Power Of The Pits

Key scripture:  “Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers and they hated him even more!”  Genesis 37:5

Power Point:

     The pits can really be the pits can’t they?  I don’t know if you’ve ever fallen into one but they can be the very devil to get out of.

     This morning I was thinking about Joseph in prison. His journey began with a dream.  He was so awestruck by the dream he began to share it.  It was not well received. The next thing he knew he was looking up from the bottom of a pit. The dreams in his heart, the vision he had seen, looked totally hopeless. The truth is, Joseph didn’t dream up those dreams. God put them in his heart. Just as He has put every dream or prophetic word over your life in your heart. But that is the way of dreams.

They come alive in us.  They are tested. They are fulfilled.

    A teacher once told me that: First you will have the Birth of a Vision. Secondly you will see the Death of that Vision. And Thirdly, there will be Divine Intervention.  Beloved, dreams almost always need Divine Intervention. And that’s a GOOD thing!

     If you are walking closely with God, you can be sure that the dream in your heart was put there by Him. That means that the more you contemplate them and dream about your dreams, the more likelihood they have of coming to pass, because God is partnering with you.  In fact, that dream was His idea in the first place!  He will take you right to the end of your dream, and then He will meet you where you are with one of His glorious surprises.  You will wake up one morning and find yourself smack dab in the fulfillment of your dream.

     He gives us dreams so that we will walk with Him into a bright future full of promise and hope.  It seems that people often accuse God of stealing our

dreams so that He can make Himself bigger in our lives.  Nope.  That’s the “other” guy.  God’s revelation about Himself is that He loves to give us the desires of our hearts.  He loves to fulfill our dreams.  He loves to watch us grow into them.

      Do you find yourself in a pit today, clutching your frayed dream closely to your heart?  Remember that Your heavenly Father is the One Who delivers you out of the pits!

    Do you find yourself in the middle of your dream, with some miles still ahead of you?  Remember that Your heavenly Father has a brilliant road map shining with the light of His Spirit to get you to your destination.

    Do you find yourself (finally) in the fulfillment of your dreams? Well, share the joy gently and honor Him greatly.

     Never forget Beloved, that the dreams in your heart are part of Your heavenly Father’s plan for your life.  Why wouldn’t He want to see them come alive? Remember Joseph began by being thrown in a pit.  He ended up as CEO of Egypt.

Power Thought:

Let your life become living proof that what matters to you, matters to Him.

Sweet Dreams!

Power Of Making Progress

Abby and Lollipup

Key Scripture:  “He who has My commands and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”  John 14:21

Power Point:

      As you know, we LOVE dogs at our house.  We have a plethora of them.

Our dogs are well behaved and obey our commands. They’ve made progress in the process of learning to be part of the family. They’ve learned to “Sit!” “Stay!” and “Come!”

     When we first bring those little bundles of joy home, they have no clue what those words mean.  They just love being puppies. But as they get older they need to learn some commands that will keep them safe, and give them some boundaries.  My daughter often keeps a Wheaton Terrior when her family is gong to be away from home.  Her name is Abby and she is a very sweet girl. HOWEVER, she is much larger than our toy poodles AND she has no boundaries. None. Zip. Nada. She has boundless energy and she just loves life. When you add that to the fact that she loves to spring up on you from behind, and spring up on your head while you are sitting-well, you can see the problem. One day, I was leaning over the front seat of my car, when she jumped on my back and I did a nose dive.  I was thankful for the soft seats!

     Don't get me wrong!  I love Abby.  I DON’T love the part of her that still acts like her life is her own and has no respect for my boundaries. We are making progress in the process of growing her self-control so that she can become a wonderful part of the family.  When we began to try to correct her exuberance for life we had to put a leash on her when someone came in the door.  We had to begin giving hand signals that said, “STOP!” There’s a boundary here!”  Now she still jumps at times but then immediately sits and looks at you and says, “Sorry, I forgot!” I’ll do better next time.”  Hopefully she will. I think we’re making progress!

     The thing is Beloved, sometimes God needs to “put a leash “ on some of our behaviors.  Sometimes He needs to teach us to “stop!” some poor behaviors and learn some new ones.  Sometimes He needs to teach us to “Sit! Stay!, or Come!”  That gives us the ability to learn to make progress toward being more like Jesus, doesn’t it?  One thing I really love about my heavenly Father is that like me with Abby, He doesn’t smack her or yell, (I have yelled in surprise!) but He calms me down, sits me down, and begins to explain why “that” behavior needs to be transformed. And then He gives me opportunity to apply what He’s taught me.

I’ve seen people who are judgmental and critical, or complaining.  We can never make progress in the process of becoming all that we are meant to be if we continue to do that. One of the “boundaries” of His kingdom is to love one another. We need to put a “leash” on any behavior that is out of line with that.       Any unkindness is way out of bounds for the kingdom of God. Like our heavenly Father, we are to encourage, edify, teach, help, pray for, and generally do everything we can to help the people in our lives make progress in their process; that they learn to “Sit” when told or “Stay in place”, or “Come” to Him.

    There are very clear boundaries in the kingdom of God.  Love one another is really key isn’t it?  This is from The Message, Matthew 5:21-24:

SIT!

“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, “Do not murder.’  I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder.  Carelessly call a brother, “idiot”, and you just might find yourself hauled into court.  Thoughtlessly yell “stupid!” at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire.  The simple moral fact is that words kill.”

    Are there some behaviors you need to “STOP!” today so that the kingdom of heaven is able to pour out its blessings on you?

What is the process that Holy Spirit is shining His light on in your life? Are you making progress? 

Sit.  Stay. Come to Him.

     The meaning of the word “repent” means to turn around and go in a different direction.  It means stopping one behavior and replacing it with a new one. I was listening to a song by Sandi Patty the other day and one of the phrases was:

“Our lives are the throne where His glory’s shone!”

 You are an ambassador for Christ, and of His kingdom. What’s shining from your life today? What will you stop and what will you start?

Power Thought:

STOP!

Any unkindness is out of bounds for the kingdom of God.

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