During a crisis, the mind wants to figure out what went wrong and who is to blame. It wants to pin the tail on the culprit. Was it something you did or something you did not do? Did someone else or some circumstance beyond your control cause the crisis? Processing what went wrong and who is to blame can be a short chapter in the story of your life or it can be a long one. The length of this chapter depends on how significant the loss was to you and how clueless you are as to what to do next, and on how long you are willing to stay in this chapter.
You need a solution to your state of mind soon because life does not stop for no one. It’s a flowing river. Work is good, especially manual work. Activity and being among people helps keep you from depression. Depression can swallow you up. It is like a black hole that wants to swallow you. Stay away from it.
God spoke of a plumb line to Amos the prophet. A plumb line is what brick layers use to determine if they are building a wall correctly. “Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said: ‘Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.” [1] The problem with Israel is that did they did not want the Lord to speak into their lives anymore. We need the Lord to plumb us, so we can take corrective action before we fall to pieces. A crisis season is a time to let the Lord take corrective action in your life because you are not able to handle the crisis on your own.
God wants you to be blessed. He is a good God. He works out all things for the good of them who love and trust in Him.
Keep praising and thank God throughout the crisis. Count your blessings. Focus what is good and not on what is bad. The “God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” [2]
The devil wants you to hate yourself or someone else for your circumstances, but praise God for who you are, for those around you and for your circumstances. If someone you loved experienced a disaster, would you condemn and criticize them? No, you would figure out ways to encourage and help them. So do that for yourself. Do not be so hard on yourself. Thank God that He loved you so much that He sent His own dear Son to save you. Jesus, your Savior, has been through the deepest depth of pain and agony for you. He knows what you are going through. He wants to bring you out. He wants to bring you closer to Himself and closer to His purpose and mission for you in the process.
Hope in the Lord! He will do much more than you can ask or imagine. Be humble and patient. Trust in God during the waiting period. He uses waiting periods to build our inner strength. The tension of having an unmet need or want against the tension of waiting patiently for God to come through is like an exercise machine that stretches your muscles so that you become stronger. Trials stretch you and hurt you, but afterwards, with God’s help, you bounce back better than before.
Meditate on God’s promises. Read the Bible. Go to church. Tithe. Pray. Worship God. God inhabits His praises. Start praising God in the midst of your trials. Though it seems that He is slaying you, He is not. He is making you more like Himself. The best gift God can give you is to make you more like Him because He is wonderful. He is perfect. He is happy!
Jesus holds the universe together and He can hold you together. He sustains all plant and animal life. He can sustain you. He is the author of family relationships. He can help you with your family relationships. You need family. They are God’s gift to you.
Your crisis will not last forever. Slowly, new life will come just like trees and flowers bloom after winter. If the crisis had not come a new day would not have come. God wanted something better for you than what was happening. That is why He allowed the crisis to come. He sees the big picture. We tend to only see what is happening to us in the moment. We cannot foresee all the blessings that the Lord has in store for us.
Your Heavenly Father is a good father. He delights in blessing you. Though He hides His face for a moment, His face reappears more bright and favorable than ever before afterwards. Your Heavenly Father loves you and wants to prosper you along life’s journey.
The Lord gave Habakkuk joy in the midst of crisis. He wrote: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, either shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” [3] May the Lord do the same for you!
[1] Amos 7:7-8
[2] 1 Peter 5:10
[3] Habakkuk 3:17-18
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Dare to be a Daniel
“Dare to be a Daniel” means to obey the Word of God in the presence of those who violate it. Daniel’s obedience to the Word of God was a witness to those around him.
Daniel had been captured and taken by force from his country. He was forced to serve those who destroyed his nation. He could have been stubborn, but he was not. He sought the prosperity of the people that he lived among. He had read the writings of the prophet Jeremiah. [1] Jeremiah told the Jews living in Babylon to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which the Lord sent them. Pray to the Lord for city, because if the city prospers, they too would prosper.” [2]
Daniel was a witness when it came to healthy eating habits. He said to the man in charge of his diet, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.” [3] He risked his life when he asked to be excused from eating the king’s unhealthy food. Nebuchadnezzar was a cruel tyrant. However, the king allowed Daniel to eat his special diet because after a ten-day test period, his diet of vegetables and water gave him a healthy appearance.
Our body is God’s gift to us. Some people mock those who do not smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs or eat unhealthy foods, but those who exercise good stewardship of their body generally experience good health and strength.
Daniel was a witness for the Lord by his faith. When the wise men of Babylon could not interpret the king’s dream, he asked his three friends to pray diligently for him. [4] He believed that God could reveal the dream to him if they prayed to God. God did reveal the meaning of the king’s dream to Daniel.
Daniel was a witness for the Lord because he refused to be dishonest or unfair. His co-workers “could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” [5] Daniel simply did what was right.
Daniel was a witness for the Lord because he refused to compromise his faith in God. One day, his government passed a law that made prayer to anyone except the king a crime punishable by death. Daniel continued to pray to the Lord three times a day and he did it openly. [6] Daniel was arrested and thrown into a lion’s den, because he continued to pray to God. The Lord shut the mouths of the lions. Daniel was rescued from the lion’s den. Then, those who schemed against him were thrown into the lion’s den. The lions immediately ate them. [7]
Daniel was a witness for the Lord because he listened to the Lord. As Daniel was waiting silently before the Lord, the Lord revealed to him future events that would happen before the end of time. [8]
Daniel depended on the Lord to make him strong when he was weak. When his circumstances were beyond his control, he depended on the Lord for victory. He preferred death to compromising his relationship with God, but he also trusted in God’s goodness.
So, what does it mean to dare to be a Daniel? It means to be a witness for the Lord.
[1] Daniel 9:2
[2] Jeremiah 29:7
[3] Daniel 1:12
[4] Daniel 2:17-19
[5] Daniel 6:4
[6] Daniel 6:10-12
[7] Daniel 6:21-24
[8] Daniel 7-12
Daniel had been captured and taken by force from his country. He was forced to serve those who destroyed his nation. He could have been stubborn, but he was not. He sought the prosperity of the people that he lived among. He had read the writings of the prophet Jeremiah. [1] Jeremiah told the Jews living in Babylon to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which the Lord sent them. Pray to the Lord for city, because if the city prospers, they too would prosper.” [2]
Daniel was a witness when it came to healthy eating habits. He said to the man in charge of his diet, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.” [3] He risked his life when he asked to be excused from eating the king’s unhealthy food. Nebuchadnezzar was a cruel tyrant. However, the king allowed Daniel to eat his special diet because after a ten-day test period, his diet of vegetables and water gave him a healthy appearance.
Our body is God’s gift to us. Some people mock those who do not smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs or eat unhealthy foods, but those who exercise good stewardship of their body generally experience good health and strength.
Daniel was a witness for the Lord by his faith. When the wise men of Babylon could not interpret the king’s dream, he asked his three friends to pray diligently for him. [4] He believed that God could reveal the dream to him if they prayed to God. God did reveal the meaning of the king’s dream to Daniel.
Daniel was a witness for the Lord because he refused to be dishonest or unfair. His co-workers “could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” [5] Daniel simply did what was right.
Daniel was a witness for the Lord because he refused to compromise his faith in God. One day, his government passed a law that made prayer to anyone except the king a crime punishable by death. Daniel continued to pray to the Lord three times a day and he did it openly. [6] Daniel was arrested and thrown into a lion’s den, because he continued to pray to God. The Lord shut the mouths of the lions. Daniel was rescued from the lion’s den. Then, those who schemed against him were thrown into the lion’s den. The lions immediately ate them. [7]
Daniel was a witness for the Lord because he listened to the Lord. As Daniel was waiting silently before the Lord, the Lord revealed to him future events that would happen before the end of time. [8]
Daniel depended on the Lord to make him strong when he was weak. When his circumstances were beyond his control, he depended on the Lord for victory. He preferred death to compromising his relationship with God, but he also trusted in God’s goodness.
So, what does it mean to dare to be a Daniel? It means to be a witness for the Lord.
[1] Daniel 9:2
[2] Jeremiah 29:7
[3] Daniel 1:12
[4] Daniel 2:17-19
[5] Daniel 6:4
[6] Daniel 6:10-12
[7] Daniel 6:21-24
[8] Daniel 7-12
Thursday, November 6, 2014
A Savior & Defender Who Rescues
“When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a Savior and Defender, and He will rescue them.” [1]
There are so many voiceless people. When they speak, no one seems to listen. For example, a man from Sudan told us of the horrific things that are being done to people in Sudan. He escaped by God’s grace, but still suffers nightmares from his experiences. He wonders why the majority of the world’s people are silent about these atrocities.
The Lord cares for abused people; for people who do not know how to speak up for themselves! He is a Savior and Defender to rescue them when they cry out to Him. Many just need someone to tell them who the Lord is. That is our part!
The Siloam Family Health Center in Nashville is an amazing ministry run mostly by Christian volunteers. The caregivers attempt to heal the wounded inwardly and outwardly. We thank God for Mrs. Jayne Haynes. She gave us a tour of the center and introduced us to key people who serve there. She testified of miracles of love that had occurred. Attached is a photo of Siloam’s “Core Value” statements. Good values for people to embrace.
[1] Isaiah 19:20
There are so many voiceless people. When they speak, no one seems to listen. For example, a man from Sudan told us of the horrific things that are being done to people in Sudan. He escaped by God’s grace, but still suffers nightmares from his experiences. He wonders why the majority of the world’s people are silent about these atrocities.
The Lord cares for abused people; for people who do not know how to speak up for themselves! He is a Savior and Defender to rescue them when they cry out to Him. Many just need someone to tell them who the Lord is. That is our part!
The Siloam Family Health Center in Nashville is an amazing ministry run mostly by Christian volunteers. The caregivers attempt to heal the wounded inwardly and outwardly. We thank God for Mrs. Jayne Haynes. She gave us a tour of the center and introduced us to key people who serve there. She testified of miracles of love that had occurred. Attached is a photo of Siloam’s “Core Value” statements. Good values for people to embrace.
[1] Isaiah 19:20
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Rejoicing to Suffer for the Name of Jesus
Can you imagine driving a box truck that was so full of Bibles that it was rocking back and forth like a boat in water as you drove it down the road? Can you imagine unloading that box truck full of bags of Bibles into the hands of over 170 full Gospel businessmen?
I drove that box truck. I unloaded it. I traveled with such a group to China. We rejoiced because we placed over 13,000 Bibles into the hands of Chinese believers. Later that evening, we heard the testimony of four Chinese preachers. They reported 39,000 converts that month. Our effort had only supplied a third of the Bibles that were needed for one-month of Chinese church growth.
I saw some Full Gospel businessmen with tears in their eyes as the four Chinese preachers exuded joy that they had been imprisoned multiple times for the sake of the Gospel. Some in our delegation had been talking about material-blessings from God. These four rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! This is what apostles did, “They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.” [1]
I heard Adrian Rogers on BBN (Bible Broadcasting Network) rejoice that Jesus holds all things together. [2] He keeps the sun at just the right distance from the earth so that we neither freeze to death nor burn up. He keeps our hearts beating within our chest day after day. He took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He showed us what God is like. He died on the cross for our sins. He is the firstborn from the dead in that He arose from the dead and is alive forevermore. Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades. He gives believers in Him eternal life.
Yes, there is good cause to be thankful and to serve the Lord with gladness. Our God reigns! “Heavenly Father, please grant us Your grace to have attitudes of gratitude for opportunities to suffer for the Name of Your Son Jesus! You, together with the Holy Spirit, three-in-one, are worthy of glory, laud, and honor!”
[1] Acts 5:41
[2] See Colossians 1:12-22
I drove that box truck. I unloaded it. I traveled with such a group to China. We rejoiced because we placed over 13,000 Bibles into the hands of Chinese believers. Later that evening, we heard the testimony of four Chinese preachers. They reported 39,000 converts that month. Our effort had only supplied a third of the Bibles that were needed for one-month of Chinese church growth.
I saw some Full Gospel businessmen with tears in their eyes as the four Chinese preachers exuded joy that they had been imprisoned multiple times for the sake of the Gospel. Some in our delegation had been talking about material-blessings from God. These four rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! This is what apostles did, “They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.” [1]
I heard Adrian Rogers on BBN (Bible Broadcasting Network) rejoice that Jesus holds all things together. [2] He keeps the sun at just the right distance from the earth so that we neither freeze to death nor burn up. He keeps our hearts beating within our chest day after day. He took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He showed us what God is like. He died on the cross for our sins. He is the firstborn from the dead in that He arose from the dead and is alive forevermore. Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades. He gives believers in Him eternal life.
Yes, there is good cause to be thankful and to serve the Lord with gladness. Our God reigns! “Heavenly Father, please grant us Your grace to have attitudes of gratitude for opportunities to suffer for the Name of Your Son Jesus! You, together with the Holy Spirit, three-in-one, are worthy of glory, laud, and honor!”
[1] Acts 5:41
[2] See Colossians 1:12-22
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