“IT’S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT”!!

 Text:  Psalm 91:14-16:  (Psalm portrays Christ as our “All Sufficiency”)!

·         Vs 14: Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

·         Vs 15: He shall call upon me and I will answer him:  I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. 

·         Vs 16: With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

As we look around us and see all the distractions going on in the world, all the negativity in the air, and if we focus on all that, it could cause one to lose focus, hope, and trust in even what faith you already have.

When you turn on the television there’s nothing but bad news, fake news, fires, train derailments, planes crashing, killings, floods, threats of shutting down the government, earthquakes, gutting social security, raising taxes, deportations, you name it, it’s going on.  But you know what, to every one of you that hears or reads this message, regardless of what’s going on, God wants to encourage your hearts and is saying to you today, “It’s going to be alright”!!  Simply because He said so!  One thing is for sure, God’s Word never fails!  If He said it, we can take it to the bank and draw interest on it!!

Let’s take a look at God’s track record. 

Sometimes we have to go down memory lane in order to refocus, readjust, or we need a little jolt to bring us back to reality, because the same God then is the same God now!  What’s happening is nothing new to Him.  He delivered His people then and He is going to deliver us now! 

·         Ecclesiastes 1:9: The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done:  and there is no new thing under the sun.

Do you believe the Word of God?

Let’s go on down memory lane concerning God’s assurance to you that “It’s going to be alright”!

First of all He has always been here.  There has never been a moment that God did not exist.  He is the Ancient of Days!  He is Supreme Lord of heaven and earth. God is the Most High, subject to none, influenced by none!  He is OMNICIENT (all knowing), OMNIPOTENT (all powerful), OMNIPRESENT (everywhere at the same time).  He is absolutely independent and He is directing all things, even things concerning you and situations in your lives.  Many of you have dreams and plans and ideas that can be productive and creative that can and will benefit others.  There are many of you God has spoken a word in your life.  Maybe some of you have said, “What’s the use”?  But God has sent His Word to you to let you know to go on with your dreams, go on with your plans, go on with your ideas, and believe that every word spoken to you it shall come to pass.  It’s going to be alright because God said it!

Let’s continue down memory lane.  Know that God is working all things after the counsel of His own will.   Ephesians 1:11, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will.  God’s will is His determination of a thing, in relation to choice (purpose, decree; volition), or inclination (desire, pleasure). 

He is unrivaled in majesty, meaning, He is better than everyone on anything of the same type.  He is unaffected by anything outside of Himself.  He’s immutable, He changes not.  God is perpetually the same.  God is subject to no change in His being, determination, and attributes.  He’s like a Rock which remains unmovable!!

Somebody say, “It’s going to be alright”!!  God is the beginning and the ending.  Therefore He knows your ending even from the beginning.  Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. So with all that’s going on, let’s stay focused!!

God is saying, “It’s going to be alright”, because of His power.  He is all powerful as well as all wise.  The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatever He pleases.  All power belongs to Him and Him alone.  Not one creature in the entire universe has an atom of power, only what God delegates!  This power is like God Himself, self-sustained, self-existent, infinite, eternal, incomprehensible!  His power can neither be checked, restrained, nor is it frustrated by the creature.

Our forefathers before us experienced His power.  This great power is unlimited.  None can stay His hand.  He is Himself the great central source and originator of all power!!

Is there anyone that knows, despite your circumstances, that “It’s going to be alright”? 

This power of God is ancient (belonging to the very distant past)!

 In Daniel 7, He is called the Ancient of days. 

·         Vs 11: I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke:  I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame:   

·         vs 13: I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Daniel experienced His power!

·         Daniel 6:16: Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions.  Now the king spoke and said unto Daniel, “Thy God whom thou serve continually, he will deliver thee.”  Vs 17: And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.  Vs 19: Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in hast unto the den of lions.  Vs 20: And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel:  and the king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou serve continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?  Vs 21: Then said Daniel unto the king, O king. live forever.  Vs 22: My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me:  forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Daniel knew, “that everything was going to be alright”!

Adam experienced His power!

·         Genesis 1:26: And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:  and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” Vs 27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  Vs 28: And God blessed them and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”  Vs 29: And God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

Adam knew that being in the image and likeness of God, that, “everything was going to be alright”!

Enoch experienced His power!

·         Genesis 5:23: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:  vs 24: And Enoch walked with God:  and he was not; for God took him.

·         Hebrews 11:5: By faith Enoch was translated (transported into the Spirit realm) that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him:  for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased (gratified [made happy; gladdened] entirely) God.

It’s evident that Enoch didn’t do a lot of complaining about whatever he went through and his praises delighted God. 

Because Enoch’s ways pleased God, Enoch knew that “everything was going to be alright” and “was alright”!!

Noah experienced His power!

·         Genesis 6:13: And God said unto Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth."  Vs 14: "Make thee an Ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark and shall pitch it within and without with pitch."  Vs 22: Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he.   Genesis 7:1: And the LORD said unto Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

·         Hebrews 11:7: By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Noah knew that “everything was going to be alright”.

Moses experienced His power and Pharaoh saw and experienced God’s power!  [God divides the waters of the Red Sea]:

·         Exodus 14:13: And Moses said unto the people, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today:  for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.”

·         Vs 21: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided:  vs 22: And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground:  and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Verses 23-25 (the Egyptians pursued them, but the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and troubled the host of the Egyptians):

·         Vs 26: And the LORD said unto Moses, “Stretch out thine hand over the sea that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen."  Vs 27: And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Vs 30: Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.  Vs 31: And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians:  and the people feared the LORD and believed the LORD and his servant Moses.

Moses knew that “everything was going to be alright”!!

The Hebrew boys (refusing to bow to the image Nebucahadnezzar had built or his gods) experienced God’s power!  [The fiery furnace]:

·         Daniel 3:13: Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.  Vs 14: Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego?  Do not you serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?    

·         Vs 15: Now if you be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:  but if you worship not, you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?  Vs 16: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king. O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  Vs 17: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand. O king.  Vs 18: But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Verses 19-23 (the Hebrew Boys are thrown into the fiery furnace, bound):

·         Vs 24: Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in hast and spoke and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.  Vs 25: He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God!  Vs 27: And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coasts changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

I believe these Hebrew Boys remembered what the Prophet Isaiah said:  Isaiah 43:2: When thou pass through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:  when thou walk through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee!!

These Hebrew Boys knew that “everything was going to be alright”!!

I’ve got to take A PRAISE BREAK!!!

Today many of us have experienced this same power even when we didn’t realize it was God.  We may have experienced this power in different ways, circumstances, situations, but when it was over we could say, without a shadow of doubt that “IT WAS GOD” that brought us out!!

So whatever you are going through, whether a storm of life, finances, hindrances, trials or tribulations, or diseases launching an attack, tell God and doubt not in your heart, because “It’s going to be alright!" 

You know the children of Israel when they were in bondage had enough sense to cry out to God and God heard their groaning.  Who do you cry out to, a co-worker, neighbor, a friend?

·         Exodus 2:23: And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died and the children of Israel sighed (mourned [felt or expressed grief or sorrow]) by reason of the bondage and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

·         Vs 24: And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

We are blessed because we are included in that promise to Abraham through Christ!!

·         Galatians 3:16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He said not, and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.

And because the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children (sons) of God:  and if children (sons), then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together (Romans 8:16-17). Then all the blessings Jesus Christ died for we can have and do have!!  Some of those blessings are listed in Ephesians 1:1-23: 

·         Vs 4: We’re chosen in him; holy and without blame.

·         Vs 5: We’re predestinated unto adoption as children (placed as sons).

·         Vs 6: We’re accepted in the beloved (Jesus Christ).

·         Vs 7: We’re redeemed through his blood and forgiven of sins.

·         Vs 11: We have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to God’s divine purpose.

·         Vs 13: We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

·         Vs 17: We’re given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

·         Vs 18: The eyes of our understanding are enlightened.

·         Vs 23: We are His body, the fullness of him that fills all things. 

May I also add, we have dominion, authority and power:  Luke 10:19: Behold, I give unto you power (exousi'a) (ability) [privilege; force; freedom; mastery; liberty; jurisdiction] to tread (trample) on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Acts 1:8: But you shall receive power (du'namis) [enablement to do miracles], after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  

We also have divine health:  Isaiah 53:5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.  1^st Peter 2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:  by whose stripes you were healed. 

We have eternal life:  St. John 3:15-16: That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal (quality) life:  for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting (unending) life.  2^nd Timothy 1:9-10: Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began:  but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath (already) abolished death, and hath (already) brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.  As Bishop Wilson would say, “WHAT MORE"???

Back to God hearing the cry of His people:

Exodus 3:7: And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their tasks masters:  for I know their sorrows.”

I asked myself, “How do you know their sorrows?"  He answered, “When they did it to them, they did it to me!”

·         Matthew 25:35: For I was hungered, and you gave me meat:  I was thirsty, and you gave me drink:  I was a stranger, and you took me in:  vs 36: Naked, and you clothed me:  I was sick and you visited me:  I was in prison, and you came unto me.  Vs 37: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungered, and fed thee?  Or thirsty and gave thee drink?  Vs 38: When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in?  Or naked and clothed thee?  Vs 39: Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison and came unto thee?  Vs 40: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.

You don’t have to see the whole staircase to take the first step.

·         Exodus 3:8: And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

These are the enemies of the Israelites that all had to be destroyed by Israel.  How many know that we are God’s spiritual Israel?  Israel, means to strive as God; have power with and rule as God; a prince with God.

As God’s people prayed to Him, He saw, He heard, and He delivered!!  With all of those people praying to God I believe somebody knew it was going to be alright, even though it was a long time coming, somebody knew it was going to be alright!!

Again, you don’t have to see the whole staircase to take the first step, in trusting God!

Matthew 17:14-21 (Jesus heals a boy possessed by a devil – His disciples couldn’t because of unbelief):

·         Vs 20: Jesus said unto them, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

·         Mark 11:23: For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he said shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he said.

Jesus didn’t say have faith the size of a mustard seed, He said “As a grain of mustard seed!”  As is the Greek word hos’per, meaning, just as, exactly like: (even, like) as; in that manner; according (even) as (like).  The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds on earth, yet when planted it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.  When we apply our faith to any situation, with our faith having the potential (possibility; prospective) as a grain of mustard seed, that with God “all things are possible”, we will come out the victor!!

·         Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Vs 6: But without faith (pis’tis) [conviction (of truth of God], it is impossible to please him:  for he that comes to God must believe (have faith in; commit to trust] that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

·          Ephesians 3:14: For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, vs 15: Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.  Vs 16: That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; vs 17: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, vs 18: May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and the length, and depth, and height; vs 19: And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.  vs 20: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, vs 21: Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.  Amen.

Know people of God that in whatever circumstance you’re confronted with, that “everything is going to be alright”!!!

Evangelist Mary Perry