Life Isn't Fair

My little boy has learned a new phrase, "It isn't fair!"  When things don't go the way that he thinks they should go, he likes to throw these words out as a blanket statement that somehow is going to sway my decision about what he wants.

I can think of many times in my life that I thought the very same way as my Little Man and somehow felt that o should get my way. Even in my adult years, I sometimes struggle to see how some people continue to get ahead my means of corruption and deceit and yet I struggle to make it through or get overlooked because I won't conform to a way that would question my integrity. It doesn't seem fair.

Today our pastor preached on the very subject of this blog. It was quite a compelling message founded in the book of Habakkuk. He went on to explore how in chapter one Habakkuk went indignantly to God with his disgruntlement over the nation of Israel's current state and put God in his place. However, in chapter two, it was God who put Habakkuk in his place for crossing the line with a Sovereign God. It made me think back to my son.

How many times have I had to correct my son for speaking to me with a tone that wasn't fitting or for demanding something above his entitlement?  There is a line (a gracious one) that my three year old is slowly discovering as he matures and I am helping him discover that my decisions are in the matter of his best interests. I want nothing but the best for him although he might see it as unfair at the time.

God wanted nothing but the best for Habakkuk and the nation of Israel although Habakkuk failed to understand it at the time. Once God showed Habakkuk His ultimate plan, Habakkuk recognized that he had crossed that line and needed to trust God and His sovereign ways.

For you and me, the truth is we need not look into our current situation and exclaim to God that, "Life isn't fair!"  We simply need to trust God and know that His ways are sovereign and that He has our best interests at heart. It may not go the way we think it should. He may use on orthodox ways of bringing our attention to Him, but His ways will always be best.

I guess the question I have to leave us all with is, are we so focused on what we think we want and deserve that we forget to be thankful for what we have already been provided with by God? Maybe one more: Are we so caught up with fairness that we forget to acknowledge His faithfulness?

Maybe we need to spend more time like Habakkuk in chapter three. Check it out!

The Struggle

I am humbled by the number of people that have viewed this page. It boggles my mind to think that people all over the world have stopped to read my thoughts. Whether on purpose or by accident, people have visited this blog and have been very kind to me about my murmurings. 

The biggest struggle I have with this whole thing is when I think, "Who am I to be sharing my thoughts about my faith?" I so often fight with the sinful nature and whether I win or lose, I still don't understand why God has asked me to share my stories through this format. I am far from perfect or a model Christian. 

I'm not alone. In Romans 7, Paul writes of his own struggle with his sinful nature. He tells us:

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

What do you struggle with today? What is it that holds you back following Christ wholeheartedly? Ask Jesus to help you in your struggle. He will bring you through. 

If you don't know Jesus personally, ask him into your heart by praying this simple prayer;

"Jesus. I acknowledge my need for you. I know that you are fully God, that you died for me and that you love me. Please forgive me of my sin and help me to live my life for you. Thank you Jesus for loving me."

If you prayed that prayer for the first time today, tell someone about it. Even comment below and let me know. I will pray for you as well. 

I'm grateful for all Jesus has done for me. It is by faith in Him that I will one day be with Him. Until then, I continue to fight the good fight as I press towards the goal. 

So, despite my failures, I will continue to share of the things that God is doing in my life. I'm not perfect, but I will trust God with my life and continue to struggle. It's worth it!

Learning to Breathe

My family and I are camping in a beautiful park in Ontario, Canada called Bon Echo Provincial Park. It has amazing scenery, great swimming and a demand for calm that is hard to fathom even when experiencing it. 

Today, we were out in my brother-in-law's boat, swimming in the middle of the lake. It was here that I learned to snorkel for the first time. To say that I was the source of my families laughter would be an understatement. I snorted more water than an elephant taking a bath. 

Just before leaving on vacation from work, things have been extremely busy. We have had tight deadlines, large demands and limited staff. Just when you feel like you have one thing accomplished, another large task gets dropped in your lap. It has meant many long days and labour intensive tasks. 

In chapter 3 of Ephesians, Paul finishes with a prayer that truly puts things into perspective:

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Sometimes in my Christian walk, I wonder: "Will I ever get it right?" and then I read a passage like Paul has written above and remember to take a breath and look to God to help me as my only source of strength and not my own ability. 

At work, I have had to take a step back, breathe and trust the team I work with to get it done and to think outside the box when situations seem impossible. I'm very fortunate to work with the people that I do. 

As for snorkelling, I need to remember to breathe (through my mouth) and just slow down and enjoy the beauty that lies beneath the waters. (That's a whole other post in and of itself). It all takes practice but eventually I will figure it out. Fortunately, I have a very patient and forgiving family that understands what it means to learn to snorkel. (I think they are still laughing though.)

Are you facing a struggle today? Do you have a bad habit that you think you cannot break? Do you have a situation that seems insurmountable? Read through Paul's letter and remember to take a breath. Sometimes, we forget that we serve a limitless God with our limited imagination. 

Take the limits off, breathe and watch what God can do. You will be blown away. 

As Is The Case Today

There have been many times in my life where I haven't completed understood why the things that happened, happened.  When someone makes a statement like that, you usually think of all the negative things that have happened in your life.  For example, Job went through so many hardships and trials with the loss of fortune and family that I'm sure he didn't completely understand what was going on.

However, there are times when there are good things in our lives that happen and we ask ourselves, what is going on?  Why do I deserve this?  Why am I so blessed?  It doesn't always have to be so negative.  Sometimes the positive situations of our lives confuse us and we come back with, "why?"

My life has had some pretty positive moments as of late.  Both professionally and personally there have been things happening in my life that have left me feeling so blessed.  In all of that, I caught myself recently asking myself, "why me"?  Who am I that I am so blessed?

Tonight during a celebration service at London Gospel Temple, David Wells (the General Superintendent for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada)  was speaking and he asked the question, "What is the case today?"  based on Deut. 6:1-9, 20-24.

¹ These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, ² so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. ³ Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
 ⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

..................................

²⁰ In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?” ²¹ tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. ²² Before our eyes the LORD sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. ²³ But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. ²⁴ The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.

 
As I reflected on his message tonight, it suddenly struck me that God; the Creator of the Universe; the All-Sufficient; the All-Powerful; the All-Present cares about me and my needs.  God cares for me.  God cares!  God cared for the Israelites as they came out of Egypt and wanted them to possess the promised land.  God cared for Job and restored to him all that he lost plus some.  God cared for my parents in times of need when money was tight and sales were slow.  And God cares now for me in this stage of my life and he wants me to "prosper and be kept alive" (Deut 6:24, NIV).  I like how the New Living Translation puts it that God "can continue to bless us and preserve our lives".  But the key to that comes in the first part of that verse.  "And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him".  Now, I don't do everything right.  Honestly, I get it wrong more than I get it right, but because of God's grace (which means that because I could never do enough right to deserve what God gives) that God pours out His good gifts on me as I strive to obey Him and follow his decrees.

So the question is, what is His decrees?  One of the greatest commandments which comes partially in verse five (underlined above) was given by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

Do we really love God with all that we are and love the people around us the way that they are?  Are we obeying God to see His hand at work in our lives?  With the help of the Holy Spirit, and through the miracle of grace, we see obedience taking place as we daily take up our cross and follow Christ.

So as I ask myself "WHY?" the next time I start thinking about the way that God has blessed me, I simply turn it back around and say, "as is the case today" so that when my kids (Lord willing) look to what their mom & dad went through and how their God got them through it, they will know that God cares for them too.  I am so thankful for the example of God's hand at work in my parent's lives!  May that be the case today!

Mary or Martha

I have recently just started recovering from a pretty nasty viral infection that shut me down for a solid week.  All together, I was sick for about 3 full weeks and I still am suffering from a slight cough which is slowly subsiding.  I don't get sick very often, but when I do, it usually is pretty substantial and this last bout was no different.

I will be the first to admit that I am pretty stubborn and I come by it pretty honestly.  My dad, whom I deeply love and respect, has always been a man of strong work ethic and many times not knowing when to relax.  He has gotten much better in his retirement (as currently he is in Florida getting ready for a cruise) but there were times growing up when he got pretty sick and finally shut down.  We knew that if our dad wasn't going to work ... he was TRULY sick. 

I am much like my dad.  I try to push and push myself to keep going and to keep doing.  However, I am starting to understand that we are not created to be constantly doing.  Even God rested after creation.  He knew that He needed to set the example as our Heavenly Father and take a break and enjoy the glory that was His creation.  It is good! 

I often am drawn back to the story of Mary and Martha.  It is a very short portion of scripture, but the truth never ceases to amaze me.  There are times as a pastor that you get so busy "doing" things for God and run around preparing for the Master that we forget to sit at the Master's feet and just soak in His presence.  When asked by Martha about the lack of Mary's help and investment into serving Jesus, He simply responds with:

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

Has our society forgotten what it is to sit at the Master's feet?  I remember when I was growing up that Sundays were a day of rest.  We never did much of anything on Sunday but go to church and relax.  We celebrated the Sabbath and it was good.  Then the stores open their doors and offices remained open and Sundays quickly became like every other day of the week. 

I come back to the last few weeks of bed rest and recovering from the sickness.  I truly believe that there comes times when God uses our bodies to slow us down.  Sometimes it is a rude awakening when sick to realize that we have got so busy that we forget to rest.  Other times, it can be a welcomed reminder to slow down and enjoy the journey of life.  Every time, it is a reminder that we need to slow down and take time and rest our bodies so that we can recover and be ready to go when it is time to work.  We need to create that balance of work and rest.  If we work too much then our bodies shut down.  If we don't work enough than nothing gets accomplished.

I encourage all of us, myself included, to find time this week to slow down and spend a day ... a Sabbath day ... a day of rest and just enjoy God's presence.  May we sit at the Master's feet and choose “what is better, and it will not be taken away from [us].”

Thanks ...

Have you ever had one of those weeks where every day you are somehow reminded of a common theme?  This week has been one of those weeks for me.  It seems that every day there has been a simple message getting bounced back at me.

This week started off with a blog where I was having a "bad" day which turned out to be a good day.  However, part way through that day, I was reminded of all the things that I could (and should) be thankful for in my life.  It was one of those humbling moments where I was reminded that life really isn't that "bad".

All throughout this week, I have been getting gentle reminders to be thankful for the life that I live and the things that I have.  This morning, I was gently reminded with not one, but two devotionals on thanks.  To top it off, staff meeting this morning had a thanksgiving tone too it as well.  I even had someone cut me off where I had to say, "Thanks buddy!"  (Okay ... that last one might not have been the right example.)  As I began to write this little blog, I all of a sudden remembered that this weekend was Thanksgiving weekend (in Canada) and that is just one more reminder to be thankful for the things that I have.  Everywhere that I turn, there is a message to be thankful.

I am truly grateful for the way that God has been blessing my life.  I don't need to list them all on here, but for those that know me, they know that my life has done a complete 180 degree turn around and that God has been blessing me abundantly.  It hasn't always been an easy road, but things are looking up.

Today, I choose to be thankful but I also want to encourage others to be thankful as well.  No matter what you are going through, remember to give thanks for things that you have and the life that you live.  The bible says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

I'm not sure if there will be more reminders this week, but I think I have got enough of them that I get the point.  So for everyone that makes my life better and to a God that continually blows me away ...

Thanks!

W.I.P. Bins

Have you ever asked yourself, "God, why am I going through this in my life right now"?  Do you ever wonder why we struggle with problems?  Do you wonder why God allows certain things to happen?  Why do bad things happen to good people?

When I worked in an automotive plant, I worked for the Materials Department.  Part of my job was to order enough W.I.P. bins to meet the needs of production in the plant.  What's a W.I.P. bin you ask?  It stands for Work In Progress.  Raw material would come into the plant and get processed.  Sometimes, when that part still required processing, it was put into these W.I.P. bins until it reached the final process of manufacturing.  

I think I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am not perfect.  This might come to a surprise to some of you, but sarcasm aside, I am a work in progress.  I am being processed from what I once was to what God wants me to become.  But what does God want me to become?

In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul says to the church, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."  He goes on to say later in the letter, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light" (Ephesians 5:9).  See, we all start in this raw form which is our sinful nature.  There is no one that is different in this world. (Romans 3:23)  We all start off in the darkness of this world.  Paul says to Titus, "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." (Titus 3:3)

However, when we accept Jesus Christ into our life, we enter into the W.I.P. bin of life.  We become a work in progress. 

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:21-24)

 We constantly have to remember that the old life is dead and the new life is alive in us.  We are going from our raw state of sin and being transformed by the Holy Spirit into a person of light, not by our own doing, but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us.  We don't deserve to be light bearers, but God grants it to us despite what we have done or what we could do through grace.

The beauty of this W.I.P. bin of life is that we have a hope despite what happens in our life.  Paul puts it to Titus like this:

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

What a joy of being a work in progress. We have an eternal hope.  So why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do we struggle?  I believe that it is all a part of the process to become more like Christ.  Good things happened to Jesus.  He was worshipped as he rode a donkey into Jerusalem.  Bad things happened to Jesus.  He was beaten and bruised. But He still kept going because He saw the Father's purpose in it all ... and it was for us.

I don't know what you are struggling through today.  However, realize that you're a work in progress when you have Christ in your life.  That means that no matter what you are struggling with, keep going because there is hope.  We get to spend an eternity with the Eternal God who loves us so much that He sent His only son to die for us. 

So ... in my imperfection, I climb willfully into this W.I.P. bin called life and strive to be more like Christ despite the good, the bad and the ugly.  I have hope!

Difficult to Trust

Life doesn't always go as you want it to go.  Sometimes, you try to control things and try to force things a certain way.  But you cannot always control what happens in your life because you are not in this world all by yourself.  You share it with the people around you and they influence you and if you let them in, they can change the course of your life whether you like it or not.

I didn't always want to be a pastor.  Actually, for the longest time, I wanted to be an airline pilot.  "This is your captain speaking ... " but because at the time my eyesight wasn't good enough (.4 of to be exact) of what was the allowable limit at that time in aviation transportation, I didn't get to follow my dream.  I was disappointed for years.  I was even lost about what to do.  There were a couple of times when I heard God calling me into ministry, but I wanted to be a pilot ... not a pastor.

The thing is, I chose to submit my will to God's will when I became a Christ-follower.  That meant that I had to let Christ in.  That meant that I was giving up my will for His will for my life.  He wanted me to be a pastor ... and after some stubborn arguing with God, I wound up eventually going to Bible School and now find myself enjoy ministry in a church as an Associate Pastor.

I also let someone else into my life who I eventually married.  That didn't go as I had planned either.  I had expected it to be a husband and a father but because of situations beyond my control all that came to an abrupt end and finalized with divorce.  Those are the moments that are hardest to accept.  Those are the moments when you are challenged the most.  I would love to say that I came out of it with flying colours, but it took a while for me to bounce back from that situation.

The truth in all of that was that God never left me.  He never abandoned me in my struggle.  He allowed me to go down the road that I went, and even though I didn't know it, He was still with me!  That's because God loves me just like he loves you!

After my separation I had resigned from the church where I was a Youth Pastor.  That was just one more thing that I never expected that I would have to do in my life.  However, in doing so, I had the distinct privilege of speaking one more time to an amazing youth group.  The words that I left with them which still stick with me today are from Proverbs 3.  Verses five through seven say,

 ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
      do not depend on your own understanding.
 ⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
      and he will show you which path to take.
 ⁷ Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
      Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Little did I know that God was going to use those words which I was leaving for the youth to bring me back to a place where He could once again impart into my life and lead me.  I learned what God's Grace is really all about and I was humbled.

If you are going through a struggle, a situation that is impossible, or a low spot in the journey of your life, please realize that you do not walk alone.  God is with you!  He is standing right beside you and He is there whether you are aware of His presence or not.  Don't give up!  Keep trusting God to lead you and look to Him because He will direct your path!  Press on!

Expectantly Strong and Courageous

Have you ever waited anxiously to find out important news?  Have you ever stressed about something because it really matters to you but you're just not sure what the outcome is going to be?  Today is one of those days ... but I am not stressed or anxious.

My oldest brother is currently having surgery to remove a growth in his head.  This is second surgery in the past two weeks to remove this growth which was originally measured at 6cm.  That is huge when you break out the ruler and think about it.  I'm not sure how long the surgery is going to last, but last time they went in through his nose, but this time they are cutting down through his skull to get the remainder of the mass.  As you can well imagine, his wife and our parents are quite concerned at this moment for his well-being.

There are always times in our life when we are not going to be sure of the outcome, but God reminds us in his word that he will never leave us or forsake us. (Deut 31:6)  The verse even begins with "be strong and courageous"!  That is how confident we should be in our God!  We should be strong and courageous in the times of adversity in our life.  But it is a choice that we have to make to be this way.  It is a direct order from God to be strong.  It is a direct order from God to have courage.  We have to dig deep within us and have faith that God is going to be with us.

(SIDE NOTE: I just burnt two new shirts on my lamp in my room while writing this ... DOH!)

Back to my brother.  I have concern for his well-being as he is my brother, but I have faith that our God will bring him through this operation and that God will be glorified in all of this.  I have faith that our God is with us during this adversity in our lives.  He is a big God!  He is a great God!  He is a faithful God!  So today, I choose to be strong and I choose to have courage!  If you're going through a tough spot in your life, choose to have faith by being strong and having courage in a God that is able to provide for you!

Waiting With Anticipation

101 to 1 Odds

Well, I am at the churches office on a Sunday night where we normally hold MERGE, our young adult group.  It is rainy, cold and windy out and as you can probably guess, if I am on here, that means the people that I should be ministering to never showed.

I often wonder sometimes if our efforts are like the weather.  When it is sunny and warm, do we feel like giving it our all or do we have a cold and rainy day when we just want to stay in and hide from the elements.  My feeling is that we need to give it our all and let our heart shine no matter what we feel like doing.  It goes back to the whole idea of Colossians 3:23 which says, "Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans"(GWT).  That said there are times when you just have a hard time kicking your butt into gear, but when push comes to shove, if you remember who you're doing it for, then it makes it worthwhile.

As I said in my Friday blog, I preached on Rahab and her faith and how it was credited to her as righteousness. (James 2:25)  She put her faith into action.  She knew that faith without works wasn't faith.  It was just a thought!  I know that for me personally, that I want to put my faith into action.  I want to do the things that please God because that is who I am living for.  I don't always get it right, but at least I try and give it my best.  That's all God requires of us, that we give our best.

Back to the empty room ... My desire is that this room is filled with a plethora of young adults that have a desire to seek God in all they do.  Whether there is a 101 or only one, I will give my best effort because I know that I don't do the things I do to please the one, but I do it to please the One who has called me to serve the one.  I guess that means that I will speak to myself tonight, but every change has to start somewhere.

Let's be the one ... hoping for 101.

Faith in Dispair

I'm sitting in William's Pub right now trying to write a sermon and I have to admit that I am a little distracted. In my spirit, I am just feeling the need to write and express myself in this medium.

The reason that I am in a coffee shop and not comfortably sitting at my desk surrounded by resources other than the internet, is because my car is in the garage needing serious medical attention. I made the mistake of taking it to the doctor to have a physical done for a safety and to my dismay found out in order to pass the test it is going to cost me over $1600. To some people, that may not be a big deal, but to me, it definitely is a kick in the pants. The worst part is, that the car NEEDS $550 bare minimum to make her worthy of even walking again. I realize that my vehicle is not an investment, but I didn't think that it would walk in to my bank account and take it hostage. Where are the SWAT Team when you need them?

All this month at our church (www.thelifecentre.ca) we have been encouraging our congregation to put God to the test (Malachi 3:10). It is the only place in the entire bible where God tells us *best Clint Eastwood accent* "Go ahead ... Make my day!". Now that might be my own paraphrase of that verse, but the bottom line is that I have been faithfully tithing (as should everyone) and as a Maverick of the Gospel, I guess God is putting my faith to the test in this manner. I don't know where the funds are going to come from, but I know that my God is faithful to supply all my needs (Phil 4:19), even when I don't know where they are coming from. I'm not preaching a name it and claim it mentality, but I am suggesting that God will provide my needs because His word says it to be true.

Back to my sermon ... I am preparing a message on Rahab who is a woman of faith according to Hebrews 11:31. She trusted God to make provision for her and her family in what would seem a hopeless situation. I guess what it comes down to is this; If God will reach down to a woman who has faith that the God of Israel will rescue her, then I need to have faith that the God of Israel will rescue me in my moment of dispair.

Let the walls come down ... I'll keep you posted!