Times and Seasons of your life (2)

The speaker starts by talking about how happy people are on Fridays because it means they don't have to work on the weekend. They emphasize that every day is a gift from God and encourages listeners to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. They talk about the importance of reading a hard copy of the Bible and how it can bring personal revelation. They discuss the importance of core values and how they can protect against negative influences. The speaker then reflects on the story of the children of Israel in Egypt and how their journey had both positive and negative aspects. They emphasize that God has a way and a timing for delivering people from difficult situations, even if it involves going through a wilderness experience. They talk about the lessons that can be learned in the wilderness and the importance of allowing God to transform the heart. The speaker encourages listeners to rely on God for help and to have hope in the midst of difficult circumstances. The Good morning, good morning, happy Friday. I know today many people are just so happy when I was working at my job. Everybody used to say happy Friday because you don't have to come to work on Saturdays or on Sunday. But some people, they work on Saturday, on Sunday, but it doesn't matter what. This is the day that the Lord God has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. The weather out there is so nice, it's sunny. Everything just looks so good. It just gives you the desire that you want to go out and just do something that would make a difference for yourself and for those around you. It is so well around here that probably you may hear the lawn mower in the background with people trying to get their yard work all done. Well, I'm here to greet you this morning to say that times and seasons, there is a reason why you were created in this time and season. You know, this is what I was thinking about. I woke up this morning just having my devotional time with God. And what has happened to me, I got so accustomed now to reading the Bible on the computer or my phone that I'm not ready. I'm not picking up the hard copy. But this morning, I choose to go back and pick up my hard copy and start to read it. And then what I've discovered, there are some things that God told me that I underline it and I dated it. And he brought those things back to my remembrance. And I want to encourage you, in spite of you have the electronic Bible, still have a hard copy. That hard copy is so authentic between you and your Father. When you get over the word of God, the Holy Spirit starts to brew and just start to give you nuggets where logos, which is the written word, and rhema becomes the inspired word of God. Where the Holy Spirit will take those words and bring it alive that you can apply to your personal situation. And what I want to say to you today is that God's word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. And allow the spirit of truth and revelation, knowledge. This is what my life is all about. This is what the life of authentic people are all about and children of God. This is what I want to say to you. If you do not have proper core values, the enemy is going to be there to just strike you down. But one thing I can tell you, the word of God has put a lot of core values whereby we can inculcate in our lives on a daily basis. Today what God has laid upon my heart is that, you know, you look on the television, Ancestry.com. Everybody wants to know where I'm from. You know, I may be related to people in Africa. I may be related to people in France, all over the world, Chinese, whatever it may be. And I thought about it. When we all sit and really take consideration where we're from, it's going to take us back to Eden. And we're created in the image and likeness of God. But one thing I just want to say, in all your looking, it's a good journey because there are so many things that God would link you into in that time and season. Beautiful, beautiful Friday. I thought about the children of Israel. I said, you know, we want to find out where we're from. And I thought about, I want to find out how did the children of Israel get in Egypt? Egypt was not their home territory. How did they get there? And what I realized, reading the Word of God, it tells us about a situation with Jacob and his son, how Joseph was basically the favorite one. And it created a jealousy, and you know the story also well, how they sold him into slavery. And on their journey, going back, God caused a drought in the land, and they needed supplies. And they had to go to Egypt. And there is where the reconnection came between Joseph and his family. But what I want to say to you today, your path has a lot of things in it that are positive and that are negative. But the end product is all things work together for good to those that love the Lord. Now the story says as we go meandering back into story land, in the lives of the children of Israel, we will see in Exodus here, chapter 11 and verse 17. And this is what it was talking about. To me, this touched me oh so much. When the children of Israel, they were crying out to God, Lord, we need a deliverer. We cannot subject ourselves no longer to slavery. This is what happened. As the children of Israel cried out, God answered them. And you know God raised up Moses to bring them out. But let me read this verse for you. It says here that God did not let the people take the short way. And this is what God said. If the people go that way, they will have to fight. And it will tempt them to return back to Egypt. So God assessed the situation. He knew he had the ability to deliver them. But he also knew how to deliver them. And one thing I want to tell you, you are crying out to God to do things in your life. God has a way, a time, and a season. But the thing about it, when he does it, you may not recognize it or even like the way. Because as the children of Israel, they were crying out, Lord, send us a deliverer. Send us a deliverer. And when it's time for them to go out, God realized the journey that would take them 11 days. Think about it. That journey from Egypt to the promised land was 11 days. But God said if he gives them such a quick pass through, they would have to contend with some enemies that are still in the land where they have to pass through. And they would have to fight. And they would just get frustrated because their mentalities were not changed. Many times we want to move locations, but we take our own thinking mentality with us. The mentality that sort of degraded us from becoming and minimizing us from becoming who God has called us to be. And he said they would go back. That would be their desire, to return back to their old situation. And some of you today, you're praying and asking God to deliver you. And the way he is answering you is to take you through the wilderness, your 40 years experience. I've got news for you. When I cried out to God for help, he decided also, Jennifer, I'm not going to give you the 11 days journey straight through to your destiny. I'm going to take you the long way. Because there is beauty in the wilderness. Many times when you hear people say, I'm in a wilderness experience, it's from a negative perspective. But let's take a look at the wilderness today. There are so many beautiful things in the wilderness of our lives. We see as we allow God to purge us and we become self-aware of who we are, to our potential, the things that we need to share, our heart that needs to be circumcised. The areas where our generation has so caused us to be out of alignment. Through our wilderness, God is able to work with us because he gets our attention. What is an attention getter in your life today? It may be your health situation. It may be your job situation. It may be your relationship situation. It may be your emotional love situation. Whatever it is, God can use those same situations to get your attention. And we know that the word of God tells us that the people that went into the wilderness, there were so many activities that went on there. Rebellion, frustration, they were upset with Moses. Moses, why did you bring us out here to die? Oh, if we were back in Egypt eating our leeks and garlics, they were just back and forth old situations. But this is what God said. The people that were going through the wilderness in the time when they were fighting, there's a generation that died out. And the young ones that were born in the wilderness, he told Joshua, I want you to circumcise them and you will take the circumcised ones into the promised land. And let's apply a situation like that to our life. Circumcision of your heart. I always encourage you to have to understand that your heart refers to your intellect, your will and emotions. And we use a symbolic situation here of circumcision of the heart. Where God is able to come in through the power of the Holy Spirit and show you, help you to be aware of who you are as a person. And the things that have messed you up that you can omit, those things from your life. And when that process, it takes a time. And one thing I realize, your environment is a good tool for transformation. In the home, children can really sharpen you. Relationships can really sharpen you. Finances can really sharpen you. Because it brings you to a place for you to realize, you know what? I cannot do this in myself. I need the help of God. What? You need the help of God? That just brought you eye to eye with your Creator, Abba Father. He was waiting in the wings as it were, that He wanted that relationship with you. Because He is the manufacturer of who you are. I need you to say, God I need your help. To be my Jehovah-Jireh, to be my Jehovah-Rapha. I want you Abba to be my Sheila and Butler. I am afraid and God is able to come alongside you to the power of the Holy Spirit. So you know what? I'm not giving you the spirit of fear. But of power, love, and of a strong mind. And He's able to show you and give you hope that you do not have to make a decision that is permanent with a temporary situation. So while you're going through your wilderness, I want to encourage you. Be aware of who God has created you to be. Be aware of who your Heavenly Father is. Not only know Him as God, but as Abba, the Creator, the Provider. Every single thing that you need, He has provided. As the Word of God says, all things He has given unto us for life and godliness. And we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind. I want to encourage you in closing this morning. The joy of the Lord is your strength. And Romans 8, 28 says, all things work together for good to those that love the Lord. And to those who are called according to His promises and purpose. When I look at that, I said Abba, you call me. You create me. You have a plan and purpose. So even while I'm going through the wilderness experience, try to remember He was considerate of the condition of the children of Israel when He was answering their prayer. He knew if He had given them the 11 days journey, it would have ended in failure. And He gave them the 40 years. And we know that there are so many things that happened in that 40 years. But God keeps on track. And our destiny is determined by us. God has given you a purpose. And once I use as an illustration, He said, I call you to take 10 miles. And you choose to end up at 5. You fall short of purpose. And you fall short of your destination from God's concern. And I want you to allow God to do the work of circumcision in your heart. And become who God has called you to become. I want to encourage you this morning. Live an authentic life. It's where it's at. And the only way you can maximize your potential and become is let Abba do what He wants to do in your life. For He who Abba loves, He chastens. And because of His love for you, He is working and He is patiently making diamonds out of you. And I want to say also that situations that are happening in your life start to take a different view about the situation. Now when I look back at the trials that I've been through in my life, I said if I knew that it would have worked so much for my gut, I would have had a different attitude. Because when I look back at my life, I would not trade it for nothing. If it had to go the same way, I would just let it rip. I would just let it rip. And I would take that time to do what I have to do that I would not have to stay that long in it. That was the only thing I would change. But out of it, the Word of God said all things work together for God. And raise your head up high. Raise your shoulders. And rejoice in the Lord. Again I say rejoice and say God you are with me in this wilderness time of my life. I know you choose to bring me this way because your Word says the steps of the righteous are ordered by God. And because Abba you've ordered my footsteps, I will go forth in fearless confidence knowing you have begun a good work and able to complete it. So if you have lost a job and finances are not going the way it ought to be, guess what? It's an opportunity for you to develop some talents that God has placed within your life. I know when I had a lot of financial difficulties, my talents came forth. I remember when I moved to Richmond, Virginia. On the weekends I'd bake a lot of pastries and I sold it to the kids in the neighborhood and they loved it. And I was able to make my money. I started to babysit. I'd take time and I'd sew. I did fashion shows. I did floral arrangements. All these things because there was a lack of finances. But out of that, when a well was dried up, God opened up new wild wells with gifts inside of me that was waiting to be released. And it was only in the wilderness it could have come forth. So my wilderness is now blossoming like a rose. So I want to encourage you this morning. Even if you are dealing with a broken relationship, honey, I tell you, that is not the end of your life. Broken relationships don't define who you are. God has a plan and a purpose for your life. And a new dawn is arising in your life. And just allow that time where nobody has your heart strings in that area. Let God just bring healing to your heart strings. Because this is what I said. I said, God has been such a good husband to me. That when he puts skin on his body, I'm sure I'm going to know that it's Abba in the flesh. Because he has really taught me the love of a husband through this period of my life. And he talks about husbands loving their wives and wives walking in a realm of respect. And I've learned to respect my Abba. That when he shares things with me that I know is for my good and my response is totally different. Of his long suffering of brooding over me and being there for me under all circumstances. Honey, it helps you to identify Mr. Right or Princess. And when she comes along, that you would know that this is the person. Because I have experienced certain things with my relationship with the Lord. That I know when he shows up, I would recognize those things. So don't sit down, fussing and say this is the end of my life. I've lost this job. I cannot get a better job. My children, they're just gone East, West, North and South, whatever. I don't know what I'm going to do with my life. My life is a mess. No, God is a God of restoration. And this is your wilderness time. So buckle on up and what can be shaken, let it be shaken. And you know with fearless confidence that he who has begun great work in you is able to complete it. So have a blessed and authentic Friday. Shalom, shalom and God bless you. Bye-bye.