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In the beginning: The A, B, C’s

It is always best to start at the beginning, with the very basic of concepts. So with the first post start with the A, B, C’s:

  1. Accept that you are a sinner and living solely in the world. Sin separates you from God and keeps you from attaining everlasting life with Him in Heaven (Rom 3:10, Rom 3:23, Gal 5:19-21, Rom 6:23)
  2. Believe in Jesus Christ as your one and only Savior from the sins of this world(John 3:16-17, 2Cor 5:21)
  3. Confess your sins to Him and ask for forgiveness, allowing Him into your heart through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will begin to guide and direct you as you grow from a “newborn” to adult in Christ. Studying the Word, praying and accepting mentorship from an “adult” believer will grow your relationship with Him. .(Rom 10:10, Rom 10:13, Acts 17:30-31).
  4. Discipleship is key to growth into an adult believer. We are called to lead others to Christ and disciple them in them walk with Christ, ( 1Peter 3:15, Matt 10:32-33, 2Tim 2:1-4)
  5. Evangelize in your family, your neighborhood, your community and beyond (Mrk 16:15, Matt 28:19-20, 2Tim 2:15)

Simplistic….maybe, but take the time to look up the referenced verses, digest them, understand them. These few verse will allow you to make a huge leap in walk with Christ. If you have not yet accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, spend some time in the verses in “C”. I would love to answer any questions concerning these. Feel free to comment and ask questions.

Full armor of Battle-Bible Study

Armour of God

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

2Ti 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 

Paul writes this to encourage Timothy while sitting in a jail cell in Rome. Paul states that God’s Holy Spirit provides power, love, and sound judgement. Vs 7 He also directs Timothy to not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and invites him to join in the suffering for the Gospel, something one can do only through the power of Christ. Vs 8. God has saved us by Grace according to His Will vs 9

We attain salvation through Grace, We have the Word to guide, We have the Truth to grow our Faith, We are righteous in God’s eye through Jesus Christ, and we should be prepared with the Gospel, willing to stand and suffer for the cause of Christ.

We may forget at times, but one thing is true – this world is a battlefield. Day by day, hour by hour, we face a spiritual war and an enemy who’s real. He wants nothing more than to bring defeat, for his main aim is to steal, kill, and destroy.

God has a plan for our lives. The enemy has a plan for us too. We must decide which voice we’re going to listen to, and who we’re going to choose to follow each day. And chances are, if we don’t make a determined choice to follow God, we may eventually fall into the evil one’s trap.

Eph 6:12  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. 

We have Salvation through Grace, We have the Word, We have the Truth, and our Faith, We are righteous in God’s eyes, and we are prepared with the Gospel, Now lets prepare for battle:

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Please Pray with me:

Dear God, today we put on your full armor to guard our lives against attack.

We put on the belt of truth to protect against lies and deception.

We put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect our hearts from the temptations we battle.

We put the gospel of peace on our feet, so we’re ready to take your light wherever you send us this day.

We choose to walk in the peace and freedom of your Spirit and not be overcome with fear and anxious thoughts.

We take up your shield of faith that will extinguish all the darts and threats hurled our way by the enemy. We believe in your power to protect us and choose to trust in you.

We put on the helmet of salvation, which covers our minds and thoughts, reminding us we are children of the day, forgiven, set free, saved by the grace of Christ Jesus.

We take up the sword of the Spirit, your very Word, the one offensive weapon given to us for battle, which has the power to demolish strongholds, alive, active, and sharper than any double-edged sword.

We ask for your help in remembering to put on your full armor every day, for you give us all that we need to stand firm in this world. Forgive us God for the times we’ve been unprepared, too busy to care, or trying to fight and wrestle in our own strength.

Thank you that we never fight alone, for you are constantly at work on our behalf, shielding, protecting, strengthening, exposing deeds of darkness, bringing to light what needs to be known, covering us from the cruel attacks we face even when we’re unaware. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Four Promises of Ascension-Bible Study

The Cross was the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. Christ fulfilled the Old Testament law, He fulfilled as many as 350 O.T. Prophecies. (Luke 24:44) He had to end His earthly life in this manner to fulfill the Will of the Father for the coming age. The Church Age Dispensation. (6th of 7)

 On the Cross Jesus stated, “It Is Finished” John 19:30 (Greek tetelestai-to discharge a debt) This statement did not mean that His earthly ministry was complete but that this act had completed the payment of the debt of sin by man. Jesus earthly ministry would not be complete for another 40 days, until the Ascension to the right hand of the Father.

Would it have been easier and better for Jesus to remain on earth, since He is an eternal God and could have remained for all time converting all those whom He and His disciples came into contact with?

With continuation of His works and miracles, would not more have been converted to the Kingdom?

If Jesus would have continued on earth, there would be no reason for Faith or Hope. It would simply be to see and hear about the Works and Miracles to believe, which would take away any reason we have to pursue life on earth.

The forty days after crucifixion, Acts 1:3-4, allowed Him to show many “Proofs” and continue the training of His chosen to reach their full potential in the turbulent times that were to come. The ascension also allows Jesus to take His proper place at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55, Luke 22:69, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42 ) and as intercessor and Mediator for man. (1 Tim 2:5, Heb 8:6, 1John 2:1)

Read Acts 1:1-11

Promise 1: The Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5-“Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost”. His promise to have a Holy Spirit indwell every believer; to guide, direct, and lead as necessary to walk firmly in the Will of God.

Eph 1:13, “Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise”

John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;“

John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

A promise also made in the Old Testament

Eze 36:26, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:”

Joel 2:28, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;”

Promise 2: Power.  Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive Power” through the Holy Ghost. They were given all power to complete the works which Jesus is directing them to do, NOT what they expected since they question Him in vs. 6 “Will thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel”. But He lets them now that now is not “for you to know the times, and seasons which the Father has put in His own Power.”

This power given through the Holy Spirit is that of the confidence, intelligence, and ability to go out and do that which He is commanding them to do. (Acts 1:8)

Promise 3: A Purpose Acts 1:8, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. “

Luke 24:47, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” 

Matt 28:18-19,” And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” 

Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Their purpose now was to grow the church, wherever they went. Acts 2:42-47 shows us 4 things that were done daily at the command of Christ.

  1. They taught divine truth from the word of God Acts 2:42 “believers held steadfastly to the teaching”
  2. They devoted themselves to the importance of fellowship Acts 2:42. We are called to live a life of favor together:
    1. John 15:12 Love one another
    1. Gal 6:2 Carry one another’s burdens
    1. Eph 4:32 Forgive one another
    1. 1 Thess 5:11 Encourage One another
    1. 1 Corr 12:12-26 We are of One Body
    1. Heb 10:23-25 Not forsaking our assemblies
  3. They prioritized worship and the Lord’s Supper Acts 2:42
  4. They were regularly involved in outreach as Acts 2:47 state, “everyday the Lord added to the number of those who were being saved”.

Acts 2:43 And fear(Great respect) came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

These 4 items are still as applicable today. As leaders of the church, we are responsible to uphold God’s standards in the church and work with the Pastor to convert, lead and grow His church.

Promise 4: His Return Acts1:11 “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

The angels attending Jesus ascension assured the apostles that He would be seen again. He was going to return for His people. The Apostles had never realized before this the magnitude of the Kingdom that He had been telling them about. But they were the new leaders of the earthly ministry. Luke 24:45, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,”

The Ascension is rarely taught or preached about, in my opinion, but I believe it is one of the most important days in the earthly life of Christ-Maybe #4 behind, birth, death and resurrection.

As believers we are promised the Holy Spirit as a comforter and helper.

We are promised the Power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin in our own lives and to help others with theirs

We are promised a purpose as His commands have not changed in 2000 years!

We are promised His return in many places in the old and new testament.

Interruptions of a Godly Life

Walking down the hall of your office building, with purpose in your gate, thinking strongly of the meeting you are heading to. You are covering your notes so your presentation can be as precise as possible. This is an important time for both you and your company. If you nail this presentation, it could mean a large commission or potentially a promotion to a much-desired position within the organization.

Ten feet from the conference room you are interrupted by a co-worker, who explains a seemingly trivial matter with another account. With your focus on the meeting at hand, you just blurt out the first potential solution that comes to mind. The co-worker acknowledged the answer and turns away to deal with the situation. Regaining focus, you proceed into the conference room and begin a glowing presentation, which you feel will blow the client away, knowing they can not deny the validity of all the facts and figures you have put together in a flawless progression.

The presentation goes perfectly, with every key point you feel just one step closer to the goal of landing this new client. As you close, your excitement abounds as you wonder how quickly they will accept and sign on the dotted line. Within seconds of your last word, they thank you for your time and work, giving a great presentation, but they have decided to go in a different direction. You are devasted but there was no changing their mind at this point. You have lost.

  1. How would you feel at this moment? Would you wonder if your bosses would no longer even consider you for a management position or that you will even keep your job?
  2. Do you think if you put a few minutes into prayer before even leaving your office down the hallway that it would have made a difference in the outcome?

The next day, your boss comes to your office to talk. You feel an overwhelming loss coming and he just wants to deliver the bad news in person, face-to-face. To your amazement when he walks in, he is exceedingly happy and showing tremendous gratitude for the work you do and how your ingenious idea not only saved a large account but caused this account to more than triple their work/orders with your company-far exceeding what was expected from the first company turning down your diligent presentation.

What is your boss talking about, you are at a loss? Remember the interruption? That seemingly trivial question? God’s will had something far greater in the plans for you, while using the first presentation to keep you humble.

  • How do you feel now as compared to the day before when you were turned down by the new client?
  • Do you think prayer before the presentation would have made a difference now?

To call something an interruption we must accept the premise that:

  1. You assume a goal. You are definitely headed somewhere. There is no interruption if you are not “on your way” to do something or go somewhere. 
  2. You assume that your goal is more important than the interruption. There is no interruption if you are on your way but are diverted by something you think is more important.

So then, an interruption is something less important that “gets in the way” of going somewhere or doing something more important.

God is always in the interruptions! When you least expect, when you don’t think it matters, God has you. Your idea of an expected outcome is not always what God’s Will is for you.

Jesus seemed to invite the interruptions, never considering them interruptions, in His Mission Journey, but to complete the Will of God. John 4:34-Nothing was more important than God’s Will-not rest nor food.

. Jesus always seemed to be on His way to somewhere or leaving to head to somewhere when interruptions occurred. Coming down from just delivering the Sermon on the Mount and enroute to Capernaum, Jesus was interrupted by many

Matthew 8:1-4 Request of the Leper
Matthew 8:5-13 Faith of the Centurion
Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12 Healing the paralytic

Leaving Capernaum
Matthew 8:14-15 Healing Peters Mother-in-law

Upon arriving on the other side of the sea of Galilee
Matthew 8:28-34 Healing the two demon-possessed men

Jesus will even accept an interruption to an interruption, like in Matthew 9:18-26 (Also uke 8:43-47, Mark 5:25-43)

Jesus is teaching His disciples when a ruler named Jarius came (Interruption 1) and worshipped asking Jesus to restore his daughter who had just died. (vs 18) Then Jesus arose to follow him to his house to see his daughter. (vs 19)

Along the way to the rulers home a diseased woman touched His hem (interruption 2). (vs 21) Stopping and looking at the woman Jesus said to her “thy faith hath made thee whole” (vs 22) before setting back to His original journey (interruption)

Upon leaving Jarius house Jesus was followed by 2 Blind men Matt 9:27-31

On the road to Jericho, He was interrupted by a blind beggar, Bartimaeus. Mark 10:46-52

It seems Jesus almost invited interruptions to occur during His travels. He always stopped and took the time to deal with the needs of those who were interrupting and in every case, through the miracles performed, word of Him spread.

What if you were more open to “interruptions”? Do you think you could be missing some of God’s blessing by not paying attention to people and circumstances around you? Prov 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. 

How do you react to interruptions now? Frustrated, annoyed, irritated, or thankful?

How about a teenage girl who is excitedly thinking about her upcoming wedding? She gets interrupted by a visitor giving her news that will forever change her life. Mary is the teen, the visitor is Gabriel. Luke 1:28-36

Matt 1:18-25 Joseph dream interrupted by Angel Gabriel.

Moses was tending his animals when God interrupted Exo 3:1-3

What about when God interrupted Noahs life in Gen 6?

Acts 9:10-15 Ananias interrupted by God

Of course how could we ever talk about life interruptions without mentioning the road to Damascus? Saul of Tarsus’ life was more than interrupted? It was completely transformed on his way to Damascus!

Is God trying to interrupt your life, your plans, your goals and you are not listening? I feel that many here are about to go through some dramatic changes. Our lives are about to be interrupted by some lofty plans and visions-interrupted for God to transform us, our church, our community, and beyond.

I pray that you are ready, willing and able to step up when called.

Call to Worship

I apologize to my readers that it has been so long since I posted anything. Work, school, and life in general has kept me from doing all the things I want to do, but I will return to writing soon. Until then here is another great post from my dear friend and Brother in Christ Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary 

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. 1 Timothy 1:17

Worship God, first of all, because he is the King eternal. He always has been and always will be the sovereign of the universe. He never relinquishes his throne, at any time or in any place. He is not only King over America, he is King over Asia; he is not only King in the 21st century, but he was King in the 1st century and will be King throughout eternity.

Worship God, second, because he is the King immortal. Paul uses the same Greek word here as Peter uses to describe our incorruptible inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). Not only will God last forever, he will never decay or diminish even one little bit. He is imperishable in his essence and in his existence, in his character and in his longevity.

Worship God also because he is invisible. What a strange attribute to list as praise-worthy, we might think , until we reconsider our perception of reality. We often think of things that are invisible as being less real (like a ghost) than what we can see and feel. But God is invisible because he is more real than what we can see and feel.

Jesus walked through walls in his glorified body, as you and I might walk through a fog or mist. It is an invisible enemy against which we are actually wrestling, Paul reminds us (Ephesians 6:12), and it is the invisible God who can give us the victory in our struggle.

….But Once to Die.

I apologize to my readers that it has been so long since I posted anything. Work, school, and life in general has kept me from doing all the things I want to do, but I will return to writing soon. Until then here is another great post from my dear friend and Brother in Christ Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary 

It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Heb 9:27

Death comes to all of us, no one escapes, but what happens to us when our body shuts down and we take our last breath? What lies beyond the curtain of this life?

We walk in this world for 70-90 years which seems like long time. My dad almost made it to 92. But there is a vast eternity beyond this short life that awaits us all and we must be prepared for it. How many times have we prepared for a vacation or a business trip? When we make our preparations we make sure that we have our plane ticket, our hotel reservations and all of our activities scheduled. Shouldn’t we prepare for eternity in the same way?

When we leave this body we will still be alive and we will face a future that could be terrifying or joyful, it all depends on our decision that we make in this life.

Just as the Bible says: it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment. We will face judgment for our sins which is death . Romans 6:23 says the the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We make decisions everyday that effect our lives, we make decisions also by not making a decision. Jesus Christ our Lord and God took on the form of a man, lived His life as a perfect man that never committed one sin in His entire life, something that we could never do, so that He could pay the price for our sins. When Christ was nailed to the cross all the sins of humanity, past present and future were nailed there with Him, and the wrath of God that we so richly deserved was poured out upon Him, he took our punishment for our sins so that we could experience eternal life with Our Heavenly Father if we just believe in Christ. Romans 8:1 tells us that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, or No Judgment. He was judged in our place. And if we would just call upon Him for Salvation he will save us to the uttermost. If we are in Christ we have eternal life which begins at the very moment of salvation and if we are in Christ, when we take that last breath in life, we will be in His presence for all eternity. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Just as you prepare for you vacations and business trips, be prepared for the final trip that we all must make, our trip into eternity. Ask Christ to come into your heart and save you now, He will never turn you away, all that the Father gives to me will come to me. and he that comes to me I will no wise cast out. And when you leave this earthly life, Christ will be there with you, He will walk you through the valley of the shadow of death and bring you safely home to the Heavenly Kingdom that He has prepared for all of His followers. Please be prepared and receive Christ today.

Restore the Ruined

Since I have begun working on my degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary, I have not had as much time to write like I was and wanted, but here is another great post from my great friend and Brother in Christ, Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary 

I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you – Joel 2:25

Do you have chapters in your life that you wish you could rewrite? Do you have regrets or sorrows or wounds from past sins? I certainly do, I have made so many mistakes in my life that I wish I could go back in time and change, but that is impossible.

God has given us a wonderful promise that he does not only forgive the repentant sinner , He heals the repentant sinner. Although it is true that we may suffer life-long trials because of sinful choices in the past, the Lord is able to restore the years that you may feel have been eaten up by guilt, sinfulness, or immaturity.

God says, “I will restore to you the years. How can this be? Will he reverse our life’s clock, will he turn back our calendar? No. But God is able to pack so much living, so much vitality, so much blessing into the years that you have remaining that you will be enabled to live a life-time of joys and victories and pleasures in the remaining years you have left.

Remember the thief on the cross? Here was a man who had squandered all his life on murder, thievery, and selfishness. And, yet, God arrested him in the waning moments of his life, brought him to repentance and faith in Christ, and then used the fleeting few minutes he had left to leave behind him an everlasting testimony of God’s grace to save, to pardon, to instruct, and even to resurrect.

No matter how the chapters of your life have been written thus far, know this: when you repent and turn to Jesus Christ for salvation, he is able to multiply to you the remaining years of your life and use you mightily for his kingdom. He is willing to receive the repentant, and he is able to restore the ruined.

Let Your Light Shine

Since I have begun working on my degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary, I have not had as much time to write, but the other night at men’s study I taught a lesson on the commands of Christ during His earthly ministry, I found more than 40 and Mark 5:16 was one of them. So I thought it apropos to share this post from my great friend and Brother in Christ, Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven . Matthew 5:16

Everyone appreciates good works. Many people do good works. Philanthropists, volunteers, and even Hollywood stars are seen doing good works around the globe every day. But “good works” is not what God is interested in. God is supremely concerned for the glory of God.

It is for this reason that Jesus was not satisfied to simply command charitable deeds, random acts of kindness, or the many other good works that all the world hails. Rather, Jesus tells us, “Let your light so shine” that when people see your good works, they will praise, not you, but, your Father in heaven.

When you have opportunity to help others, be courteous, show love, give of yourself, are people encouraged to give you credit, or do you point them to Christ as the source and motivation for any good that you do? It is so easy for our pride, our selfishness, and our people-pleasing nature to take even our best Christian efforts and turn them into an occasion for self-glory.

But, amazingly, Jesus himself never did that. He always pointed to his Father, gave his Father credit, directed the attention to his Father. If the Son of God himself would disdain to receive the acclaim of men for His good works, how much more should our lives be mirrors that reflect the glorious goodness and grace of our God?

Be a Joshua

Since I have begun working on my degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary, I have not had as much time to write like I was and wanted, but here is another great post from my great friend and Brother in Christ, Pastor Harry Connor, who earned hisMasters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood ,or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

Joshua was a great leader, not only by giving good admonition but by his example. He told the people of Israel that, if they were not going to serve the Lord, it really didn’t matter which false god they chose because one was just as bad as the other. But his public declaration was this, my decision is made, my mind is set, my house will serve the Lord. Sometimes fathers fail to make such a bold declaration and so leave their family struggling without the benefit of a committed leader.

We see from Joshua’s life, both before and after this bold proclamation, that these were not just words that he spoke , this was a commitment that he lived. Much can be learned from this single-minded man of God.

When he was sent to spy out the land of Canaan, he and Caleb were the two who came back not only with a positive report about the land, but expressing confidence that with God’s help they could possess it. He was not overcome by the influence of the majority report, the popular opinion, the “common” sense. He stood firm by his convictions. He was faithful and stable as a leader. He relied on God’s promises and continually encouraged the people.

Joshua also showed concern for the next generation. He had the Israelites set up twelve stones as a memorial when they crossed Jordan so that, when questions would be asked about their meaning, parents could tell their children about God’s great power in rolling back the waters. And Joshua served faithfully to the end. He did not bow out claiming he had already done his part earlier in life, he served till he died at 110 years old, there is no retirement from serving the LORD.

Let us learn from his life of faithful service to make a commitment without wavering, to put God first in all things, and to draw strength from his promises. As for Joshua, and his house, they boldly served the Lord. Will this be your determination, as well?

Gospel Film: Salvation

This is one of the best salvation films I have seen put together. Very cinematic, yet stays true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you know him, solidify your faith by watching. If you don’t know Him-PLEASE WATCH as this will change your life!

After you watch if you have any questions feel free to contact me, I would be happy to answer or more fully explain. May you be deeply blessed with His Mercy and Grace!

Patience and Hope

Since I have begun working on my degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary, I have not had as much time to write like I was and wanted, but here is another great post from my great friend and Brother in Christ, Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary 

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD . Psalm 27:14

The reason that we many times do not see or feel the Lord is that we are not waiting on the Lord. We are still on our own timetable and we are still running madly ahead of God and hoping he will catch up to our plans. This is a problem we all have, one that I am guilty of; my wife will testify to this fact. But that is not how God works. He doesn’t change just because we are fickle and he does not hurry just because we are impatient.

Believer, I do not doubt that your trial is real, that your burden is heavy, or that your discouragement is deep. But put your eyes upon this promise, wrap your mind around this word: when we wait courageously on the Lord, he will strengthen our hearts. God is never late and he is never insufficient.

What will the future bring? Wait on the Lord. When will this sorrow end? Wait on the Lord. How can I survive this ordeal? Wait on the Lord. How should I handle this decision? Wait on the Lord. The answer echoes through the tunnel of time and from the soundboard of millions of satisfied saints. Wait, I say, on the Lord.

The trial may not go away tomorrow, but neither will the strength that God has promised to give you. The pain may not diminish, but neither will his grace. Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.