Why So Surprised? HE IS GOD!

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

Psalm 89:1

When I left home yesterday morning, I have to admit to being a bit blue. The previous couple of days (more than that if I'm being honest) had been particularly "heavy". There was no major event to explain why that was the case but it was more about the season I have been in weighing on my shoulders and simply trying to maintain my faith. Like so many other days before, I had had a bit of a melt down the previous day about my transportation situation--crying out to God that I was still waiting for the promise of a car that He had given me and that my fortitude in the wait was wearing thin. And so as I began my trek that morning to the bus stop, a small speck of white on the sidewalk caught my eye.

As I looked down, there was a small bead with the letter A inscribed on it. This random little speck made me stop, back track and take a picture. There was something about it that made me feel like God was whispering directly to me that morning that I was on His mind and that He hadn't forgotten me. Feeling the way I had recently, I could use every piece of encouragement I could get from God so I snapped the picture and kept on moving--this time with a little less weightiness dragging me down. As I made my way up the road, I was still a bit down but just that much more encouraged that God hadn't forgotten me. I took one bus then stood waiting on my connecting bus feeling worn out and the day had not even really begun.

The ringing of my phone would next change the trajectory of the entire day as a friend called to tell me that she and her husband wanted to bless me with their "old" (yet new to me) mini-SUV! I thought I was hearing things. Tears began to overwhelm me as she explained how I had been on her heart to do this for me the last three months and basically how God made a way for it to be possible. Her husband had blessed her with a new, bigger truck for Mother's Day and was in agreement that they should give the old one to me instead of using it as a downpayment on the new one. My prayers had availed and God's promise had been manifested just that quickly. When I shared the news with one of my friends last night, she almost made me feel stupid saying 'duh...you SAID He was gonna do it!' and I told her that my awe was not in the belief but because I was overwhelmed by His faithfulness.

As I awoke this morning, God reminded me of the scripture in II Kings 4 where the prophet told the Shunamite woman after her being barren for so long that "this time next year" she would hold a son. True to that prophetic word, by the time he returned the next year, she had had her son. Last year the weekend of Mother's Day, my old car died and God told me to get rid of it. He also told me that he would replace it (though I did not know when). So this time last year, God was telling me to trust Him and this time this year He is reminding me that that trust is never misplaced. As "crazy" as prophesy sounds at times, He was very specific in putting a small SUV in my heart and said that something I did in ministry would be result in someone blessing me. When my friend gave me the news yesterday, she expressed those same thoughts.

When we move in obedience and do what He tells us, He remains faithful to take care of us. Period. Though our obedience should never be about earthly rewards, we have to keep in mind that God uses us in life plants seeds and unlock our own blessings. And it's not about what we are going to "get" as much as it about the potential for lives to be impacted for God's glory. In the end, I'm going to nickname this car "Faith" as a constant reminder to me of how God is faithful. The car is a "little" thing in God's sight. The promises He has given me are much bigger than my transportation, but God in his infinite grace and mercy saw fit to throw me a bone and lift some weights yesterday and simply remind me that He is God. I couldn't leave my house this morning without "singing of the LORD's great love" (as it says in the Psalm above) and encouraging you in this season. We can believe Him. There's no need to be surprised when He makes good on His promises both big and small.

Be encouraged that you are on God's mind and He has not forgotten you.

Blessings,
Pastor A

P.S. Some of you remember that I even wrote about my car before. You can see that entry at http://lhmdevotional.blogspot.com/2012/06/when-is-enough-enough.html.

New Way Home

There is a recurring lesson that has been coming at me recently-FLEXIBILITY. It's one that was driven home to me on a ride home one evening. After meeting a friend for dinner, I decided to take a different route home. I turned down a ride to the nearest subway station just out of a desire to learn something new. I didn't know the schedule of that particular bus but stood at the stop "on faith" that something would soon come along to pick me up. And, I was pleased at my choice as I gazed out of the windows to see the sun going down. It was a peaceful ride home filled with this weird sense of wonder. This new route was a winner, and the Lord began to remind me about the necessity for flexibility and courage in this season of life. So many of us are in spaces where God is pushing us to be a little bit more adventurous in this walk towards Him (i.e. "home"). We've been doing the same things and expecting different results (a.k.a. insanity) and God looking for more flexibility. You may feel like you can't bend any further, that you've been as flexible as you can possibly be. It's at that point that God pushes us to take one more step, stand at the new stop, and wait for him to take us away on a new journey. Be encouraged that when you stand "on faith", HE will be that very thing that very thing that you are seeking...that peaceful ride full of wonder awaits us on the other side of courage and faithfulness. Today, make a decision to take a new way home.

"I will bring the blind by a way they did not know..." Isaiah 42:16a

Anxious to Hear

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Have you ever been anxiously awaiting someone's call? Perhaps it was a fine man or woman you thought might be "the one", the job you knew would take you to that next level of success, the doctor with test results in your favor, or any number of opportunities that awaited you on the other end of the line. We've all been there eyeing the phone like a watched pot that never seems to boil. And you think if you state hard enough, you can will it to sound. Or sometimes it is the other way around, and you are on the sending side--nervous about making a call out. The anticipation of the call is connected to your hope for the answer.

Similarly, there are times when we hesitate to pray, allowing time to get away from us or sleep to overtake us or "busy"ness to get in the way of making that outgoing call to God. Maybe He won't pick up? Perhaps He won't answer? Worse yet, perhaps He WILL? We remain silenced by our anticipation and fears.

But the thing to remember about God is that He is always on the other side of that line, anxiously awaiting your call. He WANTS to hear from you. He wants to be a part of your process and not simply an afterthought or consultant. He wants to give you PEACE and REST through your prayers. The scripture promises"peace that surpasses understanding" and compels us to "Come to (the Lord) all who labor and are heavy laden, and (he) will give you rest." (Mattew 11:28) You have been laboring and feeling the weight of the world (disguised as your life) on your shoulders. God is standing by in "ready mode" to tap in and take over that weighty feeling if you let Him. Unlike us awaiting the mate or job or tests, He doesn't NEED our call. But it is so much sweeter that He WANTS it.

Today, be encouraged to surrender your anxieties and fears and call Him up.

Blessings,
Pastor A

P.S. Today is the National Day of Prayer. Forward this blog to those who YOU are praying for and encourage them in the Lord.

Move Without Delay

There's a snippet of scripture in the book of Judges that always catches my eye. It's somewhat obscure in that I don't think that I've ever heard it preached, but it is interesting to say the least. The book as a whole is filled with story after story of the children of Israel's struggle between obedience and disobedience/doing evil. True to form, they were evil in God's sight then they repented, cried out to God, He heard their cry and raised up a deliverer (Ehud) from among them. Interestingly, Ehud killed the king behind closed doors and managed to slip out without being noticed. In fact, some time that had gone by before anyone even noticed that the king was dead. And, as a result, Ehud got away:

"But Ehud had escaped while they delayed..." (Judges 3:26)

It's a small portion of scripture but so poignant to me and has me asking: How many times have we missed things in life because we delayed? How many times did we allow something precious of ours (as the king was to his peop
le) to die because we were not vigilant? This week, God will be giving you direction in small ways. His voice may not be clear but this is where your faith has to fill in the gaps of confidence and clarity and MOVE WITHOUT DELAY. This week, make a choice to not allow opportunities to pass you by simply because you failed to act with vigilance with the things God has blessed you with. Walk with confidence and assurance instead of fear and defeat.Be encouraged to move in boldness--not allowing the enemy any room to steal, kill or destroy that which God has ordained for your life.

Blessings
@PastorAYD

No Explanation Necessary

He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. ~ Psalm 1:1-3

There are times in all that we do when we feel that pressure to answer for our actions. Why did you do that? Where did that decision come from? What were you thinking? The questions about life's choices plague our ears from without and our minds from within. And the problem is that we don't often know what to say to ourselves or anyone else (for that matter) especially when the answer is based in God. The pressure to clearly articulate and explain our faith walk in a way that makes sense to those around us can be overwhelming.

As Christians there are times when the opportunity to attribute choices to God comes and goes with our silence. It's easier to not answer than to say "God said" and deahl with the skepticism and doubt that we at times may face. We think no one will fully understand the decision to be fully guided by the Holy Spirit. But this week's point of prayer is a simple reminder that you don't owe anyone an explanation for the things God is doing. You only owe God the glory. At the end of the day, your victory will tell it's own story...your testimony will shout of your faith and God's goodness from the rooftop. In the mean time, you don't have to explain yourself for doing what God said.

This week, choose to walk in the confidence of God. Let the Spirit guide you with freedom--standing like that tree planted with leaves that don't wither and whose fruit will be the ultimate explanation for Who God is in your life and all that He is capable of doing.

Be encouraged,
MinD

The Task To Believe

"And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed and therefore I spoke,' we also believe and therefore speak"

II Corinthians 4:13

Over the last couple of months there have been so many changes in my life. Most of those changes have mandated how I view my life. I've had to reconfigure the lens through which I see what God is (or is not) doing and find ways to be okay with that. And, if I'm honest, in the midst there is a part of me that has been losing ground--my ability to believe. Now, I'm sure that it's sacrilege for an ordained minister of the Gospel to make such an admission. God often compels me to preach and teach around the very topic of belief. It is certainly not lost on me that the power to believe in what God says and in what the tenants of the Christian faith suggest are cornerstones to being victorious in this journey. However, when we put that faith into action, there are times when the monstrosity of our problems and circumstances seems to dwarf the fortitude of our faith--casting a shadow over life that begins to dim our ability to see God clearly.

In this equation, God hasn't changed and never will. However, I came to the realization that I was having a difficult time truly believing that God wanted to do the things He has said for, with and through me. I have no trouble believing in the ability of God to take care of me and my situation. His omnipotence and sovereignty are never in question. However, I find myself constantly thinking of the three Hebrew boys and the fiery furnace--before being sentenced to the fiery furnace, they told the king that they trusted God to be able to bring them out and knew that the only way that they wouldn't make it out was if he didn't want them to. (Daniel 3:8-25) With them in mind, I've often put a caveat on what God has said for me that resembles that very idea but with a flaw. I realized that in providing God that "out" verbally, I have also been giving my belief an "out" as well. In my human desire to guard my heart and avoid disappointment, I had unwittingly put a chink in the very thing that undergirds my faith--that basic ability to believe God. Forgetting who I am in Christ (heir to the throne and one of His chosen people), I had begin to think that maybe God simply doesn't want to bless me in this area or that. I know He can, but when I don't see it happening, it is easier for me to believe that He's changed his mind about me or changed his mind about doing certain things for me (marriage, ministry, direction, etc.). Without much effort, the enemy had begun to slowly erode away at my confidence in being able to hear God clearly by shining a tiny light on the corner of doubt in my mind--resulting in making the task to believe a greater one. And it took two people (prophets of God) on different occasions to reiterate the things that God has said in the past to make me realize just how much of a foothold I had given doubt over my faith.

So this week, it was important to me to send you a reminder to knock doubt off it's pedastal in your heart. Turn off that small light on the corner of doubt and focus on the ability for FAITH to shine brightly if you allow it. I've come to remind you that whatever the Lord said to you before--before the madness of life and the whispers of the enemy began to take root--you need to believe. Whatever God said you need to speak. Don't give faith an "out". Not only is He ABLE to do what He said, He is WILLING and WAITING to accomplish every thing that He set out to do in your life. And your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to encourage yourself and solidify the strength of your belief by speaking that thing each and every day until it comes to pass.

Be encouraged and encourage someone else.

Blessings,
MinD

Get Your Mind Right (Day 7 - Freedom Week)

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 

1 Corinthians 15:10

There are days in this faith walk where confidence begins to wane--confidence in ourselves, confidence in God's plan, confidence in God himself... It's easy to allow discouragement to set in and determine the trajectory of your hopes. So that makes the words of Paul that much more poignant. He writes in I Corinthians 15 that "by the grace of God I am what I am". Here is a man who spent the greater part of his ministry imprisoned and unrecognized by other religious folks. And yet his resolve was that of a confident and fearless man. The Bible says that you are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and that God's work in you was/is "marvelous" (Psalm 139:14). Simplified, that can  mean that our physical being was made marvelous. However, that does not begin to truly scratch the surface of the wonder that God breathed into you. He made you for a purpose. When you decide to rest in that knowledge and settle your mind on the fact that you are what you are--that God's plan for you did not change because money didn't appear the way you wanted or grades did not measure up to the level you studied or relationships couldn't stay on track despite your best efforts--then you give God the freedom to rule in you; and you can move knowing that all He has imparted into you is not in vain.

The world stresses self-confidence, but the confidence Paul speaks of stretches our understanding of self and explodes across supernatural lines of reality. This confidence is in who the Lord made you to be. It's a confidence in the omniscience and omnipotence of God. People about to play in a game, fight a battle or simply conquer a difficult task will say the phrase "Get your mind right" and that is all that is coming to mind to pass along your way. Remember Who God is. Remember the power of His grace. Stop settling for your pity party, shift out of depression and GET YOUR MIND RIGHT! It's time to move and the grace of God has made it possible for you to accomplish great and mighty things in His name TODAY. So be encouraged today to pick up your bottom lip and be about the business of the Lord.

Blessings,
MinD