Are You Still Trusting God For Peace In The Middle Of Your Hard Situation? (September 13, 2015)

What makes you think that you can do it alone?   Why are you not seeking God and waiting for His directions?   You have to learn how to have peace in the “midst” of the storm.  In other words, even when you are right in the middle of a hard situation, you have to learn how to still have peace.   We have to understand what Jesus said in John 14.   He said that He left us “His” peace and the peace of God goes beyond our understanding.  

When we are walking in faith, we cannot allow the emotions of fear to override our stand of faith.   Fear is defined as a basic natural instinct, whereas, faith is defined as having complete trust in someone  or something.   You have to allow your trust in God to override how you feel even when what you feel can be substantiated.   In other words, even though you have a reason to fear, you have to let your trust and belief in God and His Word override your emotions.    You have to allow God’s Word to give you peace within.   So even though there is turmoil going on all around your life, you can still have peace within knowing that God is the Creator and Keeper of all things … even your life.    

WORSHIP FOR TODAY ...

"I'm At Peace"

Ministered By Vicki Yohe

Vicki Yohe - I'm at Peace. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgboHdURmIk

 

 

Are You Holding On To What You Can See or To What God Has Said? (September 10, 2015)

What are you holding on to?   Are you holding on to God’s promises or are you  holding on to what you can see in this natural world?   We have to understand that God’s promises are more valid than what we see in this natural realm.    When something is valid, it is viable, defensible, and justifiable.    We have to understand the viability of God’s Word.   Meaning His Word is always capable of living and producing success in our lives.   It is only through disobedience that we incapacitate the Word of God.     When something is incapacitated, it is deprived the its ability and strength to function the way it was created to function.    

My original questions was “what” are you holding on to? In other words, what is it or where is it that you have placed your faith and trust?  Is it in God and His Word or is it in what you can see, touch, feel, or do?    God’s Word is true.   It does NOT and can NOT change.   God’s Word is established.   When something is established, it is set and fixed.    Never let your hope and faith rest upon what you can see.   Always put your hope and faith in what God has said.    

WORSHIP FOR TODAY ... 

"I Stand On Your Word"

Ministered By Jonathan Butler

Jonathan Butler - I Stand On Your Word [Official Video]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYB8CLcv7pU

 

How are You Handling Rejection? Are You Still Walking In The Word, Will, and Plan of God?

So often in life we say we won't get mad, we won't get upset, and it won't bother us and yet it does.   Deep inside the wheels are still turning.  We still feel the hurt, the pain, and the disappointment.   We still feel the rejection.   No matter how hard we try not to feel it, the feeling is still there and we have to learn how to deal with rejection from others.    None of us want to be rejected because we are God's vessels of love.  So often we do our best to allow God's love to flow through us to all people and yet there are times when others reject the love of God.  They feel as though they are rejecting us personally and in essence they are rejecting the love of God.  

It is at those times that we have to remember what Romans 8:28 says about knowing that all things work together for our good.  We have to "know" that even though we experience rejection while doing the word, will, and work of God, that rejection is working for our good in our lives.   To be rejected means to be refused, declined, or turned down.  It's hard to believe that people will refuse God's love, turn down God's love, and decline God's love but they do.  Jesus experienced rejection throughout His life here on earth and so shall we.   The thing is, Jesus knew how to respond when He was rejected.    The Bible says in John 1:11 that He came to His own, and yet they rejected Him.   So we shouldn't be surprised when we experience rejection.   The rejection Jesus experienced did not cause Him to stop walking in and fulfilling the will of God.  So just because you experience rejection, it is not an excuse for you to stop doing what God has told you to do.  

Worship For Today ... 

"I Will Run"

Ministered By Freddy Rodriguez

I Will Run - Freddy Rodriguez. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTNjM3UnX3I

   

It's Time To Be Weaned From The Ways of The World and To Walk In Spiritual Awareness (August 30, 2015)

There are times when you have to quiet your mind, your will, and your emotions.    We have to wean ourselves from the things we have been dependent upon in the world and we have to attach ourselves to the things of God.   To wean means to detach from a source of dependence.   What is it that you have been dependent upon?    What or who has been your source of support?   Has it been God or is your reliance in what you can see, feel, touch and taste.  Those things that are based on your physical senses rather thank your spiritual awareness of God's Word and will for your life.   

Just as a baby switches over from nursing or a bottle to actual food, it's time for us to make the switch.   It's time for us to let go of the things of the world and to lean and rely on God and His Word.   It's time to be weaned and its time to allow our lives to be quieted and comforted by water of God's Word.  

SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
Psalm 131
King James Version (KJV)

131 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

3 Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

WORSHIP FOR TODAY ...

"Let Go Let God"

Ministered By Dwayne Woods

 

What Are You Contemplating, Planning, Aiming, and Purposing In Your Heart? (August 28, 2015)

What is your heart's intent?  What is it that you are intending to do in your heart?   To intend means to contemplate, plan, aim, and purpose.   What are you purposing in your heart?  What is it that you are contemplating?  The book of Jeremiah talks about the heart being deceitful.   When something is deceitful, it is misleading and being misled causes you to go astray.   To seek after and to sometimes lust after things that are not truly a part of God's plan for your life.    We have to be like David and ask God to cleanse our heart and to renew a right spirit within us.      We have to stay in God's Word and understand that it is quick, powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword.    We have to let God's Word discern our thoughts and our intentions.   

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Psalms 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

So don't be led by what you think or what you feel.  Be led by God and His Word.   Have faith in God's Word and not your feelings.   Line your thoughts up with God's God's Word and not Your personal desires.

Worship For Today ...

"Create In Me A Clean Heart"

Ministered By Misty Edwards and Lauren Holmes

Misty Edwards & Lauren Holmes - Create In Me A Clean Heart. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_6QyIEWpGA

Are You Walking In Contingent Obedience or Is Your Obedience Based On Your Love For God and Not Just Having Your Wants Fulfilled?

Do you have contingent obedience?   When something is contingent, it is dependent on something else.  Are you telling God if he does something for you, you will obey Him or you will follow Him completely.   Our obedience should not be contingent upon God's blessing.   Understand, God will bless our obedience but we should not be making His blessings are requirement for us to obey.    For some reason, we get it confused.   We go to God and ask things of God and we tell Him if He will do it, what we will do.   Whereas, we should be obeying Him JUST BECAUSE HE IS GOD.   

To obey means to comply with the command, direction, and request of someone.   It means to submit to authority.   It's time for us to surrender and to submit.   When you surrender, you stop resisting.   You accept and cooperate with the Word and the will of God.    In other words, you begin to work with God which opens up the door for God to bless your life.  

So don't walk in contingent obedience.   Obey God because you love Him.   Obey God because you trust Him.   Obey God just because He is God.  

WORSHIP FOR TODAY ...

"I Will Obey"

Ministered By Shekinah Glory

Prophetic Song, "I Will Obey". (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkIzCJyZxw

Understanding God Is Our Advocate and His Grace Is Sufficient For Us (August 23, 2015)

God's grace is sufficient.   The word sufficient means enough and adequate.    In other words, it meets the need of your situation.   We have to understand that God's grace is His unmerited favor towards man.  In other words, we don't deserve His grace and yet He extends His grace to us anyway.     How sweet it is to be loved by God!

In life we get bogged down with accomplishments and accolades.   We work on jobs trying to accomplish and exceed our goals so that we can recognized or acknowledged  by man and when they don't recognize us or promote us, we get upset wondering how they could overlook us.   It's not that way with God.  We don't have to earn His grace because He extends His grace to us and His mercy is renewed for us every day.   

As we walk in obedience to God's Word and His will, we have to understand that His grace IS sufficient.   Another word for favor is advocate.   Understand, God is your advocate and He will support you.   A support is something that bears the weight of something else and keeps it upright.    So as you walk in the grace of God, learn how to lean on Him and let Him bear the weight of your situation so that You can remain upright in Him.  

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

WORSHIP FOR TODAY ...

"Grace and Mercy"

Ministered By Mississippi Mass Choir 

REFERENCE/CITATION:  

"Grace And Mercy" - Mississippi Mass Choir. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxz-c8MLAoU&list=PLDl2UIhDEkEtFvO5tEAUH5Jrm1tP6nXhK