Revelation 3:11). When we feel surrounded by evil and the darkness is closing in, “Hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). And when we become overwhelmed with doubt and fear, “Hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast” (Hebrews 3:6).

Now, when we are weary in the storm, let’s take comfort in the peaceful waters ahead. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus who will never let us go. He has given His Children a wonderful promise: as we continue to believe and trust Him with all our heart, we WILL overcome! So be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might Ephesians 6:10.

THIS IS OUR GOD!!

Have a blessed day!!

Its A New Year, Don't Forget Where You Came From

Well friends, the year 2011 is gone and here comes 2012. For some of us, last year was a year full of struggles, pain and sorrow while for others it was a year of happiness, victory and harvest. No matter happened, we all must understand that even through all that, the Lord Jesus was there with us. We all know that life can be tough. Some of us may feel like we have not made any progress at all. This is the reality of life. Its not always going to be easy in life but we can confidently and assuredly say that God will be ALWAYS be there to strengthen, encourage and see us through it all.

It had been forty years since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. During their years of wandering in the desert, God demonstrated His faithfulness as well as His holiness. Now, as the people were finally ready to cross the Jordan river into the promised land of Canaan, Moses gave one last encouragement. Deuteronomy 6:10-12 "When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses full of all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." We have all lived in the land of slavery - a land where we were controlled by sin. We were born as slaves, but Jesus came to set us free by shedding His blood at the cross "Though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free" (Romans 6:17-18).


While we were still lost in our sinful condition, Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our sin; but He also broke the chains which kept us slaves to sin. Though we still struggle, we need not be mastered if we have placed our faith in Jesus and daily submit to the leading of His Spirit. His sacrifice provides a way to be "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). This IS the victorious life! Yes we have been set free! But we did nothing to earn this freedom. We did not dig a well of righteousness or plant a field of forgiveness. Our "promised land" of freedom is a gift, given by a loving Father to those who believe.


As we continue on our Christian walk, with its many peaks and valleys, twists and turns, we often forget. We become discouraged over trivial matters which are quickly fading away and forget the gift of eternal life we have been given. We wander in the dry desert of ungrateful hearts and ask, "Where is God?" We forget the joy we once had of abiding in His presence and forget His promise to always be near; "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

Lets consider this that: Through God's precious of salvation in Jesus Christ, we have an eternity to worship our Heavenly Father. This alone should give us reason to praise His Name with every breath and live a life holy and pleasing to Him. Whether we are currently in a time of crushing trials or unparalleled peace, we must continually remember from where we were rescued and how we got where we are at this time in our lives

THIS IS OUR GOD!!!


Have a blessed day!!!

We Need The Lord's Energy-Power

WOW...It is that time yet again for the World Cup football in South Africa. Lots of teams, lots of cheers and lots of countries are represented. Many teams got defeated and had to go back home (including England-my team). I have in this World Cup 2010 watched teams that were bad in the beginning but got better and better as time went on. They never quit looking at themselves as winners. They saw themselves winning the world cup. They may have dropped out at some point but they didn't give up. They kept on going as they heard their supporters cheer them on.

But unlike football which requires the players to use physical strength, the Bible encourages us to draw spiritual energy and strength from the Lord Himself. When everything seems to be falling a part, when our expectations do not materialize or our dreams don't come true, we need to draw energy from the Lord. Things in life may not go as desired (have experienced that even more recently), we need not try using our own energy and strength to achieve. Human nature will more than likely dictate the latter.

When the Apostle Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was forever changed. Prior to meeting Jesus, Paul was "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples" (Acts 9:1). After the encounter with Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul "began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God" (Acts 9:20).

Paul had been given the task of preaching the gospel of God's grace through faith in Jesus; and he would do so for the remainder of his life. But Paul would endured many trials along the way. He faced those who desired to take his life and others who simply refused to listen to his message...but he continued on.

Colossi ans 1:29
"To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me."

Paul "labored" and "struggled" with the task he had been given. But rather than rely on his own strength and abilities, Paul learned to labor with the energy of Christ.

The word Paul used for "energy" refers to the active working of God's power. Paul used this same word to describe the power all believers have received from God; "That power is like the working {energy} of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the Heavenly realms" (Ephesians 1:19-20).

God has provided a power like the energy which flowed through Jesus and raised Him from the dead. This is a remarkable gift, yet one we seldom use. With His energy we can receive clear direction; we can be focused and accomplish all He desires. Without His energy we may wander from task to task, become exceedingly weary, and never accomplish anything of eternal value.

As we go a long, there will be times of overwhelming adversity when God simply takes charge and directly fights the enemy. But, for the majority of our journey, God directs us to continue struggling in the daily labor of accomplishing His work. Jesus said the burden of this work will be greatly eased as we learn to attach ourselves to Him and walk by His side; "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).

We only fail in His work when we fail to trust; "I can do EVERYTHING through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). God's path can certainly change direction and become difficult from time to time, but His provision will always be sufficient and it is ALWAYS too soon to quit - we must continue. We can do all things and find great fulfillment as we attach ourselves to Christ and labor with all HIS energy. He is the giver of life and everything was created by Him ans for him.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!


Have a blessed day!!

There Is Life In The Lord's Waiting Room

"What are you waiting on?" When we hear those words spoken to us or toward us, we discover that we are the source of someone's frustration! Usually, we are standing in line at the grocery store or Post Office, waiting for service, or perhaps sitting in our car at an intersection. The line has moved, the light has changed, and we did not respond quick enough for that person behind us, so we hear "What are you waiting on? What shade of green are you looking for? You think we have all day?"
No one likes to wait, especially in our present culture where we measure everything on the basis of response time. Most everything comes to us instantly, whether it is food or information. If something is not happening, then we are attempt to make it happen! "Do something, ...even if its wrong!", people often say.
Waiting is part of what it means to be human. If we were super human or super heroes, and it was entirely in our heads to know and decide, and entirely in our hands to possess, we would all have our cake and eat it too! Everything would come to us easy and on time (that is according to our sense of timing)! There would be no waiting! The problem is, we are not super humans or super heroes. As humans, we have limitations. Unlike our God, we lack the ability to see into the future. Being human, we cannot know the hearts of people, as we seldom truly don't know our own hearts!
Because we lack the ability to control all people and situations, we often find ourselves held captive by the decisions of others. As a result, we are left to wait. Who do we trust? What is best for us? How will this situation work out? Paul Tillich in his book The Shaking of the Foundations, wrote: "The condition of man's relation to God is first of all one of not having, not seeing, not knowing, and not grasping." God knows all things, sees all things, controls all things, understands all things, discerns all things, and possesses all things. The problems is, God has purposed to keep us constantly waiting. Why? So that we will be ever dependant upon Him!
What are you waiting on? Are you single and waiting on that special someone to walk into your life? Perhaps you have met that special someone and are waiting for him or her to make a commitment. Are you without a job, desperate for a job, or tired of the job you presently hold, and are waiting for a better job to present itself? Are you waiting for the economy to rebound, the market to return to it's bullish state? Are you waiting for your children to grow up and leave home? Perhaps you are waiting for a prodigal, rebellious child to grow up and return home, at least to a right relationship with God. These situations and a thousand more, present themselves every year, every month, every day of our lives. We will always be waiting on someone or some situation. That's life!

Although it is not often listed as such, Waiting is a Christian discipline. Why? We are not naturally wired or inclined to wait. Babies are not born patient. A hungry baby demands to be fed, changed, entertained, now! Children have no concept of time, no sense of tomorrow, and no patience to wait. Fishing is a good measure of our ability to wait. It is the exceptional child who has the patience to fish! Waiting comes with maturity! Waiting is something we must work at and develop over time. Even when we grow to adulthood, waiting remains a problem!
Do you know how to wait on the Lord? Before you answer that question, here are a few things waiting is not!

Waiting is not passivity or inactivity. Waiting is not killing time! In God's book, waiting is never wasted time! When we are inactive or passive in our spiritual lives, we tend to drift in our commitment! Waiting is frequently a condition of high expectancy, infusing life with great energy, purpose, and love. Joseph was forced to wait on the Lord, but while he waited, he got busy doing what he could! His good attitude and work ethic, resulted in promotion along the way! Observing this quality in Joseph, someone said, "When your dream seems to be placed on hold, get busy and help others with their dreams!" Certainly God is not inactive when we are waiting. When you are waiting on God, most often He is working behind the scenes to put all the "missing pieces" in our lives in place, before He fulfills our desires or request.

Waiting is not to be associated with boredom and complacency. Actually waiting is closely related to hope. Hope has been described as creative waiting! Hope is anything but boring or complacent. Hope is filled with expectation! It anticipates! To live in hope, is to live in the power of the future without yet possessing it. In Psalm 130:6 the psalmist says, "My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning."
Waiting is not characterized by fretting and worrying. Waiting is as much an attitude as it is an activity. God never recommends worrying! Why? It is worthless! It is activity that is not centered upon Him! To wait is to trust, to rest in God's promises and provision. Psalm 37:1 begins, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Verse 7 continues, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

" Elizabeth Elliott expressed the attitude of waiting when she wrote: "I know not what the future holds; What in one hour may be; But I can wait while it unfolds, And trust implicitly." When you find yourself in God's waiting room, here are three words to remember and consider.

First, when you find your self waiting, Look. Look where? Look to God! The psalmist begins in Psalm 130:5a, "I wait for the LORD." We must learn to patiently wait on the Lord. Our expectations must be directed toward God, and no one else! Psalm 62:5-7 says, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."
Sometimes we are fooled into thinking that we are waiting on some person, some individual. It is especially frustrating when we view that person or individual we are waiting on as negligent, insensitive, or incompetent! When we look to others, when we place our expectations on mere men, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
The psalmist would remind us that God and only God is the One in control of all individuals, all institutions, and all situations. Proverbs 21:1 reminds us, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will." When we wait upon the Lord, we are encouraged and renewed.
Isaiah 40:28-31 says, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Second, when you find yourself waiting, be willing to Learn. In Cantonese, a Chinese dialect, the word for wait sounds like the word for class. Making a pun on this word, some senior citizens in Hong Kong identify themselves as "third-class citizens," which also means "people of three waits." They wait for their children to return home from work late at night. They wait for the morning sun to dispel their sleepless nights. And with a sigh of resignation, they wait for death.

Waiting is everyone's portion, regardless of our age or station in life! One thing is certain, God's waiting room is a classroom! While sometimes being in God's waiting room has to do with timing, more often than not, it is all about teaching! We think we are waiting on God or waiting on someone else, when in truth God is waiting on us to learn a particular lesson, or to develop a particular character trait! Psalm 130:5 continues, "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait." What is your soul? Your soul is the seat of your being. It is composed of your mind, emotions, and will! When we are placed in situations where we are out of control and are forced to wait, we can be sure that God is teaching us something. Waiting is an opportunity to learn! Learn what?
We learn about ourselves. Waiting situations are tests, and tests measure us! How much faith and confidence in God do you possess? How well do you know God? How deep is your relationship with God? Are you a selfish and shallow person? Are you patient or impatient? Waiting will expose it!
We learn obedience. Waiting on the Lord is a commandment to be followed for every Christian. Psalms 27:14 says, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Waiting on the Lord is a matter of obedience.
In I Samuel 13, the first king of Israel, King Saul was commanded to wait upon Samuel to arrive and make the necessary sacrifices before encountering the Philistines. Saul waited for a period of time, but when Samuel had not arrived, he took it upon himself to offer the sacrifices. When Samuel arrived, he rebuked the king and informed him that he had been rejected by God!
Notice verses 13-14. "And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which He commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee." The story of king Saul teaches us that we must be willing to do what God tells us to do, even when it is hard! When you are forced to wait, don't fret! Don't panic! Don't take matters into your own hands! Remain faithful each and every day to simply do what is in front of you!
We learn patience. Waiting and patience plays a central role in the Scriptures in shaping and developing people. Abraham and Sarah were promised a baby, and then were forced to patiently wait. Joseph was given a dream of promotion, and then plunged into the role of a slave to wait upon others! For a while at least, Joseph's dream became a nightmare! Before his promotion in Egypt, he was subjected to a life of lies and betrayal! David was chosen and anointed as the next king of Israel, and was promptly forced to live as a fugitive in the desert for ten years!
If you think about it, Patience is all about surrendering our control. This is so difficult for us! Instead of waiting, we are tempted to manipulate the circumstances or personalities in the situation, in order to get what we want, when we want it. Waiting demands patience! It demands that we give God the keys to our lives! This can be scary! What if God doesn't share my perspective, my sense of timing, my desires?
Third, when you find yourself waiting, Listen. Psalm 130:5 concludes, "....and in His word (speech, utterance, voice) do I hope." Listen to who? Listen for God's voice! How?
God will speak to your heart through His Word. God speaks to us through His Word, and we can be sure that His leadership will never be inconsistent with the Bible.
God will speak to your heart through His Holy Spirit. God often speaks to us in that "still small voice."
God will speak to your heart through people. Godly counsel from people such as our parents or mentors in the faith, are a part of God's voice and direction in our lives.
God will speak to your heart through circumstances. Sometimes a situation we are in can shout at us! I am reminded of Jacob in the house of Laban recorded in Genesis 31. No one in the family would talk to Jacob. All of his "in-laws" had an attitude towards him, because they were all jealous of him. It was in that situation that God spoke to Jacob and told him to go back to Bethel. When Jacob shared the news with his wives Rachel and Leah, for once in their marriage, they agreed! God knows both how to open and close doors! Have you ever experienced God slamming a door in your face? Sometimes God will allow us to push open a door He has not opened, but once through the door we discover it is not what we thought or desired!
We've all heard the story of the man who was lost at sea, leaving a wife behind. The husband is not dead, but is stranded far away from civilization, or locked in some foreign prison. It is his thoughts of his wife that keep him alive! Meanwhile back home, he is presumed dead, but his wife never gives up hope. She diligently, patiently waits, keeping her thoughts and love for her husband alive in her heart! Years later, there is a knock on her door, and who is it but her husband, who was finally able to make his way home. They embrace and everyone feels good because they both remained faithful in the face of terrible adversity.

If you do not know what to do, then do nothing! Wait on the Lord until you are sure you know what to do! When you are in the dark, wait for God's light. When you are weak, wait for God's strength. When you have lost your way, wait for God's direction. When you are overcome with sorrow, wait for God's comfort. When you are in the midst of trials and trouble, wait for God's deliverance! God protects and preserves us as we wait upon Him! The Lord gives us His very best, when we wait on Him. Psalm 37:9 says, "For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth."

One day praise God, the waiting will be over! Isaiah 25:9 reads, "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
What are you to do while waiting? While you are waiting, get busy and do the things that are clearly every Christian's responsibility. Dwell close to God. Give your best right now! Don't wait till you think everything is perfect. Who knows, you might just catch God's eye and He might speed things up! Give your all to Him now!

"What are you waiting on?" When we hear those words spoken to us or toward us, we discover that we are the source of someone's frustration! Usually, we are standing in line at the grocery store or Post Office, waiting for service, or perhaps sitting in our car at an intersection. The line has moved, the light has changed, and we did not respond quick enough for that person behind us, so we hear "What are you waiting on? What shade of green are you looking for? You think we have all day?"
No one likes to wait, especially in our present culture where we measure everything on the basis of response time. Most everything comes to us instantly, whether it is food or information. If something is not happening, then we are attempt to make it happen! "Do something, ...even if its wrong!", people often say.
Waiting is part of what it means to be human. If we were super human or super heroes, and it was entirely in our heads to know and decide, and entirely in our hands to possess, we would all have our cake and eat it too! Everything would come to us easy and on time (that is according to our sense of timing)! There would be no waiting! The problem is, we are not super humans or super heroes. As humans, we have limitations. Unlike our God, we lack the ability to see into the future. Being human, we cannot know the hearts of people, as we seldom truly don't know our own hearts! Because we lack the ability to control all people and situations, we often find ourselves held captive by the decisions of others. As a result, we are left to wait. Who do we trust? What is best for us? How will this situation work out? Paul Tillich in his book The Shaking of the Foundations, wrote: "The condition of man's relation to God is first of all one of not having, not seeing, not knowing, and not grasping." God knows all things, sees all things, controls all things, understands all things, discerns all things, and possesses all things. The problems is, God has purposed to keep us constantly waiting. Why? So that we will be ever dependant upon Him!
What are you waiting on? Are you single and waiting on that special someone to walk into your life? Perhaps you have met that special someone and are waiting for him or her to make a commitment. Are you without a job, desperate for a job, or tired of the job you presently hold, and are waiting for a better job to present itself? Are you waiting for the economy to rebound, the market to return to it's bullish state? Are you waiting for your children to grow up and leave home? Perhaps you are waiting for a prodigal, rebellious child to grow up and return home, at least to a right relationship with God. These situations and a thousand more, present themselves every year, every month, every day of our lives. We will always be waiting on someone or some situation. That's life!
Although it is not often listed as such, Waiting is a Christian discipline. Why? We are not naturally wired or inclined to wait. Babies are not born patient. A hungry baby demands to be fed, changed, entertained, now! Children have no concept of time, no sense of tomorrow, and no patience to wait. Fishing is a good measure of our ability to wait. It is the exceptional child who has the patience to fish! Waiting comes with maturity! Waiting is something we must work at and develop over time. Even when we grow to adulthood, waiting remains a problem!
Waiting is not killing time! In God's book, waiting is never wasted time! When we are inactive or passive in our spiritual lives, we tend to drift in our commitment! Waiting is frequently a condition of high expectancy, infusing life with great energy, purpose, and love. Joseph was forced to wait on the Lord, but while he waited, he got busy doing what he could! His good attitude and work ethic, resulted in promotion along the way! Observing this quality in Joseph, someone said, "When your dream seems to be placed on hold, get busy and help others with their dreams!"
Certainly God is not inactive when we are waiting. When you are waiting on God, most often He is working behind the scenes to put all the "missing pieces" in our lives in place, before He fulfills our desires or request.

Waiting is not characterized by fretting and worrying. Waiting is as much an attitude as it is an activity. God never recommends worrying! Why? It is worthless! It is activity that is not centered upon Him! To wait is to trust, to rest in God's promises and provision. Psalm 37:1 begins, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Verse 7 continues, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth." Elizabeth Elliott expressed the attitude of waiting when she wrote: "I know not what the future holds; What in one hour may be; But I can wait while it unfolds, And trust implicitly."
When you find yourself in God's waiting room, here are three words to remember and consider.
First, when you find your self waiting, Look. Look where? Look to God! The psalmist begins in Psalm 130:5a, "I wait for the LORD." We must learn to patiently wait on the Lord. Our expectations must be directed toward God, and no one else! Psalm 62:5-7 says, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."

Sometimes we are fooled into thinking that we are waiting on some person, some individual. It is especially frustrating when we view that person or individual we are waiting on as negligent, insensitive, or incompetent! When we look to others, when we place our expectations on mere men, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
The psalmist would remind us that God and only God is the One in control of all individuals, all institutions, and all situations. Proverbs 21:1 reminds us, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will." When we wait upon the Lord, we are encouraged and renewed.
Isaiah 40:28-31 says, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Second, when you find yourself waiting, be willing to Learn. In Cantonese, a Chinese dialect, the word for wait sounds like the word for class. Making a pun on this word, some senior citizens in Hong Kong identify themselves as "third-class citizens," which also means "people of three waits." They wait for their children to return home from work late at night. They wait for the morning sun to dispel their sleepless nights. And with a sigh of resignation, they wait for death.
Waiting is everyone's portion, regardless of our age or station in life! One thing is certain, God's waiting room is a classroom! While sometimes being in God's waiting room has to do with timing, more often than not, it is all about teaching! We think we are waiting on God or waiting on someone else, when in truth God is waiting on us to learn a particular lesson, or to develop a particular character trait!
Psalm 130:5 continues, "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait." What is your soul? Your soul is the seat of your being. It is composed of your mind, emotions, and will! When we are placed in situations where we are out of control and are forced to wait, we can be sure that God is teaching us something. Waiting is an opportunity to learn! Learn what?
We learn about ourselves. Waiting situations are tests, and tests measure us! How much faith and confidence in God do you possess? How well do you know God? How deep is your relationship with God? Are you a selfish and shallow person? Are you patient or impatient? Waiting will expose it!
We learn obedience. Waiting on the Lord is a commandment to be followed for every Christian. Psalms 27:14 says, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Waiting on the Lord is a matter of obedience.
In I Samuel 13, the first king of Israel, King Saul was commanded to wait upon Samuel to arrive and make the necessary sacrifices before encountering the Philistines. Saul waited for a period of time, but when Samuel had not arrived, he took it upon himself to offer the sacrifices. When Samuel arrived, he rebuked the king and informed him that he had been rejected by God!
Notice verses 13-14. "And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which He commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee." The story of king Saul teaches us that we must be willing to do what God tells us to do, even when it is hard! When you are forced to wait, don't fret! Don't panic! Don't take matters into your own hands! Remain faithful each and every day to simply do what is in front of you!
We learn patience. Waiting and patience plays a central role in the Scriptures in shaping and developing people. Abraham and Sarah were promised a baby, and then were forced to patiently wait. Joseph was given a dream of promotion, and then plunged into the role of a slave to wait upon others! For a while at least, Joseph's dream became a nightmare! Before his promotion in Egypt, he was subjected to a life of lies and betrayal! David was chosen and anointed as the next king of Israel, and was promptly forced to live as a fugitive in the desert for ten years!
If you think about it, Patience is all about surrendering our control. This is so difficult for us! Instead of waiting, we are tempted to manipulate the circumstances or personalities in the situation, in order to get what we want, when we want it. Waiting demands patience! It demands that we give God the keys to our lives! This can be scary! What if God doesn't share my perspective, my sense of timing, my desires?
Third, when you find yourself waiting, Listen. Psalm 130:5 concludes, "....and in His word (speech, utterance, voice) do I hope." Listen to who? Listen for God's voice! How?
God will speak to your heart through His Word. God speaks to us through His Word, and we can be sure that His leadership will never be inconsistent with the Bible.
God will speak to your heart through His Holy Spirit. God often speaks to us in that "still small voice."
God will speak to your heart through people. Godly counsel from people such as our parents or mentors in the faith, are a part of God's voice and direction in our lives.
God will speak to your heart through circumstances. Sometimes a situation we are in can shout at us! I am reminded of Jacob in the house of Laban recorded in Genesis 31. No one in the family would talk to Jacob. All of his "in-laws" had an attitude towards him, because they were all jealous of him. It was in that situation that God spoke to Jacob and told him to go back to Bethel. When Jacob shared the news with his wives Rachel and Leah, for once in their marriage, they agreed! God knows both how to open and close doors! Have you ever experienced God slamming a door in your face? Sometimes God will allow us to push open a door He has not opened, but once through the door we discover it is not what we thought or desired!
If you do not know what to do, then do nothing! Wait on the Lord until you are sure you know what to do! When you are in the dark, wait for God's light. When you are weak, wait for God's strength. When you have lost your way, wait for God's direction. When you are overcome with sorrow, wait for God's comfort. When you are in the midst of trials and trouble, wait for God's deliverance! God protects and preserves us as we wait upon Him! The Lord gives us His very best, when we wait on Him. Psalm 37:9 says, "For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth."
One day praise God, the waiting will be over! Isaiah 25:9 reads, "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
What are you to do while waiting? While you are waiting, get busy and do the things that are clearly every Christian's responsibility. Dwell close to God. Give your best right now! Don't wait till you think everything is perfect. Who knows, you might just catch God's eye and He might speed things up! Give your all to Him now!
THIS IS OUR GOD!!


Have a blessed day!!

The Inward and Outward Man

ANYONE who serves God will discover sooner or later that the great hindrance to his or her work is not others but himself or herself. He/she will discover that his outward man and his inward man are not in harmony, for both are tending toward opposite directions. He/she will also sense the inability of his outward man to submit to the spirit's control, thus rendering him incapable of obeying God's highest commands. He/she will quickly detect that the greatest difficulty lies in his/her outward man, for it hinders him from using his spirit.

Many of God's servants are not able to do even the most elementary works. Ordinarily they should be enabled by the exercise of their spirit to know God's word, to discern the spiritual condition of another, to send forth God's messages under anointing and to receive God's revelations. Yet due to the distractions of the outward man, their spirit does not seem to function properly. It is basically because their outward man has never been dealt with. For this reason revival, zeal, pleading and activity are but a waste of tune. As we shall see, there is just one basic dealing which can enable man to be useful before God: BROKENESS.

Notice how the Bible divides man into two parts: "For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man" (Rom. 7:22). Our inward man delights in the Law of God. ". . . To be strengthened with power by his Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 3:16). And Paul also tells us, "But if indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16).

When God comes to indwell us by His Spirit, life and power, He comes into our spirit which we are calling the inward man. Outside of this inward man is the soul wherein function our thoughts, emotions and will. The outermost man is our physical body. Thus we will speak of the inward man as the spirit, the outer man as the soul and the outermost man as the body. We must never forget that our inward man is the human spirit where God dwells, where His Spirit mingles with our spirit. Just as we are dressed in clothes, so our inward man "wears" an outward man: the spirit "wears" the soul. And similarly, the spirit and soul "wear" the body. It is quite evident that men are generally more conscious of the outer and outermost man, and they hardly recognize or understand their spirit at all.

We must know that he who can work for God is the one whose inward man can be released. The basic difficulty of a servant of God lies in the failure of the inward man to break through the outward man. Therefore we must recognize before God that the first difficulty to our work is not in others but in ourselves. Our spirit seems to he wrapped in a covering so that it cannot easily break forth. If we have never learned how to release our inward man by breaking through the outward man, we are not able to serve. Nothing can so hinder us as this outward man. Whether our works are fruitful or not depends upon whether our outward man leas been broken by the Lord so that the inward man can pass through that brokenness and come forth. This is the basic problem. The Lord wants to break our outward man in order that the inward man may have a way out. When the inward man is released, both unbelievers and Christians will be blessed and God will be glorified.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!

Have a blessed day!!

We Sow, We Reap

In our previous reading, we talked of how we live in a very 'fast and Furious World' making it very hard for many to remain standing. God has given each one of us a measure of faith and has placed within us a zeal for Him. But...the choice remains ours to decide which way we want to go or even what we want to do. WE ARE FREE MORAL AGENTS!! As a result of the turmoil in our lives, we find ourselves in positions of bad decisions and choices. We soon realize as we journey along that it late to turn back. God is God of many chances but He will not strive with us forever. Question to us therefore is: WHAT ARE WE SOWING???? Also, ARE WE SOWING ON FERTILE SOIL?

We know there are times when we face severe trials which have nothing to do with what we have sown. Jesus made this clear when He said: "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33). We live in a sinful world and often reap the consequences for what others have sown; and for these troubles, Jesus wants us to find our comfort in Him: "But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

But we must also understand that many of our trials, and the trials of those around us, are often the result of a multitude of small steps taken outside the will of God.

Galatians 6:7
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

It's foolish to think we can continually walk outside God's will and not face consequences down the road. God dearly loves us and is patiently waiting for us to turn our heart to Him...but God cannot be mocked. Continuous deviation from His path can lead to a long and painful time of wandering.

The lesson we must learn and clearly teach others is: Obedience in the little things is important! There is nothing too small to justify a lack of obedience. "Whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much" (Luke 16:10). We must learn and teach, very early in life, the importance of honesty and truth, the value of submission and respect for authority. The wind of disobedience begins almost imperceptibly small with "innocent" lies and "harmless" acts of disrespect, but over time it grows until the whirlwind of consequences becomes inevitable.

If we are currently reaping a whirlwind which we know has been sown by our own hands, we must repent and seek His forgiveness, love Him and obediently trust Him with ALL our heart, and ask for the strength to endure. The whirlwind will end, but only in God's perfect timing. And if we know we have been sowing the wind of disobedience and yet see God's hand restraining the whirlwind, we also must repent and seek His forgiveness, love Him and obediently trust Him with ALL our heart...and thank Him for His mercy!

Let's honor Him by only sowing that which glorifies His name. Let's closely examine our life and the lives of those within our care, and be absolutely determined to stop sowing the wind.THIS IS OUR GOD!!


Have a blessed day!!