Thank God For Closed Doors

I'm so thankful, not only for the amazing doors the Lord has opened for me and the things He has allowed me to experience, but also for the doors He closed and kept me from going in those directions. Many times I have prayed for things I was absolutely sure would be the right choice for my life, but God answered "No" and closed those doors. During those times I was often disappointed, but now, looking back, I realize how bad those choices would have been for my life and how much I would have regretted them. "Thank You Father, for always doing what was right for my life!"

Time is Running Out!

We must be aware...nothing that is happening in American or world politics today will delay the fulfillment of the Revelation that God gave to the apostle John 2000 years ago on the Isle of Patmos. All things WILL come to pass exactly as He said it will and we must not be lulled to sleep. That is the very essence of deception! There WILL be a Covenant that will look like all the problems in the Middle East will be resolved, and it may come very soon. And there WILL arise a world leader who will CONFIRM that Covenant and he will appear to be exactly what the world needs. And then as we read in the Book of Daniel...that Covenant will be broken after 3 1/2 years, and then literally all hell will break loose in the city of Jerusalem. Don't let your guard down Children of God. Know that God's Word is true and we should be watching for and expecting the signs of it coming to pass within the next few years. We can expect a Covenant with Many and then the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem to come within the next few years, and they will be heralded as great successes toward Middle Eastern peace.

“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
“And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”
(Daniel 9:25-27)

Learning How to Set Boundaries

 One of the most powerful words in the English Language is the word no! Think about it…how many times has someone asked you to do something that you really felt  uncomfortable doing, but you just said yes because you didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings? How many times have you made a commitment just to fit in and then regretted it? AND…was there ever a time when someone used you or took advantage of your kind heart, just because they knew you would let them? 

You Can’t Live in the Future

In the last message, we talked about how always dwelling on or living in the past can cause a person to forfeit the plans that God has for them  today…and many people spend their whole lives longing to go back to “the good ol’ days”. It’s sad to hear them constantly talking about the past…their childhood, or when they were a young adult, and they relive those memories constantly. 

But just as sad as someone who lives in the past, is when someone is constantly living in the future…always planning for what they will do “someday”…when they have the right partner or the right house or the right job or just the right amount of money. They are waiting for the circumstances of their lives to be perfect in order for them to do the things they really want to do, and so they wait.

You Can’t Live in the Past

Someone once said, “You can’t go forward if you are always looking in the rear-view mirror” and that is so true. And scripture puts it this way, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) 

There are people who spend their lives dwelling on the past. They are the ones who are always talking about “the good ol’ days” or “when I was a kid”. Sure, we all like to reminisce once in a while, but when we spend most of our time thinking and talking about how it was “back then”, whenever our particular “back then”  was, then what we are actually doing is missing out on what God has in store for us today. 

The New Year…Time for a Fresh Start

Nobody likes change, but I have found that the New Year is a great time to begin to look for things you want to do differently. It’s a good time to think about some goals, some things you would like to do differently and make a plan for how you are going to reach them. A wise person once said, “The definition for insanity is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different result.” It’s impossible! Another wise person also said, “If you aim for nothing, you are bound to hit it 100% of the time.” So the best thing you can do is to set some goals and plan how to reach them…and friends, there is no better time to begin than now. 

So I want to share with you 5 things you can think about in the New Year, and if you can think of more,  then it’s even better.