"The Key's In Your Mouth"

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.   And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." Acts 16:25,26

Don't let what you are going through stop you from praising the Lord.  Don't let the darkness.  Don't let the chains.  Don't let the threats.  Don't let anything steal your praise. He is worthy of it no matter what you are going through and no matter what you are facing.  It doesn't matter how dark your present situation is, it doesn't matter how impossible it seems, it doesn't matter how painful it is, He is still worthy to be praised.

Paul and Silas didn't let the fact that they had been beaten stop them from praising the Lord.  They didn't let the midnight hour stop them.  They didn't let the chains, or the jailer or the other prisoners stop them.  They didn't let the threats of further beatings stop them from praising the Lord. They didn't let their captivity stop them.  They could have sat there with their mouths closed.  They could have murmured and complained about their situation.  They could have accused God and gotten angry at Him for "letting" this happen to them- after all, they were preaching and ministering gospel for Him.  But they didn't-- they prayed and sang praises.  They did what they always did.  They prayed and praised in the prison just like they did when they were in the churches.  Their location and their suffering didn't change a thing-- the Lord is still worthy of praise.

Don't let your situation steal the praise from your lips that God so deserves.  You may be "swallowing" your own key to release and victory but keeping your mouth closed instead of opening it to praise Him.  It wasn't until after Paul and Silas praised the Lord that the prison shook, and their chains fell off. 

Have a great day.  Regardless of your situation, the Lord is still worthy of your praise.  Don't withhold it, because it may be your very key to freedom and victory. 

"It Can't Keep Him Out"

"And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed."  Acts 16:26

You may feel like you have been beaten and abused.  You may feel like you have been wrongly accused and falsely mistreated.  You may feel like you are in a prison.  It may feel like it is midnight. You may feel as if you are in stocks and chains.  You may feel like you are locked up in some prison being held captive.  What you are going through may be more than a "feeling", it may be reality.  But I have good news for you this morning.  Prison doors can't keep God out.  The darkness of midnight can't keep Him out.  Chains, fetters, stocks and imprisonment (whether physical, spiritual, mental or emotional) can't keep Him out.  What others do to you can't keep Him away.  Nothing can stop Him from getting to you in your time of need no matter where you are and what you are going through. 

Look up, hold on, keep trusting, keep praising, don't stop believing in His mighty power to save you and deliver you.  His presence is there, and it can reach into any situation.

Have a great day.  Nothing can keep God out and from being able to get to you to meet your need. 

For further reading:
Acts 16

"He's The Foundation"

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"  Psalm 11:3 

All religions are built upon a particular belief.  It is the foundation of that religion. The world is trying to remove the foundations of Christianity.  They try to tell us that Jesus was just another prophet.  They tell us that there are many ways that lead to God.  Even in the churches we hear such messages as those that promote salvation through works and good deeds.  There is an organized plot to not only remove Jesus from society but also from Christianity and make it like every other religion out there.

Without Jesus we have no foundation to what we believe.  Without Jesus we have no foundation for our faith, because our faith is built solely on Him.  He is the foundation.  He is what the "house" is built upon.  He is the hope of our lives.  All of Christianity is centered around and built upon Jesus Christ-- that He is the Son of God and through His shed blood on the cross we can receive salvation.  

If our foundation isn't sure, if it isn't the only true foundation, if Jesus isn't the cornerstone, then our belief is in vain.  We have no hope and neither does the world.  All other beliefs out there are but sinking sand.  But I have good news, try as they may, though they work hard to do it, the world, the devil, all the demonic forces, no dictator, no angel, no human being can remove this foundation.  They can't remove Jesus from being the cornerstone and the foundation.  He is, always has been and always will be not only the foundation of Christianity but the foundation of the world.      

So, take heart and don't cast away your confidence.  Jesus is the foundation.  You can build your life upon, place your hope in, put your trust in Him.  He is the sure foundation that cannot be move.  He is the solid rock that you can anchor your soul in for all eternity.

Have a great day.  Without Jesus we have no foundation upon which to build our lives.

 

"He's Really There"

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."  Matthew 28:20

The Lord keeps laying it on my heart to share with you that the Lord is with you.  He has not left you nor forsaken you.  Just because you don't think that He is there, or just because you don't feel like He is there, does not change the fact, or the truth, that He is there with you.

When Joseph was thrown into the pit by his brothers, I am sure he wondered where God was.  When he was taken from his home, from his country, when his freedom was taken away from him and he was sold into slavery, there is no doubt he wondered where God was.  When Joseph was being falsely accused, I imagine that he wondered why God didn't intervene and defend him by revealing the truth.  When he was in the prison, he wondered if God had forgotten him, if He even remembered he was alive, or did He see him through the prison bars. 

You may be in the same place as Joseph.  You are being mistreated.  You are being abused.  You are suffering because of someone's hatred or jealousy toward you.  You may be going through a pit.  You may feel like you are being held captive by some besetting sin.  You may be in such a dark place that you wonder if you will ever see daylight again.  You may be living with a debilitating disease in your body.  And through it you are wondering the same-- God, where are you?  Lord, are you there?  Have you forgotten me?

While sometimes we have to walk through dark places, valleys and deserts, your being in that place is no indication and should never be received as proof that the Lord has left you, forsaken you, is not aware of you and is not with you. 

Life happens.  And what life brings is not always "good".  Sometimes it is worse than bad.  But regardless, God is still with you.  He is there.  Never let your circumstances convince you otherwise.  Joseph may not have always felt that God was with Him.  It may not have always looked like He was there.  But look at the end.  The evidence that God really was with Him all along was clearly seen at the end-- the palace.

Have a great day.  The circumstances you are going through may be making you wonder if God is with you, but rest assured He is.

"Maintaining Your Peace"

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."  Isaiah 26:3

Everyone wants peace. The world is seeking peace. Individuals desire peace.  But peace comes only one way, and that way is not through the absence of trouble.  We think if all our troubles were gone, all our problems were solved, if we had plenty of money, if our health was better, if our relationship was mended, if our children were not rebellious, we would have peace.  That is not the case.  True peace can be found and maintained even in the storms of life.  Because peace is not just a feeling, it is not an emotion, it is not a concept, it is a person.  It is the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we have Him, we have peace. 

I am not saying that once we receive Jesus as Savior we have no more problems.  Problems still come.  So how do we maintain this peace?  How do we keep from getting anxious and worried when trouble comes to our lives?  The answer is in the verse above.  "Keep your mind stayed on the Lord."

When trouble comes, when problems arise, don't dwell on the problems, set your mind upon the Lord.  Think on His promises.  Renew your mind with His word.  There is one word/promise in particular that you should keep in your heart and mind.  It is-- "Thou art with me."  If you will remember this truth each time a problem comes, you will stay in peace.

God is with you in the valley, in the wilderness, on the mountain, in the storm, in the pit, in the fire, in the lion's den, when you are in lack and poverty, when you have riches and plenty to spare, when it is daytime and when it is nighttime.  He is with you when you lose your job, when you lose your spouse, when you lose your health, when you lose your best friend.  He is with you in the good times and the bad times.  He is with you always!

Why should we remember this and how will it keep us in peace?  Because this One who is with us is not just another person, it is God Himself.  The Creator of the universe, the Provider of all your needs, the Great I Am, the One who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.  He is the Comforter, the Deliverer, the Savior, the Healer, the Redeemer, the Lover of your soul.  He was, He is, and He will always be.  And He will always be there for you, with you, in you, going before you, surrounding you, making a way before you and keeping you. 

Keep your mind, your heart, your affections, your attention all on the Lord at all times and you will stay in peace-- perfect peace-- even while everything else around you is falling apart and in chaos.

Have a great day.  How to maintain peace in a world of turmoil?  By keeping your heart and mind stayed on the Lord.

For further reading:
Philippians 4:6-8
John 14:27
Isaiah 9:6
Psalm 23:4