Our world moves very fast. People are in such a hurry and are busy from day to night. Technology that was supposed to make our lives simpler and connect us with people has had the opposite effect. We used to think of the Christmas season as busy and bustling, but it seems that everyday is like that now. Our lives are overflowing with a busy schedule. We are so busy, that we cannot remember what we did yesterday. Our text from Luke reminds us that our time on earth is limited. It tells us to make the most of every chance we get. We need only to read a newspaper or listen to a news broadcast to conclude that these are desperate times. Even a casual bible scholar can recognize that we are in the end times. Now more than ever, we need to be paying attention to God. We as the church of God, must make the most out of every chance we receive from God. The world says that desperate times call for desperate measures. Quite the opposite. Our text is clear that desperate times require us to slow down and spend more time with God. Our text in Luke is from a desperate time in Jesus’ life. When Mary and Martha heard that Jesus was coming, they began to prepare. Martha busied herself with important tasks, while Mary sat and listened to what Jesus had to say. Martha was busy with important things to make sure things were just right. Too many of us are like Martha. We are busy around the church getting things done. We are involved in many good works, but at some point, we have to stop and simply sit at Jesus’ feet and entertain His presence. Martha was tired. She had worked very hard making sure that everything was perfect for Jesus. How must she have felt when Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part? Jesus didn’t say that Martha was wrong. He did not say that what she was doing was not important. He reminded her that it is important to come into His presence and simply enjoy being there. One was waiting on Him like a server at a restaurant; the other was waiting on Him to hear what He had to say. There are times when it seems like we are all moving like Martha and God is saying “Sit, be still.” Slow down enough to hear that still small voice. It is hard to hear that voice in our world today. We have to slow down enough that we can simply be in His presence.

Our world moves very fast. People are in such a hurry and are busy from day to night. Technology that was supposed to make our lives simpler and connect us with people has had the opposite effect. We used to think of the Christmas season as busy and bustling, but it seems that everyday is like that now. Our lives are overflowing with a busy schedule. We are so busy, that we cannot remember what we did yesterday. Our text from Luke reminds us that our time on earth is limited. It tells us to make the most of every chance we get. We need only to read a newspaper or listen to a news broadcast to conclude that these are desperate times. Even a casual bible scholar can recognize that we are in the end times. Now more than ever, we need to be paying attention to God. We as the church of God, must make the most out of every chance we receive from God. The world says that desperate times call for desperate measures. Quite the opposite. Our text is clear that desperate times require us to slow down and spend more time with God. Our text in Luke is from a desperate time in Jesus’ life. When Mary and Martha heard that Jesus was coming, they began to prepare. Martha busied herself with important tasks, while Mary sat and listened to what Jesus had to say. Martha was busy with important things to make sure things were just right. Too many of us are like Martha. We are busy around the church getting things done. We are involved in many good works, but at some point, we have to stop and simply sit at Jesus’ feet and entertain His presence. Martha was tired. She had worked very hard making sure that everything was perfect for Jesus. How must she have felt when Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part? Jesus didn’t say that Martha was wrong. He did not say that what she was doing was not important. He reminded her that it is important to come into His presence and simply enjoy being there. One was waiting on Him like a server at a restaurant; the other was waiting on Him to hear what He had to say. There are times when it seems like we are all moving like Martha and God is saying “Sit, be still.” Slow down enough to hear that still small voice. It is hard to hear that voice in our world today. We have to slow down enough that we can simply be in His presence.

God created every man with a divine purpose. Unfortunately there are factors that interfere with God’s plan for people. Most often these factors are people. People sometimes get in the way of what God wants to do. God created a beautiful paradise. In the book of Genesis, He looked down and said “It is good.” When He created man, He looked down and said “This is very good.” How ironic that the very thing that God said was very good, is the thing that frustrates His plan. The truth is that God already knew about the fall of man and all the times that people would frustrate his plan before he even formed the earth. When Adam and Eve sinned, God was in a unique place. He loved them, but hated sin. Satan must have thought that he had God backed into a corner. But God already had a plan for that. We may feel like God is in a corner, but nothing catches God by surprise. He already has the solution to our problem worked out. That solution has been in motion for centuries to come to conclusion as exactly the right time. When a builder builds a house, he uses a set of plans. If the follows those plans, the result is a physical representation of that plan in real life. God has given a plan of salvation. If we follow that plan and not rely on what man says, then what is written will be transformed into a physical representation of that plan in our life. Jesus gave the plan to his disciples. The first step was to wait. They were to go to the upper room and wait. About 120 of them went to wait and then Peter began to speak. Our text out lines God’s plan: Repent, be baptised in Jesus’ name and receive the holy ghost. The bible tells us that there were 3000 people saved on that day. There are those that say that God’s plan is no longer valid; that times have changed. My bible tells me that God is unchanging. The plan that Peter outlined on that Pentecost Sunday is still the same plan today. That is the plan for every man.

God created every man with a divine purpose. Unfortunately there are factors that interfere with God’s plan for people. Most often these factors are people. People sometimes get in the way of what God wants to do. God created a beautiful paradise. In the book of Genesis, He looked down and said “It is good.” When He created man, He looked down and said “This is very good.” How ironic that the very thing that God said was very good, is the thing that frustrates His plan. The truth is that God already knew about the fall of man and all the times that people would frustrate his plan before he even formed the earth. When Adam and Eve sinned, God was in a unique place. He loved them, but hated sin. Satan must have thought that he had God backed into a corner. But God already had a plan for that. We may feel like God is in a corner, but nothing catches God by surprise. He already has the solution to our problem worked out. That solution has been in motion for centuries to come to conclusion as exactly the right time. When a builder builds a house, he uses a set of plans. If the follows those plans, the result is a physical representation of that plan in real life. God has given a plan of salvation. If we follow that plan and not rely on what man says, then what is written will be transformed into a physical representation of that plan in our life. Jesus gave the plan to his disciples. The first step was to wait. They were to go to the upper room and wait. About 120 of them went to wait and then Peter began to speak. Our text out lines God’s plan: Repent, be baptised in Jesus’ name and receive the holy ghost. The bible tells us that there were 3000 people saved on that day. There are those that say that God’s plan is no longer valid; that times have changed. My bible tells me that God is unchanging. The plan that Peter outlined on that Pentecost Sunday is still the same plan today. That is the plan for every man.

A truth of life is that If you don’t use it, you will lose it. We all took algebra in school, but few of us can still work those problems if we do not use them frequently. Life is ever a learning process. As important as is learning, it is just as important that we retain that knowledge. As we go through trials, it is important that now only do we learn something from them. God does not waste opportunities. We however, sometimes forget that God has taught us in the past and we find ourselves repeating the same issue, crises and problems because we have not learned what God has been trying to teach us. Have we learned anything in the past year? Are we better spiritually today than we were this time last year? Are we better for what we have been through, or are we angry or bitter because of what we have been through? The lessons learned through pain, trial and adversity are wasted if we do not changed by them. The key is what we do with what God has invested in us. In our text, Jesus taught a valuable lesson. The statement taken literally is a bit silly. “If a man has ears…” He is not talking about a man who is missing ears, rather Jesus is making a statement about inattentiveness. Literally, the translation should be: “Since you have ears, you should pay attention to what I am saying.” Jesus is saying to pay attention to the situations of life where God is teaching a lesson. His use of the word “heed” emphasizes the point. The phrase is translated to mean “hear like a dying man” The lessons God is trying to teach are a matter of life and death. Our spiritual hearing determines our spiritual health. Our spiritual well being is directly connected to our listening to what God is saying. If we will take what God is trying to say to us and apply it to our life, we will be blessed despite what the circumstances may indicate. According to how we pay attention, will determines how the blessing returns to us. Often we cannot get to where God is trying to take us, because we are not paying attention.

A truth of life is that If you don’t use it, you will lose it. We all took algebra in school, but few of us can still work those problems if we do not use them frequently. Life is ever a learning process. As important as is learning, it is just as important that we retain that knowledge. As we go through trials, it is important that now only do we learn something from them. God does not waste opportunities. We however, sometimes forget that God has taught us in the past and we find ourselves repeating the same issue, crises and problems because we have not learned what God has been trying to teach us. Have we learned anything in the past year? Are we better spiritually today than we were this time last year? Are we better for what we have been through, or are we angry or bitter because of what we have been through? The lessons learned through pain, trial and adversity are wasted if we do not changed by them. The key is what we do with what God has invested in us. In our text, Jesus taught a valuable lesson. The statement taken literally is a bit silly. “If a man has ears…” He is not talking about a man who is missing ears, rather Jesus is making a statement about inattentiveness. Literally, the translation should be: “Since you have ears, you should pay attention to what I am saying.” Jesus is saying to pay attention to the situations of life where God is teaching a lesson. His use of the word “heed” emphasizes the point. The phrase is translated to mean “hear like a dying man” The lessons God is trying to teach are a matter of life and death. Our spiritual hearing determines our spiritual health. Our spiritual well being is directly connected to our listening to what God is saying. If we will take what God is trying to say to us and apply it to our life, we will be blessed despite what the circumstances may indicate. According to how we pay attention, will determines how the blessing returns to us. Often we cannot get to where God is trying to take us, because we are not paying attention.

Everyone at some time or another forgets something. We are not alone in forgetting things. Recent research shows that there 42% of people forget faces. 49% forget what was said. 53% forget words. 57% forget phone numbers, 60% forget where something is, 83% forget names and 38% forget what they did. We all have a problem remembering things. Forgetfulness can be very costly and dangerous. Our nation and our country is quickly forgetting the things that have made us great. There seems to be an agenda to do away with the history and traditions that have made our nation into what it is. Remembering is something that helps us to acknowledge the debt that we owe to those that have come before us and sacrificed so much; even to the extent of their very lives. The truth is there are no self-made men. We all had someone that poured something into us that helped along the way: Parents, Sunday School Teachers, Mentors or grade school teachers. We all can look back over our lives and identify those people who had a word, or a gesture or an influence in our life that steered us in the right direction. We are all here because someone helped move us along the way. We are where we are because along the way someone invested mercy and grace in us. Our text illustrates the effect of forgetfulness. In our text, this part of Joseph’s life contains a great lesson. Joseph interprets the dream and, exchange, asks that the butler remember him when he gets released. But, the butler did just that; he forgot Joseph. For two full (long) years, Joseph remained in prison because someone failed to remember. Failing to remember can keep someone in prison; Often that prisoner is us. There is a high cost to forgetting. There are those who are bound in prison because they have forgotten. What are we forgetting that is keeping us in a prison? What are we forgetting that God has already done that has us bound in a prison of anger and anxiety? There are people battling hatred, or bitterness or anger and they allow that to keep them in a mental prison. We have forgotten what God has brought us through. We forget that God worked a situation out for us then, and He can work it out now. Who could we release from prison if we would remember God’s love and forgiveness?

In Psalms 106, Israel forgot that God had parted the Red Sea. They forgot that God provided water from a rock. The forgot that God provided Manna from heaven. They forgot all that God had done and still they grumbled about their situation. When they forgot they became disoriented and the Bible says they wandered. They were without purpose or direction. We are where we are because of the mercy and grace of God, and when we forget that we become like the Israelites and wander and become disoriented. When they forgot, the started grumbling and were ungrateful for what God had already provided. They became impatient and began to follow their own lusts and desires. When we forget, we will ultimately fall into carnal desires. They began to attack Moses and Aaron. When we forget we begin to look around and compare ourselves to others. When jealousy shows up, they began to justify their actions. They allowed disrespect to destroy their lives.

Why remember? Because when we forget, we panic. When we panic, we turn away from God. The key to unlocking the prison of forgetfulness is found in Psalms 106:12: Thankfulness and praise. When we thank Him for what He has already done, He will take care of whatever we are experiencing now. When we remember, we praise Him and praise is the key to getting through.

Everyone at some time or another forgets something. We are not alone in forgetting things. Recent research shows that there 42% of people forget faces. 49% forget what was said. 53% forget words. 57% forget phone numbers, 60% forget where something is, 83% forget names and 38% forget what they did. We all have a problem remembering things. Forgetfulness can be very costly and dangerous. Our nation and our country is quickly forgetting the things that have made us great. There seems to be an agenda to do away with the history and traditions that have made our nation into what it is. Remembering is something that helps us to acknowledge the debt that we owe to those that have come before us and sacrificed so much; even to the extent of their very lives. The truth is there are no self-made men. We all had someone that poured something into us that helped along the way: Parents, Sunday School Teachers, Mentors or grade school teachers. We all can look back over our lives and identify those people who had a word, or a gesture or an influence in our life that steered us in the right direction. We are all here because someone helped move us along the way. We are where we are because along the way someone invested mercy and grace in us. Our text illustrates the effect of forgetfulness. In our text, this part of Joseph’s life contains a great lesson. Joseph interprets the dream and, exchange, asks that the butler remember him when he gets released. But, the butler did just that; he forgot Joseph. For two full (long) years, Joseph remained in prison because someone failed to remember. Failing to remember can keep someone in prison; Often that prisoner is us. There is a high cost to forgetting. There are those who are bound in prison because they have forgotten. What are we forgetting that is keeping us in a prison? What are we forgetting that God has already done that has us bound in a prison of anger and anxiety? There are people battling hatred, or bitterness or anger and they allow that to keep them in a mental prison. We have forgotten what God has brought us through. We forget that God worked a situation out for us then, and He can work it out now. Who could we release from prison if we would remember God’s love and forgiveness?

In Psalms 106, Israel forgot that God had parted the Red Sea. They forgot that God provided water from a rock. The forgot that God provided Manna from heaven. They forgot all that God had done and still they grumbled about their situation. When they forgot they became disoriented and the Bible says they wandered. They were without purpose or direction. We are where we are because of the mercy and grace of God, and when we forget that we become like the Israelites and wander and become disoriented. When they forgot, the started grumbling and were ungrateful for what God had already provided. They became impatient and began to follow their own lusts and desires. When we forget, we will ultimately fall into carnal desires. They began to attack Moses and Aaron. When we forget we begin to look around and compare ourselves to others. When jealousy shows up, they began to justify their actions. They allowed disrespect to destroy their lives.

Why remember? Because when we forget, we panic. When we panic, we turn away from God. The key to unlocking the prison of forgetfulness is found in Psalms 106:12: Thankfulness and praise. When we thank Him for what He has already done, He will take care of whatever we are experiencing now. When we remember, we praise Him and praise is the key to getting through.

We want God to work out things lin our life, but often that working out involves trials and storms. Our humanity does not like this. It is easy to ask “If God loves me, why doe He allow this to happen?” Our natural reaction to trials and problems is to groan and wish that it were not so. It is not easy for us to look at such trials and problems as a gift from God, but our text makes it plain that they are just that: A gift. It does not matter what is going wrong in our life, there is a reason that God has allowed that to come into our life. By the time it reaches us, it has been dipped in God’s love and specifically designed to benefit our life. The question is then, will we continue to fight against these things, or allow them to work for our good? We waste our trials when we focus on the problem and not on the process. There are five keys to not wasting the trials that come into our life. First, the text says to “count” it all joy. Out attitude about things is more critical than the actual situation. That right attitude determines our actions. Secondly he says to “knowing this” We have to understand that He has tried us before and we have come through it for the better. Third, we have to “let patience have her perfect work” We have to surrender to His will and process. We have to cooperate with God. Forth we have to know what to ask for in order to get through. He said “if any lack wisdom” In the midst of a trial, why not ask for grace strength, or deliverance? Why ask for wisdom? Because in the midst of a trial, we have have the wisdom to let God’s process work. Finally, our text tell us to “ask in faith” If we are to properly use the trial that come, we must do so in faith. If we let God utilize these things, He will rework it so that it produces something good in us. None of us like challenges and trials, but it is clear that God uses these things to make us better. Realizing this, we must remember the keys to not wasting our trials.

We want God to work out things lin our life, but often that working out involves trials and storms. Our humanity does not like this. It is easy to ask “If God loves me, why doe He allow this to happen?” Our natural reaction to trials and problems is to groan and wish that it were not so. It is not easy for us to look at such trials and problems as a gift from God, but our text makes it plain that they are just that: A gift. It does not matter what is going wrong in our life, there is a reason that God has allowed that to come into our life. By the time it reaches us, it has been dipped in God’s love and specifically designed to benefit our life. The question is then, will we continue to fight against these things, or allow them to work for our good? We waste our trials when we focus on the problem and not on the process. There are five keys to not wasting the trials that come into our life. First, the text says to “count” it all joy. Out attitude about things is more critical than the actual situation. That right attitude determines our actions. Secondly he says to “knowing this” We have to understand that He has tried us before and we have come through it for the better. Third, we have to “let patience have her perfect work” We have to surrender to His will and process. We have to cooperate with God. Forth we have to know what to ask for in order to get through. He said “if any lack wisdom” In the midst of a trial, why not ask for grace strength, or deliverance? Why ask for wisdom? Because in the midst of a trial, we have have the wisdom to let God’s process work. Finally, our text tell us to “ask in faith” If we are to properly use the trial that come, we must do so in faith. If we let God utilize these things, He will rework it so that it produces something good in us. None of us like challenges and trials, but it is clear that God uses these things to make us better. Realizing this, we must remember the keys to not wasting our trials.