Praise Thursday

Hi Guys,

Sorry this is coming late. Just took me a minute to gather my thoughts. So like i said in my last post(thanks so much for the comments btw, will respond to every comment asap) i want to share the message i heard in church on Sun together with what my aunt heard in her church on Sunday, that happened to correlate.

First of let me tell you that Brooklyn Tabernacle is HUGE, when we first got in the first thot that came to mind was "this is a zoo, God forgive me" but by the time everybody settled and the choir starts i was in awe. Nways the message was titled "The witch is Back" based on 1 Samuel 28:3-7.

The witch as the Pastor describes is that battle in your life that keeps trying to rear its ugly head over and over again. In Saul's case it was fear of the philistines, so much so that even after he expelled all the witches and medium, he still went seeking for one again because the Lord did not answer him (in my opinion, in time for him). He said that stuff, what you battle with that is will always want to come back, especially when you think you have let it go. He told a story of a new convert who told him that God told him, he will never have any problems in his life. Pastor said he laughed and told him that's why you are new convert. He said, as a Christian you will have battles, its like even more when you are Christian.

Why?

Cos Battles tell more about us than church worship services. Cos he said if it was all about Church we would all be well and good, but we have to deal with wicked bosses on Monday mornings, or even before that a wicked wife or husband. He said that "always remember that just because a battle is won, doesn't mean a battle is gone". E.g. a recovered alcoholic for a long time, has to battle with his demons every time he walks into a store and sees liquor. He then goes on to say that in the verse where it says "No weapon formed against you shall prosper" it shows that the devil specially forms the battle against you, cos he knows what gets you, what is that particular thing that will destroy you. He said Battles are not sinful, its what you do with the battle that is sinful, because the Lord did say you will prosper, you can overcome, because he won't give you anything that you cannot bear.

And this was where it clicked for me. In Mark 6:35-44, God fed five thousand in the presence of his disciples. In Mark 8:1-4, just two chapters later, when God wants to feed the multitude, the disciples again ask him, "how can we do this"? Not "o yes, just two chapters ago we saw you perform this miracle so we even know u can do with one bread and one fish". He rounded up by saying that the guy who made the cleaner "formula 409" called it that cos it 409 tries to get the formula right and he hoped that we got it right with God, knowing to trust him completely in much less time (single digit numbers preferably. Thank you Jesus in Advance).

At my aunts church, the Pastor talked about not putting a face to our battles. Because instead of dealing with the issue and focusing on that with God, we are constantly battling the "face". An example for me will be that right now, i have a face for my financial & relationship issues. This person just seems to be able to do whatever they want, whenever they want, gets all the latest gadgets, this person requests and gets, new job, new car, trips every so often, has traveled the globe + relationship stability and its like God, why are you putting this in my face? I have never thought myself to be a jealous/envious person and for me this battle is more than just that, its that things are falling in places for this person, this person seems lucky and i am not.

So moral of the story: There will be battles, don't put a face to it and trust in the Lord Almighty that he will help us every single of the way and that we shall overcome. That even against our desires and will because we have become so comfortable with our battles, we think its our right and part of our life so we should just contend with, that God Almighty will lift us up and rescue us and change our every situation in Jesus Name.

It was a powerful message, i needed it. And i hope that it touches you too.

P.S I LOVE YOU