“Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless.” Psalm 60:11 None has ever trusted God so completely that they never had a shadow of doubt. It is in the shadows where we look away from God in search for what appears to be strong but is lacking in content and in character. The challenge came to us and we wondered why we were chosen for adversity. Even then, there arose among some what appeared to be further evidence that God was absent. Many have abandoned God completely with thoughts that He was unreliable, while there are others who learned the lesson and passed the test. Without the test, there would be no need for help. The awareness of our need fostered the acknowledgement that we could not carry out our assignments alone. Without Him we can do nothing. The assistance of man is useless unless God is involved. The help of others only further complicates the issue. It is above our heads and the heads that stand tall are not tall enough and their arm of strength cannot reach far enough to bring remedy to the deep wound left within. The need must first be identified…
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“My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” Isaiah 32:18 God provides security for His own people. Though competitive and threatening storms of life rise on occasion, but God’s peace quiets us in the midst of the storm. We dwell in the secret and secure place where the activities of discord and doubt dwell on the outside rather than within. He will keep us here in this place of perfect peace if we maintain our focus on Him and not on the storms. God knows how to navigate the ship in the most troubled of waters. When facing the greatest of difficulties, we do not desire a novice to be at the helm. Experience counts best when it is needed the most. Jesus has triumphantly passed through every barrier on earth including death. He, as our High Priest, has now even passed through the heavens. There is no experience on earth, or in heaven that the Man, Jesus Christ is not completely familiar. We can hold fast to the confidence and not waver because of some misfortune that may be strange to us. What He has already done He is able to…
- September 17, 2017
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 On this day one of the most devastating tragedies occurred in this nation. This is the day when the World Trade Center Towers were attacked by Islamic terrorists. We remember where we were and what we were doing on this day sixteen years ago. Prayers were offered to God for the families of the victims and an appeal was offered unto God for His divine protection from further attacks. We commemorate the bravery of the firefighters, police officers, medical teams and others who risked their lives to rescue those who were in need of their help. There is a place in God where we can find safety and security. He is our refuge and our fortress and in Him we can place all of our trust. As this nation continues to manage the crises of the day, let us not forget why we called on God on that dreadful day. The fears of the unknown and the unexpected…
- September 11, 2017
“The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness — Israel, when I went to give him rest.” Jeremiah 31:2 The challenges of today will be survived leading to the discovery of grace in a place unfamiliar to us. God has not abandoned His own children. Even when we are chastened, His everlasting love is directed towards us. These things are not allowed to destroy us, but for introspection. It is our responsibility to examine the caliber of our love and devotion towards Him in contrast to the time spent focusing on other things. He draws us to Himself with cords of love. We cannot depend upon what appeared to be the solutions of the past. Only God has the care and the answer that we so desperately need. Cast all of your cares upon Him and lean on Him for assistance. He will take away the reproach of the past. God is about to do wonders in our future. Remember the day of the sword when the enemy of faith appeared to destroy all hope for the future. God rescued us from the hands of the enemy. Now as we go through the wilderness, a lonely and barren…
- September 2, 2017
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 The word “trust”, “lean”, “acknowledge”, and “direct”, illustrate to us the Lord’s mode of operation. Trust is not a mere accent to the existence of God. Even though we must believe on the Lord to be saved, but to accept His Lordship, we must lean on Him. That is, to place the weight of our lives upon Him. To believe on the Lord is to have confidence in what He is able to do. But to lean on the Lord is to believe that He will be engaged in our personal experiences and do what He is able to do for us. Our understanding is limited. His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. It is when we learn from Him His ways and paths that they become our own ways and our paths. We must be convinced that He knows what is best for us. He does not lead us in a direction away from His ultimate intentions. He looks ahead and directs us towards those…
- August 25, 2017
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.”Romans 5:3-4 (KJV) A price tag cannot be placed upon the lessons learned in and through troubled times. We often know how we should feel and respond, but to be honest, the character of that response may not been developed within us yet. Many call this faith while it is actually dishonesty. David, the Psalmist gave expression to his heart, having various trials, set-backs and disappointments, but asked God to work the right response within him. Our mere words alone will not deliver us, but what we are becoming as result of God s; working on us and in us is the aim. “Tribulation worketh patience and patience worketh experience or character. Eugene Peterson in the Message paraphrase puts it this way; “and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary — we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! It is through our…
- August 20, 2017
“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 The fore-warnings of Jesus was to be alert and remain alert in times when temptations may catch you unaware. They come in many disguises and it is usually the self-confident that end up falling prey to the wiles of the devil. The observation must go beyond appearance, but the very nature of thing must also be called to your attention. It should not merely be the intent to gain whatever benefit may be immediately gained, but paying attention as to where the engagement is headed.” There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death.” Watch how others have been allured and fell into the same trap that is being set for you. Look at the outcome of their lives. Would you be the exception or become a person with many regrets? Pray to God for wisdom. Do not trust your own judgments, but seek God for what He knows about all things pertaining to you. Then you will be saved from the wrath…
- August 14, 2017
“For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,” Hebrews 3:14 Our confidence in Christ must not waver even when we face adversities that appear stronger than our strength to maintain. It is not our strength that preserves us but God alone. Our beginning is of faith therefore we must not view the battles as ours alone. Christ being a part of us is involved in everything we do. He shares with us what belongs to Him and since He has already passed through the heavens, there is no goal higher than what He has already accomplished. He takes His victory and shares it with us therefore we have an identity in Him in heaven. We are admonished to hold fast to the confidence we had from the beginning. It is God’s gift to us to be maintained by us. Our faith is cultivated by and through the living Word. Even if we do not see an end to our dilemma, God is able to keep us to the end in order for us to receive what He has promised. There is an end or a reward to all who trust…
- July 23, 2017
“You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples.” Psalm 77:14 God is at work among the peoples of the earth. He has ordered the whole of creation to bow at His feet. Nothing is able to remain standing in defiance of Him. He rules in power and in might. The raging of heathens who align themselves as armies will utterly fall. The conspiracies among the rulers of this age will be confounded. God is not troubled by the circumstances that appear to overtake those who have placed their trust in Him. All will ultimately see that God is their strength and their present help in the time of trouble. He will bring down those who exalt themselves, and lift up all that humble themselves before Him. It will be a marvelous sight to see when God arises among those who belong to Him. They would have appeared to be the laughing stock of the world. They have suffered the loss of friends, fame, and fortune. But God, who has placed His Word within their hearts, will speak through them words of deliverance directed towards those who would be saved. A clear voice will be…
- July 16, 2017
“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” Revelations 1:19 The revelation of Jesus Christ gave John the insight to write His testimony describing the past, the present, and the future. Time and space no longer exist as divided in His presence. He takes us beyond the moment and brings all things into an eternal perspective. When we are facing current challenges, it is impossible for us to see into the future. It appears as if the bulls of Bashan had encircles around us awaiting their moment to attack and destroy us. He tells us to write what we have seen. Those moments when viewed from eternity were not there for our defeat but rather for our deliverance and future victory. “God Provides” became our testimony. He showed up in the midst of our deepest woe in order to prove Himself strong on our behalf when were at our weakest point. It was His strength made perfect when all that we attempted had failed. He said to John, “Write it down!” In other words, He asked him to mark the spot where he is standing today and watch…
- July 12, 2017