There in times in life when all we can so is wait.
 
As I write, concerned people everywhere are in waiting mode. As you listen to conversations, people are waiting for the economy to recover, waiting for a new job, waiting for a raise or promotion, waiting for healing of a disease, waiting for the restoration of a marriage, waiting for a broken heart to mend, waiting for new opportunities and new doors to open, waiting for a husband or wife, that new baby to arrive, or waiting for a significant breakthrough or a dream to come true.
 
 Waiting…waiting…waiting!
 
If the truth be told, most of us are uncomfortable with waiting times.
 
I will be honest with you: I hate to wait! But I must learn to wait.
 
 In our walk with God, there are times when all we can do is wait.
 
In the Old Testament of the Bible, the prophet Micah was waiting.
 
“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
 
Note that Micah said “But as for me.” He confessed a personal commitment to wait for the Lord. Whether others waited or not, Micah would. He diligently watched for the God of His salvation, waiting for the Lord to hear him and meet his need.
 
The nation was morally and spiritually lost. Oppression ruled the day. Greed and corruption abounded in the hearts of Judah’s leaders. Micah’s heart was broken over his nation’s waywardness in walking away from the ways of the Lord. As darkness surrounded him, Micah waited on the Lord for His light to shine through.
 
As with Micah, life happens to you and me. And it often leaves us waiting.
 
So, we wait. While we wait, we do all we know to do. We faithfully obey the Lord in every detail. We stretch our faith to the max. We seek wise counsel. We exhaust all our ideas and resources. All is left is to wait. And wait some more.
 
Waiting is not necessarily a bad thing. Wait is a good four-letter word when we are waiting on the Lord. It is good for us to wait for Him.
 
The Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord.” From personal experience, David knew the benefits and blessings of waiting on God. That is why he could exhort and encourage you and me us to wait for the Lord.
           
Waiting for the Lord when you have been waiting and waiting requires a positive attitude, a confident, patient spirit and a steadfast, courageous heart.   
 
It takes faith, fortitude and more than a fair amount of personal discipline to wait for the Lord in life. Strong, not weak people, have learned how to wait for the Lord when all they can do is wait.
           
I do not know your situation today. But like me, you are probably waiting for something to happen in your life that you have been waiting  for some time. So what should you and I do when there is nothing else to do but wait? We should WAIT!
 
Let me suggest some ways how to wait when all we can do is wait.
 
            1. WAIT WITHOUT WORRY. Do not be anxious while waiting. Refuse to worry. God is not in a hurry. He will show up right on time. His time. Our worrying will not speed God up. Worry will only make our waiting time miserable!
 
            2. WAIT EXPECTANTLY. While you wait, expect God to come and do something magnificent for you. Be encouraged that He will keep His promises and do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Keep your expector expecting good things from the Lord while you wait for Him.
           
            3. WAIT PATIENTLY. Be patient with God’s perfect process. He really does know what He is doing. The Lord knows when to reveal Himself and meet your every need according to the riches of His glory in Jesus Christ.
           
            4. WAIT WELL. Be and stay positive. Resist pressure to make something happen. Step back. Be still. Let God be God. Encourage others as you wait. Inspire people to wait well when all we can do is wait.
 
Waiting time is never wasted time when we are waiting on the Lord. When you wait on God, it is worth the wait!
.
Years ago a dear friend sent me these inspiring words on a Dayspring card.
 
            “God wants you to move through this day with a quiet heart, an inward assurance that He is in control, a peaceful certainty that your life is in His hands, a deep trust in His plans and purposes, and a thankful disposition toward all that He allows. He wants you to put your faith in Him, not in a timetable. HE WANTS YOU TO WAIT ON HIM AND WAIT FOR HIM. In His perfect way, He will put everything together…see to every detail…arrange every circumstance…and order every step to bring to pass what He has for you.
           
What a wonderful word of encouragement and inspiration! It reminds me to wait well when all I can do is wait.
 
Micah declared “But as for me I will wait.” What do you say? Will you say “But as for me (your name) I will wait?”
 
If you are waiting for the Lord, keep waiting on Him. Yes, wait for the Lord!
 
“Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually.”                                                                                                            Hosea 12:6
 
“Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation; for Thee, I wait all day.”                                                                                                 Psalm 25:5
 
A Word For Your Week: When all you can do is wait—WAIT!!!

​Mountains.
 
I was raised in the Pacific Northwest where we have real mountains. Towering, majestic, mystical mounds of impregnable rock, evergreen trees and rushing, clear water streams, dot the lush, breathtaking landscape of western Washington State. Sky piercing, imposing peaks of pumice and granite stone stretching upward to the heavens are an awe-inspiring wonder of God’s incredible creation. I love those mountains!
 
I have resided in Oklahoma for over thirty years. Guess what? No lofty mountains in this plains state. I believe Steve Roll’s heavenly mansion will be surrounded by mountains, forests and streams!    
 
Truth is, not all mountains in life are majestic.
 
Some mountains make life miserable. Mountains of sin and shame, guilt and bitterness, illness, debt, depression, disappointment, broken relationships, grief and sorrow can block our path to a happy and satisfying life.
 
While teaching Kingdom principles, Jesus, standing on Mt. Olivet, pointed to the Dead Sea in the distance and boldly declared that we can move mountains of trouble and difficulty that are obstacles in our lives.  
 
The Lord tells us in Mark 11:22 to “Have faith in God.”
 
“And Jesus answered them saying “Have faith in God.”
 
These four powerful words pinpoint for us our life purpose. Bottom line: We are to put our faith in God. Believers in Christ can become mountain movers through faith in God.
 
He goes on to explain how to exercise mountain-moving “faith in God” in verses 23 and 24.
 
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.” Therefore, I say to you all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.”                        Mark 11:23-24
 
 
 
I see in our verses for the week a simple three step strategy for faith to move mountains.
 
1. SAY WHAT YOU BELIEVE! Speak to your mountain. Twice Jesus uses the word “says.” There is power in the spoken Word. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). God spoke creation into being with His Word. Jesus says we can move mountains with our words. Words of faith that is. I call biblical faith say it faith.
 
Say it faith is faith that removes mountains. Speak God’s will and what you want. Take charge. Talk to your difficulty. Tell it that you are a person of faith and that it must go swimming! Cast that mountain into the sea.
 
2. BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY! Pray about your mountain. Verse 23 is all about praying and asking in faith. Pray it and say it with faith and do not doubt. Jesus says not to doubt in our hearts. Doubt out. Faith in.
 
Pray a prayer of belief. Believe in your heart and speak with your mouth. Believe what? That what you say is going to happen. See by faith, pray in faith and speak your sickness gone. Your debts dissolving. Your depression defeated. Your sorrow fleeing away and joy returning. SEE IT THEN SAY IT.
           
When we doubt, mountains tower over us. When we believe, we tower over mountains. Hearts full of faith and free from doubt move mountains. Believing prayer turns mountains into molehills.
 
* BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY AND SAY WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
 
3. RECEIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE! Jesus says if we do step one and two, step three is this: “it will be granted him.”  Note “will be” not might be. Your mountain will be gone. History!!! Verse 24 hitchhikes off verse 23 and declares that receiving follows believing. Say it faith sees with the eye of faith and receives what it believes.
 
Say it faith sees the mountain drowning in the sea. Say it faith is a slay it faith. Pray it, say it, and slay your mountain in Jesus’ name!
 
With tremendous, personal faith, Caleb spoke these words to Joshua upon entering the Promised Land. “Give me this mountain!” (See Joshua 14:12). Which mountain Caleb? That one over there Joshua. See it--the towering one with the giants on it. That is the one I want. Let me at them. I will take the high country from the enemy through faith in the living God! Caleb did. He spoke faith and took the mountain.
 
*BELIEVING ALWAYS PRECEDES RECEIVING
 
Some imposing mountain standing in your way, blocking your progress as a Christian? Do not cower. Demonstrate power. Tell the mountain tower to be removed in Jesus’ name!
 
You, yes you, can be a mountain mover!
 
“THEREFORE, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you receive them, and they shall be granted you.”                                           Mark 11:24
 
A Word For Your Week: Move your mountains by faith in the name of your mountain moving God!

​What does obedience have to do with faith?
Everything.
In God’s Word, the Bible, Abraham is remembered as a man of tremendous faith (Romans 4:13-22, Hebrews 11:8-11). He believed God. He also obeyed God (Genesis 22:1-18). Let’s look at Abraham’s faith and obedience.
THE TEST
 

1. God tested Abraham. He called Abraham’s name. Abraham replied, “Here am I.” (Verse 1). Abraham was familiar with the voice of the Lord. He worshipped regularly.

 

1. “Take now” your only son Isaac, who you love, to Mt. Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering.” (Verse 2). The angel of the Lord said “now”. Not later. Not if or when you feel like it. Take your boy now.  

 
 I preached on this passage when my son was six. Heartfelt tears streamed down my face as I described what Abraham did. I asked myself:  Would I have sacrificed Adam who I love with all my heart? Would I have had faith and obeyed the Lord?
 

1. “Abraham, early in the morning, arose and went to the place God told him.” (Verse 3). He got up, took his only son, wood and fire for the altar No questions. No hesitation. No explanation. Simply arose and went. That is faith and obedience.

 

1. Three-day journey. I wonder what Isaac was thinking and dear old Dad too. The Word tells us. Abraham told the servants to stay put.” I and the lad will go yonder, and we will worship and return to you.” (Verses 4-5).

 
NOTE: WE, I AND ISAAC, WILL WORSHIP AND RETURN. THAT IS A FAITH STATEMENT! “The two of them walked on together.” (Verse 6). I can see father and son walking by faith to obey God.
 

1. Isaac did have a question for dear old Dad. “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Verse 7). Abraham’s reply” God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burn offering my son.” (Verse 8).

 
Oh my! Abraham had faith to trust God for the sacrificial lamb. Isaac had faith in his father who trusted in the Lord. So, they kept on walking together to the place of sacrifice. Continuing onward, walking together in faith and obedience.
 

1. Read carefully and reverently verses 9-18. Abraham put Isaac on the wood on the altar. Isaac did not question his father. (I think I might have been tempted to!).

 
Abraham raised the knife to slay his only son. The angel of the Lord (The Lord) stopped Abraham. I know now you fear, reverence God, since you did not withhold your only son from Me.
 
The Lord then spoke a blessing over Abraham that his family would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.
 
 Why the blessing on Abraham and his posterity? “Because you obeyed My voice” Verse 18).
 
WOW! BEYOND WOW! What a scene for time and eternity. A godly, faithful man was willing to sacrifice his only son in obedience to the Lord. This is a prophetic picture of the future when a Father in heaven would indeed sacrifice His only Son Jesus, the Lamb of God, for our sins.
Abraham believed then obeyed. Obedience was the proof of his personal faith in the Lord.
Let’s get real. Anyone can say I believe. It is quite another thing to back up belief with obedience. If we won’t obey, I wonder if we really believe in Jesus?
Obedience is an act of trust.
Believe in Jesus? Then obey Him. What He tells you to do, do it. If you love the Lord, do not just say you will do what He asks. DO IT! Without question or doubt, do what He tells you to do. Now. Promptly. Not later.
When Jesus says “Come”, I simply come. When He says “Let go”, I let go. When He says “Trust in God in this matter” I do trust.
“By the discipline of obedience I get to the place where Abraham was and I see who God is.” Oswald Chambers.
If you and I say we love Jesus, let us walk by faith and obey His Word in all things great and small, as a daily demonstration of our love for Him.
“Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.”
“And Samuel said “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’ I Samuel 15:22
A Word For Your Week: Obedience is proof of faith.

​Thankfulness.
 
A woman boarded a bus. Every seat was occupied. She was tired and carrying several packages. Noticing her plight, a man stood and graciously offered his seat. She sat down and promptly fainted. Upon being revived, she looked at the man who had given up his seat and said, “Thank you sir” whereupon he promptly fainted!
 
“Thank you” is so rare today. You may feel like fainting when someone says “thank you” to you, but God will never faint when you give thanks to Him.
 
The Thanksgiving holiday 2022 is just around the corner. I need not tell you that 2022 has been and continues to be an incredibly challenging season in our lives. Because of the ups and downs of 2022, it is vital to focus our faith and be thankful to the One who is worthy of our praise and gratitude.
 
David wrote in Psalm 92:1-2 “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; to declare Thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness by night. Psalm 92:1-2
 
The Psalmist declares that it is GOOD to give thanks to the Lord. Gratitude to God is a good thing! When we arise in the morning praise for His loving-kindness should be on our lips. Retiring at night, our last conscious act before slipping off to sleep should be to thank Him for His faithfulness.
 
Indeed, it is good to give thanks to the Lord.
 
Someone said “He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness.” Excellent thought. Thankful people are secure, happy people. A thankful heart is a healthy heart. A grateful mind is a great mind. Gratitude is a sign of a life lived well.
 
Gratitude is the memory of the heart.
 
 I believe that if a person is not thankful for what he has, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he is going to get. Gratitude is an attitude that we cultivate daily. I have discovered that gratitude is a great antidote for anxiety, despair, depression, discontent, jealousy, envy and a grumbling spirit. When tempted to be ungrateful, be grateful, and see what happens in your heart!
 
Reflect on these benefits of a thankful heart.
 
·      Thankfulness guards against a complaining spirit.
·      Thankfulness insulates us from bitterness.
·      Thankfulness opens up opportunities for creative ideas to flow.
·      Thankfulness inspires and encourages those around us.
·      Thankfulness pleases God and silences Satan.
 
I agree with David that it is good to give thanks to the Lord.
 
Why not set aside some undistracted time to get alone with the Lord? Praise Him from a grateful heart for the following things this Thanksgiving.
           
Ø  If your sins are forgiven and you have the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ…GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you have a committed, caring, faithful husband or wife… GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you have a happy, healthy, family and home life…GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you attend a good Christian church which serves as a spiritual home for you and your family…GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you walk in health and wholeness and do not suffer from sickness or illness …GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you have been spared tragedy and calamity by God’s protecting hand…GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you have an excellent job that you enjoy where you feel you make a difference…GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly…. GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you have people who love you, believe in you, support you and encourage you...GIVE THANKS!
 
Ø  If you have a future and hope in God, believing that you can do all things through Jesus Christ who is your strength… then GIVE THANKS!
 
Remember to say thank you to the Lord, especially when you are under stress or pressure. Giving thanks to God in the middle of a crisis calms our spirit, brings peace to our heart and restores our perspective that the Lord is with me, for me and working on my behalf.
 
How about you? Are you going to experience a thankful Thanksgiving?
 
What about after Thanksgiving? I encourage you to develop a spirit and discipline of what I call thanks-living. Every day give God thanks for the good things in your life that come from His gracious, generous hand.  
           
Psalm 107:1-2. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving-kindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…”
 
A Word For Your Week The more you are thankful to God for what you have, the more you will have to thank God for.

​Sometimes God seems silent.
Frustration can set in when we have prayed to the Father and heaven seems to be out to lunch.
I have been there, done that, and have the T-shirt. You probably have a frustration T-shirt too.
So, what are you and I to do? Let us look to God’s Word, the Holy Bible, to see what happened to some righteous folks who struggled with Jesus’ silence.
The Silent Setting      
I encourage you to personally study and meditate on John 11:1-46.
When Jesus traveled to Bethany, He stayed with Lazarus, Martha and Mary. He loved them and they loved Him. (Verses 1-5)
Jesus was away when Lazarus fell seriously ill. The sisters sent for Jesus to come right away.  The Lord replied through a messenger the illness was not unto death, but for the glory of God and His Son. (Verses 4-10). Jesus traveled to Judea for ministry for two days. (Verses 9-10).
 Silence from Jesus.
The sisters were very concerned that Jesus did not answer their request immediately. They believed Jesus had power to heal Lazarus. They yearned to hear from Him that He would come. Eventually He did. Upon His arrival four days later, they both declared “If you had been here, our brother would not have died” (Verses 21 and 32). Their broken hearts were grieving because their beloved brother lie dead in a tomb and Jesus had not come to raise him up from the sick bed.
Jesus did the following: He assured them Lazarus’s death was not final. He wept with the sisters and crowd. He taught about resurrection life and belief in Him as the Savior. Then He calmly, confidently and powerfully called Lazarus forth from the grave!!! Lazarus’s grave clothes were removed. Brother Lazarus was fully alive and reunited with Martha and Mary. (Verses 11-46).
MIRACLE OF MIRACLES!!! Lazarus was raised from the dead! People were astonished. Many believed in Jesus, and of course, some doubted Him.
LESSON FOR YOU AND ME: God’s silence does not mean He is not answering our prayers.
Whether a silent season is short or long, Jesus hears and answers our prayers (Matthew 7:7-8). He responds on His terms and time, not ours. His time is the right time. The Lord’s timing is always the right on time. His timing is always better than yours or mine. Why? Because He is God and we are not!!!
In his devotional, My Utmost For His Highest, for October 11th, Oswald Chambers comments about God’s silence.
“If God has given you a silence, praise Him. He is bringing you into the great run of His promises. The manifestation of the answer in time is a matter of God’s sovereignty. Time is nothing to God. Timing is.”
“If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for glorifying of the Father, He will give you the first sign of HIs intimacy—silence.”
“Can God trust you like that, or are you still asking for a visible answer? God will give you the blessings you ask if you will not go any further without them; but His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into a marvelous understanding of Himself.”
Mr. Chambers thoughts are worth thinking about and applying to our silent situations.
What Not To Do During Silent Seasons

• Refuse to push the panic button. Panic opens the door of doubt.
• Renounce worry and wondering if you asked for the right thing.
• Resist the temptation to question your faith. Keep your belief simple and strong.
• Reject advice from people who do not manage silent seasons well.
• Let me say it again. Do not focus on feelings when heaven seems out to lunch. Keep focused on the Word of God.

What To Do During Silent Seasons.

• Remember how God answered previous silent seasons.
• Rejoice that God is at work on your behalf. Jesus always answer prayer.
• Be still. Quiet. Rest in the Lord. Trust God that He knows what He is doing.
• Praise and thank God for the good answers to your prayers that are on the way.
• While you wait for the answer to your prayer happily do the will of God before you.

Lazarus, Martha and Mary experienced a miracle! A glorious resurrection of a brother and assurance for two sisters that Jesus’ silence was purposeful. Jesus was right on time when He raised Lazarus from the dead!
The next time God seems silent, keep silent and still. While you wait for His response, try not to wiggle. Trust Jesus for His best for your life. He is answering your prayer!
Silence is golden when God is answering prayer.
“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
A Word For Your Week: Trust God for the silent seasons.

​Sometimes life can rain on our parade.
 
The Apostle Paul obeyed the Lord’s leading and preached in Europe, Opposition raised its ugly head. Paul and his faithful gospel sidekick Silas suddenly find themselves incarcerated behind bars in a Philippian jail.
 
Acts 16:22-34 describes the rain on their parade. Beaten with rods, many harsh blows were mercilessly inflicted on their bare backs. Shocked and bleeding from their flesh-tearing wounds, they were then thrown into the inner prison with their feet locked in the stocks. Not the best ministry day.
 
Midnight rolls around. Most prisoners in their painful predicament would be licking their wounds, cursing men and God, and trying to sleep it off.
 
Not Paul and Silas.
 
“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”  Acts 16:25
 
They were singing in the rain. Praying and praising their Creator instead of crying. Worshipping instead of whining! Singing instead of sighing. Rejoicing in jail. Amazing!
 
It is important to note as they sang hymns of praise and fellow prisoners listened to them (verse 25). They sang loud enough to be heard. No shame there! No muted or muffled vocal music. They sang boldly from their hearts so they could be heard.
 
Paul and Silas could not keep silent about God.
 
SUDDENLY, their prayer and praise service elicited a supernatural response. “A great earthquake” shook the prison foundation, thrust open the doors, and every prisoner’s chains fell off (verse 26)! The jailer was so shook up that he drew his sword to take his life (verse 27). Paul assured the jail keeper everyone was present and accounted for. Deeply moved and in awe of what he was witnessing, the jailer brought the prisoners out and asked “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Verses 28-30).
 
Paul preached (after midnight!) the good news, the jailer and his entire family was saved and the jailer fed Paul and Silas in his home and “rejoiced greatly” (verses 31-34)
 
A MIRACLE AT MIDNIGHT! God’s servants were miraculously delivered, imprisoned souls heard the Gospel, and a jailer and his whole family were converted! No small stir in Philippi. Not a bad ministry day after all!
           
How could all of this have happened?
 
PAUL AND SILAS WERE SINGING IN THE RAIN!
 
When life rains on your parade, what is your typical response? Pit-party or prayer? Suck your thumb or sing God’s praises?
 
Paul and Silas’s midnight praise party teaches us three things.
 
1. Our body may be imprisoned, but our spirit is always free.
2. Our body may be wracked with pain, but our spirit can still sing.
3. Shackles cannot keep God’s songbirds from singing!
 
For Paul and Silas, even though it was cloudy and gloomy in their prison cell, the Son was shining brightly inside their hearts.
 
So, I ask you today: Is your parade being rained on? Has life turned upside down? Have your plans fallen through? Has someone you counted on left you holding the bag? Have you suffered an unexpected setback? Is your heart hurting because you have lost someone or something? Has a hope been dashed? An expectation unrealized? A desire unmet?
 
When dark gray storm clouds roll over your life, thunder booms, lightning flashes and rain dumps on your parade, do you feel like saying rain, rain go away…and please do not come back another day?
 
Our natural feelings will resist praising God in a challenging time. To our natural man praising God in the rain DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. Singing when hurting seems so ridiculous. If we are to be honest, sometimes we would rather cancel the parade rather than sing in the rain!
 
But faith is not to be ruled by feelings.
 
Paul and Silas were men of faith. They trusted God when it was raining on their parade. When it is raining on our parade, our spiritual man must rise up, overrule the natural feelings and make the decision to sing with faith.
 
When rain is pouring down, as Christians, you and I need to stop ringing our hands in worry and fear and start singing and raise our hands in faith to praise our Lord and Savior.
 
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
 
 You never know who might be watching when rain pours into your life. The prisoners, jailer and his entire family were positively influenced by Paul and Silas’s midnight song service. And God is watching how you handle adversity too. Are you in the habit of singing in the rain? Who knows who may come to Christ because you sang in the rain!
 
When the rain is falling, raise your hands, open your mouth and praise the Lord! Then expect a miracle!
 
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.”                                         Psalm 34:1-3
 
A Word For Your Week: Singing God’s praises paves the way for deliverance from difficulties.
 

​Is it possible that one thing can keep people from coming to Christ and serving Him? Or can one thing keep a Christian from becoming increasingly like Jesus?
The above are possible. You and I can fall short in our relationship with the Lord if one thing trips us up in our faith walk.
In Luke 18:18-23 Jesus is confronted by a rich young ruler.
The wealthy man asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded, “You know the commandments.” The inquirer replied, “All these things (commandments) I have kept from my youth.”
I am sure the rich young ruler felt rather good about his response. In his mind he gave himself a nice pat on the back! In essence Jesus, I have kept the requirements of the Law, so I must be ready for eternity. Interesting, if he were so sure that keeping the commandments would get earn him a pass to heaven, why did he ask Jesus what he could do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus laid it on the line what he must do. “One thing you still lack; sell all your possessions, distribute them to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me.”
I would like to have seen this guy’s face when Jesus laid this truth bomb on him. Verse 23 tells us “And when he had heard these things, he became extremely sad, for he was extremely rich.” Jesus answered his question. His response: sadness. Why? Because he had a lot of stuff and money but would not part from it.
Observations

• There is nothing wrong with being rich.
• The young man of means asked the right question we all must ask: What about eternal life? How do I get it?
• He erroneously thought being a good religious boy would be his ticket to paradise.
• Jesus said one thing, just one thing, was keeping his heart from Christ: his possessions
• Jesus’ words made him sad, not glad. Too bad young man. You had the opportunity of a lifetime to receive the free gift of eternal life by coming to Jesus and following Him.
• The wealthy man’s material goods and money which he possessed, possessed him.
• Jesus did not want his possessions. He wanted his heart. Oh my, rich man, give up what enslaves you to receive the free gift of eternal life.
• His stuff stood in the way of salvation.
• Jesus, in verses 24-30, then taught the disciples who had to be in shock at the rich ruler’s sorrowful exit, what it takes to follow Him and go to heaven. The main point of His discourse to the curious, confused disciples: WHOLEHEARTED BELIEF IN JESUS IS THE WAY TO HEAVEN.

This is hard-hitting truth. One thing can keep unsaved people out of heaven and professing Christians from maturing in Christ. Not a bunch of things. ONE THING. One thing like unforgiven sin. Material possessions. Money. Lust of the flesh. Immorality. Relationships. Power positions. Popularity. Legalistic religion. You can add some other one thing to this list.
Oswald Chambers wrote “One thing you lack.” The only “good thing” from Jesus Christ’s point of view is union with Himself and nothing in between.” Well said!
The Apostle Paul used the words one thing in Philippians 3:13-14.
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid of it yet, BUT ONE THING I DO, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul was once Saul, a legalistic Pharisee of the Law, a persecutor of Christians, a blasphemer of the Lord… a lost soul who came to faith in Jesus on the Damascus Road in Acts 9. He surrendered his life to Christ, believing in Jesus and receiving Him as his Lord and Savior.
What he believed as a legalistic, self-righteous, Christ-hating Saul was his one thing that kept him from eternal life. After receiving the love, mercy and grace of God, Paul’s one thing became forgetting his unsaved past and now reaching for his future, pressing on to the upward call of God in Christ. No sadness in former that Pharisee!!!!!!!
I love Paul’s one thing! It should be ours also.
So, let’s get serious. Examine ourselves (I Corinthians 11:28, Psalm 139:23-24). Has the Holy Spirit been pinpointing and convicting you of one thing that keeps you from progressing in your relationship with Jesus?
Take a hard look at your heart. Be honest with yourself. Answer the following questions. Find freedom from any one thing that is holding you back from a victorious, joyful, powerful, useful and fruitful mature life in Christ.

1. What is “one thing” that is separating you from wholeheartedly following and serving Jesus? ____________________________________________________________.
2. What do you plan to do about this “one thing”? ________________________
3. 1. How will you keep that “one thing” from creeping back into our heart, hindering you from becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ? _________________

 

1. How will others know that your “one thing” is no longer an issue in your life?
2. 1. How will you celebrate and rejoice that your “one thing” no longer hinders your spiritual life? _______________________________________________________.

Decide to let go of anything (one thing) that keeps you from going forward in faith. Then, decide to forget the past and reach forward to experience the abundant and eternal life the Lord Jesus Christ has purchased for you through His Atoning sacrifice on the Cross.
My fellow Christians, choose “One thing I do” as Paul did. What a wonderful way to start and live every day!
A Word For Your Week: Never let one single thing separate you from Jesus.
 

​Whenever you are watching a war movie and one of the battlefield generals issues the order to “sound retreat,” you know whose side is losing.
 
Israel was perfectly positioned. Right where God wanted His people. Behind them Pharaoh’s bloodthirsty army was in hot pursuit. In front of them, the Red Sea’s white-capped waves presented an impenetrable wall of water impeding further progress.
 
Stage set for a miracle. Israel was poised to witness a powerful deliverance from God’s mighty hand.
 
So, what did God’s hand-picked people do? Sound retreat.
 
For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people” Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.” Exodus 14:12b-13
 
Crying out to Moses, the people whined “Why in the world did you bring us out here to die in the desert? Can’t you see oh fearless leader that it would be better if we were slaves again in Egypt? Pharaoh would take better care of us than God.” (Roll paraphrase of verse 12).
 
Moses’ rebuttal was straightforward. “Straighten up gang. Stop being so scared. Stand by, look and see what the Lord is going to do for you today. Keep your mouths shut while God fights for you. Exercise faith. Trust God. Go forward. Then look back to see Pharaoh will never harm you again. He and his army will be lying dead on the bottom of the sea.” (Roll paraphrase of verses 13-15).
 
Read verses 16-31 for the rest of the story. Moses, by faith, held his staff toward the Red Sea and God parted it! Pharaoh and his pursuing army were drowned. Israel was delivered. Moses was vindicated, God was glorified. His chosen people Israel learned a lesson, at least for a while.
 
When you know what God’s will is and He directs you to go forward, never retreat.
 
To retreat is to invite defeat.
           
Retreat is always the path of least resistance. Anybody can go backward. But death hovers over the backdoor. Live in reverse and you will end up in a hearse!
           
Advance is the path that requires the most persistence. Not everybody goes forward because it always costs to be successful. It takes guts to leave the narrow, deep ruts of the past to plow a new, wide highway to the future where God’s richest blessings are found.
 
Retreat is the choice of losers. Advance is the choice of winners.
 
Reasons For Retreating
 
            1. Challenging circumstances suggest making a U-turn.
 
            2. Going forward by faith does not seem to make sense.
 
            3. You feel pressure from the devil to go back.
 
            4. Retreating seems easier than advancing.
 
            5. People around you are retreating.
 

• If you choose a lifestyle of retreat, you will end up in the land of regret.

 
Reasons For Advancing And Resisting Retreat
 
            1. Jesus Christ is bigger than circumstances.
 
            2. Christians walk by faith, not by sight.
 
            3. The devil travels backwards. God travels forward.
 
            4. The price to go ahead is always less than moving backwards.
 
            5. Men can miss God’s will. Resist the herd mentality.
 

• Never retreat from who you are, what you believe, what you do and what you are dreaming.

             
Are you facing a challenging situation? Are you tempted to retreat and run away from the opportunity before you? Are others around you sounding the retreat and inviting you to go backwards with them?
 
Decide that your future is forward, not backwards.
 
Discipline yourself to trust in God’s plan, not man’s. Look forward to going forward and discovering what the Lord has prepared for those who refuse to retreat.
 
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER RETREAT when God has called you to GO FORWARD!!!
 
“I will in travel in any direction as long as it is forward.”   David Livingston, Missionary
 
“Then Joshua said to the people “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the Lord.”                                                     Joshua 6:7
 
A Word For Your Week: If you do not RETREAT, you will not be BEAT!

​Who does not like a good celebration?
 
You and I love to celebrate events like birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, accomplishments, graduations and whatever else is a good idea (or excuse!) for throwing a party!
 
I want to suggest today that you and I as followers of Jesus Christ celebrate God’s goodness. Often.
 
Our scripture comes from what is called the Song of Moses that Israel recorded in Exodus 15.
 
“Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?” Exodus 15:11
 
God’s chosen people had just been miraculously delivered from Pharaoh and the Egyptian army (Exodus 13-14). Redeemed, relieved and rejoicing, Israel threw a sanctified party as they headed for the Promised Land. Slavery and poverty behind them—freedom and prosperity ahead of them—it was time to celebrate.
 
What Almighty God had done for them was worth singing and shouting about!
 
Israel rehearsed WHAT GOD HAD DONE “the horse and rider He hurled into the sea” (verses 1-5), and HOW GOD DID IT “Thy right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power, Thy right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy” (verses 6-10). Then the jubilant people gave credit where credit was due. With singing and dancing, Israel declared God’s glory (verses 11-21).
 
Their celebration reaches a fitting crescendo or climax in verse 11. A question is posed. “Who is like Thee—majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? Among all the gods men worship, who is like the God of Israel?” The answer is obvious: NO ONE!
 
Why? Because only the Living God could and did part the Red Sea for His people and save them from the enemy’s sword. What a DELIVERANCE and what a DELIVERER!
 
Regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, J. Sidlow Baxter remarked ‘There is no substitute because there is no equivalent.”  For Bible believing Christians, there is no God but Jesus. He is the true and Living God. As King of Kings and Lord of Lords, all creatures, in heaven, earth and hell will one day confess His name and bow in reverence to Him (Philippians 2:8-11).
 
Why? Because only God’s only begotten Son died for our sins and is risen from the dead! Believers have been delivered from Satan, sin, death and the grave! Because He lives, we live! What a DELIVERANCE and what a DELIVERER!
           
How about you? When God has been good to you, do you celebrate and shout His praises?
 
Are you born-again? Filled with the Spirit of God? Delivered from sinful habits? Healed from sickness or disease? Have finances been provided? Relationships been restored? Then you have plenty to shout about!!
 
Praise Him! Unashamedly and joyfully declare with your lips Lord Jesus, there is absolutely nobody like You. You are holy, majestic, all-powerful, and have worked spectacular wonders on my behalf. Therefore, I give You the awesome praise due Your name.
 
By the way, make some noise when you praise the Lord! Celebrations in scripture are not silent or secretive. Search the Word. Praise parties are open and public, vocal and vibrant. So, get with it Christian. Make some holy noise because of what your Holy God has done for you.
 
Whenever you need a spiritual boost, rehearse what good things God has done for you, then rejoice! Be a celebrator! Shout His praises! Tell somebody how good God has been to you. They and you will be glad you did!
 
“With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord, and in the midst of many I will praise Him.”                                                                               Psalm 109:30
 
A Word For Your Week: When you feel tempted to pout, SHOUT! Never doubt His work in your life. SHOUT His praises for helping you out.

​Do you know that the Lord Jesus Christ wants to do something significant for you?
He does. The Bible tells us so in Luke 18:35-43 and Mark 10:46-52.
Scenario. A blind man named Bartimaeus is begging along the roadside. He heard a multitude passing by. Bartimaeus asked what the commotion was about. The crowd told him Jesus of Nazareth was on His way to Jericho. Bartimaeus called out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
The leaders of the procession told him to be quiet. In other words, shut up. Bartimaeus cried out even more, upping the volume, declaring once again “Son of David, have mercy on me.”
Jesus stopped. He commanded Bartimaeus be brought to Him. Jesus questioned him. Then He said to the boisterous, hopeful, blind beggar, “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?” Bartimaeus’s response “Lord, I want to regain my sight.”’
Jesus said to Bartimaeus “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. When the people witnessed the miracle, they also praised God.

• Don’t you love this blind man’s determination? Bartimaeus would not be denied. He had something on his mind and heart. He plowed through the disapproving crowd to get the Lord’s attention.

 Observations

• Bartimaeus’s need was real. He had lost his vision. Blindness made life very difficult.
• People tried to shout Bartimaeus down. They did not care about his need.
• Bartimaeus believed Jesus was the Son of David, the Messiah.
• Bartimaeus, hopeful and determined, asked Jesus to show him mercy.
• JESUS STOPPED. In the middle of the throng following Him, He heard and singled out the voice of one man who had a need and was brave enough to ask for help.
• Bartimaeus had a private conference with Jesus. The Lord asked questions about his request. One on one with Jesus. What an afternoon for Bartimaeus!
• Then Jesus fulfilled Bartimaeus’s request to regain his sight. IMMEDIATELY BARTIMAEUS’S VISION WAS RESTORED!
• Jesus restored the formerly blind man’s sight because of his faith.
• Bartimaeus followed Jesus and gave God glory for the miracle he received!
• The crowd stood in awe, praising God for the miracle they witnessed.

 Application

1. People like you and me have legitimate needs that Jesus wants to meet. The Lord always responds favorably when we ask with faith according to His will found in the Bible.
2. Jesus knows what you and I need.  He wants to hear from us in response to His question “What do you want Me to do for you?” Simply, tell Him what you need! What you want Him to do for you!
3. There is not anything too big or complicated for God to manage. Jesus is willing to do things for His followers who look to Him with simple, childlike faith.
4. The Lord is no respecter of persons. My need is just as important as Bartimaeus. And so is yours.
5. When Jesus asks us what He can do for us, frivolous, fanciful, fantasy, selfish requests are not what He is looking for. He longs to fulfill the needs we have that are based on the Word of God.
6. Just a thought: Is our miracle on hold because we have not responded with faith when Jesus asks “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Could it be that some of our needs go unmet because we do not really believe that Jesus wants to do something for us? Just asking.
And is it possible that God wants to do more for us than we think He wants to do for us. Just asking.
Rubber Meets The Road
Jesus is waiting for you to ask Him with faith to do something that will dramatically change your life! Small, medium or large…. Jesus wants you to know He loves you cares about your needs.
If Jesus said to you today “What do you want Me to do for you?” what would you ask for?
Are you living close enough to Jesus so that when He asks you what He can do for you, you will hear and answer?
Seriously and humbly, what do you want the Lord to do for you?
Go ahead. Tell Him what you need. Be straight up. Jesus cares about you and your request.
I challenge you to ask with faith according to His will and watch what the Lord will do!
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.” Hebrews 11:1-2
“And this is the confidence we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of Him. “I John 5:14-15
A Word For Your Week: Jesus is waiting to do something significant for you.