Audio – You Cant Stop The Train
Pastor Edward Davis 04.18.2010

Audio – My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me
Pastor Edward Davis 04.18.2010

Audio – The Results Of Prayers And Alms
Pastor Edward Davis 04.11.2010

Sermon Audio – The Best To The Best
Pastor Edward Davis – 04.11.2010

A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, ‘God , I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’God led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it impossible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. God said, ‘You have seen Hell.’

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand.’

“It is simple,’ said God . ‘It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.’

JUDGE NOT. Remember…Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car . We are NOT supposed to judge or take pleasure in someone else’s misery! Let us pray. Every saint has a PAST… Every sinner has a FUTURE!

In medical terms, tunnel vision is defined as the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision.

As a metaphor, tunnel vision denotes the reluctance of individuals to consider alternatives to their preferred line of thought. This could include physicians treating afflictions, detectives considering crime suspects, or anyone predisposed to a favored outcome.

There are Biblical examples of tunnel vision, both good and bad. Judges 6 tells us the story of Gideon. The Midianites were starving the Israelites.

“And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.” But help was going to come through a man named Gideon. “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”

How would you react?! An ANGEL came to Gideon! Not a prophet, not even an angel in a dream. One would think that Gideon would be super-charged, but he responded with doubt and questioning.

“And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all His miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto Him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” Even after that pep talk Gideon had to have fire from a rock, and signs through a fleece to believe. Gideon had tunnel vision, but in the wrong way. He was focused on all the circumstance around him.

On the other hand, David had tunnel vision, but the good kind. “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.”

I Samuel 17:37 “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

I Samuel 17:46

David had unbelievable amounts of opposition: his brothers, the king, and a giant who was verbally tearing him apart, yet nothing would deter David from killing that giant. He was focused on the goal and was confident in the outcome; there was no telling him otherwise. He focused on God and what God was able to do, not all the noise that was going around him. “My God is with me, no matter what’s going on around me!”

How can we relate this to the day-to-day? Sometimes we get so focused on the bad things around us we lose focus on what God is working out for us. He uses difficult situations to make us what He wants us to be. No matter how bad the surroundings may be we need to know that it is an opportunity for God to work on us and through us!

What are you focusing on?

Your office and attic aren’t the only places in need of periodic cleaning and organizing. The stuff you carry around in your head and heart do more than take up mental space. They can stop you from being content.

Here are some ways you can de-clutter your insides:

Let go of grudges.
Why carry a grudge to the grave? Put the past behind you. Try writing a letter to the person you’re angry with. You don’t have to send it, but just putting the incident down in black and white can help you get past it.

Unload burdensome friends.
Take an honest look at the people in your life. Break ties with those who don’t support you, or who are incompatible with your values and goals.

Put the gavel away.
Being judgmental only closes you off from learning something from others. Don’t judge so quickly; listen first.

Be willing to be wrong.
Don’t be afraid to make the occasional mistake. When you do, acknowledge it. You can waste a lot of energy trying to keep up the façade that you are always right.

When one cleans out the attic, one makes more room. When one de-clutters the mind, one makes room for better things: peace, love and joy. It’s time for some spring cleaning! Get out that mental broom and get rid of the clutter.

In this life we never know what we are going to face, but God is always with us.

January 20, 2010, was a devastating day for me and my family. I had been in pain for a very long time. My appointment time came for me to have a colonoscopy. I did not dream that the doctor would come in and tell me and my wife that I had colon cancer. He told me I would need to see a surgeon, and in a few minutes the nurse came in and told me that I had an appointment that afternoon with the surgeon. The whirlwind was just beginning!

I saw the surgeon that afternoon. He told me the tumor needed to come out or I would not live. He told my wife and I that I needed to be admitted to the hospital that day and the surgery would be done on January 21. The wind grew stronger and blew harder.

I spent a little time with my son, and late that afternoon I entered the hospital. I was able to spend Wednesday night with family gathered around me. I was able to share with them first of all what being able to serve God meant to me. I also shared with them how important my wife and my son were to me.

I was given the opportunity to not only share with my family, but also the X-ray technician about the love of God and the plan He has for our lives.

I wanted to pray, “Lord, save me from cancer,” but I could not pray that way. I could only pray, “Lord, Your will be done.” At that time, my whole outlook changed. I was still afraid, but I knew God was in control and He was with me.

Thursday came. Emotions were high, but God was still in control! The surgery was done. The cancer was gone. The doctor said he was able to remove all of the tumor and he didn’t find any cancer anywhere else. I was CANCER FREE. My wife and I praised the Lord. Once again He had delivered me.

As the word spread to family and friends, the words we heard over and over again were “PRAISE THE LORD!” God took a whirlwind and turned it into a blessing and an opportunity to share what God had done for me.

Day by day I feel the precious presence of the Lord in my life. Through this experience God has drawn me closer to Him. He has given me a greater burden to see my family come to know the Lord as I know Him.

The battle is not over but, praise the Lord, the victory is already won. That is why I can praise God in the face of colon cancer or any other trial I might face.

Sermon Audio – Easter Sunday 2010
Pastor Edward Davis – 04.04.2010