Joe Sewell,Mary Sewell,I saw this sermon & I thought of you all. Love you all so much,you all are always in my prayers. I just want you to know that every time that Ive been setting in church & heard the door come open & saw my Uncle Joe rolling my Aunt Mary up the isle (for those who dont know,she has lost both legs because of diabetes);or been @ a family get together & up they roll.I want to burst out into tears because I know how much you struggled to show up.Just want you all to know what a testimony!!! You all continuously touch my heart with your devotion to God & to each other.❤️ By Dr. Charles Stanley Have you ever experienced a battle so deep and overwhelming it felt as if everything in your life were against you? Do you, in a very personal way, know what it is to face a seemingly no-win situation that appears impossible to overcome? I do. And that challenge taught me one of the most important and powerful lessons you and I can ever learn as believers. It all began a year and a half after I was called to First Baptist Atlanta as the associate pastor. The senior pastor had resigned, and several members of the pulpit committee suggested that I fill his role. As I prayed about it, God showed me it was His will for me to be senior pastor of the church. I continued to serve—preaching every Sunday morning and evening—as the committee deliberated. First Baptist began to change and grow spiritually. That’s when the conflict arose. There were seven very affluent and influential members of the congregation who didn’t like the fact that I sought the Lord’s direction for every decision or the way I taught from God’s Word. They began to spread false accusations about me. Sadly, many people believed their fabrications and joined in the effort to get rid of me. I remember how difficult and disheartening it was to walk out on Sunday morning and preach, knowing that so many church members bitterly despised everything I said and represented. I recall going to the prayer room often, and even telling God that I didn’t want to be their pastor. But during that time, the Father taught me the extremely important lesson I mentioned. He said, “If you want to win this battle, you must fight it on your knees alone with Me.” He made it very clear: “Do not argue or stand up for yourself. Remain faithful to Me. I will protect you.” Forty years later, I can say with great joy that the Lord has been absolutely faithful in fulfilling everything He promised me. He fought for me, defended me, and triumphed in that impossible situation. Is there a challenge you’re facing? Are there people or circumstances aligned against you in your health, finances, career, relationships, or walk with the Lord? If you want to overcome any difficulty, the absolute best way is by spending time alone with God. Only He can give you the victory. How do you fight this battle on your knees? First, you do so by setting aside time alone with the Father. It is easy to be distracted when conflicts arise. You become so busy fretting about your troubles and running after solutions that you fail to turn to the One who can best help you (Ps. 103:19). Therefore, schedule time to focus solely on the Lord because it is crucial to your success. Second, listen quietly to the Father and expect Him to speak to you. Prayer is not just telling the Lord how you feel—although that is part of it. Rather, He wants to reveal Himself to you and direct you in the way you should go. As Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 instructs, “Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen. . . . For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.” He has a better perspective on what is happening than you do, so pay attention to Him and obey His direction. Third, if the Lord reveals any sinfulness in your life, repent of it immediately. Remember, the Father’s primary goal is to have an intimate relationship with you. When sin is present, it is evidence that you are hindering Him from having full access to your life. Therefore, agree with God about your iniquity and allow Him to teach you. He will show you how to change the way you operate for maximum intimacy with Him, effectiveness in your life, and influence with others. Fourth, remember there can only be one general in this battle—and that’s the Lord. God willingly employs His supernatural power in defending you, training you, and bringing out your full potential. However, you must be willing to acknowledge that He is in control and knows the path ahead better than you do. This is absolutely crucial as you continue to confront this difficulty, because in order to achieve the victory He has envisioned, you must first surrender yourself to Him. Fifth, see everything that happens to you as coming from God. Why would you do this? Because if the Father allows a trial or challenge in your life, it is ultimately for your good andHis glory (Rom. 8:28). Knowing that He has permitted the troubles in your life for your benefit makes it easier to forgive those who hurt you and accept the seemingly inexplicable circumstances you must bear. The truth is, you and I are always going to encounter struggles until we go home to heaven. However, God has promised, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me” (Isa. 54:17). When you fight your battles on your knees and faithfully obey Him, you invite God to be your Redeemer, Defender, General, and Protector. That’s not only the best way to win—it’s the most wonderful, eternal path to triumph every single time. Originally from Dr. Stanley’s monthly From the Pastor’s Heart letter. Receive the From the Pastor’s Heart letter monthly by subscribing here. Copyright 2014 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 10:27:36 +0000
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