He's Enough...

My pastor always says, “God doesn’t want exclusivity, He wants priority.” That quote came to me right after I kept hearing Shana Wilson’s song “Give Me You” playing in my head. “Give me You. Everything else can wait. Give me You. I hope I’m not too late. It’s me oh Lord, down on my knees…crying out to You…give me You!” Sometimes we look for peace, healing, love, joy…everything to come from man. We want the doctor to prescribe the right medicine or suggest the right surgery but we don’t trust God for the total healing. We want our spouse to be all that we need and fill us up with love, but we don’t acknowledge God as being the definition of love. We want our job to give us a healthy financial life but we don’t believe God for all of our provision. Today, the message is simple. God is enough.

Everything comes down to our relationship with God. No matter what we face or what comes against us, if we have a true relationship with God that consists of love, obedience and trust, we can survive any test, even death.  1 John 5:4 says “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.” You see, God has every battle plan stored up for every war that you enter. He is all knowing, all powerful and ever present. The key is that we put our faith in Him. He doesn’t fail. He doesn’t lie. He doesn’t abandon.

I know that some of you have been dealing with sickness and death. It’s been crazy lately! So much has happened in 2013 and it’s we are only 2 months in but God is still God. One thing He promised is that He would never leave us or forsake us (Deut. 31:6) and we have to stand on that and believe it. If your husband never gets it, God will love you. If your sister is not healed on this side of glory, God will give you peace. If you never live in your dream home, God will still provide for you.  He is enough and He understands. Why do you think He gave us Jesus? He knew that we could not handle what the world and the enemy had to offer us. I love what Hebrews 4: 14 –16 says about Jesus as our High Priest and our intercessor.  The Message Bible translates it like this. “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.”

I love that God can be all things to all people. We as humans can’t. I can’t go with both of my children at the same time and protect them during the day, but God can. We have to get to a place in our relationship with God where we trust Him with all that we have. We have to know that if we have Him, we have enough. Do you remember when Paul was dealing with the thorn in his flesh and he asked God 3 times to take it away? The Lord answered in a way that I think sums everything up. He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12: 9 NKJV) You don’t have to figure it out. You don’t have to be all for everyone or fix everything. You can rest on the fact that God’s grace is sufficient and that He grows ever stronger in your weakness. He is enough to sustain you through anything that you are facing.

So here’s the challenge today: lay it down! So tired, you can barely function? Lay it down! So frustrated that you can’t enjoy your everyday life? Lay it down! So bitter that your past experiences have spilled over into your present? Lay it DOWN!  God is able and HE IS ENOUGH.

Shooo, fly, don't bother me!

This morning when I was in prayer, waiting on the word, all of these random thoughts kept popping in my head. They weren’t necessarily bad thoughts but they kept pulling me away from my meditation and communion with the Holy Spirit. I started to get a little frustrated and then I heard a word – distractions! Hmmmm…ok….yeah…that was definitely distracting. Okay, God, lead me on this one. He then gave me a great visual. I saw a man sitting at a picnic table and he had a great plate of food. He had his fork in his hand and he was ready to throw down! Then I saw this fly appear and it started buzzing around his head and doing dives toward the man’s plate. He kept swatting at it and growing frustrated. Then the fly landed on his plate and I saw this look of contemplation come across his face. You could see his struggle as to whether to keep eating or throw the plate away. I started to get excited! We are like that man and our lives are like the plate. The enemy sends people, things, money, etc. to distract us and frustrate us and many times it comes down to how we react. Do we keep going or do we throw in the towel?

Do you remember in Matthew 4 when Jesus was tempted by Satan? He had been in the wilderness, fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. He was HUNGRY, y’all! The enemy came and said “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones to become bread.” (Matt 4:3 NKJV) This was a distraction. Jesus was in the wilderness for a purpose. He was sent there by the Holy Spirit. He had a mighty work and assignment to do and He had just been baptized and then announced and affirmed by God at the end of the Matthew 3. What better time for Him to be tested by the devil? But Jesus gave us the ultimate example.  He spoke the Word. “…It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The devil didn’t stop there, he continued twice more to tempt and distract Jesus from receiving the full benefits of the fast and the preparation for His ministry. Every time, Jesus spoke the Word and the devil had to leave. If the enemy can distract you and get you to speak death over your own situation, he has won. If God has set you on a path of purpose, He has equipped you to walk it out, but the devil does not want you to reach your destination. He wants to throw anything that he can in to your way so that you will go off path. That’s why it is so important to know that Word of God for yourself. So when that distraction comes, you can speak the Word and the enemy has to flee.

Jesus taught another lesson on distractions. In Luke 10, we find the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus had just entered their village and was welcomed into their home. While Jesus was teaching and fellowshipping, Mary sat at His feet taking in all that she could. Meanwhile, Martha was all over the place! She was serving, cleaning…busy! So much so that she got mad and went up to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” (v. 40 NLT) That’s a lot of gall, right? She was not pleased and let her opinion be known. How many times do we let the busy work of life distract us from our purpose? How many times do we find ourselves so frustrated because we have poured out everything but it seems like no one is acknowledging it? “But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (v. 41 & 42 NLT) All that fussing and cleaning and cooking was a distraction from Martha getting what she really needed, worship and fellowship time with the Master. Mary looked above the distraction and found Jesus. At some point, we have to recognize the enemy’s tricks and not give in to them. When everything is going haywire around you and you can’t even get a prayer through, it’s time to take a step back and just worship. Go in your secret place and worship your way through.

We are in a season of acceleration and change. God is pushing many of us outside of our comfort zone and into our next level. Don’t you think the devil wants to stop you? Now is the time to get even further in your word. Get even deeper into your worship. We can’t allow the enemy to distract us from our destiny. Let’s think about that example with the plate again. If the fly lands on a part of the plate or the distraction touches your life. What will you do? If the man prayed over that food before he started eating it, isn’t He covered? If the fly just landed on a chip, why should he throw the whole plate away? God is ever present and if you are in relationship and saved, you are covered. Don’t let one distraction throw your whole life off track. You are an overcomer! You are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ. As I close, 1 Corinthians 10:13 gives us an assurance that we can stand on when we face distractions and temptations in our lives. I challenge you to trust that God sees and knows what you face and that His word is sufficient to carry you through! “Any temptation you face will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward.” (1 Cor. 10:13, VOICE)

AMEN

 

Real love...

Today is a day that we celebrate love. People are buying cards, roses, and jewelry. There will be couples to get engaged or married. There will be single people that won’t celebrate at all or will be sad. And all over the world, people will miss the real power of love. Today I want to introduce you to the ultimate valentine…GOD!  God is love. Have you felt Him? God is faithful. Have you tried Him? God is truth. Do you trust Him? God is present. Do you recognize Him? If you’re missing love in your life, you’re in the right place!

Back in the 90s, Mary J. gave us that famous jam “Real Love”. Y’all remember! When the music came on you immediately started jamming…then Biggie came in with his verse and it was on! It’s a classic…and the more I thought about the lyrics, it’s more of a classic cry for help than anything else. I know, I know…I hear you saying, come on, Ebony! Don’t mess with one of my favorite jams. But it’s true. Mary was looking for someone to set her heart free and satisfy her every need. She was looking for a real love alright but that’s not a love you can find in man. So often we are searching for a person to give us something that only God can provide. You don’t have to search high and low for this love, God is right here waiting to give it…free of charge! Well…I take that back. It wasn’t free because He sacrificed His only son for us to have it but it didn’t cost us a thing! You know the verse… “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV) That’s love!

It doesn’t matter whether you are married or single, rich or poor, educated or not. God offers a love like no other. He offers a love that isn’t predicated on feelings, it’s a gift. You don’t have to prove yourself to receive it; you just have to accept it. You don’t have to get yourself together first, it’s been waiting for you. So often, marriages die because the individuals are trying to get each other to live up to an unattainable standard instead of allowing God to shape the marriage into His design. You don’t have to “fix your spouse”…not going to happen! But guess who can do it? You got it…God! I love Colossians 3, especially the 2^nd half of the chapter. It is filled with nuggets for how to live a saved life …covers everything from how to please God to how to have a successful household. Verses 12-14 especially struck me and give great insight on God and love.  “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” (MSG) God wants us all to get it right and not chase the world’s love when His is so much better! That’s love…

So here’s the good news…God loves you!  I mean He really loves you! You don’t need a box of heart candy or a dozen roses to know it either. Sure those things are great to get but the love of God is all encompassing. It will warm you when you are alone. It will fill you when you are empty. And it most certainly will save you when you are drowning. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18 ESV). Let God’s love perfect you today. Let it overwhelm and cover you. I promise that you will never be the same. You can stand strong that no matter what you receive today, you already have the best gift!

May the love of Christ fill your heart to overflowing…AMEN!

The answer is YES...

I can’t tell you how long I’ve been sitting here waiting for a word. Nothing happened. Just as I was trying to think of things on my own, I heard “just write.” I immediately thought, ‘write what?’ Again I heard, “just start writing”. Okay, Lord…whatever you say and just as I started typing that first line, it hit me. It’s all about obedience. We often find ourselves in situations where we just don’t know what to do. It seems like there’s no answer forthcoming or you can’t see your way out. But then God gives you an instruction and you don’t quite understand what it means or how it could possibly help you but you do it anyway. That’s obedience. We’re living in a time now where people are dying left and right, the enemy is busy and the church seems absent but God is present and He knows the purposed plan for your life. We just have to trust Him and do what He says. Are you ready to say yes?

There are so many scriptures that talk about obedience in the Bible. I know one that probably immediately popped into your head as it did mine. “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams.” (1Sam. 15:22 NIV).  I can’t count how many times I have heard and said the second half of that scripture. It’s one of those verses that stick with you. But do we really honor it?  Maybe God has been telling you to do something for a while now but you’ve been trying to do other things in hopes that it will substitute for the instruction. Let me go ahead and tell you that it won’t. We can work and run until we are bone tired and hope it’s enough but there’s no replacement for just doing what God has told you to do.

 If you’re giving and giving, sacrificing and sacrificing but it’s the wrong thing, you are just going to keep treading water.  Want an example? Say you’re on a swim team and the coach tells you to keep the life jacket you were given no matter what but you see someone else on the team sitting on the edge of the pool waiting because they don’t have a life jacket.  So you decide to go give them yours. The coach instructs everyone with a life jacket to get in the water to practice floating peacefully while those without life jackets would be doing laps. Sure, it was nice of you to give your life jacket to your teammate but the coach wanted to bless you with rest and peace but because you didn’t listen you had a tougher experience. God has a purpose and a plan for your life and He doesn’t give instructions for no reason. The question is do you trust Him enough to listen?  

James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  It’s time out for just reading the bible and not burying the word deep in our hearts and acting on them.  I love what Jesus says in Luke 6:46 -49 in the Message Bible. I think it makes everything so clear.   “Why are you so polite with me, always saying ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That’s right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on. If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.”  I went to bible study last night and we were studying Philippians 4. The Word was teaching me how to pray and where to focus my attention. How do I prosper if I am in bible study saying “be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil 4:6, NKJV)Then I get home and proceed to write out all of the things that I need to worry about? No, instead I need to build my foundation on what God is telling me through His Word and obey that Word. I guarantee peace will come and then change. Are you willing to crucify your plans so that God’s plan can guide your life?

There are awesome benefits to being obedient to the Lord.  I encourage you to read Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and read all of the blessings that are promised to you if you simply obey the Lord. I’ve seen God doing a lot of shifting people out of their comfort zones (ummm…me included!) but it’s for a purpose. He wants us to be ready for our next level. If you think He is telling you to do something, but you aren’t sure, pray! He will confirm it. God won’t tell you to do something that is contrary to His Word or His Will. I encourage you to walk in obedience; I am a witness that God will bless. Sometimes, all He’s waiting on is…you! What is God telling you to do today? Listen, step out on faith, and act! He is more than able to bring you through whatever He takes you to.

God bless…AMEN