8-6-2022 West Palm Beach 7th Day BAPTIST Pastor Garfield “Persisting Through Life’s Encounters” Psalm 46;10, Genesis 41;17-33
Persistence. I want to remind you of King David and that it was about 12 to 15 years between the time he was anointed and when he was made king. David in many ways had to run for his life and hide in caves. He eventually became the king of Israel. Whatever you are going thru this morning and what challenges you have, the break through will come. God will turn your life around. God is our refuge and our strength. He is our help in times of trouble. God will turn your trouble around.
The Bible says we should not fear even if the earth be moved. Things you know may have shifted but God will never change. He is a promise keeper. Our GOD is a way maker! God is our All in All. Be persistent in all your encounters. Psalm 46;10 says to be still and know that He is God. What ever you are going thru right now, be still and know that He is God. He is the creator and sustainer of all life. He is God. When we persist thru life encounters, sometimes it feels like we can’t even breathe. Our knees are shaking because we are not sure of where our next meal will be coming from. We are on a journey and we are not sure what will happen to us next. There is not an easy way out of the challenges you have but persistence is important. Never give up! To persist means to continue firmly on a course and not stopping or reducing your intensity.
Our encounters are whatever or whoever we meet in our lives. We have encounters with other people, encounters on our job, encounters with children and on and on. We must understand how to navigate the different encounters we have. We must understand its like the banking system. It is what we should withdraw from an experience and encounter. And also it is what to invest in that experience. Many of us withdraw the wrong things or we withdraw to much or to little. Or we invest in the wrong things or invest the wrong amount. Investment can be you deciding to put money into your education. Or investment can be when you decide to help someone in need. But when we spend money aimlessly then we are ending up in a problem. Do you know that when you wake up in the morning, you have 24 hours to withdraw? Many of us withdraw this 24 hours and use it foolishly. Using it foolishly means there is no persistence in it and no plan for your future. Whether you withdraw or invest its all about trusting God Almighty.
Joseph was a man born to a woman who had the favor of God. Joseph had ten brothers who hated him and sold him into slavery. Joseph ended up being falsely accused and thrown into prison. He had many reasons to invest poorly because life dealt him some hard blows. Many of us have had hard things like this happen to us. Sadly many people use their hard lives as excuses to invest in the wrong things. Persisting means working hard and going ahead even when you are feeling pain. Persisting means to be determined even when you are failing. God will put things in our way to help us but it is not for us to stop. We are to be more determined to make it. Joseph was forgotten in prison until the Pharaoh had a dream for him to interpret. No matter the prison you are in, if you are going to be on top, God will make a way for you! Your purse may be empty but the Lord will declare an abundance for you! You may not have a job but the money God has ordained for you will happen in the name of Jesus Christ!
In Genesis 41;17-33 Joseph told Pharaoh what God was about to do. It was about abundance and lack. God was up to something then and He’s up to something now in your lives. We must receive this in the name of Jesus Christ. Joseph said there was seven years of great abundance coming. And then seven years of famine will follow. Joseph said how this will unfold depends on how you withdraw and invest. There is an abundance of the Gospel in the earth right now and an abundance of Grace and Mercy. We are being challenged in a spiritual way. Are you investing wisely with the abundance of the gospel that you have? You are benefiting from it by breathing, by your bank account, your car and your house. But how are you investing?
In Genesis 41;30 Joseph says the abundance will be forgotten because the famine will be severe. Let me tell you something right now. You can ONLY accept Jesus Christ while you are ALIVE. While there is abundance and while you have a choice. There is a time that is coming where you can’t have that choice anymore. Looking at Joseph there are three things:
1) Being Comes Before Doing:
What is it that God has placed you on this earth to become? Joseph wanted the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
2) Joseph Leaned On God:
He knew only God could interpret the dream. Brothers and sisters it is not about you that you have a nice car or house; but its about God and what He gave you. God is a strong tower so lean on Him. Lean on God by depending on Him. It is about what God will do for you in the future.
3) Humility Leads to Exhortation:
Looking at Joseph’s life, he was humbled more than anyone else you can find. But over time he was placed second only to the Pharaoh. When you are persisting, don’t really see the problem but look forward to a solution. Humility is about your enemy attacking you and you letting God take care of it!
Joseph stood before Pharaoh and it was not because of anything Joseph did but it was because of the plans God had for Joseph. Do you want God to change your circumstances? Do you want God to make your life story end well? Then it will become a testimony and not just a story. We can do this if we withdraw / invest and recognize that being comes before doing. We need to be recognizing that God is a strong tower and to lean on Him. Recognize that humility leads to exhortation. We must pray for God to help us to persist through life’s encounters.
AMEN
Persistence. I want to remind you of King David and that it was about 12 to 15 years between the time he was anointed and when he was made king. David in many ways had to run for his life and hide in caves. He eventually became the king of Israel. Whatever you are going thru this morning and what challenges you have, the break through will come. God will turn your life around. God is our refuge and our strength. He is our help in times of trouble. God will turn your trouble around.
The Bible says we should not fear even if the earth be moved. Things you know may have shifted but God will never change. He is a promise keeper. Our GOD is a way maker! God is our All in All. Be persistent in all your encounters. Psalm 46;10 says to be still and know that He is God. What ever you are going thru right now, be still and know that He is God. He is the creator and sustainer of all life. He is God. When we persist thru life encounters, sometimes it feels like we can’t even breathe. Our knees are shaking because we are not sure of where our next meal will be coming from. We are on a journey and we are not sure what will happen to us next. There is not an easy way out of the challenges you have but persistence is important. Never give up! To persist means to continue firmly on a course and not stopping or reducing your intensity.
Our encounters are whatever or whoever we meet in our lives. We have encounters with other people, encounters on our job, encounters with children and on and on. We must understand how to navigate the different encounters we have. We must understand its like the banking system. It is what we should withdraw from an experience and encounter. And also it is what to invest in that experience. Many of us withdraw the wrong things or we withdraw to much or to little. Or we invest in the wrong things or invest the wrong amount. Investment can be you deciding to put money into your education. Or investment can be when you decide to help someone in need. But when we spend money aimlessly then we are ending up in a problem. Do you know that when you wake up in the morning, you have 24 hours to withdraw? Many of us withdraw this 24 hours and use it foolishly. Using it foolishly means there is no persistence in it and no plan for your future. Whether you withdraw or invest its all about trusting God Almighty.
Joseph was a man born to a woman who had the favor of God. Joseph had ten brothers who hated him and sold him into slavery. Joseph ended up being falsely accused and thrown into prison. He had many reasons to invest poorly because life dealt him some hard blows. Many of us have had hard things like this happen to us. Sadly many people use their hard lives as excuses to invest in the wrong things. Persisting means working hard and going ahead even when you are feeling pain. Persisting means to be determined even when you are failing. God will put things in our way to help us but it is not for us to stop. We are to be more determined to make it. Joseph was forgotten in prison until the Pharaoh had a dream for him to interpret. No matter the prison you are in, if you are going to be on top, God will make a way for you! Your purse may be empty but the Lord will declare an abundance for you! You may not have a job but the money God has ordained for you will happen in the name of Jesus Christ!
In Genesis 41;17-33 Joseph told Pharaoh what God was about to do. It was about abundance and lack. God was up to something then and He’s up to something now in your lives. We must receive this in the name of Jesus Christ. Joseph said there was seven years of great abundance coming. And then seven years of famine will follow. Joseph said how this will unfold depends on how you withdraw and invest. There is an abundance of the Gospel in the earth right now and an abundance of Grace and Mercy. We are being challenged in a spiritual way. Are you investing wisely with the abundance of the gospel that you have? You are benefiting from it by breathing, by your bank account, your car and your house. But how are you investing?
In Genesis 41;30 Joseph says the abundance will be forgotten because the famine will be severe. Let me tell you something right now. You can ONLY accept Jesus Christ while you are ALIVE. While there is abundance and while you have a choice. There is a time that is coming where you can’t have that choice anymore. Looking at Joseph there are three things:
1) Being Comes Before Doing:
What is it that God has placed you on this earth to become? Joseph wanted the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
2) Joseph Leaned On God:
He knew only God could interpret the dream. Brothers and sisters it is not about you that you have a nice car or house; but its about God and what He gave you. God is a strong tower so lean on Him. Lean on God by depending on Him. It is about what God will do for you in the future.
3) Humility Leads to Exhortation:
Looking at Joseph’s life, he was humbled more than anyone else you can find. But over time he was placed second only to the Pharaoh. When you are persisting, don’t really see the problem but look forward to a solution. Humility is about your enemy attacking you and you letting God take care of it!
Joseph stood before Pharaoh and it was not because of anything Joseph did but it was because of the plans God had for Joseph. Do you want God to change your circumstances? Do you want God to make your life story end well? Then it will become a testimony and not just a story. We can do this if we withdraw / invest and recognize that being comes before doing. We need to be recognizing that God is a strong tower and to lean on Him. Recognize that humility leads to exhortation. We must pray for God to help us to persist through life’s encounters.
AMEN