Is eHarmony The Answer?

1 Samuel 25:1-44 MSG

God works in unexpected ways to bring about a wife for David. This woman, Abigail, was wise, smart, and had a lot of common sense. Nabal had greatly offended David and his men by reacting selfishly towards all the good deeds and protection that David had performed to protect him and his livestock. God did not take it lightly when Nabal was not willing to even share a meal with David and his men. He showed no appreciation nor gratitude for David’s good deed.

Abigail knew better than to ignore the grace that had been extended to Nabal and their entire family. She shows up by giving a feast for David and his men instead of ignoring the protection and grace that they had offered to Nabal. The next day Abigail told Nabal what she had done, and how she had taken them a feast. 

It was her act of kindness and generosity that had saved their lives from potential revenge from David. Nabal fell back in his chair with a stroke and ten days later was dead. When David heard what had happened he went back and invited Abigail to be his wife. God works in mysterious ways to bring about blessings and favor and his will for our lives.

Yes…she was a beautiful lady in more ways than one, and God brought her to David as a blessing to be his wife. Friend, allow God to bring about your potential spouse without your having to work frantically to find them. I’m not sure that all your worries, online experiences and connection are what God has in mind to bring about His divine purpose in that area of your life.

Let God instruct you and lead you in the way you should go. Little did David know that by his good deeds and just living a Godly life would bring about such a blessing, but it happened. He can do the same for you!



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Winning Battles the Same Old Way?

2 Samuel 5:17 MSG

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed King of Israel, they came up against him. Hell does not like the anointing of God on your life (Zech 4:6), “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord”. David realized that he couldn’t win the battles of life without God’s power of operation in and through him. God told David to pursue the enemy without any doubt and he would overcome. He obeyed and Israel won. But then in verse 22 the Philistines came again.

So many times when we win one battle, we would like to take a break and rest a bit, but then the enemy comes again.

King David goes back again to the Lord for fresh instructions. God says, “You shall not go up. This time circle around behind them, then go sit and wait under the mulberry trees. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of trees, then you shall advance quickly.”

Many times we miss our victories because we keep trying to do things the way we have always done them in the past. The secret in winning our battles is not in the experience of the past, or the form or pattern that we won the victory the last time. God is fresh and new and He may not send you to the battlefield the same way. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the way we did things 30 years ago. We think the anointing is in the pattern of the past. No God may decide to do something in a different way for us to win our battle. This time God told David to sit under the mulberry trees and wait till he heard the wind blowing through the trees to pursue the enemy.

Quit doing things because that’s the way you've always done it. God may say to do it in a different way the next time. You will never go wrong by following His fresh word to your heart. David obeyed God's fresh instructions and won the victory. He will do the same for you and me!

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Gods Bucket List 4d “Promises”

Another bullet that comes at our Dreams is “The Bullet of Delay.”

Joseph was 17 years old when God gave him his dream. How long would he have to wait to see it come to pass? He went through a roller coaster ride to say the least or let’s say his own “white water river rapids.” If you add up all his years waiting, the time of delay, was a total of 13 years spent in Potiphar’s house and the prison house. Would God make any sense of his dream? Did he have a fever in the night that caused these crazy notions and emotions? Would his dream really come to pass?

I’m convinced that hell works overtime to discourage us in how we interpret, process, and  filter the delays that come before the dream. There is more than one thing that God will not delay during your wait.

He will not delay His grace in your waiting. It’s in the waiting that God says; “When you’re weak, I will make you strong.” He says; “My grace is sufficient in your weakness.” God is not going to put more on you than you can handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13) “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

He will not delay His Strength and Power. God says; “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) God was with Joseph through all the bumps and shake- ups in his life. His faith would be stretched to new levels. Someone once said; “New devils bring on new levels.” Before you go to the next level, expect new devils to come against you. Stand on these promises; “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (Ish 54:17)

There came a day when Joseph was summoned from the prison to the Kings chambers. He interprets the Kings dream and tells him there are coming seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Take the grain during the years of plenty and store it up for the years of famine. God was preparing a man for the future. He took him from the pit, to Potiphar house, to the prison house then to the palace. He was then assigned to become the Prime Minister of the land. Yes, Joseph was promoted to administrate the grain to the known world during this time of famine.

Guess who shows up for help in the famine? You got it right. Here come his brothers and later his father for help in the time of famine. Does God know what He’s doing? You better believe it’s worth dodging the bullets that come from hell. He will not fail or go back on His Promises.
Declare today, “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”
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Gods Bucket List 4c “Promises”

Next Joseph faces a “Bullet of Deception.”  Potiphar’s wife placed her eyes on him and liked what she saw. She begged him to sleep with her. Determined to have her man, one day she grabbed Joseph’s coat to force him into her bed chambers. The best thing he could do in that situation was to run with his jacket left behind in her hands. Better to lose your jacket than to lose your virginity and reputation.

Later that day, Potiphar’s wife tells her husband that Joseph tried to seduce her. Potiphar placed Joseph in a dark prison cell for a crime that he did not commit.  Was it over? Was it time to give up on the dream? Joseph could have said; “Nothing seems to be going my way. Everywhere I turn is another test, another trouble, and another trial. Maybe this dream deal wasn’t really from God. Maybe I had too much pizza last night. Maybe I’m just going crazy after all?”

Thoughts can be deadly. Thoughts leads to our emotions, emotions lead to a decision, which leads to actions, actions become habits, and habits become character and ultimately our destiny. Genesis 39:1 says, “But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.”(NLT).

What a powerful word in the Scriptures that shows us the love and faithfulness of God in our times of darkness. Never, never, never give up in your season of despair. ‘It would have been very easy for Joseph to say’, “I’ve had it; I’m finished, I’m through with this dream.” But look what he would have missed had he given up too soon. There came a day of deliverance for Joseph. God knew what He was doing after all. One day Pharaoh had a dream that troubled his heart. Someone informed him that there was a man in the prison house who knows how to interpret dreams.

What would have happen if Joseph had of given up in his times of stress and pressures of deception? Is God getting you ready for His next assignment? Are you the one God has chosen to make a difference with your spouse, parents, kids or a friend? Never underestimate the power of the enemy to derail you from the plan of God. Stay the course with God's Bucket List for your life. Nothing can compare with God's promises. They truly make your journey worth it all.

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"Bucket List part 3"

Gods Bucket List 4b “Promises”

Ronald Reagan’s assassination attempt occurred just 69 days into his presidency . On Monday, March 30, 1981, while leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr. Reagan suffered a punctured lung and heavy internal bleeding, but prompt medical attention allowed him to recover quickly.

Satan also has a few bullets of Destruction aimed at you and me. These bullets are not usually made of metal and gun powder, but are rather Spiritual forces directed against your dreams and hopes in life. Satan has a “Bullet of Doubt” that will attempt in every way possible to stop and destroy Gods dream for your life. There’s no better way to attack God Himself than to attack of His kids dreams.

Joseph faced one of those “Bullets of Doubt”. His eleven brothers sold him for 20 pieces of silver; he then landed up in Egypt, was placed on the auction block and sold to one of Pharaoh’s leaders, a man named Potiphar.  Can you imagine the doubts that were swirling in Joseph’s head? Destruction first starts in the mind. Our thoughts can be a deadly and destructive force.

I believe doubt is the number one reason people are hindered in their hopes and dreams. Doubt caused Adam and Eve to fall in the Garden; doubt hindered Abraham and Sarah from believing for their son Isaac. It all starts with a thought of hopelessness. Satan says; “Your marriage can’t work; your kid will never get off drugs and be saved. Cancer is going to kill and destroy your future.”

Doubt is deadly. And if you don’t fight back with the weapons of God, Satan will sabotage your hope and future dreams. What would Joseph do? Would he overcome these deadly bullets of discouragement and doubt? Would he really see his dreams come into reality?

Timothy J. McCarthy is the current police chief of Orland Park, Illinois and a former member of the United States Secret Service.^[1] During the Reagan assassination attempt, he turned into the line of fire, shielding Ronald Reagan from one of John Hinckley, Jr.'s .22 caliber bullets. Surgeons at George Washington University Hospital successfully removed the round from McCarthy's abdomen and he fully recovered.

Friend, God sends His Holy Spirit to protect and to encourage each of us when deadly bullets come our way. Never give up in your dilemma! God is more than faithful to give you grace and protection in your nightmares of life. Read on as we see what then happened to Joseph’s Dream.

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 "Bucket List Part 3" - video message

God's Bucket List (4a) "Promises"

A few days ago, I took my first ride down a Level 4 rapid in Denali Alaska. As I started down the white river rapids, I said to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?" Many times people miss the ride of their life because they allow some key factors to hinder them from "God experiences" that were planned out for their life. 

 Each of us in life was created for a reason. You were created to solve somebody’s problem in the world. Doctors were created to help people get well. Electricians were created to bring power and light into our homes. Firemen protect lives and put out fires. Lawyers were created to help people with legal issues. Musicians bring us cheer and a smile of encouragement to our lives. Have you really sought out why you were put here on earth?

 Many people don't like what they do with their life. Seventy percent of people surveyed say that they hate their job. Why would you want to spend the rest of your life doing something that you hate? Why not spend some time finding out what God wants you to do with your life. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalms 37:4, 5).

I believe each of us was created with a list of Plans and Promises that God has ordered for our life. Many never see their promises fulfilled because they fail to overcome some key factors that each of us deal with. If you can learn to overcome the Bullets of destruction, get ready for the ride of your life.

 Joseph was given a dream from God but would face many ‘bullets’ of destruction along the way. Would he hang tough until he saw all of God's promises come into reality? First, he had to deal with the Bullet of Discouragement. His brothers had heard all they wanted to hear about Joseph’s dreams. He didn't use a lot of wisdom in telling them that one-day they would all bow down their knees to him. They took those words and decided to kill him. They ended up throwing him into a pit and later sold him to some Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The brothers said, “Now, let’s see what becomes of his dreams.”

Have you given up on your Bucket List of Promises from God? Have you been hit with the bullet of discouragement? When it seems like all hope is gone, turn your eyes unto the Lord where your help comes from. Are you still seeking after the Lord who is not slack concerning His promises to His own children? Never give up in the rapids and currents that are horrendous. There really is a calm just ahead that will bring about God’s dream and peace like you have never known. 

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