Shaking Things Up a Little

Good evening folks,

I wish to share with you a writing dating back to October 2008.  Occasionally, I go back through old writings to see how far Yahweh has brought me.  Sometimes I check to see if things were just as relevant back then as they are today.  I started my blog back in 2010, so there are quite a few that never made it up here.

It is funny how we tend to forget the lessons that we've learned over the years.  Life teaches us many things and we have ups and downs - peaks and valleys.  The thing is that in the valleys we are seeking a word of wisdom but in the peaks, we forget the wisdom that was imparted within us in the valley.  With that, I wish to share this writing as I hope to help someone as well as remind myself that Yahweh is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  As a FYI, WFTD stands for Word For The Day.  It was a Yahoo Group where some family and friends used to share some words of encouragement for about 4+ years, beginning in 2005.

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Today, I want to pick up where Ryan left off on yesterday's WFTD. He talked about how we have to wait on the Lord when you go to Him in prayer on direction and your purpose in life. Now, lets fast-forward a little to where God starts to give you a response.

The thing that confuses us most is that God does not always give us the answer to our questions the way that we like. Sometimes it is not what we want to hear. Sometimes he takes his time and spread it out over time. Sometimes it could be both! Why is that you wonder? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! *LOL*. No, but really, sometimes what He has to say, you may not be prepared to accept. However, you can digest little chunks at a time. It's like you tell a child, "stop taking big bites....take small ones and you can chew it easier" (at least that's what we tell ours). The same applies here.

In Proverbs 3:11-12 (KJV) it says:

(11) My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: (12) For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Sometimes before God can move you to a different level or take you through a new door, He may have to pull you back for a bit and shake things up a little. What do you mean Antoine? Well it's like this, if you are traveling down the highway and you miss your exit, you don't keep traveling down the highway for miles and miles in an unknown direction do you? No, you pull over to regroup. You then figure out how you need to get back on track and implement the plan to do so. The steps here were:

1. Stop 
2. Step Back 
3. Learn from mistake and regroup 
4. Implement new plan 

Now apply this to your walk with Christ and it is no different. In order for us to hear God, He sometimes need to pull us back to a "quiet" place so we can be still. It wasn't that God did not speak before, however, we were not in a mode of listening or comprehending what He was trying to tell us. Once we are still, God then can allow you to step back for a minute. In this moment of stepping back, it can be revealed to you what God has for you. However, before you move on to step #4, you must endure the correction of the Lord. Like yesterday's WFTD says, when you pray be prepared for an answer because the one you receive may not be the one you were anticipating. That is all apart of growth and as anyone knows, sometimes growth can have some pains. Once you've endured your chastening, correction, and love by the Lord, then you go on to step #4 - go on to your new direction in the Kingdom of God. Wash, rinse, & repeat because God is in the business of opening and closing doors.

In the grand scheme of things, just be prepared to have God to rustle your feathers a little bit. In order to get you to where you are going, He has to make you recognize where you currently are and your current state just may not be as you imagined it to be.

Be blessed gang and have a good one.
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Regards,

Antoine E. Hall

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." - 2 Samuel 22:33

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A Time & Place for Everything

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In the summer of 2005, I read this book called "God is My CEO: Following God's Principles in a Bottom-Line World" by Larry Julian.  While finishing up reading one day, I flipped ahead to the next page to see what the beginning of the next chapter would be about.  There it had the scripture from Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (NIV).

During that time in my life, I can be honest and not afraid to share, that I had been struggling with my purpose here on earth. Meaning, I had been praying that God would reveal to me his purpose as He had designed my life. I was lead to the Jeremiah scripture, but the Holy Spirit said, "Almost there, but not yet. Do some more searching on purpose."  Lord have mercy!  I was led to Ecclesiastes 3:1. There, it says,

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"

Oh man! Did that speak to me. I prayed that the Lord would reveal my purpose as He designed me and look where he led me. The Lord led me to an answer to my question. It may not have been what I wanted to here at the time, but it was an answer. I learned that there is a time and place for every purpose under Heaven and in due time, I would know my purpose. Let's read more in Ecclesiastes 3:

“(2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; (7) A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

You mean to tell me it is a time for EVERYTHING?! Well according to God's Word, this is the case. I know I was not the only one going through this "purpose search" and the Holy Spirit had me to share this for more than just myself. I would encourage you to read the rest of Ecclesiastes 3 as there is a lot more to read.

Just when you think it is time for an event to occur, God says, "Not so". It is on HIS time line that things happen. In due time HE reveals what you need to know. Meanwhile, we just have to be faithful to his WORD and know that he has what is best for us. Next time you feel like it is time to do something, check with God first. He will let you know. If he doesn't answer right away, wait on him. After all that very moment may not be the time to do that something.

Antoine E. Hall

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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Searching for Clarity

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In today's time, I think we all get a little muffled in the mind. We all have a vision that we are searching for but it's not always clear. Sometimes we have a vision we think we are suppose to follow and then there are times when God gives us the vision, but we can't see around the bend to reach the rest of it. But never fear, God is still in the business of bring marvelous light so you can see your way out of the dark. It may not be on your own time line, but nonetheless, he will work things out.  As such, I would like to visit the book of Mark.

Mark 8:22-26   “(22) They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. (23) He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?' (24) He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.' (25) Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (26) Jesus sent him home, saying, 'Don’t even go into the village.'”

While this speaks about Jesus healing a blind man, I think we can also look at this as Jesus bringing clarity to someone's situation. It's when God is slowly revealing things to us that we get anxious and antsy. Things aren't happening fast enough, BUT, slowly God will show you what he has in store for you and it may be added to the last vision that He gave you. With that, I wish to leave you with a passage from a book called, "God is My CEO" by Larry Julian (Julian, Larry.  God Is My CEO:  Following God's Principles in a Bottom-Line World.  Adams Media.  March 1, 2001.  Pg):

"As a vision is a picture of the future in its ideal state. I believe God has a clear vision of success for each of us -- the problem lies in our inability to see it. Our lives are so immersed in the forest of our circumstances, fears, doubts, and egos; we can never rise above the tree line to see the vision. Instead, we look for signs and miracles from a mountaintop experience to help us see God's plan. In reality, God works the opposite way. As we grow closer to God, He reveals His plan to us, not in its entirety, but in small pieces. It's okay if you're struggling to find a clear vision. Many of us have driven on a desert highway toward a mountain range. At first, the mountains appear fuzzy. The closer we get, the more clearly defined the mountain range becomes. Quiet your soul to hear God's voice and see His clues. Act on those clues, one by one, and the vision will slowly become clearer."

Antoine E. Hall
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

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Hope, Patience, & Prayer

Romans 12-12   "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. " (NIV)

The verse above is a pretty simple concept and it can hit home for all of us. It says that in my hopes I am to be joyful. Even while I am hoping for something to happen or for God to move, I must be joyful in my current state.

In my afflictions, I must exercise patience. Now, I know this can be a hard one. You mean to tell me while I'm going through suffering and distress I must be patient? Well, yes.  That's what the word says doesn't it? See, a lot of the times we have issues with being patient even when we aren't going through something. To say be patience in time of hardship is one that's hard for us to grasp. Well guess what? It's in the Word and the Word doesn't lie. So, be patient in your affliction.

Lastly, you must be faithful in your prayers. Do you have a broken prayer life? Could you do a little more to improve your prayer life? I cannot speak for you, but I find myself wavering on this one. At times, I make sure that I stay prayed up. Then in times of distress, I get lax. Well, the first step is acceptance. I accept the fact that I do this and now the next step is to fix it. What's the solution? Simple! I just need to do what I'm told to do and pray faithfully, night and day; through good times and bad times.

If you can digest this simple but powerful verse I think it can help you in your every day walk as well. As Jesse Jackson would say, "Keep Hope Alive". As the good 'ole saying goes, "Patience is a virtue" and last but not least pray, pray, pray.

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Walk. Don't Run.

"STOP RUNNING!  WALK!".  This is a reoccurring theme around our house these days, since we have a 4 and 2 year old in the house.  It seems like every time I turn around, you are telling them to stop running.  I wish I had a tape recorder so that we can play it instead of repeating it over and over again, however as my wife has reminded me, they are learning through repetition.

So what's the big deal with running?  Nothing at all, when it's done at the appropriate time.  When you are participating in a sport, most of the time it requires you to run. If you are in a classroom, it is probably inappropriate to run down the isles like you were on a football field!

If you'll notice, you always hear the term to "Walk With Jesus".  You never hear anything about running with Christ.  Let's think about this for a minute.   When you run, when you should be walking a few things happen:

• Your Safety Is Comprised - I know with all the corners in our house, I cringe when our children come close to hitting them.  We all know that it is only a matter of time before one of them fall into it. In the act of running everything else around you becomes a blur and you miss certain surroundings that could potentially harm you.  In this case, when running through daily life, half the time Jesus is no where on the brain, but when we walk with Him in the front, He doesn't get lost in that blur.  "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; is faithfulness will be your shield and rampart" (Psalm 91:4).
  
  
• You Lose Patience - If you run long enough you will lose patience with everything else around you.  This is because we are so focused on the very thing after which you are running; nothing else matters.  For example, if you are going after that new manager position at your job, everything else becomes irrelevant (especially since it has nothing to do with what you're chasing).  It becomes more about you and what you are chasing.  If you aren't careful you could then fall into "...hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy..."  Patience is one of the fruits of the spirit and "[t]hose who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires" (see Galatians 5:19-24). 
  
  
• You Become the Chased - If you run after something long enough you will start to become absorbed in it.  It will start to consume you and in no time you'll find that you have become the chased.  Have you ever wanted something so bad that it started to make you feel sick?  Did it make you stay awake at night?  Would it cause you to lose your appetite sometimes?  Well, this is a case where that after which you were running have started to chase you.  This is a result of impatience.  Also, it is a case of idolatry, therefore forming a stronghold over you.  In 1 John 5:19 it says, "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." Nothing has power over you unless you allow it, but if you are running so fast you cannot see it happening then you become ensnared in the trap of the enemy.

When we walk with Jesus, we get to take things in slow strides and not in fast short steps.  We are privileged to see the safety hazards and temptations in order to avoid them.  While in the Word of God we learn the importance of patience and how to wait on the Lord.  Yes, walking usually takes a little longer to get to the final destination, but at least you get to smell the flowers and enjoy the scenery along the way.  Watch God work in your life and don't let a moment of it go by in a blur.

Be easy family and have a good one.

Updated: 11/20/2019


~Antoine

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