There's Gotta Be More Than This!

Happy Sunday!
Bishop Alexis A. Thomas preached, "There's Gotta Be More Than This!" He used 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 again today.

I enjoy Country Music! I know that's hard to believe, but it's true. One of my favorite groups is Sugarland. They sing a song entitled, "There's Gotta Be More Than This". The lyrics tell of a woman probably similar to many of us, dealing with traffic, hard times, and problems on the job. She says, "There's gotta be more".

The Good News is that there is more! 2 Corinthians 4:17:20 says, "So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever." (Message Translation)

In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, Jabez gives us an example of how to experience more. First, the scripture says, "Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor." Even though he was given a negative name, he made a decision to be a man of honor. What is honor? I'm so glad you asked. Honorable is defined as; honest, moral, ethical, principled, righteous, and right-minded. Even if you come from a family of train robbers, you don't have to be a train robber.

Second, Jabez did not let his environment or his past stop him from from being all he could be. Bishop encouraged us and told us, "People really don't know who you are! God is your Creator, he alone knows all that he has purposed you to do and to be". I had the opportunity to attend an Art Fair this weekend. One artists was explaining her painting to us. It was extremely beautiful, but to the naked eye much of the the true meaning was hidden. Because she created it, she was able to give us insight into it's true purpose. We are God's Masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago." (Voice Translation) Bishop said, "He packaged us with purpose!" He has instilled power, purpose, potential and promise within us! When we listen to His voice and obey his Word, we will experience more.

The last scripture in the text today says, that Jabez recieved what he asked for from God. There is more! Let's follow the example of Jabez...“Please bless me and give me more territory. May your power be with me and free me from evil so that I will not be in pain.”

Love and prayers, Cynthia