Date: Wednesday July 11, 2012
Today's Chapters: Proverbs 18-20
Message Title: Ending Nightmares

Hello My Friend,

We all have dreams in life, like having a loving family, successful career, and financial security. I do not know a person who says I dream of being a drug addict, a prostitute, or a thug, but things like these happen to people when their dreams get turned into nightmares. People are desperate and will do anything to have their dreams come true, even Christians get caught up in nightmares when they are desperate to have the things they desire. Until God is in the dream, every dream will turn into a nightmare, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” - James 4:1-4.

The world really is good at deceiving us into thinking that we can have everything we want without good old fashioned hard work. Did you ever see those infomercials, “I get 30 minute workout results in just 5 minutes with this amazing machine!” or “I lost 40lbs in 30 days eating the same way I always eat by taking this amazing pill!”. Desire brings people into desperate and unhealthy situations because they are either tired of working or want quick results with no effort. “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” - Proverbs 18:1,2,6,13.

As we walk with Christ we become what God created us to be, so, no matter how many times we fall, Jesus will pick us back up and get us moving again. A fool, someone who deceives others for their own personal gain, they care less about who they hurt, searching for desperate people and finding many, will fall and never get back up. “Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.” - Proverbs 19:1-3.

As a Christian, it is truly amazing to look back and see just how much you have changed through the years or even weeks as you grow in your walk with Christ. This can be both exciting and nerve racking at the same time, especially since it seems as though the more you try to walk with Him the more difficult the walk becomes. We are going to stumble, but the great thing is that Jesus is still walking with us and as long as we keep pressing on with our faith in Him we will get past the hurdles and to the finish line. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:10.

It is those who are lazy and slothful that come up with these plots and schemes to get the things they lust for quick, it may work for a while, but it will all catch up to them. Those who seek God's guidance and do the work He tells them to do will prosper, they may fall a time or two trying to rush God, but He will pick them back up again. “He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” - Proverbs 19:8,15-17.

Those who have walked away from God or never really let Him come in rarely see a change in their lives and often become angry and bitter at those who find happiness, peace, and joy with Christ leading the way. There is a song called, “I Found A Treasure”, the chorus says, “Although I'm a beggar, I'm rich beyond measure, I found a treasure, when I found the Lord”. Christians, do not have to worry about their dreams not coming true because we have the true treasure, Jesus Christ, and He will give us much more than we desire, beyond measure. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” - Matthew 6:19-21,33. Praise God!

We have all made some bad decisions because we were tired and just did not want to fight anymore, but let me tell you, it is better to let go of a dream than to get caught up in something that can hurt us. Besides, God has bigger and better dreams for us, as long as we trust Him, nightmares can end and new dreams will begin. “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee. Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.” - Proverbs 20:11,22,24,25,27,30.

What happens if we have fallen? We get back up! Satan loves to get us feeling as though we are failures and can never be forgiven when we fall. He is the true fool and no one is a failure to God when they do their best to follow His will, no matter how many times they fall. Do you think He does not know when we are going to fall? Of course He does, He knows everything about us, what we are doing, and what we will do in the future. Our pride is what keeps us from going before God and seeking forgiveness. Pride does not want to let things go, but the more we walk with Christ, the more we let go of that pride and want to let go of the sinful things in our lives. Do you know what the great thing is? God has Alzheimer’s when we seek forgiveness of our sins. He forgives and forgets all about the sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9. Praise God!

Today's Prayer: God, We all have dreams and desires, lead us and guide us so that we can obtain them in Your will. Give us patience to wait on Your timing and let us not become slothful in doing what is right. Nothing is impossible with You on our side, give us Your strength and power to remain faithful and not become weary in well doing. Let us not be tempted to seek earthly treasures that are all around us, but seek You, who will give us all we want and more simply by trusting You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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