Month: February 2016

GOD Has a Plan for You!

Pastor Dr Danny Uncategorized

GOD Has a Plan for You!

GOD has a plan for you! You are not here today by accident; you are here by divine appointment. Although your life may not be pleasing to GOD at this moment, He has something far better for you. You may be going through severe trials and troubles in your life, but GOD’s plan is to draw you through those things and bring you out purified and ready to carry out His perfect plan. He has a plan and purpose for your being.

The Jews found themselves in serious trouble. They had been taken captive by the Babylonians. Their temple and royal city lay in ruins. Their situation appeared hopeless. Their future as a nation destroyed. Out of the chaos and destruction, GOD’s voice came to them through the prophet Jeremiah. GOD encouraged them to continue moving forward. Quit looking at your difficulties and troubles and focus upon the greatness GOD has purposed for you.

GOD spoke these words of encouragement and assurance to them: “For I know the plans I have for you-this is the Lord’s declaration-plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

God instructed the people to call out to Him, to pray to Him, to seek Him out and to search for Him with their whole heart. Then, He would listen to their pleas and be found by them in the midst of their chaos and distress.
Today, you may be suffering through tremendous trials in your life. Maybe you feel like you’ve lost your best friend or nobody cares. Maybe your life is not where it should be and you are going through terrible problems in your life because of that. I assure you that these things are not GOD’s plan for you; they are not His purpose for your being.
Just as He told the Jews, He is telling you today—re-focus! Take your eyes off of YOU and put them on HIM. Re-establish your goals and desires based upon GOD’s plans and purpose not man’s. Re-order your life in accordance with GOD’s Word not the world around you. Turn your whole heart over to Him. Seek Him fully and He will be found. He will establish your steps and lead you in paths that generate fulfillment and bring meaning to your life.

From the Mountain High to the Valley Low!

Pastor Dr Danny Uncategorized

From the Mountain High to the Valley Low!

Elijah, the prophet of GOD, had just witnessed the fire of GOD rain down on and consume 450 false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He was experiencing the mountain high of Almighty GOD. Life was extraordinarily powerful for him as you can read in 1 Kings 18. 

All of a sudden that mountain high became a valley low for him. Consider 1 Kings 19: “Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!’ Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life” (1 Kings 19:1-3 HCSB).
How does one go from being on top of the mountain one day to being in the bottom of the valley the next? Elijah went from fearless to fearful in a moment’s time. He went from the high of victory to the low of defeat. Self-pity took over his thinking. He began to look aound at his situation with physical eyes—and all he could see was gloom and doom.

The Lord came to him and asked: “What are you doing here Elijah?” The LORD gently spoke to him and reminded him that his power was not from himself. GOD remained in control and He wasn’t finished using Elijah. GOD gave him a fresh vision, a fresh anointing and a fresh task which gave Elijah a fresh hope.

It is very easy for you and I to slip from a mountaintop high to a deep in the valley low. It is easy to get wrapped up in self-pity and begin denying GOD’s power and resources—relying upon our own selves and finding ourselves overcome by discouragement.
Every time we sit down and allow ourselves to begin to focus inward—discouragement becomes our closest friend. GOD is telling you today to get up and get moving. He isn’t through with you yet. 1 John 4:4 is a reminder: “You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (HCSB).
You are an overcomer! The power of GOD is with you and in you. Get back up on that mountain of victory in the name and power of Jesus Christ!

Seeking God’s Kingdom

Pastor Dr Danny Uncategorized

Seeking God’s Kingdom

It is interesting the extent people are willing to go to “make it big.” Whether it be big money, big fame, big house, big car—you name it—as long as it has “big” attached, it is highly sought after.

Reminds me of the steel rabbit on rails used in dog races to keep them running in the right direction. Time and again the same dogs chase after the same steel rabbit, never quite able to catch it, but never ceasing to give up either. It is a futile endeavor to chase after it but one which always entices full participation.

As bystanders, we may even recognize the futility and even laugh a bit about the stupidity of the dogs—but then again, humans have a tendancy to do the very same thing. When you look at the great lengths people will go to in order to gamble on winning a big lottery or the deep debt people will crawl in to in order to up their neighbors one, it is easy to see how many people line up every day to chase the uncatchable steel rabbit.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, recognized after living a futile life how worthless and meaningless it all turns out to be. Ecclesiates 2:26 records his thoughts in this way: “To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (NIV).

People spend their lives chasing the wind—chasing after futile things—only to discover it was all done in vain. When its all said and done, all one has is disappointment. When we place our desires upon the things of this world, we will always end up short-changed and disappointed. The Psalmist encourages us to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). Jesus tells us to seek after the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

The world’s hope is no hope at all. Focus on Jesus and upon heavenly treasures. Quit seeking after the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and start seeking after the kingdom of GOD and the rewards eternity has in store for the faithful.

Step Out Even When Others Won’t!

Pastor Dr Danny Uncategorized

Step Out Even When Others Won’t!

We live in a society that encourages us to remain in our comfort zone. Simply find that place where you feel most secure and stay right there. Problem with that mindset is, you are never challenged to stretch your legs and discover there is a great deal more to life than the comfort zone offers.

Great scientific discoveries were made by individuals that left the zone and set out believing there was so much more. Worlds were discovered by men who went against the flow, against the better judgment of others—men who found out their dreams could become realities.

Twelve men sat in a boat rocking in a storm troubled by the adversity of the waves. A “ghost,” as they called Him, came out of the darkness towards them, bringing even greater fright upon them. Peter began to recognize that figure not as a ghost but as the Son of GOD, JESUS CHRIST!

What to do, what to do in such a situation! Faith or fright? Peter, being the adventurous one who was never quite satisified with the status quo, said: “Lord, if it’s You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matthew 14:28 HCSB). Now in human terms and apparently the thinking of the other 11, Jesus was on His way there, so just hurry up and wait! But, Peter wanted something more. He wasn’t content to just wait.

The status quo wasn’t enough. Just sitting around waiting for something to come his way wasn’t his way of doing things. He understood that if you want something great to happen, you step out and instigate it—you make it happen!

The Scripture tells us that Jesus said: “COME! And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus” (vs. 29). I would imagine as he climbed over the side, the others were trying hard to talk the crazy man back. But, he wanted more and by his faith, he got more. He got up on the water and headed out towards JESUS! Even though he suffered some failure during the experience, that experience prepared him to become the great man of GOD the early church would need as a leader.

You don’t have to stay right where you are, even if the world or your church for that matter encourages you to. They will tell you to just wait on the LORD and eventually He will lead you where He wants you to go. Millions of churchgoers have departed this life “still waiting”—slipping off into eternity with absolutely nothing to show for years of “being a Christian.”

I want to encourage you to “Step out even when others won’t!” Take that step today and discover GOD has so much more for you than simply a pew to occupy on Sunday mornings! The side of the boat may be tall, the others may be encouraging otherwise, but listen for the LORD to say “COME” and step out into a world of greatness in service to the LORD and others.