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Thankfulness.
A woman boarded a bus. Every seat was filled. She was tired and carrying several packages. Noticing her plight, a man stood and graciously offered his seat. She sat down and promptly fainted. After she was 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 2020 is upon us. I need not tell you that 2020 has been and continues to be a very challenging season in our lives. Because of the ups and downs of 2020, 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 isn’t thankful for what he’s got 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 a good 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 and believe 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? 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. Currently millions of Americans are shaken over important issues in our nation.
Many are wondering where our country is heading. Some are shaken a little bit, some a lot and some are shaking in their emotional boots! Breaking News bulletins can shake things up in a hurry. Covid-19. Controversial Presidential election. Troubling worldwide events. Catastrophic natural disasters. Shameful, divisive, hateful political theater. Heartbreaking tragedies. Economic ups and downs. Moral implosion. Injustices. Prejudices. Civil disorder. All the above and more shake, shake, and shake our personal and corporate security to the core if we are not watchful and careful. Significant shaking can cause you and me to feel dumfounded, dismayed, disappointed, disillusioned, doubtful, and if not careful, downright depressed. I do not like any of these “d’s” do you? So what should Christians do when a whole lot of shaking is going on? I encourage you to read Hebrews in 12:25-29 where we are reminded that God’s Kingdom is unshakeable. “And this expression, “Yet once more” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” Hebrews 12:27 Created things that are shakable will be shaken “yet once more” so that unshakeable things will remain. I believe the writer is encouraging us to focus our faith on what is unshakeable and lasting, not on what can and will be shaken and lost. Three thoughts stand out to me about not being shaken. First, shaking is part of life. Shaking happens. I do not think I need to elaborate much here. All of us, at some time or another, and most likely more than once, have felt shaken by something that has happened. The fact is shaking (besides earthquakes!) is a by-product of living in this world that chooses to reject God. Secondly, there are some things that will be shaken and will not survive. Human opinion. Material possessions. Worldly stuff. Everything man made. Temporal things. None of these things will pass the shaking test. Shakeable things do not stand the test of time. Thirdly, and most importantly, there are things that are unshakeable. Shake proof things exist in life. When shaking comes, they are unshakeable and remain. Allow me to remind you of three unshakeable things you and I can build our life upon.
It is a fact of real life that you and I will experience some shaking. But when tempted to be shaken, will we remain unshakeable? Not everyone is shaken up by the same thing. Things shake up people in different ways. I believe that we should be sensitive and seek to understand what might be shaking someone up. Just because it is not shaking us up does not mean the trial is not very real to the other person. I know what has the potential to shake Steve Roll up. You do not need to know what those things are, but I do. I must identify, then isolate and not be intimidated or negatively influenced by the shaking going on. I would like to report that I am 100% successful in standing unshakeable. But then I would be less than human and certainly not honest. My personal resolve and goal is to be unshakeable in the things that cannot be shaken. I have realized that it takes some good old-fashioned grit, guts and complete surrender to and dependence on God to stand tall and firm when life is tumbling down around me. Being unshakeable in spirit does not mean that Satan will not try to shake us up. The devil is a disrupter, a confusion artist, an antagonist. Satan is a master of stirring things up. He thrives on disorder. The evil one is a conniving, lying, deceiving enemy who is bent on shaking up the security and stability of God’s people. Satan’s strategy is to shake us up and shake us down for the purpose of destroying our faith in Jesus Christ. The devil’s goal is to keep spiritually lost people from coming to faith in Christ and to discourage those who have faith in the Lord. Unshakeableness (is that a word?) is not for sissies! The longer shaking goes on, the more you and I need to dig in our spiritual heels, pull up our spiritual bootstraps and stand fast in our faith. Spiritual and emotional wimps do not live unshakable lives. Are you unshakeable, unflappable, immovable in Christ? Does your faith withstand the shaking that is going on? Take some quiet time before the Lord to take inventory of your ability to withstand shaking. My fellow Christian, this is not the time to cower in discouragement. No matter how much the world around you is shaking, choose to wake up every day with unshakeable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your trust in God will shake up what is trying to shake you up. “My soul waits in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock, and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6 “Now we request of you brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together with Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” II Thessalonians 2:1-2 A Word For Your Week: Shake off what is trying to shake you and your faith. 2020. A year of uncertainty.
Uncertainty is a watchword for this hour in which you and I live. Every where we turn, people are talking about uncertainty. Families, individuals, businesses, governments, churches, non-profit organizations are uncertain about the near and far future. Covid-19 virus, illness, loss of loved ones, a divided nation, anarchy, riots and looting in our cities, open assault on Constitutional liberties, hateful attacks on Christianity, unrestrained, degrading immorality, economic decline, financial hardship and terrorist threats…all spell uncertainty and insecurity for many people. To be certain means to be settled, fixed, sure, assured, proven to be true, incapable of failing. Uncertainty is just the opposite. Uncertainty can be unnerving at best, frightening at worst. Uncertainty breeds fear. Fear feeds uncertainty. Certainty breeds faith. Faith feeds certainty. The Apostle Paul in the Bible lived and ministered the Good News of Jesus Christ in times much like ours. Uncertainty abounded. But he was certain about one thing. In II Timothy 1:12, Paul personally declared “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” During seasons of suffering, Paul was not ashamed. Why? Because he was certain about his relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul was convinced that God would guard everything that he had entrusted to the Lord when he became a Christian. Paul walked by faith as a convinced, confident, conquering Christian in a culture that opposed the gospel because he was certain the Lord would watch over him. His certainty kept him secure in his faith, causing him to rise triumphantly over uncertainty. Ten Things Christians Can Be Certain Of In Uncertain Times.
Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5-6
James 1:5, 3:17-18
Considering the above, I encourage you to trust in the One you know can be trusted. Focus on what you know, not what you do not know. Be certain about what you are certain about. Reject the world’s bad news. Receive the Word’s Good News. Spend time with people who love the Lord and build up your faith. God always has and always will take care of His business. As a believer in Christ you are His business. You can be certain, as a son or daughter of God, that your Heavenly Father will take care of you in these uncertain times. You can be certain in uncertain times when you trust God to meet your every need through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. How certain is your faith in Christ in the waning months of 2020? Are you unashamed of Jesus Christ and trusting Him for every area of your life? “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. My stronghold, I shall not be greatly shaken.” Psalm 62:1- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.” Psalm 46:1-3 A Word For Your Week: Certainty is found in Jesus Christ. Election day is finally here.
I heard a collective sigh of relief from my readers! The 24/7, incessant, annoying, unnerving, frenzied build-up to this pivotal day has evoked emotions running the gamut from excitement, anticipation and hopefulness, to anxiety, stress, worry and even fear in some. A therapist labeled this time as one of Election Stress Disorder (ESD). Most of us would way amen to that! Today dutiful voters are exercising their freedom and privilege to cast their vote for the candidate of their choice. After all the votes are cast and counted, then what? The election will be over, or will it? That remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: Life will go on in America. The truth is elections come and go. Presidents enter and leave the Oval office. Political parties rise and fall. Stock Markets are bullish and bearish. Viruses come and go. Social movements fade after their day in the sun. The world will be the world. People of every conceivable persuasion and agenda will continue to be people. The truth is people bring us the most joy as well as sorrow in life. I am a people too that you have to deal with! So, is everything going to be okay? I believe it will. Why am I optimistic about the future? My optimism is not about personalities, power people, what’s trending in social media, government, politics, economics, social issues, military might or anything man and this world can do. I believe It’s gonna be alright because of WHO GOD IS. God is the sovereign Creator of the universe. He sits on the throne of His Kingdom in heaven. He is all-knowing, all-powerful and everywhere present. He is a good, benevolent, heavenly Father who extends lovingkindness, mercy and grace to the people He created in His image. From beginning to end, God knows what He is doing. His plan for man is being carried out. I believe it’s gonna be alright because of WHAT GOD HAS DONE. God so loved you, me, and the world that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to save us from sin. Jesus, not any man, is the Savior. His life blood was shed on the Cross. Redemption is finished. The tomb is empty! Jesus is risen from the dead, has returned to heaven, is praying for us as He joyfully awaits the Father’s word to go get my kids. Believers in Jesus will leave this lost, sad, sin-sick world to spend eternity rejoicing in the presence of the Lord because he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! I believe it’s gonna be alright because of WHAT GOD IS GOING TO DO. His will, written in the Bible, is going to be fulfilled. He will righteously judge all of us. He will justly deal with evil, wicked people who reject Him. He will vindicate the vulnerable, innocent, righteous people who have loved Him and obeyed His Word. At the right time, He will send His only Son Jesus back to earth to retrieve His blood-bought children. Followers of Christ will go to heaven to enjoy the presence of the Father in their eternal home. All who reject Christ, along with Satan, will be cast into the lake of fire forever. It is gonna be alright because God is in control and taking care of business for you and me! Isaiah 41:10 is a personally reassuring, faith building, confidence boosting scripture for times like this. “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Note two “do nots”. Do not fear, do not be anxious. Why? Because six times, count them, God refers to Himself and what He will do for us. Surely, means certainty, it will happen. God will be with us, be for us, will help us, will strengthen us, and uphold us with His righteous, right hand. Last time I checked Almighty God has a mighty big hand! He has you and me covered. No man or institution can do for you and me what only God can do. It helps me to know that God helps me. It strengthens to know God strengthens me. It encourages me and boosts my confidence to know that God has me covered. I do not need to be fearful or worried because God is with me, for me, and always working on my behalf. He knows what I do not know, sees what I do not see, and does for me what I or anyone else cannot do for me. In addition to the above, the Word of God declares that the Lord is my rock, fortress, shelter, stronghold, security, deliverer, rescuer, provider, protector, source, healer, comforter, guide, truth, wisdom and friend I just want to shout GLORY! Long, long ago, probably in a galaxy far, far away, there was an election in heaven. God voted for me. Satan voted against me. I cast my vote with God, and we won! Glory to God for eternal salvation through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. On this national election day, have you cast your spiritual vote for the Lord? If not, this is the acceptable day of salvation. Humble your heart. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Repent of your sins. Ask for forgiveness. Sincerely receive Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior. Commit yourself to live for Him the rest of your life. Thank God for saving you! When you know Jesus, you will know without a doubt that everything will be alright! “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 A Word For Your Week: Because of Jesus Christ, It’s gonna be alright! As you head to the polls to fulfill your duty and privilege as a citizen of the United States to vote on November 3rd, what will be your main criterion for marking the box of candidates running for public office?
Personally, I believe it should be morality. Moral issues are the most important, significant issues our nation faces. America’s moral compass no longer points to true north. Without question, morality is at an all-time low while immorality is at an all- time high in our nation. It is difficult to understand, but some people do not know what being moral is. Look up moral, morality in Webster’s Dictionary. Morality matters because it is about ethical, moral principles and conduct. Morality has to do with what is righteous, virtuous, and decent. Morality pertains to our belief and convictions regarding sanctity of life, sexuality, speech, conduct, marriage and family relationships, business dealings, treatment of others, law and order and our view of a culture that should be glorifying God and edifying its citizens. What is moral or immoral has been pre-determined, defined and decreed by God in the Bible. Our sovereign Creator created a moral universe. His eternal Kingdom is based on truth and moral principles. Sorry folks. You and I do not get to pontificate, legislate, or pen an executive order as to what morality should or should not be. Bottom line: we are not God. He, and He alone, is. You and I are accountable to Him (Romans 14:12) for our moral life. As one example of personal responsibility and accountability, you and I must answer whether or not we believe God created humans male and female (Genesis 1:27). The God of the Bible is a two-gender guy! There is no transgender. Boys are born boys; girls are born girls. Period. Surely God knows which bathroom males and females should use. Our gender has been chosen by a loving, benevolent, gracious Creator who has an awesome plan for each of us who are unique and significant (Read Psalm 139). To think or act to change gender is perversion of what God calls pure. Take marriage as another moral principle. Marriage is between one male and one female. The first husband and wife, Adam and Eve, established the sacred bond of two becoming one flesh in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:24-25). Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, having sex with a member of the same gender, as well as same sex marriage is immoral, not moral. God’s word calls those man-instituted unions abominable. (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:18-32). The Supreme Court of the universe, made up of the God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit residing on the bench of justice, has ruled so. No exceptions. Not now. Not ever. Reasons Why Morality Matters
“Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body.” Flee immorality. Flee means run! If you are being immoral, you are sinning against God, others, and against yourself. Your body is not yours. It belongs to Christ if you choose to follow Him. Your body houses the Holy Spirit. Jesus bought your body with the price of His precious blood. So how can you be immoral? Why would you choose immoral behavior? Paul’s exhortation needs to be heard and heeded today in America and our world. Worth thinking about: How can a holy God bless an unholy nation that mockingly flaunts immorality in the face of the One who called us to be holy? I do not believe He can or will until we as a people turn from immortality to morality. God’s prophet called out to the Jewish nation “Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean? (impure). (Jeremiah 13:27). I wonder what Jeremiah would say to America today. This very day, Almighty God is looking for a few good moral men and women who will turn our immoral nation back to righteousness, purity, and holiness by standing up for and living a biblically moral life. I am praying daily for a revival of righteousness and morality to sweep through the hearts of Americans. Will you pray for me as I pray for you and our fellow Americans? On November 3rd, moral decisions must carry the day if our nation is to be blessed by God. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 Moral or immoral, which do you choose today? A Word For Your Week: Be a biblically moral person because morality matters. America is under attack. The enemy: stress.
Granted, life is stressful. Stress can be positive or negative. Currently, negative stress has intensified to a dangerously unhealthy, and in many ways, destructive level. Multiple stressors are stressing you and me out: Covid-19. Economic uncertainty. Financial insecurity. Pivotal national elections. Political corruption. Hateful rhetoric. Character assassination. Violence in the streets. Safety concerns. Church and school closures. Natural disasters. Threats from foreign enemies. I am feeling some stress just writing this down! The world’s negative noise is stressful. Speaking for myself, I have noticed I am extra edgy, uptight, frustrated, impatient (more than usual!), prone to outbursts of anger at times, questioning, wondering, saddened and sorrowful over the state of affairs in the country I honor, respect, take pride in and love. . Sounds like depression doesn’t it? I am not depressed in the classical, clinical sense, but I am stressed out. America society is extremely volatile, in grave danger of spiritual, moral, and civil implosion. Disregard for the sanctity of life from the womb to the tomb, disrespect for lawful authority, disdainful prejudice toward people different than us, disgraceful, shameful, degrading perverse immoral conduct, and rejection of and rebellion toward the God of the Bible fuels the fires of division and disunity that is manifesting itself in skyrocketing divorces, domestic violence, anxiety, fear, depression, addictions and suicide. So, what can we do to reduce massive stress that has a stranglehold on our personal lives and nation? I am glad you asked. Jesus Christ knows how to help us with stress. God’s only Son personally dealt with stress while on earth. The moment He pronounced Himself as the Messiah, He was rejected by the very people He came to save. Jesus was mocked, blasphemed, ridiculed, denied, betrayed, abandoned, physically. tortured, and the Lord’s heart was broken over sheep without a shepherd. His human stress levels were unimaginable. How did Jesus manage stress and pressure? He regularly stole away from everyone and everything to meet alone with the Father. He prayed. He sought the Father’s will. The Lord came away from those times when He cast His stress on the Father with peace in His heart for the next round of life. Stress surrounded the Lord, yet He walked in rest in midst of the stress. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites you and me to find rest from stress in Him. “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My load is light.” Please note three positive action steps Jesus invites us to take to receive rest for our weary (stressed out) souls. COME. Simply come to Jesus. Why? Because He promises “rest” for all who are weary, worn out and burdened. “Come” is for everyone who seeks relief from life weariness that stress produces. TAKE. Receive from Jesus. Yoke, hook up with Him. Stop trying to handle your stress by yourself. Christ’s yoke is easy, His load is light. Easy and light sounds good to me! LEARN. Jesus possesses a gentle and humble heart that cares sincerely and deeply about our stress and weariness. Being stressed out provides an opportunity to learn how to manage stress successfully from the Lord. The result when we come to Jesus when stressed out: less stress. The Lord’s way of dealing with life is far less stressful than mine or yours. His way of managing stress is all about rest. Rest, peace, calm and joy for our stressed souls (mind, will and emotions) is ours when we come to Jesus to rest in Him. Manage stress or it will mismanage you. How To Manage Stress
Maybe you are stressed out like me. What if you and I committed ourselves to pray for one another to take our stress to Jesus and receive His rest? I certainly would like you to pray for me. I would be honored to pray for you. “Rest in the lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7 A Word For Your Week: Rest in the Lord and stress will take a hike. Alerts.
You and I are well familiar with alerts. Breaking News alerts. Weather alerts. Silver alerts. Medical alerts. Computer alerts. Consumer alerts. Product alerts. Law enforcement alerts. Alerts, alerts, and more alerts! Some of us might need an alert to remind us of the rest of our alerts! According to Webster, the word alert means to watch, look out for, pay attention to, be aware of, warn, a call to a state of readiness. Back in 1973, when I was doing my best to survive boot camp at the United States Naval Station in San Diego, California, naive, raw recruits like me were put on watch, guard duty. What were we guarding? San Diego, of course. I remember vividly being diligent at my guard post, on alert, watching over San Diego in the middle of the night, carrying a fake rifle. Our drill sergeants put the fear of God and Satan in us so that some recruits (not this guy!) thought they were really watching out for the Russians, Chinese or North Vietnamese to attack San Diego! Anchors away my boys! Seriously, green-horn, wet behind the ears, wanna-be sailors were trained in boot camp to be on alert, on guard, at our post, watchful, looking out for the enemy in the event we would be engaged in combat in a war zone. Christians are good soldiers of Christ (II Timothy 2:1-4) in a spiritual war zone (Ephesians 6:10-12) battling Satan and the powers of hell. (I Peter5:8-9). You and I must be on constant alert if we are to push back the gates of hell in Jesus’ name (Matthew 16:18-19). Jesus taught something significant about being watchful, on alert. In Matthew 24, the Lord describes the signs of His glorious return. Read them to be refreshed, blessed, and encouraged. In verses 42-44 Jesus teaches about being on alert. “Therefore, (in light of His return) be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on alert, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason, you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming in an hour when you do not think He will.” Three times Jesus exhorts His followers to be on alert, ready, watchful. For what? His return! He will come when it is time to return, and therefore, we should be looking for Him at any time. That means we must be watchful, ready, alert for His second coming. Jesus also issues a word of warning to watch out for the thief. The devil is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. ( John 10:10a). The homeowner is watchful so the thief cannot break into his home and steal his stuff. Christians must be watchful, on the alert for two things: our enemy Satan’s attacks and Jesus glorious return resulting in our homegoing to heaven! Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:5-6 “For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do; but let us be on alert and sober.” Jesus made it clear: As you wait for My return, be on alert, watchful, looking for Me to split the eastern sky, coming triumphantly on a cloud in the air with the heavenly host! What a glorious day that will be for all who believe in Him! How You Can Be On Alert
Be aware. Look out for your faith. Pay careful attention to your spiritual life. Stay close to Jesus. Be filled with the Holy Spirit every day. With every step you take, walk courageously and confidently in the power of God. If our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ exhorted His followers, including you and me, to be on alert, maybe, just maybe we should heed and obey His words. Beloved believer in Christ, please, please be on alert, Watchful. Looking out for anyone or anything that would try to discourage or derail your Christian faith. People who you love and care about, as well as a spiritually lost world, are counting on you to be on alert. Keep watching. Jesus is coming back! Hallelujah! “Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” I Corinthians 16:13 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, know ng that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” I Peter 5:8-9 A Word For Your Week: Stay alert as you walk by faith in Jesus Christ awaiting His return. Enemies.
What should you and I do when enemies are trying to take us out? Pandemic enemies. Political enemies. Spiritual enemies. Health enemies. Financial enemies. Natural/weather enemies. Emotional enemies. Relational enemies. Foreign enemies. Domestic enemies. Have I left any enemies out of the 2020 landscape? Let us be honest: It can be very perplexing, extremely discouraging, and even frightening when an “enemy” appears to be gaining ground in its attempt to alter or even end our life as we know it. GOOD NEWS! Almighty God knows how to deal with the enemies of His people. The book of Exodus records the miraculous “going out” of God’s people Israel from bondage as slaves in Egypt. The Lord delivered Israel with His strong powerful hand from the wicked, evil hands of Pharaoh. Read the Song of Moses in Exodus 15 describing the great victory at the Red Sea. Back up the deliverance train. Israel is seemingly trapped between Pharaoh’s bloodthirsty army and the impassable Red Sea. Enter God. As the people were wondering what was going to happen, the word of the Lord came through Moses. “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; The Lord will fight for you while you remain silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.” Exodus 14:13-15 Imagine you are one of the Israelis. Ticked off, vindictive Pharaoh and his bloodthirsty army is in hot pursuit of you, your family, friends, and nation. In the natural, looks like game over for Israel. Moses tells you and your loved ones the following.
Sometimes Steve Roll and stand by do not see eye to eye! Seven Simple Steps For Standing By And Watching God Work
GOOD NEWS AGAIN! Christians are the greater ones because Jesus has defeated the devil. The Holy Spirit empowers Christ’s followers with supernatural courage, strength, and spiritual weapons to be more than conquerors through Him who loves us. (See Romans 8:31-39). My friend, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and an enemy is harassing you, stand by, stand back, keep silent, go forward by faith…….then watch the King of Kings and Lord of Lords work on your behalf. “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You.” Jeremiah 32:17 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.” I John 5:4 A Word For Your Week. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. Gigantic problems.
2020. A year so far riddled with one serious problem after another after another. Stacked up problems are putting immense emotional pressure on all of us. Emotional giants of anxiety, fear, depression, tension, uncertainty, division and unrest are stalking the emotional landscape, screaming at us, mocking us and taunting us to negatively react to our situation. If you are facing a huge problem that is discouraging and disheartening you right now, turn to I Samuel 17. This true biblical story of the colossal confrontation between David and Goliath will get your spiritual motor running! A young, rudy-faced shepherd boy takes out a nine-foot tall, seven-hundred pound, belligerent, boisterous, battle-tested enemy of Israel. Have I captured your interest? Goliath, a Philistine warrior and champion, was a physical giant. An intimidating, taunting, trash-talking mountain of a man. For forty days and nights, his God-mocking, blasphemous-spewing mouth kept King Saul and God’s army at bay, fearful, shaking in their sandals on the sideline. Shepherd boy David showed up. Sized up the situation. He decided to do something about this uncircumcised Philistine who was mocking the living God. Full of faith in the Lord he served, David boldly countered Goliath’s mockery and taunts about him and his God. He told the giant he would be bird food before the sunset. Go David! David didn’t use swords and spears to take Goliath down. David took a rock to a sword fight. Knowing the battle was the Lord’s, David, with faith in heart, took him out with a slingshot and a stone. The giant being dead, David relieved Goliath of his head. “Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. “ I Samuel 17:51 No more trash talking from his mouth. Hard to talk without your head! David held up Goliath’s head in triumph, showing it to king Saul. As the now deceased giant’s blood dripped from his severed head, the Israeli army rallied and routed the stunned, fleeing Philistines. Without their menacing champion Goliath, the Philistines were soundly defeated. David was recognized as a hero and a worthy man to take Saul’s place as King of Israel. I don’t know about you, but I would have loved to see David hoisting high in the air slain Goliath’s lifeless head for all to see! What a day when David killed giant Goliath for the glory of God! So, what does David chopping off Goliath’s head have to do with you and me? You and I are taunted and trash-talked by spiritual/emotional Goliath’s. Fear. Worry. Doubt. Unbelief. Lack. Depression. Low self-esteem. Lack of confidence and many other emotional giants raise their big, bad, ugly heads and scream at us. Mock us and our faith. They try to intimidate us into retreating from our walk with God. Emotional giants shout us down. You and I have heard their voices before. Unfortunately we have often cowered and caved in to their hollow threats. I minister to people all the time who are standing in fear on life’s sideline, shaking in their shoes, because an emotional Goliath is stalking and talking to them. Their giant is pushing them around, paralyzing their faith, and laughing at them for not fighting back. David had the right perspective and attitude. Like David, God’s people, you and me who know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, are to prevail over Goliath. Israel believed Goliath was too big to hit, David believed Goliath was too big to miss! How about you? Is your emotional Goliath too big to hit or TOO BIG TO MISS? How To Slay Your Goliath And Cut Of His Head
Please hear me. If you are being emotionally harassed, it is time to shut the mouth of emotional giants. Do not tolerate Goliath speaking into your life. Rebuke and reject his lies, false accusations fabrications about you. Cut his head off. I am not talking about cutting off the heads of people who taunt and trash talk you. If you do that, you will go to jail! What I am saying is face the voices you hear that attack you spiritually and emotionally. Fight back. Shout them down in the name of the Lord. Leave no room for anything but a decisive, complete victory. Take their head off. Silence negative giants. Put them in their place (the cemetery). Defeat them in the name of Jesus and with the Word of God. Maybe a Goliath has kept you shaking in your shoes for days, weeks, months or even years. Isn’t it about time to take him out in the name of the Lord? Why let Goliath keep troubling you when he is the one who should be troubled? So, what are you going to do about your Goliath this week? Why not go head-hunting! “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31 A Word For Your Week: Take your trash-talking Goliath out by taking his head off. Millions of citizens in our nation are fussing, fuming, feuding, and fighting over politics.
No matter who is pushing agenda buttons, little, if any, progress is being made to restore our nation to the principles our founding fathers instituted in The Constitution and Bill of Rights. The foundation of their deliberations and decisions were grounded in Christian truth and principles revealed in the Bible. Almighty God set America apart as a Christian nation to be a bright, shining witness to a world lost in spiritual darkness. I am emotionally frazzled, worn out if you will. Maybe you are too. Why? Because men and women in authority and their Kool Aid drinking followers are missing the mark regarding what America should look and act like. Its like a person shooting a bow and arrow who strikes the target, but never hits the bullseye. My friend, America’s greatest, deepest, and most pressing need is not political, social, racial, or economic. It is spiritual and moral. So, what is the solution for our moral drift and spiritual waywardness? I am glad I asked. Concerned Christians across America are faithfully and fervently praying for revival, and rightly so. But a revival of what? A revival of righteousness is what our nation needs. To revive means to live again, to quicken. Righteous simply means acting in accordance with divine or moral law, justified. To be righteous is to be made right. Right what? Right in the sight of the Lord. God is serious about righteousness. The words righteous, righteousness and unrighteous are used no less than five hundred and ten times in the Bible. The word right is also used many, many times. God cares immensely about what is right or wrong. A revival of righteousness is all about living again in right relationship with the Living God of the Bible and doing what is right in His sight. The wisdom writer Solomon makes it clear about what makes a nation great in God’s eyes. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34. Sin, choosing to disobey God’s Word and will is disgraceful, a curse that robs a nation of God’s favor and blessing. On the other hand, righteousness exalts, promotes, prospers, and blesses a nation. I like the blessing hand, how about you? Christians are the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness is secured through God’s only Son who died on the Cross. His blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins, makes the unrighteous righteous. Getting our life right with Jesus makes our life right with God. The Bible, God’s holy Word, is the blueprint for a righteous life and a country’s conduct. What A Righteous Nation Would Look Like
My spirit yearns for and groans within for a Holy Spirit empowered revival of righteousness that would sweep across our country, purifying our hearts and cleansing us morally. I would love to spend the rest of my days, raising up and handing off to my children and grandchildren a righteous nation. How about you? Bottom line America: Being in right relationship with God and doing what is right in His sight blesses individuals and a nation. My fellow Christians and all who do not know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior: Get right with God. Stay right with God. Live right for God. Live right for people in God’s holy name. Please join me in praying every single day for a revival of righteousness to spread like a spiritual wildfire from coast to coast across this nation we love and thank the Lord for. “How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times.” Psalm 106:3 “For there they are in great dread, for God is with the righteous generation.” Psalm 14:5 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has formed for His own inheritance.” Psalms 33:12 ‘If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 A Word For Your Week: America’s only hope is in returning to righteousness. |
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