Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.”
For the past three weeks, our pastors have been giving the
congregation a sermon based upon their personal life’s story, telling us how
they got to be where they are today, by the grace of God and the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, even when they did know. Pastor Obie reminded us that by our
20-20 hind-sight, we see that the hand of God was there all along pushing and
pulling us through because we are all created for a purpose. Some are raised in
a Christian family and some are not; that is neither a pre-requisite nor a
steadfast determining factor on if we choose His plan and walk with the Lord.
Sometimes, we prefer the school of hard knocks to learn our lessons. Obie grew
up with the support of the two M’s of music and ministry in his life. His
father was in a Christian band and they supported his interest in music, along
with being surrounded by great musicians. His father also played worship and
praise music at the men’s “Promise-Keepers” conventions, so he seeing genuine
worship.
Proverbs
22:6 “Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
His message to parents was “your children watch the way you
act and the way that you react. Every little thing you do is a model for your
kids to follow. Do your best to model and build a foundation in Christ for your
children. If it wasn't for that godly foundation set by his parents, he truly
wouldn’t know where he would be today because of darkness. Though raised in the
church all his life, through the sinful flesh, the influence of the
God-rejecting world system and the subtle temptations of the devil, darkness of
doubt crept in. On Sunday, he came to church but began to analyze God and
doubted the claims of Christianity, becoming empty and “checked out” totally
rooted in the sin of doubt to the point of doubting God’s existence. So, he
started filling his life with other “dark” things and a destructive lifestyle.
Hatred began to brew within because he was influence by bad people places and
things. Bad company corrupts good character every time. The friends that you walk with and your
environment in which you walk will shape you. Right now, think about your five
favorite people that you surround yourself with because they affect your
outcome. You find yourself chasing fulfillment, but it hypocrisy because
nothing on earth satisfies, except One.
Ecclesiastes
3:11 “He has made everything beautiful
in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can
find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
Creator Father God alone can satisfy and fulfill. Former
atheist, converted Christian author C. S. Lewis wrote “If I find in myself
desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation
is that I was made for another world.” – Mere Christianity, and that “another
world” is the kingdom of God. God’s hand reaches out for you and I. God starts
working in and on our hearts. God shows His love and speaks to us through
circumstances, Divine appointments, church, prayer, His holy Word, godly people
and countless other ways. God loves us.
Let's hear the end of Pastor Obie's life story message on the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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