By Shannon Marshall

Don’t let your circumstances get you down. Keep a balance between the problem and the potential.  First Baptist Church Houston voted to disband in 1969.  The church wasn’t growing, they couldn’t make budget, nor could they take care of the facilities of the church.  The church’s circumstances gave the church a “can’t” attitude.  Then, John Bisagno was called to the church as pastor.  He would stay as pastor of the church for over forty years.  During these forty years, the church baptized over 18,000 people, and the budget increased from $300000 to $24 million. John Bisagno led the church to take their eyes off the circumstances and put them on Jesus.

The gospel of Mark included a story of four friends who helped their friend rise up out of his situation.  The four friends carried him to Jesus because he was a paralytic. The friends had to tear apart the roof to get him to Jesus, because they couldn’t get through the door for the crowd. Jesus would heal the man, making him able to walk.

How to rise above the circumstances in your life? First, see by a vision. Vision sees not what it is but what it can be. The four friends saw what the crippled man could become. Second, know who helps. Prayer! Get the circumstance to Jesus. Build an altar in your life and put your eyes on Jesus. Third, do the work.  It is belief and duty, faith and works. Do the hard work. They carried the man, tore the roof off, and lowered him down. Have a sense of conquest with your life. Fourth, speak the Word over the circumstance. The word of God is a nonnegotiable. Fifth, seize the now. The opportunity of now. Sixth, have a loving spirit. Seventh, be selfless in attitude. And Eighth, celebrate in worship. Once the man was healed he worshiped in celebration. Don’t let your circumstances get you down!