Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Struggles of Life

Struggles of Life

Gtcotr/ws062707

Key Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order. (NKJV)

As life unfolds we find ourselves in various roles. Sometimes we are in charge and at other times we serve by following and supporting others who are in charge.

The challenges of life often serve opportunities to differ in theory and practice from those we find in some capacity of leadership which affects us. In government, family, church or social settings, differing opinions arise on various issues we commonly face.

Knowing how to treat these differences will help the Believer to stay true to their convictions while not displeasing God by creating chaos, confusion or unnecessary conflict.

My son was facing a dilemma at one point in his military career when he found a perspective of truth that helped him decide what he should do when at odds with others in his world. He told me that he needed know who represented a King Saul in his life and who his Goliaths were.

He was referring of course to two distinct characters, enemies if you will, in the life and times of David.

Both of these enemies David faced were capable of and committed to killing him and neither of them was shy about their intent.

What was the difference between Goliath and King Saul in David’s life?

Goliath was an enemy of David who held no God given position of authority over David or those whom David sought to free. Goliath was attempting to rule over those whom God had not made him ruler over. Goliath only exercised usurped authority.

David was appalled by the injustice of Goliath’s threats and claims and inspired by God’s Spirit he went forward and killed Goliath.

While King Saul was also a sworn enemy of David, he nonetheless occupied a God recognized position of legitimate authority in David’s life. While David was allowed to keep himself from being killed by the King, he was disallowed by the Spirit of God to kill the King himself.

Even when David had opportunity and received counsel to stretch out his hand and deliver himself from King Saul, David would not.

1 Samuel 24:12 May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. (NIV)

The word of God is filled with stories of people in difficult situations of life who made right decisions and there are those who also made wrong and very costly decisions. Those who were wrong often had one thing in common … They took matters into their own hands and out of the hands of God.

You see there is a distinct difference between a revolution and a rebellion, in principle, in practice and in productivity.

There is a marked difference between King Saul and Goliath; between Moses standing up against Pharaoh in delivering God’s children from Egypt and Korah who led a rebellion against Moses’ leadership in attempts to take the children of Israel back to Egypt.

In both situations people were frustrated and felt as if they were being treated wrongly by others in control. While one man’s frustrations inspired him to lead a revolution, another’s provoked him to rebellion.

We see this difference played out throughout history in many affairs of life. There is a clear difference between the American Revolution and the Civil War. These wars were both fought by people who were tired of following their leaders but were not fought from the same motivation or for the same causes.

Neither following nor leading is easy. They are both fraught with their own burdens and filled their own frustrations. However, once called by God, we Believers owe our duty not to man but to God who rules in the affairs of man.

We must stand above the fray of common temptations to rebel and trust the measures of our life into God’s hands knowing that He can inspire at any moment and break the chains of our slavery by our hand or by another’s.

The key is to know what to do in each moment of life. Who represents your King Saul and who are your Goliaths.

Allow me to lay some simple, yet stable foundation stones of life for us so that we can have firm guidelines to aid us in our hour of decision.

Look with me into the book of Ephesians, Chapter 5. We will be reading from the New International Version.

Ephesians 5

21 ¶ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

First may I say that this is the overriding thought for all relationships. Here we understand that we are to live and work and act in harmony and a spirit of unity, mutually respecting one another. However, God knowing that man may not always agree and yet must move forward in order and unity, He gives continued instruction beyond His overriding hope. He continues:

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Notice what we do not read and can not find anywhere in the bible … the commandment for a husband to make his wife submit! Neither does this passage say, “women, submit to men!” That’s not to be found either.

Submission must be given it can never be taken.

Submission is a precious gift one gives when their yield their strength and support to another beyond what they may prefer for themselves.

We are given reason to understand this from God’s perspective …

23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour.

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

I am not leaving out the man’s proper response to the wife for any reason other than we are discussing the foundation of what to do when we don’t want to do what we may be faced with doing cause someone else told us to do it.

Husbands, if you are faced with having to do what your wife tells you to do or else pay hell for it and you don’t know what to do, then that’s material for another sermon, not this one. But believe me buddy, you need to seek some spiritual help.

Lets continue with Ephesians, Chapter 6. (NIV)

Ephesians 6

1 ¶ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2 "Honour your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise—

3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

6 Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,

8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

It is evident that God has set positions of recognized legitimate authority in our lives and He expects us to follow their rules and guidelines whether legal, moral, spiritual, social, over our work place or in our homes. We should pay our proper respect to God’s divine order of life.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

God has full intention and will take His eternal opportunity to deal with those who wrongfully use their God ordained positions of leadership to work their own advantage. Right now, He expects us to follow His word.

So, suffice it to say that God has much to say about how we are to treat those whom He has placed in positions of legitimate authority in our lives.

In order to break rank and go another direction from this foundation there must be clearly understood instructions, direct from the Lord. And believe, me we will not receive that direction from God in the form of simple frustration with our authority’s decisions or perceived lack of their sensitivity or intelligence.

When God inspires someone to depart from His foundational truths in principle and practice, it is a serious matter with serious and necessary results. Only God can be God.

So basically, we must learn to live joyfully within the framework of the simple word of God and, let me give you these simple guidelines.

1. When you know the will of God and you have the authority … you make the decision.

2. When you know the will of God and you do not have the authority … you give counsel.

3. When you do not know the will of God and you do have the authority … you seek counsel.

4. When you do not know the will of God and you do not have the authority … you pray for and support those who do.

We must seek to know the difference between God’s will and our will. What serves God’s purposes and what only serves our own.

Like our key scripture said:

1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

The Blessing of Fatherhood

Gtcotr/ss061707

Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (NIV)

Title: The Blessing of Fatherhood

Because of my testimony about how I met my wife, Brenda, and how I relentlessly pursued a relationship with her, I am often asked by others if I really believe in love at first sight.

Don’t answer this out loud but let me ask you … “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

Do you believe that a person can know how they really feel about someone else in an instant, without really knowing them first, without history or conversation, without knowing how the other person may feel or what the future holds?

Well, I do.

Not only did I fall in love with my wife, Brenda, at first sight, but I have fallen in love at first sight several times since then … and I have never regretted it, not one single time.

I fell in love with my daughter the very first time I saw her. It happened to me with my son, with each of my grandchildren and I imagine, although I can’t remember, that I fell in love with my mother the very first time I looked up into her eyes as well.

True love belongs to those who are willing to risk their heart on their future.

Fatherhood not only gave me the experience of falling in love at first sight but it also gave me a lot of other firsts in my life.

I was there for the birth of my first child.

I was there for the first breath

I was there for the first smile

I was there for the first word

The first step

The first fall

The first attempt to ride a bicycle

The first day at school

The first play

The first graduation

The first job

The first time to drive a car, and the first wreck

The first purchase of their own car and insurance

The birth of the first child of their very own

Not only did being a father give me a lot of firsts but … Being a father has also given me a tremendous education. I know am fairly educated in things I would not have known if I had not become a father.

I have been schooled in such things as:

Pre-natal care

Stretch marks

Water retention

Delivery

Sleep deprivation

Baby sitting

Nursing

Postpartum blues

Diet and exercise

Marriage counseling

School teaching

Problem solving

Athletics

Crisis counseling

Negotiating

True and Lasting Friendships

I have been called upon to give definitive answers to questions about:

Animal husbandry

Weather formation

Why roses have thorns

How to make ice cream

Where does snow come from, Where do babies come from

In what ways are little boys and little girls different

Why aren’t we there yet

Where the Easter bunny lives

What colleges to apply to

Which career to pursue

Interest rates

Stock portfolios

Home buying

Retirement funds

Being a father has taken me to ball games, school functions, the mall, on countless job interviews, hospital visits, fourth of July celebrations, to museums, movies, plays and ceremonies, I’ve traveled from one side of these United States to the other visiting theme parks and national monuments, vacationed in more than two dozen foreign countries and visited US Air Bases from Germany to South Korea, I’ve built a lifetime of memories, I’ve been the Easter Bunny, Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and Superman, I’ve played chase, changed diapers, laughed till I cried and cried till I’ve gone to sleep. I have the power to help and the power to hurt, to encourage and to discourage, I’ve been allowed to handle young impressionable lives and train them for the future. All of this because I am a father.

As far as my children were concerned, my voice was the voice of God for their young lives. Now, in their mature years, leading their own families, I am proud that they still seek my counsel for life’s major decisions.

In 1998 both my son and my daughter got married eight days apart. My son joined the USAF and my daughter moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband to attend College.

That first day my wife and I were home, all alone, she found me sitting in the den crying. Being the good wife she is, she attempted to comfort me. Along with her hugs she asked me what was wrong. I told her that I felt lost because I had just realized for the first time that all I ever wanted to be was a father. What, I asked her, was I going to do with the rest of my life?

Today, more than nine years and six wonderful grandchildren later, I closely identify with one prominent character in the bible who feels the same way I do. Which bible character do you suppose I am talking about?

It’s someone who wanted to be a father, who wanted to love and care for his children, build them a strong and solid foundation and give them a happy and prosperous future. He wanted his children to love him and trust his counsel all the days of their life. Who is this bible character I am talking about?

Do you suppose it is Abraham? No, although he is a good example – (read Genesis 18:18-19). How about Jacob? No, but another good one. Perhaps it’s Joseph or Noah, Simon or Phillip who was the father of four grown daughters who had the gift of prophecy. No, none of these, although I do understand each of them more now than I did when I was younger.

The bible character I am referring to that I so closely identify with is the main character of the bible: It’s God! I see God as my pattern Father, my example of what a father should be. I feel His heart.

Now, looking back on my life as a father, I can understand Him so much better. His motives are so much clearer and His counsel more trusted.

You see, all God ever wanted to be was a Father. When He could have patterned Himself after anything and revealed Himself to mankind in any form, He chose to cast Himself in the image of a loving, kind and caring Father.

You see, God wanted to be a Father and so He created the heavens and the earth, the cattle, sheep, trees and all living things, the sun and the moon, the waters and the dry ground. He planted a garden in Eden where His children would be safe and could grow up under His guidance. His hopes were high.

From the dust of the ground God created mankind and gave them His Own Spirit. When mankind fell into sin, God made a way to pay for their sin with His Own Sacrifice … like a Father does so often.

God gave His children His word to guide them and His Spirit to provide for them. He promised to never leave us nor forsake us. His plans for His children are beyond imagination. Soon we will see Him face to face.

Today, our father’s day message comes from the book of Psalms. Won’t you turn to Psalms 103 and let’s see the pattern Father.

Psalms 103 (NIV)

1 ¶ Of David. Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

6 ¶ The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the children of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever;

10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him

All God has ever wanted to be is a Father to you. Won’t you let Him?

Become a child of God today. Be born into His family by embracing Jesus the Messiah as the Son of God and Savior of your soul.

To the father’s among us … What a privilege! What an experience! What an education!

Happy Father’s Day!

I challenge you, read the bible and pattern yourself after God.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Vision Cycle

The Vision Cycle

Gtcotr/ss061607

Key Scripture: Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God is a God of visions and dreams, God of the future … good visions, good dreams and a good future for you.

When God speaks to men He often speaks of things which are not yet visible perhaps things which are not yet even possible … at least not yet possible from man’s perspective.

God speaks to men about the future and plants seeds of the future in hearts and minds. These seeds are destined to bring a harvest however, not every individual or generation sees that harvest.

God gave Moses and the children of Israel a dream for their future of going into the Promised Land however, both Moses and that whole generation died without seeing their dream fulfilled because they refused to trust God.

God also spoke to Abraham about his future and gave him a dream.

We read about Abraham’s promised potential in:

Genesis 17 NKJV

1 ¶ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.

2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

4 ¶ "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

As the key to his potential future, God promised Abraham a certain son.

Genesis 17 NKJV

15 ¶ Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

16 "And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!"

19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

So, in the year which came Sarah conceived and delivered a son in her old age. The child was named Isaac.

Some years later, (theologians differ on Isaac’s age which ranges from 5 years old to 13, to 20, 25 and even 35 years old – we cannot know), it was that God spoke to Abraham once again concerning Abraham’s dream.

God had given Abraham a vision of his future which allowed him to dream. Now, years later, it seems that God will end that dream with a nightmare.

Genesis 22 NKJV

1 ¶ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

But God brought birth to the vision and dream of Isaac being the future and fulfillment of Abraham’s covenant, even after Abraham had asked God to just bless his son Ishmael.

Abraham had not asked for this vision and now, once he had fallen in love with it, it was going to be sacrificed.

Abraham did not argue with God but obediently followed God’s voice.

The story continues in Genesis 22 telling how that Abraham climbs Mt Moriah, builds an altar, puts everything in order, binds his son Isaac and lays him upon the altar before God.

Genesis 22:12 … "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

As Abraham lifts the knife to his dream, ready to sacrifice his future, a voice from heaven speaks and stops the sacrifice.

The New Testament speaks of this incident as the Apostle Paul further explains the account.

Hebrews 11 NKJV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"

19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

What does this mean? Simply it means that because of Abraham’s faith in God and in the vision God had given him, Abraham was able to offer Isaac on the altar knowing that God was able to raise him up from the dead if need be to fulfill His promise.

In fact the passage concludes that Abraham had already received Isaac as being raised from the dead before he raised the knife to slay him.

This story gives us a unique but definitive picture of the cycle of a vision.

First we see:

1. The Birth of a Vision

A dream or promise of your future

Then there is also:

2. The Death of a Vision

We must all lay our Isaacs on the altar before God

They belong to God and not to us

We cannot withhold our trust in God’s care

Nor can we determine or demand our own destiny

You cannot protect your future, especially from God

Finally we see:

3. The Resurrection of a Vision

God gives and keeps and raises His will from the ashes

God is able

We must see our vision raised from the dead before it even dies

Count God faithful … trust Him with your Isaacs.

Jeremiah 1:12 The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." (NIV)

Just a side note today for you fathers.

Can you imagine why God treated Abraham so favorably or why He interacted with him so much? Why did God choose Abraham?

Let me give you a great father’s day scripture:

Genesis 18: 19 Because I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Happy Father’s Day!

The Vision Cycle

The Vision Cycle

Gtcotr/ss061607

Key Scripture: Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God is a God of visions and dreams, God of the future … good visions, good dreams and a good future for you.

When God speaks to men He often speaks of things which are not yet visible perhaps things which are not yet even possible … at least not yet possible from man’s perspective.

God speaks to men about the future and plants seeds of the future in hearts and minds. These seeds are destined to bring a harvest however, not every individual or generation sees that harvest.

God gave Moses and the children of Israel a dream for their future of going into the Promised Land however, both Moses and that whole generation died without seeing their dream fulfilled because they refused to trust God.

God also spoke to Abraham about his future and gave him a dream.

We read about Abraham’s promised potential in:

Genesis 17 NKJV

1 ¶ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.

2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

4 ¶ "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

As the key to his potential future, God promised Abraham a certain son.

Genesis 17 NKJV

15 ¶ Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

16 "And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!"

19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

So, in the year which came Sarah conceived and delivered a son in her old age. The child was named Isaac.

Some years later, (theologians differ on Isaac’s age which ranges from 5 years old to 13, to 20, 25 and even 35 years old – we cannot know), it was that God spoke to Abraham once again concerning Abraham’s dream.

God had given Abraham a vision of his future which allowed him to dream. Now, years later, it seems that God will end that dream with a nightmare.

Genesis 22 NKJV

1 ¶ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

But God brought birth to the vision and dream of Isaac being the future and fulfillment of Abraham’s covenant, even after Abraham had asked God to just bless his son Ishmael.

Abraham had not asked for this vision and now, once he had fallen in love with it, it was going to be sacrificed.

Abraham did not argue with God but obediently followed God’s voice.

The story continues in Genesis 22 telling how that Abraham climbs Mt Moriah, builds an altar, puts everything in order, binds his son Isaac and lays him upon the altar before God.

Genesis 22:12 … "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

As Abraham lifts the knife to his dream, ready to sacrifice his future, a voice from heaven speaks and stops the sacrifice.

The New Testament speaks of this incident as the Apostle Paul further explains the account.

Hebrews 11 NKJV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"

19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

What does this mean? Simply it means that because of Abraham’s faith in God and in the vision God had given him, Abraham was able to offer Isaac on the altar knowing that God was able to raise him up from the dead if need be to fulfill His promise.

In fact the passage concludes that Abraham had already received Isaac as being raised from the dead before he raised the knife to slay him.

This story gives us a unique but definitive picture of the cycle of a vision.

First we see:

1. The Birth of a Vision

A dream or promise of your future

Then there is also:

2. The Death of a Vision

We must all lay our Isaacs on the altar before God

They belong to God and not to us

We cannot withhold our trust in God’s care

Nor can we determine or demand our own destiny

You cannot protect your future, especially from God

Finally we see:

3. The Resurrection of a Vision

God gives and keeps and raises His will from the ashes

God is able

We must see our vision raised from the dead before it even dies

Count God faithful … trust Him with your Isaacs.

Jeremiah 1:12 The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." (NIV)

Just a side note today for you fathers.

Can you imagine why God treated Abraham so favorably or why He interacted with him so much? Why did God choose Abraham?

Let me give you a great father’s day scripture:

Genesis 18: 19 Because I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Happy Father’s Day!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Directions

Directions

Gtcotr/ss061007

Have you ever heard the phrase: “You can’t get there from here … you have to go somewhere else to start.”?

Jonah 1 NKJV

1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."

3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Many of you know the story of Jonah. How that he purposefully strayed from the will and path of God for his life. How that God caused a storm to rise on the Mediterranean Sea which ended when Jonah was thrown overboard and swallowed up by a great fish which God had prepared.

After three days in the belly of the fish Jonah repented and prayed to God for forgiveness. When God caused the fish to spit Jonah up on dry ground, Jonah once again heard the voice of God to go to Nineveh. Jonah’s destiny had not changed but his mind sure did.

Jonah 3

1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you."

3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh

Finding himself on dry ground once again, Jonah obeyed God, started his journey, reached his destination and ultimately fulfilled God’s will.

It is fairly certain that he was not where he was when God first spoke to him and he didn’t waste time trying to get back there. Without hesitation he, no doubt, went straight to Nineveh right from where he landed on dry ground.

Recently Brenda mentioned to a friend that I was considering selling my pickup. That afternoon the friend came over to our house and looked at it, took it for a test drive to show their family and later that evening bought the pickup.

Well, with the sell of my pickup truck, my personal vehicle that I used on a daily basis to go to work and back, run my errands and keep mobile as I must for various reasons, came an opportunity. This opportunity was not the opportunity one might expect as a result of Brenda selling my vehicle.

You see, with the sell of my vehicle came the opportunity for Brenda to get herself a new vehicle and pass her vehicle down to me. It turns out that she already had her new vehicle picked out, right down to the color and options. So, without further meaningful discussion, we bought Brenda a new car.

This particular car came standard with a GPS guided street map. It is amazing and I highly recommend it for directionally challenged people. Just put in the address and away you go … it speaks to you and tells where to turn, when to turn and if you miss a turn … it’s great.

I have the nature of liking to know the limitations of things I depend on, especially the things I need to depend on for the safety of my family. So I put this little map to the ‘what happens if I mess up really bad test’.

There are three things a person must know in order to get where they want to go. First, of course, one must actually have a desired and definable destination, you have got to know where you are going and next, one must also know the point from where they are starting.

Invariably on journeys of any distance or difficulty, one runs into detours along the way. Sometimes they are anticipated detours and sometimes we find that we have inadvertently detoured without knowing how or where we made our departure from the shortest or quickest route.

One of the test I put Brenda’s little map through involved putting a known address into the system and then purposefully making wrong turn after wrong turn, continuing in an opposite direction beyond every warning and instruction to turn here and there.

After I thought I would have completely frustrated even the most patient technology, this little map just kept on trying it’s best to correct my course by offering me the most efficient route to my desired destination. It just kept on refreshing the course and offering me a new best route from where ever I was.

I was impressed and satisfied that even if Brenda messed up going somewhere she was unfamiliar with or had not been before, that it would not frustrate her trying to get her back onto her original route but would chart a new course for her to get her to her desired destination with every detour she encountered no matter how far off the original route she went.

A bit earlier I told you that there were three things one needed to know in order to insure a successful journey. So far I have only given you two of those points. We must:

1. Know where we are.

2. Know where we are going.

3. Know how to refresh our course along the way.

Knowing how to get where we are going from where we originally started may not be as useful today as knowing how to get where we are going from where we have currently gotten ourselves.

We don’t have to go back to the beginning to start.

We must also be ready for a new word from God.

In Genesis 22:2 Abraham was told by God to sacrifice Isaac. Just 3 days and 10 verses later in Genesis 22:12 Abraham is told not to sacrifice Isaac. Which one was right? Which one was the word of God? Both of them were.

We must always be ready to hear a new word from God.

Everyday the circumstances and situations of life are subject to change and with each decision we make and every step we take the route to destiny, not destiny itself, but the route to destiny can be altered somewhat.

Yesterday’s best route may not be today’s best route and at times even our ultimate destination may change.

Maybe we need to focus more on getting where we are going rather than trying to get back to where we were.

How do we find the best route to our greatest day and refresh our course? Simple …

Just draw a line from where you are right now straight to God’s will.

You can find His will written on the pages of His Holy Word, the Bible.

The Psalmist David, a person who missed God and messed up several times wrote:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105 (KJV)

Find the path for yourself by looking into God’s word.

And remember, always be ready for a new word from heaven.