Sermon
God is alive and well OR...."....My testimony of a bad day..."
by
Greg Moller --2/5/2015
Im a pastor of a small start up church. Our services and Bible Studies are held at a members home. As we are just starting out, we don't have much money. Due to having to feed my four kids, wife, mother in law and myself and pay the bills, I also work full time in our local school district as the head custodian on the second shift ( usually 2:30 pm till 11:30 pm).
This may sound somewhat like a rant but the end result is to give glory to God.
The Setting:
Today has started out as one of those days were nothing is going right at work, even though I've been trying to do the right thing all along. This is were my rant is starting, (hehehe)
Part of my duties at the school is to clean and take care of about 1/3 of the school. The other custodians under me take care of their own sections also.
Today we have a varsity girls basketball game. So at 3pm myself and two of the other custodians set up the primary gym for the game that is taking place in two hours. But at 4 o'clock , one my custodians came up to me and asked what time we have to set the gym up for the game. I informed him it was already set up. He then informed me they must of tore it down so that they (The boys varsity team) could practice, so we will have to re-set it up after practice and before the game, which gives us about 15 minutes to reset . which takes on a good day about 1/2 hour to an hour.
The next thing that happened has been a recurring issue for the last week. It is a little disgusting to try and describe it, so I really don't want to offend anybody, but it is concerning the girls bathroom just off the commons area.
One of the students are taking the toilet paper (2 rolls per stall) and they are taking all the paper off the rolls in all the stalls and stuffing it into the feminine hygiene disposable boxes ( for a lack of a better way to put it) that are attached to each of the stalls partition.
So every day I have to put new rolls in all the stalls. This is not only annoying, but is also somewhat of a health issue, let alone embarrassing for a potential student in need.
Today though they are getting creative. They are now starting to fill the toilet bowls in each of the stalls with paper along with the previously mentioned boxes, making the toilets overflow. Besides that, they are marking on the wall with markers.
I had reported this at the beginning of the week to the administrative staff about it, but with no results. Things like this are most of time a onetime thing, but this same thing has recurred everyday this week.
So now I'm on my last nerve. I am a very patient person but it finally had gotten to me. I told the other custodian that I better keep my mouth shut or I'll end up losing my job due to the fact I'll tell them what I'm really thinking at that moment, which wouldn't be good.
So on first break, I knew I needed to cool down some. I went out to my pick up and decided to drive around the school campus. I usually do this anyway to see if there are any outside lights burned out or as a feeble security check sort of thing. And this is when it happened.
I truly believe God knows our hearts and when needed He knows just what buttons to push to bring us back on the right path.
Anger and resentments puts up a wall between us and God and separates us from Him For this I refer to Scriptures in the New Testament:
ANGER
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (KJV)
Raca=
rhaka
rhak-ah'
Of Chaldee origin (compare [H7386]); O empty one, that is, thou worthless (as a term of utter vilification): - Raca.
H7386=
רק ריק
rêyq rêq
rake, rake
From H7324; empty; figuratively worthless: - emptied (-ty), vain (fellow, man).
RESENTMENTS
(Ephraim leaders talking to Gideon)
Jdg 8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
Jdg 8:2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
Jdg 8:3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
So with my lingering anger and resentment, I was in danger of falling further into the trappings of Ol' Clovefoot.
AND GOD TAKES A SHOT ....and..... "HE SHOOTS......HE SCORES.....":
Like I was saying before, God knows our hearts and what buttons to push. So after my drive around, I parked my truck and shut the key off. I believe a miracle then happened.
Music has always been a big part of my life. I've played guitar for about forty years (my; how time flies) and in the late 70's a band named Boston came out with their first album. I just loved the music of Boston and still do till this day, but really haven't thought about them in quite a long time. I shut my truck off and noticed the radio was on and pretty loud.
This is the first part of the miracle, as I rarely ever have my radio on, especially when just going to work. The second part of the miracle was that the song that was playing. The song that was playing at that particular moment was Boston..Piece of Mind:
Here's that part of the song I heard sitting there.
"Now if you're feelin' kinda low 'bout the dues you've been paying
Future's coming much too slow
And you wanna run but somehow you just keep on stayin'
Can't decide on which way to go
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I understand about indecision
But I don't care if I get behind
People livin' in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind. Yeah"
SUDDEN REFLECTIONS
This one of my favorite songs by the band Boston and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. The first thing that came to my mind at that moment was Paul's epistles to Ephesians (Eph 6:11-18):
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
I knew right then a couple of things. One was I was under a spiritual attack to try and create a wall between God and myself and I was letting it get the best of me, and the second thing is that I knew Christ was watching over me and protecting me even when my guard was down.
I had failed to put on the whole armor of God, especially the shield of faith against the fiery darts. This in result brought my anger and resentment to a high level. I tried to handle the situation myself on my terms and ended up being an "epic fail". But through Christ, He was able to get a handle on the situation and pass that on to me.
END RESULT
Through out all of our lives; we come upon trials and tribulations on a daily basis. Most of the time we try to "roll with the punches", and then do what we need to do to get on with life. A lot of times these tactics will work for us.
But the scary part is those trials and tribulations that come upon us when we're not expecting it or we aren't aware we are under a spiritual attack. They sneak up on us and the next thing we know is we are in a real bad situation.
In my personal case as described was that through prayer, I was made aware of the situation. And as it turned out the boys varsity team after practice, re set the gym so my staff didn't have to take time to do it. and the bathroom took only a few minutes to get it back to were it needed to be, and my attitude changed for the better. And I only have to thank God for that.
THE GOOD NEWS
When we trust Christ, He will watch our backs. Those attacks will be further and fewer between. He handles those things that are unseen behind the veil. All we need is to trust and have faith in Christ.
Mat 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Hab_2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Act_20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Faith will sustain us.
God Bless
