There is only one person who can take the limits off your future. . .it’s you.

I’m going to share a confession with you. . .from my book Borders Without Limitations.  I encourage you to print out this confession, read it and sign your name as a commitment to live a life without limitations.

“Father God, I realize now that I have lived a life that has limited me from the blessings you designed and destined for my life… but NO MORE.

“In Jesus Name, I decree and declare that I will no longer be bound by limitations I have previously experienced in this world. I give full permission for the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of my heart and let it be flooded with the ability to walk out every precious promise in the Word of God.

“I want to see more, believe more and allow your grace to take me to heights I’ve never known before. I thank you for the Word …because I know it works. Thank you for working it out in me for your glory and honor.”

Have you ever misplaced something you not only wanted to find . . . but you had to find.

Perhaps, it was your car or house keys. . .an important document for work or some back-up files for your taxes.

After some time passed and more mental anguish than you care to admit … you finally found the misplaced items.

A precious, close friend of ours, Pastor Malc Burton, sometime back sent me the following text.

“Good morning, Pastor. Read Psalm 62:5 when you get a moment. God stirred me this morning about misplaced expectation and misplaced trust. Love you.”

Pastor Malc is full of revelatory insight. He has ghost written over 100 books for many well-known Christian leaders. . .names you would immediately recognize.

As I read Pastor Malc’s text I was stirred as well. Even before reading his scripture. . .I felt impressed to write things never to misplace.

1.     Misplaced expectation.

Have you ever been late to an appointment or perhaps you overlooked one altogether?

I know people who have lost their jobs. . .or didn’t get a new job because they were late on an appointment.

When you’re going to meet your children or grandchildren’s teacher for the first time. . .that’s not a good time to be late for an appointment.

Of every appointment you’ve ever had. . .there is one appointment you are not going to want to miss.

God scheduled this appointment for you before you were ever born. It’s a part of your destiny. . .His purpose and plans for your life.

Let’s talk about two scriptures in Jeremiah.

Let’s establish an immutable fact. . .I am not a gloom and doom kind of guy.

If you want somebody who’s going to tell you the world is going to hell in a hand basket . . .you’ve got the wrong preacher. . .in fact, the wrong couple.

If you want someone who’s trying to connect all the dots and dates from Daniel and Revelation to prove it’s the end of days. . .you’ve got the wrong man.

Personally, I haven’t spent one minute in the past twenty years wondering or worrying about who the anti-Christ is.

Nor have I spent time fretting over the coronavirus because all that is covered in Psalm 91 which we are about to discuss as well as several other verses in God’s Word.

Are their injustices that need to be corrected. . .of course. . .absolutely. We don’t live in a perfect country. . .for that fact, we live in a far from perfect world. . .but, if this country is so bad. . .why do so many people from other nations want to come here, even if they have to do it. . .illegally.

So in the midst of the turmoil, controversy and dare I say, hatred, we have an amazing amount of surpassing promises we can count on from our God.

And if you don’t get anything else from this teaching tonight, you need to settle it in your mind, spirit and emotions …that at no point in time … EVER … has God started wringing His hands in heaven saying “Wow, I didn’t know this was going to happen.” NEVER HAS HAPPENED –NEVER WILL.

But truthfully, I was a bit surprised when God directed me to write “7 Ways To Avoid Fear In Uncertain Times.”

If you're drawing breath on planet earth...there will come moments...times of adversity when you wonder what to do next.

In these moments...your solace will not be found at the local watering hole commiserating with someone as lost as a goose in a blizzard.

Your answer will not be found in extended conversations with friends about why it's unfair you have to deal with these situations.

Just remember when trouble strikes...you have the answer.

Here are seven keys for you to mediate on.

1.         When you’re disappointed

Here’s the great news. . .regardless of the intensity of the enemy’s attack. . .you never need to be put to shame or disappointed.

I realize that’s a bold statement. . . but there are eight verses in the Classic Amplified Bible translation which say exactly that. Here are three of them to claim and put your confidence in.

Psalm 25:3 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

One of the primary keys to success in life is. . .drum roll. . .persistence. We must learn to keep on keeping on until we cross the finish line.

Perseverance is in the New Testament 32 times and its most frequently translated as:

“patience; endurance; patient waiting”

The term literally means “remaining under” or standing firm despite opposition.

In life, we will face many challenges. . .and adversities.

Human nature will want you to rationalize that other people seem to have it easier than we do. . .and in some cases, that may be right.

But the Bible says that joy is not based on an absence of difficulty but on discovering your gifts and developing them for the benefit of the Kingdom of God.

Booker T. Washington once said:

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”

Sir Winston Churchill once said:

Before we get into this teaching. . .we think you may need 2 Timothy 2:7 in the Classic Amplified Bible as a spiritual appetizer.

2 Timothy 2:7 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

“Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything.”

Our prayer as you read this teaching is for you to have His insight and understanding on the revelation were about to share.

Did you know there are seven traditional names of Jehovah? Most people can quote the names and tell you what they mean.

There is Jehovah Jirah, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah- nissi, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Ra’ah, Jehovah Tsidkenu and Jehovah Shamma.

We have been taught that these are the seven names of God. We even have songs about them but the truth is only three of these are actual names of Jehovah.

Jehovah Rapha is a name we find in Exodus 15:26 where God says:

This teaching may not seem at first to be a Father’s Day teaching but I assure you. . .it is. Too many children have become estranged from their Father because of offense in their childhood or adult years.

If you’ve faced such a separation from your father. . .this teaching is for you.

I was reading a book when I came across a powerful quote by Pastor Joel Osteen who said:

“Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you're doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.”

Have you ever had someone say something to you that cut you to the quick? Something that wounded you deeply even though you knew they were wrong in their assessment.

I had such an experience and it wasn’t fun. . .it fact, it hurt me very deeply.

This person is someone for whom I’d done many things for over the years. . .made decisions and suggestions that literally made them millions of dollars.

What is your faith? When people ask that question. . .many expect you to say the church, denomination or a religion you align yourself with.

Are you Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim etc?

If you view faith as an organization. . .then I would say your faith is at best misplaced and most probably … dead.

What are the characteristics of dead faith?

First, dead faith is merely head knowledge.

Intellectual agreement by itself is tragically inadequate.

James 2:19 in the New Living Translation says:

Have you ever been in a serious thunderstorm. . .or maybe even a hurricane or tornado?

I’ve never been in a tornado but I have been through some dangerous hurricanes and many serious thunderstorms.

During our time in Texas. . .it was not unusual to have thunderstorms with 60-70 mile-an-hour winds and frequent lightning strikes. I remember one storm where there were over 1,000 lighting strikes in an hour.

When serious storms come up. . .we’re looking for a safe place.

How would you react if you were in the middle of the sea when a violent storm arose?

Mark 4:37 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.”

The disciples and Jesus were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a violent storm began to rage. The disciples were frightened, fearful and faithless in the midst of what they perceived to be a potentially, deadly situation.

Here are seven keys when facing the adversities of life.