What To Do in Times of Trouble Bishop Keith Butler
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV)
Do you know what time it is? It is time to give God thanks because He is your Deliverer! In the time of trouble, you have to abound in thanksgiving to God. Thank Him for protection. Thank Him for provision. Thank Him for your food. Thank Him for your job. Thank the Father whether or not it looks like things are working. When you do, you release His ability and power.
In 2 Corinthians 4:16 it says, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not s een: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (KJV)
We have no need to faint and no need to fear. When we are in Christ, we don't gauge our future by what the stock market does. We don't gauge our future by what the news reporters say. We gauge our standing in this life by the word of God which lives and abides forever.
So I'm telling you today, don't look at all the things you are reading in the newspaper. Instead look to God. You may not see God, but you know He's there. You know He makes a way for you. So begin to thank Him for doing it right now.
In 2 Thessalonians 1:6 it says "it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you." In other words, God is going to trouble your trouble. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2 it says, "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand ."
So, know what time it is and don't be troubled. Don't be frightened. Don't be full of fear. God is pleased by our thanksgiving, and He will move in our situation. It is time now to thank God for delivering us by His mighty power!
Scripture References: 2 Thessalonians 1:6; Acts 16:25-26
Bishop Keith A. Butler is the founder and pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI, and Word of Faith Christian Center in San Antonio, TX. Bishop Butler ministers extensively in churches, conferences, and seminars throughout the U.S. and abroad with an emphasis on instruction and no-nonsense, practical application of God's Word.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
It's Better Not To Know Better Steven Furtick
My youngest son Graham lets me throw him up in the air so high that he almost goes through the ceiling. He loves it. He just turned 1 about a month ago.
His older brother Elijah used to let me do the same thing. He's 3 now, and he doesn't like it so much any more. It scares him. Didn't used to scare him, but my wife Holly says now that he's more aware of his surroundings, being thrown in the air freaks him out. I guess that's understandable.
Sometimes our awareness of our surroundings can take the naiveté out of our faith in God. When I first came to Christ, it was like I was letting Him throw me up in the air as high as He could (or would, more like it), and it never crossed my mind that this was dangerous.
It never crossed my mind that He might drop me.
If He prompted me to speak out for Him, I spoke up. If He urged me to give something to Him, I gave. If He wanted me to give up something for Him, I gave it up.
Then came mortgage payments, adult responsibilities and the like. Now I'm more aware of my surroundings. And it's a little more unnerving to get thrown up in the air.
It didn't frighten me at all when I didn't know any better...and sometimes I think it's better not to know any better.
As a child of God, and even more so as a leader, I don't ever want to become so aware of my surroundings that I stop innately trusting God because it's dangerous.
Not that we should stay in a state of perpetual childhood. It's good to grow up, to exercise wisdom, and to analyze the risks.
But when it comes time to jump, never let your awareness of your surroundings be the final factor when deciding how high to go and how much to trust.
As you finish this year strong, find confidence in the strength of the one who caught you the last time, and who is positioned to catch you again.
Steven Furtick is Pastor of Elevation Church, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under his passionate leadership, Elevation Church was named one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America. A devoted husband and father of two, you can find Steven blogging at www.stevenfurtick.com
My youngest son Graham lets me throw him up in the air so high that he almost goes through the ceiling. He loves it. He just turned 1 about a month ago.
His older brother Elijah used to let me do the same thing. He's 3 now, and he doesn't like it so much any more. It scares him. Didn't used to scare him, but my wife Holly says now that he's more aware of his surroundings, being thrown in the air freaks him out. I guess that's understandable.
Sometimes our awareness of our surroundings can take the naiveté out of our faith in God. When I first came to Christ, it was like I was letting Him throw me up in the air as high as He could (or would, more like it), and it never crossed my mind that this was dangerous.
It never crossed my mind that He might drop me.
If He prompted me to speak out for Him, I spoke up. If He urged me to give something to Him, I gave. If He wanted me to give up something for Him, I gave it up.
Then came mortgage payments, adult responsibilities and the like. Now I'm more aware of my surroundings. And it's a little more unnerving to get thrown up in the air.
It didn't frighten me at all when I didn't know any better...and sometimes I think it's better not to know any better.
As a child of God, and even more so as a leader, I don't ever want to become so aware of my surroundings that I stop innately trusting God because it's dangerous.
Not that we should stay in a state of perpetual childhood. It's good to grow up, to exercise wisdom, and to analyze the risks.
But when it comes time to jump, never let your awareness of your surroundings be the final factor when deciding how high to go and how much to trust.
As you finish this year strong, find confidence in the strength of the one who caught you the last time, and who is positioned to catch you again.
Steven Furtick is Pastor of Elevation Church, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under his passionate leadership, Elevation Church was named one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America. A devoted husband and father of two, you can find Steven blogging at www.stevenfurtick.com
Closing Well - Dave Burchett
For twenty year-five years I have directed Texas Rangers baseball. And all of those seasons have taught me a valuable spiritual lesson from the National Pastime. I have learned how important it is to be a good closer.
In baseball parlance the closer is the pitcher who comes into the game in the last inning to protect the lead and finish off the win. It all comes down to the closer. If he does well the collective efforts of eight position players and the pitchers that proceeded will have a happy ending. If the closer fails all of that effort is wasted. There is nothing more demoralizing than playing a great game for eight innings and seeing it all blow-up in the last one. So what is the spiritual lesson learned from a baseball closer?
Closing out well is critical as a follower of Christ. I am praying and seeking to be a good closer in my faith walk with Jesus. Sadly that is not a given. Many great men of the Bible did not finish well. They allowed the efforts of many around them to end in frustration and anguish because they did not close well. The honest portrayal of human success and failing is something I love about God’s Word. It is one important aspect that makes the Bible unique and real.
The successes and failures are equally displayed. Men with great stories still managed to not close well. Examples? How about the story of Saul? How sad to hear words like this at the end of your journey.
“How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have disobeyed the command of the LORD your God. Had you obeyed, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your dynasty must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already chosen him to be king over his people, for you have not obeyed the LORD's command." (1 Sam 13, NLT)
Imagine when the prophet came to Eli and proclaimed this dire message. What a kick in the spiritual gut this must have been.
"Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The terrible things you are doing cannot continue! I had promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor only those who honor me, and I will despise those who despise me."
I would be willing to imagine that Saul and Eli were planning on closing well. They had moments of great leadership and fellowship with God. But they couldn’t close. You know that Saul’s story ended in madness. The results for Levi’s sons were horrific. His family needed a man who could start well, stay strong, and close it out with integrity and faith.
I want to finish strong. I want to close this journey with an effort that honors the One who was willing to finish for me. Paul understood athletics. Sports can be a good metaphor for life and he knew that well. At the end of my life race I have a couple of options that I could hear.
a) You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. (Gal 5)
b) You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. (2 Tim 4)
I choose b) for the words I want to hear.
I pray that I will close well.
Dave Burchett is an Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and Christian speaker. He is the author of When Bad Christians Happen to Good People and Bring'em Back Alive: A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church. For more information on Dave, log onto www.daveburchett.com
For twenty year-five years I have directed Texas Rangers baseball. And all of those seasons have taught me a valuable spiritual lesson from the National Pastime. I have learned how important it is to be a good closer.
In baseball parlance the closer is the pitcher who comes into the game in the last inning to protect the lead and finish off the win. It all comes down to the closer. If he does well the collective efforts of eight position players and the pitchers that proceeded will have a happy ending. If the closer fails all of that effort is wasted. There is nothing more demoralizing than playing a great game for eight innings and seeing it all blow-up in the last one. So what is the spiritual lesson learned from a baseball closer?
Closing out well is critical as a follower of Christ. I am praying and seeking to be a good closer in my faith walk with Jesus. Sadly that is not a given. Many great men of the Bible did not finish well. They allowed the efforts of many around them to end in frustration and anguish because they did not close well. The honest portrayal of human success and failing is something I love about God’s Word. It is one important aspect that makes the Bible unique and real.
The successes and failures are equally displayed. Men with great stories still managed to not close well. Examples? How about the story of Saul? How sad to hear words like this at the end of your journey.
“How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have disobeyed the command of the LORD your God. Had you obeyed, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your dynasty must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already chosen him to be king over his people, for you have not obeyed the LORD's command." (1 Sam 13, NLT)
Imagine when the prophet came to Eli and proclaimed this dire message. What a kick in the spiritual gut this must have been.
"Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The terrible things you are doing cannot continue! I had promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor only those who honor me, and I will despise those who despise me."
I would be willing to imagine that Saul and Eli were planning on closing well. They had moments of great leadership and fellowship with God. But they couldn’t close. You know that Saul’s story ended in madness. The results for Levi’s sons were horrific. His family needed a man who could start well, stay strong, and close it out with integrity and faith.
I want to finish strong. I want to close this journey with an effort that honors the One who was willing to finish for me. Paul understood athletics. Sports can be a good metaphor for life and he knew that well. At the end of my life race I have a couple of options that I could hear.
a) You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. (Gal 5)
b) You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. (2 Tim 4)
I choose b) for the words I want to hear.
I pray that I will close well.
Dave Burchett is an Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and Christian speaker. He is the author of When Bad Christians Happen to Good People and Bring'em Back Alive: A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church. For more information on Dave, log onto www.daveburchett.com
Friday, 7 November 2008
FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS
There are times when the world turns dark and we have nowhere to turn but to the creator! The only hope we have is Jesus. If you have ever felt like the poem below, I implore you turn your eyes, your hope on Jesus. He will NEVER forsake you He will NEVER leave you, He is the begining and the end.
I HAVE A FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS
A HARVEST OF SHATTERED HOPE THAT LIES SCATTERED UPON THE GROUND.
WHEN I WALK THROUGH MY FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS
AND EXAMINE THE HOPELESSNESS
I HAVE TO TIPTOE THROUGH THE BROKENESS OF MY LIFE
HOW DESPERATE HOW DESPERATE AND THEN....
I SCREAM AND SCREAM IN SILENT SURRENDER
AND GIVE THEM UP ON THE ALTER OF MY EGO.
COME AND LOOK
COME AND SEE
BUT, STEP CAREFULY NOW
WALK SOFTLY
THE RAZOR SHARP SHARDS
OF EVERY BROKEN DREAM
CAN DESTROY YOU
CAN KILL YOU
LOOK AT MY SOUL
IT IS BLEEDING
IT IS DEAD!
Sharmaine Anna Dobson
Copyright International Library
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