Stop Giving Your Past Permission To Speak

Jer 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.” NIV

God has a plan for your life. And that plan is to prosper not harm; to give hope and a future. What an awesome plan!!! God’s Word teaches us that He loves us and wants the best for us. God is ever present and always watchful. He does not consult your past to justify his blessings on your future.

It is difficult to look towards our future when we are constantly allowing our past to speak. Maybe mistakes have been made in the past. Failure is not final, but it can be used as fertilizer to help us grow. We must take the adversities of this life and allow them to become stepping stones into our future. No one has ever become great overnight.

There are many celebrities who have overcome obstacles in their past and pushed forward into their future. James Earl Jones overcame a stuttering problem as a child, now we have the pleasure of hearing him speak in a deep baritone voice. Halle Berry, well known actress was diagnosed with diabetes and fell into a diabetic coma 7 years ago. Michael Jordan, cut from his high school basket ball team, later to become one of the greatest NBA players. These celebrities did not allow their past to speak into their future. They continued moving towards the future that was ahead of them becoming men and women we all know and love.

Zig Zigler said: “Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful”. Successful people do not allow the past to tell them what can or cannot be done. Today, make a non-negotiable decision you will not allow your past to speak into your future. The first thing we must do is change our mind. The bible says be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. You are what you think! Some of us have given up on our dreams because of what others have said. We have to encourage ourselves with the knowledge that God has a good plan for our lives and even if we don’t understand the plan we can trust it.

We must be prayerfully persistent. Or as I like to say, we must watch and pray. Maybe we got off on the wrong road or made an wrong turn, or possibly headed down a one way street, it’s okay if we have to make a U-Turn or change directions. The point is it is God who will lead and guide us. A man’s heart devises’ his ways but the Lord orders his steps. It’s time to re-position yourself. Expect something great out of life today. Don’t get comfortable with compromise. The only person that can stop you from becoming all you were destined to be is YOU…. God Loves You and so do I….. Pastor Tammy

Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business
“Letting go of the past and reaching forward to the future.”

If you’re like most people, you like being in control. You want things to happen according to your wishes and according to your timetable. But sometimes, God has other plans, and He always has the final word.

The enemy loves to use things of our past to stop us from reaching our future. Maybe you have done some things you are not proud of. Maybe some things happened to you that were outside of your control and left you emotionally incapacitated. You find it hard to love others. Maybe you don’t trust others and feel that people have a hidden agenda when trying to get close to you.

Perhaps someone you truly loved someone who, told you they loved you only to betray your love and confidence in them. Maybe it was a marital relationship and your spouse committed adultery. Now you find it hard to love or even trust again. Growing up as a child did you suffer abuse as a child only to grow into adulthood and promise that no one would ever hurt you in that way again?

If any of these things sound familiar you have unfinished business in your life and you need closure. The word of God tells us to forget the former things and do not dwell on the past. God does not want us looking at the past because he has such a wonderful plan for our future. The past is past and there is nothing that we can do about it. We cannot change it. The enemy would desire that we keep living in the past. But God always gives us a glimpse of our future. He said behold, I am doing a new thing, Shall it not spring forth.

Never underestimate the importance of closure. Through out our life, we have so many opportunities for closure and new beginnings. When we refuse to let go of the past we have unfinished business. We can’t have a fresh start without an end first. Life teaches us that we cannot experience a fresh start until we deal with the closure preceding it.

Many people minimize the importance and impact that real closure can bring. People talk about forgetting the past and getting on with their life. Closure is a mental physical and emotional process. If you are unable to trust, love or commit yourself, you need closure.

Some people have a whole string of broken relationships, because they underestimate the impact of closure. They never learned how to make a new beginning really work. It’s time to take care of any unfinished business so that you can move on with your life. We can remain angry and upset with people, which perpetuates the cycle of pain and heartache. Forgive others and forgive yourself. We must grow up spiritually to a place of surrender and rest in God. Come to terms with life and realize, it’s not my will but THY WILL be done. And handle your business!!! God Loves You and so do I…Pastor Tammy

Faithfulness: In the midst of Recession

FAITHFULNESS: IN THE MIDST OF RECESSION

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) , the group that determines the official dates for periods of economic expansions and contractions has identified 32 U.S. recessions since the mid-1850s.

NBER records show that, over the period from the mid-1940s until 2007, the average recession lasted 10 months, while the average expansion lasted 57 months, giving us an average business cycle of 67 months or about 5 years and seven months

The shortest recession between the mid-1940s and 2007 lasted only six months, from January to July 1980. The two longest recessions during the period lasted 16 months each, one extending from November 1973 to March 1975, and the other from July 1981 to November 1982.

For nations, businesses, and individuals, it's reasonable to see a recession as a time of possibility, even with a few benefits. The Word of God will always be a very helpful and practical guide to issues that pertain to everyday life. I want to encourage you that even in the midst of the recession, continue being faithful. The word faithful means to be trustworthy. Continue to be a person that your family, your community and your church can count on during these times. I know that times are difficult. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Love and Mercy meet together and righteousness and peace kiss each other. (Psalm 85:10) God’s faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 119:90) Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for. (Prov 16:6) A fruit of the spirit is faithfulness (Gal 5:22)

The recession will end at an appointed time, just as the previous 32 recessions have. Will there be anyone to stand and say I remained faithful and committed to my responsibilities to God, myself, my family and friends.

Here are a few things to help remind us to remain faithful.

1. God is Faithful. (Duet 7:9)
2. His faithfulness continues through all generations
3. Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit
4. Through Love and Faithfulness sin is atoned for
5. He who is faithful in the least will be faithful with much (Luke 16:10)
6. God requires that a man be found faithful (1 Cor 4:2)
7. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.

We cannot blame God for the condition of our economy. He did not tell us to go in debt, nor did he tell us to buy things we could not afford. He has given mankind a free will. He allows us the freedom to make choices about our life on a daily basis. The law of gravity says everything that goes up must come down. We must realize that every decision has a consequence; and decisions in the past have washed up on the shores of today. We are a blessed nation! Some of us have had an overabundance of things while others struggle to make it. I wonder how much thought we give to other nations who are at a disadvantaged just to obtain clean drinking water. By all definitions of the word they have been in a continual recession, for quite some time. This is not the time to pull back, be fearful or give up. Be strong in the Lord and the Power of His Might. And look for the day when the Lord will utter these words: Well done my good and Faithful Servant. Be Faithful!!!! And God loves you and so do I………….. Pastor Tammy