In the Time of the Lattereign

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6).

If I a tiny wind-tossed seed, never left the safe strong reed

Could I, stand alone? It was in the plan for my chaff to be blown:

When I’m discouraged, and my hope begins to wane,

and all the world’s mocking becomes too much to bear;

When I doubt God’s promises are really true for me,

and my shield of faith becomes weak.

When the day to day routine, robs me of my joy:

I’ll lift my hands to the Lord, and Stand.

I will stand still and know that he is my God.

His grace is sufficient and his promises are true

And if I don’t faint, I’ll see his glory, soon.

How often have we prayed for a mighty outpouring of God’s spirit and found that our own minds were wondering how the Lord would be able to pull it off? Are we truly committed to our belief that God can answer our prayers? Sometimes, we allow our finite thinking to hinder the depth of our commitment. Will we be willing to get out of the boat and walk on the water to meet Jesus or will we continue to struggle while paddling our way around the troubled seas?

If only we could take a step of faith, we’d see the greatest miracles unfold before our eyes! Our vision would start with just one thought or dream. Then, we’d witness seeing things that are impossible with man, become possible. Nothing that we can imagine will be impossible with God. If you are believing God for something that seems too big even for God, you can relax and simply hand it over to God who will honor your requests because he loves us.

What have you been believing God for lately? Financial miracles? Get out of the boat. Salvation for lost loved ones? Get out of the boat and stand. Peace of mind? Trust him enough to get out of the boat. Can you even comprehend what the Lord desires for your life? Then, it’s time to walk away from your safety zone, and look to Jesus who is right there within reach, in case you start to slip. He will never leave you nor forsake you. With God, there is no failure. Stay on the winning team, love Jesus.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31).

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience: And patience, experience; and experience hope: (Romans 5: 1-4).

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly  (Romans 5:5-6, 8) The Lord has been faithful to come to our rescue in the time of great challenges. In this week’s Lattereign we are reminded that God has all the power we need. Trust in him. Click on the link below and it will open up in a new window.

This too shall pass away

What greater way to be a light in this world than to know when to be still. Psalm 46:10 reminds us that God is in control of the storms in life. I have a choice to focus on the confusion and chaos of this present world, or to listen to God and put my trust in him. He has already won the battles that we face, and if we will allow him, he will direct our steps in his will. We must learn to think for ourselves and filter everything through God’s word. A true test of our strength is when we have a strong opinion about issues of the day, but we choose to be silent.

It is not a sign of weakness or uncaring when I remain silent. Believe me, I could shout my opinion from the rooftops, and it would probably be dismissed or dissected by others who have equally strong opinions from another viewpoint. So, what is the ultimate goal for me: to be known for how loudly I voice my concerns, or to be truly heard? The bible tells us in James 1:19-20 to, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

It is okay to have differences of opinion, but I am learning to go to the word to find help. When I spend more time praying and less time analyzing a situation I can be at peace knowing that God is working out all things for my good. Dare to be a beacon of hope in this present world.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

We honor fathers, today, so it is only appropriate for us to give honor to God, our heavenly father, who always causes us to triumph.

“Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:8-12)

The Lord wants to bless us abundantly, but he is waiting on us. We’ve been given the authority to take back everything that Satan has tried to steal from us: our joy, our victory, our faith, our finances, our salvation. When we entertain Satan’s accusations and begin to believe that what he says is true, we need to realize that it is a lie, because he can’t tell the truth. So, if he says that you are sick, you know that it’s just more of his lies because the Word says: “by his stripes we are healed.”

When he tells you that you can’t make it; look him square in the eye and tell him the truth: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). When you feel like you can’t go another mile in your walk with God because you’re so weary from battling Satan day after day, remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. He goes before us, and he has already won the victory. Do not doubt the promises that he has told you, because God can not lie, and he does not fail. He said that he would meet your needs and you can depend on it. “Have faith in God.”

 How many times has the Lord commanded us to put him first in our lives? Instead, we busy ourselves living our lives, working, worrying about how to pay for everything that we have acquired: somewhere along the way if we don’t watch ourselves, we’ll begin to lose some of our momentum in our walk with God.

Maybe we become apathetic and struggle to pray with the same fervency as we used to.  The same could be said about our faithfulness to the house of God, or our zeal in serving him. We get so tangled up in the cares of this life that we forget that we are missing the primary keys to unlock our spiritual, physical, and financial blessings for all eternity: obedience; faith; and trust.

“And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:29-32).

“I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Let’s seek him with our whole heart today.–

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).

In this week’s Lattereign we take a look back on a sermon from Brother Jim Wood from 2015, in honor of Father’s Day. (Click on the link, and it will open up in a new window.)  A Message to Men.

In this week’s Lattereign (Click on the link below. It will open in a new window) we invite you to take steps toward a blessed life.  Desperate for a Change? Try Jesus

^” Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9).

In this season of our lives it is good to allow the Lord to guide our steps. I know that we all have opinions about issues of the day, and the good thing is that the Lord helps us to pause before we say things that can be misinterpreted. Being slow to speak has been a blessing in my life, so I have made it part of my daily routine. Instead of being hopeless, I have learned to take my petitions to the Lord, and bind them on the altar. The Lord is well able to intervene. Leaving it at the altar brings peace instead of uncertainty about the direction you need to take.

I used to take my petitions to the altar and pray about them, then gather them up and carry them with me when I left. It was so hard for me to allow the Lord to have full reign in the decisions that I needed to make. Then, one day, I realized that I was not putting my full trust in God when I wasn’t willing to surrender all of my life to him. It seemed that no matter how much I prayed, that I felt defeated and lost when I left the throne room, and it was because I was trying to pick up all of the things that I had just laid at the feet of Jesus.

We must learn to surrender all to him. The words of this old song are clear:

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me Jesus take me now

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Saviour
I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Saviour wholly Thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Saviour
I surrender all

In this week’s Lattereign, we learn to enter into his gates with praise. Click on the link to open the Lattereign in a new window. Wall of salvation gates of praise

It matters what you believe and the stand you are willing to take to preserve the most important parts of our existence. These men held up the American flag and defended it. Do we have enough faith to believe God? So much depends on our willingness to take a step of faith and trust God to work out all of the details. It is important that we keep our rights that were fought for by those veterans who willingly gave of themselves to defend them.

Maybe I’m too old-fashioned, but the Lord gave me good common sense. You don’t surrender your freedom, just because someone orders you to do so. Consider what the Lord says. He gave us a free will. I am so thankful that the President classified churches as essential. We do have freedom to worship. If you mix that with good common sense we can get through anything.

Like much of the world we have experienced something that we never thought we would have to face. Yet, we are still the church of the living God. Nothing can separate us from the Lord.

Memorial Day 2020

I may not understand all that is going on in our world, or why it is happening, but this one thing I do know: that God is faithful to keep us through it if we will trust him. Not my will. but your will be done, Lord. Do you have 20/20 Vision? Too long God’s people have been blinded by their own agendas. There seemed to never be enough time to accomplish all that we were called to do, because we allowed the temporary to take precedent over the necessary.

Entertainment became more important than time with the Lord. If nothing else good comes from the pandemic, one thing good stands out to me, the pandemic has caused the world to slow down enough to hear what the Lord is trying to convey. Our core values, faith, family, friends, has taken top priority over the next item on our ever growing to do list. Families may even be spending more quality time together.

We learn to appreciate the simpler things in life: those things that maybe we didn’t value as much before, like how important the human touch really is, and a listening ear when we have to sort through some situation. It is about people coming together to help others, when before we might turn a blind eye to someone in need.

Through it all, the church has persevered. Just like the three Hebrew boys who refused to bow and worship the king, so we as a church have refused to give up our worship. In the midst of the fire, we stand with our hands raised in worship. we still gather (maybe in different homes throughout our region), but we still gather to worship. Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the Love of God. Nothing.

The only way Satan can steal our joy in the Lord, is if we surrender it. He can’t take our joy because God gave us joy unspeakable and full of glory. It is time to give God praise for the things he has done. In this week’s Lattereign, we are reminded that God is faithful. Click on the link below and it will open in a new window.

 Never forget that God is Faithful

^“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”(Matthew 16:18-19).

No matter what we are called to face in this life we can be confident that the Lord has already made a path for us to follow. I can trust that he is in full control of my life and the circumstances that I will need to face.

My word for us today is trust. Trust in God. Trust in the journey that we must take to be all that the Lord has called us to be. Trust the wisdom in praying for direction.

It isn’t always easy to be a leader; it is even more challenging for some people to be a follower. Our natural instinct is to jump in and fix everything, but the Lord has led us to a place where we must be willing to wait for the proper time to act. During this season of uncertainty it is good to know that the church will stand. I can build my life on my walk with the Lord. For me, my relationship with the Lord is essential, and no matter how the world will try to stop it from strengthening, it will not work. The more I hold on to God’s promises for my life the stronger I will become.

Nothing will be able to stop the church, especially a pandemic. If you say we can’t meet, the church will find a way to stand. It is more than a building, after all. No one will ever be able to stamp out prayer or my relationship with God. My very being is in his hands.

I am forever grateful that I had a mother who believed that building a relationship with Jesus Christ was essential. She always made sure that we could go to Sunday School. If it hadn’t been important to her, I would not have ever had the opportunity to learn about Jesus Christ.

We give honor to mothers, today. Thank you for showing us how to live for God, and for always being there to guide us even when the choices we were making went against what you desired for our lives. Your prayers sustained us and the tears you shed for us, were stored in heaven. I know that while your life wasn’t always easy, you were able to find hope in prayer, and so now we find hope because of the example you set for us.

In this week’s Lattereign we take the time to recognize our mothers. Click on the link below, and it will open in a new window.

Remembering Mother

I could focus on the trials of the past few weeks but I choose to focus on the goodness of God. He promised me that no weapon formed against me would prosper and I still believe it to be true. As we wait on the Lord to bring us through to the other side of this situation, we could get to a place where we feel that the Lord has forgotten about us: that isn’t true. He loves us. In due time he will get us through to the other side of this pandemic, and my question to you, today, is how will your life be different?

I am so thankful that I have a God who with his angels watches over me; I have a God who puts my enemies beneath my feet; I have a God for when I’m sick or when I’m feeling well; I have a God, I have a God, and my God can not fail.

In every circumstance; God is with us. All we must do is keep walking with him. He is leading us through the landmines, but we must trust him to know the path that we must take. So many people depend on science, or the media, or the politicians, to get us through this, but thank you, while I may listen to their views about the best direction to take, I’d rather take it to the Lord in prayer before I take the next step. It is time to shut out all of the voices that would try to sow seeds of doubt, and gloom and doom, and listen to the voice of the Lord.

I truly like his plan better. He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-13,

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

His plan is the best plan for my life. The Lord will take care of me. I trust God, so there is no room for fear to overtake me. In all that I have had to go through in my life, God has never failed me. Be blessed.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

We can put our trust in him. In this week’s Lattereign we are encouraged to Bring forth fruit that remains.  (This link opens in a new window)

It seems that we are facing unprecedented times with Covid-19 and all that it involves. I try to keep informed, and to be fair and respect all views that are pushed by different reports. It’s time that I stop being so focused on these reports, and start focusing on the report of the Lord. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I do know who holds my future. I can trust in God. I can hold my head high and not allow fear to overcome my faith in him.

He has already laid out the plan for my life, and while I don’t plan to be a rebel and throw my fists up in protest about the situation, I do know that the Lord knows what is best for me and my family. He tells me in 3 John: 2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth.” Isn’t it interesting that there is a connection between prospering, being in health and feeding our soul, so whether it is in a building or just in my prayer closet at home: I know in whom I have believed.

I got to thinking about everything the other day, and one of the most profound thoughts I’ve had in a long time came to mind:

Do you remember the story about Chicken Little and his warning that “the sky is falling”? It seems that everyone became fearful and started looking up watching for when the sky would actually fall. The chickens were paralyzed with fear. Okay, I could leave it there, but what if everybody was so fearful and focused on something that may never happen, that they didn’t see the present danger of falling off the cliff that was ahead because they were too busy looking up in fear. I know there are people who are in dire need of prayer as they battle this pandemic; however, there are those people who are not sick, that need to work, also.

We have got to turn our attention to the Lord. The enemy of our soul would like nothing better than to stop the church from reaching the lost. Yes, we have restrictions on gathering at this time; yes, it is terrible that the government is allowed to trample all over our rights as citizens of the United States. I get that.  I learned to wash and sanitize my hands at an early age, and the proper way to cover my mouth when I cough or sneeze. I also learned to stay home if I was sick, but heaven forbid if I wanted to stay home from school, when I was well. Use common sense. Mama taught me that.

I still don’t understand the difference in socially distancing at Wal-Mart with considerably more people around you, than socially distancing in the sanctuary at a church, where only 10 people are allowed to gather? Are my spiritual needs any less essential than my physical needs? And, no I don’t have answers to those questions, but this is what I do know:

No matter how restricted we are because we must obey the laws of the land, what Satan intended for evil, God will bring good from it. Have you noticed? More churches are streaming their services, online? I can’t even keep up with the number of videos that I am following from various churches where the emphasis is to preach the gospel, and encourage the saints, and I don’t even need to leave my computer to be a part of the church. I still can reach out in many ways, where before the restrictions I may have just passed someone by without an encouraging word.

The bottom line is Satan has lost this battle. He can not stop the church. Whose report will I believe? I shall believe the report of the Lord. So do not be discouraged, be kind, and keep praying and believing that God can turn this thing around. In this week’s Lattereign, we consider the following question Have you Lost Faith in Your Prayers?

It is nonsense to think that God is not aware of the circumstances that we are facing in this season of our lives. He has a plan; so I need to trust in it. I know that God is greater than any problem that I might have and that nothing can separate me from his love. I must continue to worship and praise his holy name because “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” In my heart I know that all is well with my soul, and that no matter what is  thrown in my path along the way, the Lord is still in control. He isn’t out to destroy his church, but he is working a deeper work in our spirits.

It is time to take all of our plans, and agendas, and programs so carefully executed, and put them aside to allow the Lord to do a work in our lives. By man’s law we have been limited in numbers that can worship in one place; but, it hasn’t stopped the church! We worship in the streets, at home, in our prayer closets, on the internet, literally everywhere we are allowed to go, we are reaching people with the gospel. “It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by you,” as the song goes.

Sometime we do need to get out of our routine, because it can become so familiar to us that we lose sight of the value and the privileges that we do have to be in fellowship with others. We find strength and encouragement when we get together, but does that have to stop just because of our restrictions? I think not. It’s time that we as a church stand up and boldly go before the throne of grace to plead our case. We can do it without any other consequences besides answered prayers.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

In this week’s Lattereign, the Lord reminds us to trust him.

 I will lift up mine eyes Unto the Hills