When It Gets Real For You

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)

If you understand struggle, you understand that it can get real tough to take it.  It can get tough to keep going.  It can feel like you just cannot make it.

You may not see a way to make it through.

Reflect on what God has to offer you during your struggle.

. . . for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me

He is Present with You
. . . for thou art with me; 
God will not  forsake you during hard times or while you are down.
He is present.
He is attentive.
He is aware.
He is active.

He has Protection for You
. . . thy rod and thy staff they comfort me
His rod and staff can help to clear the way as well as ward off attackers.
His rod and staff can nudge us along the way to greener pastures beyond the valley of the shadow of death and they can be used to rescue us from being caught in the bushes or going astray from the flock.

He has something to offer us.  Do not let what you are undergoing lead to your undoing.

He can help you make it through, even when it gets real for you.

Why Your Manna is in a Mess

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
-Exodus 16:13-21 (ESV)

The bread from heaven that God provides represents our daily supply from God.  God promises to provide enough for us for the present day.  In this episode of scriptural accounts, God commanded through Moses “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” However, the people disregarded the commandment regarding the manna and the manna became a mess.

The manna was a mess because it:

• Spoiled: worms began to breed in the bread
• Stank: the leftovers began to have a stench that emerged
• Stained: the leftover manna left a stain among the people due to their greed

Sadly, the satin that the leftover manna left was a spiritual stain on the people of God.  Their failure to heed the man of God and the word that he carried from God led to their own detriment.

"The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed."

- Mahatma Gandhi 

From Eden to Egypt Day 26

Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. No one thought that I would be able to have Abraham’s child, but even though Abraham is old I have given him a son.”

- Genesis 21:5-7 (NIV)

God can do wonders beyond our finite imagination.  He can things beyond the limits of the time frames and deadlines that we set up and uphold.  Yes, the Creator is in ultimate control and reveals His omnipotent power to us at various times.

God demonstrated His power by giving Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age.  At one hundred years old, Abraham was blessed with a son.  God can use us, even when we no longer think that we have any use left in us.  he can bless us at a time when we feel that there is no hope left.

Trust God today.  He is able.  His ability rests in who He is- I AM.  It does not depend on what we think He is or imagine He is.  It rests simply in who He actually is as God Almighty.  Trust Him today.

From Eden to Egypt Day 25

1Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. -Genesis 20:1-2 (NIV)



Have you ever repeated a mistake? You have gone through it at least once before, but you repeat it anyhow.  Rather than rely upon God, you start relying upon instinct and intuition.  yet, you find yourself back in the same situation that you once experienced and should have learned from some time ago.

Abraham did just that.  He had done similarly as to when he entered into Egypt.  He  told his wife to tell those they encountered that she was his sister (Gen. 12:13; Gen. 20:2).  He was different in Genesis 12.  He was still Abram then, but now he had a new name.  He was uncertain of what God wanted to do with him, but now he had been assured by God.  He was unsure of this land that God would show him, but now he had already seen the land of promise. 

What gives?

We really don't know.  If we knew, we most probably wouldn't repeat mistakes like that ourselves.  If it was so easy, we could condemn Abraham.  However, it is not so easy and we surely don't have an easy answer that we can just slip in and suggest as a rationale for repeating mistakes.

What we can do is simply try our best to avoid making repeated mistakes.  Is there a lesson that we should learn in it? Learn in it and grow from there.  Cut down the number of repeat mistakes by seeking the counsel of God.  Pray before you make a major move.  Ask of God before making transitions and shifts in your plan.  Listen to God's Spirit.  Hear what the Lord has to say to you, then make a move.  Possibly, if you are attentive and act accordingly, you will see yourself making fewer and fewer repeated mistakes.

Christmas Crime

After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.

-Judges 2:10 (NLT)

This holiday season has disturbed me a bit.  No, it's not because me artificial tree looks like it needs a stimulus package or recovery funds.  I can deal with that.  It's not even because we have Christmas on a tight budget this year (and every year).  It certainly isn't due to the fact that my Christmas savings account was empty before I had purchased a single gift for anyone.  None of that is a big deal to me.

These holiday criminals have me puzzled.  They prey upon households that tend to be the people who really don't deserve to be robbed blind if there ever such a list existed.  For instance, a woman from our church and a family friend spent much of early December helping prepare for our church's Angel Tree celebration for the children of the incarcerated through Prison Fellowship.  Yet, her house was robbed and ransacked just days before Christmas.  My neighbor who never fails to speak or wave and who always seems to be ready to offer a cheery smile was robbed the day before Christmas as I grumbled about losing a gift card for one of my family members.  Here I was complaining about the $30 card I had lost, but this man and his family were wiped out in an instant.

It is some sad commentary on us when we think that we are immune to Christmas crime.  Look at the world today.  Crime may be on an upswing due to hard times and other factors.  It's unreal out here with the economy and the job market.  However, if we do not see the reality that is before our eyes, we may end up wondering the worst and missing our own miracles.

Imagine the worst and expect the worst.  It comes out like that.  It is like Murphy's Law or a self-fulfilling prophecy.  We tend to live up to the expectations of others and we live out our own expectations of ourselves. Don't let bad things run around in your mind to the point that you embrace cynicism and negativity as part of your outlook on daily living, even the holidays.  Embrace the miracle of what you have been given today and in this moment.  The miracle is that God allowed you to see or hear about it.  Do something about it.  Do something special for the people who had to deal with it.  Take full advantage of today.  Make the most of every God-given opportunity today.

What kept it from being your house? Grace.  Why wasn't it you? Goodness (His, not mine).  Who could have prevented it from happening to them? No one but God.  Then, after all of that line of questioning, you still have to ask: Why did He allow it to happen to them?

I suspect it was done so the Lord could  use you somehow in some special way for someone else.

From Eden to Egypt- Day 23

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”- Genesis 17:15-17(NKJV)

You have keep this in context.  God said what He would do through Abraham and Sarah in their old age, and then. .  . Okay, okay.  Let me say it another way.  God shared how He would bless the man and his wife with a child, even though they both were beyond the years of conception and . . . Maybe I just should say it a different way.  God informed Abraham that He would use Hs supernatural abilities to rid Sarah of her barren reproach, giving Abraham an heir of his own seed, his own blood, his own lineage.  Yeah, that's right about the place that the old man fell on his face.  In worship?  He was in laughter, creating images in our minds of him most probably nearing tears with an ache in his side to go with it.

Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old?

And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?

That's not the most reverent response to God known to man from the sound of it.  Abraham seems to take it a notch above a snicker with outright laughter if we take this at the surface.  Yet, let us not jump on Abraham so fast.  Genesis 18 complicates the matter even further when the Lord appears as three men approaching Abraham one day. 

Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”- Genesis 18:9-12 (NKJV)

Just like her husband, Sarah laughed at the idea.  She, too, saw it as an impossibility for her and her husband to rear children at their advanced years of age.  No matter if it is the Almighty God Himself or these three men entertained by Abraham, the idea presented to both husband and wife seems comical and causes both to laugh.

Was it really a laugh? Was it truly laughter? Were they both the same type of laughter?

The same root word is used in our English translation for "laughter" and "laughed," making any distinction or differentiation between the two difficult.  You would think that both were similar if not the same.  Yet, Henry Morris points out in The Genesis Record that Abraham's laughter was "with joy and surprise... not a laugh of doubt." It is different from Sarah's laughter that warrants the rebuke of the Lord in Genesis 18:13.  Morris calls Sarah's laughter "cynical."  Dr. Morris surmises that "her faith needed to be strengthened."

Unlike the interaction with Abraham alone, the theophany in Genesis 18 leads to the Lord questioning Sarah's laughter.  Despite Sarah's denial, the Lord breaks through all of the mess and addresses the child of promise issue again, repeating the promise before both Abraham and Sarah.  Ultimately, He poses the deepest question that could be asked of any believer- whether they need their faith strengthened or not: Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Going Astray

All we like sheep have gone astray... - Isaiah 53:6 (ESV)

It is true.  We have strayed.  We have wandered away from the Good Shepherd.  Our own thinking has led us to a desolate and forsaken place, leaving us helpless and in harm's way.

The key question is not why.  We know how we can be as mere human beings.  We understand our own inklings and behavior can get us into trouble.  Yet, we must why we go astray.  Why do we leave the protection of God provided by the Him for His flock? We must ask why and not dwell on the answer but develop a reminder for ourselves of how badly we need a shepherd to help lead us to green pastures and beside still waters.

As the sheep of His pasture, we wander and whine.  We do so as individuals (Psalm 119:176).  We do so as a collective body as Isaiah said in Isaiah 53:6. Since we know this, let us stay under the care of the Good Shepherd.  Let us never leave His protective and provisional care.  We may wander, but we have a loving and kind Shepherd who will seek us and save us, welcoming us back into the fold and accepting us with great joy.

Answers and Assurance

"The chief purpose of prayer is that God be glorified in the answer."
- R.A. Torrey

Assurance comes in God's answers. We ask of the Lord and in the Lord's name. The expectation is that we have faith in Him for the answers. We may be on edge or at our wit's end. No matter what your situation may be, you need to see the Lord as the solution or at least the source of the solution. Otherwise, you may be apt to become tempted by sorcery and divination in the likes of zodiac signs and horoscopes.

Faith is not about fate. Grace isn't a gamble. The Almighty has all of the answers.

God gives us answers through numerous ways. He offers us a solution to our situation. He divinely sets us apart from others by how He supplies us what we need, even when He offers us something that confirms what we've read in His Word. He is full of answers. After all, He created everything as the Creator.

Having trouble seeing where He is leading you? Not sure of His reasoning or rationale?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding - Proverbs 3:5

A Miktam from a Manhunt

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.

What can mortal man do to me?- Psalm 56:4 (NIV)

David offers an inspiring claim in the midst of misery. David was under attack. Yet, his poetic praise states: I will not be afraid. The man was on the run and on the edge, but he stood firm in faith and faced his enemies as he trusted God and His Word.

David expressed that his enemies were after him "all day long" (Ps. 56:1-2, 5). Such a man spoke out about seeking God, even when he became afraid as others sought to slander and slay him daily. David was a hunted and wanted man, even in Gath. He pretended to be mad in 1 Samuel 21:10-15 in order to preserve himself. Look at Psalm 34 to gain more insight into how David was still able to hold on to his faith despite the forces working against him and causing him to flee for his life.

The manhunt of the mad man known as David didn't cause David to lose his faith. Look closely at the things that push us to the edge and drive us nearly out of our minds. Think clearly about how you handle such matters and situations. Do you trust God in the midst of all of the mess? Do you maintain your faith when your world seems to get weird and go wild? Consider what the world wants you to do and realize that you do not have to react and respond like the world may want you to act. The Lord desires you to trust Him, even if you have to learn while running.

If the world makes you want to run away, be sure to run into the open and loving arms of the Lord our God.

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.- Psalm 56:3 (NIV)

Encouraged in the Lord

... but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.- 1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV)

Leadership is lonely business. David knew that firsthand. He had personal knowledge of what toll leadership could take on a man. There was an issue at hand, and the situation caused a stir among the camp, leaving David as the King James Version states distressed. David sought the Lord.

You may find yourself in a similar leadership position. The people are up in arms about something. They are doing anything but singing your praises. You wish you could cut your losses and leave them all behind, but that would not demonstrate genuine leadership. You, much like David, will need to encourage yourself in the Lord your God.

You will need to do something. You will need to do something on your own as a leader.

You are going to need to:

• Know the Lord: David had a personal relationship with the Lord. He had personal experience with the Lord from his days as a shepherd and when he slayed the giant Goliath. You will need to reference your personal experiences with God.
• Go to the Lord: David sought the Lord. He went to the Lord with his troubles and distress. He gave his burdens over to the Lord. If you know God, then you can go to God. You can carry your troubles to Him.
• Let the Lord Lead You: David relied upon the Lord as his Shepherd. He trusted the Lord. He dealt with his troubles by accepting the Lord's answers with assurance. He was able to face his fears with the Lord leading the way. You have to let God lead you. Failing to do so is failing to have faith. Have enough faith to trust Him.
• Leave it All in the Lord's Hands: David took his worries to the Lord and let the Lord lead him, but he left the rest in the Lord's hands. He didn't try to play God. He just went with what God told him and left it at that. Playing God is God's role, not yours. Let God be God and you be submissive to God.

Problematic Prophets of Promise

The Apostle Paul was quite clear when stated for the Philippians to beware of dogs and the false circumcision (Phil.3:2). I often wonder why so many people are quick to jump at judging others. We find ourselves calling out someone who appears to be off with their theolgy with every derrogatory statement imaginable. Almost daily, we see the tv-loominng evangelists and the radiowave-riding revivalists setting new lows in destructive behavior with little biblical backing. We find ourselves stuck between the Religious Right and the Moral Majority.

Somewhere along the way, we became misguided by some losers of leaders and some careless CEOs. It's almost like America needs a Bible Belt bailout or a state-by-state spiritual stimulus. We need to rid ourselves of the fakes that have faked us out for so long and taken advantage of our innocence. We will no longer allow them to speak for us and before us as if God has ordained them with a calling to call all of the people together. As per our request, they will cease claiming their prophetic prosperity and no longer lead us astray like false prophets.

Doubting, Not Defeated

I can only imagine how much doubt was going around the camp when Joshua said for the children of Israeal to consecrate themselves and prepare for what God would do the next day. I still feel a little of that same doubt drizzle upon me as I think about it. Think about how it must have sounded when Joshua present the Jericho wall strategy. Silence must have left many feeling like Joshua had lost his grip and was headed down a similar path to poor ol' Moses. Surely, I can imagine, people doubted. Did they doubt and submit to defeat? I truly doubt that much. Some will add more commentary on how Joshua followed in Moses' footsteps and all of that, butI merely say that he faced a new generation that had no ties to Egypt, only to the promises of God. So, in thatcase, why doubt? Why? It's simple. We doubt because we have not seen it come to life yet. It has not manifested before our eyes. Yet, even when we doubt, we must remain undefeated. Let us run our race with endurance, withstanding stride by stride until we reach the end of the journey. Paul shared that we are pressed on every side, but he was also sure to inform us that we had not been defeated.

If I Had it to do Over Again

I reflected the other day on the eve of another birthday and thought about how much could be or even should be different in my life. There are wrong turns that I wish could have been u-turns. Choices have been made that I often regret. Things have been done and said that I wish that I could take back.
I guess if I had it to over again, I would do things with more faith. I would approach life's many challenges with a renewed spirit, renewed by His Spirit, and tackle things both big and small with more faith. I really mean to say by faith that I would trust the Lord more wholeheartedly, giving Him my all. That's what I would do. I would do things with more faith.
In reality, I realize that God has brought me this way for a reason. Every season. circumstance and challenge has come about for a reason. Every slight change and drastic overhaul has been for a reason. I am supposed to grow. So, as I reflect, I grasp hold of what He has given for me to do, and I approach it with another chance, a new opportunity, to simply have more faith.

Faith at Work (in Your Life)

Faith vs. Fear

Faith says let's go,

While fear says we must say no.

Faith will allow us to see the possibilities.

Fear will keep us petrified.

Faith will see us through to the end.

Fear will never let us get started at all.

So, let us go forward towards our future in faith.

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Hebrews 11:1 speaks of what faith is in a metaphorical sense; substance and evidence. However, Hebrews 11:6 settles the entire matter about the power of faith. It says that faith is the necessary ingredient that we need in order to please God. As you live day by day, focus on holding on to your faith more and more.

Open Your Heart to Prayer

We Can Pray

We may not agree on the issues

But we should at least agree to pray.

Even if we cannot come up with solutions,

We can pray over the problem.

We may not walk in agreement

But we can stand in prayer.

Our friends and relations may never be the same

But we can continue to pray for each other.

Without a doubt

The least that we can do

Measures up with the most that we can do

And that is to simply pray.

Rev. Bruce T. Jackson

revbruce@ministriesinaction.com

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Recently, we've seen Democrats and Republicans switch sides and stances on issues and other concerns. Even President Obama seems fit to change again. What we have to learn is to stand strong in spite of what else is going on in the world. Jesus shared that we, like Him, are not of this world. We must have a transformation that comes about by the renewing of our minds, not conformity to this world (Romans 12:1). This world system is not designed to value the things of value within the kingdom of heaven. In fact, it purposely seeks to devalue what God values and win your heart towards worldly pursuits. Put first things first in your life and seek the Lord in all that you do (Matthew 6:33).

Today's Agenda

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.- Proverbs 27:1 (KJV)

Such warnings are considered wisdom in the Bible. Proverbs warns against boasting about tomorrow, while James said we should speak about such things as tomorrow with the caveat "if the Lord will." (James 4:14). Even Jesus shared that tomorrow is no issue if we focus on today's issues that are at hand. We can schedule in advance on our Blackberry or project and predict the outcomes in the marketplace and our company campaigns. However, the Bible is clear. We should have hope and faith for tomorrow, but we need to also commit ourselves to the work at hand that exists today. It is how we handle today that will make a difference in what we make of tomorrow. Pray that God grants us another day beyond today.

Faith Cannot Fail

FAITH CANNOT FAIL

Heb. 11:1

Faith cannot fail. Let me correct that. Faith in God cannot fail. You see, we can put our faith in the wrong thing or even the wrong folks and end up sorely disappointed and dejected. We can find ourselves looking for answers from those who cannot produce answers and seeking solutions from those who are more focused on the problem than the solutions, only to find ourselves still stuck without any support.

Our faith should be in God. God never fails. The psalmist tells us that we should not put our trust in man since he cannot do anything to help us. Our faith should be placed in the all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful God, the Almighty.

Having faith does not mean that we will get everything that we want or even everything that we expect. Having faith in God means that we have put our full trust and reliance in and upon Him. God is able. The issue is whether He is willing or not. God will not do what is outside of His will or His character. We cannot expect anything different from Him.

Beware of what you put your faith in these days. The stock market has proven as much. Real estate and home prices have shown us as much. The job market is continuously telling us the same thing, too. Watch where you put your trust! Marriages failing into divorce. Children disrespecting their elders. Grandchildren abusing their grandparents. Pastors and spiritual leaders caught up in scandal. God will never fail.

Beyond the Barriers

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him.
-Nahum 1:7 (NIV)

Consider the challenges before President Obama and his cabinet. From untangling a monetary mess of an economy to restructuring and rewriting some key policies for labor, stem cell research, and other hot-button issues, these national leaders face countless challenges with bipartisanship and those who are bummed-out over bailouts. In comparison, look at today's spiritual leaders such as T.D. Jakes, Charles Swindoll, and Billy Graham. Imagine what they have to face as they seek to shepherd the flock of God. Take into consideration what weighs heavy upon them as they seek to serve the Lord with gladness.

The prophet Nahum spoke out against the wicked and cruel nation of Assyria. The name Nahum means "comfort," and it is certainly comforting to read this description of God in times of trouble. Imagine Him as a refuge, a place where you can feel protected and guarded from danger and harm. Not only is He good, but He extends His care to those who trust in Him. Peter was saying something similar when he wrote: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). We are blessed to be in the care of one such as God Himself. Trust Him with your worries. Trust Him with your burdens. Trust in times like these like you've never trusted Him before. He's worthy!

For Your Information:
Recently, I started trying to get back into shape. Yes, I mean physical shape but I was also intrigued on staying balanced spiritually. What do I mean? Oftentimes, we can become out of balance as Christians, even with our intake of the Word. We can get wrapped up in reading Psalms so much that we rarely visit the pages of the Pauline epsitles. Our attention can be on the Gospels without giving any attention to minor prophets. a friend of mine in the ministry made the suggestion of taking on a Bible reading plan such as the One Year Bible to keep such a balance. If we are what we eat, then we must be mindful of maintaining a balanced diet, even with the Word.

Waiting on the Lord

Wait on the Lord. . .- Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

Imagine what it is for those who do not know God. These are those who have nowhere to place their hope. They cannot say that they have placed their patient hope in the true and living God. Such claims are reserved for the righteous, those who have embraced the salvation of the Lord.

As a believer, I believe in Him as God the Almighty. However, my belief must transcend into faith that trusts God to be God. It is through such faith that I am able to wait patiently on the Lord without imposing my deadlines on Him. Waiting on the Lord is the ability to wait and watch life go by while I wait without losing faith for what it is that I desire.

Have you had to wait on Him lately? Trust Him. He can do it.