What Are Your "What If" Statements?

What Are Your "What If" Statements?

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21)

I have spent most of my life stuck in "What If" statements.

What If...

My ministry never develops?
No one reads what I write?
No one listens to my music?
I never get married?
I never have children?

Or more simply and in my day to day...

I get fired?
I'm told I'm not doing a good job?
My car breaks down?
I find out I have cancer?

The list goes on and on

As a result of these "what if" statements, I lived much of my adolescence and young adult life in FEAR.

When we live our lives in the "What ifs", as a result our lives become engulfed in anxiety and fear.  We become overwhelmed and burdened by unrealistic thoughts and worries that eventually become engrossed in controlling our lives.

But what we fail to realize is that the truth of the matter is....as much as we want to have control; we will never have it.

We must let it go!

The funny thing is, that we are not letting control go...we are letting our illusion of control go.  When we finally realize that as much as we try...we will never have it.  Letting control go, SHOULD be easy.  But if we are honest with our selves it never is.

WHY?

So many of us have been wounded by an uncontrolled circumstance in our lives.  Whether it was a parent who abused us; a teacher that took advantage; a family member that was taken away by tragic death too soon.  Whatever your uncontrolled circumstance may be; the outcome seems to always be the same.  We are left wounded and confused.  Wondering how an all loving, all encompassing God could allow this to happen.

Now, I will never came to understand God.  His ways and purposes are far beyond what one could ever see or imagine.  But I cling to what I do know.  And that is that our Father, the one who does have control, is loving, gracious and merciful.  He has, as the word says,  PROMISED to prosper us, not to harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11)  It also says, " Greater is He that is within you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).  

Let's meditate on the life of Joseph for just a moment.

This man was highly favored and loved by his father and lived a privilege life.  But then...

His brothers out of jealousy for his favor, sold him in to slavery.  

There seemed to be hope for him but then...

He was wrongfully accused of adultery and He was then thrown in to prison.  

In the end we all know that God "resurrected" Joseph, so to speak, and eventually Joseph came face to face with the very brothers who were the catalyst of His lives broken path.  But what I try to hold to from this story is what he then said towards his brothers when he could of, with all power and authority to do so, killed them on the spot.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid."(Genesis 50:20-21)

Wow!  Read that one more time!  This one statement says it all!

Broken down this statement says:

You (satan) intended or designed something to harm me.
But then God intended or designed it for good.

Hallelujah!  Thank you God that you are on our side!

I don't know about you, but after readying all of that, I am SO grateful that even with the many plans that have in my heart, God's purpose WILL prevail.

That because of God we can say...

Do NOT be afraid!  Do NOT be anxious.  Do NOT worry!  Let us focus on the FACT that we serve a  GOOD God; a JUST God; a God of love, mercy, compassion!  A God who ALWAYS promises to proper and not to harm.

We can never know what will happen in the next second, minute, day, month or year.  But we can be sure that God will NOT harm us.

So I ask you, what are your "what if" statements?

Write them down and throw them away!

And then write out the the promises that God has for you and meditate on those; get those deep in your heart and your mind. So when Satan tries to tell you that you should think on those "what ifs", you can tell him what God's word says and watch as he cowers away in fear instead of you!

Do NOT Be Afraid

Speaking Out About Our Weaknesses

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  (1Corinthians 1:3&4)

Have you ever thought...

"if I just knew I wasn't alone, I would be more apt to talk about my pain." 

Or...

"I'm afraid others will look at me and say that I don't have enough faith or that I must be sinning to be struggling in the way that I am." 

The truth of the matter is, all of us have struggled with feelings of anxiety, worry, and depression.  Most of us at one point or another have thought..."I must be going crazy!"  It is all way more common than we would like to admit, and although I believe that some of us are more apt to it than others, we are all struggling with our mental health, in one way or another; at one point or another, over our lifetime.

Whether it is situational through the death of a loved one or the loss of a home or job, or it more general...we all experience moments in our lives where we feel like we can't control our minds reaction to life.

Now don't get me wrong, I am only talking about anxiety and depression here.  I firmly believe that anxiety and depression can be caused by things in your life, BUT can also be caused by an imbalance in the brain.

This is a tough subject to talk about and while I have done much study on both topics and have been diagnosed with both depression and general anxiety disorder in my life, I do not claim to be an expert on the subject.  I can only speak from my own experience and knowledge.

So here is what I know...

• Anxiety and depression are more common than we think.
• We don't talk about it enough, because we are afraid of labels.
• We have been conditioned through society to be ashamed of "weak feelings"

But here are some statistics according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America...

• 17% of all Americans suffer from depression during their life time.
• 25.8% of all American suffer from a variety of forms of Anxiety Disorders.
• If you put in all together that means that some where around 42.8% of all American's suffer from some form of Depression or Anxiety Disorder in their lifetime. That's almost HALF!

All of this to simply state the fact that...YOU ARE NOT ALONE!


If you have read through the Psalms...you know that depression and anxiety were alive and real even in the minds of most of God's chosen decendents.  David was "God's called King" in the old testament and yet it appears that he struggled with mental illness frequently through about his reign.

"My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.  My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.  Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me." (Psalm 55: 2-5)

Now if that isn't the mind of a man struggling with anxiety and depression I don't know what is.

Honestly, a lot of the stigma that we have towards mental illness could be healed if we would just be willing to speak out about our common weakness and pain.

But we are afraid of it because we don't talk about it...or we brush it off as "sin".

Whatever is kept in the dark Satan will spread in the dark...but whatever is brought into the light...God will USE in the light!

God asks us to comfort others in their affliction as He has comforted us...and part of that comfort is sharing our own struggle.

Do NOT be afraid...speak truthfully and openly about your weakness and watch as God's power and Glory is revealed through it!

I truly believe that when done in a safe and open environment...

You WILL find love and acceptance.
You WILL find grace and mercy.
You WILL find healing.
You WILL find peace.
You WILL find you are NOT alone.

You Matter To God

You Matter To God: 

He See's What You Do In Secret

"...Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1Corinthians 15:58)

Have you ever wondered if all the time and effort you put into ministry matters? For some of us it is a daily thought...if I don't show up for choir would anyone notice?  Do they really need me to come and help stuff programs, or set up signs? If I am praying and no one knows I am...then does it really make a difference?

The answer to all of these questions is YES! You do matter, YES they would notice, and YES it does make a difference!

One of satan's favorite lies is that "we don't matter."

But we know that statement is NOT true for God's word says:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29–31NIV)

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

God knows the number of hairs on your head and calls you His masterpiece.  You matter to Him more than you could ever know or understand.   So every time Satan whispers the lie that you don't matter, remember that His eye is on the sparrow and your are worth more!  YOU MATTER TO GOD!

His word also says:

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be a slave to all. For even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."(Mark 10:46)

It is not everyone's call in this life on earth to be in front of the masses doing God's work.  Not all of us can be pastors, missionaries or worship leaders.  But that's doesn't mean that what we do for God's kingdom goes unnoticed or unvalued.  

It is also written:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mathew 6:1-4)

We all have different gifts and different use in the body of christ.  Each part of the body is important.  And if you think that cleaning the bathrooms doesn't make a difference just remember a time you walked in to an unclean bathroom...you will quickly remember that a clean bathroom really does make a difference.  

Or if you think just because you are praying alone for your church every morning, instead of with a group of people in the prayer room before service, that it doesn't make a difference, you are also very wrong.  It is written:

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35) 

Jesus went away to pray in solitude many times.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18) 

“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”(John 14:13-14)

It all matters.

Brothers and sisters...your sacrifice for Christ and His church does not go unnoticed. Whether you are a missionary, a pastor, a small group leader, a prayer warrior, a greeter, or a volunteer cleaning bathrooms, God see's your heart and He is pleased.

Everything we do with a heart of service to God matters and is valued. Whether people SEE you or not...you are noticed.

Satan will try and tell you that because no one or few actually see the work that you are doing, that it doesn't matter.  And when those thoughts come in to your head have your sword ready.  Plant the above scriptures in your heart so that when satan tries to steal, kill and destroy your value...you will be armed and ready to say to him...

"Satan you are a LIER! I do matter to God, He calls me His masterpiece, He knows the hairs on my head!  My work in not in vain.  For God has called not called us to be served but to serve.  My father sees what I do in secret and will reward me for it in heaven!  I have been called to pray in the spirit in all occasions for all saints, knowing that anything I ask for in His name, He will do.  I do matter!  Satan you have been defeated and can not win.  Be gone from me in Jesus name!  Amen!"

Lessons From A Laptop Resurrection Part 3

He Makes All Things New!

"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (Luke 5:4 -7)

***Peter and the casting of the nets, the calling of Jesus' first disciples; such a strong story and testimony in the bible.  We must have faith that when the Lord asks us to do something, even when we feel as though we have done it a hundred times with same outcome, we must trust that because He says so...we must!  Knowing that He is doing a new thing!***

So the weeks went on, my birthday past and the blessing was imminent.  Not quite enough to get a new laptop, but it was a start and certainly a blessing.  

But once the money was in my account...God started pressing through His spirit for me to give it all, every last penny, to the church.

You can imagine my inner struggle, "But Lord, I need it to do your work!  This money is such a blessing, why would I just give it all away?"

But God reminded me that every blessing from Him should be given it back to Him and while that doesn't always me to give it all.  This time it did.

So I did.

I gave the money, all of it, to the church and that was that.  I was just going to have to trust and believe that God had another plan to give me the laptop that I needed.

**This was huge lesson in faith and giving for me, and while I want to say that it is the point of this message, it's not.  But let me not discard what God wants to point out here.

There are times in our lives when God will give us a blessing.  One that we feel like is an exact answer to prayer, and then ask us to immediately give it all back.  Let me tell you from experience....just DO IT!

That evening while I was brushing my teeth and thinking with the Lord about everything that had transpired over the past 6 weeks, I heard a still small voice say something that at the time I thought was crazy.

"Remember the laptop, your laptop, the one that was spilled on, disconnected and broken apart and is sitting in the corner of your bedroom?  Go and plug it and turn it on."

I laughed...

"Seriously Lord, why would I do that?  It is dead. I've tried it before, it didn't work.  It's not going to turn on!"

But than my spirit stirred and I heard my self saying, "because you say so Lord, I will."

So I walked in to my room, picked up the laptop (back still off), and plugged it in.  The light turned green, so I took a deep breath (trying not to get my hopes up) and pressed the "ON" button.

And here it is...

It turned on!  

I kid you not...it turned on.  I stood there with excited anticipation and fear as I watched the screen start to load.

"Don't get your hopes up now, just because it turned on, doesn't mean it will stay on."

But the log in screen came up and I slowly typed in my password, pressed enter and watched as the screen came to life.

My heart leaped...and I quickly backed up all my files!  But here is the even more amazing part.  My laptop is now running stronger and faster than it ever has.  It is like new!  And all I have to say to that is, Glory to God the overseer of all things!  He is worthy of praise!

Now it is easy to look at all of this and say that the point is: Give all you have to God and He will give it back to you!

And while that statement is true and certainly apparent through this message, it is not the point.

So what is the point?  

The point is that so many of us have been spilled on, disconnected, broken apart, and discarded and all it takes is one person to follow the ushering of the spirit to plug us in so that God can turn us on!

That's it!  We all have someone in our life.  The person we just can't seem to get through to. The family member, friend, or neighbor that we just feel there is no more hope for.  The person we have tried to invite to church, many times. The person who may have even come to church, many times, but just doesn't turn on.  They are connected, but the light doesn't turn green.

They just don't turn on.

We all have someone, and unfortunately to often we give up on these people in our lives. We discard them and move on to someone new.

But the truth is, many of us have been plugged in, with the power button pushed, and we didn't come on either. Why? Because it wasn't God's time. When we try to do things in our own time, take control; try to make things happen; nothing happens. We must learn to except, wait, listen and receive whatever it is that God is trying to teach us during our time of waiting, so that when the time comes to follow His voice, we will know it. And when God's power does enter us and turn us on, will have a better understanding of what the power really should be used for.

But don't miss this point either.  

In that moment when you hear God's spirit ushering you to go back to that person you have discarded as "useless", or "hopeless", and plug them back in again,(even if it sounds crazy) you're answer must be, "because you say so, I will!"

Wait on the Spirit of the Lord to lead you.  And while you wait ask Him what He can teach you during that time of waiting on your friend, family member, or neighbor.

Remember your own journey with God.  What did you have to see before God's light turned on in you?

Ask yourself: what do I need to learn from this journey witnessing to my friend? What do I need to see as I am sharing my testimony with my neighbor?  What do I need to learn during this time of waiting for my family member? When they look at me, do they see Jesus?  Am I trusting God to save them in His time?  Or am I trying to save them in my time?

It is not our job to save people; that job belongs to the Lord.  But we can love people and tell them about Jesus, knowing and trusting that in doing just that; He WILL save them.

So when God says to you:

"Invite them to church, bible study, or a worship concert one more time"
"Tell them about my love for them one more time"
"Pray for them one more time"

You must say:

"Lord, because you say so, I will.."

And watch as the fish begin to appear, the nets begin to break and the blessing is far more than you could have ever hoped or imagined.

Watch as the light turns on and God redeems them, making them like new; brighter, faster, stronger and more powerful than they were before.

Because when it is in God's time; His Glory will shine through and they will have learned for themselves what the power of Jesus really can and will do through them and in them!

Amen!