SERVING SIX ONE

Did you ever think about Moses’ rod? You know the one he held up when the Red Sea parted.  The one that he struck the rock with and water came forth, the one he threw down and it became  a serpent. The one that he touched the Nile with causing it to turn to blood. That rod. Did you  ever really think about it. It was just a rod. Just an ordinary stick that Moses used to poke, prod,  direct, and protect a bunch of sheep. It was just an ordinary rod, and would have remained an  ordinary rod if he had not obeyed the voice of God and let it go.

God asked Moses “What is that in your hand?” (Ex.4:2) to which Moses replied “A rod.” Now of  course God knew what it was, he just wanted to make sure Moses knew. But what happened  next is what is so profound. God told Moses to throw the rod down. To let it go. To give it to  Him. When Moses did the rod became a serpent and then of course that rod accompanied him  as he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. A simple man, with a simple rod, doing miraculous things because of a willingness to let go and let God!

You know, there are things right now that you are holding that God wants to use. Little things that could be great when touched by God’s power. So, what do you have that the Almighty could use? Are you willing to let it go? Are you willing to trust Him with it?

Just as there are things you are holding that God can use if you give them to Him, there are also things you are holding onto that God wants you to let go of . Things that are keeping you from following after God. Things that are keeping you from hearing Him, trusting Him, and knowing His will for your life. Are you holding on to something that is affecting your relationship with God? Something that is keeping you from the blessings God has for your life? Is it a relationship, a hurt, a fear, a grudge? What is that you may be refusing to let go of because it is familiar to you, something that you are used to carrying around with you for so long that you have become attached to it?

God is saying “Let it Go”. Let go of the past so the past will let go of you. Then and only then will you be able to live and enjoy the fullness of what God has for your life.

So, what are you holding on to? Do you have talents, ideas, dreams, abilities, thoughts, or desires that God could be using for His glory? Or do you have bitterness, unforgiveness, secrets, broken dreams, or spiritual ties with people that you know needs to be severed? God says Let it Go! The choice is yours, and so are the repercussions.

God, Your love is unfailing. You are unfailing and always there. When I walk out from under Your love, I hear You call me and  I  return to You. I  look  for  You in whatever I do.

The many people You have put around me, the many you have let me meet, the many who You have allowed to come into my life, and even the many that I do not know. Bless them. Send Your spirit and live through each of them. Show them Your awesome love. There are so many of them who want You. Bless them. Give them their hearts desires. Let them always continue to burn for You. Use them. May You let Your beautiful light shine through them, and may that light shine as beautiful as all the colors of the earth making  the dark paths bright so that others may be able to see You. Bless them all. Bless the ones who are reading this. Use them. Lead them. Let them know they are never alone, they are never forsaken, that they are special because they are Your children.

Please God use them all. Don’t let a one of them not be used. Come down and reign inside of us all. All of us are undeserving of You. You owe us nothing. We owe You everything. We owe all to You. Use our lives God. Your love never fails, You never leave us. Thank You God. I Love You! †

Love never fails. And NOW abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a, 13

He love us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loves us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10-12

Have you ever taken a picture and then it turned out blurry. Chances are you didn’t have a clear focus when you took the picture. In other words, the camera was focused on something other than what your intentions were. The results were a blurred picture.

Many times that is the problem we have in life as well. We have good intentions. We have the right idea. But somewhere along the lines, we lose our focus. Other things, that may be good things, grab our focus, distract us and we lose the actual focus of what we were supposed to be doing.

When this happens, the results are usually that the project or goal we were working on seems to lose it effectiveness and we even doubt if we were supposed to be doing it in the first place. We get discouraged, downhearted, and feel like quitting. Oftentimes, we do quit. We stop short and never finish the work we once thought we were called to do.

So many visions, dreams and desires given from God never materialize or come to fruition because we allow the enemy to distract us with other things. More times than not, it is good things that take our focus off of our calling. Getting too busy and caught up in other projects with church or other people’s visions is often the reason for not continuing with our own. Or, letting others put doubt in us because of their disbelief or jealousy can cause us to doubt and lose our focus as well.

When this happens, the fire and desire we once had for our vision dwindles. Sometimes it diminishes to the point we find ourselves questioning whether or not the vision was from God in the first place. Once the focus gets blurred, it is hard to see clearly what we are supposed to be doing.

Getting us to lose our focus is one of the most common yet powerful tools of the enemy. If the devil can get you to get caught up with the busy work of other things rather than the task or objective God has given you or purposed you for, then chances are that project will not be completed. If the project doesn’t get completed, many people may not be reached. So, the enemy wins.

Remember the story of Peter walking on the water? He started out his quest with excitement. He asked God to help him. He heard the voice of the Lord clearly say “Come.” He stepped out in faith to begin his journey and was making progress. He had his eyes focused on Jesus and was actually walking on the water! He was doing what others saw as impossible because he was focused!

But something happened on Peter’s journey. Perhaps, it was because he started listening to those to afraid to get out of the boat as they told him he was crazy. Maybe he listened to their jealous jeering saying that he was going to sink. Maybe then, he heard the wind, the splashing of the waves and waves of doubt washed over him. Whatever he heard or thought made him take his eyes off of Jesus. When that happened, when he lost his focus, he went down. He sank beneath his own doubts, beneath his own discouragement, beneath his own fears.

The good news is, Peter didn’t drown beneath those waves of doubt, discouragement and fear. He remembered to call on the name of the One who saves. When he did, Jesus picked him up, and walked back with him, guiding him, holding him and talking to him all along the way. You see, although Peter lost his focus, he got it back and he continued his feat. He didn’t swim back to the boat; he walked back to the boat! And in so doing, he was a witness to all those in the boat who thought it couldn’t be done!

It is important to know that although we may lose our focus, we can always call on the One who is more than willing to help us see again. He will pick us up, un-cloud our vision and help us clearly see where we are supposed to go and what we are supposed to be doing. Not only that, but He’ll go with us all the way!

So it’s time to get up, get out of the boat and get on with our journey of faith. If we lose our sight and start to sink we need to cry out to the One who told us to “Come”. He will help us get our focus straight and with Him we shall overcome!

Great are You God! Awesome are You God! SO AWESOME is Your Holy Name! Your name is greater than anyone can imagine. The sound of Your name brings Joy into my life. Let me realize why I am alive. Let me realize why I am here. I will praise You Forever and ever, never ceasing, never letting you decrease in me, but increase in me and I will serve You more and more.

Great is Your name! Great is Your love! Whenever I go through the waters, You will be near me. AWESOME ARE YOU GOD! When I am feeling depressed, or down, I will sing to You praise and You will lift me up. I will lift You higher in my life and continue to Praise You! I will lift You higher in my life and put You above all else. I will forever seek You, O God! You are my EVERYTHING!

You sent Your only Son, and we killed Him. Yet You still love us. You still love me. Your love is unfailing and You are always there.  I make mistakes, but You have  mercy and forgive me. You lift me on my feet and deliver me from my affliction and pain. Your words will ring in my ears forever, and I will serve You with the rest of my life. I give you my all. Use me God! I Love You!

† “†” †

Sing praise to His name! Give God all of You! Life is so short. In one breath you are created and in one breath you are gone. Life is like a period on a page compared to eternity. What you do in life really matters. We were created in order to bring God glory.
“God created us for His Glory” – Isaiah 43:1-7

In ALL you do, give God praise. Declare His loving kindness in the morning and His faithfulness every night! Sing to Him a new song, lift your heads and glorify His AWESOME name!
“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

God Loves You No matter what! And no matter what goes on in your life, whether sadness, depression, stress, rejection, sickness, suffering or anything else…. YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! God doesn’t make mistakes, and He created YOU! Think of this…. out of anyone God could have created… He created YOU! How awesome is that! KNOW that you are special to God.

Praise God! Give Him your ALL, and declare His reign in Your life! HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

IN HIM IS THERE HOPE! IN HIM IS THERE LOVE! IN HIM WILL I ABIDE AND WILL TRUST FOR THE REST OF THE DAYS OF MY LIFE!

The other day I was reading the story of David and Goliath.  Now if you are like me, then you have heard that story countless times. But in my reading the other day, the Lord revealed some truths, and gave me some insight that I had never gotten from the story before.

The Israelite army had been fighting against their enemies, the Philistines, and were camped opposite them with a valley in between. All of a sudden, out of the clear blue, this giant dude shows up. He was over nine feet tall, majorly buff and had an attitude that matched. He at once began to bully Israel, challenging them and defying their God.

Goliath challenged one of Israel’s soldiers to come and fight him. If they won, then the Philistines would be Israel’s slaves, but if they lost, and  if this giant troublemaker won, then Israel would be enslaved to the enemy.

For forty days, morning and night, the giant came out and challenged God’s people. And for forty days, no progress was made. Gloom and despair loomed overhead. Depression and fear engulfed the camp. No one dared to take the giant up on his challenge. That is, until one day a young shepherd boy showed up.

David had just arrived at the camp when the Israelites lined up as usual to face the Philistines. And, as usual, out came Goliath. Once again, he mocked and jeered, bullied and sneered, and once again, the Israelite soldiers cowered and feared and ran away. David, was appalled. He could not understand why or how Israel could allow one man to stand in the way of their victory over the enemy.

David’s brothers quickly informed the young, innocent, and what they considered to be ignorant boy to mind his business. Didn’t he note the size of the guy? Didn’t he see his huge sword? Didn’t he see the massive armor and hear the daunting message from the booming voice of this massive enemy? Just what part of the whole situation was David not getting?

But, in reality, David did get it. He looked beyond the giant and saw God. He knew Who he believed in and no matter how big, how scary, how mean, how massive, the enemy was, God was bigger. David focused on what we oftentimes,  fail to see. He focused on the solution to the problem, rather than on the problem itself. He trusted God. Pure and simple. He didn’t doubt. He didn’t second guess. He just flat out trusted and believed God’s word over the word of the enemy.

So, David without any hesitation announced loud and long that he would face the enemy and would defeat him. Upon hearing David’s proclamation, King Saul, tried to dissuade the eager and what he thought to be overzealous young man. But once he realized that David was determined, Saul then tried to help him out. He urged David to take his armor, his weaponry. He tried to get David to do things his way.

But, David wasn’t comfortable with King Saul’s methods. He listened to the advice and then rather than trusting the words and ways of man, surrendered to the higher ways of God. He knew God’s way for His life. He knew God wouldn’t leave Him. He trusted the One Who had never let him down against obstacles and giants in the past and that is exactly what he chose to do in facing this giant.

So, David went out. He faced Goliath head own. No reservations. No turning back. No doubts. No worries. He had God. He declared to the enemy that he was not afraid. He lifted up the name of God above the giant blocking his victory. And though the giant roared. Though he showed his ugliness. Though he puffed himself up bigger and bigger. David didn’t waver. He took what God had given him, his talents, and his abilities, and stepped out in faith. Then with the twirling of a leather strap, and the hurling of a little stone, the giant went tumbling down. And when that bully went down, the rest of the enemies scattered.

You see, it was God’s will that Israel defeated the Philistines. David knew that, and Goliath was standing in the way of God’s will. Goliath represents anything that is standing in the way of God’s will for your life. What kind of Goliaths are you facing right now? Are you fearful? Are you depressed? Is there a giant problem standing right smack in the way and keeping you from what you know God wants for your life?

Then you need to know a few things. First of all, God is bigger than anything you face. Quit worrying and listening to the voice of the enemy. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He  who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (John 4:4 NKJV). So realize that! Take hold of it and let the Spirit of the living God come alive inside of you. Let God arise in you and your enemies will scatter.(Psalm 68:1)

Secondly, you need to realize something else. You need to realize that God has given you everything you need to face any challenge, any obstacle, any giant that comes against you. He has equipped you with certain talents and abilities that He fully intends and expects you to use. Perhaps you are struggling right now with some areas in your life, because you are using methods and ways other than the ones God has purposed for you to use. You need to use what God gave you, no matter what others may tell you. David could not use the things that were unfamiliar to him. He had to trust God with what God had given him. The same applies to you.

The last thing I want to point out is that you need to put your trust in the God of David. He is the giant slayer. He is the One who will go before you and bring down every opposing force that stands between you and His purpose for your life, that is, IF you declare Him Lord over your life. When David saw the enemy. When he heard his bullying remarks, when he heard Goliath mock his God and challenge his faith, he reacted. He stood his ground. He let the Spirit of the God that he had loved and trusted, the One who had carried him through his darkest nights, the One who had never once failed Him, rise up inside him. Then he proclaimed to those around him and to the enemy facing him that God was bigger. David declared the victory before he ever stepped foot on the battlefield. He had made up his mind that God was bigger and that the giant was going down. He didn’t doubt. He wasn’t ashamed. He didn’t care if his friends and family thought he was insane. He put his faith above all else and because of that, Goliath fell.

It’s time you do the same. It’s time to step out in faith. Trust in the God who loves you, who knows what is best for you, and declare His victory over the giants you are facing. And know this, once you declare Him Lord over that situation, that problem, that circumstance, then God will bring your giants down!

According to the New King James version Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The New Living Translation version says “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us the assurance about things we cannot see.” This tells us a few things that are vital in our walk with God. It also is the foundation of truth that we need to live a victorious life here on this earth.

Let’s examine the words of this well known verse. Let’s start with the word faith. Just what is faith? According to the dictionary (at least the top two entries), faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing. It is also defined as belief that is not based on proof. Now if we combine these two definitions we can surmise the following statement. Faith is believing in someone that we cannot see and trusting in that someone without reservations.

To have faith in God then, we must first believe in Him, although we cannot see Him. As Hebrews 11:6 states,”he who comes to God must believe that He is”… In other words we must believe that He exists, even though we cannot see Him. This is the first and most important part of faith. Once you believe in the Who, then you can trust that He will do!

Now that we have determined exactly what faith is, let’s look at the rest of Hebrews 11:1.It tells us “Faith is the substance”. Substance is what a thing consists of, the actual matter of a thing, and we learned in elementary school that matter is anything that has weight or takes up space. So faith is actually what gives weight or actuality to something.

Faith is the substance of what? It is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is what makes up what we hope for. And what does hope actually mean? Hope is the feeling that we can actually get what we wish we had or that events or circumstances will turn out for the best. So, faith then is the actual matter, the consistency, or what gives weight to what we wish we could have or have happen.

Now let’s look at the final part of Hebrews 11:1. The last part of the verse tells us that faith “is the evidence of things not seen.” Evidence, we all know is proof. Faith is the proof of the things we cannot see. It is our assurance that though our eyes do not behold it, it is a reality.

So let’s put it all together and see what it all means. Faith or trust in God is what gives weight, realness or credibility to what we wish we had. It is our proof of things that we cannot see with our physical eyes.

So don’t doubt. Have hope. Trust in God. Have faith. It is your assurance that things will turn out for good. If you can trust God and hope for the best, then you can have the things you cannot see.

Biblical faith means you believe in something promised  – even when you don’t yet see the evidence. But sometimes faith sometimes means NOT believing what you see – even when you see it. Yes, I know how the infamous Bible verse goes:

¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
(Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

And it IS sometimes very hard to believe something that you don’t yet see. Maybe it’s hard for you to believe that your financial situation is going to get better when you don’t see any money in the bank or that your relationship with a spouse or child is improving – even when the evidence you see is to the contrary…

But sometimes it is equally hard to believe that something is NOT what you see. That involves faith, too. Let me explain…

Many years ago, my grandfather, who ran the community grocery store in a small but growing town, was cleaning the public restroom of his business. As he labored in the small, dimly lit room, he noticed what looked like a whiskey bottle in the window sill, that was evidently left by a customer who did a little more than relieve himself when he used the facilities.

My grandfather, a very devout man and known city-wide as an itinerant preacher and the chairman of the deacons at the local baptist church, held the whiskey bottle to the light in order to see the label and see if it smelled as he suspected.

At that precise moment, the bathroom door opened and a man who knew my grandfather very well walked  in. Both men were startled, and my grandfather’s friend exclaimed “Why, Henry, if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I would have never believed it to be so.”

“Wait, you don’t understand,” my grandfather pleaded…

“Nope,” said his friend, “I would not have believed it unless I had seen it with my own two eyes.”

And so his friend could not be convinced that his eyes had betrayed him and he left believing that he had caught the chairman of the deacons of the local baptist church with a bottle of spirits.

Now whether you believe it is okay or not to drink…that’s beside the point. The point IS that sometimes what we see…or what we THINK we see is not reality.

Sometimes real faith involves NOT trusting our five senses, but believing our one Savior and the work he has done, is still doing, and will do in our lives and the lives of those we love.

Don’t run away from God. Don’t go your own way. Don’t choose a path that is not in the right direction. But instead keep God’s Word in your heart. Meditate on His Word day and night. Keep right beside God at all times, and remember, if you are with Him, then He has to be with you. A sheep doesn’t lead the shepherd, but the shepherd leads the sheep. God is the shepherd, and we are His sheep. So follow God, and you will save your life from destruction and troubles.

Don’t run away from God for things you have done in the past. Don’t ever think you are not able to be forgiven. For God understands. While Jesus was on this earth, He was tempted more than you ever were, and ever will be. Remember God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Remember that verse, and when being tempted, always look for the way of escape, and you will find it. But just finding the way of escape isn’t good enough, you must take it. Keep in mind the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Keep your mind on the things that matter. Keep your head turned towards God, and away from all temptation. Surround yourself with what will keep you on track. And never turn around, or run the other way for any reason. God Loves you.

“Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

 There is no one like our God. † Psalm 71:19

Who is like our God? Who else can make the lame walk, and the blind to see. Who can create an entire world in a week…. who can make an entire world at all?

Have you ever even taken the time to look at what God has made? I was looking at a small little flower, very tiny, just hidden in the grass. And what were the chances of me seeing it? So, as usual, I got to thinking. God takes care of plants and animals. Even plants and animals that no one will ever see or take the time to notice. But God still cares about them. He not only takes care of them, but perfectly designs them so that, perhaps, just by chance, you, or as in this case, I would take the time to notice.

Matthew 6:25-30 makes this point a little better.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Knowing all of this, why do we worry about anything. We should trust God in all things, because if He cares for something as small as a flower, then know that He cares for us also. There is No one who cares more about you than God. So quit worrying about the things you need, seek God first, and then these things shall be added to you. Ask and you shall receive. Seek God and you will find Him. There is no one like our God!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

With the economy the way it is, there are many individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Too much month and not enough money. Many people are losing their jobs or having to take pay cuts in order to stay employed. Many businesses are also closing their doors after years and years of being successful. On top of that, those who haven’t yet felt affected by these economic times are fearful that they may be next. A job one day and the unemployment line the day after.

The other day I heard a preacher saying that if you were one of God’s children then you would “ride above the storm” and remain unaffected by the troubles around you. While that may be true to some degree, I think that we need to look at what the Bible actually says about prosperity.

True, God wants his servants to “prosper and be in good health” (III John 1:2), there was also a wee little condition that goes along with that passage. It actually says, “…I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

I would contend that sometimes it takes a little hardship to make us wake up and recognize who is the source of our prosperity and strength. And when we truly recognize the blessings that we have and the source of those blessings, then our soul does benefit.

Let’s see what Ecclesiastes has to say about the subject of prosperity in Chapter 7:

¹⁴ Enjoy prosperity while you can,
but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

Oh, wow…maybe some of the “prosperity preachers” need to read a little out of Ecclesiastes every now and then. According to the Bible hard times DO come from God sometimes.

Now, the only problem with this sort of thinking is to go too far the OTHER way. It may be bad enough that “prosperity preachers” leave out lessons from Ecclesiastes, but it is just as bad to err on the wrong side. Make no mistake about it…MANY of the hardships you may be facing is simply you reaping what you have sown.

Hosea 8:7 tells us about people who “…sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in the game of sowing and reaping, the harvest is always greater than the seed planted. Have you ever planted a row in a garden with a few handfuls of tiny seeds, only to reap buckets and buckets of vegetables in return. Many of us like to blame God for our troubles when we are actually reaping the whirlwind for that little bit of wind we have sown.

BUT EVEN IF YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT, there WILL come times of testing and hardships as we see not only in Ecclesiastes 7, but other passages throughout the Bible. God is doing this to test us, to see if we will still follow him when things aren’t going so well.

Here is the key to navigating through the difficult time: Our RESPONSE. Are we going to be whiners and complainers or are we going to be thankful for what we still do have, no matter how bleak the situation may appear? I pray that all of our responses to these economic times may be like that of the prophet in the Old Testament book of Habakkuk:

¹⁷ Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!