THE ELEMENTS NEEDED TO HAVE JOY!

January 9, 2022 By Reverend Anthony Williams

Focus verses: Philippians 1:1-2 (NKJV): Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 2022, we will probably encounter many thieves that will try to rob us of our joy if we let them. How do I know, because more than likely, these were the same thieves that we have encountered in previous years. I call these thieves the 4 (four) P’s:

The thief named problems. Many times, we allow the circumstances in our lives rob us of our joy. The Apostle Paul wrote many of his letters to the churches from a cold prison cell, but that did not rob him of his joy.
People can rob us of our joy. Paul said that there were some that preached Christ hoping to add to his misery. Not even that discouraged Paul. All that mattered to Paul was that Christ was being preached.
Possessions can rob us of our joy. It could be the things that we don’t have that we are struggling so hard to get. It could be the things that we do have that we fight so hard to keep.
Pressure (worry) can rob us of our joy. We spend most of our time worrying about things that will never happen, or things that we have no control over.

As Christian our lives are to be filled with joy. How do I know that? Because Jesus said that our lives should be full of joy.

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

The word “joy” is found in one form or another fifteen (15) times in the 104 verses that make up Paul’s letter to the Philippians. When Paul writes about joy, he is writing from experience. He is not writing from a wood-paneled office, he writes from a prison cell. When Paul and Silas visited Philippi, they were thrown in jail because they were considered to be troublemakers. While they were in jail, they prayed and sang praises to God. Joy was a companion of Paul in every circumstance.

I believe that throughout the book of Philippians, starting in the first chapter, Paul gives us some of the criteria for joy.

I want to examine the two criteria that are revealed in Philippians 1:1-2.

Philippians 1:1-2 (NKJV): Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

Our attitude determines our altitude or how high we fly. Our attitude determines our outcome in life. In order to have a continuous and consistent flow of joy in our lives, we must have the proper attitude toward Christ and others. We must have a submissive attitude to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ if we are to be full of joy. Let’s examine the two characteristics of a submissive attitude.

1. The Servant Heart

Paul refers to himself and Timothy as “servants” of Christ. The word in the Greek is really the word “bond slave or love slave”. Paul saw himself as a person who was a prisoner of Christ. Paul was a prisoner voluntarily not out of oppression. In other words, Paul chose to be a slave of Christ because of his love for Christ. Paul was not interested in serving Himself but serving his Lord. He was not living by His rules but by the rules of the Master. Paul had become a voluntary slave of Christ.

To some people this would be an offensive image. They resist the idea of being anyone’s slave. The reason for this is simple: our images of slavery are all negative. We envision abusive taskmasters. And I am sure that some of the slave owners in Paul’s day were like this. But many others were not. Some were honest people giving folks a chance to work off a debt.

Later in this same chapter Paul says that dying would be gain and living on would mean “fruitful labor”. He saw his life as existing for one purpose and one purpose only: to glorify God and to serve Him fully.

Do you see how different this attitude is from the attitude we often live with? We tend to view Christ as OUR servant rather than vice versa. We ask Him to do our bidding. If things don’t go our way, we want an explanation. We demand more than we submit; we direct more than we follow. It is only when we submit to Christ with a willingness to follow His leading and accept His wise providence that we will find joy. Joy in our lives is produced by the Lord Jesus and not by us.

2. A Sanctified Heart and Mind

Paul writes to the “Saints in Christ” in Philippi. The title “saint” is a title we don’t use very often. When we think of a “saint” we generally think of a person who is:

1) Extraordinary in their commitment, or

2) One who has died in their service to the Lord.

But a saint is literally, a “set-apart one”. If you are a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a saint! You are a person specially set-apart for His purpose and to accomplish His will.

What I want you to see is that this is a position of honor. We are “set-apart” for a special task . . . we are specially chosen to serve the Lord. We need to realize that we have been extended a tremendous privilege in being called His children.

1) Notice also that we are “saints in Jesus Christ”. Twice in two verses we have seen this phrase “in Christ”. In fact, references to Christ occurs nineteen (19) times in this first chapter alone! Paul saw Himself as a servant of Christ who lived “in Christ” for the purpose of glorifying Christ.

2) If we want to know joy, we must have this attitude of submission and must never forget our honored calling. Joy comes from having a lifestyle where we are always conscious of our position and our privilege in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look in the mirror…

The task then is to remind ourselves every moment that we are children of the King. How do we do this?

Every once in a while, look in the mirror and remind yourself that you are a “saint”!

Wherever you are, remind yourself that you serve a higher purpose. When you are screaming at a game or upset at a checkout lane or frustrated on the phone . . . remind yourself that you represent Jesus.

When life gets hectic, make it a point to find a quiet corner periodically to stop and make contact with the Master.

Ask God to give you His perspective on other people, circumstances, things we crave, our time, our money, and our hopes.

When you feel discouraged and depressed and insignificant, remind yourself that you are specially chosen . . . you belong to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords . . . you are a saint, given the privilege of serving God.

II. WE MUST BELIEVE THE RIGHT MESSAGE

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

Paul uses two words that are words of greeting but also words, which carry great weight: “grace” and “peace”. Both of these words together contain the essence of the gospel message. Paul always chooses his words carefully; I think that is certainly the case here as well.

1. The Message of Grace

The word grace is a word that means an “undeserved gift”. When we say that we are people who have received grace it means we have received a gift we did not deserve. Grace is God’s unmerited favor toward undeserving sinners. Grace is God’s riches at Christ’s expense. What was that gift? It was new life through the sacrifice of the Lord Christ Jesus on our behalf. Basically, God’s grace means two things to us.

1) It means we have received an undeserved forgiveness. Suppose your family suffered a horrible tragedy. Now suppose also that the person who was responsible for the tragedy was unmoved and seemed like they didn’t care. Would you be upset? You bet you would!

Now suppose you extended forgiveness to that person . . . if you had the charges dropped, would they deserve that forgiveness? What about if you took the punishment for them? They would deserve it even less. But this is what God has done for us. We sinned against Him time and time again. We weren’t sorry; instead we cursed God and sought to justify our actions and sometimes still do. Jesus took our punishment and gave us forgiveness. Do we deserve forgiveness? Not even a little bit. Yet, God extends forgiveness to us by virtue of what Christ has done for us.

2) Grace means that we are also recipients of an unmerited love. Think about it . . . God reached out to you and me in our rebellious state. He not only offers us forgiveness . . . He welcomes us as a part of His own family! God declares us Holy (pure), He gives us access to His presence, He promises us an eternal inheritance. Not because of our nature but because of His love.

Being saved by Grace means:

Our hope of salvation is not based on what we do or have done but on what God has done for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. No one will stand around in Heaven and talk about the great things they did to deserve salvation. We will all point to the Lord Jesus Christ and say He alone is worthy of the praise.
Grace means the guilt of the past is gone. Everything! All the rebellious, stupid, foolish, hurtful, and arrogant things we have done are forgiven. Every sin has been forgiven. God relates to us as those who have never sinned at all. Rather than being God’s enemy we are His friends.
Grace means when I mess up and sin there is forgiveness when I confess it and repent of it.
Grace means that I should extend to other what God has extended to me through his Love. That is forgiveness and acceptance.

When we experience the grace of God we can and should experience joy. We must stop trusting our own efforts and start resting in what He has done FOR us. Once we realize that we don’t have to stay on the treadmill of life, once we realize that bad things don’t happen to us because God is mad at us, once we understand that God’s promise is sure and His grace is dependable . . . we begin to experience a deep joy. The burden is lifted; we can begin to enjoy the journey.

2. The Message of God’s Peace

The word peace (“shalom”) was a common greeting among the Jews. This peace did not refer to an absence of war. It refers to the total wellbeing of a person and everything that makes for a man’s highest good. It is related to a word that means to join, to weave together. When we say we “have it all together” or “everything is coming together” we are getting close to the idea of Shalom.

In Romans 5:1 Paul tells us, “Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

We are made right with God through the grace of God and then we have peace with God. We can’t know peace until the problem of sin has been dealt with. We must receive God’s grace FIRST . . . then we will know peace. Paul tells us that “having been justified” we have peace. We must get the order right.

This peace encompasses several dimensions.

First, there is peace with God. This means as a result of God’s grace we are no longer fighting God but instead are being loved by and guided by God. As a result of grace we are no longer afraid of God. We don’t have to hide like Adam and Eve did. We are friends of God. The peace we have with God is not like the peace that so often exists in the world. It is not a peace that is fragile.

Second, we have peace with our circumstances. If you read on in Romans 5 you will see that Paul says that we are people who can rejoice in our sufferings. We have peace in the time of turmoil because we know that God is in charge. We know that He is using the circumstances of life to train us and mold us. No matter what happens we know that nothing will separate us from the love of God. The peace we have with God transcends our circumstances.

Third, we have peace with ourselves. Have you ever had someone tell you, “I need to find myself”? As goofy as it sounds, you and I know that this is a figure of speech, which means a person is trying to understand their purpose, their personality, their deepest aspirations. They feel confused, disoriented. When we know God’s peace, all the pieces come together. People who need to find “themselves” are not really looking for themselves they are looking for Jesus. He is alone is the source of peace.

The peace of the gospel leads us to confidence and joy. This is the truth that distinguishes us as Children of God, and it is the seed of joy. This is the message our Lord has entrusted to us for the world. We have what the world is looking for. And there are few things that bring greater joy than to share with someone else what it means to be a believer.

If we are going to experience joy in our lives, we must be right with God. We must see ourselves as those who have been given grace beyond measure and as a result experience a peace without equal. We must consider ourselves servants of God even as we consider ourselves set-apart for His service. We must take our eyes off of ourselves, off our circumstances, and off of each other and, we must focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. We must see Him as our life and our joy. Joy comes from Christ and Christ alone.

To have joy, you must have a:

Single mind that is devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ;

Submissive mind that is surrendered to the will of God;

Spiritual Mind that is focused on the things of God; and a

Secure Mind that is resting (secure) in the relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this new year, do you long for joy in your life? Do you want an anchor for the storms of life? If you do, then Jesus is who you are looking for.

To learn more about how you can establish a personal relationship with Him, please complete the Virtual Connection Card on our website.

HOLD ON AND WAIT UPON THE LORD!

December 29, 2021 By Reverend Anthony Williams

Have you ever had a day when everything appeared to go wrong? Such days are troublesome and trying and they usually prevail upon the spirit. Those are the days when the car breaks down, the food burns, the children get sick, a fuse blows, the telephone keeps ringing, the newspaper gets wet, and there is a network difficulty in the middle of the “Secret Storm.”

Those are the days when your head begins to pound, your patience gets short, and you throw up your hands in defeat and declare “I’m at the end of my rope.” If you are honest with yourself, on those types of days, you are at your wit’s end.

For days such as those, I want to remind you to hold on a little while longer! God is still on the throne, and He knows your needs. As the old adage goes, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on!” Help is on the way! Hold on and wait upon the Lord!

While you are waiting, hold on to your trust, hold on to your faith, and hold on to your patience!

“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 and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO OUR TRUST

Our text first considers that we should hold on to our trust.

Isaiah was a prophet who preached constantly to the Southern Kingdom about repentance. In his lifetime he had watched as the armies of Assyria had destroyed the Northern kingdom and he preached words of encouragement to Jerusalem as it was being besieged by Assyrian troops.

Though the enemy was all around them with several hundred thousand soldiers; though the chances of military victory were nil and survival slim, Isaiah, at this time the trusted confidant of King Hezekiah, admonished them to keep the faith and hold on!

Jerusalem had reached the end of its rope! The enemy was in front of them and death seemed certain. Their resources were depleted, and their options were used. Their food supplies were running low and their soldiers were fatigued. Jerusalem, at the end of its rope, heard Isaiah encouraging them not to let go of their faith in God but to virtually tie a knot in the rope of their hope and hold on!

Trusting in the Lord is the option that overpowers all other options!

Though their circumstances ridiculed his very words, still Isaiah told the virtues of depending on God. Every child of God understands this circumstance. He or She understands what it means to be surrounded by problems and troubles and to have only a few options left. But while every child of God knows the feeling of frustration that accompanies this circumstance, every child of God also knows that trusting in the Lord is the option that overpowers all other options.

Waiting for the will of the Lord is not an easy thing for most of us to do. We tend to like our answers neat and tidy, and above all, quick. Yet God often requires us to wait on Him, which makes some of us uncomfortable, if not downright jittery.

Over the years, I have learned that it is always best to wait on God for as long as necessary, as it will guard us against reacting in an irrational way and making poor decisions with disastrous results. The children of Israel often responded to God in rash fashion, but in this case, they got it right. They waited for His direction.

Are you facing fiery furnaces? Trust in the Lord! He will help us come through without a tinge.

Are you facing vast seas of trouble? Trust in the Lord! He will roll back Red Seas of adversity and allow you to cross on dry ground.

To trust in the Lord is to believe that no matter what comes your way, God can handle the situation and will give you strength to face the adversity. No wonder the songwriter wrote “I will trust in the Lord, until I die!”

Isaiah boldly pronounced, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”

Hold on! For they shall mount up on wings as Eagles!

Hold on! For they shall run and not get weary!

Hold on! For they shall walk and not faint!

WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO OUR FAITH

Trust is good to hold on to, but we will have a double grip if we tie a second knot, just in case the first one slips by us. That second knot should be the knot of faith.

The most striking and impressive example of faith in God is the experience of Abraham.

Abraham received a promise from God…

Abraham received a promise from God that his family would grow and multiply. The promise brought him great joy and inspiration. As the years passed, however, it seemed that the promise would not be kept. Age and its various associated problems began to take its toll. Even Abraham’s friends began to doubt that God’s promise would be kept. As problems began to beset him from all sides, many of those around him lost faith in God’s promise, even his wife laughed at the thought of children being born at her age. Abraham kept the faith and despite the impossibility of the moment, he depended on God to keep his word!

Faith is not knowing how we are going to solve our problem but knowing God will make a way! Faith is driving blindly into the future guided only by the Word of God, because David has reminded us that “thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

With faith, millions of Christians have:

–fought all of their battles

–resisted all of their temptations

–endured all of their trials

–survived all of their tests

–bore all of their burdens

–performed all of their ministries.

Through faith, children of God have the inspiration to:

–resolve their difficulties

–seize their opportunities

–tackle their responsibilities

–withstand their troubles

–solve their problems

–confront their enemies.

–reach their goals

–conquer their fears

Abraham held on to his faith and held on to God’s promise!

WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO OUR PATIENCE

Finally, our text suggests that we should tie a knot in the rope of patience.

Job was perfect and upright…

Job was a perfect and upright man who suffered many losses as a test of his loyalty to God. Job lost members of his family in tragic deaths. Job lost huge amounts of his material wealth to thieves and enemies. Job lost his physical health. Nevertheless, through all of his troubles, Job remained faithful to God and patiently waited on God to hear and answer his prayers. Although he became impatient with the advice he received from his friends, he refused to give up on God!

There is strength in waiting on the Lord…

We live in a right now world!

We want material success –right now!

We want answers to questions–right now!

We want solutions to problems–right now

We want answers to questions–right now!

Many of us are impatient. We are so impatient that:

–We can’t wait for water to boil!

–We can’t wait for the car to warm in the winter!

–We can’t wait for the train to clear the track!

–We can’t wait until the end of a church service!

But Isaiah reminds us that they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

There is strength in waiting on the Lord!

There is power in waiting on the Lord!

Job declared, “All the days of my appointed time, I will wait until my change comes.”

Wait:

–Though men would push you to be hasty

–Though it seems like the time is too long

–Though men would call you foolish

Wait because Jesus commanded us to, “Watch ye therefore, ye know not the day” that He will return. Wait because one day He’s coming back again!

Wait just a little while longer and everything will be alright!

To learn more about how to establish, or to grow your relationship with the Lord, please complete the Virtual Connection Card on our website.

WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE QUIT CARING

October 29, 2021 By Reverend Anthony Williams

Matthew 24:9-13 (NIV): Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold , ¹³ but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Underline and bold added for emphasis)

In Matthew 24:12, Jesus said that in the last days the love of many will grow cold. Our fellowship with God is validated or invalidated by our love for others. Many people come to church looking to feel God in their bones, feel Him in their feet, and feel Him all over, but that feeling is not the true indicator that God looks at to measure how full of Him we are. His indicator is our love for one another. Our love for other Christian brothers and sisters is proof positive or proof negative of our love or lack thereof for God. Coldness affects us in many different ways, but it is heartbreaking when a Christian’s love grows cold! As Christians, we need our hearts reset, restored, and revived. In this post, I want to focus on just a few things that happens when God’s people quit caring and their love grows cold.

First, people experience Spiritual Deafness. While hunting many years ago I was so cold, and I didn’t wear earmuffs because I needed to listen for the deer. At one point, I tried to put my hands over my ears to help them thaw, but my hands were as cold as my ears. I see a lot of people, even in the church, who do this all the time. When they are growing cold in the Spirit, they don’t want to hear what anyone who is trying to turn them back to God has to say. People who are cold in their heart are deaf to the voice of the Lord and refuse to hear the word of the Lord. A fact of life is this: You will always hear that to which you are attuned!

When a person’s love grows cold, the person will be unable to sniff out the will of God. I call this Spiritual Anosmia (pronounced an-OHZ-me-uh). Dictionary.com defines anosmia as the “absence or loss of the sense of smell.” Our bodies have many parts, and God designed each part for a special function. Among the purposes of our nose, the main purpose is for it to smell things. I don’t know about you, but when my nose is cold, I can’t smell anything! When a person is cold spiritually, not only are their ears frozen to hearing, but their nose is shut to sniffing out the will of God! Ironically, when people are growing cold in the Lord, while they can’t sense the moving and wooing of the Holy Spirit, they can sniff out anything that smells rotten in the congregation!

When my feet get cold, I’m cold all over. I often see Christians who get cold feet. Every time God puts an opportunity in front of them to tell someone about Jesus or do a work for Him, they get cold feet and can’t move. Have your hands ever been so cold that you can hardly move your fingers? I see people like that in church all the time. They show every sign of being frozen. They can’t lift their hands to praise the Lord. They can’t clap. They sometimes can’t even shake hands with other people, all because they are just cold in the Spirit. They get spiritually frostbitten and God has to trim away the dead part of their heart and get them warmed up so He can use them again. If this is not corrected, it will lead to Spiritual Stagnation.

I have heard of people who died by freezing to death. A few of them kept journals describing their experiences. Some wrote that they were so cold that they were ready to give up and go to sleep. To avoid freezing to death, experts say that in freezing conditions you should stay awake and keep moving. People who grow cold in the Spirit are in jeopardy of being lulled to sleep by the devil. This is Spiritual Sleepiness. They become so cold that they are oblivious to their spiritual condition and unless God comes to their rescue, they will sit there and freeze to death in their sins. We need to guard against becoming cold in the Spirit. Don’t let the devil cause you to freeze to death spiritually in this life, only to burn forever when this life is over. Stay on fire for God. Only when you stay close to God can you feel the warmth of his love and the power of the fire of the Holy Spirit.

LIVE WITH GODLY EXPECTATION

What is the antidote to coldness? Philippians 3:20-21 says, “but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.”

To cure coldness, a person must live with Godly expectation. Living with a Godly expectation of your future should encourage you to live with others in peace and harmony. All born-again Christians are headed to the same place. Therefore, we should enjoy the journey together. Oftentimes we encounter discouraging circumstances as we travel this road of life. We need an eternal hope to keep us going when we meet with discouraging times, and the good news is that we have one! To have a Godly expectation we should:

Recognize this world is not our home! We are just passing through this world on our way to our eternal home. We are just strangers and pilgrims in this world.
Remember the Lord Jesus Christ is Coming Back For Us!
Realize that when Jesus returns, we will be eternally transformed!

Are you feeling cold? Not in the flesh, but in your spirit? If so, then it’s time to let God bring life back into you right now! If you want more information about how God can remove the coldness, please contact us through our Virtual Connection Card!

TRY GOD

September 23, 2021 By Reverend Anthony Williams

THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES IN LIFE. WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN IT SEEMS THAT AS SOON AS YOU OVERCOME ONE CHALLENGE, THERE IS ANOTHER ONE JUST WAITING ON YOU.

Satan is constantly searching for ways to get us to trust in anything more than God. No matter whether our problems are physical, emotional, financial, or our problems are in our homes or church, Satan seeks to have us trust in ourselves, in each other, or in a friend or family member first and then remember God, if we must. We can see this practically in how we react to problems: Who do you go to when you have a problem? Do you keep it inside and try to work it out yourself? Do you go to your spouse first for advice? Do you seek the counsel of a neighbor or friend as the first source of wisdom? Do you commiserate with other people as if God does not know or care?

WE CANNOT TRUST GOD TOO MUCH AND OURSELVES TOO LITTLE!

Too often, we do not trust God. This is why God allows so many difficulties into our lives. This is why there is so much trouble throughout our land, why cities live in fear of crime and violence. This is why there is unrest among families, and among the people of God. We have all been guilty of misplaced trust! I truly believe that in this season, God is calling on us to remember who is still over all and in control of all. He is calling on us to repent and return to him. He drives us to our knees to pray to Him for the help that we need. We dare not rely on ourselves. If we reject God’s direction, we will receive our due reward – shame, defeat, and destruction. We need to learn that we cannot trust God TOO MUCH and ourselves TOO LITTLE.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalms 34:8 (New International Version)

Psalm 34 is attributed to the psalmist David and is both a thanksgiving psalm and an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem is a poem where the lines start with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalmist opens by praising Yahweh and encouraging others to join him (vv. 1–3). He then praises Yahweh’s faithfulness, describing a time when Yahweh delivered him (vv. 4–7). He continues with the benefits and demands of fearing Yahweh (vv. 8–14). Finally, the psalmist contrasts the protection that Yahweh gives those who fear (revere) Him with the destruction that will ultimately come to the unrepentant wicked (vv. 15–22).

TRY GOD

We find in this Psalm a challenge from David, the man who has found God faithful, the man with a heart filled with praise. David challenges us to try God! When you and I put our trust in the Lord and know by faith that He is good, then we will see so much in life for which to be thankful. We will be disappointed when we rely on friends, neighbors, ourselves, or fellow congregation members.

I believe that in Psalm 34, David gives us three points about trying God:

1) PERSONAL: In the first four verses of Psalm 34, David says, “I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The first thing that you must understand is that trying God is personal. David did not use the second-person pronoun you he used the first-person pronoun I! We must have our own personal experience with God. David wrote Psalm 34 at a very difficult time in his life. He was on the run from the jealous King Saul. David fled to the land of the Philistines. He was soon discovered and brought before the Philistine king. David pretended to be a mad-man because he felt for sure he was going to die, and the king sent him away. God made a way of escape. Imagine David saying to you and me, “If you only knew the mess I have been through and how God’s brought me out. If you only knew how I was literally between a rock and hard place, but God opened the doors. If you only knew what the Lord has done for me. Because of what He has done for me, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth my soul shall make its boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.” David praises God because of answered prayer!

WHEN YOU PERSONALLY KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU, YOU DO NOT MIND TELLING SOMEONE ELSE!

2) PROTECTOR: David found the Lord to be his protector. In verse 6, David tells us that he cried out to the Lord, the Lord heard him, and the Lord saved him out of his troubles. Sometimes all we can do is cry out to God! Most Christians will agree that these are fearful and faith-building times. Let me However, always remember that man’s extremity often becomes God’s opportunity. This is true when it comes to salvation. We are not able to save ourselves. When we cry out to Jesus, He will save us. Just as God saved David out of his troubles (complete deliverance), He can do the same for you and me.

When I fail, He forgives. When I am weak, He is strong. When I am lost, He is the way. When I am afraid, He is my courage. When I stumble, He steadies me. When I am broken, He mends me. When I face persecution, He shields me. When I face loss, He provides for me. When I face death, He carries me home. He said it and that settles it. He is on my side. God is in control. Therefore, I can confidently say that it is well with my soul!

He is the first, the last, the beginning and the end. Keeper of creation, Creator of the universe, Manager of all time. He always was, always is, and always will be. The world cannot understand Him; its armies cannot defeat Him; its schools cannot explain Him; its leaders cannot ignore Him. Herod could not kill Him; the Pharisees could not confuse Him. Nero could not crush Him. Hitler could not silence Him. He is the Power of the powerful, the Ancient of days, the Ruler of rulers, the Leader of leaders. He is Holy, Mighty, and True. His ways are right, His word eternal, and His will unchanging. He is my Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Guide and Protector.

3) PROVIDER: “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” In verse 10 David tells us that God is a provider. God provided for David all throughout David’s life, and if you would take a few minutes to think about it, I am sure you would say that God has provided for you down through the years. We serve a good God!

HIS GOODNESS NEVER GROWS OLD AND IS NEVER OUTDATED. THE MORE YOU RELY UPON IT, THE MORE RELIABLE YOU DISCOVER IT TO BE. THE MORE YOU TRUST HIS GOODNESS, THE MORE TRUSTWORTHY YOU’LL FIND HIS GOODNESS TO BE. THE MORE YOU DEPEND ON HIS GOODNESS, THE MORE DEPENDABLE YOU’LL REALIZE IT TO BE!

I encourage you to Try God! Once you try Him, you will say like David, I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

To learn more about how to establish, or to grow your relationship with the Lord, please complete the Virtual Connection Card on our website.

PLEASING GOD!

January 16, 2021 By Reverend Anthony Williams

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV): “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (underline added)

From this text, there are three (3) lessons that we can learn about Pleasing God.

The Impossibility of Pleasing God Without Faith. “But without faith it is impossible (unfeasible, unworkable, unattainable, out of the question, not possible) to please Him.” We will not please God if we do not have faith. Religious activity does not always please God. Faithless religious ceremonies do not please God. Faithless giving does not please God. This verse proves two great facts:
1. It is possible to please God;
2. Faith is available to all (see John 3:16).

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says it is “the substance of things hoped for, it is the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is believing God and accepting His invitation.

The Ingredients of the Faith That Pleases God. We must believe that God exists. It is one thing to pray, but another thing to believe God hears. It is one thing to worship, but another to believe that worship is accepted. We must believe God rewards those who diligently seek Him. Faith that pleases God is more than profession (James 2:14). Real faith changes lives (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Faith made Abel worship God

Faith made Enoch walk with God

Faith made Noah work for God

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

The Invitation to Faith That Pleases God. “He that cometh to God must believe” is an invitation in the middle of the aforementioned verse. God continually invites us to faith in Christ. This invitation reminds us of John 6:37 (“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”). This verse is not only an invitation to come to Jesus, but an assurance that He receives all to come to Him.

We do what it takes to please individuals, spouses, children, employers, etc. My question to you today is, “What are you doing to please God?”

The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack led to the United States’ entry into World War II. The Pearl Harbor Report demonstrated that not only were an admiral and a general unprepared, the authorities were unprepared and the whole nation was in a lethargy of self-satisfaction. In spite of all the evidence that an attack would come, people were amazed when it did.

This is the approaching judgment of God going to come upon the world; the Bible informs us that judgment is coming. Men are warned to flee from the wrath of God. They are warned that sudden destruction will come upon them, that it will come suddenly as a stroke of lightning from the east and the west and as unexpectedly as a thief in the night. In spite of all these warnings the world sinks in its lethargy of self-satisfaction. It will be awakened by a blow far ruder than Pearl Harbor, for just as the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, so are His judgments.

God simply will not allow any man to know true peace until that man first possesses divine righteousness. One reason for the terrible frustration of mankind is that peace and joy are sought without righteousness. But without the righteousness of God there can be no peace, and without the peace of God there can be no joy.

To learn more about how to establish a relationship with God or to grow your relationship with God, please complete the Virtual Connection Card on our website.

To have joy, you must have a:

Single mind that is devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ;

Submissive mind that is surrendered to the will of God;

Spiritual Mind that is focused on the things of God; and a

Secure Mind that is resting (secure) in the relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those are the days when your head begins to pound, your patience gets short, and you throw up your hands in defeat and declare “I’m at the end of my rope.” If you are honest with yourself, on those types of days, you are at your wit’s end.

For days such as those, I want to remind you to hold on a little while longer! God is still on the throne, and He knows your needs. As the old adage goes, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on!” Help is on the way! Hold on and wait upon the Lord!

While you are waiting, hold on to your trust, hold on to your faith, and hold on to your patience!

“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 and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO OUR TRUST

Our text first considers that we should hold on to our trust.

Isaiah was a prophet who preached constantly to the Southern Kingdom about repentance. In his lifetime he had watched as the armies of Assyria had destroyed the Northern kingdom and he preached words of encouragement to Jerusalem as it was being besieged by Assyrian troops.

Though the enemy was all around them with several hundred thousand soldiers; though the chances of military victory were nil and survival slim, Isaiah, at this time the trusted confidant of King Hezekiah, admonished them to keep the faith and hold on!

Trusting in the Lord is the option that overpowers all other options!

Waiting for the will of the Lord is not an easy thing for most of us to do. We tend to like our answers neat and tidy, and above all, quick. Yet God often requires us to wait on Him, which makes some of us uncomfortable, if not downright jittery.

Are you facing fiery furnaces? Trust in the Lord! He will help us come through without a tinge.

Are you facing vast seas of trouble? Trust in the Lord! He will roll back Red Seas of adversity and allow you to cross on dry ground.

To trust in the Lord is to believe that no matter what comes your way, God can handle the situation and will give you strength to face the adversity. No wonder the songwriter wrote “I will trust in the Lord, until I die!”

Isaiah boldly pronounced, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”

Hold on! For they shall mount up on wings as Eagles!

Hold on! For they shall run and not get weary!

Hold on! For they shall walk and not faint!

WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO OUR FAITH

Trust is good to hold on to, but we will have a double grip if we tie a second knot, just in case the first one slips by us. That second knot should be the knot of faith.

The most striking and impressive example of faith in God is the experience of Abraham.

Abraham received a promise from God…

Faith is not knowing how we are going to solve our problem but knowing God will make a way! Faith is driving blindly into the future guided only by the Word of God, because David has reminded us that “thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

With faith, millions of Christians have:

–fought all of their battles

–resisted all of their temptations

–endured all of their trials

–survived all of their tests

–bore all of their burdens

–performed all of their ministries.

Through faith, children of God have the inspiration to:

–resolve their difficulties

–seize their opportunities

–tackle their responsibilities

–withstand their troubles

–solve their problems

–confront their enemies.

–reach their goals

–conquer their fears

Abraham held on to his faith and held on to God’s promise!

WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO OUR PATIENCE

Finally, our text suggests that we should tie a knot in the rope of patience.

Job was perfect and upright…

There is strength in waiting on the Lord…

We live in a right now world!

We want material success –right now!

We want answers to questions–right now!

We want solutions to problems–right now

We want answers to questions–right now!

Many of us are impatient. We are so impatient that:

–We can’t wait for water to boil!

–We can’t wait for the car to warm in the winter!

–We can’t wait for the train to clear the track!

–We can’t wait until the end of a church service!

But Isaiah reminds us that they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

There is strength in waiting on the Lord!

There is power in waiting on the Lord!

Job declared, “All the days of my appointed time, I will wait until my change comes.”

Wait:

–Though men would push you to be hasty

–Though it seems like the time is too long

–Though men would call you foolish

Wait because Jesus commanded us to, “Watch ye therefore, ye know not the day” that He will return. Wait because one day He’s coming back again!

Wait just a little while longer and everything will be alright!

To learn more about how to establish, or to grow your relationship with the Lord, please complete the Virtual Connection Card on our website.

LIVE WITH GODLY EXPECTATION

Recognize this world is not our home! We are just passing through this world on our way to our eternal home. We are just strangers and pilgrims in this world.

Remember the Lord Jesus Christ is Coming Back For Us!

Realize that when Jesus returns, we will be eternally transformed!

Are you feeling cold? Not in the flesh, but in your spirit? If so, then it’s time to let God bring life back into you right now! If you want more information about how God can remove the coldness, please contact us through our Virtual Connection Card!

THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES IN LIFE. WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN IT SEEMS THAT AS SOON AS YOU OVERCOME ONE CHALLENGE, THERE IS ANOTHER ONE JUST WAITING ON YOU.

WE CANNOT TRUST GOD TOO MUCH AND OURSELVES TOO LITTLE!

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalms 34:8 (New International Version)

TRY GOD

WHEN YOU PERSONALLY KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU, YOU DO NOT MIND TELLING SOMEONE ELSE!

HIS GOODNESS NEVER GROWS OLD AND IS NEVER OUTDATED. THE MORE YOU RELY UPON IT, THE MORE RELIABLE YOU DISCOVER IT TO BE. THE MORE YOU TRUST HIS GOODNESS, THE MORE TRUSTWORTHY YOU’LL FIND HIS GOODNESS TO BE. THE MORE YOU DEPEND ON HIS GOODNESS, THE MORE DEPENDABLE YOU’LL REALIZE IT TO BE!