Your Wings Are Coming

Pastor Joel 

Many times circumstances we see will tell us we're stuck.

So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

Don't be moved by what you see, be moved by what you know. 

There's nothing about a Caterpillar's circumstances that insinuate that it will ever fly but there's something in his DNA that says otherwise.

There was a drought but Elijah chose to believe what God said

Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there  is the sound of abundance of rain."

I Kings 18:41 NKJV

You can't live a butterfly life with Caterpillar thoughts.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 NKJV

Faith won't always make sense.

Elijah sent his servant looking for signs of rain 7 times.

....and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, " There  is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again." Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your  chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' "

I Kings 18:43‭-‬44 NKJV

Sometimes things will get worse before they get better even if you're doing the right thing. 

A lot of the time things will get worse before they get better 

A catepillar goes into a cocoon, a dark uncomfortable season, and loses his mobility even though he was believing for wings.

December 2002 after city council voted for Lakewood to have the Compaq Center the company that owned the surrounding property filed a federal law suit and their legal team gave them no hope. The CEO of the company scheduled a meeting and come to find out he watched Lakewood weekly and the CEO's son-in-law was a youth pastor. At the end of the meeting he decided to drop the lawsuit and lease parking.

Abraham and Sarah

Sarah was the wife of Abraham. Hagar was the servant of Sarah. God had promised Abraham many descendants, but, ten years after the promise, Sarah was still unable to have children, and they were both on the verge of becoming too old to have children at all. Sarah chose to give her servant Hagar to Abraham, in accordance with the custom of day, so that Sarah could have a child through her (Genesis 16:2). 

Sarah thought someone else had to fly for her. What God put on Sarah's heart was still on the way and didn't require them to figure out a way to make it happen.

Don't reduce what God promised you to your thinking. If you could do it in your own power then you wouldn't need faith.

You never see a catepillar riding piggyback on a butterfly.

Are you praying that the furniture will go on sale so you can afford it or are you praying that God blesses you with resources to afford it even if it doesn't go on sale

Sometimes we're praying for things to go down when we should be praying that our thinking comes up.

-Jeanicia R. Elder

Recognizing God's Goodness

When you look back over your life you can see God's Goodness on your life and you know He was working behind the scenes to bless you. 

Seeds of faithfulness from your family line made it easier on you and God never lets a seed go unharvested.

When God , your God, ushers you into the land he promised through your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you, you're going to walk into large, bustling cities you didn't build, well-furnished houses you didn't buy, come upon wells you didn't dig, vineyards and olive orchards you didn't plant. When you take it all in and settle down, pleased and content, make sure you don't forget how you got there— God brought you out of slavery in Egypt.

Deuteronomy 6:10‭-‬12 MSG

https://bible.com/bible/97/deu.6.10-12.MSG

John Osteen's friend Sam Martin always wrote scriptures for John and shared Christ and one day walking hand in hand with John, John gave his life.

You don't have to convict people. Just keep sewing seeds.

"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

John 15:16 MSG

https://bible.com/bible/97/jhn.15.16.MSG

Be faithful in the small things even when it doesn't seem like anything is happening.

For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord , Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth."

Zechariah 4:10 NKJV

Make sure you don't forget God , your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up—make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God , your God, the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery; the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions; the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock; the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you.

Deuteronomy 8:11‭-‬16 MSG

Don't ley the miracle of your life become so common place that you forget where God brought you from. Live in awe and remember what God has done.

King Nebuchadnezzar to everyone, everywhere—every race, color, and creed: "Peace and prosperity to all! It is my privilege to report to you the gracious miracles that the High God has done for me. "His miracles are staggering, his wonders are surprising. His kingdom lasts and lasts, his sovereign rule goes on forever.

Daniel 4:1‭-‬3 MSG

A lot of the time we start out recognizing God's goodness but if we let it become common. 

All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Just twelve months later, he was walking on the balcony of the royal palace in Babylon and boasted, "Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honor and glory!"

Daniel 4:28‭-‬30 MSG

We were not created to contain Glory, we were created to give Glory.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than a voice out of heaven spoke, "This is the verdict on you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your kingdom is taken from you. You will be driven out of human company and live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like an ox. The sentence is for seven seasons, enough time to learn that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts whomever he wishes in charge."

Daniel 4:31‭-‬32 MSG

He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.

Deuteronomy 8:16 NLT

God is ready to bless you in ways that your parents never saw. Those people who were sewing seeds had no idea what was going to spring up.

man·na

/ˈmanə/

noun

1. (in the Bible) the substance miraculously supplied as food to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exod. 16).

   • an unexpected or gratuitous benefit.

     "the cakes were manna from heaven"
   • (in Christian contexts) spiritual nourishment, especially the Eucharist.

"After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, 'What do you mean by doing these things?' "When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud."

Daniel 4:34‭-‬37 NLT

-Jeniro on the go....