Moving Forward: Forgetting Those Things that are Behind You

Moving Forward and Not Back

            I had the same old cellphone for years. I could have upgraded it years ago, but I was so comfortable with it that I didn’t. Everyone told me to get a new phone~even the phone company. But, I was happy. So, I refused to change.

It took one of my friends describing to me in detail all of the great things she could do with her phone like download coupons, pay her bills, and shop online. To be honest, it was the coupon thing that won me over. So, after years of keeping an old phone, I decided to upgrade. I was excited. I rushed to the phone place and got a new phone. End of story, right? Wrong!

After I got the new phone home, I realized it was different from my old phone. I didn’t know how to use it. I was more complicated, and I was frustrated. I decided to get in my car and head back to the store to get my old phone and old plan back. Then, the light came on. All I needed was for someone to show me how to work the phone, and most tutorials are on YouTube or the phone company’s website. I was ready to get rid of a perfectly good phone and go back to something obsolete just because it was something I wasn’t used to.  

How many times have we done that on our walk with God? How many times have we wanted to throw in the towel because things weren’t going the way we thought they should? We cry out, “It’s too hard, Lord” or “I can’t do it.” We act like the children of Israel who complained. They wanted to go back to Egypt, a place where they had been in bond. They forgot that they had no freedom there. They forgot that they had been slaves. They forgot how meaningless their lives and the lives of their children were to the Egyptians. All they could remember was the food that they ate while they were there.

And, we forget all the pain we felt when we were bound by our sins. We forget how sad we were when we were out at the clubs all night looking for someone to love us. We forget how tired we were of our alcohol or drug addicts. We forget how felt worthless every time we gave in to temptation. All we remember is the high we got from overspending or from seeing those flashing lights. We don’t remember the looks of disappoint on the faces of our families, our loved one, or even ourselves. So, instead of focusing on how good we felt then and how much we are hurting now, focus on the end result. Focus on God.

            As the bible states, we should forget those things which are behind, and press on toward the mark of a higher calling. We can’t live our lives looking back. We have to press forward. God tells us that he will do a “new thing”. So, we must learn to trust God and be prepared to accept the “new thing”. Remember, weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

 

Philippians 3:13

Luke 9:62

Isaiah 43:18-19

Psalms 30:5

Persistence as Christians

 

Persistence

I will be the first to admit that I don’t have all of the virtues of a good Christian. I find myself being impatient. There are times when I find myself fighting doubt especially when I look at my wallet and it is empty, and there is a bill that is due. I know God promised to supply our needs. I know God has come through for me time after time, but there are days when I am find myself having to do battle in my mind. It’s one thing to speak faith, and other to truly live it. So, yes, I fall short sometimes in the patient’s department. And, sometimes, I get weak in the faith department. However, when it comes to persistence, I can be relentless. Psst…my mother calls it stubbornness, but I call it determination.

Luke 18:1-6 is one of my favorite parables. It is the story of the persistent widow. This woman justice, so she went to the judge. She didn’t just stop by and state her case. She came by every day. The widow didn’t stop when people began to talk about her. She didn’t stop going because she was tired. She didn’t pay the stares of people any attention. The judge had something she wanted…justice. And, she was determined to get it. Eventually, the judge got tired of her coming and decided to give her what she wanted.

As Christians, we must be persistent. We can’t give up when times are hard. We must continue to press on. We can’t stop praying for that wayward child or straying husband. We have to press on in prayer and in praise. We have to be like the woman with an issue of blood. We have to know that “if we can just reach the hem of his garment”. We have to know that God will provide justice for us. He hears our prayers. Even when it seems like he isn’t working, he is. God is working it all out for our good.

Habakkuk says “For the vision is yet for an appointed time…though it tarry, wait for it.” God is a just judge. He will provide a just answer.

So, don’t give up on that sinner for whom you are praying. It is our privilege and our duty to stand in the gap for the lost.

Don’t lose hope. That the situation on your job will change. God will change the circumstances or he will change you.

Pray and press on!

Luke 18: 1-6

Habakkuk 2:2-3

Luke 8:43-48

Mommy Is This Real?: Learning to Recognize the Truth

Mommy Is This Real?

There used to be a show called Kids Say the Darnest Things. Well, this is definitely true. Kids do say the darnest things. But, I have to give them credit. Sometimes, they can say some of the most profound things that you have ever heard. Just the other day my youngest son was happened by a show on television. I can’t remember what it was at the time, but I didn’t even think he was watching it. Then, out of the blue, he says, “Momma, it that real”. I looked at him and said, “No, son. It’s just a television show.” And, then I thought about what he said: Is this real? Well, is it?

How often have we gotten ourselves involved in situations that leave use confused and disoriented? We, like children, have gotten our reality mixed up with fiction. We have allowed Satan to play mind games with us.

Satan likes to make us think that certain things are real when they are not. He wants us to think that “good people” never finish first. Satan wants us to believe the lies that the world tells us. Lies about how we should dress…Lies about how we should act. Lies. Lies. Lies.

I have listened to my students talking about the latest music video and what the stars are doing. Sadly, so many of them think that what those stars say in their songs or what they see on those videos is how life really is. But, it’s not. That's why we are warned to guard our eyes.

All women are not tots. All women don’t just want money or are nagging baby mommas. Unfortunately, our children have gotten reality mixed up with fiction. And, we are just as guilty.

We have fallen victim to Satan’s lies about reality. But, we must realize that we are not to be like the world, but different. We have to keep our minds clear, and our reality checked.

Here are some truths:

Today’s woman does not have to wear a dress that could double for a top in order to get and keep a man. Besides, a godly man doesn’t want us show off the goodies anyway. Godly women don’t let any and everybody in the Candy Shop.

Our boys need to know that they don’t have to act like a thug in order to be successful. The dope business isn’t the only business a black man can be successful in.

Our children are not dumb. We can turn our schools around. As prayer warriors, we are the ones called to fight for our youth.

Hello!

The reality is that we must take back our children. We must take back our school. We must take back our community. We must stop sitting idly by and waiting for someone else to save us. The reality is that we must wake up. We must arm ourselves with the word. We must teach our children the truth and help them put on the whole armor of God. We must help to recognize that “No, Satan’s tricks aren’t real.”

 

Ephesians 6: 10-18

Psalms 101: 3

Bow Down and Worship Him

Bow Down

As Christians, I hope we all know the significance of bowing down. It is a symbol of our submission to God and his authority. It is an acknowledgement of our willingness to be led by Him. It is always a sign of honor. We are honoring our God when we bow down.

I like to walk in the evenings, and the other day as I was walking, I saw some birds. They were scurrying around and making noise. Some were singing. And, some were screaming out a warning that danger~little ole me~was approaching. As I watched one bird, I noticed something amazing. Instead of flying away the closer I came, it sat down in the grass and began to bow its head down. I continued to walk. I got a little closer, and the bird bowed down even further. I was dumbfounded. It came to me. Even the bird know to bow down. When danger threatened, the little bird did not just take off. It bowed down and waited. And, as Christians, we must learn to do the same.

When we face hard times or when the enemy comes up against us like a flood, we need to bow down. We need to turn off the world and turn on God. Just as the bird bowed down, we need to bow down in submission. We need to bow down in praise.

It is when we honor God that He honors us. He hears our prayers. He knows our distress. He is waiting for us to simply bow down and worship Him. He is waiting for us to cry out to Him for protection.

When King David was in trouble, he always turned to the Master. When the Amalekites had taken his wives and children and fled in 1 Samuel 30:8, David called unto the Lord for guidance. Whenever he was in despair, David called to God.

 How awesome it is to be able call to our Father and know that he hears and will answer us. So, like the birds, we need to know how important it is for us to honor God by bowing down to Him and his majesty.

 

When you know where your help comes from…when you realize just how powerful God is, it becomes easy to bow down and worship Him.

As Psalms 95: 6-7 says, “Come, let us worship and bow down…”   

Philippians 2: 10

2 Chronicles 2: 12-14

Daniel 6: 10

Acts 20: 36

Thank God for Your Haters

 

Thank God for Your Haters

How often have we encountered people who make us mad…people who hurt us…or people who downright hate us? If you are like me, you seem to run into these people at the time when you think that you are making personal or professional gains. I can remember thinking one time, “Dog, if it wasn’t for --, this would be an awesome place to work.” I didn’t realize that I was allowing someone to dictate my day. I was giving this person power over me. The reality is that our haters are a part of our lives, and we should thank God for them.

I know you are probably thinking that I am crazy. Who need haters? Who wants haters? I do. We all do. Why? Because it is the people who annoy us or who plot against us that help us to reach our full potential. They force us to work harder and give it our best. They force us to pray more and with more sincerity. It is our haters that propel us into our destiny.

I can remember working on a project at work. I was doing the project, but I wasn’t all that concerned about it. However, my nemesis decided to make a comment about how much better the project would be if she was the one doing it. Well, what do you think this made me do? It made me care. It made me suddenly want to give it my best. I worked so much harder on that project just to show her that I was just as capable as she was.

When we look at the bible, we see so many examples of people having to deal with “haters”. Take Joseph, for example, he was hated by his brothers. His brothers went as far as to plot his murder. Thankfully, Joseph wasn’t murdered, but he was sold into Egypt as a slave. Why? This all happened because his brothers recognized a greatness in him, and they were jealous. This also happened because Joseph was arrogant. Joseph was blessed. He knew he was blessed. And, he wanted everyone else to know he was blessed. Joseph’s arrogant attitude was not what God wanted. He needed a humble man. So, he allowed him to learn humility as a slave and as a prisoner. Despite everything he went through, Joseph eventually rose to the greatness that had been promised him.

If Joseph’s brothers had not sold him into slavery, he would never have been in Egypt at the time God needed him. If Joseph’s haters, his brothers, had not been jealous, a whole nation would have perished. God, in his infinite wisdom, knew what was ahead. So, he positioned Joseph to be at the right place at the right time. What Joseph’s enemies meant for his harm worked out for his good.

So, as we face the challenges of today and the people who hate us, remember they are only there as stepping stones. They are helping to take us to the next level. Your haters are just a set up for your blessing.

Psalms 23: 5

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows

 

Genesis 50:20

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

Even This: Even the Bad Things are Working for Your Good

 

Even This

Each of us have times in our lives when we experience something that we feel is unfair or simply unbearable. I know I have. I have experienced times in my career when people bullied me, mistreated me, or did things to try to get me fired or make me look bad. I can remember wondering why. I couldn’t understand why people who could care less about their jobs or who didn’t like teaching or children that seem to be sailing through work every day. No one came to harass them. No one questioned their every choice. But, me, that was a different story. I just didn’t get it. I loved teaching. I loved children. So, why was I the one always singled out?

Now that I have grown in Christ, I can see what was really going on. Yes, I was a Christian at the time, but I wasn’t as mature as I am now. So, what do I now see? I see Christ. I see that God was in the mist of the trouble preparing me for a blessing. I see that instead of stressing and fighting and not sleeping I should have had faith in God. I should have kicked in cruise because “all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord”.

I know Joseph must have felt abandon and lost during those years he spent in the prison in Egypt. I have never been to prison, but I can imagine the loneliness he felt being away from his family. I can imagine the disappointment he felt when he remembered his dreams of greatness. I am sure there were times he even questioned God’s purpose.

But, what Joseph didn’t know was that God was putting him in position. He was putting him in the right place at the right time. He was stuck in Egypt to save his family when the famine came. He was in prison learning some humility. Joseph was having an “Even This” experience.

I have had some “Even This” experience. Those experiences have help to make me stronger. They were increasing my faith.

As my pastor, Dr. Robert Nix, likes to say, “It didn’t happen by chance”. Even the bad things turn into blessings.

So, as you face the problems of today, remember that “even this” is working for your good. Amen. Amen.

Genesis 37

After the Rain: God's Blessings are Coming After the Rain

 

After the Rain

I love springtime. However, there are two things that I don’t like about spring. They are the storms and the long periods of rain. Last week, it rain almost none stop. Everyone began to complain about the weather. I even started to wonder when it was going to stop. Someone jokingly asked “Is it going to rain for 40 days and 40 nights?” Thankfully, after almost two straight weeks of rain, the sun came out. As I was enjoying the beautiful sunshine, God spoke to my heart. He whispered into my spirit, “After the Rain”.

As I looked around, I noticed something. After the rain passed, the grass was greener and new life was bursting forth everywhere. Flowers were blooming. Birds were singing. It was amazing. And, just like nature begin to flourish after the rain, so can we. We can become stronger, better, and more beautiful after the rain.

We don’t have to be defeated by our current situations. We don’t have to be held down because of our past. We don’t have to be discouraged because of what our finances look like. Yes, it may be raining in your life today. But, that doesn’t mean the rain will last forever. Change is coming. The sun will eventually break through. But, what do you do in the meantime?

In the meantime, give praise to God. Thank God for his faithfulness. Even thank God for the rain because the rain is change you. It is molding you. Just like nature grows and flourishes after the rain, so will you. We have to remember that it is God who sends the rain as well as the sunshine. Without the rain, there would be no growth. God has orchestrated the events of our life. He is using the rain for His purpose and of our own good. We must remember that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.

 

So, instead of focusing on the negative. Focus on the positive. Go ahead and praise God for the change he is working in you. Thank him for increasing your faith because after this you will have sunshine.

Amen!

Isaiah 55:9-11