This past Sunday evening I preached a message during the evening service.  I knew ahead of time that I would be preaching on Sunday.  So, it wasn’t like I was unprepared.  Yet, somehow, I allowed the enemy to get in my head, and I started listening to old lies. 

If you are like a lot of people, when you get in your own head, you can go down a path of unrest and displeasure.  It can start with just one thought that is contrary to the truth of God’s word.  That is all it takes to set you off on a path of negativity.

The next thing you know is you are unhappy and unthankful with an angry attitude.  I started focusing on everything that is going wrong in my life and forgot about all the great things going on.  Instead of rejoicing in the Lord and being thankful for all He has brought me through, I started focusing on the mess in front of me that I have yet to walk through or that I am walking through.

Through that experience God gave me a message of hope!  He reminded me of His goodness, His mercy, His grace!  I got happy as soon as I changed my focus from negative to positive.

You may be asking yourself how do you change your focus from negative to positive?  How do you exchange a nasty unhappy unthankful attitude with a happy positive attitude? How do you change your way of thinking? 

Philippians 4:4 states, we are to rejoice in the Lord always!  In face the Amplified Bible says it like this, “Rejoice in the Lord always [delight gladden yourselves in Him]; again, I say, Rejoice!

Psalm 37:4 of the same version says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

So there it is ladies and gentlemen!  The first step is to rejoice in the Lord always!  Remember that is His direct instruction!  Rejoice in Him.  He has you and He will carry you.  Whatever you are going through He will sort it out.  Rejoice in who He is!  Rejoice in His unfailing love!  Rejoice and remember all the things He has brought you through so far! Rejoice because He is faithful to bring you through whatever you are facing now!

Do you have unanswered prayers?  Then rejoice in the Lord!  Delight yourself in remembering all His goodness.  Thank Him for your situation!  As hard as that is to do, remember that He will work it out for your good and His glory!

He is a good God; He will not leave you hanging!  He will take care of you.  You are His child!  He loves you!  Even those secret petitions that you dared not ask.  He knows and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Trust Him!

Before you know it the darkness will flee.  The negativity will flee.  You will actually feel the brightness break through the darkness, and you will be free.  It might be hard to do at first. But keep focusing on the Lord and His goodness.  I promise you that the words of the Lord are true! 

Rejoice in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart!

Have you ever noticed that we get stuck in a rut sometimes?  Either we are comfortable with our situation, so we do not feel the need to change or we have never had the thought that something needs to change. 

I can remember a time in my life when I was in a rut that I did not think I would ever find my way out of.  In fact, I never even entertained the idea that I could get out of it.  I was stuck going through life unhappy and not knowing how to change my circumstances and not even thinking there could be the option to change.

It could be that things in your life are going fine, except for this one area.  Maybe your relationships are good, but your finances are in shambles.  It could be that your health is great but your unhappy.  Whatever the area may be, you would like it to be better.

There is a quote that says,’ Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result”.  It is time to stop insanity and start doing something different.  Take a moment to look at your situation and find something to change.

I understand, sometimes change can be scarry.  It is hard to try new things.  We can be nervous about what the outcome will be when we change our behavior.  We do not like the unexpected.  But living in the unexpected is sometimes right where God wants us to be.  Letting loose of our situation and turning it over to God can give us freedom and flexibility. 

See God is a big God!  He can see the end from the beginning, and He knows the best course of action for every area of our life.  We are limited to seeing the little physical area surrounding us right now.  We cannot know what tomorrow holds, nor can we fully remember all the details of yesterday.

Why should we keep banging our head against the wall expecting the wall to move?  Why keep doing the same thing over and over again only to get nowhere?  When seeking the counsel of the Lord is what will change our situation!

Proverbs 1:5 in the Amplified Bible says, “The wise will hear and increase their learning, and the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth].

Jesus Christ is the Truth in any situation, in every answer to every question, and to every need in our life.  Let’s learn to seek His counsel and change our behavior.  Let’s stop banging our head against the wall expecting it to move. 

This past Sunday we celebrated Resurrection Day.  This is a day that has been hijacked by the Easter Bunny, but in my family, we chose to celebrate Resurrection Day.

Resurrection Day is the day we celebrate the fact that Christ has risen from the dead!  As I was thinking about the miracle of Christ rising from the dead this thought came to mind.

There is only one God who is alive and well!  So many people give their allegiance to false gods who are powerless to provide life, powerless to give help, powerless to heal, powerless to save.  

There are religions who promise virgins in heaven, religions that talk about reincarnation, religions that provide structured ceremonies and empty promises.  These religions are all coming from a dead source.  Their prophets are dead; their leaders have passed away.  

The one true God, who is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is alive and well.  He lives and leads.  He heals.  He saves.  He gives hope to the Hopeless.  He gives strength to the weak.  He is our refuge and our strong tower.

In times of need He hears our prayers and He provides our needs.  He protects us under the shadow of His wings.  He is the Great I Am!  

This past Sunday I felt like I wanted to run up and down the street proclaiming at the top of my lungs, HE LIVES!  HE STILL LIVES!

I do not know what each of you may be going through.  But I do not really need to know the circumstances of each situation.  Whether you need to be healed from a disease or from a broken bone.  Whether you need help mentally or physically.  Whether you need encouragement or comfort.  Whether you need peace or finances.  There is a God you can turn to who is Alive and Well.  

Why would you try your luck on a dead false god?  Why would you turn to superstition?  Why would you base your hope on someone’s theory of god?  A dead fake god cannot help you!

Why not run into the arms of Christ is who Alive and Well?  The Bible tells us that He sits on the throne!  He is at the right hand of God making intersession for us.  Run to the only God who cares about your wellbeing.  The only God who gave His life to have a relationship with you.  The only God who loves you.  The only God who has the ability to love.

These other fake gods cannot love!  Everything else you run to will only lead to destruction and death.  Christ is here for you!  Christ is holding out His nail scarred hands to pick you up and give you hope.  Christ is the only God who endured whippings and shame so that we would no longer feel ashamed.

Again, I do not know what you are going through.  But I know who can help!  Call on Jesus today!  Then find a good Bible believing church and begin fostering a relationship with the only God who is Alive and Well.

You ever find yourself asking that type of question?  Why am I here?  Why was I born?  What am I supposed to be doing with my life?

I can remember asking those types of questions all through my life.  There was a time I did not know my purpose.  I did not understand the reason I was born.  I could not understand why I was here on earth.

There was a time when life seemed like such an awful waste of time.  Some people seemed to get all the breaks.  They won every race, they were born to rich parents, the sun seemed to shine on them every day, and they never knew pain and disappointment.  That was not my reality, and I believe there are many in town who feel the same way.    

There is a scripture in the Bible that says, “In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

When I was saved in 2003, I became a new creation!  When I found this scripture, I found my will and my purpose!  It is so simple.  To live a happy life, we need to be thankful.  Give God thanks for everything.  Every situation you go through.  Whether that situation is pleasant or unpleasant.  Thank God in all things!

You ever notice, is it hard to be unhappy if you are giving thanks?  Saying thank you warms your heart.  When we thank God for being born, we are acknowledging that God is the giver of life.  We are in His hands and He has control.  I do not have to worry or fret about things I have no control over.  I can just sit back and thank God for having the control.

Why are we here.  To be thankful to God.  To give Him thanks!  I am so thankful I have been allowed to have a relationship with the Lord!  Thank you, Jesus, for saving my soul and taking control of my life!

If you do not understand this feeling of thankfulness that I am talking about, I invite you to ask Jesus into your heart.  Ask Him to be in control of your life, then thank Him for doing it.

Wow there is a lot going on around the world and around America!  Everywhere you look there is some kind of scandal or some kind of “News Alert”!  People are talking about this or that.  Some of the talk is worthy talk and some of the talk is not.

For the most part I think we spend too much time talking about nothing.  People are talking about their neighbors and talking about their friends, talking about their enemies and talking about their kin.  But how many people are talking about the most important topic.  Jesus!

Currently the Lord is moving around the world in a fresh new way.  His Spirit is blowing on the young and old alike.  He is revealing Himself to the oppressed in the form of visions and dreams.  He is opening doors of opportunity to all walks of life.  He is drawing us closer to Him.  The believer and unbeliever alike!

I think we get so caught up in our talking that we do not spend enough time listening.  At some point we lost the ability to just sit and listen.  We can learn a lot when we listen.  If we just take in what we hear without trying to come up with a response.  Just listen to what we hear.

There is a chapter in Luke that talks about a variety of events that will take place in the end times.  Wars, persecution, famines, earthquakes, pestilence, fearful sights, and signs in the heavens.  It says that men’s hearts will fail them because of fear.  These are just the types of things we keep talking about in our society today.

Talking, talking, talking!  Too much talking, not enough listening.

Listen, I tell you the truth.  When you see all these things begin to come to pass, lift your head and look up!  As we are told in Luke 21:28 Look up our redemption draweth nigh!  We can rest in that!  Listening to the Lord and looking for our redemption will calm our hearts and refresh our spirits.

It seems to me that sometimes we as believers doubt that we hear the voice of the Lord. There is a scripture in the Bible that tells us that God’s people hear his voice and follow His directions. (I am paraphrasing here)

So then why is it that we run around asking other people their opinion? When we find ourselves in need of guidance from God, and when the answer comes, we doubt that we have heard from God. Maybe we do not like the answer or maybe we are unsure whether we heard the answer properly.  Either way we can be swayed by the words of people.

1 Kings 13 tells the story of how a “man of God” from Judah is sent by the Lord to confront King Jeroboam at the altar in Bethel, where the king is offering sacrifices to false gods. The young prophet sent by God declares that the altar will be split apart and its ashes poured out as a sign of God’s judgment.

King Jeroboam invited the prophet to his house to eat and drink, but the prophet rejected the invitation because God had already told him not to. An old prophet that lived in the land came and invited the young prophet to his house to eat and drink, but again the younger prophet chose to listen to the voice of God and say no.

This is where we pick up the story in 1 Kings chapter 13: 18-19 AMP says, He answered, I am a prophet also, as you are. And an agnel spoke to me by the word of the Lord saying, bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him. (19) So, the man from Judah went back with him and ate and drank water in his house.”

In this story, disobedience cost the man of God his life. Because he ended up dying. In this story the man of God had heard the voice of God but had only partially obeyed the directions of God. Instead of following through on what God had said, he chose to listen to a person who told lies. Which brings me back to my thoughts.

Why do we seek to listen to the opinion of others? Why do we doubt in our own ability to hear the voice of God? Why do we choose to please people instead of pleasing God? There is a time and a place for seeking godly counsel. But most importantly, there is a time to just listen and obey the voice of God.

I pray we all chose to practice listening and obeying the voice of God. Blessings come from obedience. Consequences come from disobedience.

          Like much of the town during this time of year, I have the flu.  It started off slow on Friday.  I was completely out of commission Saturday and Sunday. Now here we are on Monday and I think I might live.

          Last night while I was tossing and turning in my bed, I decided to open my tablet and scroll through YouTube.  I found a message by Dutch Sheets.  He was reading a prophecy by another individual.  The message was so good I wanted to share it with you.

          Now I do not know this other person.  I do not know how accurate they are on their prophetic abilities.  But the message gave me hope and excitement about the season we are coming into.

          The basic premise of the prophecy was that Jesus was going to show up as the lion over America.  He had all four of His paws on the four corners of America.  The scripture John 3:16 was going out over land.  The lost were saved.

          Another part of the prophecy declared that the Lord was basically saying enough.  The enemy has messed with us long enough.  Now he must let go of America.  We were once a beacon to the world of the love of Christ and we would be again. 

          I do not know about you, but when I heard those words I got excited.  Our prayers for America have reached the Lord.  I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered.  I little flash back from last week there.

          John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not parish, but have everlasting life.

          If you have ever interceded for our country, for our community; your prayers have reached heaven.  The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is roaring and every bondage must be broken.  Every hinderance my be loosed and removed.

          I am thankful I found that prophecy.  Whether true or not it reminded me to never stop praying.  Never stop seeking the Lord.  It gives me something positive to pray about.  So often we focus on the negative when God always seems to work in the positive.

So recently I had a situation at work that left me stressed to my core!  I am sure we have all been there.  Something happens that you were not prepared for!  It usually happens when we least expect it!  Some major event that causes us to feel as if the floor just fell out from under us!

These events can include any number of shocks to our system.  Maybe we get fired, or a bad report for the doctor.  It could be that a family member or close friend suddenly passes away.  Maybe the threat of financial ruin.   Or worse yet, betrayal!  Oh man, that is worse feeling ever.  Nothing worse than to be betrayed by someone you trust.  Been there, felt that!

Whatever the case, these types of life events can leave us feeling isolated, alone and vulnerable.  That is how I felt at work last week.  Something happened that left me feeling like I was in a situation I could not fix.  I really did not know where to turn or what to do.  My mind kept telling me that things were bad.  My mind kept telling me I might as well close shop and move on.  My mind kept bringing me down into a place of darkness and despair.

That is what my mind was telling me!  But I do not have to listen to my mind.  I do not have to worry or stress.  I do not have to try to come up with a plan.  I can turn the whole situation over to the Lord and let Him work it out.  I am so grateful that I have a Heavenly Father that loves to fight my battles. 

The book of Isaiah says ““No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.”  – Isaiah 54:17

I was in church Saturday night, worshiping the Lord and listening to the message. Not even thinking about the event that caused me despair just the day before.  When suddenly God spoke to my heart, “I already new this was going to happen” 

I just about leaped out of my seat!  Yes, you did!  I thought to myself!  Yes, You did!  I know that You know all things!  Since You know all things, You also have a plan to take care of the situation for me.  I am so thankful!  I do not have to fret!  I do not have to worry!  I just give it to the Lord and let Him take care of it. 

That is one of the blessings that come from being a child of God.  He takes care of us.  I write this to give you hope.  If you are a child of God, you have refuge in the Lord!  He is your strong tower, your fortress, your hiding place!  If you are not a child of God, I hope this gives you another reason to call upon His Name. 

Just call out to Jesus, tell Him you are ready to follow Him!  Tell Him you are ready for a relationship with Him.  Tell Him you repent and start to follow Him.  I can tell you from many experiences, God has got our back.

Sometime when we come to the end of the year, as we are now, we tend to want to look back over our lives.  What was it we did right, what was it we did wrong.  While this may seem like a good idea, the Bible tells us a different story.

See what happens when we look back is we tend to dwell on all the negative things we did.  We tend to rehash old conversations in our head.  Someone said something that hurt us.  Maybe we made a mistake that everyone was talking about for a while.  We look at the choices we made and wish we would have made different ones.

The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 3 that we should forget those things behind us and press forward toward the things in front of us.  We are called to finish this “race” strong.  We are called to press on toward the mark.  What does that mean?  Look at it like this.

Think about a person who competes in a race.  They compete to win a prize.  The goal is to finish the race.  The prize we are looking to attain is eternal access to the Father.  Our goal is to finish this life strongly.  What about a soldier?  The Bible calls us soldiers in God army.  Soldiers are there to fight a good fight and to win the battle. 

In both of these instances, the athlete and the soldier will hinder their objective if they are dwelling on the past.  Why bog us down focusing on our past mistakes?  Even focusing on past wins is not a good idea.  Focusing on past mistakes will keep us bound to the mistake.  Replaying the image over and over in our heads will cause us to make the same mistakes over and over again. 

Focusing on past wins can cause us to be overconfident.  When we become overconfident, we tend to let our guard down.  Maybe we do not feel the need to prepare or keep ourselves ready.  This is one reason the Bible tells us to stop looking back and start pressing forward.  Make new goals for this next year.  Focus on what you will do to attain the objectives you have set for yourself.  Maybe we pray a little more, fast a little more, read our bibles a little more. 

Maybe we ask God to show us the direction he has for us this upcoming year.  Maybe we ask Him to lead and guide us.  If we must look back, maybe we repent for any area where we were disobedient.  May we all focus strong this upcoming year.  Let’s make it our best year ever.  No resolutions, just a plan to keep moving forward.