The Struggle before the Peace

December 10, 2008

By: Samuel Crawford Jr.

The Struggle is something I have to embrace, why because it confronts me face to face. ….THE STRUGGLE….

The struggle is like the wind on a cold winter day, biting as it blows across the face.  A threat it brings and a sting it does too, if left uncovered you are through.

It doesn’t ask if you, it may touch.  It doesn’t ask if you even mind if it blows.  It just blows and blows, causing shivers to run from your head to your toes. 

It makes you wish you had a heavier coat, but in your face it does gloat.  It knows there is nothing you can do to move it; it knows that there is nothing you can do to it.

Oh so much the wind is like the devil, thinking he is on another level.  The wind has it’s devices to make you think that you have no control; the wind is as satan a defeated foe.

The devil likes to blow our direction, hoping to divert our faith and attention.  As he did with the disciples in a boat out at sea, satan sent a storm to overturn their faith.

The wind blew and blew, every disciple knew there was power, and there was destruction.  They knew that this storm was meant to bring the end.

But something happened as they cried out…Jesus awoke out of His sleep.  Opening His eyes He took a peek, to see just what had caused His disciples to struggle.

Of course Jesus knew what they faced; He only wanted to increase their faith.  So He slept in order to allow this storm to come.

Yet when their struggle caused them to grow weak, they began to cry out, Jesus save us, for me this is too much!  Lord, if you don’t do something we’re all going down.

A moment longer, Jesus let the winds blow, still allowing the waves it created to crash onto the boat.  Then slowly He stood, raised His hands and spoke, “Peace, be still!”

That very moment the wind stood still, and the sea became as a sheet of glass.  No sign was left that there was ever any trouble.  The clouds in the sky left on the double.

Jesus asks them, “Why did you fear?”  “Have you no faith?”  He reminds them that with every temptation, God has made a way out.

The disciples ask, “What kind of man is this that the wind and the waves obey Him?”  Than there comes a laugh, as the disciples realize that there never really was any trouble.

The wind has no image and no one knows where it comes from or where it goes.  Yet it is a reality that we all must face, because it affects us day to day.

The disciples realize, like the wind on a cold winter day, that you can’t stop the wind from coming your way.  You can’t stop the waves from beating, to overturn your vessel.

Notice that Jesus never stopped the storm from coming.  He never diverted the waves from their boat.  He never even told them what they would face that day.

It is the same for us; we go through struggles that we never imagined.  We face things we thought God should have saved us from.

We feel alone as though no one is there and no one even cares.  We look for an answer, a way out and in the end all we can do is shout; “Jesus do you even care?”

For my world is in chaos, I don’t know what to do.  Jesus do you hear me?  What do I do?  Lord, do You care we are perishing?  Do you care that we drown?

Lord, do You care I have cancer?  Or that I struggle to remain pure?  Do you care that I am lonely?  Do you care that I have no money for rent?

Lord, do you see me, trying to do right?  Lord, do you hear me crying in the night?  Lord, do You care for me at all?  Or am I just talking to the wall?

That’s what we sometimes think as we try to do His will.  Often times battered and discouraged from a hard long fight.

As the disciples learned so must we, that Jesus is the one that set us on this path.  He knew the way we were going to go. 

He knew what awaited us and what we would do.  He knew how it would begin and even how it would end.  Yet, He didn’t stop it from happening.

He knew we would meet something to challenge our faith.  He knew we’d struggle at times to keep the faith.  He knew, HE KNEW!!!

Does that mean He DOES NOT CARE, since He let it happen?  Does it mean God is not real because trouble happens?

NO!!!  Jesus came to bring us life.  Jesus came to show us a better way.  Jesus came to die for us.  Jesus came to heal the sick!

Jesus came to destroy the devil’s works.  Jesus came to deliver His people.  Jesus came to give us hope.  Jesus came to show us the way.

Jesus came to restore that which was lost.  Jesus came with words of life.  Jesus came because there was no other way! 

Jesus knows the troubles and struggles that we face, and still He says nothing to cause us to change direction.  But He does give us promises to hold onto while we stay the course!

I may have to embrace the struggle, but the battle is not mine alone.  Jesus said He is with us even unto the end, but in Him we must depend.

Jesus never said that it was going to be easy, that you never will struggle.  He never said we won’t be sick or won’t get laid off.

Jesus never said there won’t be persecutions and trouble.  He never said you’re on your own.  Jesus never said you’d always have a place to call home.

It is true we all have different trials that we all must face, but it is important for us to remember He has given us His grace.

Jesus told the Apostle Paul, when he prayed THREE different times to remove the thorn from his side that “My grace is sufficient for you!”

Jesus didn’t take the thing that was causing Paul much pain and suffering away.  Instead, told him that He had given him grace to endure it.

The struggles we face and pray constantly for God to remove us from are the same as the thorn in Paul’s side.  It causes us pain and much suffering.

It puts our faith on the spot, will we believe Him or not?  Jesus tells us that He gave us grace and now it is time for us to have faith. 

These struggles are not to make us give up, but for us to have our faith in God increase as He brings us out.  For surely IF GOD put us in it He will surely bring us out. 

Today you may be struggling with Finances, Loneliness, Relationship Challenges, Depression, Rejection, Challenges at Work, Terminal Illness, Changes, Career Transition, Stress, Death of a loved one, Low Self-Esteem, Insecurities, Lose of Job and many other things, but there is ONE message that Jesus wants you to know through your struggle…That when the time is right Jesus cares enough to stand up for YOU, raise His hands and say to your situations “PEACE, BE STILL!!!”   It doesn’t matter what it is, the situation will have to listen.  God just wants you to have faith in HIM!!!  Remember, He doesn’t always take away all of the problems we face, but if we will trust in him, when we have endured as a good soldier in Christ Jesus, He will deliver us!!!  JESUS LOVES YOU AND CARES ENOUGH FOR YOU TO STAND UP, RAISE HIS HANDS AND SAY TO THE SITUATIONS YOU FACE…PEACE BE STILL!!!!!

A historic vote or a vote on issues?

2 September 2008

Written by:  Samuel Crawford Jr

This year’s election is definitely an election that is historic in every way.  There has never been such an election in our history.  Men and women of diverse backgrounds are making groundbreaking moments in our great American history.  This election has so much promise in our beliefs of equal rights, civil rights and freedom to choose a leader. But are we going to vote for history or on issues?

As I look at the excitement of the voters I can’t help but notice that there are many that are excited to vote because they feel they are helping make history.  I have to agree history is about to be made, but is that a reason to vote? 

There are so many issues, questions and promises being toted around in this election.  BOTH parties are offering change as one of their promises.  Reformation and change speak the same message, but will the change promised be good or not so good? 

I am just concerned that too many will vote for history and not for our interests as a nation.  This blog is not to point to one candidate as being better than the other, but to point to the conscience of the voters and cause us all to take a look at our motives for voting. 

WHY are you voting?  What is your motive?  Are you voting against your beliefs or are you keeping with your beliefs?  Is the team you voting for best fit to run the country?  Are they serious?  What are THEIR motives?  What type of campaign are they running?  The type of campaign they run will be the exact same type of office they will run.  If there is deceit in their campaign it will be in their office.  If there is honesty in the campaign; it will also be in the office.

These are the very things that have caused me to blog this thought.  I have thought to myself and have seen it all through the coverage too many are focusing on the description of the individuals and not on their qualifications.  If by chance any candidate reads this tell me WHY SHOULD I VOTE FOR YOU???  I know your race, I know your different, I know your sex, and I know you promise reform…Now tell me what you plan to do with the country I live in, the country I believe in and the country I want to have faith in.  What will you offer?  WHAT will you change and HOW will you change it? 

Please tell me because I am not voting to make history but rather to further the destiny of the United States of America.  I want the truth and not just promise, I am not voting for promises but for actions.  I am not interested in hearing your grips and complaints about the other party member.  I am interested in hearing what reasons you have for running for the President of the United States of America. 

In my closing I want to ask you as a voter why are you voting?  Do you really know the issues that are important to our destiny as a Nation and if you do does the person you plan on voting for have a plan on achieving the answer to our issues?  Or are you voting to make history? 

Whom shall I send?

A Word from the Lord

27 May 08

Whom shall I send to the aid of Jerusalem?

Whom shall I send?

I sent My prophets they heard not,

I sent My Son and they rejected Him!

whom shall I send?

Who will they believe?

They seek a sign, I gave them the Gospel. They wanted more, I gave them the apostles. 

Oh Jerusalem…Whom shall I send?

What must I do to help you see?

I am the Christ, the one you seek. 

You say blessed is he who prays for thee,

Yet when I sent to you the peace,

You rejected it and said it wasn’t from Me.

Oh Jerusalem will you see?

The answer you have been looking for is really Me!

What will it take for you to believe?

Will you believe before it’s too late?

Jerusalem, Jerusalem tell your watchman to awake!

The coming destruction will be the worst yet!

There is only ONE WAY to be kept,

Pray for the Holy Ghost, you’ll know when He comes.

He will fill you and you will be speaking in other tongues.

Pray for My Holy Ghost

To come,

For it is the peace of New Jerusalem…A free gift,

My only begotten Son.

Jesus Christ.

Through these tears

By Samuel Crawford

21 May 2008

Through the pouring tears I press on,

Wondering if my time will ever come,

I have been waiting for so long,

But through these tears I must press on,

My tears flow from the pains of life,

Life is full of heartaches and strife,

I often wonder what I have done,

But through these tears I must press on,

My heart cries for the hurts inside,

It is always the last thing to be found,

Yet it is the first thing torn down,

But through these tears I must press on,

Something is missing, something is gone,

My joy has been replaced by sorrow and despair,

It is all because something is not there,

But through these tears I must press on,

My heart used to sing happy songs,

Now my heart hears words to sad poems,

Why all the crying, why all the pain,

But through these tears I must press on,

So many tears my eyes have poured,

Each a reminder of the pain I have endured,

Many tears have obscured my vision,

But through these tears I must press on,

Because my tears just pour and pour,

I find that I’m at a place I can’t take anymore,

Something must happen, something must change,

So through these tears I must press on,

These tears I cry do not go unnoticed,

Someone is there gathering them into a bottle,

While Jesus is writing them into His book,

So through these tears I must press on,

Jesus is my strength and He holds me tight,

We talk before He tucks me in for the night,

He tells me to rest and be, He is looking out for me

So through these tears I must press on,

Jesus is always listening for His that cry,

He has a special place in His heart for you and I,

He shows up to bring comfort to my weary eyes,

So that THROUGH THESE TEARS I CAN PRESS ON!!!

This poem is written, yet may get changed.  I wrote this tonight through some jumbled thoughts and tears.  I wonder if anyone will even read this, would they understand it if they did.  Through these tears is the name of the poem, because it seems there is not many days they don’t come.  It is not always good and it is not always bad, but that doesn’t change the fact they still come.  This is my heart shown to you, if you are reading this I thank you.  You took time for me that you didn’t have to.  There is something I am missing that is the cause of this poem; it could be the end of what just began.  But if it is from God this is only the rough start and the best is yet to come!  Anyways, this poem I will edit it when I can, just to make sure it makes good sense, since it is so late in the morning.  So to all of you who feel this poem, and have been crying in the midst of your storms….I pray that God gives you the strength; because through YOUR tears you have to PRESS ON!!!

Blessings, Samuel…The Worshiper with a Word

The process of elimination!

13 May 2008

The process of elimination is a process that rules out the more obvious things and helps you narrow your focus onto the possibilities or the exact answer desired.  This process is used in practically every facet of life; whether it is buying food, cars, houses, what school to attend and etc.  The one place many fail to apply this process is in their spiritual walk with God.  We put ourselves through more than we should because we do not use this process to help clear our minds of needless clutter.  We can be so much happier and freer to focus on the things God has given us to do; if we eliminate some things.

Many times we are confronted with the question, “Which path do I take?”  Another good question we ask is, “Is this God’s will for my life?” or even “What is God’s will for my life?”  These questions have answers and often times there are distractions keeping us from seeing the answers.  So, we apply the process!

The enemy always tries to work confusion into our lives by bringing distractions and false hopes.  If the devil can distract us long enough we will miss the opportunities God has placed before us.  And again if we chose the wrong thing we miss the opportunities God has presented us.  He works at keeping us confused; he also loves to have misunderstandings break up the blessings of God.  Remember he comes to kill, to steal and to destroy!  He doesn’t care how he has to do it, he just does it.

That is why it is so important to utilize this process.  God is the author of peace; He always works through peace and love.  He never brings confusion or fear upon you!  In fact the oneness of God helps us to see the results of applying the process more thoroughly!  God is One is every aspect; there is only ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE CREATOR, ONE SAVIOR, ONE EARTH, ONE SUN, ONE MOON, ONE UNIVERSE, ONE GOD!  God always has ONE way and ONE sure answer.  The only answer to sin is JESUS CHRISTS BLOOD!  The ONE way to heaven is through JESUS CHRIST!  There is only ONE with God.  He presents you ONE way; His way!  But in doing so He also allows us to see what happens when we don’t choose His way!  It is His Way or the way of destruction; it is life or death, His blessings for obedience or the cursing for disobedience, and His will or our will. They all say the same thing and only ONE way is the way that leads you to Him and His promises. 

God through His word has already laid out the pros and cons of following Him.  He tells us to chose life, that we may live.  He lets us know the things that are good to desire and even the things that are not good to desire.  Three of the best books for weighing these pros and cons are; Deuteronomy, Proverbs and the book of John.  These three books spell out the pros and cons very effectively.  They provide a balance that expresses that the most positive choice is always the one God wants you to choose.  They also do a great job showing the consequences for not choosing the thing God wants you to. 

Maybe right now you are looking at some choices before you right now wondering which way is right for you.  It is not a coincidence that God has opened the door for you to be reading this right now; God intended on you reading this to help you make that decision!  God is telling you to apply the process of elimination, so that you can see what He wants you to see.

Start evaluating the pros and cons of the situation you are dealing with. If the thing is against God’s Word and His will for you; than it is a con.  If it is bad, destructive, or has a negative impact on you spiritually; it is a con.  When the things line up with God’s Word, they line up with God’s will for you; than it is a pro.  If it is good for you, is beneficial, or has a positive impact on you spiritually than it is a pro.  Before I go on I must point out that not all negatives and positives are evidence of pros and cons.  There are some things God tells us to do; that do not appear to be good for us, beneficial to us and is actually the thing God wants us to do.  Some choices He gives us require a sacrifice.  There are likewise some things that could benefit you at the moment, but later on end up hurting you, so always when examining the pros and cons acknowledge God so that He will guide you in knowing which is which!

After weighing the pros and the cons you should be able to clearly see the thing for you, the things you are to focus on, the things needing eliminated, the things that are not for you and so much more.  You will be able to see more than you were able to see before and that will help you to know what the next step is going to be.

In your life today, begin the process of elimination; see it help you in your questions and choices you have to make!  Trust in God as you commit to this process and He will guide you in your choices!  Remember to acknowledge Him in all your paths and He shall direct your steps.  For the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.  He will show you the thing and shortly bring it to pass.

Jeremiah 29:11 through Jeremiah 29:14 (KJV) ¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ¹²Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. ¹³And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. ¹⁴And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Follow Me and I will Make YOU!!!

Written By: Samuel Crawford

Matthew 4:19

5 May 2008

Sometimes in our life we feel for God to use us we have to be something great already!  But in Matthew 4:19 God shows us that we need not be great at all when He calls you!  The thing I love about God is how sure He is about YOU!!!  He is so confident in what HE can do that He says come as you are, just follow me and I will do the rest! 

God didn’t call the greatest on earth to be the greatest in His Kingdom!  He called the least of all, to make them the greatest of all!  The first shall be last and the last shall be first.  He that wants to be the greatest in the kingdom must be the servant of all! 

God lets us know He is not concerned with what you have to offer.  He is more concerned with what He is going to make you!  Jesus says in; Matthew 4:19 and he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Italics and bold print mine)   Jesus let them know to just follow Me and I will give you that which you will need to catch men.  Jesus didn’t give them a hook, nets, or poles to catch men naturally, but He gave it to them spiritually! 

They were fishermen, they knew what it meant to fish and the things needed to fish.  They didn’t question Him, they didn’t ask what do we need, they did even try to bring what they had!  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  They left the tools they knew were essential to fishing, they left the familiar things, they just immediately followed. 

The fact that the Bible points out that they did this immediately lets us know these were men with dreams!  They may have not dreamed of fishing as their way of living, these men may have desired to be servants in the house of God, but because they were fisherman they had a certain odor about them that caused them to be rejected.  Though they were Jews, though they were God’s chosen, they were not treated as others.  Most fishers in their time were unlearned, meaning they didn’t get to go to school; they couldn’t read and didn’t have knowledge outside of what they did.

For these men to be chosen over all the others was an insult to the Pharisees and Sadducees.  They took great pride in their education, their knowledge of tradition and every other thing they could obtain to add to what they considered their worth.  Yet, Jesus rejected them and chose some men that were working hard, trying to be something in life! 

These fishermen were entrepreneurs, they had a dream, and the Word verifies this when it says they were business partners.  These uneducated men were trying to fulfill dreams in their lives to be more than what they were.  So, immediately when presented with an opportunity to be something presented itself, they didn’t think twice.  They left it all to be what ever Christ would make them to be, they just knew they were going to be fishers of men, no longer of smelly fish.

The scriptures help us to understand what these fishermen faced every time they went out to catch fish. Every description of a boat, ship or vessel upon the waters is the type of situations these fishermen faced daily.  Some days the water would be calm, other days the storms would threaten their lives.  The waves would toss a ship where ever it wanted; the men on the boats were at the mercy of the winds and the waves.  Yet, they were not afraid to go out into the unknown to labor and attempt to fulfill their dreams. 

Peter left everything to follow Jesus; he left the storms of his life, his old fears, and his old struggles behind him. Yet, there comes a time when the things you leave behind want to try coming back into your life to keep you from fulfilling your calling.  Peter found himself back in the same situation he had encountered in his past, even some of the same people were with him. 

Jesus compelled His Disciples to get into a boat and cross over the sea, then wait for Him when they arrived.  As they were crossing over they encounter adversity, the storm was fighting against them.  The boat was being TOSSED by the wind and waves.  The Greek word for tossed means tormented or in pain, these men were being tormented by this storm.  They were really going through and the fear of this storm was one unto death.  Some of the Disciples were experienced fishermen that knew the fears they face in these storms. 

If you study what causes boats to sink you will discover it is most often because the storm catches the ship unaware.  They were not prepared for the storm so they perished in the storm.  Those that are experienced fishermen will tell you there is never a guarantee you will make it out of the storm alive, but if you are safe in the ship and everything is prepared, you have better chances to come out of the storm alive…Even though the ship may be damaged or almost destroyed! 

When the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the water in the middle of their storm; their fears were increased even more, believing He was a Ghost!  This became the climax of Peter’s storm and when he heard Jesus say it is I, be not afraid; Peter speaks up and shows what kind of man Jesus made him to be. 

Peter said; “If it is You, bid me to come unto you on the water.”  Jesus said; “Come!”  At Jesus’ word Peter stepped down onto the water and began to walk on the water to Jesus.  It doesn’t say how far Peter walked until he recognized where he is and what was around him; he was still in the storm!  The fears started to overwhelm him again and he called out to Jesus to save him!  Jesus reached out immediately and caught him.  Jesus was right there in arms reach the whole time! 

What happens next is often over looked; the Bible goes on to say; and when they were come into the ship, the winds ceased.  This meant there was still some walking they had to do to get to the ship.  Jesus didn’t carry Peter to the ship; He just caught Peter by extending His hand to Peter.  Peter than walked WITH JESUS on the water back to the ship and Peter’s storm ended when he was back into what he considered safety, the ship. 

Think about this…Peter WALKED on the same STORMY waters that he used to FEAR!  He was now a man of faith!  When Jesus asked Peter, where is your faith?  Peter thought about it. Did he have more faith that he was going to be destroyed by the storm, than he had in Jesus bringing him through the storm?  Peter than demonstrated his faith by walking on the water with Jesus back to the ship. 

Following God when He calls you will cause you to leave the familiar things and step into a place of uncertainty.  When God calls you, you will have to leave your comfort zone and move into places that you just don’t feel safe at all!  He moves everything you have depended on that wasn’t Him out of your life.  Family will not be there to help you, friends will not be there to help you, finances can’t help you, and everything you have ever depended on will be removed so that you will be able to wholly trust Him. 

God is looking for people that are likeminded to a fisherman, they KNOW they may face rough waters, they KNOW they are going to have to work to achieve their purpose, and they KNOW if they trust in Jesus they will survive any storm! 

These men were being made even before God called them.  Through every storm they faced as fishermen, God used to build up the character of the man that He would use.  God knew where He was going to take them and that it would be full of storms, so He prepared them! 

Look over your life; can you see where God has been preparing you to follow Him when He calls you?  Can you see that through the storms YOU have been through; God has been making it possible for you to follow Him in the storms you will face.  God has placed a call on your life and today is the day He has been preparing you for!  You have come to the same place that the Disciples were when Christ called them.  It is an awesome place to be, you get to give up on the things that were getting you nowhere and be given the thing that will take you somewhere.  Remember, it doesn’t matter what you have or don’t have, Jesus just wants you to follow Him and let Him take care of the rest. 

God knew Peter’s dream, and if you look at Peter’s life you can see he wanted to serve God!  He was a man full of faith and full of zeal!  When Jesus asked who He was; it was Peter’s faith that God used to reveal that Jesus was the Messiah!  God made Peter a promise that if Peter followed Him, that He would be a fisher for men!  Peter understood this to be that God would fulfill the thing that was in his heart!  God would fulfill Peter’s dream, but it could only come to pass by following God. 

What was the dream?  Peter was asked, do you love Me more than them?  Peter said yes, and Jesus told Peter to FEED HIS SHEEP!  Peter’s dream was to be USED by GOD and to care for God’s people!  Peter followed Jesus and God gave Peter everything he would need to FEED HIS SHEEP!  Peter’s heart had to have been filled with joy as he stood on the day of Pentecost and fulfilled his dreams by FEEDING GOD’S SHEEP!!!

Don’t give up on your dreams!  Don’t stop desiring to do great things!  Don’t give up on the promises of God!!!  Don’t give up on those things that seem impossible, for it is those very things that God wants to do for you!  God is saying to you right now; come as you are…Follow Me and I WILL MAKE YOU!!! 

“Three steps to prepare you to be used by God.”

April 19, 2008

Written by: Samuel Crawford Jr

Have you ever asked the question; “How do I prepare myself to be used by God?”  I HAVE, many, many times in fact!  Even though, in my life I had been used by God, I had not discovered the key to be used anywhere and anytime.  I knew God would use whom He will, but I wanted God to use me! 

After years of study and reading the Bible I never saw a specific answer that would work for EVERYONE!  I learned from many characters in the Bible and have used their individual methods to help me.  I discovered some meditated day and night, some prayed three times a day, some went on forty day fasts, and so many other things that worked for them.  They worked for them but not always for ME!!!

One day while reading God showed me the answer to my question that would work for EVERYONE!!!  The answer I discover was not just for the question I asked, but it is a principle that can be used in many places.  The scripture says it will give you compassion with those that lead you away captive, in other words it gives you favor with man.  It will move God to extending His mercy and grace.  It will deliver you and even cause God to turn His fierce wrath away.  Only God knows the limits of this principle; but after examining it you may agree with me that there are no limits on where it can be applied.

Where is this three step principle found?  2 Chronicles 30:8.  It can be summed up in three words; Yield, Enter and Serve.  It is these three words that will help you to be ready to be used by God at anytime, anyplace!  After examining the three steps, it is my prayer that you are able to thoroughly employ them into your walk with God and be successful in all that you do for the Lord!

1. Yield yourself to God – The word yield according to Webster’s dictionary means 1. to give up possession of on claim or demand: as a: to give up (as one’s breath) and so die b: to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another: hand over possession of c: to surrender or submit (oneself) to another d: to give (oneself) up to an inclination, temptation, or habit e: to relinquish one’s possession of (as a position of advantage or point of superiority)   2. To be fruitful or become productive. 
   1. Yielding is letting God have His way in your life.  You have surrendered yourself to God.  You make the confession; not MY will, but THY will be done. 
   2. It is becoming profitable to God.  God doesn’t profit from us when we are not available for His use.
   3. Consecration and sanctification are two words the bible uses in place of yielding.  You set yourself aside for the sole purpose of God’s use.
   4. You become available to God.  Your availability to Him depends on how much you give to Him.  Give Him little you will be used only a little.  Give Him much and He will use you much!

1. Enter into His sanctuary – There must be an entrance into a covenant, relationship with God.  To enter His Sanctuary does not mean going to a local assembling place we have come to call a church.  Entering the sanctuary is really entering your private place, the place where you meet God!  Your sanctuary is your heart, your mind; it is the place God dwells!  Each person is different when it comes to how they seek God and commune with Him. 

I most often will write my prayers, write the things God speaks to me; this process is called journaling.  For me it is a place I can enter anywhere I go, it is private and I always can go back to see what I prayed, what God spoke, and even write beside the prayers when He did it and how!  For me it is an effective way of communicating with God.  Daniel went to his open window three times a day.  He prayed before an open window and I have my prayers written in notebooks, yet both methods of communication are accepted by God, because we are in “Our sanctuary”!  So when you enter your sanctuary there will be certain things that you should expect:

1.  
   1. Prayer/Communication – You must pray.  Communication with God is very important because you must know what it is He wants to say to you, if you expect Him to use you to do.  As you listen to God and also as you speak to God you discover who you are and who He is to you.  His purpose for you will be revealed in these “Talks” with God.  You can expect Him to show you what to do, say, pray, where to go, what to read and etc. 
   2. Reading the Bible – God will speak, teach and confirm His will through the written Word of God.  This is another form of communication with God, but it is also a way of getting to know God and what He is able to do, what He has done and what He has declared He will do.  It is important to take time and just read God’s word, often times you will use it to minister to someone, yourself, or to speak a message to the Body of Christ.  Before Jesus can bring the Word to your remembrance you must plant the Word into your mind.
   3. Thanksgiving – Always we are to be thankful to God for everything.  Thank God for everything you learn, you see and what He does through or is going to do through you.  Thank Him for it in advance.
   4. Praise – Praising God is often the results of an inward emotion of joy or rejoicing.  Praise is most often a spontaneous action that is physical, mental, and more verbal than anything else.  You hear more about the vocalization of praise in the Bible than dances, instruments or any other method of praise.  It was a vocal praise that brought down the walls of Jericho. It was a vocal praise that glorifies God, the reason…the Greek word for praise actually is a story, and praise is a story.  Everything can praise God, it tells a story of something wonderful that God has done.  It gives Him glory for what He has done.  Israel constantly gave God praise for bringing them out of Egypt, through the Jordan and many other things God did. 
   5. Worship – Worship requires a personal experience with God!  You have to have been baptized (filled) with the Holy Ghost to be able to worship!  Jesus said they that Worship God MUST worship Him in Spirit and in truth.  We cannot worship God without having received something from Him that would cause us to ascribe, or give, Him value.  For something to become important to you there has to have been an event that changed the way you think about the thing.  That is how it is with God.  The greatest thing to me that causes me to worship Him is how great His love is.  The day I realized how much He loved me is the day He filled me with the Holy Ghost and gave me a reason to worship Him!  I had an experience that caused me to value God above everything else in my life.  One notable thing about worship is that it is not like praise in that praise is often the results of inward joy.  But rather worship is not based on how you feel, or how much God has done for you; worshiping God happens just because of WHO HE IS! 
   6. Praying in the Spirit – This is different from your communication time you have with God, this is where you allow the Spirit to pray or speak through you.  You may pray in tongues, you may pray intercessory prayers, you may prophecy into the air, and you may speak many things that you never would have thought to pray.  We do not always know what to pray for and sometimes we can’t pray, but the Spirit of God in us makes intercession and prays the things we couldn’t.  Sometime we don’t even understand what we prayed, but we do know that God has strengthened us through the prayer.  It is this type of prayer Jude tells us that will build up our most holy faith in God!

1. Serve the Lord your God – Serving God is an act of voluntary service or work to the Lord.  You serve God when you minister to Him in worship, showing Him homage, when you witness to others about Him, when you help others, and well the list can go on.  Your greatest service to the Lord is spreading the Gospel of the Love of Christ Jesus!  You may serve God in your local assembly, you may serve God in private locations, you may serve God in foreign countries, and you may serve Him anywhere.  Your service to God is also done by living and displaying certain things in your life.
   1. Holiness – you serve God by living a life of holiness.  Holiness is the power of God working in you allowing you to walk no longer in sin.  You have a supernatural power giving a corrupted flesh the power to be perfect as God is perfect.  Holiness causes a separation to manifest.  A Saint serving in holiness will become unique and distinguishable from those that don’t serve God.  There is a visible change in morals, purity, faith, actions, and life style that become noticeable by everyone.
   2. Ministry – You can serve God by working in the ministry.  All saints are called to be ministers, ministers of reconciliation!  We all have been commissioned to take the Gospel into the entire world and present them the Word that will bring them back to God.  You also serve God by joining different ministries within your local assembly.  You may serve as an usher, deacon, minister, pastor or any other ministry they have; that you are called to! 
   3. Witnessing – This is one of the greatest ways to serve God, because it is personal!  You don’t have to teach, preach or hand out tracks, none of those things.  Witnessing is often times telling someone about the things God has done in your life.  A witness is someone who has seen or heard something and can give an account of the act that took place.  This person is able to give their testimony on what they witnessed and persuade the people that heard it.  When you witness you are really giving a testimony to someone else about your witness to Jesus.  What He has done, what He has said, Who He is, what you know about Him; you are essentially sharing your personal thoughts of Jesus Christ!
   4. Loving – Loving is the GREATEST way of serving God!  The entire Gospel is about Love, some even go as far as calling the Bible God’s “Love letter” to us.  God loved us so much that He sent His own Son, to save all mankind from their sins.  Jesus tells us by this shall all men know that you are His disciples, that you love one another.  The love that we have is able to change every person we encounter.  There is something about Love that is transforming.  Love has the ability to comfort a person in every situation imaginable!  When you see someone that is hurting and you give them a hug, or words of comfort out of love; it transforms their hurt into comfort.  They feel they can make it if they just hold on.  Another thing about Love is that it has the ability to join multiple things together.  Two hearts are joined together in love, our hearts are joined together with God’s, and our heart is joined to those we chose to love.  That is why to serve God with our love will keep us joined together with Him and transform any situation we go through.  And we know that all things work together for the good of them that LOVE God.

Yield, Enter and Serve!!!  These three steps can bring you into favor with God and man in almost every aspect of your life.  Whether it is for ministry, your walk with God, you being a better Saint, understanding your calling, your purpose or what ever it may be you are seeking from God.  As you continue walking with God, remember those three words and you can be sure, that you have prepared yourself to be used by God!  Yield, Enter and Serve!!!

6 April 2008

By Samuel The Worshiper with a Word

The sounds of silence can be very isolating for a saint.  The saint begins to examine their hearts to see if they are right with God.  This could be one of the reasons that God is silent…to allow us to examine ourselves.

In the night time it gets super quiet.  Noises you normally do not hear are now heard.  Such as a dripping faucet, creaking in the house from the shifting of the building or the settling of the house, trains off in a distance, the sound of crickets, and so many other sounds.  That is how it is when God works too, we hear everything and everyone but God.  God is silent when He works, He doesn’t want to make a noise and distract us.  Because He wants us to get all of what He has for us. If we heard Him and saw where He was working in our life we would end up there before He was finished working it out for us and most likely mess it up. 

So God is silent until everything has been prepared for us.  But at that moment when God speaks and says ok do this, pray for this, go see, go do and so on and so forth, we get to see the thing God has worked out for us begin to come to pass.  God brings the morning when it is time, no sooner no later, right on time. 

We cannot change when the sun comes up or when it goes down, so why worry about it?  We know that at some point in time, when the timing is just right the sun will peak out across the earth and the morning will have come.  I should point out that the time each morning that the sun rises is never the same day after day after day.  Some days its up earlier 6:15 AM and other days it is up later 6:25AM, but it still comes sometime in the morning. 

So it is also with our deliverances and blessings, they will come at the precise time God has planned for it to take place.  The only way man can control the time of the morning is by changing the time to fit his own schedule and yet it still does not change the fact that morning came as it always has and the sun went down as it always has. 

The morning and night are the same to God and it is as a ball, the ball on one side has a black side the other has a blue side, just because I see the black does not mean I have a black ball, it is still black and blue.  The ball is the same, but my outlook is altered.  If I turn it a little I may still see black, a little more still black and right at the exact moment the blue begins to appear I am able to see what I really have, a black and blue ball

You have some balls with four, five and six different colors on each little part of the ball, for me to see them all I have to let the ball turn 365` to know what all is on my ball or in my ball.  It is the same with what God does or gives us in our life, to see it all we must go through the day and the night, the good times and the evil and then only will we really see what is going on in our life.  Even then we don’t know everything that God is planning on doing next. 

In the night seasons of your life you will be able to see God and hear God better than any other time because you have put on hold those every day things you usually do and have sat still with the intent to hear a word from Jesus.  That is why it is so important to separate yourself from people, places and things for a time; and seek God!  You may discover that there are some things you are holding on to that is keeping you from seeing the whole picture. 

It is time for you to pick up your ball and begin to rotate it.  Examine it closely, see what you really have and discover what God has really designed for you!  Because during these sounds of silence, is when you truly discover who you are and what God has for you.  Silence lets you hear the things you don’t hear with the noise of life! 

Ssssshhhhhhhh………..do you hear that???

Listen again!!!!  God is speaking to you right now!  Take this time to separate yourself from everything else just for a few moments and listen.  Lift your hands and tell the Lord, Speak Lord for I am listening!!!

1 Samuel 3:1 through 1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT) ¹Meanwhile, the boy Samuel was serving the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.  ²One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had just gone to bed. ³The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle^£ near the Ark of God. ⁴Suddenly, the LORD called out, “Samuel! Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” ⁵He jumped up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. What do you need?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go on back to bed.” So he did. ⁶Then the LORD called out again, “Samuel!”  Again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you need?”  “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go on back to bed.”  ⁷Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. ⁸So now the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you need?”  Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. ⁹So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes, LORD, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.  ¹⁰And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”  And Samuel replied, “Yes, your servant is listening.”

A set time of deliverance – Appointed deliverance

21 March 2008

Sometimes God will set a time just to deliver you.  You will be in a predicament that was not for you and God says at 8:47P.M. I will deliver them.  God has no other thing planned to happen in your life at that moment, but deliverance.  No great sounds, bright flashes or any extra splendors, just the silent operation of the Holy Ghost bringing deliverance to you.  There is nothing you can do; it is just God working in your life. 

For me it happened at 8:47P.M.  I saw this license plate that seemed to be speaking to me, it said…ATE 470.  I saw it as a time, 8:47 and since 8:47 am was past I thought it to be 8:47 pm.  So, I set an event reminder in my calendar to go off 15 minutes before the time.  I waited with anticipation of God doing, sending or blessing me in some way.  In the time leading up to this moment I started facing a situation.  This situation is one I had been going through what I felt was too much, I thought won’t this thing ever end?  This situation that I was facing, was really weighing me down.  The battle that I faced takes place in my mind, as some of you know those are the worst battles to face; I thought it would get the best of me.  I had the reminder pop up and hit the button to stop the noise in my pocket.  My mind really wasn’t thinking about the time, but about this situation!  But as quick as the battle started and as hard as the battle was raging, it suddenly stopped!  I felt a sense of relief, like something had just released.  That’s when I decided to look at the time and as I looked at my phone I saw the time change to 847pm and realized God had just delivered me!!! 

That was my appointment with deliverance, an appointed deliverance. 

God had an appointed deliverance for you on today!!!  God will do for you, the same thing He has done many times in my life, deliver you!  He has said in His word the race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.  Jesus also said in another place, he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved!  The Greek word for saved means delivered.  If you hold out, if you trust in God He shall deliver you!

You have an appointment with deliverance and it is about that time!!! 

Set an event reminder, set your alarm clocks, write it on your calendars and believe that there is a deliverance coming to you!

You have an….APPOINTED DELIVERANCE!!!