More than two thirds of young drivers and passengers killed in nighttime car crashes aren't wearing seat belts.
When life throws you a curve, it can knock the wind out of your confidence. If your not buckled in with faith, it can throw you out from behind the steering wheel.
Paul is right where God has allowed him to be. He is at the wheel writing to the church of Philippi from a prison cell. He could have been upset with the Lord, why have you allowed this curve, this bend in the road, this episode to happen in my life? Paul says; "Be confident of this very thing, he which hath begun a good work in you shall perform it."6
Most of the New Testament is written because God allowed Paul to be placed in a prison cell. Many of us spend so much time questioning, doubting God's motives and plans for our lives. God says; "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." Keep your seat belt on when God's trajectory seems to take you another way.
Satan is always looking for a way to eject you out of your seat of confidence. He doesn't want you at the wheel with joy and courage, and faith, and confidence that God is at work in your life. He wants us sad and mad and depressed and discouraged over our questions and doubting our Lord and master.
Paul says, be confident. Where is your confidence today? Is it in your calm, your staying cool, your being comfortable in life? Well, what if life turns up-side down on you? Has God been caught off guard? "Oh, I didn't see that one coming." No No No, Nothing catches God by surprise. You can tell in this book there is no anger at God, Paul realized that God has just set him up for something good, something that will bring success in spreading encouragement, and edification for the body of believers that are in need of stability in their faith.
You attitude, your staying behind the wheel is so critical to your development and destiny for life. Some things may not make sense at the moment. God has the big picture in mind for you. He sees that your experience at the wheel will serve as a testimony to others.
Smile today, God's trajectory has everything in control. Just trust him, be confident that God knows where you are and He will complete what He has begun in your life. Eccl 7:8" Better is the end than the beginning."
Oceanwayag.com Danny Baggett
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Will You Stand?
Ephesians 6:10 Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Satan is out to steal and kill and to destroy your faith, your confidence, and your courage to go the distance in the Lord.
What army would send out a troop without training for the battle? Would he send out a troop without weapons, without disciplines, without getting them prepared for the battle?
God also prepares his troops with weapons, and communication skills to stay alive in the trenches.
God is for his kids, and he declares that "If God be for us who can be against us?" He says, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." He says, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."
Satan will play mind games with you. He always works off the foundation of fear and intimidation. That is what caused Israel and king Saul to be afraid of the Philistines and Goliath. David stood up and said is there not a cause?
God didn't call us to be wimps, or losers. God expects us to stand up to the threats and the intimidation that will come in the battle.
David had already fought a bear and a lion and he says to king Saul, this giant will be no different. Satan just puts his threats in different packages. He places special wrappings on different test and temptations.
David said to the giant, you come with your spear, your shield, your sword, but I come to you in the name of the Lord.
That day David took one of his 5 stones, probably in case he missed, maybe for Goliath's 4 brothers, regardless he was confident that his God would enable him to Win and to overcome the giant that stood before him.
David released his sling and God's power behind the stone took the giant down. Then David took the giants sword and cut his head off. That doesn't sound like a weak God to me. It does sound like a God that was getting his servant ready for the battles and the struggles that would come his way.
God is always getting you and I ready for the next battle and struggle that were going to face. Don't be afraid of what's next; be confident that he which has saved you and called you is big enough to complete what He started in your life.
Keep doing what your doing today, by putting on the whole armour of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. There is no giant that can overcome the God within us.
Danny Baggett Oceanwayag.com
Satan is out to steal and kill and to destroy your faith, your confidence, and your courage to go the distance in the Lord.
What army would send out a troop without training for the battle? Would he send out a troop without weapons, without disciplines, without getting them prepared for the battle?
God also prepares his troops with weapons, and communication skills to stay alive in the trenches.
God is for his kids, and he declares that "If God be for us who can be against us?" He says, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." He says, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."
Satan will play mind games with you. He always works off the foundation of fear and intimidation. That is what caused Israel and king Saul to be afraid of the Philistines and Goliath. David stood up and said is there not a cause?
God didn't call us to be wimps, or losers. God expects us to stand up to the threats and the intimidation that will come in the battle.
David had already fought a bear and a lion and he says to king Saul, this giant will be no different. Satan just puts his threats in different packages. He places special wrappings on different test and temptations.
David said to the giant, you come with your spear, your shield, your sword, but I come to you in the name of the Lord.
That day David took one of his 5 stones, probably in case he missed, maybe for Goliath's 4 brothers, regardless he was confident that his God would enable him to Win and to overcome the giant that stood before him.
David released his sling and God's power behind the stone took the giant down. Then David took the giants sword and cut his head off. That doesn't sound like a weak God to me. It does sound like a God that was getting his servant ready for the battles and the struggles that would come his way.
God is always getting you and I ready for the next battle and struggle that were going to face. Don't be afraid of what's next; be confident that he which has saved you and called you is big enough to complete what He started in your life.
Keep doing what your doing today, by putting on the whole armour of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. There is no giant that can overcome the God within us.
Danny Baggett Oceanwayag.com
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Hell Will Attack Your Worship
Ezra 4:1-24
There was great zeal and excitement when the people of God was released from Babylon to go back to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed by
King Nebacunezzer .
The people of God had turned their hearts to other gods and other things. This is what brought on their destruction and brought down Jerusalem . The enemy came in and stole the gold, the silver and the elements that were in the temple. What a sad day to see the people of God taken off into slavery.
70 years of captivity until a new day came when they were release to go back to Jersalem. Nearly 50,000 traveled back under King Cyrus authority to go back and rebuild the temple of God. The people of God walked back over 800 to 900 miles of mountains and traverse travel back to Jerusalem. Some were not up for the trip with its dangers, but many made the trip with faith in their hearts to do the work that was in their heart.
When the people started the work on the temple, they worked approximatley 2 years on the temple's foundation. When the neighboring nations saw what was going on they got nervous and tried to hinder them with fear and intimadating words. They went as far as to write letters to King Artaxerxes that these people have done nothing but cause heatache and trouble for the surrounding nations. Once he recieved the letter, he became concerned himself and sent letter to Jerusalem for the work on the temple to stop.
For the next 15 years the people of God stopped the work on the temple because of the king's threat. Fear and intimadation paralyzed their actions to move forward. They left their work on the temple and began to focus on their homes and their business. God had given them direct orders to go back and rebuild the temple first. 4-5 So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built. They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia. (The Message)
Everything in Jerusalem was to center around the temple, their place of worship. That was to be the center of their focus and their world. If hell can stop your worship and your focus on your God, he has won the victory. Satan doesn't care how he accomplishes his demise, he will use any threat, any distraction, any intimdation to stop your center of worship being on the God who made you and saved you.
For the next 15 years the plans of God were deverted and detoured away from their focus on God. What could be so wrong with getting submersed in your job or your own world?
Will later discusss how God brought a prophet named Haggai along to get them back on track.
Ask yourself today, is there anything that has come along that has diverted my attention and my worship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Have I allowed my spouse, my job, my family, my hobbies, my ambitions for success to distract me from my worship to my heavenly father.
King Nebacunezzer .
The people of God had turned their hearts to other gods and other things. This is what brought on their destruction and brought down Jerusalem . The enemy came in and stole the gold, the silver and the elements that were in the temple. What a sad day to see the people of God taken off into slavery.
70 years of captivity until a new day came when they were release to go back to Jersalem. Nearly 50,000 traveled back under King Cyrus authority to go back and rebuild the temple of God. The people of God walked back over 800 to 900 miles of mountains and traverse travel back to Jerusalem. Some were not up for the trip with its dangers, but many made the trip with faith in their hearts to do the work that was in their heart.
When the people started the work on the temple, they worked approximatley 2 years on the temple's foundation. When the neighboring nations saw what was going on they got nervous and tried to hinder them with fear and intimadating words. They went as far as to write letters to King Artaxerxes that these people have done nothing but cause heatache and trouble for the surrounding nations. Once he recieved the letter, he became concerned himself and sent letter to Jerusalem for the work on the temple to stop.
For the next 15 years the people of God stopped the work on the temple because of the king's threat. Fear and intimadation paralyzed their actions to move forward. They left their work on the temple and began to focus on their homes and their business. God had given them direct orders to go back and rebuild the temple first. 4-5 So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built. They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia. (The Message)
Everything in Jerusalem was to center around the temple, their place of worship. That was to be the center of their focus and their world. If hell can stop your worship and your focus on your God, he has won the victory. Satan doesn't care how he accomplishes his demise, he will use any threat, any distraction, any intimdation to stop your center of worship being on the God who made you and saved you.
For the next 15 years the plans of God were deverted and detoured away from their focus on God. What could be so wrong with getting submersed in your job or your own world?
Will later discusss how God brought a prophet named Haggai along to get them back on track.
Ask yourself today, is there anything that has come along that has diverted my attention and my worship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Have I allowed my spouse, my job, my family, my hobbies, my ambitions for success to distract me from my worship to my heavenly father.
Matthew 6:33 says "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteouness and then He shall add these other things." Evaluate your own plans, your own actions, your own walk with the Lord, Is the Lord first, or has hell distracted you away from your worship to your Lord and Savior? Hell attacked then, and he will do it in our day, in our world.
Be an overcomer today in your worship and your focus on the Lord who has changed your life for eternity. There is nothing better than He being 1st and the center of your world.
Oceanwayag.com Danny Baggett
Be an overcomer today in your worship and your focus on the Lord who has changed your life for eternity. There is nothing better than He being 1st and the center of your world.
Oceanwayag.com Danny Baggett
Friday, September 16, 2011
Stay On Track
Gods glory and fire falls down during the dedication of the temple that Solomon had built. What an amazing moment to see the temple of the Lord filled with God's smoke and glory.
After the sacrifices of the sheep and the cattle, God says something very important for each of us to remember.
God says, "if the people ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep and decide to serve and worship other gods, then I will remove you from my land I have given you, I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my presence, and I will make you an object of mockery and ridicule among all the nations.
God is saying, Stay on track, stay in my will, stay in my plan, keep your focus on me, and I will bless you and keep my favor on your life. God warns them that if they turn to other gods, you will lose the blessings and the favor I have placed on your lives.
All through the scriptures you will find those like Adam and Eve that started out with all the blessings of God in the garden of Eden, but when they turned away from Gods ways and commands that they lost everything. They had to leave the land that was created for their lives. There came a day that Adam and Eve were kicked out of the beautiful garden of Eden because of their disobedience.
There's nothing more fulfilling and satisfying and even gratifying than living in the perfect will of God for your life.
God warns us to stay alert and be sober because the adversary as a roaring lion seeketh whom he may devour.
Stay focus today on God's plan and His design for your life. Korean airline KL007 got off one degree several years ago in a flight from Anchorage Alaska, flying over Soviet airspace. The Russians thought it was a spy plane and sent two migs up and blew her out of the sky killing 270 lives.
It's so critical to stay on course and on track. Paul says at the end, I have fought a good fight and finished my course and have kept the faith.
Today you and I are in flight with God's destiny and His will for our lives, stay the course, and stay on track, It will be worth it all.
Oceanwayag.com Danny Baggett
Thursday, September 8, 2011
None Of These Things Move Me
Over my years in serving the Lord, I have seen a lot of things move people away from their service to the Lord. Test, trials, heartaches, and hardships, have become a roller coster ride for many of us, but some choose to derail from the track that has been laid out for their service to God.
Paul is a chosen vessel that has been called to take the gospel message to those who are in darkness. Satan hates each of us who choose to stay on track regardless of the cost, the price, the ups and downs of our serving.
Paul informs the elders of the church in Acts 20:22 that I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies that chains and tribulation await me. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.
Too many of us want a easy ride. God never said that this journey would be without bumps and bruises and being shoved around with winds and waves and test and trials.
Paul declares that regardless of what is in front of me, I'm not backing down, no storm, no pain, no sorrow, no question, no difficulty, no hick-up or hurt in life is going to hinder my mission.
Paul had experience a lot of test in his path, nights in prison, beaten and bruised with rods 3 times, stoned and left for dead, ship wrecked where the whole ship came apart. They miraculously got to the shore on broken boards, cold, wet, and worn to a frazzle. Now their ready to warm their hands with a fire, when a poisonous viper came out and bit him. All swollen up, they thought he would die, but he shakes it off in the fire and declares "None of these things move me."
Friend reconsider where your commitment, where your backbone is in these last days? I haven't read anywhere in the book where things are going to get any easier.
Many of us are looking for deliverance when God may be bringing about His development in and through us.
My prayer for you today is that no roller coaster ride of despair or difficulties will stop you, but rather declare like Paul. "I have decided that neither death nor life nor angles nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come, nor height or depth shall be able to separate me from the love of God.
Is there anything today that has put into question your determination to do all that He has called you to do. Paul says I'm going to finish this race and finish it with joy. Friend the sweetest victory in your spirit is when you finish and complete what God has called you to do. Declare like Paul."None of these things move me."
Oceanwayag.com Danny Baggett
Friday, September 2, 2011
Waiting in your Season
Seasons can be beautiful, it's all in our perspective. I'm thankful that God made the seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter.
It's a different deal when were not enjoying the season. Many up in the north, where it's very cold, they can experience long winters of snow and ice. Several choose to escape down to the south for warmer weather.
It's not that easy when our spiritual life goes through the tough seasons. Many of us would also like to escape the cold places of winter in our journey with God.
This can be very confusing and discouraging. Many have gotten disoriented in their winter season of their walk with God.
Abraham and Sarah was walking in one of those seasons of waiting on God for the promise that was spoken. God tells him in Genesis 12 "I will bless you and make of you a great nation." The only issue was after many seasons and years had gone by, Sarah was barren and had not produce a son.
So in her discouragement, she helps the Lord out and tells her husband take Hagar, she will give you the promise son.
Abraham hearken to the voice of Sarah, and she gave him a son name Ishmael. There's only one problem, this was a son born by the flesh of impatience, not the son that was born by the dream that God had promise Abraham.
All of us have the potential of getting impatient with God and producing our own Ishmael's. It could be that we refuse to wait in our winter season for that person that God has created for our marriage, or our ministry, or the promotion at work, or the break-through in our difficult circumstance.
May I encourage you to wait on your Isaac. God speaks to Abraham again in Gen 17. He tells him "walk before him and be thou perfect." Abraham had gotten ahead of God and rushed forward in his winter season.
Be cautious friend, there is an Isaac, if you will just be patient in your season. How many Isaac's have we missed because we have forgotten. "To everything there is a season, and a purpose under the heaven."
Oceanwayag.com Dannysdevotional.com
It's a different deal when were not enjoying the season. Many up in the north, where it's very cold, they can experience long winters of snow and ice. Several choose to escape down to the south for warmer weather.
It's not that easy when our spiritual life goes through the tough seasons. Many of us would also like to escape the cold places of winter in our journey with God.
This can be very confusing and discouraging. Many have gotten disoriented in their winter season of their walk with God.
Abraham and Sarah was walking in one of those seasons of waiting on God for the promise that was spoken. God tells him in Genesis 12 "I will bless you and make of you a great nation." The only issue was after many seasons and years had gone by, Sarah was barren and had not produce a son.
So in her discouragement, she helps the Lord out and tells her husband take Hagar, she will give you the promise son.
Abraham hearken to the voice of Sarah, and she gave him a son name Ishmael. There's only one problem, this was a son born by the flesh of impatience, not the son that was born by the dream that God had promise Abraham.
All of us have the potential of getting impatient with God and producing our own Ishmael's. It could be that we refuse to wait in our winter season for that person that God has created for our marriage, or our ministry, or the promotion at work, or the break-through in our difficult circumstance.
May I encourage you to wait on your Isaac. God speaks to Abraham again in Gen 17. He tells him "walk before him and be thou perfect." Abraham had gotten ahead of God and rushed forward in his winter season.
Be cautious friend, there is an Isaac, if you will just be patient in your season. How many Isaac's have we missed because we have forgotten. "To everything there is a season, and a purpose under the heaven."
Oceanwayag.com Dannysdevotional.com
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