"Being Single in Ministry" ...... pt1

                                                         Good morning all. For those of you  that don't believe in God or the power of his love, listen to this. I just want to share a little inspiration with you this morning. For those of you who wake up hurting, blaming others for your failures or lack of success, or your break ups or divorce, and blaming God for punishing you for some reason or another. Before you continue to blame God or someone else, take a good look in the mirror at yourself and give God thanks. Thank him for waking you up this morning in your right mind. Thank him for giving you another chance at life. You may be going thru something but guess what, psalm 30:5 says;  5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  It's not selfish for you to say "thank you for my life lord" even tho someone lost theirs. Or thank you for my health even though some one else is sick.  We hurt at the loss, or sickness, or break up or divorce but dont bask in the sorrow or it will bind you up & gag you & hinder whatever Gods plan is for you & your life. God puts us in these kinds of situations to bring us closer to him. You just have to listen to him & Lean on him for wisdom & understanding.         I want to share with you my testimony of going through and overcoming grief, loneliness and possible depression. I am  single and i live alone. Even though i am in diligent study of Gods word, I do get very lonely at times. Missing the companionship of a woman. Missing having someone to come home to. Someone to laugh and joke with. And  Every now and again, the loneliness can get suffocating. when I least expect it, the loneliness blankets me and it feel like there's no one there for me. There's no one here with me. There's no one here to help distract these feelings from attacking my mind and thus it can very well become overwhelming. Sometimes if feels like the walls are closing in on me. Feels like some one has their hands around my throat squeezing tighter & tighter. Feeling like the anxiety is pounding harder and harder at my door step. Almost bringing me to tears and sometimes succeeding.           Although my pastor and mentor told me of the devils attacks on feelings some years ago,  It wasn't until recently that I realized that this was an attack.  1 Peter 5:8 says  8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:            You see the devil will attack you when you are most vulnerable. He'll attack you in your time of grief or loneliness and thus make you become depressed. He'll make feel like there's no way out of whatever it is you are going through. Like me, when you are sitting home alone, he'll attack you by stirring up a memory of a past relationship with someone you could be missing. Or try to make you drown your sorrows in an alcoholic beverage. He'll trick you with a familiar smell, or someone will accidentally say something, or you'll see a movie or hear a song that reminds you of your past situation. And people often try to find answers everywhere but where the true and only answers come from. Prayer, and the word of the lord.           Just Recently, I experienced this. For years I tried to drink & get rid of my pain with alcohol. But I realized no matter how much I drank, the problem was still there when I sobered up.  I thank God for delivering from drunkenness. The devil tried to attack my loneliness. He even tried to attack my children. Since I have reached this level of elevation and became even closer to the Lord, the devil has been extremely pissed and very busy. I struggle with having to raise my children in two different house holds. One with structure and the presence of the Lord. The other where my children have "freedom with very little limitation". I often get frustrated because of this. Though I do understand that not everyone gets it. When one person in a marriage or relation is saved or gets saved, it can scare the unsaved away. Often times the light of Christ can shine so bright through a person it can be blinding to the unsaved a chase them away. The closer one becomes to God, the further someone will pull away from you.           I find strength in the Lord and in the power of his might. I love the Lord. And to love the Lord is to fear the Lord. And to fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. His love is everlasting, his grace and mercy endureth forever & his word is unchanging. Just when I was being brought to my knees, I started to pray to the Lord & confess how afraid I was of what I was feeling & the fear of the unknown I was feeling. The Lord then began to Strengthen me. In my most recent sermon entitled "There is a Way Out",  I preached of how the devil even attacked Jesus. Jesus was fearful when he was about to die. But he prayed a prayer in Luke 22:42-43 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. He was fearful for a brief moment. He didn't wanna die the way he knew he going to die, but the important confession of this scripture says, and get ready for this, Not my will, but your will be one Father. And the scripture says an angle appeared from heaven strengthening him.        Just as quick as the devil tried to trap me once again, I prayed and the Lord sent an angel to strengthen me. If you are truly in constant communion, fellowship, with The Lord, he will heal you in your time of sorrow. Obedience is greater than sacrifice. God rewards those who are obedient to his word. Even though My flesh may want human  companionship, I understand that God has me right where he wants me to be. And I understand  the importance of being obedient to what God says. Sometimes you to have to be still and let God have his way. We as people get in the way of what God has planned for us. We may be anxious because we don't know what that is, but humbling yourself & submitting to the will of God is the key. I found joy & peace in the Lord. Peace that is not dependent on circumstance, but built on Gods love. Get that right and the rest will take care of itself. Talk with the lord & ask him to reveal to you what it is he's has for you to do in any situation.          I hope this helps you in your time of sorrow. To have a relationship with the Lord is to fellowship with Him. If you don fellowship with Him, how do you expect Him to answer your prayers? I'm just saying.       Meditate on that.    Have a safe blessed stress free day.                         Thank you, and God Bless                                ~Rev. Tyrone Birch~