Trust God - He Can't Lie

Yesterday at church my pastor called me up to the front and announced to the congregation that he was placing me in charge of the youth ministry, and that my title is now "Minister Otis." The LORD has been preparing me for this new life in ministry for almost 3 years now. Multiple visions, prophecies and other confirmations have flooded my life concerning my work as a youth pastor. I just never thought it would sneak up on me so fast. I can't say that God didn't prepare me, and I'm looking forward to stepping out in faith and allowing God to use me in this new capacity. I'm excited to see what He has in store!!


God is constantly speaking to me, making promises, trying His Word, then bringing His Word to pass. You would think at this point that my faith would not waver. But I must admit that sometimes I still battle. In the midst of His Word being tried and proven, things usually begin to look contrary to what He has promised me. I usually begin to feel anxious, which is direct disobedience to Philippians 4:6-7 - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." So no wonder my spirit is not at rest. I go through stages of being in complete peace, but it is usually interrupted when I worry about what I see. This shows me that my will has not yet been completely submitted to the LORD. It shows me that Jesus Christ has not become the satisfaction of my soul. So what is it that is interrupting my peace? What is it that is causing me to sin by worrying? What is it that is distracting me from my LORD Jesus Christ?


I remember being taught in elementary school that a noun pertains to people, places and things. And you know what? Nouns are getting in the way of my communion with God!

People.
People that I care for make decisions that I don't agree with, so rather than pray for them, I worry. One thing I learned a long time ago, years before God saved me, is that you can't make decisions for other people. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says not to have fellowship with unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 5:11 says that if one says he/she is a believer, yet takes part in sin, not keep company with them, even to eat with them. Matthew 10:37 says that he who loves anyone more than the LORD is not worthy of him. This is serious. This means I have to forsake my mother, my father, my sisters, my friends from the world, my brothers and sisters in Christ, my spiritual parents, and even my fiance and future wife compared to Christ. So when they do things or say things that hurt me, I cannot let it affect me, because that shows that I love them more than Christ. Now that is what I call a harsh word!

Places.
Living in a fallen world I am surrounded by sin. And I can't stand sin! I can't stand lust. I can't stand pride. I can't stand ungodliness and anything that upsets my Father in heaven. So sometimes the sins of the world cause me to get upset. Living in a very sensual world, where the media feeds us the love of money, sex and violence, I find myself warring in my flesh. I try not to watch television and movies, but living in a house where the TV is always on, it is a battle. These seeds of wickedness are constantly being thrown in our faces. We are told what to look like, how to talk, what to like, what to dislike, what is attractive, what is ugly - and it is all a lie of the devil! It is time to rise above the world we live in and live in the Kingdom of God, in earth as it is in heaven.

Things.
We all want things. Consumer America bombards us with advertisements trying to incite us to want the "next best thing." To be up-to-date with the latest styles. To own the newest state-of-the-art technological device. But these are all distractions. Things war with God for our focus, they want us to desire them instead of Christ. Psalm 23 says that if the LORD is truly our shepherd we should have no want. Since we have Christ, He should be all we need. As Jesus said in Matthew 6, we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things the gentiles (unrighteous) seek will be given to us. As Paul said to his son Timothy, "godliness with contentment is great gain." It is time for us to be content.

So now it is time to repent. And tonight I'll do it publicly.

LORD GOD, I come before you humbly thanking you for your grace and praising you because you alone are worthy of every ounce of praise that comes from my lips. Forgive me for placing people, places and things above you. Forgive me for being anxious and not being content. Forgive me for wavering in my faith. I ask right now that you take away every desire that does not line up with your will. Take those desires away and place your desires in my heart. Strengthen my faith, so that I would trust in you and you alone. That I would not be moved in my emotions. That I would forsake all things for you, and as Paul, count all things as garbage for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my LORD, that I may win you. That I may know you. That you may be my all in all. Cover me in your anointing LORD, destroy every yolk, remove every burden. Release your love within me, and help me to walk in all humility, in meekness, in lowliness, in faith, in total trust, so that I would represent you as a good soldier, and that you would demonstrate your power within me in both word and deed and not in the wisdom of man. I magnify your name, you are glorious! You are magnificent! You are God! Thank you for saving my soul. Thank you for regenerating me and conforming me into the image of your son! Thank you for teaching me how to love you, to love myself and others as myself! Thank you Jesus! I love you Father and I pray these things sincerely in the Name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.