The Test Before The Dream

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Have you ever said; "When is my dream going to come to pass?" How long have I got to wait? Is it really going to happen? Joseph was 17 years old when God gave him his dream, but there would be many test and trials and temptations before it would come into reality.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12) How many nights have you wasted tossing and turning, questioning God's thoughts and the dream that he placed in your heart?

Those thoughts only lead to a sick heart. It will only lead to doubt, and discouragement and disbelief and depression concerning your future. God says; "Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph's character." (Psalms 105:19)

You can't get to where God is taking you without a test. Soldiers are tested before they go to battle. Students are tested before they can be promoted to the next grade. Doctors are tested before they ever practice on patients. Pilots are tested and have to pass the test before they can ever get their pilots license.

Life is a test. The one your in today is only getting you ready for the next step, the next promotion, the fulfillment of the dream that He created you for. "Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind the stronger the trees." - J. Willard Marriott

Why fret, why worry, why be flustered and frustrated? The dream is for an appointed time, and the one who called you will surely bring it into being. Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not. (Galatians 6:9) Smile God's always on time in delivering the dream and His promises.

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Love Regardless? (1)

Have you ever gotten frustrated and agitated with the friend your trying to reach for God? Jesus says to love your neighbor as yourself. Another words go ahead and love them regardless. Love them anyway.

Who are you trying to reach? Do you ever invite your friend, your co-worker, your next-door neighbor to church? Barna research states that 90% would come to church if only they were ask. The problem is only 21% of the active church members ever invite people to church.

Can you imagine what would happen if more than 1 out of 5 active church members would truly love their neighbor? We wonder why there are not as many people being saved in our altars at church? How many more would come to the Lord if the church would catch a fire in they're heart to win the lost? I think there are several simple things than hinder each of us in our witness. 

Number One REJECTION

None of us like rejection. My wife and I like to watch American Idol. Even if they can't sing, you've got to give them credit to have courage to hear the rejection from either the old Simon or the new judging panel.

Many of us have been rejected for sharing our faith. Friend it comes with the territory. Think about the 10/10/80 rule. I read recently where 10% of people will like you. They like your face, your voice, your smile. Even if you were to streak through your neighborhood, they would just say, Bless him Lord, he is just having a bad day.Then there is the other 10% who don't like you. They don't like your face, your voice, no streaking; they don't even like the clothes you wear.

Then there is the other 80% that will wait to see who you really are. They will watch your faith, your courage, your peace, and your integrity. These are the people that you can influence with your life.

The problem is we allow the rejection of a few folks to hinder us from going forward with our witness and courage to present Jesus to those who are in darkness. Jesus said if they don't receive you, shake the dust off your feet and move on. 

Quit worrying about those who will reject you and your faith. None of us can save anybody. Only Jesus resurrection power can change a life. We are called to love them regardless of their ethnicity, their being democrat, republican or independent, right wing, left wing, no wing.

Stand up today and be not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. We are to love those that God has placed in our circle and care. Some will plant, some will water but God gives the increase.

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Stuck In The Mud

Nowhere in the word does it say that if you sign up to serve the Lord, that there won't be pain and difficulties along the way. Jeremiah the prophet had predicted the ruin of Jerusalem and King Zedekiah resisted what he had said. WIth his resistance and anger he had Jeremiah lowered down into a empty cistern where he sank into the mud.

Can you imagine being moved from your chains in a prison cell to a muddy cistern? You're already thinking, " It can't get any worst than this?"

Many times things do get worst before they get better. Jeremiah took a lot of heat and misery because of his assignment in life. Nobody usually signs up for this thing because it's easy. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

Tell me where God said that serving in ministry was an easy assignment. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him take up his own cross and follow me."

People won't always like and appreciate your leadership. Everybody can't see a man's heart and passion to please His master. 

People pleasers don't get a lot done for the kingdom. Leaders in the bible always faced resistance in getting the job done. Nehemiah dealt with Sanballat, Moses faced Korah, David dealt with Saul, and Absalam 

People won't always agree your making the right decisions. Korah resisted Moses, along with 250 renowned leaders who said; "Who called you to lead this nation?" God in his anger opened up the earth to prove that He had called Moses to lead the people. Korah and all the leaders died with their resistance.

People won't always follow your leadership. Jeremiah found out with all of his words of instruction and warning, the people still resisted and followed their own stubbornness. Had the people listen to him, their lives could have been saved.

God would one-day reward Jeremiah for his faithfulness. You and I must decide to either be men pleasers or God pleasers? Jeremiah chose to please God, what about you?
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The Blueprint

Have you ever seen a home built without a blueprint? Can you image the confusion and mess that would come about to the owners, the contractor, and the sub-contractors without one? The question is why do people try to build their lives without a master blueprint for their lives? I'm talking about the master blueprint, the living Word of God.

Some might say, Is there any value in reading God's Word each day? Does anything really happen to a man that makes daily deposits into his heart and mind? Is there any known success or fruit for those who obey and meditate each day in his word?

According to Christianity Today and Zondervan in 2006, 95% of all U.S. people who label themselves as Christians have a bible in their home. Active Christians have an average of six bibles. 25 % of active Christians bought a new bible in the past 12 months, 57 % of respondents say they have read the bible, and 63% of professing Christians make this claim compared with 98 % of active Christians. However, only 18 % of respondents read their Bibles daily, 19% 2-3 times a week, and 39% once a month. Among active Christians, 35 % read their Bible daily, 28 % 2-3 times a week, and 37% once a week. Christianity Today 04/09

Why did Jesus say, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God?" If you read on, Jesus himself was blasted with an undertow of temptations by Satan to drown and destroy our Lord and Savior in sin.

When I was 8 years old, my father moved our family to Florida. In my first trip to the beach, my dad taught my sister and I some important factors before we ever went swimming in the ocean. He said, " If you ever get caught up in a undertow that pulls you further and further out over your head, swim to the left or to the right to get out from the undertow."

One day it happen just like he said, the rush and the powers of the waters took me further and further away from the shore. I attempted to swim against the powerful current but I didn't have the power to swim against the waters back to the shore. So I swam parallel to the shore and got out of the undertow, and then was able to swim back safely to the shoreline.

It was dad's words that saved my life. Had I not known what to do, I would have lost my life and died at a young age. Today there is a heavy undertow of deception that comes from Satan to pull you under and away from the shoreline of God's plan for your life. God's words will direct you back safely to His perfect design and purpose for your life.

God's word is your blueprint to follow in order for God to build something beautiful of your life. Choose everyday to make deposits of God's word into your life, so it will give protection, provision, peace, power and purpose to go the distance in your life.

David said;; "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Jesus safely overcame the enemy's temptations and won victory over sin, because each day He took time to follow His father's blueprint, to hear the Word that proceeds out of the mouth of His father. He will do the same for you to win the battle over deception and sin. 

Regardless of the undertows and currents of the enemy, His word gives us power to resist the entrapments of hell and to build a life of success. The grass withers the flowers fades but the word of God stands forever. 
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A Fresh Start (2)

Pressures and stress can cause one to run from their troubles and dilemmas in life. Moses had a call on his life to deliver Israel from their 430 years of bondage in Egypt. One day Moses saw a Egyptian solider beating a Hebrew and he took matters into his own hands. He killed the solider and ends up running for his own life.

Moses ends up spending the next forty years of his life on the backside of a desert. Was God through with him? Had God changed his mind about Moses call to deliver Israel from the hand of Pharaoh?

God says; "The calling of God is without repentance." Another words, God never changes his mind about his call and mandate for your life. God called you knowing that you would have hick-ups and setbacks in your life. Look through the entire bible and you will find that each of his servants had their own issues. God wasn't through with Moses and has him in a place that he will see the next step for his future.

Moses was going about his normal caring for the sheep and suddenly a bush catches fire. That's not really abnormal, but the fire doesn't go out, and the bush isn't consumed. Moses takes a closer look and God speaks, "Moses, take your shoes off, for you are standing on holy ground." Moses would never forget this moment in life.

He hears God tell him to go to Pharaoh and complete the work that God had placed in his heart in his early days. Moses dramatic experience at a burning bush would take his feet to the exact assignment he had been given many years prior.

This day God was giving Moses a fresh start, a new beginning. To many of God's kids waste so much energy over their past mistakes, their past blunders, their past impatience. God called you knowing that you were going to mess up. God called you knowing that you were going to have some hang-ups along the way.

In spite of our weaknesses, and our shortcomings, God still calls us reminding us that the excellency is in Christ. It's his might and his power, and his hand that does the work. Moses didn't have the power to deliver a fly out of Egypt, but with God's hand, he would see rivers turn to blood, plagues of frogs and lice and much more pressure would come upon the Egyptians.

Then he led them out with Gods mighty strong hand. With the breath of God's nostrils, he blew a whole some five miles wide to get three million Jews across the Red Sea. God had to show Moses, it won't be your hand getting them out, but mine alone.

Are you walking in the gift, the call, and the assignment that God has given you? Did you realize He chose you to be His voice, His feet, His ears, and His legs? When Moses heard God's voice at a burning bush and moved accordingly, things happened that would forever be written down in history. What about you? Have you forgotten that God also has an assignment for you? Have you taken time to walk over to the bush, the circumstance that you can't make heads or tales of? Listen closely to what God may be saying to you. Never push off or back off from the words from a Holy God that will catapult you over into your destiny.

God chooses the weak things of the earth to confound the mighty. Quit allowing you're past trajectory to hinder what He wants to do in your future. He has never forgotten His call, His mandate, and His plan for your life. His fire can birth fresh wind and fresh life into your being today.
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A Fresh Start (1)

Is there hope for one that makes a mess of his life? Moses murdered a man? Jonah ran the opposite direction from God's command? David committed murder and adultery? Peter denied the Lord three times and said to others, "I never knew him" Let's look at one of these individuals.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray everyday, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Nobody on this side of heaven is righteous, no not one. We all have our hick-ups and hang-ups and setbacks in our walk and journey with God.

When my first child Danielle starting taking her first steps to walk, she fell down again and again. What do you think I did? Would I push her aside and say, forget it child, you never will walk? Not a chance, I picked her up and said, "Come on Danielle you can come to daddy." Oh, by the way, she did and yes she did walk.

David had won many victories in his journey with God. With the help of the Lord he killed a bear, a lion, a giant, and stayed alive while Saul's raging jealousy was out of control. Years later, King David chose to stay home while the kings went to war.

David didn't see it coming, while out on his balcony, his heart got out of line by lusting after a beautiful woman bathing in his line of sight. Would he turn away from the temptation to lust or would he take it to the next level?

David sends for her and takes her into his bedchambers and sleeps with her. David no doubt felt the guilt of his sin. He later finds out that she is pregnant, so he takes a step to cover up his evil actions.

He has her husband Uriah brought home from the battlefield for a short space to be with his wife, but he refuses to sleep with her out of respect of his peers on the battlefield. He then has her husband placed out on the front lines and he is killed in battle. He now thinks nobody will find out.

The prophet of God Nathan reveals to David, you have sinned and you will be judged for your actions. It would have been easy to attempt one more cover up, but David says, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions.

David possibly spent nine months dealing with his guilt and his cover up. This man was a miserable man as he expresses, "My bones waxed old through my roarings all the night long." He sounds like one miserable man to me.

That's not the end of the story. David confesses his sins and God forgives David and begins a new process of restoration in his life. David suffers great consequences for his actions, but God buries his sins in the sea of forgetfulness and gave him a fresh new start with life.

It's important to remember failure is not final. When God gets involved in your heart, old things pass away and all things become new. Like John Maxwell once said; "When you fall down get up, and oh, by the way, pick up something while your down there." David did get up and became a man after God's own heart.

Get up friend; God is the person who will give you a fresh start, and yes He still says; "Come on you can take another step." His mercies are fresh and new each and every morning.
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Which Window Are You Looking Through? (2)

Some things in life are painful to view. I was pulling for my Atlanta Braves during the playoffs wild-card game with St Louis Cardinals. Things didn't work out to well for my Braves. It was one painful game to watch. It's not that easy to stare down your losses that only add to your sorrow and pain. 

Recent studies have been made with patients view out the window while there in the hospital. They took 23 patients with a gallbladder surgery and placed them next to a block wall. Then they placed another 23 patients with the same surgery and placed them at a window with beautiful nature scenery.

Patients that looked through the window with beautiful nature had some interesting findings. They complained less, they ask for less pain medication, they spent fewer days in the hospital and their recovering cost was 500.00 less per patient.

Architects are now designing hospitals with better views. Billions of dollars are being spent with views of nature instead of boring block walls. You may not have a beautiful view of the ocean or a meadow in the forest in your backyard but David said, "I have set the Lord always before me and he is at my right hand and I shall not be moved." (Acts 2:25) 

What was David referring to? He faced many curves and challenges and confrontations in his journey with Life. One day he faced a curve on his path with a lion and then a bear, but God enables him to defeat both of them. Next he confronts and defeats an ugly giant named Goliath that was defying the God of Israel. Then he's challenged with King Saul jealousy over his victory, which then hunted him down like an animal. He later faced a challenge of looking out his view of a beautiful woman named Bathsheba that ended up costing him more than he could have ever imagined. 

How does one get through the curves, the challenges, and the confrontations of life? Even in David's losses he declares, "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake. Thou I walk through the valley of death of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me. For thy rod and staff comfort me thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies.Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:1-6)

Today make up your mind to view the right windows in life. Today you are looking through the window of the word of God that will give you faith and strength and courage and confidence to fight the good fight of faith. Isaiah said in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, he was high and lifted up and the train of his robes filled the temple. Even in a time of uncertainty and loss, the prophet of God viewed out the window of the Lord. 

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and they are safe. Choose to view the Lord in your loss, in your pain, and in your sorrows of life. The time of recovery will be dramatically changed because of what you choose to view. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 2:12)
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Which Window Are You Looking Through? (1)

Have you ever ask the Lord, "Why?" Things do happen in life that will cause you to pause and say, "Lord what's up with this?" You lose your spouse; your kid rebels and ends up in prison. The x-rays come back with a negative report; you lose your business you have worked so hard for. It's real easy to look through a window of why? This window will drain the life out of you.

If there's anybody who could have stared through the window of why, it was a man named Job. This man feared God and walked in integrity.

Satan said, "The only reason Job serves you is because you have blessed him." God said. "Not so." Job went through some of the greatest pain and sorrow and lost that anyone has ever experienced. He lost his kids, his wealth, his health, and even his friends falsely accused him of some hidden sin.

He could have easily stared through the window of why. This window is foggy, cloudy, and hard to see through. You can't see a whole lot on the other side of this window. It will leave you empty, disoriented, discombobulated with your journey with life. Without vision people will perish.

In their pain, Job's wife said, "Just curse God and die." Instead Job decides to look through another window. He says to his wife, "Yet the Lord slay me I will still trust in him." He had chosen to look through the window of God's word. If your going to get very far in this journey it will require us to walk by faith and not by sight.

Nowhere does it say in the word that all of life's episodes are going to make sense. Nothing made sense for Job, but he still chose to bless the Lord in his pain. There is a window of looking into Gods word that says, "regardless of what things look like, I will still believe, I'll trust in my redeemer. His word declares, "When you walk through the waters, I will be with thee."

We all choose wither to look into that window that builds our faith or through a window that sucks all the energy of faith from our hearts. I don't know why bad things happen to good people, but I still believe that all things work together for the good to them who love the Lord. There is a window that states, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

Choose to look through the window of His word, and watch God turn things around for you as he did Job. In the end, God gave him twice what he had before. Better was his end because he chose to look through the window that gave him destiny. What window have you chosen to look through? Choose the window that brings life and peace and courage for the journey.

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