What Am I Going To Do While I Am Where I Am
!!NOW WHAT!!
Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: The Etymology of the word apprehended:- literally, to seize from, to seize, to become aware of, to have perceived, to grasp with the understanding,
but this one thing I do, forgetting. The word forgetting: - to lose the remembrance of, to be unable to think of or recall, to cease from doing, to treat with inattention or disregard, to fail to become mindful at the proper time. It is a verb, which is an action word. To forget something means that at some point we had to have made a mental decision to let it go.
those things, which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. The word reaching: - means to stretch out toward, to extend or thrust, to strain after something, it too is a verb, which is an action word. The suffix ing on the end of the words means that it is something that is being done and has not yet been completed.
I want to talk about that place between realizing what God has promised and apprehending that that He has promised. I have stepped to God like I should, I’m in the church, but I have not yet apprehended that which I have stepped to God for. I have given up some things expecting and believing God for some things but I have not yet received those things and I can’t go back to the things, I am forgetting those things that are behind and I am reaching forth unto those things that are before, but I have not grasped hold to those things yet and I can’t go back to the things, I am not where I used to be and I am not where I am going or where I am even destined to be I am here in this place, so then the question I ask is What am I going to do while I am where I am. In other words Lord I am in this place, NOW WHAT.
There are those of us that are in the Christian walk that have it going on, we really have it all together. We have everything we need and everything we desire. We can come to church enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, skipping, smiling, and happy singing the song God is great and greatly to be praised, because everything in our life is ok. Financially I am free, Emotionally elated, Physically fine, Relationally relaxed, everything is ok and you are able to say like the Shummanite woman “It is well with my soul”. And for those that are like that God bless you and heaven smile upon you. However there are those of us that are going through some mess, everything in our life isn’t fine. I’m not financially free, but financially frustrated, emotionally emasculated, physically debilitated, relationally ruined, mentally messed-up and instead of saying Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, we say Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?
Understand that this is not an implication that I have gone back on God, this does not mean that I don’t believe that God can and will make a way, this in no way compromises my salvation at all, it is saying that I have not come to the place in realizing that which God has promised me yet, but I have made the initial step for God, so therefore I am somewhere between there and here, but I have not yet apprehended or realized that that I have stepped to God for. I have not become aware of, or ye have perceived, to grasp with the understanding, that that I have stepped to God for.
I know we all just love God and will praise Him in-spite of, we will bless the Lord and praise His Holy name, but some of you have had some serious questions about certain things that have happened in your life. I have stepped to God like I should have, I’m in the church, I fast and pray, I read my Bible, I go to church, yet I am going through. Sometimes we are told just to explain it away that we ought not question God. We have been taught not to question God, but yet we are confused about the way things are going in our life. We can question anything, we can sue anybody, and we can challenge any decision except God.
We are quoted the scripture in Romans 8:28 so much that before a person can even form the word in their mouth we say it for them “All things work to the good of them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose”. We are told to have faith like Job (or Job it out), but we fail to understand something that Job represents a level of spiritualality that we all desire to be at, but have not yet apprehended. To be able to say “Though He slay me yet will I trust Him” is a level that all Saved, Sanctified, Holy Ghost filled folks desire to be at, but in actuallality are at the level spiritually as Job’s wife and say “why not curse God and die”. Why because we don’t like to suffer. We know the scripture says “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin”, but we don’t like to suffer. So therefore, you can’t tell me that in this Christian walk that at some point when all it seemed like is that you were going through, rather physically, financially, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, relationally, that at some point you didn’t say Lord either deliver me or take me out of here because you are tired of going through and the reason you are tired is because you have not yet apprehended that which God has promised you. Paul said “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”; however, before he was able to say that he asked God 3 times to remove the thorn in his flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet him.
I don’t feel so bad about questioning God, when I couldn’t understand why I lost my job, all I do is go to church, study God’s word, preach God’s word, teach God’s word, pray, fast I was doing everything that I was supposed to do as a man of God and in my mind I could think of many people that should have been in this place instead of me, who never want to go to church, who never pick up a Bible or own a Bible, that only ask for someone to pray for them when something is wrong, but will not pray themselves, who are only C-M-E Christians, that means they go to church on Christmas, Mother’s Day, and Easter only. I couldn’t understand it I preached a message at Bishop Steele’s and the title was “I’m still alive” God blessed in that message in that message I said even if you lose your job as long as you have breath in your body you should give God the praise, that was about 4 years ago I am once again unemployed not of my own doing, but everytime a job seems like it may work out something happens. One job was a division of Enron, you know what happened there, the biggest scandle in history, the other was Kenworth if you don’t sale trucks theres not much since in building trucks and now this one which was seasonal any way
If we are truthful with ourselves, there are times that we even get angry with God and say now Lord I am trying to do your will and it seems to me that the folk that aren’t even thinking about you seems like they should be the ones running to the unemployment office, they should be the ones who’s children are in trouble, they should be the ones that have problems making ends meet, they should be the ones having to run to the emergency room, one writer said my foot almost slipped, when I look at the wicked, even though I know I should not fret myself of evil doers, but when you look at the wicked and you see that you are still driving that rusted out yugo and driving it giving God the glory on your way to church and your neighbor just bought a brand new Mercedes and is not even thinking about going to any church and you want to say you didn’t give that a thought when it came to your mind.
You read the Bible, you are a part-time Bible scholar and you know the scripture and you know that it says the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous and you are struggling to make rent, you find yourself begging and pleading for extension of your loans, paying just enough to keep the electric and gas on until next week, asking mom and dad for their credit card this month, the church to give you a loan and you trying to tell me you didn’t give that some thought. Your foot almost slipped. You have been to every service, every convention, every prayer meeting, every Bible class, you haven’t missed a Sunday in only God knows when, you teach Sunday school, are on the praise team, direct the choir, get the pastor’s water, take up the offering, pick up the fans, make sure the church is locked after every service, drive the van, you give your tithes, yet you are still struggling to pay your rent you can’t tell me it doesn’t come to your mind that something is definitely wrong because I’m going through when my going through days ought to be over. What am I going to do while I am where I am? LORD NOW WHAT?
We are in this place between there and there and we begin to ask God What Am I Going To Do While I am Where I AM, Lord Now What!!! It is within this place that every child of God must go through at some time or another. Noah went through it, it was called the flood, Abraham went through it, it was called the Mount of Moriah, Moses went through it, it was called the desert experience, the Israelites went through it, it was called the wilderness, Elijah went through it, it was called Zarephath, the 3 Hebrew boys went through it, it was called the fiery furnace, Daniel went through it, it was called the lions den, Paul went through it, it was called prison, John went through it, it was called Patmos, and you and I must at some point go through this place.
Understand that this is the place that God is developing our character. This is our wilderness experience, our lions den and our fiery furnace our Patmos. This place that we find ourselves in is a lonely place sometimes. It is a place that we often feel rejected and neglected, but understand that it’s at this place we are being selected and inspected this wilderness experience is to develop our character.
Character: one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual a feature used to separate distinguishable things into categories; a group or kind so separated, the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes, the aggregate of distinctive qualities. 1st Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
We are to be Christ like that is the meaning of the word Christian. The Divine purpose for us is not just a mere external imitation of Christ but an internal transformation. Because you can look Holy on the outside and be pure hell on the inside, but an internal transformation is Holy on the inside and cause the outside to be Holy also. You can’t have a form of godliness, but must have the power. The form of godliness will let you get to a place, but the power will keep you at that place. The form of godliness will bring a storm in your life, the power will take you through that storm.
Martin Luther King once said The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Character is made in the obscure moments of life. Understand that reputations are built in a moment, but character is built in a lifetime. Reputation is what man says about you, Character is what the angels says about you. Reputation is the form of godliness, character is the power thereof, reputation is like the shadow, but character is like the tree. When you succeed momentarily it is because of what you know, when you succeed temporarily it is because of what you do, when you permanently succeed it is because of what you are.
The reason that we are experiencing the wilderness experience, the reason we are between there and there is because God is working on our character. He is trying to get you to a point that you are able to stand in the midst of a challenge and controversy with comfort and confidence, not in what you know, but because of who and whose you are.
If we look at Moses in the book of Exodus the 14:15 “And the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.” Understand that Moses at this point was not praying, he was not calling on the name of the Lord saying O Lord we know that you are able to deliver us from out of the hand of Pharaoh, He wasn’t saying Lord we know that you didn’t bring us this far to leave us, Lord we know that you are a way maker and that you are able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, so Lord we need you to come by here and deliver us this day from out of the hands of our enemies. I don’t believe he told the children of Israel though he slay us yet will we trust him. There was no song being sung, no hands being clamped, or no scripture being quoted I believe he stood there in that place, the place between the Red Sea and Pharaoh with a dumb look on his face, here they had given up some things believing God for some things, but hadn’t yet come into those things, and they were now in this place talking about LORD NOW WHAT. The Red Sea is in front of us; Pharaoh is coming behind us Lord What Am I Going To Do While I Am Where I Am.
Sometimes we get a dumb look on our face, Lord you told me, I saw the vision, Lord I did like you said and I wrote the vision, that’s what I did, I saw the vision, wrote it like He said, sent it to the publisher/ agent, they said your work is great and timely it is what needs to said, it answers many questions that people have today, I can’t believe that you waited so long to get this together, but I am still waiting, the book has not been published, I don’t know what if anything is being done, Lord I did what you said do, I poured my heart and soul into this, I’ve faced rejection after rejection, I have had my hopes shattered, now I found my self struggling. I have given up some things believing you for some things, but I have not come into those things and I can’t go back to those things, Lord What am I going to do while I am where I am Lord Now What?
There’s nothing wrong with getting a dumb look on your face, because that just lets everybody else know that you know, you don’t know what in the world to do. Lord I did what you said I obeyed you now I am here What Am I Going to do While I am where I am.
This is the point were our character is developed, we get out of ourselves, we get out of ok this is what I am going to do, ok I have this amount of money, and we get to the point were we say Lord I need you. We try to do everything ourselves, we try to fix the situation our self and all we do is make it a bigger mess then it was before. God is trying to get us to the point were we are totally leaning on Him. He is trying to develop our character so that we realize that I need thee. I think about the song that says I need thee every hour. When we get to the point that we realize that we need God every hour, not just when things are bad, but when things are good. Then it will become our character that we will not try to handle the devil in our own ways.
So many times the devil attacks us and the first thing we try to do is turn and grab the devil and fight him, but only to find out that the devil will not tire out before we do and we will loose the battle, but if I develop my character to be totally depended upon God, when the enemy comes in and beings to mess with me God will lift up a standard against him. When my character has been developed and I totally lean and depend upon Jesus He will fight my battle and I can then go forward, I don’t have to worry about that, I am forgetting those things behind and I press.
When God told Moses to go forward, they had to totally depend upon God and he fought their battle for them. When you have developed your character to be totally dependant upon God you don’t have to fight, the battle is the lord’s. I can then go forward with the mission that God has given me. I believe that is what is meant by forgetting those things behind, the devil is behind me and if I forget him and let the Lord fight my battles then I can press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
There are 5 letters in the word press. P.R.E.S.S. When I have developed my character and I totally lean and depend upon Jesus, He will make a way out of no way and when the enemy tries to fight and I have developed my character I can P = pray more, R = read the word more, E = exalt His name more, S = sing His Praises more, S = shout Hallelujah more.
My character is developed, I now totally am depending on God to fight my battles for me, I now can put my energy into developing myself in God.
WATCH THIS: Go to 2nd Peter 1:3-10 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; (a particular moral excellence, strength or courage) and to virtue knowledge (the fact or condition of being aware of something, apprehending truth or fact through reasoning) And to knowledge temperance (moderation in action, thought, or feeling); and to temperance patience (consistency, marked by firm steadfast resolution or faithfulness) ; and to patience godliness (Holiness); And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WHILE I AM WHERE I AM you got to learn how to lean and depend upon Jesus Trust in him and he will provide. That is what Job meant when he said though He slay me yet will I trust Him, If you trust Him He will, not maybe, but he will provide.
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WHILE I AM WHERE I AM LORD NOW WHAT AND HE SIMPLY SAY TRUST ME AND I WILL PROVIDE.
There’s a song that goes I’ve learned how to lean and depend on Jesus, he my friend and he’s my God I’ve learned how to lean and depend on Jesus I found out if I trust in Him He will provide.
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Boanerge Ministries.
