God’s Leading

I believe that God has a plan for every person but many will never fulfill that plan because of different factors.  Sometimes people never give God a chance to work the plan out in their life because they refuse to believe that He exists.  Some have been deceived into thinking that God could never use them or that He doesn’t want to.  Some are comfortable just getting their feet in the door of heaven, so to speak, and are happy watching everyone else fulfilling the plan that God has for their life.  Others may be scared that the Lord may want to send them to another country where they do not want to go.  Others may not understand what God is doing in their lives and when things don’t go the way they think they should, they drop out. There are many reasons why God’s plan isn’t completed in people’s lives and none of them are God’s fault.

Who can fully know the mind of God and how He works in individual’s lives?  It says this in Isaiah 55:8-9:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Earlier this morning I was reading about Joseph and how God led him and I thought about some of the things that happened to him as God’s plan was unfolding and what Joseph went through for God’s plan to be fulfilled in his life.  You can read the whole story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37 through 50, but I just want to hit on some of the events that happened in Joseph’s life as God’s plan was being played out in his life.  

First I will start with Jacob, Joseph’s father loving Joseph more than all of his other eleven sons, making him a coat of many colors causing his brothers to be very jealous of him and ultimately hating him.  Then Joseph had two dreams that he shared with them saying basically that he would rule over them some day.  When Joseph told his family about these dreams he had no idea what he would have to face before those dreams would be fulfilled in his life.  If he did, maybe he would have run in another direction like Jonah did when God wanted him to go to Nineveh and warn the people to repent or be destroyed.  Jonah chose to run in that situation but God got his attention the hard way before he fulfilled the plan that God had for his life, God has His way of doing that.  

Let’s get back to Joseph’s story, his brothers hated him so much that they decided to throw him into a pit to die but then changed their minds and sold him to some Ishmaelites that were going to Egypt.  They went back home and lied to their father, saying Joseph was dead.  He then was sold to a man in Egypt called Potiphar, the captain of the guard under Pharaoh.  Potiphar’s wife lied about Joseph and Potiphar had him thrown into prison.   At this point you may be wondering if Joseph even thought about the dreams.  If I remember right, I think he spent two years in prison when Pharaoh had two dreams that no one could interpret, so Joseph was called on to interpret the dreams, which he did with God’s help.  He then became second in command of all Egypt under Pharaoh.  Before it was all over, Joseph’s whole family did bow down to him and God used him to save his family.  Joseph had fulfilled God’s plan for his life.

Sometimes it will take a certain amount of sacrifice and even suffering to accomplish the plan of God in our lives, but when it is all said and done, you will be very happy you didn’t run.  Think about the plan God had for Paul’s life; he suffered much and in the end was beheaded.  I don’t think he ever regretted any of it, his purpose was to honor God and to fulfill his calling no matter what the cost and he always encouraged those in the churches that he started, to do the same.  

The problem I see today is that if anything goes wrong in our Christian walk or our ministries or what we think is God’s plan for our lives we are always so quick to blame the evil one and that may not be the case at all; it may be that God has chosen to use those situations to bring about growth and faith in our lives.  What I need to do, and you also, is to keep our eyes and mind on God and the goal that God has set before us and stop the blame game and accept the circumstances and situations we don’t understand, continuing on to fulfill the plan that God has for our lives.  All those that went before us and overcame had to do the same.  Something to think about and may the good Lord bless you and may your day be a blessed one!

Conflict

Many people have a problem with conflict, trying to avoid it as much as possible, but if you are a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ it is inevitable.  There are so many conflicting views today, it is impossible to avoid conflict, even if you try hard not to offend anyone.  If you are a follower of Christ, you will try to imitate Him and He ran into conflict many times, a lot of it being from the religious leaders in His day, the ones that should have known who He was and stood with Him.  Jesus wasn’t here to condemn the world but He came so that the world through Him might be saved.  

Think about this, there was never a person that came to Jesus seeking something from Him that went away disappointed except those that were just trying to trick Him to find fault with Him so that they could condemn Him.  Every person that came to Him for healing or deliverance or even to have someone they knew raised from the dead went away rejoicing; to say nothing about the crippled man that took up his bed and walked and those that were blind who walked away seeing and the deaf who went on their way hearing.  Jesus came to set the captive free and that is what He did.  

Jesus also came to proclaim the truth and He did that also, but that became a problem because many in His day didn’t want to hear the truth because of their lifestyles.  Many of the religious leaders became jealous of Him and His popularity and their jealousy turned to hatred, bitterness, un-forgiveness, rage and retaliation and in the end being responsible for His death.  The thing that He came to set the people free of became the cause of His death and that is called sin.  The Word says that, “the wages of sin is death.”  The horrific thing was that Jesus never sinned, He never did anything wrong but there were many in His day that hated Him.  

When Jesus prepared His followers for conflict, these are some of the things He told them, found in Matthew 10:16-23, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Jesus’ followers, as well as Himself, knew a lot about conflict, and also persecution which often resulted from conflict.  

Jesus also spoke some encouraging words to His follows to help them endure and not give up He said this to them in verses 26-31, “Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

We are no better than Jesus and His followers and, if we are not ashamed of the Lord and don’t shrink back from the truth, we will also run into conflicts at times.  

Jesus also gave His followers this message and I believe all these things were meant for us also, saying this in verses 32-40 of that same chapter, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”  

So don’t be shocked when you run into conflict while testifying and sharing what the Lord has done in your life, it is bound to happen, but don’t be discouraged and never give up because in the end it will be worth it all.  I have given you something to think about and I hope the Lord uses this, along with all the other Tidbits, to minister to each person who reads them in a special way.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may He give you a blessed day and don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!

The Holy Ghost

In many of our churches you don’t hear a lot about the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.  I think it is a big mistake not teaching or preaching on the Holy Ghost when it was so important to Jesus that He taught His followers about this very important event that was going to take place.  John the Baptist mentioned it also.  This event was so important that Jesus commanded His followers not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father.  

Read what He said in Acts 1:4-5, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”

Then Jesus went on to tell His followers this in verses 7-8, “And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’”

Like I said, this was so important for Jesus’ followers because without the infilling of the Holy Spirit they would accomplish very little.  Was this the first time that they had received the Holy Spirit?  No, it says this in John 20:21-23, “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”

I know there is a lot of controversy over this subject, but the fact is that every believer needs to be filled continually with the Holy Spirit.  Without the Holy Spirit empowering you, how will you be an effective witness?  I think about Peter and how he would put his foot in his mouth, so to speak, at times and how he denied the Lord on three occasions before Jesus had breathed on Him and said, “receive ye the Holy Ghost,” and how He had drastically changed after he was baptized with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

I realize that every believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them.  God’s Word says this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

If Jesus’ followers received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them, as I mentioned earlier in this tidbit, why did Jesus tell them this in Acts 1:1-5?  “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”  

Being baptized in the Holy Spirit would give them power to witness wherever they went and with the persecution they would face they would need the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the boldness of a lion just as every believer does today.  So if you are a believer and lack the power to witness because of being scared or some other reason, or maybe you don’t believe the Holy Spirit’s baptism is for today because you have been taught that it isn’t, ask the Lord to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and be open minded to receive it.  If Jesus thought it was important for His followers then it is just as important for each of us, no matter what you may think.

As for me, I want everything that Jesus has for me and whatever He thinks I need.  Don’t just take my word for it, but take some time and study this topic for yourself.  Something to think about and don’t forget when you know the truth, the truth will set you free!  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!

Rejoice

I wonder how many of you rejoice in the Lord on a daily basis.  Rejoicing in the Lord daily is good medicine. The Word says this in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.”  It also says this, “The joy of the Lord is or strength.”  How many can really say, in all honesty, that they rejoice in the Lord most of the time?

When Paul wrote this he was in prison and he lived the joyous life regardless of his circumstances or the situation he was in.  Paul learned the secret of living a victorious life, which was having the joy of the Lord, and where his strength came from, so he rejoiced in the Lord and shared what he learned with others.  What do you do when things don’t go the way you want them to or when tragedy happens?  No matter where Paul found himself he could rejoice in the Lord.  From what I have read, it says Paul was beheaded under Nero in AD 64 or 67.  I don’t know this for sure but it wouldn’t surprise me if Paul was rejoicing in the Lord at the time of his death also, as well as forgiving those who were responsible for his death.  

I am not bragging when I say this, but almost every morning when I wake up I start praising the Lord before I do anything else or even speak to my wife.  You may ask why, it is because He is worthy.  Do I always feel like thanking and praising the Lord?  The answer is no.  Many days through the years I haven’t felt like it but I try to do it anyway because I think it is important and, like I said, He is worthy.

If the only time we rejoice is when we feel like it, then in many cases, it wouldn’t happen very often.  I think when people are excited in the Lord it is contagious, and if we are witnessing, it is a good thing for others to see and hear that joy that we possess.  I am not naïve, I realize that living life is a struggle, at times, and many are overwhelmed by their responsibilities and the problems that take place unexpectedly.  But, if you know about Paul’s and the other disciple’s lives, they went through terrible times of persecution, at times life threatening situations, but being determined and committed to the cause of Christ they could still rejoice in their situations. 

Paul encouraged the Philippines to rejoice because they needed to hear it and so do we in our churches today.  The psalmist also spoke many times of praising and thanking the Lord.  I will finish this Tidbit with a Psalm from God’s Word in Psalms 140:1-14:

Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

Preserve me from violent men,

Who plan evil things in their hearts;

They continually gather together for war.

They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;

The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

Preserve me from violent men,

Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.

The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords;

They have spread a net by the wayside;

They have set traps for me. Selah

I said to the Lord: “You are my God;

Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,

You have covered my head in the day of battle.

Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

Do not further his wicked scheme,

Lest they be exalted. Selah

“As for the head of those who surround me,

Let the evil of their lips cover them;

Let burning coals fall upon them;

Let them be cast into the fire,

Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;

Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”

I know that the Lord will maintain

The cause of the afflicted,

And justice for the poor.

Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;

The upright shall dwell in Your presence.”

I hope after reading this Tidbit you will be encouraged to rejoice in the Lord and praise Him more and more, making it a daily routine.  It is important; the Word says that the Lord inhabits the praise of His people.  I have given you something to think about!  Try it and see if it doesn’t make you feel better.  God bless and may you have a super day!!