Sunday Mornin' Hope : Praise the Lord

2 Chron 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when F82 they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.



You're in a battle for your life and family. The enemy has set traps to steal, kill, and destroy all that you have. He has authority over the powers of the air. With a gust of wind, rain, hail, tornado or whatever; he can knock you off your bike and/or destroy all that is precious to you. What do you have?



Today some friends and I planned a bike ride to one of our favorite bbq places. Knowing there was a storm coming we went anyway. The radar showed it to be at least an hour or maybe two away from our destination. So, we rode and enjoyed the scenic tour of the Ozarks. All of the reds , oranges, browns were so magnificent. It was a cloudy day and we rode thru some light sprinkles, but no big stuff as we arrived at "I'm a Jerk BBQ". That's really the name of it. As we were enjoying the Razorbacks winning a game, the national radar came on the screen. There was a big red cell about a half hour to our west. What game, we gotta saddle up. Getting on our bikes we could feel the calm before the storm. Being the lead bike I could hear my mudflap on the wing scraping the pavement. We hit the highway and throttled down. Above us was a wall cloud. It was really cool looking with distinct lines. Like a wave perfectly formed, it headed over our city. The wind was snapping us back and forth with hot and cold spots. We each made it home before the deluge of water dumped everywhere. It was like the Lord held back the wall till we were home.



When that wall comes against you, where do you turn? Can you fix everything on your own? I can't. When words of discouragement begin to slap you like strong winds, where do you go? When dark clouds like tornadoes begin to surround you with depression and broken promises, who do you turn to? When the Dr report says you have to get your house in order, how strong is your foundation? When the boss of twenty years says you're through because of company downsizing, what do you do? These are terrible times in our nation right now and you have to plan for the storm.



In Genesis 37- there is a story of a man of God named Joseph. He wasn't perfect, but he did have integrity and wisdom. Because of this, God prospered him and Egypt during a famine. Are you in a famine financially, spiritually, physically, or otherwise? When storms of fear and doubt begin to blow, there's only one place to turn. Jesus Christ. He won't calm every storm, but He'll be there with you.



Luke 8:24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. 25 And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?"



In one breath Jesus rebuked the storm and His disciples. There is an unseen power and anointing we have but seldom if ever use it. Last night after one of our Heaven or Hell drama productions I was praying with some younger musicians. They used to come to our church and now are ministerring in another church. As I was praying blessings on them, my leg began to tingle and get very hot. I stopped and asked if one of them was having problems there. (Usually the Lord will aflict me with a shadow of pain for someone I'm praying for that is suffering.) Sure enough one of them had been suffering this. He was healed right there without asking. God has used me in this way, not because I'm anything. I'm not. But I am obedient. God desires to use you in wonderful ways for His glory. If you will be obedient to His voice, He will open doors for ministry and provide His pleasures to surround you.



As you head into battle, be not afraid. Sing praise to God for His mercy endures forever. Watch what He does for you.



Php 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.


When my music store caught fire in the middle of the night, I arrived to see trucks and media everywhere. A lady put a mic in my face and asked "What was your first thoughts when you saw your store on fire?" I smiled and said "I forgot my marshmellows." Out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks. The Lord's angels saved my entire store except a few sets of guitar strings. In everything give thanks. I'm praying for you! Make it the best week of your life. Speak to those storms. Ask Jesus for what you want. Then stand.


dino

Dino .... my heart is hurting for my friend WesT. Thank you for your comforting words.

Thanks Dino, praying for Wes and the Haven family.

Thank you Dino for your weekly words of encouragement.

Thank You Sir ! --------

Thanks Dino.