Very seldom do we get to live life in ideal circumstances. The way we imagined life is rarely the way it plays out. No one who is an alcoholic or a drug addict set out to become that. We find that things in life break,a nd usually they break at the most inopportune time. At those times, we have a choice. Do we quit. Do we join the list of complainers who sit in their situations and do nothing but complain. Or do we do as Job did, and pick up from what he had and praise God? Many of us are dealing with broken things in life. Sometimes in life, we have to quit complaining and move on. Life is not fair, but that does not mean that life is ruined. What we decide to do in moments like that, determine how life will go. We must learn to play the hand we are dealt, and not bemoan the one we wanted. Sometimes things do happen in life. Some things life are our own fault. But when these things happen, we cannot stay on the sideline. We have to do the best we can do with what we have left. It is not what God gives us that matters, it is what we do with it that matters. In the parable of the talents, the man who received only one talent had the same opportunity to be blessed as the one who received five, but he chose to check out and do nothing with it. Some say that they won't do anything if they cannot do it perfectly. God is not interested in perfect, He is perfect and does not need us do that. He wants us to do the best we can with what He gives us. Even if we seem to be down to nothing, we really are not. We still have God. Job still had God and he chose to move forward with that. In the darkness of the situation he was in, Job did not make a life changing decision. He continued to praise and worship God no matter what. Do not make a life altering decision in the dark. Wait for the light that WILL come. When life is dark, we must live by what we received in the light. God knew when He put us here that life would not be perfect. In side of us is everything we need to handle all in life that we face. So what do we do when we are down to nothing? We pick up the pieces and do the best we can with what we have left.

Very seldom do we get to live life in ideal circumstances. The way we imagined life is rarely the way it plays out. No one who is an alcoholic or a drug addict set out to become that. We find that things in life break,a nd usually they break at the most inopportune time. At those times, we have a choice. Do we quit. Do we join the list of complainers who sit in their situations and do nothing but complain. Or do we do as Job did, and pick up from what he had and praise God? Many of us are dealing with broken things in life. Sometimes in life, we have to quit complaining and move on. Life is not fair, but that does not mean that life is ruined. What we decide to do in moments like that, determine how life will go. We must learn to play the hand we are dealt, and not bemoan the one we wanted. Sometimes things do happen in life. Some things life are our own fault. But when these things happen, we cannot stay on the sideline. We have to do the best we can do with what we have left. It is not what God gives us that matters, it is what we do with it that matters. In the parable of the talents, the man who received only one talent had the same opportunity to be blessed as the one who received five, but he chose to check out and do nothing with it. Some say that they won't do anything if they cannot do it perfectly. God is not interested in perfect, He is perfect and does not need us do that. He wants us to do the best we can with what He gives us. Even if we seem to be down to nothing, we really are not. We still have God. Job still had God and he chose to move forward with that. In the darkness of the situation he was in, Job did not make a life changing decision. He continued to praise and worship God no matter what. Do not make a life altering decision in the dark. Wait for the light that WILL come. When life is dark, we must live by what we received in the light. God knew when He put us here that life would not be perfect. In side of us is everything we need to handle all in life that we face. So what do we do when we are down to nothing? We pick up the pieces and do the best we can with what we have left.

We live in an extremely unstable world and an unstable time. Chaotic is a word that defines the times in which we live. Change is constant and quick in our lives. Currents from all sides come together to create treacherous travel for us as we navigate through life. Many of the things we grew up accepting and understanding have been challenged and swept away to make way for more progressive ideas. God is still God and He is unchanging. What was sin then, is still sin now. People are being swept off their feet by the currents and changes in our world. We can easily describe our times as slippery. Values, principles and morals are slipping rapidly. Not only these concepts, people are slipping. When we are slipping, it is difficult to retain our composure. Anyone who has ever slipped on ice or a wet floor, knows the embarrassment of flailing around trying to keep from falling. In our text, David gives a sense of slipping. He is calling out to God to steady his footing. We do not know when David wrote these words. Some say it was when he was young. Other say it was when he was older. No matter when it happens, slipping is a danger that all of us face. Young, middle aged, or old, we all are sustainable to loosing our footing in life. None of us are exempt from slipping. If we are not careful and are not vigilant about keeping our footing, we can all slip in these troubling times. Out text indicates that David was aware of the possibility of slipping, but more than that, he was aware of the consequences of slipping. Sometimes the only thing that keeps us from slipping is the knowledge that slipping at this moment would be disastrous. David calls out to God to steady him so that his feet would not slip. One who cannot hold on, cannot carry on. A man who cannot maintain his footing, will never advance in his spiritual life. So how do we keep our footing in slippery times? First old fashion convictions will still keep our feet from slipping. There is a confidence in David that is understood in the words of Psalms 17. His confidence was that God was going to uphold him. More than confidence in God, we must have personal beliefs and convictions that will keep us. It is better to live in the center of God's will rather than living on the edge and risk falling off. Convictions will help us stand. Convictions will help us withstand the currents of the world. We must remain true to our convictions despite what our emotions or the current circumstance may say. Secondly, Faith will help us keep our footing. We must stand on the belief that in spite of everything happening, that God is still in control. God is still on the throne and is in control of our destiny. He is able, and He is willing to help. In our time of crisis, we know that God will see us through. There are times in life when all we can do is hold on and trust God to deliver on His promise. Finally, our own experience will help us keep our footing. We all have a testimony. God has proven Himself so many times in each of our lives. God is unchanging. If He did it then, He will do it again. If we will put ourselves in the right place, God will show up and take care of it. We stand on our experience. We worship in our experience. We must praise God and worship Him from the experiences we have had in the past. Remembering convictions, standing on faith and remembering past experiences. That is how to keep your footing in slippery times.

We live in an extremely unstable world and an unstable time. Chaotic is a word that defines the times in which we live. Change is constant and quick in our lives. Currents from all sides come together to create treacherous travel for us as we navigate through life. Many of the things we grew up accepting and understanding have been challenged and swept away to make way for more progressive ideas. God is still God and He is unchanging. What was sin then, is still sin now. People are being swept off their feet by the currents and changes in our world. We can easily describe our times as slippery. Values, principles and morals are slipping rapidly. Not only these concepts, people are slipping. When we are slipping, it is difficult to retain our composure. Anyone who has ever slipped on ice or a wet floor, knows the embarrassment of flailing around trying to keep from falling. In our text, David gives a sense of slipping. He is calling out to God to steady his footing. We do not know when David wrote these words. Some say it was when he was young. Other say it was when he was older. No matter when it happens, slipping is a danger that all of us face. Young, middle aged, or old, we all are sustainable to loosing our footing in life. None of us are exempt from slipping. If we are not careful and are not vigilant about keeping our footing, we can all slip in these troubling times. Out text indicates that David was aware of the possibility of slipping, but more than that, he was aware of the consequences of slipping. Sometimes the only thing that keeps us from slipping is the knowledge that slipping at this moment would be disastrous. David calls out to God to steady him so that his feet would not slip. One who cannot hold on, cannot carry on. A man who cannot maintain his footing, will never advance in his spiritual life. So how do we keep our footing in slippery times? First old fashion convictions will still keep our feet from slipping. There is a confidence in David that is understood in the words of Psalms 17. His confidence was that God was going to uphold him. More than confidence in God, we must have personal beliefs and convictions that will keep us. It is better to live in the center of God's will rather than living on the edge and risk falling off. Convictions will help us stand. Convictions will help us withstand the currents of the world. We must remain true to our convictions despite what our emotions or the current circumstance may say. Secondly, Faith will help us keep our footing. We must stand on the belief that in spite of everything happening, that God is still in control. God is still on the throne and is in control of our destiny. He is able, and He is willing to help. In our time of crisis, we know that God will see us through. There are times in life when all we can do is hold on and trust God to deliver on His promise. Finally, our own experience will help us keep our footing. We all have a testimony. God has proven Himself so many times in each of our lives. God is unchanging. If He did it then, He will do it again. If we will put ourselves in the right place, God will show up and take care of it. We stand on our experience. We worship in our experience. We must praise God and worship Him from the experiences we have had in the past. Remembering convictions, standing on faith and remembering past experiences. That is how to keep your footing in slippery times.

There has never been a individual who elver lived on the earth that obtained such notoriety in such a short period of time as Jesus. When he walked the earth, He changed the religious world of the time and since that time He has had an impact and influence in millions of people's life. Satan knows who Jesus is and about His identity. Satan will do everything he can to keep Jesus from having an influence in our lives. The enemy will twist the truth to the point where we do not even recognize it. Jesus did not come to earth to turn water to wine. He did not come to heal the sick. He came to break the yoke of bondage created by sin. He came to restore our purpose and bring peace to our troubled minds. He came to destroy the hold of sin on humanity. We are quick to point to Acts 2 as the point where it all changed because of the Holy Ghost. We are right to do that, but there would have been no day of Pentecost without Calvary. Before He could send His spirit, he had to sacrifice His son. Jesus offered himself and Calvary began the turning point for humanity. The offering of sacrifice for sin had gone on for generations. But that blood offering would only last for a year. The Blood of Jesus offers a lifetime forgiveness for sin. There are many churches today that do not preach the blood, but our focus must be on the blood that sanctified us and gave us salvation. We would not be here if it were not for the blood. There are blessings that are only made possible through the blood. First we are redeemed by His blood. Humanity changed in the garden because of sin. Ownership of humanity changed from God to the enemy. The only way redemption is possible is by paying a price. To redeem means to buy or pay off. Our text tells us that we have not been redeemed by things of earthly value, but it was the price of the blood of Christ that paid our price of redemption. He paid the price so that we did not have to. Secondly we are justified by His blood. The blood not only bought us, it changed us. We see through the eyes of the flesh, but God see through the eyes of the spirit. God did not die for us at our best, He died for us at our worst. While we were yet sinners, God died for us. In God's eyes, once the blood is applied, it is just as if the sin never happened. We can all have a brand new start no matter how ugly it may have been. God can take our failures and mistakes, and wash it all away. Once the blood is applied, we are made whiter than snow. What once defined us is inviable to God. Far too often we cannot forgive ourselves, but God has already forgiven us. When the devil tries to remind us of what we once were, we can tell him that all things have become new! Thirdly, we are empowered by his blood. There is power in the blood. When we do not know what to pray, plead the blood! Plead the blood where we cannot go, pleade the blood where we cannot reach. What we cannot do, the blood can do. Jesus did many things in His early ministry, but the purpose of his coming to earth, was to die for our sins. Because of our loving father, we can all enjoy the blessings of the blood.

There has never been a individual who elver lived on the earth that obtained such notoriety in such a short period of time as Jesus. When he walked the earth, He changed the religious world of the time and since that time He has had an impact and influence in millions of people's life. Satan knows who Jesus is and about His identity. Satan will do everything he can to keep Jesus from having an influence in our lives. The enemy will twist the truth to the point where we do not even recognize it. Jesus did not come to earth to turn water to wine. He did not come to heal the sick. He came to break the yoke of bondage created by sin. He came to restore our purpose and bring peace to our troubled minds. He came to destroy the hold of sin on humanity. We are quick to point to Acts 2 as the point where it all changed because of the Holy Ghost. We are right to do that, but there would have been no day of Pentecost without Calvary. Before He could send His spirit, he had to sacrifice His son. Jesus offered himself and Calvary began the turning point for humanity. The offering of sacrifice for sin had gone on for generations. But that blood offering would only last for a year. The Blood of Jesus offers a lifetime forgiveness for sin. There are many churches today that do not preach the blood, but our focus must be on the blood that sanctified us and gave us salvation. We would not be here if it were not for the blood. There are blessings that are only made possible through the blood. First we are redeemed by His blood. Humanity changed in the garden because of sin. Ownership of humanity changed from God to the enemy. The only way redemption is possible is by paying a price. To redeem means to buy or pay off. Our text tells us that we have not been redeemed by things of earthly value, but it was the price of the blood of Christ that paid our price of redemption. He paid the price so that we did not have to. Secondly we are justified by His blood. The blood not only bought us, it changed us. We see through the eyes of the flesh, but God see through the eyes of the spirit. God did not die for us at our best, He died for us at our worst. While we were yet sinners, God died for us. In God's eyes, once the blood is applied, it is just as if the sin never happened. We can all have a brand new start no matter how ugly it may have been. God can take our failures and mistakes, and wash it all away. Once the blood is applied, we are made whiter than snow. What once defined us is inviable to God. Far too often we cannot forgive ourselves, but God has already forgiven us. When the devil tries to remind us of what we once were, we can tell him that all things have become new! Thirdly, we are empowered by his blood. There is power in the blood. When we do not know what to pray, plead the blood! Plead the blood where we cannot go, pleade the blood where we cannot reach. What we cannot do, the blood can do. Jesus did many things in His early ministry, but the purpose of his coming to earth, was to die for our sins. Because of our loving father, we can all enjoy the blessings of the blood.

Wednesday Night Bible Study

The bible is full names that are familiar to us all. We were taught about Joseph, David, Peter, Paul, Ruth, Rehab and may others in Sunday school. All of these men and women are worthy of honor for their role in God's kingdom. There are many many more that we do not know, but their role in God's kingdom is just as important. Our world believes that if you are not somebody, you are nobody. The world's values push us toward notoriety and fame. Some people crave the spotlight. In the kingdom of God, everyone has their role to play. Some preach, some sing or play instruments. Those are very public and visible positions, but they are no more important than other, less glamorous jobs in the church. We all have our role in the kingdom of God and it is custom designed for us. Our texts are from three different locations where a miracle occurred. The subject of these three passages are unknown. We do not know their name. We do not know their talents. But each had a role to play and were happy to be used by God for His purpose. In each of these cases, each had a willingness to just be there. The boy with the loaves and the fish was one among a great multitude. There were over 5000 men and some undetermined number of women and children. This lad was there and happy to be used. He was there to experience the miracle. This boy probably had friends who were not there. Those friends missed out on a miracle. These unknown people had a willingness to do what every was ask of them. At the wedding in Canah, the servants were obedient. They did what needed to be done without question. Mary didn't say please, she just said DO IT. All the jobs in the kingdom are not glamorous, but they are all needed. Not all jobs get a pat on the pack from the pastor. Some jobs in the church just need to be done. We are not doing what we do for recognition, we are doing it for God. Finally these unknown people displayed a willingness to stand out in their society. The world's culture is to conform. God's people must be different than the world. The bible calls us a peculiar people. Anybody can blend in and go along with the world's values. We must go against the grain and be different than the world. We are not separate just to be separate. There is a plan to that separatism. If the world can push their ungodly agenda, we can stand separate and apart from them and proclaim the gospel of Jesus. These three stories are but three examples of people who played a role in a miracle. They allowed God to use them, but we do not even know their name. They are unmentioned but not unnoticed.

Wednesday Night Bible Study

The bible is full names that are familiar to us all. We were taught about Joseph, David, Peter, Paul, Ruth, Rehab and may others in Sunday school. All of these men and women are worthy of honor for their role in God's kingdom. There are many many more that we do not know, but their role in God's kingdom is just as important. Our world believes that if you are not somebody, you are nobody. The world's values push us toward notoriety and fame. Some people crave the spotlight. In the kingdom of God, everyone has their role to play. Some preach, some sing or play instruments. Those are very public and visible positions, but they are no more important than other, less glamorous jobs in the church. We all have our role in the kingdom of God and it is custom designed for us. Our texts are from three different locations where a miracle occurred. The subject of these three passages are unknown. We do not know their name. We do not know their talents. But each had a role to play and were happy to be used by God for His purpose. In each of these cases, each had a willingness to just be there. The boy with the loaves and the fish was one among a great multitude. There were over 5000 men and some undetermined number of women and children. This lad was there and happy to be used. He was there to experience the miracle. This boy probably had friends who were not there. Those friends missed out on a miracle. These unknown people had a willingness to do what every was ask of them. At the wedding in Canah, the servants were obedient. They did what needed to be done without question. Mary didn't say please, she just said DO IT. All the jobs in the kingdom are not glamorous, but they are all needed. Not all jobs get a pat on the pack from the pastor. Some jobs in the church just need to be done. We are not doing what we do for recognition, we are doing it for God. Finally these unknown people displayed a willingness to stand out in their society. The world's culture is to conform. God's people must be different than the world. The bible calls us a peculiar people. Anybody can blend in and go along with the world's values. We must go against the grain and be different than the world. We are not separate just to be separate. There is a plan to that separatism. If the world can push their ungodly agenda, we can stand separate and apart from them and proclaim the gospel of Jesus. These three stories are but three examples of people who played a role in a miracle. They allowed God to use them, but we do not even know their name. They are unmentioned but not unnoticed.

The world in which we live is awe inspiring. It is inconceivable that all the wonders in the world are created by anything other than a divine hand. Things of such intricate complexity and beauty could not have happened by accident. God creates things, and man makes things. God can create out of nothing, and man can use those creations to make things. There are both natural and man made wonders around the globe. These attractions bring many thousands of people every year to see and take pictures of these wonders. Bro. Stevison searched, but was not able to find any example of a natural or man made wonders that included a wilderness. We do not think of a wilderness as a place of beauty or wonder. This is true spiritually too. We like the mountain top experience, but we do not like the wilderness. But tonight, Bro. Stevison sets out to demonstrate the wonder of the wilderness. The world wilderness is derived from the word wild and implies a place that humans do not control. It is a place where we cannot alter God plan. Sometimes the only way that God can have his way with us is to bring us to a wilderness. There are times in life when we will walk through a wilderness. We may wander through it, but we will not wander to it. The wilderness is divinely ordered. We do not get to a wilderness by accident. We do not catch God by surprise. God knows where we are and where we are headed. We may feel like we are stumbling through, but God has a plan for us in the wilderness. He can turn the wilderness into something that is beneficial to our life because the wilderness purges us of unbelief. In the wilderness all we have is faith in God. It was in the wilderness that Jesus was tested. He had to be tested just like you and I. He was tested by affluence, by hunger, and by power. This was preparing Him for what was to come. We see the now, but God knows what is to come. God see where He is taking us. The wilderness is a place of transition. A new level, means a new devil. The enemy will fight any growth in God. Growth and strengthening take effort and pain. Just like exercising and working out, any growth will involve pain. If we want to be like Jesus, we must endure the wilderness and face things that will not be comfortable or enjoyable. When Jesus went into the wilderness, He went full of the Holy Ghost, but when he walked out, He walked out int he power of the Sprint. Our text tells us that he turns the wilderness into standing water and dry ground into a water spring. We may not be able to see it right now, but He will turn that wilderness into a bountiful productive place. The wonder of the wilderness is that God is using it to shape us into what He wants us to be.

The world in which we live is awe inspiring. It is inconceivable that all the wonders in the world are created by anything other than a divine hand. Things of such intricate complexity and beauty could not have happened by accident. God creates things, and man makes things. God can create out of nothing, and man can use those creations to make things. There are both natural and man made wonders around the globe. These attractions bring many thousands of people every year to see and take pictures of these wonders. Bro. Stevison searched, but was not able to find any example of a natural or man made wonders that included a wilderness. We do not think of a wilderness as a place of beauty or wonder. This is true spiritually too. We like the mountain top experience, but we do not like the wilderness. But tonight, Bro. Stevison sets out to demonstrate the wonder of the wilderness. The world wilderness is derived from the word wild and implies a place that humans do not control. It is a place where we cannot alter God plan. Sometimes the only way that God can have his way with us is to bring us to a wilderness. There are times in life when we will walk through a wilderness. We may wander through it, but we will not wander to it. The wilderness is divinely ordered. We do not get to a wilderness by accident. We do not catch God by surprise. God knows where we are and where we are headed. We may feel like we are stumbling through, but God has a plan for us in the wilderness. He can turn the wilderness into something that is beneficial to our life because the wilderness purges us of unbelief. In the wilderness all we have is faith in God. It was in the wilderness that Jesus was tested. He had to be tested just like you and I. He was tested by affluence, by hunger, and by power. This was preparing Him for what was to come. We see the now, but God knows what is to come. God see where He is taking us. The wilderness is a place of transition. A new level, means a new devil. The enemy will fight any growth in God. Growth and strengthening take effort and pain. Just like exercising and working out, any growth will involve pain. If we want to be like Jesus, we must endure the wilderness and face things that will not be comfortable or enjoyable. When Jesus went into the wilderness, He went full of the Holy Ghost, but when he walked out, He walked out int he power of the Sprint. Our text tells us that he turns the wilderness into standing water and dry ground into a water spring. We may not be able to see it right now, but He will turn that wilderness into a bountiful productive place. The wonder of the wilderness is that God is using it to shape us into what He wants us to be.