GOD'S ENCOUNTERS!

"And Moses said to God, "who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Exodus 3:11. My friend "don't miss the encounters God orchestrated in your life". I have learned sometimes our small encounters are God-encounters that take place when you're busy with other things or on our way to somewhere else. If we are not prepared we will miss a real blessings, a chance to grow, and not recognizing a divine destiny God has already set in motion. See, Moses was in the backside of the desert chasing sheep for his father-in Law. He was eighty. It's interesting to see his share of excuses during this encounter with God. He had five excuses that he threw in God's face. 1) who am I? God knew that he could not do it his own. God's answer: I WILL BE WITH YOU. 2) Who are you? God knew that he couldn't see past his nose. God's answer: I AM WHO I AM. 3) No one will believe me! We like to pass the buck too when God asks us to do something, right? God's answer: I WILL GIVE YOU AND THEM SIGNS. 4) I am not a good talker. Moses is more concerned about his "I" problem. This was his last ditch effort to avoid going back to Egypt. God's answer: WHO MADE YOUR MOUTH?. 5) I can't do it! Now he was running out of excuses , and he was flat out refusing it. God's answer: I WILL HELP. See, Jesus did not set up a throne in each town and say" This is my place and if you want to see Me come here". He went to the market place, went to the boats of fishermen, homes of ordinary people and went through the town preaching Gospel. Hey, whenever your compassion is activated, STOP. To you what seems to be small encounter may be it's God's encounter and will produce results you never dreamed of. How many times you missed your God designed encounters today, this week, last month and last year? Well, how many?

HE WALKED AMONG US!!

"And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived a while) among us...". John 1:14. Oh yes, HE IS AMONG US my friend! He was flesh, bones and blood, and yet He was fully human. The next moment miraculously fed 5000 because He was fully God. Hr was thirsty because He was a human but He walked on the water because He was fully God. One moment Jesus agonized on a cross and died because He was human but three days later He rose from the grave Because He was fully God. The tongue that called forth the dead was a human one. The hand that touched the leper probably had dirt under its nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty. And His tears came from a broken heart like ours. So people came to Him. Do you know Jesus went looking for Matthew the Tax Collector? Jesus was walking down the road- and he stops right in front of Matthew's table. And He says nothing more than: "Follow me". Jesus only had twelve disciples. A lot of people wouldn't have picked Matthew. Now a days there are some congregations who only want 'respectable' people coming to their church. In fact Pharisees saw Jesus eating with Matthew and his friends and they were offended. People came to Him at night; they touched Him as he walked down the road, followed Him by the sea shores, they invited Him to their homes, and placed their children at His feet. Why? He came down from heaven in search of us and to be with us. He refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit. HE CHOSE INSTEAD TO BE JESUS!! How about you my friend? Are you like JESUS? REALLY?

HE KNOWS!!!

"But He knows the way I take. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold (pure and luminous). Job 23:10. It is easier to say and done, right? What do you do when you don't know what to do? When He seems distant and disinterested, like He's moved and hasn't left a forwarding address. Yes, He has all the power and provision necessary to alleviate my misery but He doesn't seem to be lifting a finger to come to my rescue. My friend, I have been there and have done it. And still do it. It's at times like this when our faith is tested, our cries for help seem to go unanswered; our thirst and longing for answers unquenched- WHAT WILL WE DO? If we are not careful we can become fearful and disillusioned with God when we are hurting. This morning during my meditation time and was praying and was going through the Bible, He spoke to me. Why did Jesus grow weary in Samaria, disturbed in Nazareth, and angry in the temple? Why was He sleepy in the boat, sad at the tomb of Lazarus, and hungry in the wilderness? Because he knew I would feel them too. He knew during our life journey we would be weary, disturbed, angry, sleepy, grief-stricken, hungry, face severe pain- pain too sharp for any drug, face thirst, abandonment, betrayal, and the list goes on. HE UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING. Our God is a PRESENT HELP in the time of trouble. May be God is setting us for "double for our trouble". Like Job. He will never fail, never, never, ever.

HE HAS GRACE FOR YOU!!

"Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet none of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave (consent) and notice. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered". Matthew 10:29-30 (AMPV). My friend why you are thinking and telling "Nobody cares for me"? Bible says our God knows how many birds are in the air and if one of them dies and falls to the ground, GOD KNOWS IT. Bible tells us that God knows exactly how many hairs are on our head. Look around some of us have a lot of hair and some don't have very much. It doesn't matter how much or how little hair we have, God knows how many hairs are on each person's head. Well, here is the genius of Christianity. God cares for me no matter what I am going through my life. He proved it by sending his own Son to die for me. The issue is settled for all time at the cross. Any God who would sacrifice his own Son for a person like me must care for me. When we come to God , we don't have to convince him to hear us. We don't have to chant or shout or burn incense or ring bells or use a priest or offer a sacrifice or go to a mountain or to a temple or walk hundred of miles on barefoot. We come as His children and gladly He hears us. We don't do anything to make God care for us. We start from the assurance, rooted in history, that our GOD CARES FOR US. And on that basis we can unload all our worries on HIM. Bro: If you are confused, discouraged, upset, angry, guilty, and if you feel like giving up and you think the whole world is turned against you, HE HAS GRACE FOR YOU. STOP THAT PITY PARTY. GOD OF THE UNIVERSE IS FOR YOU, THEN WHO CAN BE AGAINST YOU? WHO WHO WHO MY FRIEND??

COMPLACENT CHRISTIANS!

"Amos 6: " V 1;Woe to them that are at ease..v4; They lie upon the beds of ivory..v6; that drink wine in bowls; v6 but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph; v7 Therefore now shall they go captive...(Amos 6:1-14). Amos preached in a time , which was similar to ours in many ways. Complacent in many ways and doesn't need God, right? Here Israel felt that they were greatest nation on earth, people felt secure because of their temple and fortress of Samaria, but they were living to steal, murder, commit adultery, oppress the helpless, and follow other gods. Now a days in our society sin run rampant, abortion has become a way of life, alcohol, tobacco,drug and destructive sinful life is becoming a way of life. People are concerned about material possessions, money, entertainment, the pursuit of pleasure, increased pleasure time etc. Concern about anything but GOD! Life looks rosy to many people. Their work is fulfilling. The house or apartment doesn't need repair, surplus bank account, good health, Good friends. Hey, good times however can be dangerous. Comfort and pleasure can become so important that we give God little or no place in our thoughts FOR GOD. Prosperity can quickly lead to complacency. History teaches us that religious fervor usually declines during prosperous times. Bro: learn from Israel's experience and heed the Lord's instruction, this need not happen to us. LET'S BE CAREFUL THAT WE DO NOT FORGET THE LORD- ESPECIALLY WHEN ALL LOOKS BRIGHT! DON'T BE A COMPLACENT CHRISTIAN. KING SOLOMON WROTE 'VANITY, VANITY, EVERYTHING IS VANITY. ALL THE PROSPERITY CAN GO IN ONE MOMENT. Y'ALL HEAR ME.

MIXED UP PRIORITIES!

"After whom the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea?". 1 Samuel 24:14. This morning God spoke to me about our priorities. Here David is saying "Saul had mixed up priorities, He symbolizes those who waste time and energy. "Saul what are you doing? You're a mighty king. It doesn't make sense for you to waste your time and energy on the likes of me. In that culture, dogs were not highly regarded when they are alive, let alone dead..good for nothing? Fleas are difficult to catch, elusive, worthless when captured. Well my friend, How about your life? Are you going after dead dogs or fleas? Recently I read in a magazine about a survey. People over ninety were asked, "If you had your life to live over what you would do differently?" Three answers were common. 1) I'd spend more time with my family and friends. 2) I'd take more risks. 3) I'd do things that live on after I'm gone. Hey, do you have wisdom to overlook what is unimportant? Petty things steal too much of our time and we finish up living for wrong reasons. The secret of successful and purposeful living is to have wisdom for "planned neglect". Several years ago I read in a magazine 300 whales died mysteriously because they pursued a school of sardines and ended up marooned in a bay. Bro: what is your "most important thing" or "priority" to accomplish your vision? The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend too much of our time doing second things first. AND DON'T YOU MAKE A MISTAKE OF THINKING GOD IS SECOND THING. Make HIM first. There is never a right time to do wrong thing. Be sure to include the Lord in this process every step of the way. Well that is my take on it. How about you??..Humm...yeah!!

IF YOU CAN SEE THE INVISIBLE, GOD WILL DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!

"Take your son your only son, whom you love- Isaac- and go to the region of Moriah..burnt offering..I will show you". Gen:22.2. My friend, "If you can see the invisible, God will do the impossible". God made bold and daring promises to Abraham. He said Abraham would be a "father of many nations" and his descendants would be as many as the stars in the night sky. Then came a day when same God dared Abraham to throw it all away! Honestly, I wonder what was going through Abraham's mind as soon as the Lord told him to sacrifice his son. Abraham had to believe that God was probably crazy at first, does He knows what He was doing? But Abraham was a man who had the sight to see the impossible things come to pass. You see the Lord stopped Abraham at the final seconds of his hopelessness. Hey why is God like that? Why does He raise the stakes so high? I believe He loves HUGE REWARDS. My friend, if you are hopeless and doesn't know the way out- WAIT, there is still time to bless you, to fulfill His promises, still room for miracles. I know your situation is hopeless and problems seemed larger than promise. Hey, sometimes we have to ignore our circumstances, look past our problems and to have faith beyond the facts. In my life I am learning the lessons of "If you can see the invisible, God will do the impossible". 1) He called you...take the chances, He'll do it again. 2) He blessed your children before..He will do it again. 3) He prospered you before.. dare to prosper again. 4) He anointed you before.. He'll pour out so much you can't contain it. 6) He healed and gave you complete restoration.. the miracle is on the way. I DARE YOU TO TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD AND EXPECT HIS GOODNESS TO COME THROUGH IN THE FINAL SECOND WHEN IT REALLY COUNTS!! YOU'LL HEAR ME!! Yeah Good!!