Power Of New Beginnings

Power Of New Beginnings

Key Scripture:  “It is finished!”  John 19:30

Power Point:

     At the moment of His death, Jesus said, “It is finished!”  But it wasn’t.  It was only just beginning! Of course, what He meant was that that particular part of His ministry was finished. The best was yet to come.

     One of my very favorite passages of Scripture is Isaiah 64:4,5.  It says, “Oh that You would break open the heavens and come to earth.  (He did!  That part is finished!)  For from the beginning, no man has seen a God like our God, who acts on behalf of the one who is waiting for Him with joy and anticipation in their heart.”  He comes toward and approaches the one who is perfectly happy and at rest in Him and who never forgets His faithfulness." (Suzanne version).

     Beloved, is there something that needs to be finished in your life so that God can act on your behalf?  Is there something that needs to be dead and buried so that resurrection life can power up your life?  We love to hang on to the “old” don’t we; old attitudes, old thoughts, old patterns of behavior.

Yet God is always anxious to stir up the “new”.  He’s always got His eye on that place in the future He has set aside for you; that place where you are joyfully complete in Him and fully satisfied with His goodness.

       When Jesus said, “It is finished!”, He meant that from that point on those who accepted His “finished” work, would never be the same again.

When the women went to the Garden Tomb that day, Jesus was not there in the same form that they had known Him before.  He had risen from the dead.  He had risen above dead things and was a totally new creation, still a man but also God, unlimited in power and perspective. We have the same opportunity. We have the same calling.  To put behind the things that are “finished” in our lives and anticipate and live in the “new” place Jesus died to give us.

     If you think about it, when Mary begins to try to hug Jesus, He says, “Not yet!  I haven’t seen my Father.”  The thought occurred to me that Jesus came to the people He loved to let them know He was okay, even before He went to His Father. He wanted them to know that indeed, the old was finished, and a new way of living had begun. He says to Mary, “Go to my brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to MY Father and YOUR Father, and to MY God and YOUR God.”  Jesus had finished His job and because of Him, God could truly

become OUR God, up close and personal, without fear of retaliation or judgment, or the weight of sin.  We get to come to OUR Father because Jesus had done away with everything that separated us from Him.

  What is finished in your life today?  And what is still hanging on from the “old” that is keeping you from experiencing all the “new” God has for you?

What is missing from your experience of the fullness of God?  What is holding you back from experiencing heaven on earth?

    Why not ask Him to break open the heavens over your life and then begin to get really happy as you anticipate seeing that! 
Beloved, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Power Thought:
What isn't finished tends to hang on.  Jesus made all things new!

Power Of All In Your Head

Power of "All In Your Head"

Key Scripture:  “God looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek Him.”  Psalms 53:2

Power Point:

Trust me, there have been many times when I’ve been told that something is “all in my head”.  I think that meant that I was dreaming up something all on my own; that it wasn’t real but a figment of my imagination. I’m sure there have been times when that has been true.

BUT! I’ve been reading a book recently called, “The Life Of Faith” by Mrs. C. Nuzum.  It’s an old classic and in it she describes the difference between head faith and heart faith. It’s crystal clear when you think about it.

     I’ve always known that unless I apply what I know, it won’t do me a bit of good.  Mrs. Nuzum puts it this way:

Head faith looks at surroundings, difficulties, and hindrances.

Heart Faith looks at things desired and promises of God and refuses to see hindrances, laughs at impossibilities and cries, “IT SHALL BE DONE!”

Head faith investigates as to how God is working and as to the progress and results.

Heart faith clings to His word, even when there is nothing in evidence.

Head faith gives up easily.

Heart faith says, “I will NOT let You go until You bless me!”

God does not see head faith. “The Bible says that God looks on the heart. He sees heart faith, even when it is as small as a grain of mustard seed and will never fail to say to that faith, “Be it done unto you according to your faith!” (Matthew 9:29)

Power Thought:

So Beloved, is your faith “all in your head” or is it on display for God to see today as He looks at your heart? 

Power Of Maintaining Peace

Key Scripture:  “Blessed, (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous-with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God.”  Matthew 5:9, Amplified.

Power Point:

If you think about it, peacemaking was Jesus’s key assignment wasn’t it?

He made peace between God and every single person who wanted to accepted that peace.  Peace. Do you remember when you first asked Jesus to become Lord of your life and everything changed in a moment?  I remember the joy of knowing that God really loved me and I especially remember that probably for the first time in my life, I experienced perfect peace. Nothing bothered me anymore. No one could penetrate the extraordinary shield of peace in me. After a period of time though, the peace began to evaporate slowly until one day I found some of the old “unpeaceful me” coming alive again.  It was then I discovered that although I still had access to peace, it was my job to guard it, keep it, and maintain it.

In case you haven’t noticed, those words are all verbs!  In other words, they are action words!

     Maintaining peace will always require action on our part.  It’s a gift that we’ve opened and we are the ones responsible for keeping it on display.

There are two words for “peace” in the Bible.  Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace” meaning that wherever He goes and whatever He does, He offers His peace.  That word is “shalom”.

Here’s the full definition:

A.            completeness (in number)

B.            safety, soundness (in body)

C.            welfare, health, prosperity

D.            peace, quiet, tranquillity, contentment

E.            peace, friendship

F.             of human relationships

G.            with God especially in covenant relationship

   Isn’t God good to offer us that?  That’s really good news!

     In John 14, He says that He has left us with the same ability and the same assignment.  The word for “peace” in that chapter is

“eirene” .

Here’s that definition:

Peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord

Security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)

Of the Messiah's peace

Of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is

The blessed state of devout and upright men after death

     SO, if Jesus’s job was peace, can you see that it is our job to make and maintain peace as well? He advised us to not “LET” our hearts be troubled. He said, "God forbid that you should let your hearts be troubled!"

He told us to “keep” peace within ourselves and with each other. He said to guard it, maintain it and be filled with it. In fact, He says that those who make and maintain peace in their lives are the ones who can be identified as “sons of God”.

The choice is always ours Beloved.

     We say we want to be like Jesus.  We say that we want to do what He did.  What did He do?  He made and maintained peace. In Luke 2:29, He said, “I must be about my Father’s business.”  What was that?  PEACE!

To make and maintain peace around us, we have to make and maintain the peace that Jesus died to give us don’t we? Aren’t you glad that you don’t have to do that on your own?  Aren’t you glad that Jesus’ own Holy Spirit lives in you and a by-product of His presence is P-E-A-C-E.

     Not feeling it?  Perhaps its time for a maintenance check.  Have you allowed UN-peace to trickle into your thought life?  Did you forget that its YOUR job to maintain peace?  With him.  Or her.  Or them. “As far as it depends on you, make peace with one another.”

     Isn’t it exciting to know that today, with Holy Spirit as your partner, you can be “in peace”, and offer peace, and make peace?

     I’m taking my car in for a “tune-up” this week. There is nothing wrong, I’m just trying to maintain it’s ability to have the power to work at capacity.  Does your peace need a “tune up”?   When peace fills you, it fills your life. When it fills your life, it enfolds others in your peace and everyone can maintain their capacity for peace. That’s the Father’s business.

Power Thought:

Peace is mandatory for the riches of Christ to be manifest in us.
"God is the supreme Peacemaker, and His sons follow His example."  Matthew 5:9, note from NSFB

Power Of Weeping

Key Scripture:  “And Jesus wept.”  John 11:35

Power Point:

     It occurs to me that sometimes we think being strong means that we never have a moment when we can just cry, and cry out to God when things are hurting. As a people who have learned to “declare, think on and only speak what God speaks”, we have a mistaken impression that it’s a sign of weakness to cry.

     And yet tears are healing.  Tears are a wonderful release that make room for joy to return. When our insides are like a pressure cooker, when the pressure is turned on high, we can release it through tears.  That brings us back to the place of peace where we can again declare, think on and speak what God is speaking.

     God is actually quite fond of our tears.  In fact, He keeps every one in a bottle.

Psalm 34:17 says, “The righteous cry and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”  Are you aware today that God is on alert for the teary places in our lives?  Did you know that even as the tears are falling, God is coming to meet you with comfort, solutions, wisdom, and joy? In fact, the result of our tears is joy.  “Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy.”  
     A friend gave me that scripture many years ago when my husband died.  It was a time of tears. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time to weep and that was my time.  I think the thing I learned during that time was that I could sow my tears and expect the joy of the Lord to return to me. I was never without hope, because I was never without Him.

     We can never let tears be our stopping point Beloved. Tears are to release what is in us so that we can be restored, and filled with His joy.  Even as I learned to sow my tears, I sought diligently and desperately to strengthen my faith.  I knew that only my faith in His goodness would restore my joy.

I didn’t let the tears stop me from knowing that He was right there with me.  His heart was broken at my sadness and as I offered my tears in faith. He enveloped me with the power of the future He had laid up for me; a good future to give me hope.

     So if you are in the Valley of Tears right now, look around. God is right there beside you, shedding His own tears for you and with you.  When the tears have finished falling, His great love will enfold you and His grace will lead you to the place where you can remember His faithfulness and press on to tomorrow with greater strength.  And joy.

Power Thought:

"Weeping may last for the night but JOY comes in the morning.”  (Psalms 30:5)

Don’t ever forget that, Beloved.

 "When I Cry"

Gaither Vocal Band

http://youtu.be/kkLAwaw-4nY 

Power Of Wondering

Key Scripture:  “God looked and saw evil looming on the horizon-so much evil and no sign of justice.  He couldn’t believe what He saw: not a soul around to correct this awful situation.  So He did it Himself!” Isaiah 59:16, The Message

“He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor.”  Isaiah 59:16 NSFB

Power Point:

     The next time you look at your own life or at someone else’s life, you might think about this scripture.  Sometimes we look at issues around us and are appalled.  Sometimes we are hurt and confused and stunned at the magnitude of the problem.

Can you imagine God feeling the same way?  It seems that He does. He is not appalled at the problem, of course, He’s appalled that that there is no one who will take hold of their armor and fight for God’s heart in that situation.

Cheer up!  There’s GOOD news. If we refuse to take advantage of our priestly calling; If we concentrate on the problem MORE than helping someone find God’s way OUT of that problem, then He takes care of it all by Himself. He suits up with all the Power available to Him and then He MOVES in to help.  He comes toward and meets the one who is waiting for Him.

     I love verse 17 in this passage because it says that He not only COMES but He is clad in ZEAL.  Yes!

     Now of course, this passage is describing Jesus.  The Savior has already been sent from heaven.  He came so well-armed and so well-prepared that the enemy is still licking his wounds. When he tries to come in and flood our lives with his evil, you can be assured that the Spirit of the Lord, (the One that Jesus sent to us),  WILL lift up the standard of Truth against him.

He will say, "YOU have no right here. Be Gone!"

He will say, "This is God’s child. Vamoose!"
He will say, "This is the way out!"

He will open Satan’s ears to hear the voices of the intercessors violently, passionately, and  beautifully praising God.

He will actively help us to resist him and he has to go.

He will establish an atmosphere of praise that will bring God’s heart to His kids.

     Is God scratching His head at that situation in your life? Is He shaking His head at the enormous problem that is choking the life out of someone you love?  It’s your turn to “suit up”!  It’s your turn to join the "A" team and move heaven’s resources into that situation. Today.  Now.  Pray, intercede, and join forces with the Spirit of God to overcome evil with good. Someone needs you.

And by the way, do it with ZEAL!

Power Thought:

“When the enemy comes in, like a FLOOD, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him.”   Will you help?  
Just wondering!

Power of Surprise!

Key Scripture:  “When You did AWESOME things for which we did not look!”

Isaiah 64:3

Power Point:

God loves to surprise us! 

-Moses failed miserably and then was surprised by a burning bush.

-Lazarus died and then surprised everyone by walking out of his tomb.

-Jesus died and then He surprised us with the resurrection.

-Jesus ascended and then He surprised us with the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

     Somewhere, somehow, sometime God will surprise YOU with His goodness.

In fact, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

     Do you remember the surprising night when God led His people out of Egypt?  He surprised them with the first miracle they had ever seen, the parting of the Red Sea.

Do you remember when the disciples had been fishing all night without even one tiny minnow to show for it?  Jesus surprised them with a catch so awesome that it broke their nets.

I love that about God.  I love knowing that whatever lack or need I see in front of my face, God has a wonderful surprise in store for me.

It’s just the way He is. 

     Do you need a way out?  Expect a surprising pathway to show up.

     Do you have a lack? Launch out into the deep.

     Have you failed?  Go find that bush!

     God has glorious surprises in store for you.  He’s not limited by your imagination or your hopelessness. He’s got a pocketful of miracles ready to sprinkle across your path.

“Men are clueless about who God really is; A glorious God, who acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him.

He comes toward and meets with the one who is greatly happy in Him."  Is. 64:4,5  (Suzanne version).

He's hiding right around that next corner waiting to jump out and say, "Surprise!"

Powerful Thought:

I wonder what God has in store for us today. Whatever will He do next?!