2 Chronicles 20
(21b) After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:…
(8)Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. They said, 'Whenever we’re faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.' (12) O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that’s about to attack us. We don’t know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." (15) He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Don’t be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle isn’t yours, but God's. Tomorrow, march out against them. But you’ll not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He’s with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!" (21b)Give thanks to the Lord; His faithful love endures forever!"
Did you notice that? They didn’t even need to fight. We get to obey and then stand back and watch the Lord’s victory. What an incredible thing. Can you imagine facing that mighty army with song? It’s an easy thing to read, but when you really imagine yourself in front of a mighty enemy, song isn’t the first thing you’d think of doing. In fact, it seems a bit inappropriate. But we must remember that our battles belong to the Lord. When we go before Him with praise and worship and a heart of obedience, when we look to Him for our answers, we free Him to fight our battles. There are times God will let us stand back and watch and there are times that He’ll have us join in the battle in one way or another, but in the end the battle belongs to God. And in the end He wins and so do we – we are more than conquerors.
Lately I’ve been feeling a shift in the heavelies. Something is changing in the spirit world. I’m not sure what this means, whether this shift is just within me or in the city, state, or nation. But one thing is for sure, when you can’t discern the times or seasons, it’s a great time to worship and wait on the Lord. As we rejoice in His presence and wait on Him, He’ll give us revelation. He’ll let us know what to do and then we can obey. In the meantime, it’s imperative that we pray for each other more, give more grace to each other, and stay unified. God is so good to us. Let’s wait and watch and see that the battle belongs to God.
Pastor Darrell
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Genesis 1:27
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Gen 1:27
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Gen. 2:23-24
God gave the family incredible power. In fact, the power of the family as a whole is bigger than the parts of the family are individually. Families shape future generations. How a child is treated can either break and scar them for their life and potentially cause damage for generations or it can bring health and wholeness that also affects future generations. Our families affect the future, we set the course of nations, we reflect the heart of God, and we model for our children who God is and how He will respond to them. Now that is power!
Family is God’s idea. The process of a couple becoming one, leaving their parents, and setting up their own home while still keeping in relationship with God is God’s idea. But then sin entered in and we lost God’s original blueprint for family. God longs for relationship with us. He sent His son to die for us so that our relationship with Him could be restored. And when we are restored to our heavenly Father, we can be restored to right family relationships. With God we learn to serve others, meet the needs of others, and trust in God to do the same for us. When we get selfish and exasperated trying to get someone else to meet our needs and expectations it’s a sign that we are out of order. Please consider with me, Jesus’ life on earth was not lived to fulfill His needs, and desires. He lived to do the will of the Father. If He is our model, then we should also live to do the will of our heavenly Father and set aside our needs, wants, and desires.In relationships we have a lot of expectations. We want the other person to meet our needs. We want the other person to fulfill us. But that just isn’t in God’s blueprint. We need to live our lives meeting needs, serving others, and maintaining our relationship with Him. This is the original blueprint and the way to tap into the power of the family.
Of course this is easier said than done. But by His grace and power we can have God’s order and fullness in our lives, we just live all of our lives for our Lord.
Growing in grace and serving with joy,
Pastor Darrell
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Gen. 2:23-24
God gave the family incredible power. In fact, the power of the family as a whole is bigger than the parts of the family are individually. Families shape future generations. How a child is treated can either break and scar them for their life and potentially cause damage for generations or it can bring health and wholeness that also affects future generations. Our families affect the future, we set the course of nations, we reflect the heart of God, and we model for our children who God is and how He will respond to them. Now that is power!
Family is God’s idea. The process of a couple becoming one, leaving their parents, and setting up their own home while still keeping in relationship with God is God’s idea. But then sin entered in and we lost God’s original blueprint for family. God longs for relationship with us. He sent His son to die for us so that our relationship with Him could be restored. And when we are restored to our heavenly Father, we can be restored to right family relationships. With God we learn to serve others, meet the needs of others, and trust in God to do the same for us. When we get selfish and exasperated trying to get someone else to meet our needs and expectations it’s a sign that we are out of order. Please consider with me, Jesus’ life on earth was not lived to fulfill His needs, and desires. He lived to do the will of the Father. If He is our model, then we should also live to do the will of our heavenly Father and set aside our needs, wants, and desires.In relationships we have a lot of expectations. We want the other person to meet our needs. We want the other person to fulfill us. But that just isn’t in God’s blueprint. We need to live our lives meeting needs, serving others, and maintaining our relationship with Him. This is the original blueprint and the way to tap into the power of the family.
Of course this is easier said than done. But by His grace and power we can have God’s order and fullness in our lives, we just live all of our lives for our Lord.
Growing in grace and serving with joy,
Pastor Darrell
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Ephesians 6:2
“Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, “so you will live well and have a long life.” Ephesians 6:2
My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Proverbs 6:20
Giving honor is something that comes from the heart. The Bible says that out of the heart, the mouth speaks. That means that we can pretend to honor, but our mouth will give away the true attitude of our heart. It can get tricky on days like today when we purpose to honor our moms. Moms come in every shape and size and in every variety of strength and wisdom. Some moms strive to be Godly and some don’t. Some have been broken and bruised and some haven’t. Some have tried to make up for their failings and some have ignored them. But one thing is unavoidable. We are told to honor our fathers and mothers. (Exodus 20:12, Matthew 15:4)
Most moms I know want to do well, be a blessing to their children, and hope that the life their children has will be better than hers has been. Rejoice that God has blessed you with a mom. If your mom was or is so broken that you can’t find anything to be thankful for, then rejoice that she brought you into this world and that you know Jesus. Rejoice that God has placed you in a family that needs Jesus and that you have the privilege of interceding for their souls.
I give tribute to mothers who, though they are not perfect and do make mistakes, lay down their lives, their personal desires and their ambitions, to spend their nights caring for their children, shed their tears in prayer, and give their time to teach and train. What a tremendous gift to us! Without moms we would not learn so well to obey, follow directions, be compassionate or self-controlled. We might not learn to intercede for others, understand consequences, respect others or set our own limits. I am grateful for my mom. I pray that each mother will see God’s smile as He leads and strengthens them to equip the next generation to serve Him with all their hearts.
My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Proverbs 6:20
Giving honor is something that comes from the heart. The Bible says that out of the heart, the mouth speaks. That means that we can pretend to honor, but our mouth will give away the true attitude of our heart. It can get tricky on days like today when we purpose to honor our moms. Moms come in every shape and size and in every variety of strength and wisdom. Some moms strive to be Godly and some don’t. Some have been broken and bruised and some haven’t. Some have tried to make up for their failings and some have ignored them. But one thing is unavoidable. We are told to honor our fathers and mothers. (Exodus 20:12, Matthew 15:4)
Most moms I know want to do well, be a blessing to their children, and hope that the life their children has will be better than hers has been. Rejoice that God has blessed you with a mom. If your mom was or is so broken that you can’t find anything to be thankful for, then rejoice that she brought you into this world and that you know Jesus. Rejoice that God has placed you in a family that needs Jesus and that you have the privilege of interceding for their souls.
I give tribute to mothers who, though they are not perfect and do make mistakes, lay down their lives, their personal desires and their ambitions, to spend their nights caring for their children, shed their tears in prayer, and give their time to teach and train. What a tremendous gift to us! Without moms we would not learn so well to obey, follow directions, be compassionate or self-controlled. We might not learn to intercede for others, understand consequences, respect others or set our own limits. I am grateful for my mom. I pray that each mother will see God’s smile as He leads and strengthens them to equip the next generation to serve Him with all their hearts.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.
Proverbs 10:22
When you look at this verse in Proverbs there seems to be only one way to translate it. God’s blessings make us rich, whether it’s in money, health, family, or in our emotions. The desire of God’s heart is always to bless us. You may wonder, then, why our blessings seem to vanish sometimes or why they somehow turn bad. We need to remember that it’s the devil who kills, steals, and destroys. He’s the enemy of our soul who hates us and all we represent. He is the one who seeks to destroy the beautiful picture we have of God and God’s goodness. What, then, are we to do when God has given us something of blessing and it’s stolen?
I assure you that God is bigger than the devil. Jesus Christ has taken the keys of death and hell and has forever defeated him. We must remember that we are in Christ and stand on His Word. We are at war and there are times we must enter into battle. We may take a few shots, but the truth is that we’re victorious in and through Jesus Christ. If something is stolen, God will restore! If something is destroyed, God will resurrect it. If something is killed, God will bring it back to life. He’s a good God. His plans for us are good and we do have a future and a sure hope in Him. His ways are higher than ours and we know that as the Holy Spirit leads us, we will grow in understanding.
We must anchor our hearts in the truth that God is a good God. When He blesses, He adds no sorrow to the blessing. We must be careful to examine our hearts and remember who we serve because out of our hearts flow the issues of life. When we face sorrow after blessing we must secure our hearts in the Word and decide whether we trust the Word more than we do our own pain. Do we trust God’s promises and rejoice in His goodness? Let’s remember that no matter what our pain, disappointment, or sorrow is, God’s plans for us are good and not evil. God’s plans are to give us a future and a hope. His desire is to bless us and not add pain or sorrow to us. God is our redeemer and restorer. He fulfills dreams and has secured our eternal destination. We are His and nothing will separate us from His love.
With confidence and joy anchored in His Word,
Pastor Darrell
Proverbs 10:22
When you look at this verse in Proverbs there seems to be only one way to translate it. God’s blessings make us rich, whether it’s in money, health, family, or in our emotions. The desire of God’s heart is always to bless us. You may wonder, then, why our blessings seem to vanish sometimes or why they somehow turn bad. We need to remember that it’s the devil who kills, steals, and destroys. He’s the enemy of our soul who hates us and all we represent. He is the one who seeks to destroy the beautiful picture we have of God and God’s goodness. What, then, are we to do when God has given us something of blessing and it’s stolen?
I assure you that God is bigger than the devil. Jesus Christ has taken the keys of death and hell and has forever defeated him. We must remember that we are in Christ and stand on His Word. We are at war and there are times we must enter into battle. We may take a few shots, but the truth is that we’re victorious in and through Jesus Christ. If something is stolen, God will restore! If something is destroyed, God will resurrect it. If something is killed, God will bring it back to life. He’s a good God. His plans for us are good and we do have a future and a sure hope in Him. His ways are higher than ours and we know that as the Holy Spirit leads us, we will grow in understanding.
We must anchor our hearts in the truth that God is a good God. When He blesses, He adds no sorrow to the blessing. We must be careful to examine our hearts and remember who we serve because out of our hearts flow the issues of life. When we face sorrow after blessing we must secure our hearts in the Word and decide whether we trust the Word more than we do our own pain. Do we trust God’s promises and rejoice in His goodness? Let’s remember that no matter what our pain, disappointment, or sorrow is, God’s plans for us are good and not evil. God’s plans are to give us a future and a hope. His desire is to bless us and not add pain or sorrow to us. God is our redeemer and restorer. He fulfills dreams and has secured our eternal destination. We are His and nothing will separate us from His love.
With confidence and joy anchored in His Word,
Pastor Darrell
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