The other four letter word

There may be no more frustrating word in our vocabulary than the word WAIT.  This four letter word seems to surface at the exact moment our switch is on go, and in our immediate-access culture tolerance for waiting is equated to missing out.

Jeremiah was a prophet during times when God’s chosen people had lost everything and were carried off into exile due to disobedience.  They were in a hopeless situation.  Amidst this time Jeremiah imparts this insight:

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
²⁴ “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “ Therefore I hope in Him!”
²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:22-26

Right in the middle of this overwhelming tragedy Jeremiah encourages the people to wait, which in Hebrew means to wait hopefully and with expectancy.  It just may be now is a time in your life when you need to let the dust settle and wait on the Lord.  “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him.”

That’s What He Said

In the well-known tv sitcom “The Office” the main character Michael, is often looking for the ideal opportunity to interject a phrase that has derogatory connotations but always brings a laugh to his co-workers.  The phrase, “that’s what she said,”  quickly caught on with pop culture as many became attentive for their chance to get a laugh using the phrase.

In this rollercoaster ride we call life, the only way to navigate the breath-taking drops, the unexpected turns and the speed at which circumstances abruptly arise is to know “what He said.”  The “He” that I am referring to is God.  When sickness, fear, anger, stress, loneliness, depression, temptation, confusion etc come at you do you know what God’s Word says pertaining these and the many other challenges we all face?

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. - 2Peter 1:3-4

Discover what these “great and precious promises” are and when you are faced with adversity call out to God and grab hold of His word, just as you would the safety bar that keeps you seated while on a roller coaster, and you will finish the “ride.” Through the gift of salvation, God has set it up for you to win.  Along with eternal life, there are thousands of promises available to followers of Christ.  Take the time today to find out “what He said” and see the difference it can make.

You Are Called

Minister.  What comes to mind when you hear that word?  I would venture to say that for most it would be a title reserved for individual(s) on staff of a church.  The reality is every Spirit-filled believer is called to be a minister.  The word minister means a servant or one who tends to anything that may serve another’s interest.  1Peter 4:10-11 states it this way:

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen

The New Living translation puts it this way:

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.  Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

We all are given a gift or ability from God to use in ministering/serving others.  You may love to help, organize, encourage, comfort etc. whatever it may be, God has equipped YOU to minister.  Look for opportunities today to minister your gifts.

Sing Out

This Friday marks our the first Night of Worship in Malibu hosted by Waveside.  During the month of July I have been focusing on the power of song in worship to God.  Whether you consider yourself musical or not, it cannot be denied that when a heart after God releases a song of praise to the living God things change.  From David to King Jehoshaphat to the battle of Jericho to Paul & Silas we read of countless situations that were reversed when God’s power was released in praise.

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah -Psalm 32:7

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. – 2Chronicles 20:22

Sing praises to God, sing praises!  Sing praises to our King, sing praises!  For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. -Psalm 47:6-7

The key to victory tomorrow could very well be found through the praise of your lips today.  Don’t allow pride or fear to prevent you from witnessing God’s power invade your circumstances.  Freedom, victory, restoration & breakthrough await.

Time

The most valuable resource any of us have on this earth is time.  How is the majority of your time spent?  Answering this question may surface some sobering conclusions.  What we value or designate as worthy receives our time and attention.  Is it possible to express worth or worship to God at work, in meetings, while preparing dinner or going to school?  In Matthew 16 Peter is reprimanded by Jesus for “not being mindful of the things of God but the things of men.”  Becoming consumed with what is at hand is obviously a trap we are prone to find ourselves snared by.   What would happen if you made communication with God your daily priority?  Can it be done and still accomplish your necessary tasks with excellence?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. -Matthew 6:31-34

What if today you become more mindful of God and His presence than the pressures of your day?  Could it be that if make God a priority with your time that He will multiply it back to you with efficiency, ideas, wisdom and solutions?  I challenge you to re-evaluate how your time is spent and purpose to make adjustments so the majority of it includes God and see what happens to your world.

No One Gets Left Behind

by Aaron Dowler

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever–forsake not the works of Your own hands. -Psalm 138:8

Do you ever feel like you’re not good enough to come before the Lord? Like you have to many flaws to ever do anything great? It’s alright! We are born imperfect into an imperfect world. But as this verse states, God perfects us. That’s something to get excited about! There are no strings attached, no conditions to be met; God will meet you where you are and perfect you. Embrace God’s endless mercy and loving-kindness. Call on Him just as the psalmist does at the end of this verse. “Forsake not the works of Your own hands.” God will never leave your nor forsake you. Acknowledge your weaknesses and flaws. We are weak, but He is strong! God receives glory through our weakness and strengthens us more than we ever could on our own. God is good!

What the?

While watching fireworks during the 4th of July celebration in Malibu, there came a rapid fire of explosions from fireworks being shot off by some residents a mile or so to the right of where we were sitting.  Although not nearly as spectacular as the huge display hundreds were gathered to witness, it did distract everyone’s attention due to the machine gun like pace at which they were set off.

This is the exact way the enemy attempts to distract us from enjoying and being thankful for what God has done, is doing and going to do in our lives.  Negative thoughts that hit abruptly, and with the same rapidity of the residential fireworks, are aimed to distract us from the “main show.”  If we are not quick to redirect our attention where it needs to be we will miss much of what God has for us.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Don’t waste time and allow the enemy to steal your peace by his mental assaults.  He makes a lot of noise sometimes but it is just that – noise.  The renegade fireworks ended as quick as they started but the main show kept pace and long outlasted the forgotten distraction.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  -Hebrews 12:2-3

True Freedom

The dictionary defines freedom as the power to write, speak, act or think as one wants without hindrance; the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.

Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:31-32

There are 1,595 “if’s” in the Bible and all of them express a condition.  The condition in these verses is that “if we continue in His Word” we will experience freedom from sin.  If you are facing long held strongholds in your life that have imprisoned you for years do not give up!  Stay centered on God’s promises pertaining to your life and even as you stumble towards your freedom declare that you are free – even if you don’t feel it.  Jesus died for your freedom in every aspect of your life.  Do not lose heart if this is not experienced immediately.  Continue to let His Word abide in you and you will experience freedom.

(Im)POSSIBLE

The Mission Impossible series were some of the most captivating TV shows, and later movies, to be produced.  At its onset, every mission appeared to be impossible to accomplish but always was.  God has placed in us a yearning to see the seemingly impossible made possible.  Unfortunately,  as the years go by we all fall prey to disappointments and impossibilities become just that.  If this applies to you I want to stir a paradigm shift in your thinking.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 3:13-14

The Bible is a testimony of impossibilities becoming possible.  The primary ingredients in every case were an individual who had a relationship with the Lord and believed only for what God had instructed.

Jesus said, “if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” – Mark 9:23

Whether it is a solution to the gulf oil spill, cure for cancer or the restoration of a marriage, we were created to believe and do the impossible.  What in your life today is only possible for God to bring to pass?   Spend time with Lord listening for His instructions and meditating on His promises then do the impossible, the world is counting on it!

When?

We all have moments when we get impatient or frustrated with the seeming delay of our hopes and dreams.  Be assured that when the hope that you have for someone or something has a scriptural basis you can rest during the “in between time.”  Just as Jesus return was at an appointed time, so to are the answers to the prayers and petitions we bring before God.

Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.  Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. -Habakkuk 2:2-4

The opening line of this verse communicates to write down what the Lord has revealed to you.  I believe this is to have a reminder as days, months and sometimes years pass while waiting for the manifestation.  The opening verses of chapter 2 show us that Habakkuk wasn’t just coming up with a prayer request that he thought should or needed to happen but that he waited before the Lord in prayer for His direction.

Whatever need arises in your life first go before the Lord and seek his leading.  Once you have that and can confirm it through His Word, write it down and know that it WILL come to pass at His appointed time.  WHEN is not ours to answer – IT WILL is what we can take rest in.