Why Praise God in the Storm?

Life is filled with challenges.  At some point in our brief journey on this planet, we as human beings are going to face challenges, difficulties, and obstacles. Sometimes we refer to these problems as "storms".  If that is the case, let us examine a few realities about storms:

1. Storms can be very scary 
2. Storms can be life threatening 
3. Storms do not last forever
4. After a storm, there is calm
5. Eventually, the sun shines again after a storm

When we decide to praise God in the storm, our praise to Him becomes more authentic.  Think about it: isn't it easier to praise God when there's money in our bank accounts, food in our bellies, roofs over our heads, job security, great health and great respect from our loved ones? But what happens when we lose some or all of those things?  That was what happened to Job. Job was a righteous man who feared God and shunned evil.

According to God, there was not another man like Job on the earth.  Satan tried to argue the case that the only reason that Job feared God was because God put a hedge around Job.  In other words, Satan basically tried to say that Job's praise to God wasn't real because God was protecting Job from all of life's problems.  Satan suggested that if Job lost all of his blessings and protection from God, then he would surely curse God to his face. God allowed Satan to tempt Job, therefore, to prove the point that no matter what, Job would hold on to his integrity and not curse God.

Satan went out from the presences of the LORD and inflicted every area of Job's life. Job lost his children, his job, his wealth, and his health.  Even his wife told him to curse God and die. But after losing all of what God had originally given him, Job fell down in worship to God.  Could you or I do that immediately after losing everything (including the lives of our children)?  Job struggled in his faith for some time after the disaster hit him, but at the end of the day, he sought after God with questions, concerns, and ultimately heard directly from God.  When God showed Job that he had overstepped some boundaries by indicting God the way that he had, Job repented of his sin. God blessed Job with twice as much as he had in the beginning - cf Job 1, 2, 42

While you and I are not Job, we are in a sense.  Our faith will be tested at some point to determine whether or not it is authentic. I will be the first to tell you that I don't like trials, tests, evaluations or challenges.  I wish everything could be smooth sailing in life, but it is surely not.  And like Job, we will be tested.  We might not handle the situation perfectly, but if we can hold on to our faith, we will make it!

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

REMEMBER ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Time To STOP the Bleeding!

One day Jesus encountered a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She was a woman whom the Bible says had visited several doctors hoping to find a cure.  Instead of getting better, however, she grew worse.  And to top it all off, she spent all of her money hoping to find a cure that never came.  She was Desperate to find help.  Haven't you ever been there before?Feeling desperate often lead to disastrous results.  When we are desperate, we generally do not make good decisions. We try any and everything hoping to find a remedy for the problem.  And like the bleeding woman, we get worse.

But all hope was not lost for this woman.  She heard reports about Jesus.  Upon hearing reports about Jesus, she was Determined to touch Him because she knew that He could bring her the healing that those doctors could not give her.  Her determination to get better was based upon her trust in Jesus that He could do for her what no one else could.  He could actually STOP the Bleeding! When we are determined to do the right thing, determined to help others, and determined to succeed in life, there is very little that can stop us.  Determination arouses our adrenaline, and fuels us forward in the pursuit of something better.

The woman's trust in Jesus was so great, that she thought to herself, if I just touch His garments, I will be healed! Because she acted upon her trust in Jesus, she touched His garments! Upon touching Jesus' garments, the bleeding woman was Delivered from her twelve year ailment - Mark 5:25-34.

Today, you and I may be facing a variety of challenges and trials in our lives.  We may not be bleeding, but we may be facing relationship problems of all kinds, employment issues, health crisis, financial ruin, or some massive decision that we must make that could have serious ramifications in our lives.  Jesus is still the same Lord who healed and delivered the bleeding woman from her disease.  He has the same power and the same love for each one of us. We must have the trust in Him that will lead us to touch His garments.

REMEMBER .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!!!

Failure Can Be a Good Thing

Sometimes the best medicine we need to cure us from the illness of complacency, arrogance, stagnation, and routine is failure.  That's right ... failure.  Why? When we fail at something we have pursued, worked at rigorously, and invested a lot of time, energy, resources and effort, it stuns us to know that we fell short of achieving our goal.

But here are three reasons why failure can be a good thing:

1. Failure keeps us humble. If we are always ranked #1 in our own minds or in the minds of others, that produces arrogance. No one wants to be around an arrogant person.  
2. Failure keeps us hungry. It's like a professional boxer who gets punched in the mouth and drops to the ground.  He gets angry about that, gets up, and aggressively goes after the one who knocked him down.  
3. Failure helps us focus.  When we realize that we can't always win, there's a reality check that we experience.   It puts things into proper perspective.  There's always going to be someone faster, stronger, smarter, bigger, more handsome, more beautiful, younger, more experienced, more talented and more liked than us.  That's the reality, folks! The sooner we accept these truths, the better off we become. 

Consider these famous quotes from highly successful people in their own right ...

"It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure." - Bill Gates (Microsoft co-founder and Philanthropist)

"Winning is great, sure, but if you are going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose.  Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday." - Wilma Rudolph (Olympic Champion) 

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas A. Edison (Inventor of Light Bulb) 

The Bible reminds us that none of us does the right thing all of the time - Romans 3:23.  What does that mean? It means that we have all failed God spiritually at some point in our lives by sinning against Him.  We have missed the mark or standard that He set for us. What can be more debilitating than digesting that reality? The Good News, however, is that God has compensated for our failure by sending His Son Jesus Christ to make all of us ETERNAL WINNERS!!! Through the BLOOD of Jesus Christ, we have access to God the Father and a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe! 

GOD WANTS YOU!!! 

When Life Makes No Sense

Sometimes life makes no sense.  This can happen when it seems that everyone is against us, when we've lost a job, or our health is in jeopardy, when we experience relationship problems, or maybe our friends abandoned us during difficult times.  When these series of negative events happen, it seems like life makes no sense. 

The Good News is that God doesn't abandon us! 

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." - Psalm 46:1 (NLT). 

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. God doesn't back down from a challenge or crisis! He embraces hardship, suffering, obstacles and difficulties because He knows that He has the power, resources, ability and wisdom to overcome anything that confronts Him.  This is why it is important for us to always be aligned with God, in both good times and bad times.  We need to anchor our lives upon the One who can lead us into triumph and victory!

GOD WANTS YOU!!! 

What is True Success?

<sup>Living in 21st Century America is a privilege in many ways because this country is so prosperous, wealthy, abundant, and filled with opportunities to become successful in life. But what is success? Who or what defines success, and how do you know if or when you have achieved success?

Some people define success by making a lot of money, driving the best cars, living in the best neighborhoods, being able to travel around the world at the drop of a hat, or sending your children to the best schools in the country.  How do you define success? What are you sacrificing in your life in order to obtain what you think is successful?

The Holy Bible has its own criterion for defining success.  After Moses died, God ordained Joshua to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land of Canaan. Joshua was scared initially, but God encouraged him and spoke these words:</sup>

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:7-9

According to this passage, Joshua's success and prosperity would be measured by how well he incorporated God's commands into his everyday life. God instructed the Israelites how to live healthy lives, how to love Him, their neighbors, and even foreigners.  The LORD instructed His people how to worship Him, how to take care of their new land, how to conduct themselves in marriage, and other close relationships. Adherence to these divine commands would mark true prosperity that would count into the ages.

In the New Testament, John writes a letter to his friend Gaius, and pens these words:

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." ~ 3 John 2

This verse reveals the essence of true prosperity and success. Not only is good physical health important to enjoy a good life, but taking care of our souls (our spirituality) is even more important, because it is our relationship to and with God that will transcend time. 

What are you working toward in your life? Are you wearing yourself out to obtain that which is destined to perish in a few short years, or are you investing in those things that will last beyond this world?

REMEMBER .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!