From Prison to Palace!

Do you sometimes feel like the world is against you? Perhaps everything you attempt to do seems to end in failure? You wonder at times why life seems to be going so right for everyone you know and yet so wrong for you? GOD can turn your chaos into victory. He can take what seems to always be wrong and make it very right.

Think about Joseph for a few moments. Life seemed to be on the up and up. His father loved him more than any of his brothers. He was good-looking. He had the constant favor of his father showered upon him.

But, lurking in the background were those who were being cast aside as he was living in prominence. His brothers, all older than him, felt the strong difference their father made between them and Joseph and their animosity towards him was growing. One day, they had had all of Joseph they could stand and decided it was time for him to go.

They determined to kill him. However, his oldest brother, Reuben, determined that was not the way it should go and so Joseph was sold into Egyptian slavery. A royal official purchased him and soon discovered Joseph’s worth. GOD was with Joseph and He made everything Joseph did succeed.

One day, the wife of his owner decided to entice him into having relations with her but he ran away not desiring to offend his master in any way. When he was told a fabricated story that Joseph had attempted to rape his wife, the master had him thrown into the pharaoh’s prison.

GOD continued blessing Joseph in the midst of his problems. He will do the same for you, if you simply remain focused upon Him in your life. Regardless of how bad things may appear for you, if GOD is on your side, you have all you need.

Eventually, Joseph rose to a high position within the prison due to his continued faithfulness to GOD as GOD continued working in and through him. Joseph did not allow his terrible situation to change his attitude towards GOD. He continued to trust Him in and through it all. No matter what others may be saying about you or actions they may take against you, remain faithful to GOD and He will guide you through!

The time came for GOD to lift him out of his situation. Through GOD’s divine intervention in his situation by giving him the ability to interpret the dreams of the pharaoh, Joseph went from being chief prisoner to second-in-command of the entire nation of Egypt! He went from prison-life to palace-life in a single day.

The Scripture tells us: “Then Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find anyone like this, a man who has the spirit of God in him?’ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as intelligent and wise as you. You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you’” (Genesis 41:38-40 HCSB).

Joseph’s continued faithfulness to GOD, to GOD’s plan and to GOD’s purpose for his life positioned him to be the savior of the nation of Israel as a famine soon swept through the known world. Joseph, under GOD’s direction, prepared Egypt for what was soon to come in order that the lives of the people could be saved.

GOD took a young boy whose heart was soft towards Him and eventually molded and shaped him into a man who He could use for great and mighty purposes. GOD will do the same with you!

You may be wondering why you have to go through the tough times you are going through? You may wonder if GOD even cares about you anymore? You may be ready to throw in the towel and call it all quits but I want to encourage you to hang in there. GOD has a plan and purpose for you. Remain faithful to GOD, to His Word, to His church because He is preparing you for something great for the sake of His kingdom.

One day you will wake to discover he has lifted you out of the prison you once lived in and raised you to a position of greatness within Him in service for His Kingdom. Hold strong and know that GOD never leaves you, even in the depths of despair; rather He is working His plan to bring about His purpose through you in order to impact the lives of many others.

Scripture Reading: “Lord, hear my prayer. In Your faithfulness listen to my plea, and in Your righteousness answer me. Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous in Your sight. For the enemy has pursued me, crushing me to the ground, making me live in darkness like those long dead. My spirit is weak within me; my heart is overcome with dismay. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all You have done; I reflect on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; I am like parched land before You. Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Don’t hide Your face from me, or I will be like those going down to the Pit. Let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go, because I long for You. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I come to You for protection. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground. Because of Your name, Yahweh, let me live. In Your righteousness deliver me from trouble, and in Your faithful love destroy my enemies. Wipe out all those who attack me, for I am Your servant” (Psalm 143 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I praise You in the midst of my troubles. I give You glory for what You are doing in and through me preparing me to be the servant that is most useful to You and Your Kingdom. Please give me the strength to remain faithful. Help me to maintain my trust in You and Your will and purpose even when I don’t see what You are doing—knowing that You are working things out for the best for others as well as myself. I love You and thank You that You have counted me worthy to be used by You. I submit my will completely over to Yours!…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

The Genie in a Bottle!

I am always amazed at the ingenious ways people go about coaxing GOD to action. He has become a genie in the bottle to so many. Masses have bought into the false teaching that GOD’s desire for His people is to have anything and everything their heart desires.

“Re-post this picture of a pile of money and tomorrow it will all be yours.” “Speak your wishes out and GOD will grant them to you. Because GOD desires for you to be blessed with everything the world has to give.” What lies! What deceit!

Who is the Master Deceiver? Satan himself! Why has the church bought into such false teaching? Simply put, because too many ministers discovered that by teaching such untruths, their pockets would be filled with money while emptying those of the flock GOD has placed them in charge of.

John gave us a clear teaching of the principle of asking and receiving when he wrote: “Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for” (1 John 5:14-15 HCSB).

The key phrase in this verse is not “whenever we ask anything” but “according to His will.” Too many are quick to jump on the first phrase without understanding the entire intent of GOD’s heart. The key to receiving from GOD is encompassed in your personal relationship with Him.

Consider for a moment the importance of relationship-building here in your earthly existence. You will never grow into a tight relationship with your spouse if you never spend time with them—talking to them, enjoying their presence, learning what pleases them. In the same way, you will never understand GOD’s will when you have failed to spend quality time with Him.

You cannot understand GOD’s will if you never open His Word and enrich your life, heart and mind with its truths. You cannot truly begin to understand the concept of GOD’s heart and love without spending quality time with other believers building one another up and enriching one another’s lives with the love and truth of GOD.

Understanding GOD’s will begins with understanding your purpose for being. Revelation 4 represents a huge change in scenery and activity from the first three chapters. The rapture has occurred and from this scene and what is occurring in heaven, we can easily ascertain our true reason for being.

Beginning in verse 10, John is describing what is being revealed to him on that day. He writes: “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created’” (Revelation 4:10-11 KJV).

The 24 elders he speaks of are representative of the raptured saints, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice they throw down their crowns of blessing and achievements before the only One worthy to receive such glory and honor and power. The true church recognizes it isn’t about me and what I can gain but about Him and what He has done. And, finally, notice what they say because your purpose and mine is encompassed within their words: “Lord, you have created all things and for Your pleasure they have all been created.”

Your purpose is to bring pleasure to GOD. Your purpose is to fulfill GOD’s desires not yours. Your purpose is to bless Him not to be blessed. You will be find GOD will grant you contentment and blessing when you have simply focused upon blessing Him by living according to His Word and sharing Jesus Christ with the lost, dying world.

Quit rubbing the genie bottle and chanting words of blessing upon yourself. Turn your attention to pleasing GOD in all you are and all you do. Quit seeking the blessing and become a blessing and you will soon discover what GOD’s will is and learn to seek and ask according to that rather than your own fleshly desires.

Give glory to GOD today as you consider these words of the Psalmist:

Scripture Reading: “My soul, praise the Lord, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He revealed His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and full of faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass- he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep His covenant, who remember to observe His instructions. The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord, all His angels of great strength, who do His word, obedient to His command. Praise the Lord, all His armies, His servants who do His will. Praise the Lord, all His works in all the places where He rules. My soul, praise the Lord! (Psalm 103 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I give glory to You alone today! I praise You because You have given me another day to glorify and lift Your name high. May my eyes, heart and mind focus only on You. May my desire be to please only You! May the words that come out of my mouth and the meditations that proceed from my heart bring glory and honor to You alone. May others see only Jesus in me today as I seek to live my life in complete service and dedication to Your will for me. Father, I love You and praise You for saving me, delivering me and for calling me Your child because of what You have done for me…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Trapped in the Clutches of Sin?

Perhaps one of the most dire situations an individual can find themselves in is sin! When you choose to live in sin, you have chosen a path of self-destruction—a path of ruin. You choose to enjoy pleasures that are only momentary and then they are gone—leaving behind a trail of lies, deceit, and emptiness. You soon find yourself deeper in than you ever intended to go. You soon discover sin has carried you to places you would never have gone before. You soon get to the place where you see no way out as life begins to crumble in all around you.

David found himself in just such a situation. He had committed adultery which led to murder which led to the death of his own son which led to a plague that swept through the innocent people of Israel. How can one small sin create such a disaster? Have you ever considered the repercussions of sin that you allow into your life? Have you ever stepped back momentarily and assessed the damage one unconfessed sin can create not only for you but for many others around about you?

David found himself lost and hopeless at what became the darkest time of his entire life! He said: “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat” (Psalm 32:3-4 HCSB). The unconfessed sin burned deep inside his being. His inner man groaned from the weight of the sin combined with the conviction of GOD’s Spirit. He was slowly wasting away to oblivion!

Have you been there? Maybe you are there right now? Maybe you are feeling what David felt? Maybe your insides are groaning from the weight of your sin? Don’t allow it to carry out its work of total destruction. Recognize there is help and hope. The Spirit of GOD is still there speaking ever so gently to you to wake-up, rise from the trash heap that has encompassed your life and rediscover GOD’s grace, mercy and love.

At his greatest moment of despair, David discovered the path of peace. In his own words, he said: “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You took away the guilt of my sin” (v. 5). David recognized his own inability and he turned to the only One capable of renewing the peace and security he had once enjoyed. He acknowledged his sin before GOD. He confessed his own sinful ways and GOD’s peace was restored to his heart and life. He was released from the weight and the destructive nature of the sin that had bound his heart and life.

Out of the new-found freedom he was experiencing, he cried out: “How happy is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How happy is the man the Lord does not charge with sin, and in whose spirit is no deceit! (vv. 1-2). Being loosed from the overbearing weight of sin by the Spirit of GOD is the single greatest feeling and experience an individual will ever pass through.

Perhaps you have deep-seated sin in your life? Perhaps there is something deep within you that continues to weight you down and is slowly destroying your life from the inside out? Perhaps there is not another person in the world aware of your sin, but GOD knows and GOD desires to deliver you today! GOD does not hang over you waiting to punish you and judge you and condemn you; rather, GOD has created the only means whereby you may be freed from the weight of your sin.

1 John 1:9 tells us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” GOD desires to free you today. Inside you are wasting away but the freedom that GOD has for you is available to you right now. Don’t remain in the pit of despair any longer. Make peace with GOD by confessing to Him what He is already aware of. Come clean before Him and He will cleanse and purify your heart and soul and restore you to your position of peace and security in Him.

Scripture Reading: Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Wash away my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against You-You alone-I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge. Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:1-12).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, my heart is heavy, my life is overwhelmed by the weight of the sin that I have allowed to enter into my life and there remain. You are mindful of this sin so my confession is not something that will bring my sin to light in Your eyes but it will bring Your forgiveness. I ask You, Dear GOD, to forgive me and cleanse and purify my heart and life. Please release me from the bondage of this sin and help me, LORD, to walk away from sin and to keep my life pure before You so I may bring pleasure to You in all my ways. May my life glorify You always. I praise You and love You, O LORD…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

GOD Came Looking for Me!

Do you ever give much thought to where you once were in life compared to where you are now? Do you ever give any thought to the fact that if you had continued down the path you were once on that you might not even be alive today?

I don’t think we give enough thought and consideration to where we were and where we are and to how we arrived at the place we now find ourselves in. I am talking to those of you have discovered the new life of being in Christ Jesus.

I can look back at my early years and discover very quickly that had I continued walking my self-centered, self-willed path, my life would’ve been destroyed by now. I can look at the lives of those around me who have chosen their own path and I can see the destructive nature of living without Christ.

It is easy to see the wear and tear on the lives of those who have failed to accept Jesus as their Lord. The consequences of sinful living are dredged into every facet of their lives. Their lives are spiraling out of control with an eternal crash landing at the end. And most of all, I see the emptiness that encompasses every aspect of their lives. From this, I can only respond, “Thank you, Jesus, for not giving up on me!”

As you are thinking about this in your own life, consider how Paul ties this all together in writing to Titus. He said: “We too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, captives of various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the goodness and love for man appeared from God our Savior, He saved us- not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7 HCSB).

What a beautiful synopsis of what GOD has done for each of us! We were all sinful, disobedient creatures living out our worldly desires. But GOD, for some reason, out of His great love and mercy reached down and pricked our hearts and brought us to a place of realizing and accepting His saving mercy and grace.

A key to understanding this in its entirety is recognizing that it wasn’t out of any good in me because there was none. It was the work of His Spirit working in me that changed me—changed my heart, my attitude, my desires, my outlook, my path—and brought to me an eternal hope in and through my Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t know where you have come from in life or what gutter GOD may have drug you out of to get you to where you are in Him today, but I do know that you are where you and you what you are because GOD came looking for you! GOD doesn’t give up on any of us. Jesus died for all of us and GOD’s desire is for the salvation of all humanity.

Maybe you haven’t found what I am talking about? Maybe your life is still on a downward spiral leaving you hopeless with nothing to look forward to in the life yet to come? GOD is looking for you right now. I believe He is speaking to your heart by His Spirit attempting to draw you into a relationship with Him. Turn your life over to Him by seeking His forgiveness for your sins through Jesus Christ. Make Jesus the Lord of your life today!

GOD came looking for me! GOD came looking for you! We are what we are today simply because of that fact. May we be ever mindful of GOD’s great love and patience with us as He worked to bring us to where we are and as He continues working in us—moving us ever closer to being just like Christ Jesus!

Scripture Reading: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe and has gathered them from the lands- from the east and the west, from the north and the south. Some wandered in the desolate wilderness, finding no way to a city where they could live. They were hungry and thirsty; their spirits failed within them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He rescued them from their distress. He led them by the right path to go to a city where they could live. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race. For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things. Others sat in darkness and gloom- prisoners in cruel chains- because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the counsel of the Most High. He broke their spirits with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and gloom and broke their chains apart. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race” (Psalm 107:1-15 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I give all glory and honor to You for who I am today! As I look back on the destructive nature that once controlled me, I recognize You saved me from my own destruction. Help me to always be mindful of the fact that you came looking for me out of Your great mercy and love. Please keep me ever mindful of where You brought me from and of the glory yet to come for all who place their trust in Jesus Christ.  I give all glory and honor to You and to You alone! Praise be unto Your name, my GOD and my Savior!…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!