Don't Settle For Less

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

It's easy to water down what God pronises us when things are taking longer than you thought. "Good enough" is not what God promises you.  The enemy can't take away what God promises but he can convince you to settle. 

Pull up your stakes and pack up your belongings because mediocrity is not your home. You shouldn't settle for less than what God promises.

Don't move the goal post to fit your circumstances. Know that God wouldn't have promised it if it Werent possible.

In Genesis 15 God promised Abraham and Sarah a baby even though they were passed the biological clock. Sarah watered down the promise by convincing Abraham to have a baby with her servant. That's what we do sometimes...instead of rising to God's thinking we adjust the plan to fit our limited belief.

You don't have to take up for God or try to help God not look bad...He doesn't need that type of help.

Don't let what you don't have talk you out of what God does have. 

Shadrach, Meshach, abd Abednego. You may feel like your hands are tied but God's hands aren't tied. God isn't limited by what's limiting us. He's the 4th man in the fire.

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?" "Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did," they replied. "Look!" Nebuchadnezzar shouted. "I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god !"

Daniel 3:23‭-‬25 NLT

Ishmael represents a spirit of Good enough. God isn't going to give you a substitute blessing, the real thing is coming.

And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants." Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of 100?" he thought. "And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?" So Abraham said to God, "May Ishmael live under your special blessing!"

Genesis 17:16‭-‬18 NLT

Just because you've settled doesn't mean God has.

And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!"

Genesis 21:6‭-‬7 NLT

"Who would have ever thought?!" blessings are headed your way. 

And may the Lord , the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised!

Deuteronomy 1:11 NLT

But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living.

Genesis 11:28 NLT

You have to say "yes I'm hurt but I'm not settling here"

One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.

Genesis 11:31‭-‬32 NLT

Terah was the first one called to go to the promised land but he settled.

The enemy would love for us to settle.

Many of us are next door to our promised land.

"Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes." But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!" But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. "We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!" So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: "The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that's what they thought, too!"

Numbers 13:2‭, ‬30‭-‬33 NLT

"Good enough" is not good enough!

Until we rock again,
🤘 P E A C E, L 💚 V E, & R⚡P S T⚡X 🤘

-Pound Pro Jenny

Disconnect From Discord

Pastor Joel at Lakewood Church

We all have people in our life who are professional troublemakers. If you hang around them long enough then you'll be upset. These people don't have your best interests in mind.

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.

Romans 16:17 NLT

Before you get riled up consider the source. Your time is too valuable to let people poison your spirit. Some people aren't healthy enough to give you advice.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).

PSALMS 1:1 AMP

(How well God must like you— you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College.

Psalm 1:1 MSG)

Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

Proverbs 13:20 MSG

Don't be a participator with sowers of discord. 

EVEN IF IT'S TRUE, CONSIDER THE PURPOSE IT WILL SERVE. Love covers a fault. Love covers a weakness.

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 NLT

Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

Proverbs 6:14‭-‬15 NLT

DON'T COMPARE YOUR LIFE TO ANYONE ELSE'S

There will always be someone ahead of you.  Don't let people talk you into being sour.

Joel egged his friend on to disrespect the referee of the basketball game. The coach eventually kicked his friend out of the game and Joel got to play. That's what happens when we let people sow discord into our hearts. They continue to enjoy the game while we're sitting in the locker room.

One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. They united against Moses and Aaron and said, "You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the Lord , and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord 's people?"

Numbers 16:1‭-‬3 NLT

If you are unhappy, then the best thing to do is to go to the people in charge and Express  your concerns not to sow discord trying to get others on your side.

A sower of discord isn't happy until others are poisoned.

When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground. Then he said to Korah and his followers, "Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The Lord will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence. Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to the whole community,

Numbers 16:4‭-‬5‭, ‬19 NLT

God doesn't play around when it comes to discord.

And Moses said, "This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own. He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. "The earth will swallow us, too!" they cried. Then fire blazed forth from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.

Numbers 16:28‭, ‬31‭-‬32‭, ‬34‭-‬35 NLT

When you become a troublemaker you step out of God's protection.

Instead of exposing something, we cover it up.

Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."

Psalms 105:15 NKJV

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked. When Noah woke up from his stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham: "May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives." Then Noah said, "May the Lord , the God of Shem, be blessed, and may Canaan be his servant! May God expand the territory of Japheth! May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant."

Genesis 9:20‭-‬27 NLT

You can't stop people from sowing discord but you can stop ot from getting in you. 

My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude

Psalms 57:6 NLT

Don't fight battles that don't matter.

There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram's horn and began to chant: "Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes!" So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. Then the king told Amasa, "Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time." And Joab replied, "Believe me, I don't want to devour or destroy your town! That's not my purpose. All I want is a man named Sheba son of Bicri from the hill country of Ephraim, who has revolted against King David. If you hand over this one man to me, I will leave the town in peace." "All right," the woman replied, "we will throw his head over the wall to you." Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the ram's horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 20:1‭-‬2‭, ‬4‭, ‬20‭-‬22 NLT

Jeanicia Elder:Owner
Rendering endless possibilities on the go.

www.ByJRochelle.com

www.facebook.com/ByJRochelle

 



If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude, don't complain.
Maya Angelou


Vision without action is a daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare.
(which one is worse?)

Do you tweet? Me too, find me here. Also, find me on Facebook.

   

Devon Franklin @ Lakewood Church

Devon Franklin @ Lakewood Church

So often our faith is messed up because of our hearing.

Some of us have heard but we're not doing.

God talks all of the time but we are often distracted.

Do an audit of who you're allowing in your environment, they may be blocking your service.

Heart reception.

Sometimes we procrastinate because We think it's in our strength, not his.

Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

Mark 10:46‭-‬52 NKJV

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

James 1:19‭-‬20 NLT

Bartimaeus didn't care what he looked like.

Sometimes we think the admission price to being a Christian is to ignore our pain but that's not true.

God wouldn't tell you to go for it if you weren't supposed to have it.

If someone can't handle your shine then buy them some sunglasses.

Make the decision not to live less than you're qualified for. 

TURN IT UP

#TurnItUpTour

You don't have to answer any critic or respond to every criticism.

Don't allow someone to speak against what God has told you to go for it.

Let them call you whatever they want to call you. 

If you heard it then you need to do it.

God told Bartimaeus to come and EVEN THOUGH HE WAS BLIND, he threw his cloak and ran to Jesus. WHAT?!?!

For we live by believing and not by seeing.

2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

Jesus asked him what he wanted,  so we need to know EXACTLY what you want.

Jesus is the ultimate carrior, he's never dropped a call or missed a text. If you go over your minutes he won't charge you because he already paid it all.

-Jeniro on the go!
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Joyce Meyers @ Lakewood Church

Joyce Meyers @ Lakewood Church 

The Story About Investing

"Use it or lose it."

Doing what you should do when you should be doing it.

Doing what you should do to receive your reward.

Your reward IS NOT SALVATION that's a free gift.

You can't have the heart of God and not want to do good things.

Get used to what we can handle and keep God first place.

Rachel and Leah

Rachel and Leah—two sisters, the two wives of Jacob, and two of the matriarchs of our people. Rachel and Leah—two powerful but contrasting personalities, each representing a world of her own.

Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. When the Lord  saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me."

Genesis 29:17‭, ‬31‭-‬32 NKJV

Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!" Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach." So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The Lord shall add to me another son."

Genesis 30:1‭, ‬22‭-‬24 NKJV

It doesn't matter if we think what we have is big or small, we just need to do the most with what we have. The janitor in the building and the CEO of the company get the same reward.

God wants us to enjoy each other's gifts NOT to be jealous.

"For the kingdom of heaven is  like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his Lord's money.  After a long time the Lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His Lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His Lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.' "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' "But his Lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matthew 25:14‭-‬30 NKJV

God always gives you grace for your place.

We are stewards, not owners.

The guy who got the most, did the most with it.

The last man didn't do anything with the little he got so he wouldn't have done anything with more.

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

Luke 16:10 NKJV

Sometimes you have little because of a wrong attitude.

The third guy had a wrong idea about his master.

"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.' "The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. "'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'

Matthew 25:24‭-‬30 MSG

Use it or lose it.

"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.' "Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because— I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.' "Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?' "He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.' "Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."

Matthew 25:31‭-‬46 MSG

Goats are more intelligent but sheep are sweeter.

Goats are stubborn and headbutt their way through life.

Lisa's Exhortation

Armies came against Jehoshaphat but he chose not to respond in fear.

and said: "O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is  there  not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord , who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord  is with you." Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord , and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the Lord , For His mercy endures forever." For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.

II Chronicles 20:6‭, ‬12‭-‬12‭, ‬15‭, ‬17‭-‬17‭, ‬19‭, ‬21‭-‬21‭, ‬23‭, ‬25 NKJV

It's not about what I can't do but about what God can do.

-Jeniro on the go!
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Make The Switch

One prayer we are taught to pray is "not my will your will"....

We can look in the scripture and SEE what God's will is.

Large crowds came and brought many people who were paralyzed or blind or lame or unable to talk. They placed them, and many others, in front of Jesus, and he healed them all.

Matthew 15:30 CEV

Make the switch from "if" to "I know"

When it comes to addictions a lot of the time people will say they are willing to bear "that cross" when they are really giving in to their carnal nature.

He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God.    He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well.

Isaiah 53:4‭-‬5 CEV

After being in the wilderness for all of those years no one was sick.

He also brought them out with silver and gold, And there  was none feeble among His tribes.

Psalms 105:37 NKJV

Jehovah Rapha

No one wants you as a friend or cares what happens to you. But I will heal your injuries, and you will get well.

Jeremiah 30:17 CEV

Pray from a place of faith and victory. It's difficult to have faith if you don't think it's something God wants to do.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Remind God of what he said.

A man with leprosy came to Jesus and knelt down. He begged, “You have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to.”  Jesus felt sorry for the man. So he put his hand on him and said, “I want to! Now you are well.” At once the man's leprosy disappeared, and he was well.

Mark 1:40‭-‬42 CEV

When you know He is an "I want to God" you'll pray bold prayers

Leprosy was contagious, lepers were supposed to walk around yelling "unclean" so that others won't touch them...but Jesus put his hand on him!

God may use sickness but he doesn't send it.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 7:11 NKJV

Don't take possession of sickness. It's not yours...there is no sickness in Heaven for the Lord to hand out.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who  is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

I Corinthians 6:19‭-‬20 NKJV

You are not a sick person trying to get well; you are a well person fighting off sickness. You are not an addicted person, trying to break free; You are a free person fighting addiction.

So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Luke 13:16 NKJV

She was called a daughter of Abraham because that meant she had special privileges, likewise we are children of the most high God

Lakewood was born out of Pastor John and Mama Dodie's switch as they believed Lisa would be healed from a birth injury. Until then Pastor John believed sickness was the will of God then he read this:

Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.

Hebrews 13:18 NKJV

John's sister Mary.

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan,

Deuteronomy 34:1 NKJV

God told moses to climb a mountain to die. You would think that Moses might not have been able to do that at 120 but he was not frail or failing in sight.

Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.

Deuteronomy 34:7 NKJV

We can go out still climbing mountains.

-Jeniro on the go!

Preparation for this Appointment

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

II Timothy 2:1‭-‬3 NKJV

Many of our preparations come the tribulations and trials.

Readiness

Preventive maintenance checks and services(PMCS) in the United States Army or preventive maintenance inspections (PMI) in the United States Air Force are the checks, services, and maintenanceperformed before, during, and after any type of movement or before the use of all types of military equipment.

To be ready for battle you had to do the same thing over and over until it was second nature because you need to be proficient.

You build up the endurance necessary to complete the task without stopping.

Consistency builds proficiency.

No matter how big the pool is, this is the Lifeguard Training Prerequisite. He must complete the prerequisite prior to registering for a Lifeguarding Course. Swim 300 yards continuously demonstrating breath control and rhythmic breathing. Tread water for 2 minutes using only the legs. Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds.

Preparation for THIS appointment

It takes more than book learning...sometimes you'll have to go through things and be transparent with that experience.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalms 34:19 NKJV

Transparency helps to reach people for God.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:3‭-‬5 NKJV

Traditional olive oil processing begins with crushing the olives into a paste. The purpose of the crushing is to facilitate the release of the oil from the vacuoles. 

-Jeniro on the go!

So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn't get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It's the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.

2 Timothy 2:1‭-‬7 MSG

My Worship Is For Real https://g.co/kgs/8CiQ1o 

I was in Dollar Tree the other night and there was a lady and two kids behind me in the LONG line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glow sticks and the baby was screaming for them so the Mom opened the pack and gave him one, which stopped his tears. He walked around with it smiling, but then the bigger boy took it and the baby started screaming again. Just as the Mom was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glow sticks and handed them back to the baby. As we walked outside at the same time, the baby noticed that the stick was now glowing and his brother said "I had to break it so you could get the full effect from it." I almost ran because l could hear God saying to me, "I had to break you to show you why I created you. You had to go through it so you could fulfill your purpose." That little baby was happy just swinging that "unbroken" glow stick around in the air because he didn't understand what it was created to do which was "glow". There are some people who will be content just "being" but some of us that God has chosen, we have to be "broken". We have to get sick. We have to lose a job. We go through divorce. We have to bury our spouse, parents, best friend, or our child because, in those moments of desperation, God is breaking us but when the breaking is done, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created.

#HEAINTDONEWITHMEYET

Be Comfortable Not Knowing

Pastor Joel

We think that we have to have the answer for things to work out.

Sometimes there is no logical solution and we'll just get more uncomfortable trying to figure it out. This os where faith comes in.

When Moses led the Israelites he didn't know how everything would workout but he had faith in where God was taking him.

Sometimes we think it's a lack of faith to not know but take the pressure off, God knows!

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as  yet  there  were none of them.

Psalms 139:16 NKJV

As long as you're on the throne God will step back.

The Compaq Center to Lakewood plan didn't make sense.

Be ok not knowing how.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV

God's ways are not our ways.

God may not be showing you the future but that doesn't mean it can't be more than you imagine.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26 NKJV

Paul didn't see it as a lack of faith not to know what to pray.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

He was comfortable not knowing because he knew that whatever happened would work out for his Good.

Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

Acts 16:22‭-‬26 NKJV

In the face of prison Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises even though they didn't know how it would work out.

We can't see it because we think natural and God thinks supernatural.

Take the worry time and use it for worship time! 

Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:1 NKJV

God didn't tell Abram where he would be going.

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Genesis 12:4 NKJV

God asked Abraham to sacrifice his promised son.

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him  was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The- Lord -Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided."

Genesis 22:1‭-‬2‭, ‬7‭-‬8‭, ‬11‭, ‬13‭-‬14 NKJV

Obey without the details.

-Jeanicia R. Elder a Lakewood Church