4GIVEN

Why are you holding on to a debt that God has already pardoned? Listen, I’m not only referring to sin(s) you have committed but also sin(s) that were committed against you. Oftentimes, we cleave to an offense because the pain we caused and/or received is unforgettable. I’ve heard people say, “Well, I forgive you but I will never forget what you did to me!” Well, that’s not ‘complete forgiveness’. Imagine for a minute what would happen if God fostered that same disposition…..Thank goodness His ways and thoughts are higher than ours because Isaiah 43:25 confirms that He blots out our transgressions and He chooses to forget our sins! You might still be saying, “Lowell, that’s easier said than done” and my response would be you’re correct. However, we can do all things through Christ (Phil 4:13). To forgive like God you must first remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our past, present, and future sins was a one-and-done event (Hebrews 10) and we should never call something unclean that God has made cleansed (Acts 10:15). Why did Jesus choose Peter, an uncultured man prone to failure, as a foundation on which to build his church? Peter, like most Christ followers are all heart but sometimes we act irrationally (be honest)! Beloved, ‘complete forgiveness’ is not rocket science! Forgive and then forget no matter the extent of the offense. God pardoned you and He also pardons the offender at confession (1John 1:9). When we embrace the ‘complete forgiveness’ of God in Christ, we can join King Hezekiah in praising our Redeemer: “You have put all my sins behind your back” (Isaiah 38:17) and like Paul, we too can forget what is behind and “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13).

We have more than just a friend in Jesus; we have a loving and forgiving Savior. He loved us so much that after His spectacular ascension, He sent us a Helper to comfort, abide, teach, convict, and mold us into His image. The Holy Spirit connects us to God in the most intimate and powerful ways possible. Here are just a few things to commit to memory: The Holy Spirit is all inclusive and dwells within us at all times. The Holy Spirit gives us hope and peace during difficult times. The Holy Spirit provides power over temptation and gives us strength and endurance during fiery trials. The Holy Spirit plants in us the desires of God and grows within us the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. In other words, the Holy Spirit is our lifeline to spiritual maturity, freedom from sin and eternal death! As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the Spirit of God living on the inside to change how we view and live life on the outside. If the disciples couldn’t do it without God’s Spirit, then we certainly can’t do it either!! I don’t care how much liquidity you possess or how vast your earthly influence is on this planet; it’s fundamentally and literally impossible for anyone to truly live their ‘bless (aka best)’ life without the presence of God’s Spirit living inside of them! Therefore, choose to listen to that still small voice today and remember to always engage the Holy Spirit as your Counselor, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, and Standby.

Whatever you’re chasing today, ask yourself, “Is this it really what God wants me pursuing?!” Many people today are living in an artificial/superficial world. They have either seen some images online or social media and they are charging full speed ahead in pursuit of this false reality. In Genesis we find that Adam and Eve were content with what God had given them….until they first allowed their minds and then their hearts to consider the forbidden fruit. Once tempted with the idea, they began to assume they could get close to the fire of achieving their plan without getting burned but boy did they take a big ole ‘L’!!! Here’s the deal, we are no different! Hence my question above👆🏾! I’m not just referring to sin but also personal gain, status, and affirmation from a world that sees through the same dim lens as we view life through! Unfortunately, the flesh has a way of driving us away from God’s plan while the Holy Spirit gently leads to fulfilling God’s plan. Therefore, it is imperative that we, “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) The mission Jesus came to fulfill was not His own nor was it artificial. It was the greatest reality known in the history of man’s existence. There is nothing more real than the cross where Jesus gave His life in pursuit to save us in order to fulfill God’s kingdom agenda! So,if you have been chasing the wind and coming up empty 🤦🏾‍♂️ try pursing it God’s way this time and I guarantee you on thing, you will have more energy to achieve greater victory in your life! Repeat after me: “Lord, not my will but your will be done!” (Luke 22:42).

Hold on to God’s unchanging and unfailing hands until you experience your God ordained and orchestrated breakthrough! Ephesians 3:20-21 reminds us that “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ever ask or think through the power that dwells in you, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.” Today, I want to encourage you to look to God with great expectancy because He is working out a plan for your life. Don’t just read God’s promises — believe them and speak them out loud because your ears need to hear them. Your ears have probably already heard words that are not as supportive as God’s Word, so speak His words of life out loud over yourself and your circumstances. Let those words wash over your mind as you proclaim, “God is working in me, and He’s working a plan for me. And He’s doing all of it exceeding abundantly above all I can ask or think. Thank God for His mighty work!”

God ain’t done with you yet! God promises to complete in you what He began in you even before your baby shower (Phil 1:6)! Why am I so confident of this fact? Look at it this way, Christians aren’t complete when they accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Salvation (redemption/forgiveness) is given instantaneously but the life of becoming a saint is a process that God works in us and then through us day-by-day. A piece of clay can’t be turned into a great vessel until heat is applied and without heat, there can be no molding or shaping. Like you, I too have a testimony of His leading in ways I would never expect and he has provided for me and my family in so many areas during my life. I can look back on those heated tempering tests and see just how God brought me through each of them sometimes beaten and bruised but God remained faithful even when I was faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). I have confidence that He knows what is best for me regardless of what I see since I can’t see the entire masterpiece of God’s upper story plan! Needless to say, I unequivocally know that He cares and loves me and for that I will be forever grateful! The transformation process isn’t always easy, but I’m thankful to know that He’s not finished with me yet.

Each of us possess at least one spiritual gift that God intended us to use for his glory and to build his kingdom here on earth. If we are all gifted, then why are some of you squandering what God gifted to you? The greatest commandment Jesus said it is to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds and the second is to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). God gives us gifts so that we will use them and show his love to others. In most cases, some Christians squander their gift(s) because they’re afraid to use them, they haven’t identified their specific gift(s) or they simply don’t believe their gift(s) is important enough!! Make note: this message is not intended to point an accusatory finger at anyone, rather I am sending out a clarion call for all that have been sitting on their gift(s) to get off the fence! In Matthew 25:14-30 we find the parable of the Talents spoken by Jesus. In short, we find that two out of three servants chose to do something with their talents, whereas one elected to bury/ hide his talent because he was afraid to do something with it. So, his talent was taken from him and given to the one who did the most. In V. 29 Jesus said, “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” It doesn’t matter how big or small, important or unimportant your gift is, God personally tailored your gift specifically for you to contribute to the building of his Kingdom today not tomorrow or the next! Our world is in deep trouble and it’s time for all who have been straddling the fence to get off the fence because we got a lot of work to do, the body is counting on you, and more importantly God needs you!

James is 💯% on point (James 4:14): “Life is a vapor! Like a morning mist that soon vanishes, so life is short and uncertain.” There are no guarantees about tomorrow, let alone next year or ten years from now. You may be young and healthy this morning, but you easily could be a corpse by sundown tonight. You may be thinking, “That’s morbid! I don’t want to think about such things!” But if you ignore these things, you will not live your life properly in light of eternity. James wants us to know that it’s imperative for us to humble ourselves before God and obey His will. Simply put, life is frail, short, fleeting, and death is imminent. If you are breathing and reading this message today trust me when I say that you’ve taken yet another step closer to the expiration of your life. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Those who have learned to number their days spend them in pursuit of wisdom, goodness, and the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). They don’t have to fear the wrath of God when their earthly lives expire. They trust in the finished work of the cross and eagerly anticipate for the Lord to speak 10 words, “Well done, good and faithful servant(______________) come on in!!!””

There is a distinct difference between contentment and ambition. By definition contentment is a state of satisfaction and ambition is as having a strong desire to do something greater. So what is the distinction? Inarguably, it’s the driver or motivation. For example: I’m content with what I have and what God has entrusted to me. On the other hand, I’m not content to sit around and do nothing just because i’ve been blessed. Jesus said, “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought” (Matthew 5:5 MSG ). Jesus knew that worldly discontentment would adversely motivate us to pursue “stuff” we don’t necessarily need! Paul followed up with Jesus’s teaching by helping the Church at Philippi understand the peace found in situationAL contentment. He said Philippians 4:11-12, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” The key to balancing these two giants is to maintain active contentment and consistently evaluate your motivation. You can be happy in your present moment and still challenge yourself with goals and aspirations for the future. With this balance, ambition can be a positive aspect and contribute to your development as a person without taking away from your active contentment.

We must embrace the principle of knowing that God is omniscient and does not make mistakes! In fact, God has never made a mistake. He has had a purpose in everything, and outcomes are no surprise to Him, for He declares the end from the beginning (and the beginning from the end): “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10). Unlike God, we make plenty of mistakes, we live with our mistakes, big and little, petty and disastrous, and we become accustomed to making them. But we serve an omniscient, infallible, and mistake-free God whose greatness cannot be fathomed. There are times we question God’s infallibility in regards to ‘things’ that occur in our life and in our world. However, certain experiences and conditions beyond our control make us wonder if God has maybe miscalculated. (“wronger”) This is where grasping the concept of the above principle corroborates with scripture; “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Bottom-line, it takes faith to accept the ‘things’ we don’t understand, but “we are (supposed )to live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). In everything we must understand that the ‘things’ of this life are expendable and are being spent for our eternal reward according to the wisdom of Him who “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 1:24). We can rejoice that our Lord God makes no mistakes in our lives but has a good and loving purpose for everything He allows.

In short, quit doing the same thing expecting a different result! Jesus said in John 21:6, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” The disciples were frustrated, tired, and wearied because they went out night fishing and caught no fish. Jesus appeared to them at dawn and ask them if they caught any fish. He then asked them to do something that appeared ridiculous (re-read the verse above). I know Peter was trippin!! He probably was thinking…’really Jesus’!! But, in an act of simple obedience they followed Jesus’s command and they caught enough fish for nearly a lifetime! So, I don’t know the number of years you’ve been laboring and coming up empty, but what I do know is that when obedience becomes a lifestyle and not an option you will experience greater miracles, breakthroughs, and victory in your life! Notice that Jesus didn’t tell them to get a new net, nor did He ask them to move the location of the boat. He simply asked them to take whatever mustard seed of energy they had remaining to trust Him!