As I began to meditate on this morning’s nugget, I began to think of the various conversations I’ve share in lately with individuals who are burdened with the ungodliness of worry, fear, anxiety or stress.

Do this morning’s nugget is simply titled “Lay your burdens down “

How do we react when we feel overwhelmed by problems? When we feel discouraged or hopeless? In Psalm 55 David tells us how he responded to such situations.

First, he learned to tell God about every concern of his heart, every detail of his situation, and all the problems he faced. In v1-2 He wrote, “Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily”

David recognized that he needed to hope in God and that, as he trusted in Him, he would receive His strength and stability, peace and blessing.

He expressed this principle in a simple command: Cast every burden on the Lord. You see, Burdens can weigh us down and make us feel discouraged or hopeless. But, as we cast them on God, we’ll see that He sustains us.

Peter echoed the same conclusion when he wrote, in
1 Peter 5:6-7:
“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”

Today, your burdens may seem too heavy. You may have physical or financial needs. You may be worried or afraid, and may even have trouble sleeping. You may feel confused or frustrated. You may feel there isn’t any hope. You may not know what to do.
I stopped by to tell you this morning that No matter your circumstances, if you truly trust in the Lord, you will be solid as a rock. The Bible says, “He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” You don’t need to fear, worry, or be anxious. Cast on the Lord every burden you face. Trust in Him. Place your hope in Him. Remember, He cares for you

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when it seems as if when everything was going right. IE When your children were behaving. Your extended families were getting along, basic needs were being met, finances were straight and no bad news from the Dr- in short, things were just good. Then suddenly it seemed like everything that could happen, started happening to you and everything concerning you. What do you do when this happens. Do you fall on your knees and cry out to God, or do you jump into fix it mode and do everything you can to fix the dominos even as they are still falling. Or do you do as so many, do you just throw up your hands and give up or quit.

I’ve been reading and studying a story in the Bible that has not only given me strength to go through, but it has also taught and is teaching me how to get through my go through without complaining or quitting.

Our nugget this morning is simply that “Don’t Quit”

I encourage you to take time today and read the 1st ch of Job. Job ch 1:1-22 for the sake of this nugget, I’ll read the last verse v22

It declares
“In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

Of all the biographies in the earth, you will never read biography of great quitters. You will never see a long line of followers behind great quitters. You will never see trophies and awards given to great quitters. There is a man in the Bible who is in the Bible and has a whole book about him in the Bible, because of one thing – his perseverance. He ran the course and didn’t quit, even though he had every reason to. His name was Job.

No man in the Bible, outside of Jesus Christ himself, suffered more than Job. It would even be fair to say that outside of Jesus, no man suffered more unjustly and more unfairly than Job. If Job had responded to the things that happened to him, or even the way the vast majority of people would have, and do, this book would have never been written and Job’s name would have never been known. We learn a great character trait called “perseverance” from this man who teaches us that tough times never last, but tough people do.

So, the next time you think you’ve got problems, go read the book of Job. It may not make you feel better at first, but it will put your problems in perspective. When all of these terrible things started happening to Job, he began to ask the same questions we all would ask, “Why?” and “Why me?” After these questions usually comes the worst question of all: “How do I get out of this?”
The question we should be asking is, “What should I get out of this or what’s my lesson in this?”

As you face difficulties, you are going to learn that problems are not meant to defeat you, depress you, or even discourage you; they are meant to develop you. Problems are not tools to tear you down; they are tests to build you up. So don’t get discouraged when you face tough times. Instead, ask the Lord to help you learn from them and grow from them so that you can point others to Him. After all, winners never quit, and quitters never win. I admonish you to persevere – don’t quit- keep going and win!

Have you ever felt stuck in a season of life, confused and without purpose? But when you put aside your confusion and doubt, you come into the realization that through it all, God has never ceased from being God!  For He delights in using His limitless power and making the seemingly impossible – possible

So with this statement, I’m prompted with a question and title of this morning’s nugget

“Is there anything too hard for God?”

My Pastor spoke of a man named Abraham on one Sunday, that sparked me to revisit just who this man was.

Abraham was one with whom God made a well known promise to when he was an old man. You see, God told Abraham that he was going to have a son with his wife- And with this suggested thought Abraham was puzzled.  And seeing him in his puzzlement God asked this question of Abraham in Gen 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” – Later, Jeremiah gives the answer: “There is nothing too hard for thee.”

So I say to you, God’s power is limitless, and thus His promises are providentially secure, therefore, there is no promise too hard for Him to keep.

Google says There are over thirty thousand promises in the Bible. God is the ultimate promise Keeper. If He said It, you can count on it. The word of God declares “God is not a man that He should lie- nor is He the son of man that He should repent. If God made the promise, He can’t renege on His promise. There is no promise too hard for God to keep.
In addition, there is no prayer too hard for God to answer. Jesus said in Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” When you ask in prayer and believe, you will receive. Because there is no situation too hard for God to solve. But if you have an unwilling spirit, or an unconcerned attitude, you can limit our Almighty God. Because with such an ungodly attitude, being there is nothing too hard for God, let me tell you, that you are binding the hands that want to bless you!
Sometimes in life, we will question, as to, why some things take so long.  God’s Word say it best, “… in Isaiah 55:8 “My thought are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the LORD:”-.

So in life, there are lessons to be learned, and that no matter what the circumstance might be, God is molding and shaping us for His purpose. Faith is the channel through which the risen Lord pours His life into you. If you refuse to believe, you refuse God entry!
I am a big dreamer. I have a lot of big dreams in my life, and I have seen God fulfill many of them in my life. But in essence He says, “I do not care how much you dream;
·       “I can still top what you are dreaming.
·       I am bigger than the thought that I gave you, because,
·       I can dream bigger than your mind can ever conceive!”

So understand this my sisters and brothers, your yesterday’s impossibilities are your today’s miracles. Take to heart this day that God specializes in the impossible! He is a competent Father, a willing Father, a loving Father, and there is nothing too hard for Him! Whatever it is that He has promised you – there is no expiration date- because our timing is not His timing – you might not see how it’s going to happen. You might not understand how it’s going to happen- you might can’t see a way – but our God is a way maker – He can make a way out it no way. Just you wait and see, as I shared with you weeks ago

I admonish you today – to trust and believe in the promises of God. If he said it, believe it and let it be settled. I don’t care what the situation is – be it an earthen vessel or a situation- There’s Nothing too Hard for our God- Absolutely NOTHING!

In the seas of this journey called life life, we grow to learn that storms can sneak up on us. A bill out of nowhere can take a bite out of your pay­check or savings. A parent or loved one suddenly be­comes ill, and you become a caregiver. A child’s bad decision can lead to a day in court and a prison sentence. Or a momentary lack in judgement can leave you bewildered, hopeless and in despair. Such storms cause our anxiety to rise to dangerous levels. We look for help from someone to calm us down, fix the problem, and restore life to the way it was.

This situation reminds me of the story in the Bible when the disciples were panicking when a sudden storm had them scared to death

The scripture reads in

Luke 8:22-25

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

This scripture leaves me to ask a question as the title for our nugget

“Who’s In Your Boat?”

Many of the disciples were ex­peri­enced fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. And being fishermen, they had often weathered sudden rain storms and treacherous waves. Experience taught them that storms could come out of nowhere. So when Jesus suggested going to the other side of the lake, I can imagine they knew within themselves, they had to be ready for anything.

Although experienced in their craft, the Disciples, can’t control sudden storms that may arise in the sea. Nor can you and I control the sudden storms of life that may suddenly come our way. That’s the way life is. But if we are children of God, all we have to do is remember his promise that he would never leave us nor forsake us, that he’s with us always, – in short, we must remember who’s in the boat with us, and therefore we can weather any storm

You see, When the The disciples encountered the sudden storm, they never stopped to think what it meant to have Jesus in the boat with them. And, to them, he wasn’t doing anything! But, of course, he was sleeping—not worrying or getting frantic about the storm. The disciples spent so much energy trying to save themselves from the storm on their own power that they forgot to be still and recognize that Jesus is God, who had their lives in his hands. Jesus was in their boat. All they needed to do was trust who he was, trust in him, and trust his word. They needed to calm down and remember what He said to them… He said to them, come let’s go to the other side… this is a promise! You see, what Jesus Implied is the promise that we will reach the other side. Jesus is not allowing you to get on a boat without reaching the final destination – and especially when he’s the one who told you to get in the boat. Though trials may find you as you cross the sea of life, he has promised that you are only passing through. You will make it to the other side (Luke 8:22).

Even when you face difficulties or obstacles that seem as if they will take your life and be too overwhelming for you to bear, Jesus wants you to have faith. Those are the moments when you must exercise your faith and live out the fact that you trust the word of God.
Where is your faith? Jesus is asking. When life is hard and the waters are raging, where is your faith? Have you forgotten that the same God who said Get on the boat also has the power to rebuke the wind and the waves? That the same God who allowed your various situations, is the same God who has the power to settle them and suddenly?
My brothers and sisters, even when you think God is sleeping, He’s not! He’s always in control. The universe and all creation obey His Word. When He speaks, it is done. So even as you are in your boat of situations, do not abandon ship, do not despair, do not lose hope, do not panic! Remain calm and remember that Jesus is always in the boat with you. And when Jesus is in the boat, you can rest assured that you will reach the other side. Therefore, you have no reason to fear. Just have faith! He will see you through your your every storm.
Even when it seems as if Jesus is not doing anything, He is still in control. Just wait on Him to rescue you, knowing that at all times, He is in control. So I admonish each of you today, be still and trust in His protection. You can trust that He is powerful enough to control the winds and the waves that threaten you getting through your go through. Because when Jesus is in the boat, you will most definitely get to the other side.

One of the essential lessons for a believer is to know what to do in the midst of life’s storms. The Bible teaches that the only way to rise above your circumstances is to put your focus on Jesus and keep your eyes on Him only, no matter what you may be going through. You must depend on Him for everything.

Matthew 14:28-30 declares:

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw [e]that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

Our nugget title this morning is: “Keep Your Eyes On Jesus”

Jesus is the answer to every problem you will ever have and every challenge you will ever face. Unfortunately, though, during adverse circumstances it’s often tempting to take your eyes off Jesus and start looking at other things. You may even try to figure out how you can get yourself out of whatever situation you’re in.
The miracle of Peter walking on the water in is a great example of what you can accomplish when you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. You see, Peter was bold enough to step out in faith in order to walk on the water, even in the midst of the storm raging around him.
And As long as Peter kept his eyes on the Lord, he was able to do something that defied natural laws. He was walking in the supernatural, just like Jesus was!
Don’t miss this: Peter literally became what he was beholding. As he beheld what Jesus was doing, Jesus enabled him to do the same.
However, Peter then began to look at the natural things that were taking place around him. He saw the waves rising higher and higher and felt the winds increasing to phenomenal speeds. His physical senses began to take over, and all of a sudden he was no longer focused on Jesus, but on the stormy situation going on around him. As a result, he began to sink, causing Jesus to catch him and save him from drowning.
I’m sure many of you probably know what it’s like to be in the midst of a storm, and some may be there right now, . Maybe, like Peter, you started out with your focus on Jesus but got distracted by what was going on around you. But I’m here to encourage you this morning, to stay focused, and trust the word of God. Trust that He’s got you. Only you know what He has spoken to you. Don’t listen to the voices of others, just focus on Jesus, the only one who can save, heal and deliver you from every situation.

I’m convinced that everything the devil does in our lives is to get us to take our eyes off Jesus. Every bill, every irritation in our marriage or relationships, every situation with our children, and every pain or disease in our body is designed to prevent us from walking in the realm of the supernatural, which is where our deliverance, healing, and prosperity are obtained. Often when the storms of life are raging all around you, it’s hard to behold the all powerful, all seeing, all knowing God, and keep our eyes fixed on Him.
But you must remember that your relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important part of your life. In Him is everything you will ever need to be successful in overcoming the challenges you go through.
So my brothers and sisters, As you continually look to Jesus, He will be the “author and finisher” of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). He will lead you to overwhelming victory, even when you find yourself in the midst of a storm. Stay focused, remain faithful and watch God deliver you in the realm of the supernatural. Remember, There’re nothing too hard for God.

This is going to be exciting!

Beloved, just as your words are powerful, so are your thoughts. I want you to begin to pay attention to your thought life and to what you do, and make a determination to separate the things that are vital from things that are a waste of time. This will help you define and refine what you believe and who you are so that you are more closely aligned with My purposes for you, says the Lord. Jeremiah 15:19 “Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them.” Be Butterfly Blessed – Min BJ Christmas

Beloved, in the wake of what’s going on in the earth today, I admonish you to find your place of peace even in the midst of turmoil. Be calm and collected regardless of what is going on around you. Rise above the darkness of the earth and live as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, says the Lord. Refuse to be troubled by what you hear. You belong to Me, and I will protect My own. Remember, the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Be Butterfly Blessed – Min BJ Christmas