Trying Times – “IN THE MORNING”
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (5/29/2013, 6/1/2013, 6/15/2013, 6/18/2013, 6/22/2013, 6/29/2013, 7/6/2013, 7/11/2013, 7/15/2013, 7/21/2013, 7/30/2013, 8/07/2013)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”(John 3:16, King James Version [Of regeneration and faith; The witness of John]).
Praise God in the Highest,
In the morning. When I arise. In the great getting up morning. When I arise.
My troubling issues almost knocked the wind out of me at the same time the heat of the day slammed me and almost fried my brain. Let's start in the morning. When I arise. In the great getting up morning. When I arise.
In the great getting up morning. When I arise. How about that faith! Many a day, the strength to accomplish the tasks before me become the supreme will of God and I, like a child wrap myself in His love, mustering up all God's love, to cover me, for the daily battlefield and the unexpected strongholds erected to hinder me from running my course.
Truly, the moment you awake - that moment, was your morning and what you do with the rest of it was probably what you did with your first moment. Generally, my morning starts with reflective prayer and I cast an eye into my daily goals, those that I hold constant each and everyday, those that become a necessity, a priority and a must do, dictated by the seasons of life in particular those weighing down on my ability to muster up enough know how to bring in the bacon and eggs and to hold up the blood stained banner for Christ. My morning coffee or morning Joe was never my first impulse or thought. As seasons changed and most of life remained the same, I became aware of my fallibility and I say to myself, last year this time of the year I could not get passed this time with success. I needed help! This year, come what it might-not hell or high water; I wanted to make it through the battle fatigue, pitfalls, strongholds, on my merit without anxiety, frustration and pain.
I do not want to feel like a failure. Have you ever felt like a failure? The feeling made me consider all my options and my sons considered the options, I refused to ponder because considering those options meant sacrifice. Or, did I muster up enough of God's love in the great getting up morning to remain and finish my course, not the little course of that day but my life's course, without worry.
I refused to deny God. I was not giving up on God. I felt His presence. I would not feel His presence if, He was not with me, then, there would be no feeling of His love, at all but His love was all over me even in the darkest hour; I still felt His love, even when I had to do what I had to do, to keep the ball rolling, not living the high life but toiling, preparing for a new day, when the seasons of blessedness changed to show me, a new creature, abundantly living, in God's grace.
I believe Christ Jesus did everything that he said he would do. My faithfully charged heart strongly felt His presence in my life. I could not and would not throw in the towel and say enough was enough. God delivered on my behalf and saw me through the darkest day to his marvelous light.
In the great getting up morning. When I arise. In the great getting up morning. When I arise. I could feel His power, of love.
No, Sirs, Madams and Mademoiselles, I feel the power, of His love, waking me, when I slumber too deep and putting me to sleep when my body will not let go of the day's turbulence and tumultuous happenings, still shaking as I lie awake. My God is a great God! When I arise. In
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the great getting up morning. When I arise.
I am so covered in His love, when the aches and pains come, they do not stay long. When
the doubt and uncertainty try to creep in, I dismiss it before long because I just could not feel
God's love wallowing in my own shame and disgrace, I must do better than I did one moment ago. I must stay alert to my own human failings, the propensity; the proclivity to fall by the wayside, to slide (backslide), to follow the crowd instead of following Christ Jesus, to hypocritically live life. I need God's love, not the love of my flesh.
If, the flesh, equally yoked was right, then, there would be no question, of denying Christ Jesus. I refuse to live, in the flesh, unequally yoked and denying Christ, in doubt and sin. Life, right now, is what it is. I do not abide in my imagination. I abide in God so He will abide in me.
I refuse to deny my spirit. I refuse to deny the Spirit of Christ, in me. There was a man, possessed of a demonic spirit, a spirit of lust and he did not care who, he turned out to fulfill his needs. The need of his flesh messed him up so much 'til all he could see was his advantage in fulfilling his needs. He lost human compassion but actually, he felt he was being denied, for he was more than willing to pay for his flesh needs.
Why should he go outside his neighborhood to fulfill his needs. You see his wife no longer fulfilled her wifely duties? Why did those close to him not see the practicality of his desire to get someone close, convenient to his home location, to fulfill his needs. His marriage should not stand in his way and he no longer wanted his wife to fulfill his needs. It was as simple as that.
There was a man, who sabotaged everyone, who he befriended, for he competed, really, to wipe them out, so, they would not get the resources of the community that he desired, for himself and his family. He often said, “You have more than me!” He was demonically possessed of a spirit of greed. Hardly ever, did those words speak truth as he collected and gathered all he could get, eventually casting aside anyone who would ask him for anything. Cleverly, he destroyed those he competed with, whether they competed with him or not; he wiped them out.
If, your job task was to call a list of people and mail out invitations, then, it was his job to take the crown of good job, from you, discrediting you at the same time you sought to achieve credit of a job well-done. He responded in the presence of the powers that be that you did not call him and he did not receive anything in the mail. If, the group needed to decide, reply, respond and consensually agree. He refused to introduce the letter and claimed he did not receive anything, thereby, making it known he wanted to squash it and not allow it to be brought to the table of discussions. When it made it to the table of discussions, he said those who agreed to attend really, could not attend and another scheduled date would be better, knowing he planned to sabotage, again.
What a ploy? When, those who made the proposal backed away, he sheepishly feigned hurt feelings saying they did not call or come. This behavior was madness, his circle of madness, a vicious circle of subtlety that controlled even those truly, in the positions of power. He was a controller.
There were women, who laughed, when you prayed, when you spoke, when you stood, competed with you, insisting on breaking the attention span of those, so no one listened to the words you said, in regular Sunday School Class and Mission Sunday School Class. This behavior, too, was possession, a spirit of pride and vanity as well as greed. Instead of prayer warriors, some might say, they were prayer spoilers, destroying words before hearing what was delivered. Thank God the women whom they mocked stood strong and still delivered the word. I remember my cousin suggested such a malpractice to me, he said, “You should have laughed at them.”
In the morning. When I arise. In the great getting up morning. When I arise. Christ Jesus came to break down the walls of partitions between us.
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The strongholds can not make you or break you, for those of you, in Christ, are children of
the most High God, in the family of God, in the brotherhood (sisterhood) of Christ Jesus with a share in the royal priesthood. The will of God was not for you to remain brokenhearted, cast aside and down. It was God's will for you to feel His love and know His love and abide in Christ Jesus. For the only way to God, is through His son, Christ Jesus. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...(John 3:16, KJV).
God loves you, sons and daughters! Christ Jesus loves you, brothers and sisters! May the
Spirit of Christ Jesus be with you. Amen.
