Archive for Christian Living
Overcoming Your Fears – Sermon Notes
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INTRODUCTION: One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can't dear. I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!" – Source Unknown.We LOVE you so.. how about liking us on Facebook?..
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Lessons Learned From Lot’s Wife – Sermon Outline
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LESSONS LEARNED FROM LOT'S WIFE
(Original Title -LOT'S WIFE)
by the Rev. C. Perren
(Read Gen. 18:16-33; Gen. 19:23-28.) '' Remember Lot's Wife. '' Luke 17:32.
I. REMEMBER HER PRIVILEGES.
1. She had been faithfully instructed in the knowledge of Clod and how to worship him.
2. She was related by one of the closest earthly ties to a child of God. She must have often seen the tears running down the face of her husband when his soul was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.
3. She was faithfully warned of the impending danger. Angels sent of God urged her to escape for her life — not to tarry in the plain.
II. REMEMBER HER SIN.
1. It was a sin of presumption.
Her heart was still in Sodom. The angel had said, '' Escape for thy life; look not behind thee." She disregarded the heaven-sent warning; she looked back.
2. It was a sin of unbelief.
She did not believe the angels' warning. Doubtless there was nothing to indicate the approaching calamity—" Where in that golden sky was the storm-blast that had been threatened? "
3. It was a sin in act.
Faith leads to works; unbelief leads to rebellion. The murderer first hated, then killed. "0 Lord, keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me."
III. REMEMBER HER FATE.
1. It was merited.
She had been warned, entreated, etc.
2. It was sudden — wholly unexpected.
She turned to look back, and in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the storm and tempest swept past. Her eyes grew dark, her blood congealed in her veins, and she stood forth a monument of the wrath of an offended God. <' He that being often reproved stiffeneth his neck, shall be suddenly cut down, and that without remedy." Thus suddenly Pharaoh perished, and Herod, and Ananias, and Sapphira his wife. Sin kills people.
3. It was final. It closed the day of grace, and ushered in the day of doom.
PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.
1. Beware of worldly entanglements.
2. Beware of questioning God's commands.
3. Beware of delays; "To-day is the day of Salvation."
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Are You Living Bitter Free? – Sermon Outline
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ARE YOU LIVING BITTER FREE?
by Eddie Lawrence
Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. (NKJV)
INTRO: During my 28 years of pastoral ministry, I have known several occasions when someone became offended and allowed the offense to become a root of bitterness in their lives. When this happens, people who are in the same family may go years without speaking, people who attend the same church avoid each other, people who sleep in the same bed refuse to open their hearts to one another. This bitterness is very destructive and it affects the people around it. As the writer of Hebrews wrote, "by this many become defiled."
Let's do a little digging in the hopes of uprooting this root of bitterness if it is present in any of our lives.
Let me ask some questions:
1. ARE YOU PURSUING PEACE WITH ALL PEOPLE? (v14)
If there is someone whom you do not desire to be at peace with, then that is a place to start looking for bitterness. This does not mean that if everyone is not at peace with you, that you have an unforgiveness issue. The Scripture says we are to live at peace with all men as much as lies within us. That is, we are not to be the door closers on reconcilation. We must be willing for true reconciliation to take place. This does not mean it will, but it does mean you are willing.
Neither does this mean that you are to submit to someone interrogating you under the guise of reconciliation. The purpose of reconciliation is to forgive sin not to focus on it. Some people will never be satisfied with any amount of repentance, restitution, or efforts at reconciliation because revenge lives in their hearts.
Is there anyone who desires to reconcile with you but you simply are not interested in things being made right?
Are there vindictive or revenge filled thoughts that you harbor toward anyone that keep you from reconciling?
May I also add, that if someone who has offended you never asks for your forgiveness, you still must forgive or you will become bitter.
So, be a pursuer of peace because that is necessary to remind bitter free.
2. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A ROOT OF BITTERNESS?
This could be a much longer list, but here are some observations I will share with you:
A. Unforgiveness and Grudge Bearing
Someone recently asked me, "What is the difference between unforgiveness and being bitter?" I thought for a moment and then said, "Unforgiveness is the sap that flow through the root of bitterness." I do believe that bitterness is fueled by unforgiveness.
B. Pride
Believing we have the right to pass judgment, deliver a verdict, and carry out the execution is putting ourselves in the place of God and is rooted in pride. You cannot be bitter and humble; but if you are bitter, you will always have a pride issue to deal with. This pride says, "I don't deserve this but they deserve judgment!"
C. Unhealed Wounds and Echoing Words in Your Mind
It has been my experience both personally and ministerially that when bitterness is present there is often something someone did or words that someone has spoken that keeps ringing in the mind. Words are powerful dear friends. They can have a long life when they are sown deep into someone's soul through some traumatic event. A person can still hear the angry words, the words of rejection, the words that humiliate in the corridors of their memory. These have to be healed through forgiveness.
These wounds can be the result of terrible things that one person has done to another. They can range from a sentence of hate filled words to years of some type of abuse. But becoming bitter just adds another terrible thing to the list of what is happening to you.
D. A Resistance to Grace
As our Scripture bears out, bitterness occurs when we fall short of the grace of God. In other words, we need to receive God's grace to forgive. "You don't know what he did to me preacher?" I may not, but God does, and He says "Forgive them." And he offers you the grace to do it. When you refuse the grace to forgive, you choose to live in unforgiveness.
E. The soul is tormented
Refusing to forgive and choosing to linger in unforgiveness brings torment to the soul. Jesus taught this in his parable of the debtors. I have seen this in many people's lives. They are tormented over and over and over by what has been done to them and the reason they are is that they will not forgive. Forgiveness is not just for the benefit of the offender but for the person who has been offended too. Torment or freedom? That is the real choice you are making when you are deciding to forgive or not?
F. The Harboring of Hatred
Bitterness buys its groceries from hatred. When we refuse to forgive we decide to focus on and relive the offense. This breeds hatred which reinforces the bitterness.
G. Breaksdown One's Health
Bitterness causes rottenness in the bones. You can often see that someone's countenance is affected by bitterness. They eventually begin to reflect their countenance the hardness and callousness that has taken over their heart. Friends, you shave days, months, and years off your life by remaining in bitterness. This is not what Christ died to provide for us.
ILLUS-E. Stanley Jones said, "A rattlesnake, if cornered, will sometimes become so angry it will bite itself. That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is–a biting of oneself. We think that we are harming others in holding these spites and hates, but the deeper harm is to ourselves. "
H. Forfeit Blessings Available Each Day
When there is a root of bitterness in your life, there is a part of your life that is on hold and decaying and will remain so until you forgive. You miss all the blessings you could see and enjoy if you were not blinded by bitterness.
What is it not only costing you, but what is it costing the people you love because you are paralyzed by bitterness. You can't respond like you should. You are not the same as you were. You are not who you could be.
I. You don't want someone else to be blessed.
If there is someone who you simply do not want good things to happen to, then do some soul searching about bitterness toward that person.
J. Who comes to mind?
When I first mentioned about there being someone whom you are not pursuing peace with, did someone come to your mind?
3. IF YOU ARE BITTER, WILL YOU CHOOSE TO FORGIVE RIGHT NOW?
A. Forgiveness is an act of your will and an act of faith. You choose to forgive and you trust God to give you the grace to walk it out. If you do your part, God will do His part.
B. Remove the Stinger – A man by the name of William Walton said, "To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee."
Someone else has said that you may not be able to forget what has been done to you, but you can take the stinger out of the memory through forgiving.
C. You must forgive or you will not live in the benefits of God's forgiveness. This is the teaching of Scripture. Why set yourself apart from such wonderful blessing just because you want to see someone else cursed. Let love win. Let forgiveness come and cleanse you and free you of this torment.
D. If you asked Jesus right now, to forgive you, would he?
E. If he asked you to forgive that person who has offended you, would you? Well, he not only asks us to do this, but commands us to do it.
CONCLUSION: So, at this point, it is no longer between you and that other person, it is between you and Jesus. What do you choose to do right now? Would you come and let's all gather here in the altar, and we will all pray and lay down our offenses and let the river of God's forgiveness wash through this place this morning…….
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New Year’s Joke for Preachers to Use
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As you might know, it is not always easy to find a joke appropriate to share from the pulpit, especially on New Year's Day. I really thought the following one is really a good one.
A New Year’s Gift
Jennifer was taking an afternoon nap so she would be able to be awake to see the New Year end later that night at the big party that had been planned.
After she woke up, she confided to Clayton, her husband, 'I just dreamed that you gave me a diamond ring for a New Year's present. What do you think it all means?'
'Wow, let me just say, you'll know tonight,' Clayton answered with a big smile.
At midnight, as the New Year was chiming in, and people left and right were kissing their sweethearts, Clayton approached Jennifer, kissed her while holding her a long time, then he handed her a small package.
Ecstatic and delighted, she opened it quickly.
There in her hand rested a book entitled: 'The meaning of dreams'.
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4 Reasons A Christian is A Priest – sermon outline
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Following is a wonderful sermon outline on what it means to be consecrated. I am excited about this because this is only one sermon out of a hundred or so that I am about to release in a new eBook entitled REVIVAL SERMON OUTLINES. Stay posted as it should be released in the next week or so. Below is a sample of what to expect.
by the late Dr. C. Perren
"Put on him the best robe." Luke 15:22.
' Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 13:14.
' Put ye on the new man." Eph. 4 :24.
"Put on bowels of mercies." Col. 3 :12.
"Put on charity." Col. 3 :14.
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4 Things Every Church Needs to Grow – sermon outline
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4 THINGS EVERY CHURCH NEEDS TO GROW
by Eddie Lawrence
INTRODUCTION:
Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these, 'It might have been.'
These words were penned by J. G. Whittier and ring with truth. The people who carried out great exploits in Scripture rose to the occasion when opportunity presented itself. They moved in faith and power and today we still love to hear their testimonies. Today we will read of such an occasion when two men of God responded to an opportunity that paved the way for God's glory to be poured out on an entire city.
TEXT: Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
TRANSITION: With this text in mind, I would like to share with you four things we can identify that enabled Peter and John to be used of God in a way that met someone's need and led to the growth of the early church in a powerful way. Of course, there are many things that could be added to such a list but let's pull out four of them. The first is a ……
1. PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S ABILITY TO MEET NEEDS
THE NEED-Verse 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
THE SUPPLY-Verse 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
THE KEY – Peter and John knew God was able to give this man what he really needed beyond what the money could have bought him. Instead of coins to provide a meal, he gave him the health to begin to make a living and a Savior to give him an eternity of provision.
APPLICATIONS:
"God called us to be distributors not manufacturers."
"Don't focus on what you don't have when ministering to people. Focus on what you do have. God uses what you have to bring about miracles.
-The little boy had two fishes but they became enough to feed thousands.
-Peter had no tax money but he had a fishing net which caught a fish that had the money.
-Peter and John had no silver or gold, but they had access to the One who had it all. We have the same thing do we not?
ILLUSTRATION-One Sunday afternoon my wife and I were taking a short walk when we were overtaken by a storm. We took shelter in a neighboring church where we found a special service for Sunday school scholars in progress. The vicar was catechizing the children, and asked: "What is a miracle?" A little girl put up her hand and replied, "Something we can't do, but Jesus can." The minister seemed surprised at this original answer, and pressed for a response in "more dignified English." Several chimed out the set answer he wanted, "A parable in action," and he seemed well satisfied. It left me cold, however, for I was still thinking of the little child's definition, "Something we can't do, but Jesus can."—Christian Herald.
Peter and John understood this and we must too. Jesus can do what we can't! If we are willing, God is able!
2. SPIRIT LED SENSITIVITY AND COMPASSION FOR OTHERS NEEDS
THE ABILITY TO SEE- Verse 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
We need to learn to be sensitive and see with our spiritual eyes what cannot be seen with our natural eyes. How often do we just push people aside or thoughts aside when it fact God is trying to get our attention so we will give someone else our attention? When we do this, then we can get their attention and help focus it where it needs to be focused. That is what happened in the text before us.
THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE- It is obvious, that Peter discerned that God wanted to do something supernatural. When he took him by the hand, Peter knew that God's hand was also reaching down and touching the man. This sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is key in our daily lives.
"As many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God." Romans 8:14
Peter and John were being led by the Holy Spirit
3. PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IN MEETING NEEDS
THE FAITH TO ACT -Verse 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
-When God desires to work through you to help others, faith will be required. Will you be willing to trust Him to do what you know you cannot do in and of yourself?
-It is when we do what we can do, that the step is taken to see God do what we cannot do.
HOW BIG A SITUATION CAN GOD HANDLE?
ILLUSTRATION-A church of which I was at one time pastor was heavily in debt, and I made it a matter of prayer. One day a stranger called on me and said, "Mr. McNeill, I understand that you have a debt on your church that you are anxious to pay. I have heard a great deal about your work and I want to help." Then laying a blank check on my desk, he said, "Fill in the amount you require and I will return later and sign it." Then he was gone.
As I sat looking at that check I said, "Surely he doesn't realize that our debt runs into thousands of pounds. He would never give that much. He told me to make it out for the full amount, but I'll just put down half. I'm afraid he will not even sign that much."
After a little while the stranger returned, and with scarcely a glance signed the check, and left without another word. I looked at the signature; it was that of a well-known philanthropist. When I realized that he meant what he said, and could easily have paid the whole debt, I exclaimed, "Oh, man of little faith, I will never doubt again." (The King's Business)
4. AN AIM TO GLORIFY GOD
Verses 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
-The above verses and the stories that follow demonstrate that the man who was healed glorified God. Many of the people around him glorified God and the story spread and resulted in thousands getting saved and glorifying God. This all started with Peter and John choosing to live their lives in a way that God could use them to bring glory to Himself.
-This is the way Jesus told us it would happen. A very familiar verse of Scripture bears this out:
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
-By Peter and John's sensitivity to reach one person, the door was opened to reach the masses.
-When we don't live to glorify God, we live for the wrong ends.
Consider these—-
Unhealthy Alternatives to Glorifying God through What We Do:
A. Being Blind to Others and Just Live for Ourselves
B. Take Advantage of People's Needs for Ourselves - This is using people to get what we want instead of helping people to get what they need.
C. To See The Needs of Others and Choose to Be Unresponsive
CONCLUSION: As you think of these four things, how to you measure up? Are you challenged to become more sensitive, to use your faith to see God work and to be more involved in helping others? Are you willing to believe that what might seem a small thing can become the spark of a massive revival in the hands of God?
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THE DASH – A great poem for funeral sermon
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The Dash
by Linda Ellis
I read of a reverend who stood to speak
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the date
on her tombstone
from the beginning… to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the date with tears
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth, and
now only those who loved her know
what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
the cars, the house, the cash.
What matters is how we lived and loved
and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard,
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
You could be at "dash mid-range"
If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel, and
be less quick to anger,
show appreciation more
and love the people in our life like
we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
more often wear a smile
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.
So when your eulogy is being read
with your life's actions to rehash…
would you be pleased with the things they say
about how you spent your dash?
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FINDING VICTORY IN YOUR VALLEY
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FINDING VICTORY IN YOUR VALLEY
by Eddie Lawrence
INTRODUCTION: I read a story about a man who saw an eagle. He said this….Once when I was in Switzerland I saw an eagle, a splendid bird, but it was chained to a rock. It had some twenty or thirty feet of chain attached to its legs, and to an iron bolt in the rock. There was the king of birds, meant to soar into Heaven, chained to earth. That is the life of multitudes of believers. Are you allowing business, are you allowing the cares of the world, are you allowing the flesh to chain you down, so that you cannot rise?
Is this a picture of your life right now? Are you being overcome by life's circumstances? Are you finding it hard to rise up and be who you know God has called you to be? The Scripture speaks to us on our place as Spirit born believers. Listen to what John wrote in 1 John 5…
TEXT: 1 John 5:For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Transition: The above passage is rich in its content. Through God's Love and Obeying the God of Love we who have been born again are positioned to be overcomers. Our victory to overcome is found in placing our faith in the Victor himself…Jesus Christ. There is no situation beyond the reach of Calvary's power. We need to remember this in our seasons of struggle. The enemy desires for us to forget this power to overcome so that we can be overcome.
Let me share with you three things to remember to help you find and live in this victory in your valley.
1. Remember Your Victories
In the Old Testament, the people of God would gather together stones and mark a place where they had experience God in some type of breakthrough or victory.
1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,…
Psalm 78:41 Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43 When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
Paul reminds us that even the enemy of death cannot stand against the victory that is ours in Christ. Listen to these verses:
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Each time we partake of Holy Communion we are celebrating the victory we have through Christ.
2. Remember Your Valleys
Notice in the following passage mention is made of passing through the valley of Baca.
Psalm 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
Baca is a word that has dual meanings: It can be translated "garbage heap or dump" and it is also translated "a place of weeping or tears." In both instances, the picture is not a pretty one but one we often face in life.
A. TRASHY TIMES–These are the times of failure, of wasted opportunities, of bad choices and ruined relationships. The place of disposal where life has tossed you into the dump.
B. TRAGIC TIMES–These are the times when you are pinned to the mat, cornered in the ring, and facing "inevitable defeat." These "no way out" moments tax and test us to the hilt. Will our God come through? These are times of tears and weeping.
Quote: A man by the name of William Ward said, "We should be thankful for our tears: They prepare us for a clearer vision of God."
What testimonies could you share today of being rescued from the trash heap or of God reversing your circumstances when it seemed impossible?
3. Remember Your Victories Often Come Through Your Valleys
Notice this passage again…it says they made a spring and were strengthened in the valley of Baca. Isn't it true that it is often in the struggle that we find the strength of God?
Wow…from the garbage dump to the palace! From under the heel of the enemy to your heel on the head of the enemy. These are the turnaround situations God specializes in. These are the stories created through the power of the cross and the favor of God that is now upon us who were once sinners. Yahooooooooooo!!
Psalm 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
Is it not true that as New Testament believers we have a Spring inside of us now through the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit brings to us the refreshing strength and grace of Christ to live in victory in all circumstances. Even death has no hold on the believer. Whatever it is that we need, Christ will supply it to us through His Spirit.
Illustration: Allow me to read to you from a devotional that once appeared in OUR DAILY BREAD:
In northern Chile, between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, lies a narrow strip of land where the sun shines every day! Clouds gather so seldom over the valley that one can say, "It almost never rains here!" Morning after morning the sun rises brilliantly over the tall mountains to the east. Each noon it shines brightly overhead, and every evening it brings a picturesque sunset. Although storms are often seen rising high in the mountains, and heavy fog banks hand their gray curtains far over the sea, Old Sol continues to shed his warming rays upon this "favored" and protected strip of territory. One might imagine this area to be an earthly paradise, but is far from that! It is a sterile and desolate wilderness! There are no streams of water, and nothing grows there.
We often long for total sunshine and continuous joy in life, and we desire to avoid the heartaches that bring tears to our eyes. Like that sunny, unfertile part of Chile, however, life without clouds and even an occasional downpour would not be productive or challenging. But though showers do come, they will also end, and the sun will shine again. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalm 30:5).
Let me remind you of the Psalm of David we call the Shepherd's Psalm. Here are a few verses that tie in with finding victory in the valleys of life and even death.
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
POEM: VISION ACROSS THE VALLEY
I stood upon the hillside
In driving mist and rain.
The wind was round me whistling
A sobbing, sad refrain.
But away across the valley
The hill was bathed in light,
And in its golden glory
Was radiantly bright.
But would I reach that hillside
This valley I must tread:
The glory of the sunlight
Is to the valley wed.
And so, methought, how often
The story of our years
Is but a glimpse of glory
Through vision cleared by tears.—F. H. Oakley
CONCLUSION: Are you in a valley right now in your life? Let me encourage you believer…..you are still an overcomer through the One who has overcome. His victory is now your victory. His strength is now your strength. Have faith. Remember this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
For those of you who do not yet know Christ….place your faith in Him today. When you do, He will forgive you, fill you with His peace and power that will enable you to rise up in Him and overcome.
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Ten Signs You Are Near A Burnout/Meltdown
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The following I am reposting from Pastor Perry Noble's blog. Having experienced this meltdown in my own life and ministry, I pray it will help those of you who need to be alerted to this reality in the lives of so many ministers.
Ten Signs You Are Near A Burnout/Meltdown
By Pastor Perry Noble
My counselor shared a statistic with me two years ago that floored me…90% of the people entering ministry DO NOT RETIRE from ministry, they either quit or have some sort of moral/ethical failure that disqualifies them.
I’m not a rocket scientist…but I honestly do not believe that is what Jesus called us to OR what He wants for our lives.
AND yet so many of us (church leaders) struggle/wrestle with this (usually inwardly because if we said out loud that we are dying inside we fear that people may perceive us as weak!)
Here are ten signs that you are near a burnout and/or meltdown…
#1 – You are beginning to despise people and your compassion for them is continually decreasing rather than increasing.
#2 – You OFTEN think about doing something other than ministry…and your biggest desire isn’t to honor God and reach people but to simply find relief from the pressure that seems to be building daily inside of you.
#3 – You cannot remember the last time you simply had fun with family and friends…and joy is something you talk about but are not experiencing for yourself.
#4 – You are disconnected at home…when you get there you do not want to engage with your spouse or your children, you cannot enjoy being around them…you spend more time online than you do with your family…and you find yourself wanting to sleep all of the time.
#5 – You continually tell yourself and those you love that “this is just a really busy season and that you will slow down soon.” (However, the truth is that you have been most likely “singing that same song” for years!)
#6 – You are continually becoming obsessed with what others say about you…and one negative comment from someone who does not like you can put you in an incredibly deep valley and cause you to feel hopeless.
#7 – You begin to make easy decisions rather than the right ones…because the right ones take too much work.
#8 – There is no hope in you…and, you actually despair life. You have actually thought of death…and some have even entertained suicidal thoughts.
#9 – You are experiencing unexplained depression and/or anxiety. You are even having panic attacks and you can’t explain it!
#10 – You are increasingly becoming withdrawn from family and friends.
“How did you come up with this list,” you ask…it’s quite simple, I went back to December 2007 until January of this past year and listed out the qualities that were the most prominent in my own life. That’s right…my life! I went through a trial of intense depression and anxiety during that time period and, the best way I can describe my life would be “dark!”
However, through me swallowing my pride and asking for help, the support of an incredible wife, the support of great friends and seeking out an incredible counselor…and the unbelievable mercy of God I broke free from my darkness this past January. Oh sure, I still struggle with it more often than I wish I would…but I cannot tell you the incredible feelings of freedom and joy I’ve had since January that I haven’t had in YEARS!
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