Secrets that Bind

Family secrets are hard to shake, they are hard to understand and they leave those with the knowledge of them in a most uncomfortable place. You see the lie and you see those who have conspired to keep the lie from coming to the surface; and without an invitation you see the pain behind the eyes of those who know the truth. There smile doesn't hide it and nor does their hard pressed hello.

Why people choose to keep a secret, I will never know. But what I do know is this, untreated wounds, especially those covered up, never really heal. 

Bondage is what results when we keep secrets. We constantly worry about what we are going to do if and when the truth gets out. We worry about how the world will see us and we worry about how this will affect the relationship we have with the one from whom the secret was kept. 

1 Peter 4:8 tells us that love covers a multitude of sins... In other words, there is absolutely nothing that we could have in our past that God can't forgive and cause others to forgive. But in order for this to happen we must confess our sin. 

Now do I suggest that you drop what you are doing right now and confess every secret you've kept, every wrong you have done. Absolutely not. Wisdom would not have you to do such a foolish thing, but He will lead you to the right time and place to make amends. This He promises to do if we go to Him in prayer, if we seek Him for direction and trust Him with end result. 

I know what you have to do is hard and that if you could go back in time you would do things differently, but fixing the past is not an option. All we have is today. And it is in this moment that we can decide that our tomorrow will not be haunted by our yesterday. We will walk in the freedom Christ offers and we will no longer allow the enemy to hold our past mistakes over our heads. 

Beloved it is my prayer that you will no longer be bound by your past mistakes. That you will go to the Father in heaven and ask Him to show you the way. That you will forgive yourself and allow the person you've bruised the grace to heal in their own time and in their own way. 

Will it be easy? Of course not, but in the end, it will all be worth it. 

Until next time...

Navigating the Storms of Life

In this life you will have trouble...

It appears as if God is really trying to get my attention lately. It's as if he's trying to get me to see the purpose behind everything that I've experienced over the last couple of months. And so as I sit in my hotel room tonight reading my word, beloved I am led to share the word that has been so clearly spoken to me with you. Hopefully this word will encourage you and give you the tools necessary to keep moving forward, to keep pressing on, even when it's the last thing you want to do. 

The first thing God wants us to know about our trial is that they are apart of the walk. They are apart of the walk because we currently reside in enemy territory. In short, we are behind enemy lines. Therefore, our very presence is an affront to him and warrants an attack. So what does this mean? It means you could be doing everything right and still be persecuted. Your persecution is not the result of the things you do, but because of who you are and who resides within you.

The truth is, we may never know why we go through what we go through. Maybe like Job, we were recommended or maybe like Peter, we were asked for (Luke 22:31-32); or maybe the trial is a direct and natural consequence of a decision we made in our past that was outside of God's will for our life (Numbers 13:1-24).  Whatever the case may be, He has already given us the victory; and if we faint not, great is our testimony.

The next thing God wants us to know is that our trials are progressive, each one building upon the next. Thereby making the old adage true, new level, new devil. Even so, it is important that we never forget to look for and see God's mercy in the midst of our struggle. Beloved, the mere fact that your trial has not cost you your life, is evidence that God's mercy is upon you and this is reason enough to praise Him (Hebrews 12:3-11). 

So when the trial comes and it truly will, here's what we are to do:

1. Don't despise it and don't make light of it either. We know that God uses all things for our good, but the good only is of benefit to us if we learn the lesson.

2. Don't give up and don't become overrun with worry. Our father in heaven is not dumb or slack concerning his promises toward you. He sees you, and he knows everything about what you're going through. You only need to trust Him. 

Trust Him despite your circumstances. 

Trust Him despite what others may say.

Trust Him despite how you feel. 

Trust Him, trust Him, trust Him. 

Until next time...

When Nothing Else Will Do

It's easy to trust God when things are going well, but what do you do when things aren't working out the way YOU planned or hoped they would? Will you still trust Him? Will you make a conscious choice to take captive every thought that speaks a word contrary to what He has already declared in His word concerning you? Will you continue to smile even though everything around you seems to be falling apart?

What will you do?

You will praise Him, that's what you will do! You will look your troubles square in the face and tell them about the awesome God you serve. You will tell every disappointment how nothing is wasted with God, and boldly proclaim how He will use your setbacks, your let downs and your failures for your good. You will confuse the enemy and startle the nations with your ability to walk on the very thing that was sent to trouble you. Yup, that's exactly what you will do!

Beloved you will do this because despite everything that is happening around you, to you and in you; God is still God and of His Kingdom there is no end (Isaiah 9:7)! You will remember and meditate on the promises He has declared to you, promises that speak of His plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11), promises to carry every weight that burdens you (1 Peter 5:7), promises to be ever mindful of you and to take time each day just to see about you (Psalm 8:4).

As you began to reflect on all that God has promised you, you will experience the release that only comes from being in His presence. A presence that not only promises to bring you joy, but also knowledge concerning the path of life He has for you. (Psalm 16:11) It is then and only then can you get to the place of praise. A place that is not controlled by the circumstances before you.

The truth is, this life will be filled with trouble (John 16:33). We know this because He said it would, but this does not mean that we have to be consumed or beat down by this trouble. In fact we are told, to fear not, for He has already overcome the world, which means we already have the victory.

Beloved, today you will decide like Job, to accept both the good and the bad that comes with this life. You will choose to look at every situation from God's perspective. You will make a conscious effort to seek the Lord and ask Him to reveal unto you the purpose behind every experience.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory. Selah Psalm 24:9-10

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 150:6

Is there not breath in you? Then you know exactly what you should do.

Amen, until next time...

Just Another Day

In this life you will have trouble, but have no fear I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

I wish I could tell you that the words expressed above were easy to swallow, but they are not. And I believe the reason they aren't is because very few believers accept or embrace the fact that suffering is apart of our walk. Even though the bible is filled with men and women who suffered much in their efforts to share the Good News we so freely confess today, our capacity to handle the reality such words reveal is very limited.

We say we are willing to die for Him; we say we are willing to walk away from it all just to follow Him; and yet, we have never had to prove our faithfulness to these words.

Please don't misunderstand my thoughts and think that I am suggesting that you are not true believer if you haven't had to give your life for Christ. For that would be the furthest thing from the point I am trying to get across. However, what I am saying, as I reflect on my experiences over the past year is this, what I call suffering is nothing compared to what others around the world have had to suffer as they strive daily to live as believers in this fallen world.

So what I've had to spend the past two years working in a very hostile environment. So what my first tenure as principal has come to abrupt end. So what, so what, so what!

To get a better perspective on what I am trying to say, one would only have to think back to a little over a year ago, when 147 Somalian college students were killed for their belief in Christ. Believers who in the face of death, chose to hold fast to their confession and leave behind all they knew and loved. For these, our brothers and sisters, made the only decision possible, which required them to fear God and not man, who with all his resources, only had the ability to destroy the body.

I pray that my faith runs as deep as theirs and that I never come face to face with the choice they so bravely made. I pray that I will remember their example and in doing so, will derive the strength to endure the challenges I will surely face along The Way. I pray I never forget the message of John 16:33 and that I will always remember, it's simply apart of the journey. And beloved, it is my prayer that you never forget this truth as well. Amen

Until next time...