I was extravagant as a financial giver after returning from Korea, where I got saved in 1978. God gave me great grace, and giving came naturally to me. This God-given generosity was something new. My father used to say I was thrifty. My sister used to say I was cheap.
So, I gave away large sums of money to promote the gospel; consequently, when I got engaged to be married, the funds were low.
Before Vanessa and I headed off on our honeymoon in December 1982, I wasn’t sure if I had saved enough money, but the Lord provided. About a year beforehand, I got audited by the IRS because they thought my giving was a hoax; the agent was dumbfounded when I produced the giving receipts.
Still, if I could talk to 20-something Kevin Willis, I’d talk to him about the law of compounding interest and explain how just setting aside a small sum of money for consistent investment in the stock market would make him a millionaire before retirement age. While this is, in fact, true, all I can say is, thank God I was not around to discourage my younger self!
Vanessa homeschooled our four children, so we were a single-income family. I remember my anxiety about paying for our oldest daughter to attend VA Tech, but before I knew it, we had three daughters in college at the same time, butthe Lord provided.
Years later, none of our children have college debt. Our house is almost paid off. I retired three-and-a-half years ago, and we have moderate holdings in the stock market. None of this makes sense, but the Lord provided.
Jesus is Lord over finances and has a financial system. Allow me to explain it in a nutshell after 45 years of first-hand experience: If you give to God,He will meet your needs and provide you with something left over.
My prayer is that the grace of giving comes upon the lives of everyone who reads this article and may this grace spread like wildfire through the body of Christ.
People who give to the work of God are directly responsible for advancing the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:19-20) In other words, people are saved, healed, delivered and set free globally. What do you want your financial legacy to be?
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38, NKJV) God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
1. He explained that he and his wife are undergoing counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD) He is experiencing stress-related nosebleeds. Worse, he is experiencing dry heaves on his commute from the office in anticipation of what awaits when he gets home. His wife has collapsed multiple times in recent months due to the constant stress. We talked about this over lunch recently.
2. You’d never know it. My friend is a successful businessman, and he and his wife love each other. The pain is due to a family member in the residence dealing with mental health-related issues. Did you know the U.S. has observed Mental Health Awareness in May since 1949?
3. This family member is not “crazy,” “incompetent,” or “dangerous.” This family member is unwell, and thankfully…loved to the point that my friend and his wife endure incredible difficulty in caring for him.
4. So far, highly skilled medical professionals have been unable to solve my friend’s dilemma. What about faith? His wife believes in reincarnation, and so does he to some degree. Multiple people have told him he will go to hell if he does not accept Jesus. Still, he asked me -his Christian preacher friend- what he should do.
5. Trauma is the new mission field, and God wants to deploy His people into this harvest field. My prayer is that Almighty God will provide solutions from heaven and bring wholeness to all families dealing with mental health-related issues. Jesus did not come to send people to hell. He came to heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and set at liberty those that are bruised. (Luke 4:18-19)
6. The Lord encouraged my friend. Before we left the restaurant, he wrote a note on a napkin and showed it to me before folding it in his pocket: hope. Those of you dealing with household-related stress, anxiety, or mental health-related issues, BE ENCOURAGED!!
7. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. (Isaiah 45:2, NKJV) God Bless! Press On!! Kevin Willis
We cannot receive the rewards of faith unless we finish the race. You can stumble out of the gate, muddle through the middle, and still receive the prize-if you finish the race.
The late Al Davis, Football Hall of Fame owner of the Oakland Raiders, said, just win baby! In the race of faith: just finish baby!
God maps out with careful thought and great precision a route of faith for you and me. God makes us better as we follow our personal itinerary. The Bible uses the metaphor of a race to describe this faith journey.
God’s ways are not our ways. He is the Master Teacher who designs and allows prescribed tests and trials along our faith route; He counterbalances hardness with rewards and affirmation.
Many get sidetracked on their faith journeys when they encounter potholes or stumble into pits along the way. They don’t realize that God uses ditches and craters as platforms to propel us forward under His tutelage.
Trouble is normative for Christians. (Psalms 34:19) Been knocked down? Get up.
If you are stuck in a pit, crater or pothole, keep your feet moving. Don’t stop now! You’ve got to finish to receive the reward.
Our Rowing Team at Darden -UVA finished in last place, but it didn’t matter. We still finished the race.
Why does God use potholes and pits to propel His people forward? So that you and I will know that we didn’t arrive at our destinations in our own strength. So that others will know that all promotion comes from God. (Psalm 75:6-7)
Frustrated by delays, wounded in church, wearied by those closest to you, what do you do? What do you do when you suffer for doing what’s right?
How do you respond when life makes no sense at all? Answer: Keep moving along your path. There is an old Negro Spiritual entitled, I’m So Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always. There is profound truth in that title born out of the furnace of affliction.
We’ve spent several weeks discussing the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, but Jesus takes center stage in Hebrews 12:
Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:2, NLT)
Read that admonition again please because the writer of Hebrews should have dropped the microphone after making this statement.
Our inspiration in suffering is Jesus. Our model for patient endurance is the Savior. Our assurance of ultimate triumph is the Prince of Peace, and Jesus is the beginning and end of our faith!
Note this mindboggling truth about God’s educational and developmental processes:
Like a loving parent God corrects His children.
My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child. (Hebrews 12:3, NLT)
God’s love far exceeds that of the most loving parent, relative or friend. He corrects us for our profit and good. He is firm in directing us to take action for our own benefit, and He expects us to finish.
God takes on the role of Coach in making this statement through the writer of Hebrews:
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. (Hebrews 12:12-13, NLT)
My son is a video gamer. I’ve noticed over the years that his games go through a progression of levels. You must master certain skills and solve the present challenge in order to advance to the next level.
He will repeat the steps as often as he has to. He will invest hours to gain mastery of the situation. He remains undeterred by setbacks. He pays the price to get to the next level.
Do you see where I am going with this? Mastery of gaming levels is an excellent metaphor for progressions along the itinerary of faith.
Jesus counterbalances difficulties and problems with rewards and affirmation.
There are material rewards for serving God. He promised to meet all of our needs, but there is something more significant. The Apostle Paul said it best:
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, (Philippians 3:10, NKJV)
We become more like Jesus as He shapes and molds us along our heavenly itineraries, but the greatest reward is to know Him!
As you mature in Christ and progress deep along the route of your itinerary, knowing God will become your only consolation, and that alone is enough.
We cannot receive the rewards of faith unless we finish the race. You can stumble out of the gate, muddle through the middle, and still receive the prize-if you finish the race. Finish my friend. FINISH WELL. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
It takes a lot of courage. Are you up to it? If you pray this prayer and follow the itinerary, you will become the best version of yourself. Moreover, you will find favor with God and man. Are you ready. Pray this:
Make Me Better Lord
This simple prayer offered in sincerity sets things in motion beyond our comprehension. I hope you like an adventure because you just embarked on one. Your life will not be easy, but it will be beyond rewarding.
Can you quote the 23rd Psalm from memory? I can’t. There is the verse that goes: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” (v.2)
Read on, and you come across, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (v.4)
Sad goodbye to Hilton Head, SC vacation for another year.
In response to your prayer, Make Me Better Lord, your itinerary will include stops in green pastures and drive-bys to still and peaceful waters. It sounds like a vacation, but alas, they don’t last.
John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the presence of many witnesses. When Jesus ascended out of the water, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove. Then a voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-16)
After this spectacular introduction, you would expect a press conference immediately followed by a tour of the most prominent cities in the Roman Empire. On the contrary, Jesus completely disappeared from view; God had other plans for His beloved Son:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Mt 4:1) Why did Jesus’ itinerary include such a demanding and dangerous detour?
God deliberately, intentionally, and strategically leads His people into trouble, but not by themselves. I’ve taught this truth to others for years, but I still shake my head thinking about it.
Here is another head-shaker from the writer of Hebrews: “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” (Hebrew 5:8)
Let’s get back to your, Make Me Better Lord itinerary. By now, you’ve figured out that there will be bumps in the road. Let’s keep it real. On occasion, you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but not alone.
A great consolation is always knowing, “Thou are with.” God also promises that we will not be tempted or challenged beyond our capacity without Him providing an escape route. (Corinthians 10:13) Take that to the bank.
Here is the greatest consolation. God is conforming you into His image. You are growing in grace. You are progressing from glory to glory and from faith to faith. The Lord is renewing your mind to understand His will and His ways.
God is remaking you into a vessel of honor. You are becoming a friend of God. Sign me up for all of that. Make Me Better Lord. Here are some essential things to know about becoming the best version of yourself.
Many of your prayers will go “unanswered.” The Make Me Better Lord prayer trumps: Lord get me out of this; get me away from here; Lord change them or get them away from me, etc. Here is a prayer that God will answer: Lord change me!
Next, you can be sure that God will place people that irritate you along long stretches of your itinerary. There is no use in praying away those people that God has assigned to you. Ouch!!
I don’t know about you, but there are individuals of a particular personality type that I keep running into all the time. The names change, but I have met them before, if you know what I mean.
Don’t Take It!!
Just one more point. Please don’t take the exit ramp on your better version itinerary. Stick it out. You don’t want to have to come back later to to complete that part of the trip.
I hope you will pray the Make Me Better Lord prayer. There is no price too high to pay to be called the friend of God. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)
“In 1993, I had a vision. I saw the Lord seated on the throne and at his left hand was a vault. He opened the vault and inside were songs. And the Lord said to me, “These are my favorite songs. These are the songs that minister to Me and bless my people. And I will pour them out into the earth… some to you and some to others. Watch what I will do. -Fred Hammond**
Released in 1995, “We’re Blessed,” by Fred Hammond & Radical for Christ (RFC), enabled us to learn Biblical truth and “get our praise on.” Start the chorus, and many will finish it for you:
We’re blessed in the city We’re blessed in the field We’re blessed when we come and when we go We cast down every stronghold Sickness and poverty must cease For the devil is defeated We are blessed
The song came from a signature album from Fred & RFC that introduced a new style of worship music to the contemporary gospel audience.
The lyrics refer to a portion of the third and final speech of Moses as recorded in Deuteronomy 28. Chapter 28 references the blessings and the curses of the covenant between God and His people.
Moses appointed Joshua as his successor before climbing Mount Nebo to be with the Lord forever. (Deut. 34:5) The blessings listed in Deut. 28:1-13 are glorious, but there is an “if”stipulation.
We can experience the blessings if we do what God tells us to do. Conversely, if we disobey, an inglorious menu of curses will befall us listed in the remaining 54 verses of Chapter 28.
Thirteen verses deal with blessings while 54 verses address the curses. Why the imbalance?
Now for a painful dose of reality: individuals, neighborhoods, cities, regions, and nations live under curses. The dark and tragic events that play out daily over media illustrate the consequences of humanity’s disobedience to God. Sin is at the root of every curse. (Proverbs 26:2)
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. (Galatians 6:7, NLT)
There is a one-word remedy for curses: REPENTANCE. Make a 180-degree turn. Curses break when we forsake our ways to follow God. (Gal 3:13-14)
After many years walking students through the Bible, I have concluded that the greatest enemy to the people of God is the people of God.
In my forty-plus years of life experience as a born again Christian, I have concluded that the greatest enemy to the people of God is the people of God.
In my sixty-plus years of living with myself, I’ve concluded that my greatest enemy is myself. I’ve gotten in my own way more than the devil or anyone else.
A slight adjustment in your lifestyle can open a floodgate of God’s blessings in your life. The great Apostle Paul was always about examining himself. We should do likewise. Now is the time for us to get REAL with where we are and make things right.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
All of us have issues. The Bible says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)
We must be intentional about our desire to walk in the blessings of God, and history is not on our side.
Israel obeyed God as long as Joshua was alive. After his death, every man did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6; 21:25) You can imagine the outcome.
Beginning a 600-plus mile journey to Babylon (modern-day Iraq) in exile from Jerusalem.
God’s people experienced the consequences of disobedience. Foreign powers breached the walls of Jerusalem. The city of David was set aflame, and they leveled Solomon’s Temple. By 586 BC, the Assyrians and Babylonians took all but the poorest survivors into captivity.
No foreign power could defeat mighty Israel. The Jews failed because they disobeyed God and brought curses upon themselves. Mark this.
The devil can’t curse or conquer you. His trick is to deceive you into an act of disobedience as he did Eve in the Garden of Eden. Original sin rooted in demonic deception resulted in the Fall of humanity.
No individual or devil in hell can prevent you from achieving God’s purposes in your life, but you must get out of your own way.
Lord, help me get out of my own way and help your people to do likewise.
Let’s end this on a positive note. Click on the video below to hear Fred and RFC sing “We’re Blessed.” God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
**https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358690/bio. Not the best internet reference. I have heard Fred give this testimony a number of times and can find a better reference upon request.
I grew up in Washington, DC, and started walking to school as a child in the 1960’s. When I visit DC now, I am always amazed at how far I walked to school. The teachers always told us we had it easy compared to previous generations, so I never gave it much thought.
Livin’ Large in the 1960’s
It was a world of concrete playgrounds, bullies, four channels on a black-and-white TV, and no air conditioning. I don’t care what those teachers said. Sometimes it was hard.
I am a Baby Boomer. In many instances we eliminated hardness from our children’s lives but in retrospect, it was overcoming hardness that enabled us to thrive.
I am learning -kind of late in the game- that sometimes you have to allow life to be hard for those you love. The Lord is often at work in these processes. (Philippians 1:6)
I read in the Bible that God did not drive out all of Israel’s enemies in the Promised Land because he wanted the generation that had not known war to gain battlefield experience. (Judges 3:1-2) Let that sink in for a moment.
Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman put war in perspective: “Even success, [in combat] the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies.”
God is love, but God prepares, enables, equips, qualifies, and propels His people forward through hardness.
GOT HARDNESS?? Be encouraged. Hardness does not last:
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all. (Psalms 34:19)
Why are you in despair, my soul? And why are you restless within me? Wait for God, for I will again praise Him For the help of His presence, my God. (Psalms 42:11)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)
Don’t Leave Today’s Problems As Your Legacy To Others
I felt like pinching myself. I could not believe it. I was assigned a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) to mentor me for a year. He’d travel up from Georgia to Hampton Roads, VA to do business, and he’d stop by to see me. Sometimes we’d talk on a video connection.
One thing always struck me about our engagements when they concluded. When I expressed my appreciation for my mentor’s insights, he’d say, “…well, I get a lot out of this too.” It took me a while, but I get it now. It is great to leave a positive legacy.
A couple of years ago, I began meeting with an emerging leader of great promise. We often met at Starbucks before the pandemic. In a recent conversation, he expressed his appreciation for the insights I provided him. I told him, “…well, I get a lot out of this too.” I don’t think he gets it yet. It’s great to leave a positive legacy.
During this recent conversation, he expressed his frustration about a problem in the team he is leading. I knew the history of the group he referenced. I told him that the problem preceded his arrival and previous leaders never resolved it.
I told him how happy I was that he was frustrated because frustrated people change things. I encouraged him to be the leader who fixed the problem.
I spoke at my church yesterday, Bethel Temple in Hampton, VA. I gave a cryptic version of my efforts to leave a job that felt like a prison experience. I encouraged the Bethel family that bold action is sometimes required if they want to see change.
The audience applauded when I told them that I took bold steps to get out of that job situation until I said that I ran into Goliath. Goliath, in the form of my major Department Executive. He pulled me into his office and went into a rage; he told me I was quitting on my team, pointed at his office door, and shouted, “Hit the Road!!”
Under 10 feet tall and possibly shorter than Shaq. Stop making him bigger than he was. (1 Sam 17:4)
As I left his office, I heard these words in my spirit: “he just kicked you out of his office and into your future.” I was DEVASTATED and encouraged. Before the day ended, the Lord challenged me to face Goliath, not just for myself but for my children’s sake. What??!!
I realized that if I did not conquer this bullying spirit, my children would have to wrestle with it. Perhaps this sounds strange to you, but I knew this to be true.
Likewise, if that emerging leader I am mentoring doesn’t deal with that problem in his team, his successors will have to.
We need to clean up our mess!
Be the type of leader, mentor, parent, or coach who resolves problems. Don’t Leave Today’s Problems As Your Legacy To Others.
I faced Goliath. I fought the uphill journey to get out of that job in his Department.
It took nearly a year of struggle, but I got out of that prison-like situation and landed my dream job. Then something strange happened.
That senior leader who kicked me out of his office came to respect me greatly. I still respected him. I knew it was just a test. “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7)
My trouble proved to be God’s catalyst to propel me forward in His plan for my life.
I mentioned that I spoke at my church yesterday. At the end of the message, I challenged the audience to release their faith in three areas:
To resolve our church debt.
To expand our Livestream broadcast nationally and internationally.
To restore supernatural manifestations of God’s power in our services.
Let’s wrap this up with a discussion on the first point.
I’ve been a member of the Bethel Temple since 1994. Upon arrival, our leadership lamented being hamstrung by significant debt. They imagined great outreach opportunities if we could liquidate the debt, but over the years we’ve made little progress.
Without Faith It is Impossible to Please God – Coming Attractions 1705 Todd’s Lane.
That’s nearly thirty years of missed outreach opportunities.
How do you liquidate the debt in post-pandemic America? Well, God delights when His people believe Him to do the impossible. At some point, we must confront Goliath.
Our church is blessed to have a pastor committed to debt liquidation, and we are grateful for that. Nothing significant changes without engagement, commitment, and dogged determination.
We need to clean up our mess so we can leave our children a positive legacy.
Let’s resolve to do this in every aspect of our lives because it starts with us!
I enjoy mentoring others. I get to tell them stories like how I saw Goliath fall. When they tell me how they appreciate my insights, I tell them, “…well, I get a lot out of this too, ” but I don’t think they get it yet. It is good to leave a positive legacy. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22)
Your active response to trouble will propel you forward.
I listened to the young man speak as he stood over his mother’s casket. He said that years ago, when he graduated from college, his proud father wrote many words expressing his belief that his son would accomplish great things in life.
The young man’s proud mother finished the note with a few words: “Son…life is hard, but enjoy the journey.” Her words were a comfort to him at this difficult time in his life.
I have four children, and I have the privilege to speak into the lives of many young people. At some point, those who look to you for guidance and inspiration need to hear some version of this mother’s words because life is hard. They also need to know that through it all, they can enjoy the journey.
Retirement has allowed me the opportunity to survey the landscape of sixty-plus years of living. Upon reflection, the hardness of life disciplined me, toughened me, focused me, took a lot of the quit out of me, and woke up the fighter in me.
God will fight for you if you are willing to get into the ring. Ask Moses.
My father used to tell me that nothing of value in life comes easy. Crisis, trouble, hardness -whatever you want to call it- is essential to our growth and development and maturing us in our walk with God.
We all have blind spots; hopefully, someone will care enough to point these areas out to us. But scholarly studies show that most of our deliberate efforts to change fail. There is a remedy called trouble.
Trouble like Moses backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in pursuit. The crisis of Hezekiah, who was already sick and at the point of death, when the prophet Isaiah informed him that he would die. The dilemma of barren Hannah, heartbroken and ridiculed by her rival Peninnah. The plight of Peter chained between two guards and facing execution at daybreak after Herod put the apostle James to death. *
Trouble produced a passion, a resolve, commitment, and fire that moved them from stagnation to activation. You’ve got to do something! The troubled always play a key role in their deliverance.
God told Moses to stop talking to Him and do something! Moses stretched out his hands over the Red Sea, and the rest is history. Hezekiah stopped making burial arrangements and boldly told God why he deserved to live longer. God added 15 years to his life.
Hannah went to the house of God and prayed out of the bitterness of her soul; a year later, Samuel was born. James’ execution inspired Peter’s friends to pray so intensely that a supernatural jailbreak ensued, rescuing Peter from destruction.
Why do I bring all this up? Because I’ve got trouble, and you’ve got trouble. Want to get out of that trouble? Do something! The troubled always play a key role in their deliverance.
Trouble was the platform that propelled these Biblical characters forward in God’s purposes. I can relate.
I’ll never forget back in late 2014 when I thought I had the “trouble to end all troubles.” I heard the late Myles Munroe say that whenever God is about to bring change in your life, He always sends a crisis. I thought the situation would end my career, but it eventually propelled me into my dream job.
Got a problem? Take action, get moving, and turn up the intensity. As Andy Dufresne said in The Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” Your active response to trouble will propel you forward.
How can you enjoy this journey full of trouble? God promised to be with you, to deliver you and to give you a long life: “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalms 91:16-17)
Reframe your trouble. See it for what it is: your “Catalyst for Greatness.” God is with you, and He promises to deliver you. Enjoy the journey, and we will see each other in the WINNER’s circle. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin Willis
*Moses’ triumph at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:5-31); Hezekiah’s extension (2 Kings 20:1-6); Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 1:7-20); Peter’s jailbreak (Acts 12:1-17)
God has provided a vaccine for the EMOTIONAL pandemic spreading across the earth.
Lock it down and guard it. Build a fence around it. Put no trespassing signs outside it. The thief is working overtime to rob it.
You are at risk without it. Employ it, and you can pass through fire and come out without the smell of smoke. What is it?
So much has happened in 2020. The ongoing wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington –the worst on record- are just the most recent in a series of distressing events.
Dozens of people have died. The fires have burned more than 7,000 square miles, equivalent to the land area of New Jersey.
The number of homes destroyed by the fires in Oregon alone is 1616 according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, 16 September.
I empathize with the nearly quarter-of-a-million evacuees. Many of whom do not know the status of their homes. Amid seemingly endless domestic and global upheaval, I recall the words of the prophet Isaiah:
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2)
Last week I saw a photo of evacuees in Oregon stuck in gridlocked traffic. I imagined what they were thinking: Why me? Why us? Why now? What about my job, my finances, my future?
Evacuating southern Oregon to escape the worst fires in history of the state.
I imagine many in those cars also asked, “where is God?” Isaiah answered that question. He is with His people in times of hardship and distress.
God is with His people through the rivers and the fire. He is with you through pandemic, financial loss, social injustice, and through this divisive presidential race. He promised never to leave you. (Matthew 28:20)
If you have not surrendered your life to Christ, there is good news for you too. God cares for you and is patiently waiting for you. In these surreal times, He is reaching out to you:
The LORD is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) https://dreamprayernetwork.com/why-a-dream-prayer-network/
Christians and unbelievers go through the same challenges and difficulties, but God has provided believers the supernatural gift of JOY to sustain them through hardship. God-given joy provides emotional strength and stability that defies explanation because it is not of this world.
Hurricane Sally left 550,000 without power in Florida, Alabama and Louisiana yesterday.
I am telling you this because there is an emotional pandemic spreading across the globe like a cloud. This dark cloud is spewing out despair, discouragement, depression, and defeat.
God’s joy is His VACCINE against this emotional pandemic, but you must activate joy to receive its sustaining benefits. More on that later.
God is sovereign. He may deliver you from crisis or bring deliverance through crisis. In the latter case, you must put His joy to work to sustain yourself. Allow me to illustrate.
It was nighttime, and Peter was bound and sleeping between two soldiers. By all appearances, he was awaiting execution following his trial before Herod in the morning.
Then an angel visited him in prison and woke him up. Peter thought it was all a dream.
His chains fell to the ground. The angel led him out of the cell; none of the soldiers noticed a thing; the iron gate of the prison opened on its own. Peter walked away a free man. (Acts 12:5-11) God delivered Peter from the crisis.
Later, Paul is in chains for testifying in Jerusalem. That night the Lord came to Paul and told him that he would survive this ordeal and testify in Rome. The following morning, over 40 Jews took an oath to not eat or drink until they killed him. (Acts 23:11-12)
Soldiers safely escorted Paul by night from Jerusalem to Caesarea, where he remained in chains for over two years. Afterward, he embarked on a nightmarish sea journey to Rome. Paul made it. God’s joy sustained him through the crisis.
You and I are in a crisis of some form or other. We must put joy to work on our behalf. Allow me to offer some practical tips on how to do so.
First and foremost, you must decide to cast off discouragement and heaviness. Sadly, some people enjoy living under a cloud and the attention it brings. Stop harming yourself and demoralizing others!
Next, study, read, and meditate on scripture, and SING!
Thankfully, God provided us a supernatural songbook saturated with His power and presence.
David wrote 88 of the Psalms and six others contributed including Moses and King Solomon.
The Book of Psalms contain 150 Holy Spirit-inspired songs that fuel and release the power of joy. Reading, speaking, singing, and meditating on the Psalms dispels darkness and lifts the spirit of heaviness.
The Psalms capture life experience at the top, at the bottom, and everything in between. The Psalms always point to God and activate joy in the believer.
You may not realize it, but many Christian songs have lyrics directly lifted from the Psalms. The key is to sing and listen to songs based on scripture.
Finally, get up and move! Lift your head up. Lift your hands. Pump your fists. Jump, dance, run, twirl. scream, shout, etc. Energize your joy with activity. Play an instrument, on or off key it does not matter.
Abandon convention and let it rip!
Sincere praise and worship gets God’s attention. Abandon convention and if it feels awkward praise him in private. God sees you.
Let me issue you a challenge. Read through all 150 Psalms. If you are the competitive type, you can read five Psalms a day and finish in a month. If you are a plodder like me, then plod along at your own pace.
Combat the emotional pandemic. God’s joy energized in your life will keep dark clouds away from your dwelling place. Don’t let the thief steal your joy!
God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. (Psalms 103:1-5)
John Belushi plays Jake in the musical comedy, “The Blues Brothers.”
It is time for us to give more serious thought to serious matters.
After being released from prison, Jake Blues visits the boarding school he attended as a youth along with his brother Ellwood.
They learn that the Archdiocese is about to sell the school unless the Education Authority receives $5000 in taxes. They feel God has called them to save the school.
Jake and Ellwood put together their old blues band and miraculously raise the money after evading police and delivering a stellar live concert performance.
They are 106 miles from Chicago, must continue to evade the police, and get to City Hall before it closes. As they sneak out of the concert venue via an underground tunnel, a woman confronts them and opens fire with an M-16 rifle.
Carrie Fisher portrays Jake’s smitten fiancee.
She turns out to be the woman Jake left standing at the altar years ago. Jake instinctively knows what to do. He rises, slowly approaches her, and then falls to his knees and proclaims: it wasn’t my fault!
Jake then fires off a list of unbelievable excuses as he pleads for his life, and it works. She has compassion on him; they embrace; then he drops her in the mud with no remorse, and begins the journey to Chicago with Ellwood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U9Yl5CXvcQ
Some people are skilled at the art of deception. I have fallen victim to them, but I am not as gullible as I used to be.
Casablanca ranks near the top of the list of greatest films in history. It is one of my top three films. There is a famous line in the movie that serves the purposes of this article.
Round up the usual suspects!
Claude Rains plays Captain Louis Renault, the corrupt French prefect of police who serves under Nazi supervision. Whenever criminal activity takes place in Casablanca, he directs the police to “round up the usual suspects.”
Last week, I read an article in which a prominent Christian minister said he predicted coronavirus ahead of its arrival. He said God told him that the virus was God’s judgment on America for allowing abortion and gay marriage.
I am pro-life from conception to the grave, and I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman; nevertheless, I would like to ask him a question.
Does he believe the rest of the world is suffering from COVID-19 because of abortion and gay marriage in America? I love America, but she is not the center of God’s universe.
To be clear, I do not believe this man nor most Christian ministers intend to deceive like Jake and Captain Renault, but there is a fundamental problem.
For decades, a small but influential group of Christian leaders have presented a short-list of root-causes for current and pending judgments on America.
Millions of American Christians, including myself, subscribed to their list and their logic. I should have thought more critically.
The Bible teaches us that there are many things we do not see clearly in this present age. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
One day Jesus passed by a man blind from birth. His disciples assumed his blindness was the result of his sins or the sins of his parents. (John 9:2) They based their assumptions on Jewish cultural and religious norms, among them the widely held belief that you always reap what you sow.
Jesus corrected the disciples and told them that neither the man nor his parents sinned. The man was born blind so that God’s mighty power could be seen in his life. (v. 3)
After the 9/11 attacks, I heard prominent and influential Christian leaders place part of the blame for the attacks on pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays and lesbians, the American Civil Liberties Union, People for the American Way, and so on.
Still makes my blood boil.
I don’t want to be disrespectful, but that explanation sounds more like something Jake would say than seasoned Christian leaders.
It became clear to me that, similar to the disciples, their short-list was shaped by cultural and political norms. That is simply the way they saw things. Unfortunately, they used their position and influence to persuade millions of others to see the world through the same lens.
It is time for us to give more serious thought to serious matters.
I have taught the Old & New Testaments to undergraduates since 2005. God is concerned for the needs of the poor, the foreigner, and the outcast, and he holds leaders accountable to address their needs.
The religious leaders I referred to never added neglect of the poor, foreigners, or outcasts to their short-list.
Having the usual suspects served to me for so many years has left me weary. I’ve made up my mind to think more critically.
On that regard, I believe the Holy Spirit has identified a clear and present danger to our nation that is neither from Democrats nor Republicans. The clear and present danger is from an apathetic and lukewarm church.
God is calling my home church, Bethel Temple, Hampton, VA –and perhaps other churches in America- to repent and turn back to Him. Consider what God spoke to the First Century church in Philadelphia:
But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. (Rev 2:4-5)
If we were to put this message to song lyrics, it might sound like MJ’s “Man in the Mirror:”
I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. And no message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.
The church in America is complicit with many of the problems in our nation through our infighting, apathy and indifference.
It is time for us to give more serious thought to serious matters.
Come let us return to the Lord and He will restore us to sure foundations. Time is of the essence because the storm winds are blowing. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25)
