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Ever heard of a "one-hit wonder"? The term refers to a popular musician whose sophomore effort tanks in sales and fails to garner attention. Several artists fall into this category, but since today's message has nothing to do with the entertainment industry, we won't worry about these types. Let's concern ourselves with God instead. Believe it or not, many people see God as a one-hit wonder. Although they've heard of the great things He did in the Bible, they don't understand why they haven't seen such acts in their lifetime. They may wonder why God hasn't split any more seas or why they haven't heard of any other walls miraculously falling like the one at Jericho did.


Gideon had a similar attitude. When an angel approached and greeted him with, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior,” he questioned whether God was truly with him and his people (Judges 6:12). He said, "Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian” (Judges 6:13). His were the words of a man who'd heard of God but struggled to see evidence of His might. He lived in a time when his people were being severely oppressed by their enemies, and to him, God seemed like a one-hit wonder.


Nevertheless, God proved to Gideon that the power He'd displayed in the time of his ancestors had not run dry. He took an army of 30,000 men, cut it down to 300, and gave them victory over a much larger enemy force. Just as He did then, the Lord is willing to do the same with us today. He doesn't want any of us thinking He is the God of yesteryears. He wants us to know He is more than capable of saving people from whatever steals their peace. This is why He is repeatedly called "the Alpha and Omega" in the Bible - the beginning and the end. He is timeless, as is His word, His power, and His plans for each of us.


For those who don't realize this, it is because they haven't experienced God's might in their life and haven't seen His power in the lives of those they know. Yet, He's still doing the things He did in Biblical times. People are being brought back to life in the name of Jesus. If that is too hard for you to believe, then let's consider a different miracle that might be easier to wrap your head around. Right in our fellowship, there have been recent testimonies of how fervent intercession has brought the sick back from the brink of what doctors called imminent death. Could a one-hit wonder make that happen?



I've been privileged to see God prove that He's not a one-hit wonder. He recently stunned me when I'd prayed to eat something from a little restaurant down the street. Why did I have to say this prayer? Why didn't I just whip out my wallet and get what I wanted? I'd paid a bunch of bills, and my bank account looked like a dusty street from a wild west movie with nothing but tumbleweed rolling through it. If I were going to eat out, God had to make a way. Later that day, a huge box of pizza and fried chicken were on the kitchen counter. I thanked God for the provision, but since those weren't what I'd prayed for, I kept trusting Him to deliver. And He did the next day when some loved ones ordered dinner from the very place I'd prayed about, all without me expressing my desire to them.


That same dish showed up for three more days despite the funds in my bank account not increasing. It got to a point where I had to thank God and ask Him to kindly stop as I was quite satisfied. I didn't understand until later that the Lord wanted me to know that He will not only fulfill prayers one time, but will fulfill them over and over again. He wanted me to learn that He was not and never would be a one-hit wonder. And if I trusted Him, He'd give more than I could ask for or even imagine. Psalm 145:19 - He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.


That's the God I serve. A God who didn't stop doing great things when the last sentence of the Bible came to an end. He's still answering prayers - even those that don't have any urgency to them. For those who would have faith and reject the lies of satan that creep in to suggest that God won't do what we've prayed for, the Lord will do and redo and overdo to preserve the honor of His name. When we pray in accordance with His will and in Jesus' name, which I did, our joy will be complete (John 16:24). That said, remember that God can also choose to take His time in answering some prayers; He gets to decide when and why. But that doesn't mean He's not able to fulfill our prayers.


If you think God is a one-hit wonder, I encourage you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you, and please don't waver as you wait for Him to do so. I have learned that God can be trusted because He wants us to know how real He is, and in many cases, He's willing to do that one thing that will catch our attention. I believe He wants us to swing our head in His direction and focus on Him. And that we will do by His grace, IJMN, Amen. Please come back at Noon EST when we will praise the Lord, then stand in the gap to pray for others. After that, we will pray with the scriptures I used to lay the foundation when making the request that God kindly answered over and over. Praise the Lord!



PS: 20 more P&Ps to go and we'll be at 500, folks!! God is good.





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When the Israelites were about to cross the River Jordan, they arrived in a beautiful area. Verdant fields with plants and trees made it attractive to the Tribes of Reuben and Gad (Numbers 32). The leaders of these tribes approached Moses and the other elders and asked if they and their families could stay there.


Moses reminded them of how a few people had refused to enter the promised land 40 years earlier and the consequences. They'd angered God, and He wiped out an entire section of the population, keeping the Israelites in the wilderness. Moses asked these men if they were willing to put the entire community in trouble just so they could stay where they wanted instead of going where God was sending the group.


The leaders of Reuben and Gad regrouped and then returned to Moses with an alternative request. They committed to going with the rest of the community to conquer the land west of the Jordan River. However, once done, they wanted to return to their preferred land. Moses agreed to this, and eventually the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and some from Manasseh settled on the eastern side of the Jordan.


This series of events is an important example of how easy it is to settle for less than what God has for you. The people of Reuben, Gad, and some of the Manassites were likely tired from 40 years of waiting for God's promise. They'd become disillusioned and just wanted to settle down and start their lives after waiting for so long. And with that perspective, they were willing to forsake what lay ahead in Canaan.


Most of us are no different. We're sure of what we can see right now and may be content with what we currently have. So much so that we become unwilling to do the additional waiting and warring that may be required to take possession of what God has assigned us. Doing this is to ignore that God has more waiting just ahead.


Desiring God's more requires the application of our faith. We have to put it to work, believing that what lies ahead will be better than what we've seen in the past. The Bible says in Haggai 2:9 - The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” This verse speaks to the second temple to be erected in Jerusalem, but do you realize it also speaks to you? You are God's earthly temple, and the days to come will be greater than those gone by.


If you trust that God's word is true and that He plans to bring you to an expected end per Jeremiah 29:11, then you must desire God's more for you. You can't be satisfied with where you are spiritually. You should want more of Him and His Spirit at work in you and around you. For this to happen, you must give Him what He wants to get what you desire. Spend more time with His word. Seek out Spirit-led counsel. Be more intentional in surrounding yourself with Spirit-filled ideas and individuals. Pray to hear the Lord clearly and be led only by His Spirit and His Son, Jesus.


Those three tribes were satisfied to stop before entering God's promised land. Complacency caused them to reject their inheritance. They didn't realize that although the land they liked was good, God had even better waiting deeper into the territory ahead. We should learn from this mistake. In time, their being on the other side of the Jordan opened them up to attacks from the surrounding peoples. They were the first to be picked off over the years as the kingdoms of Israel were conquered.


May we never forget that God has a plan and a reason for what He's doing in us and where He's taking us, IJMN Amen. He knows what's coming. And when we desire His 'more', we have increased protection from our enemies. And in desiring the fullness of His promise, we don't inadvertently forsake our inheritance and lose out on His goodness. May the Lord help us all to increasingly invest in our relationship with Him so we hear and are led to receive His more, IJN Amen.




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