Procrastination?

   Have you ever felt some PAIN from the fact that you’ve put something off? How about the leaky roof that’s now softening the rotted wood, which led to the stained ceiling and then to a marked stain in your carpet. Hummmm, does it really pay to put off what needs to be addressed today? “Don't brag about tomorrow, since you don't know what the day will bring.” NLT (Proverbs 27:1) 

   General Motors Company just recalled 2.6 million vehicles in February 2014 due to a faulty 57 cent ignition switch that could kill the engine and disable the airbags without warning. According to reports, GM may have known about the defective ignition switch as far back as 2001! The sad part to the story is that 13 people have lost their lives because of their procrastination. WHY?

   There’s another story in history of a man who was instructed to warn a nation of a coming judgment upon their land. God said; “Warn them to repent less I destroy them.” This man decided he would go 2500 miles in another direction and yes, PUT GOD OFF! God loved that nation and this prophet so much that He decided to shake him up until he decided to LISTEN.

   It took a wind, waves and a whale to swallow him up before he was ready to do it God’s way. Jonah, after three days got tired of the stink, seaweed and smell and finally cried unto the Lord for His mercy. It was God’s mercy, grace, and love that gave Jonah a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and more chances to do it His Way.

     Is God waiting on us to do it HIS WAY? Why do we continue to repeat the human stubbornness, tragedies, selfishness, sufferings and rebellion of those in history? Haven’t we read about others past mistakes and blunders enough that we declare, “I’m not going against God’s will and plan for my life”. Why don’t we learn from the mistakes of others? Paul said; “I die daily.” Romans 8:31 “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

    Are you putting off God fixing your rotten attitude? How about the relationship that is growing cold in your marriage because you still haven’t said; “I’m sorry, let’s talk about it.”? How about the assignment you told God, “I’m yours, but He hasn’t seen any action yet?

    It was only when Jonah did exactly what God told him to do that the sea came to a calm and He commanded the fish to spit him up on the beach. 
    Why are you putting off what He desires to do in your life NOW? “Today is the day of salvation.” Refuse to live with the regrets of saying; “NO to God.” Friend, it’s just not worth what it may cost you.

    There is great joy and fulfillment when you choose to do it God’s way. Do it now. Say, “I’m sorry now." Pick up the phone and make it right today. Ask God to change your attitude now. Choose to give of your tithe now. Quit putting off the thing you know in your heart you should do NOW. Jonah finally said yes and 120,000 people were saved. What would happen if you MOVED on His will and plan now?

                     

                    Procrastination - video message                                                      

Dealing with DELAYS in your Dream

We’re not surprised when a pregnant mother deals with delays in having her baby. We’re not surprised when a student is delayed before their day of graduation. Neither are we surprised when a pilot gets his pilot’s license after a season of training. Why are we surprised when we deal with delays in our Dream? Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, and Steve Jobs all dealt with DELAYS in their Dream.

A person who is willing to forge ahead in determination and discipline will DELIGHT in their dream. Can anything POSITIVE come out of our Delays in the Dream?

DELAYS are part of our growth, development, and gains in our patience, faith, love, joy, peace, goodness, humility and self-control. There is no value in living in anger, frustration, restlessness, depression, impatience, doubt, pride and crankiness. What good will these things add to your life. I have not gained any value worrying all night about something in my head.

God says; “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) God is saying that just as some of the stars in the heavens are some fifty billion light years away from us, that is how far our fleshy worries and thoughts are away from God’s thoughts and plans.

There are some DYNAMICS that can HELP us in Dealing with our DELAYS

1.        God Knows Best   In Acts 3:2-6, the story is told of a lame man who sat at the Beautiful Gate begging every day. Jesus walked right past this man in His ministry, but he still was not healed. But one day,  years later Peter on his way to the temple, looked at him as he was begging for money. He said, “Silver and gold have I none, but in the name of Jesus rise up and walk”. God knows Best when our day of deliverance will come.

2.        God Sees The Good   Joseph may not have seen the good in his pain from his angry brothers, Potiphar’s wife’s false accusation of rape, or his time in prison, but one day God took him to the Palace. Was God possibly working out some ego from his life?

3.        God’s Never Late   There have been times when each of us declared, “God, You are dragging your feet on this one.”  Are you still waiting on your promotion, your spouse to marry, your ministry, your graduation, your first child, your first home, and your breakthrough, or your miracle, Waiting and waiting some more? Are you tired of WAITING? “Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.” (Gal 6:9) 

Delays in Your Dream - video message

 

A Mother's Dream for Her Child

What Mom Taught Me:  1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE: "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside -- I just finished cleaning!" 2. My mother taught me RELIGION: You better pray that will come out of the carpet." 3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL: "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!" 4. My mother taught me LOGIC: "Because I said so, that's why!"

We could go on and on about great things that Mom has taught each of us, but in all honesty, what about things that truly CHANGES ones DESTINY?

So many kids in our world are getting caught up in the undertows of society. Hollywood and those like Miley Cyrus pretend that anything goes today as long as you’re having fun. Regardless of the consequences from sex outside of marriage, drugs, alcohol, live it up; it’s all part of living life on this side of heaven. That is not the dream for every Mother’s child.

Our kids today need Godly direction, a moral compass, training, encouragement and a positive influence that will change their destiny for the good.

Every Christian Mom truly wants to see her kids SAVED. The greatest ways to see your kids saved is to live the life of Christ in front of them. Esther was in engaged in the process of seeing her Jewish people saved from Haman who schemed and plotted to destroy them. She risked her own life to see each of them saved from destruction.

Every Christian Mom truly wants to see her kids fulfill their PURPOSE in life. God created everybody with an assignment. Mom, you can encourage and enhance your child toward their purpose. Sarah conceived a child when she was ninety years old. No doubt she inspired her son Isaac and others to use their faith in spite of the odds against them. Mom, let your kids see your faith, perseverance, character, joy, peace, patience, a good attitude and one willing to go the distance to see their dreams fulfilled.

Every Christian Mom truly wants to see her kids be GIVERS AND NOT TAKERS. Marvin Stone gave us the straw for drinking in 1888. Witcomb Judson gave us the zipper in 1893. Willis Carrier gave us the air conditioner in 1902. Adolf Fick gave us the contact lenses in 1887. Living with a sense of entitlement only leads to starvation. The greatest fulfillment in the world is learning to give back. And believe me, it’s the nature of God within us to give back.

Every Christian Mom truly wants to see her kids MAKE HEAVEN THEIR HOME

Can you imagine living in heaven without your kids? Will your kids make heaven their home? If you don’t teach them in the way they should go, how will they know when they make wrong turns in life? God gave kids “Parents” not to be their friends but to be their parents. I didn’t always like being the tough guy coming down on my kids, but “O”, I’m so glad that I did to see them follow Christ. Mom, Dad don’t give up, God has their name and will complete His work. Mom, don’t back off from the DREAMS you have for your kids. God is for you and will help you to be the woman and Mom that He has called you to be.

A Mother's Dream - video message

Are you willing to FIGHT for your Dream?

Never forget that “Difficulties” are a part of pursuing your dreams. I don’t know anyone who had their dreams handed to them on a silver platter. Those who have crossed over into their promises have had to fight with the faith the entire way to their Victory.

 

There are some basic premises that happen when people PURSUE their dreams.

David was a man who was hand-picked to be the King of Israel. He started out as a shepherd boy but God saw a King. David one day encounters a bear and then a lion, but neither one shook him up to the point that he was ready to give in and quit.

Why did God allow those beasts to come his way? What God was really doing was preparing him for his future. You may not realize it, but the difficulty you are going through today is what is preparing you for your future. God was using a bear and a lion as a warm-up for David to fight a giant named Goliath, This dude was somewhere between 9 and 11 feet tall! To consider tangling with such a massive man without God’s favor was crazy. But David knew that God’s hand of blessing was upon his life; God was getting him ready for his lifelong dream.
      Just before the showdown, King Saul attempted to give David his own weaponry. But David refused such a thought knowing that he had never used those weapons. But he said “I have a God who will fight for me to overcome this evil giant who has defied the Name of our God.”

David faced Goliath with FAITH in his heart and overcame all the negative voices that were around him. He pulled out his sling with five stones, but all it took was one rock to take the massive giant down. He finished the job by using Goliath’s own sword and cut his head off.

The next struggle would be from the jealousy in the heart of King Saul and then the betrayal of his son Absalom. What would be next? How can I keep pressing towards my dream?

Friend, why are you allowing your despair and difficulty to hinder you from your path and trajectory to victory? With every Vision there is a valley, but beyond the valley is a great Victory. Any dream I’ve ever accomplished in the Kingdom of God has always, always faced difficulties. Why would we think that we could take a less easy path than the patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac or Jacob? Or the prophets like Elijah or Elisha. Each of these men faced enormous difficulties in reaching the DREAMS in their life.

Years ago God gave me a personal word in one of my own difficulties.  God said “Danny, It is better to wrestle with your struggle than to wrestle with the regret that you quit.” Keep pressing friend, God hasn’t forgotten the dream that He has birthed within you and He is able to bring to pass everything He has spoken. Paul says, “Let us not be weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.” (Galatians 6:9)

Dreams - Part 2 - video message