In truth

“The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I often told my children about the boy who cried wolf. You remember this story where there was a young boy in the town and he liked to play jokes. He cried out to the towns people that there was a wolf coming and the sheep was on the side of the mountain. All the towns people ran to defend and protect the sheep but there were no wolf. He did this until the moment there actually were wolves coming that the towns people didn’t believe him and the sheep and the boy perished.

HERE IT IS…

The Lord is close to all who call on him. That’s what the scripture says. However, the writer makes it even more clear that he is close to those who call him in TRUTH. Be careful calling the lord just because you can. Be careful requesting the Lord to show up and it has no validity to it. Asking for a way out knowing that your going back into it again. God just might be close enough to save you but far enough away to let you learn a lesson.

Don’t

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Don’t be selfish. That’s the statement for today. If we think back we can all think of a person that we knew for sure was selfish. We can think of someone that was only for the advancement of themselves and whoever was In the way were either used or cast aside. Truth is we may have been either the selfish one, the one that was used, or the one cast aside. Here is some advice and it’s real simple but it works. Be Humble.

HERE IT IS…

All these people that we try to impress with our money. We try to impress with our cars and our home. We try to impress them with our jobs don’t really care. Also, they are not the one you have to answer to when your time comes. All those things you have now won’t show up with when you leave this earth. However, where you go will be a reflection of who you were here. Don’t be selfish. Don’t try to impress anyone. Be humble.

Comfort

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I used to watch this show called “My six hundred pound life”. I’m watching this show it seemed that everyone had an issue that stemmed from their past. What they ended up doing is making food their comfort. They made food the place that they ran to in order to feel safe. Truth be told we all have something that we run too that makes us feel safe and know that we won’t have to worry about at that moment.

HERE IT IS…

Yes you may be in a valley. Yes that valley may cast a shadow and dark cloud over your life. Yes it may feel like there is no way out. But “he has not given us a spirit of fear.” So we have nothing to fear or to worry about. Why? Because he is with you. This is the part I like. It says his rod and staff will comfort us. There is no need to run to those things to get comfort because he is with us. But I can’t see God. His rod and his staff will be there as a reminder that you have the power to make it through. Hold on to him and see the great things he will do.

Stay there

“Pray without ceasing.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Three words here in this scripture that have such a powerful affect. Not a whole lot of parables or fluff to make it seem deep or strong. Just simple yet strong enough to shake those things off you and put you in the proper perspective of things. It’s hard to put things in its proper place when you are looking at everything at once. You have to be able to simplify things and do things one at a time. This, this is one of those things.

HERE IT IS…

We are called to pray and worship God in spirit and in truth. The way that we do that is by starting in the position of humility. We are called to pray, but there comes a time where you should lay before him with the intentionality to not move until he says to. Pray without ceasing. A statement and command to move into his presence and allow His glory to move on your behalf.

Trust in the Lord

“Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

There is a video going around about a Lion that was raised in captivity by a group at a church because he was abandoned. They raised him and let him run on church grounds until he became to big to stay there and had to be released into the wild in Africa. They continued to track the Lion and found out he was doing ok. The worry was that he was raised in captivity and wouldn’t be able to become acclimated to his wild climate. Come to find out he became the leader of his own pack. When the two came to see him he remembered who they were and were happy to see them and even brought his wild lion wife to meet them.

HERE IT IS…

(I AM ABOUT TO PREACH TO MYSELF)
When God releases you to something know that he has equipped you to handle it. What others may think you will fail at because you haven’t been in those situations or places or had to go through what others went through to get there does not mean you will because what they haven’t seen is the way that you were being trained. The stuff that you are going through may not seem like (to you) that you are ready for it yet, but God said you are ready. Your testimony wont be like everyone else, but you still have a testimony. When God releases you he is not only going to make you succeed but he will make you the leader of your own and put you in a position to show others how great God is. THIS IS WHAT I LIKE… when you are released you will be able to bring others to Christ, just as the Lion did and you wont have to worry about what they will do because you have put in them what the Lord God has put in you

Off script-ure

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Hill Hogan, Macho Man RANDY Savage, Ultimate Warrior. These are just a few of my favorite wrestlers from the peak of wrestling that I watched growing up. As a child I thought wrestling was real until my brother ruined it for me. But, then I had the realization that in a sense no matter how staged and choreographed it is, there is a real component to it. It takes a lot to go in that ring and fight another person while appeasing the crowd and making sure you do what is needed not to get hurt.

HERE IT IS…

Truth of our life is that it is choreographed by God. He knows what we will do before we do it. He knows where Satan will try to attack. He knows every way of escape that you have. The problem we have is that we fail to read the script. When it seems that we are losing and things are coming out of left field or we fail it’s really because we didn’t read the script-ure. Your not wrestling against physical opponents your wrestling against things to make you go off script-ure. Stay on Script-ure and watch you come out victorious.

Manual

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We often at times as men wish we had a guide to the book of women. Some women wish they had a guide to men. As parents we all wish we had a guide to raising children. No matter how many self help books you read. Parenting books you buy. Tips and tricks of the trade that you get it won’t all work because everyone is different and has their own ways. Sometimes even instruction manuals can get confusing and we put things together the wrong way.

HERE IT IS…

No one on earth can tell you the proper way to do something that someone else had control over. Thank God for Jesus that we have a God who sits high and looks low. We have a God who gave us a manual that will not lead you in the wrong way. We have the answers we need to please God and how to do it properly. God has placed a undeniable connection inside of you that will lead you to a life of heavenly proportions. Follow his word. Follow his will. Follow his way and you will achieve what is most important. Pleasing God.

Give it to him

At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
John 16:23‭-‬24 NLT

As we were getting prepared to leave for our trip years ago, I can remember starting to make a list of things to get done for the car to be safe. Tuesday my wife calls me and says “when I stop the car it gets hot, and when I drive it blows cold air again, and it over heated and cooled back down.”. As I am racking my brain at work I couldn’t think of what was going on. I get home and look at the car. I’m out there taking stuff apart and back together when, I finally started it up and realized the fan wasn’t blowing to cool the engine off, and blow the cold air in the car. Took off what is called a fan control module(I’m teaching you something ladies). I took it to AutoZone to see how much it cost. $275+tax. So right their I started thinking this is going to impact our trip and they had to order it. Came back home and on the ride home I held the part and prayed that God would do it.

HERE IT IS…

Sometimes the things that are not working in your life doesn’t mean that you need a new one. It doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it. I believe that sometimes God will give us stuff, (i.e. our talents) just to see if we will give it back to him. Truthfully we are sitting on somethings that didn’t work because when we got it we didn’t show appreciation for it and used it for the wrong reasons. But, if you ask in his name and follow his will he will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing. Lay your hands on it. Pray over it. Give it to God and allow his will to be done.

Try again

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:7-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Another one of my favorite movies is done by Bill Murray entitled What About Bob. A comedy that is filled with laughter about a guy who has an issue with going outside and germs. In particular scene Bob is asking his therapist for something and the therapist keeps saying no. Bob doesn’t relent and starts repeating these words, “give me, give me, give me, I need, I need, I need…” to the exasperation of his request the doctor gives in and gives Bob what he wants.

HERE IT IS…

Is that how you sound to God when you pray over and over and over about things? Do you sound repetitive in your pray? Do you sound like you could put a tape on and it would play the same pray the same exact way in the same cadence? Pray for what you need, yes! Allow God to work it out for you before you keep asking thinking it will hurry God along. He is giving you the ability to pray for the reason of conversation with him and to commune with him. Not to hear about the same thing. Pray and allow him to move.

He delights

“No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One of my favorite songs growing up in church was. “I will trust in the Lord, I will trust in the Lord, I will trust in the Lord till I die…” This song has gotten me through many of test and trials in my life. A song about trusting Gods way and direction. Trusting his voice. Trusting in all that he has, is, and will do. But what I come to realize is that the song wasn’t only about my trust I have in him but a more so of what that means to trust in the Lord.

HERE IT IS…

When you put your trust in God it releases a fragrance unto him like no other. It releases and unlocks levels in your life that has been waiting for you. Why? Because he delights in our faith and fear in him. He delights in our reverence. He delights in our ability to move on his command. What are you asking God for? What are you asking him to do in your life? Well my brothers and my sisters know that your prayers have been answered. To get to the propose you have to follow the plan. You have to go through with his command you have to follow his voice and his word. Because he delights in your trusting him.