Gtcotr/ss122715
This
is the last Sunday of the year. Friday we will all take the next step into the
future together as we celebrate the New Year, 2016. In respect to this next
step allow me to share 3 Truths that affect us all.
1.
There is a time for every purpose under heaven.
2.
God wants to move you up the ladder of His will.
3.
Your success can begin with the next step.
Believe
me when I say that: “You are completely unprepared for
anything other than your next step with God.” However, you are fully
prepared for the purpose of this season in your life. Anything less than
pursuing God’s will for your life can only add to the problems, cause
unnecessary or even critical delays and ultimately take you farther from the
answers and the help you will need. You are only one
decision away from the best decision.
Ecclesiastes 3 NKJV
1 To everything there is a
season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a
time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time
to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time
to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from
embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time
to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time
to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time
to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
9 What profit has the worker
from that in which he labors?
10 I have seen the God-given
task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.
11 He has made everything
beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no
one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
12 I know that nothing is
better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,
13 and also that every man
should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor — it is the
gift of God.
Life
is filled with times and seasons … some we enjoy and some we don’t.
Every
time we arrive at one destination we find ourselves standing on the platform of
our next departure. Each season and every circumstance of life finds us busily
preparing for the next. Every decision we make, whether right or wrong,
supplies critical information and adds valuable experience we will need to take
advantage of our next opportunity.
No
one is perfect or without fault in this life. We have all made decisions we
regret but not one of us can turn back the hands of time and wipe away our
worst mistakes. God understands that there is nothing we can do about our
yesterdays except turn them over to Him and leave them in His hands. He is the
only one who can manage our past.
The
most important thing on our plate today is not what we did or didn’t do in 2015
but rather what we will do in 2016 by the grace of God. God is not focused on
our past but rather He is focused on our future.
Our
future will not be determined by our past but rather by our response to a now
God with a now word for the next step of which - we are prepared to take.
Believe it … you are fully prepared for the next step!
Remember:
1.
There
is a time for every purpose under heaven.
2.
God
wants to move you up the ladder of His will.
3.
Your
success may depend on your next step.
There
is an Old Testament account of a man named Abraham who was in a covenant with
God. One day God told Abraham to take his promised young son to a specific
place and sacrifice him on an altar. When Abraham knew he had clearly heard the
Word of Jehovah God he took the next step … he prepared and immediately began
the journey. Abraham knew the next step and he simply trusted God enough to
take it.
After
a 3 day walk Abraham and his son Isaac arrived at the place God chose. While
Abraham was obediently preparing his son as a sacrifice, God saw his trust and
his faithfulness and spoke a second time to Abraham.
Genesis 22
10 And Abraham stretched out
his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said,
"Here I am."
12 And He said, "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."
Abraham
faithfully followed the Word of the Lord knowing he could trust God even with
his greatest possessions. What must have seemed like new orders from God
weren’t really all that new to God … they were just new to Abraham. God was
always in control and had actually already provided another sacrifice for
Abraham that day.
Abraham
didn’t know the end from the beginning but God did and sometimes God leads us
like He led Abraham. God could see all the steps while
Abraham could only see the next step. If we are going to make the most
out of life we must always be ready for a fresh word from God …
There
is a time for every season to change and for new things to take root where old
things once grew. Just because seasons change does not mean the last season was
bad or that it was not the best God had to offer us in that season. However,
without regard as to the last step we took in faith trusting God … the most
important step we face is the next step.
In
closing I offer three things to remember when considering your next step:
1.
Don’t limit God
a. Trust in the
miraculous and realize that God always moves His children up the ladder of His
will
2.
Be flexible and resolute
a. Resolve to obey God
b. Everything else is
subject to change
3.
Don’t burn your bridges
a. Abraham may not have
understood but he nonetheless trusted … Don’t be anxious or fearful - Trust God
with the next step!
The
best decision you can make right now is to offer yourself completely to God.
Pray and let Him know that you are committed to His plan for your life. God
will not forget your trust in Him and He will open every door of favor and
multiply His grace in your life so that you will not stray or be drawn off
course. God will make His will clear to you even if He has to send angels from
heaven to direct your path.
Psalms 37:23 says the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord …
If
you will but commit yourself to His purpose and take the next step in this
season, to which I might add you are fully prepared, He will direct your way
and give you a lamp for your feet and a light for your path.
This coming year
is a time of great change such as we living in the world have not seen in our
generations. Although many of us were born long before the technology
revolution and some even before television, and although we have witnessed such
great changes take place in the political and social landscapes of our nation
and the world, yet we have never seen the likes of those things which will
suddenly upon us.
Knowledge will
increase and craft will prosper and the very powers of this world will be
shaken and will yield their secrets to those destined to usher in the coming of
the Lord. Many will face temptations they never imagined and fall prey to the
pursuit of selfish gain and fleshly advance but those who wait upon the Lord
shall be supernaturally strengthened and will see through the darkness and
discern the enemy’s plan.
Look up and lift
up your heads saints, your redemption draws near and the Lord is standing to
ready His return. There is a purpose in this season … God is calling us to
higher ground … make sure your next step … you are well prepared and for such a
time as this. Resolve to obey God and take your next step with Him.
Let’s
let God know we are ready for the call … and … lest I forget …
Happy
New Year!!!
