the real reason you’re in turmoil…

“but GOD wants me to be happy!”  have you ever said that?

listen you are not going to be happy unless you do what GOD wants you to do.  the truth is this is the real reason you’re under stress.  this is the real reason you’re in turmoil.  you’re at war with GOD.  anytime you try to play GOD then you’re in opposition to the real GOD.  the bible is very clear about the effect of that. 

the bible says in psalm 37.7 (Gwt), surrender yourself to the LORD and wait patiently for HIM.  that’s the key to peace. 

now what happens if we don’t do it?  romans 8.6 (ncv), if a person’s thinking is controlled by his sinful self, there is death.  but if his thinking is controlled by the SPIRIT, there is life and peace.

how do you get life and peace?  by being controlled by the SPIRIT, by surrendering yourself to the LORD and waiting for HIM. 

obviously in a war with GOD, you’re going to lose.  your arms are too short to box with GOD.  you’re going to lose if you get in a war with GOD.  so whenever you fight GOD and say, “i’m going to do what i want to do instead of what YOU want me to do,” you’re going to have anxiety, you’re going to have stress, you’re going to have depression, you’re going to have worry, you’re going to have everything except peace.  because you’re at war with GOD.

now if you want personal peace the book of job, chapter 22 verse 21 (tlb), tells us how to get it.  stop quarreling with GOD.  if you agree with HIM you will have peace at last and things will go well with you.

GOD says, “I want to bring you peace but you’ve got to accept MY plan and you’ve got to surrender to MY control because I am GOD and you’re not.”

just a thought from the front porch…

life is a series of alternations…

james 5.13 (msg) starts out with , are you hurting? pray.  then it says, do you feel great? sing.

have you noticed that life is a series of alternations between high and low, feast to famine, problem to joy? 

one of the job qualifications of being a pastor is that you have to be willing to shift gears pretty quickly.  a lot of people are up and a lot of people are down.  recognize those situations in life  when you’re down and when you’re down you pray.  then when you’re happy, when you feel great, live it to the hilt.

the bible says, i was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD.  not sad, mad or bummed out.  so when you’re happy, you sing.  it’s a celebration, a day of joy.  james says it’s valid to be happy. 

“praise” is used 550 times in the bible.  it is to be the lifestyle of the CHRISTian – to be happy. 

just a thought from the front porch…

paradise is not continuous leisure...

i think paul felt that at the end of his life when he said i finished the fight, i've run the race, i've fought the good fight, i've finished my course. paul is saying, i have that warm feeling of satisfaction, that i did the best i could.

i think that is the way JESUS felt on the cross. when HIS final words were, it is finished. now HE didn't say, I am finished, HE said, it is finished. big difference. because HE wasn't finished. HE said, it is finished. what? salvation's plan. what? all that GOD had sent him to earth to do. i think that was a shout of victory. it's finished!!! i've done it!!! i've done exactly what GOD had wanted me to do and there is that warm sense of accomplishment that comes.

you see, people are happiest when they are striving for something worthwhile and meaningful in life. that's when they are happiest.

you notice back there in the garden of eden, it said that GOD gave them something to do there in paradise.

folks, paradise is not continuous leisure. there was work even in paradise.

i want to tell you that the most pathetic and most board people in the world are people who have nothing but leisure. they are board to death.

some people say, man if i could just quit work and go sit down on laguna beach and just sit and soak and tan and you'd last about a month and a half if you had nothing more than to just sit on a beach. some of you wouldn't last two weeks.

the fact is that GOD says there are emotional benefits to working. it builds self-respect in your life.

just a thought from the front porch…

why you are disappointed...

the bible says this in isaiah 2.22 (ncv), you should stop trusting in people to save you because people are only human.

don’t expect a person to be the answer to all your problems. it’s not going to happen. if you do that you’re going to set yourself up. there is only one SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. stop expecting anyone or anything else to be your savior.

jeremiah 17.7 (nlt), blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made him [not other people] their hope and confidence.

what happens if you do this? look at GOD’s promise in isaiah 49.23 (ncv), anyone who trusts in ME will not be disappointed.

do you know why you’re disappointed? because you’re trusting in other things besides GOD.

you thought, “this experience will make me happy,” and it didn’t so you’re disappointed. then you thought, “this person in my life will meet my needs,” so now you’re disappointed. or you thought, “if i could just achieve this level of success and achievement, then i’ll be happy and satisfied,” and it didn’t make you happy and satisfied and you’re disappointed.

this person, this event, this thing… if i can just buy this car… and then it disappointed you. any time you are disappointed, it is a warning light that you have trusted in something else for your happiness besides GOD. it’s a big red light that says you’ve got your values misplaced.

just a thought from the front porch…