Excellent teaching/preaching

Many of you know that I am a faithful worshiper with the saints of God in Memphis, TN. Every Sunday, I come home from MY church (which is always good teaching!) and log on to www.tpcmemphis.org and listen to the excellent teaching of Bro. Terry Black. My awesome friend Britt lives down there and attends this church. Then I go back to MY church for more excellent worship and preaching! I love Sundays!!!

This past Sunday, I happened to miss the preaching in Memphis as I was at FOUR... count 'em... FOUR 2nd grade birthday parties at one time at the local bowling alley. I think the entire 2nd grade class from my school was there... I felt like I was at work!

Anyway... my mother-in-law called to say we MUST watch the archived service from that day. They had a guest preacher from Boston, MA named Dr. Gerald Jeffers, and his preaching is powerful and anointed. His message was on disappointment.... meaning being taken out of your place or position. We are to be laborers with God. When we are disappointed, we are no longer in that position. God blesses many times in accordance to place. God said I have set my name in this place. When the devil comes along and begins to fight you, he tries to get you to resign your position, or place. Once you do, you miss out on the blessing that comes with being in that position or place. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. We get disappointed because we don't understand God. We think that he hasn't heard our prayers, and we don't understand why he doesn't move on our behalf. We get hurt because we watch our kids on drugs, etc etc and what is actually happening is that God is watching to see how we handle the hurt. How we handle the hurt determines what kind of person we become. God says it is necessary for us to become hurt or offended to reveal the true content of our heart. We are chosen by God to do his will by how we react in the fire of hurt and disappointed. How do you react when your wife is not treating you right? What do you do when your husband isn't acting right by you? What do you do when your children are rebelling against your authority? He's trying to prove you. Are you just puff 'n' stuff? What is your character made of? He cannot release His power in us until He forges His character in us. We want to skip the character-building part and just skip to the power part. God doesn't work that way. We are to rejoice in ALL things... good and bad. We are to have joy in every situation, because the love of God has nothing to do with situations. We keep ourselves full of His joy by staying in His presence. He inhabits the praises of His people. SING!

There was so much more to his message, but that is the main point of the preaching. It was so good! He preached two other messages as well, but I will blog those at another time.

So... do some introspection on your own life. How much of God's character is forged in your life? I know I have precious little.... not in comparison to others, but in comparison to HIM. I don't like the fire process. I don't like hurt and offense. But I do want my Jesus to be able to use me, so I choose to work on the JOY in every situation, even though I know it will be painful, and that I will at times fall far short. But my God has promised to finish what he started in me. He is faithful above all things. I love you Jesus!

Thanks for reading!