"Built to Last"

When the Lord commissioned Paul to go to Rome, which concluded his third missionary journey, Paul had already been through enough to have to deal with more problems or opposition. During his first missionary journey he was stoned and severely flogged. It was during his second missionary journey when he was stripped, beaten, and then thrown in prison. And at the outset of his third journey, rioters literally wanted Paul dead all because he shared the truth of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Needless to say, Paul had already endured enough to have to go through anything else while in route to Rome.

Nevertheless, while in route to Rome, the ship that Paul had traveled on ran aground and crumbled to pieces. In fact the story has it in the 28th chapter of the book of Acts that the men who could not swim drifted to the shore on the broken pieces. Similar to the men, there are times in our lives when we are literally drifting on the broken pieces of our lives. We have had heartbreaks, setbacks, and disappointments, but we have drifted in on broken pieces. In other words, we have been through some turbulent times, but we're still here. Yet, the main point I want for you to learn and to be encouraged from this story is that once Paul made it to the shore he did not let his situation change who he was.

The bibles say that the islanders came out to welcome them and to build a fire because they were wet and exhausted from the crash. But Paul, unlike the others, went right to work. Paul did not let his circumstances change who he was. He kept on serving. He kept on pressing. Why... because he had a Word. You see, before the storm altered their course and shipwrecked them, the Lord told Paul he would make it to Rome. When the Lord speaks a Word to you, your situations may change, your environment may change, but you will remain true to who you are. Paul had a Word to hold on to. And by this Word he was built to last.

Paul was made for this. He was equipped and prepared for this...

...and the Lord shows us through Paul that we too are build to last. Yes, times are challenging, but I am here to tell you that you can handle whatever happens in your life. You can and will make it through the storms and the shipwrecks of life, because the Lord has equipped you and prepared you for all seasons of life. Whether its stormy or clear skies, whether your 401k is growing or rapidly diverging, the Lord has spoken a Word in your life. And its His Word that lets us know we can handle it!

No matter where you are in life, you have been built to last!

"Stop Tripping"

Despite the enormous amount of drama that is prevailing across the globe, we, the Kingdom Citizens - Believers of the Lord Jesus who is the Christ, ought to bear witness that the happenings in this world do not dictate who we are or the faith that we have in God. Although there have been hurricanes in the Gulf, fires that have swept across wild lands, dark clouds hovering over the homes a thousands of families due to casualties of a senseless war, the market and economy has turned upset down, banks are closing, insurance agencies are folding, employment is decreasing as jobs are becoming a scarcity, and foreclosures and homelessness is at it highest... in the mist of all of this Kingdom Citizens should be encouraged to know that God still has a plan.

Unlike the Prophet Samuel, regardless of what occurrences take place in our lives we should never overlook the fact that God always has a plan. In 1 Samuel 16, God literally told Samuel to stop tripping over the fact that He was removing Saul from the throne. Saul's life had changed in an instant. And Samuel's world also came crashing in because things were happening different from the way he had thought they would be. As result of God's plan, Samuel became stagnate and spent a season grieving because he was close to Saul.

"How long will you mourn for Saul since I have rejected him.... fill your horn... be on your way", God commanded Samuel. In other words, get over it and keep moving. Rather than spending time reflecting on how things used to be and how much better things were then, get over it and keep moving forward. I'm sure those of you reading this are wondering how one can just get over a friend losing their job and/or their livelihood. Well, I feel ya'. However, according to this story, what will help us get over it is knowing that God is over it! And if God is over it, then why are we losing sleep, having nervous breakdowns, and stressing out over it?

Stop tripping! There is a reason why things are the way they are. And since God is behind the reason we should be assured in knowing that everything is going to be all right! "And we know that in all things God works... " Rm 8:28. If God is working in all things then why am I tripping.