Shift Your Perspective - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) January 2, 2024

It is so easy to enter into a new year thinking about all the things you failed to do in the year that just ended. It is equally easy to focus on all the things you are waiting on the Lord to do. You look at all the promises you hoped to see that seemingly remain unfulfilled.

If that's how you felt on New Year's Day, or if that's how you feel right now, you are not alone. There's something about stepping into a calendar year that gets people sentimental. And in some cases, melancholy.

However, you cannot allow such attitudes to become the theme of your year. It just will not do to be burdened with what shoulda or coulda been. Instead, you have to take a moment or two, to remember what the Lord did for you in the last year. Things you never could have achieved on your own You can't afford to forget what God has done for your loved ones and yourself.

And as you remember those Jericho Moments - the wins God gave you along the way - you will no longer focus on what you are yet to see. You will instead focus on what God is bringing your way. There will be a shift in attitude and perspective. You'll go from sadness to the joy of the Lord. You'll fulfill Isaiah 61:3's guidance of replacing the spirit of despair with the garment of despair. This will be accomplished by singing and playing music that praises the Lord and dancing in anticipation of what's coming by His grace. After all, He promised that those who wait on Him will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11). Plus, He said in Proverbs 23:18 - ...you have a bright future (GNT). That commitment belongs to every child of God who believes in it.

Has your mind turned to the verse on "hope deferred"? Then, I want you to remember something. Proverbs 13:12 tells us, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life (NKJV). This verse is true and you might have lifted it up to the Lord to encourage Him to swiftly fulfill your desire. There is nothing wrong with that, except if your request is detestable to Him. Nevertheless, keep the following in mind: God can defer our desires to strengthen our faith and increase our patience.

If either of those is the reason why you are still waiting, then buckle up and be prepared to wait a little longer. We can't skip any classes with the Lord. Remember, He has taken full responsibility for you, His child. You must therefore be raised properly to become effective tools for His purpose here on earth. Thus, if you signed up to be His child, then you've signed up to learn what He has to teach the way He wants to teach you.

So, as we place some distance between 2023 and each new day, turn your gaze to the God who has good plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11). Plans that will not fail but will surely come to pass as we cooperate with Him and allow Him to help us with everything.

I hope to see you at Noon EST when we'll worship the Lord and pray for others. See you then!

Please read the following New Year's posts from the past:

1. Lose To Win​

2. Acknowledge God​

3. New Year, New Attitude

Consequences of Rejecting Jesus - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) December 29, 2023

We've spent a lot of time talking about accepting the good news that Christ is God's Son who died for us. We've also spent time learning about the need to receive and walk with the Holy Spirit who comes once we believe in Jesus. However, have we ever wondered what happens when a person rejects Jesus? Are there any consequences?

Jesus addressed this in John 12:48 - Whoever rejects Me and refuses to accept My teachings, has one who judges him; the very word that I spoke will judge and condemn him on the last day.

What does this mean? While each person has the right to choose whether they will believe in Jesus and submit to Him, failure to choose Christ means not receiving the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, we miss out on godly wisdom and strategy which keeps us out of trouble. The most dire consequence, however, is not getting into heaven. After all, we are told in John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. And since the Father lives in heaven, rejecting Christ means no access to God's kingdom.

These facts are a reminder of what is at risk. A time will come when all will answer for their choices. This includes the decision to reject Jesus. Nobody, not even Christ, knows when that day will be. The moment is only known to God (Matthew 24:36). So, we must live ready, knowing that judgment will surely come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

As we step into a new year, let us be more heaven-minded. Let us truly believe in Jesus and apply our faith by obeying His instructions. To know what those are, we need to study what He taught in the Bible. A little bit each day goes a long way. We must also let the Lord teach us how to submit to the Holy Spirit. That way, the Spirit of God will help us navigate life in a manner that pleases the King of kings. Further, we must allow God to correct us, plus show ourselves some grace when we mess up. In those instances, we must quickly and genuinely repent for sin without allowing guilt to choke out the progress we've made. All while remembering that God will get us to heaven if we cooperate with Him.

And we can't afford to be passive regarding the things of God. They cannot continue to play second-fiddle to what satisfies our fleshly desires. Jesus noted that many will claim to have served Him but yet He won't acknowledge those He classifies as false disciples (Matthew 7:21-23). Such believers are deemed lukewarm and will be rejected on the day of judgment (Revelation 3:16). None of us should risk the consequence of rejecting Jesus through lukewarmness.

As we enter a new year, may we agree with God and thereby be at peace as the word states in Job 22:21 (ESV). May we never reject Jesus no matter the pressures of the world. May we grow in obedience to the Lord our Father, to our Savior Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit, IJN Amen.

On Fear, Disobedience, & Correction - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 26, 2023

If there is one thing the Lord keeps teaching me as I walk with Him, it is that there is so much I don't understand and need to learn. I thank Him for the opportunity, though I wish I didn't have to make so many mistakes in the process. One such mistake occurred recently. I was running some last-minute errands with my entire family. They went to one store while I moseyed over to another shop for some window shopping.

At the back of the store, I saw something that would look great in my kitchen - a utensil holder for my cooking spoons and other knick knacks. It retails for over $50 but was on sale for $8. Now, I've learned to pray and seek guidance before purchases (this might seem like much, but it keeps me from doing what I'll later regret). So, I prayed and asked the Lord if I could have it. The response was affirmative and so, item in hand, I went to pay. Then, I recalled that I wasn't there to buy anything. Plus, given the season, I'd spent quite a bit. Since I live on a fixed budget, I really didn't want to spend on something non-essential. So I returned the utensil holder to the shelf and met up with my family so we could go to our next stop.

The following day, my thoughts occasionally returned to the item I didn't buy. There was a sense that I'd missed something about the experience. When I get that feeling, I know I need to check whether there's something God wants me to know. So, I turned off the distractions, worshipped, and let the Lord know I wanted to hear whatever He had to tell me. I was shocked by what I learned. He noted I hadn't trusted Him in that store. Color me confused! From my perspective, I thought purchasing the kitchen item was optional. The problem, however, was that I didn't purchase it because I was anxious about certain upcoming bills.

There I was thinking I had been a good steward of my resources, but in fact, my choice stemmed from fear. The Lord had to remind me that He'd promised to help me with each bill that was on the horizon. He also pointed me back to every other issue I'd faced where He'd come through with a miracle. I needed to trust that He wouldn't have me spend $8 only to leave me high and dry when the big bills came due.

All I could do was repent for allowing fear to creep into my life. It had morphed into a form I couldn't readily identify and when God tried to help me overcome it, I swatted His hand away. I put myself in His shoes, knowing it would hurt to not be trusted by someone I cared for. Someone I'd helped repeatedly. Once again, I said I was sorry and committed to do better next time.

'Next time' came sooner than I expected. As the day wound down, the Lord told me to return to the store. This came as a surprise because I thought the issue ended with my repentance. Alas, it didn't. I soon understood that I needed to go buy the utensil holder. I confess that I got a bit stubborn and had numerous excuses for why I should stay home. One, it was cold and dreary outside. Two, I still had things to do. Three, I had planned to stay home until after Christmas so I could avoid last-minute shoppers. And four, surely, the kitchen item was long gone. Nobody would have walked away from such a deal. Yet, the more I tried to rationalize things, the more the Lord gently insisted I should get in the car. Then, I recalled my promise to obey and knew this was not the time to repeat my error. I threw on my coat, grabbed my bag, and started the drive. When doubt made me wonder whether the utensil holder was still in the store, I resisted and said out loud, "My God will prove Himself."

The store was crowded but I weaved through focused shoppers to the clearance section. "Lord, will I find this thing?" I wondered as I walked to the back of the store. And there it was! Exactly where I'd left it! How had nobody seen it? Without wasting time, I snatched it up and got in line.

Here are the lessons I learned from this experience. Firstly, the spirit of fear can mask itself in a way you might not readily comprehend. When this happens, we could end up disobeying God. In my case, I truly believed I was being fiscally responsible until God shifted my understanding so I could see from His perspective. Secondly, God is very merciful. Despite my disbelief that the item would be waiting, there it was. He proved Himself despite all my disobedience, fear, and unbelief. Thirdly, He is the God of the second chance. God will provide an opportunity to rectify a failure on our part. In such moments, it is crucial to cooperate and obey.

The Lord was kind in teaching me these things and I am grateful for His patience. He is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11) and therefore, He will be just as kind and patient with the rest of His people who submit to correction and training. Never forget that God will only discipline those who belong to Him (Hebrews 12:10) so we must be willing to receive such correction. I plead with you to simply obey Him at the first instance. Do not make a mistake similar to mine. However, if you do, repent, let Him discipline you, and allow Him to guide you on the do-over. My prayer for everyone reading this message is that God will do all this and more in your life. I pray that God's faithfulness, lessons, and miracles will be a constant fixture for you, IJMN, Amen.