Raise Your Expectations

Posted on Sep 9, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Raise Your Expectations

Matthew 19:26

26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”

-Henry Ford

“Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present”

-Unknown

Thankfully in Christ, we don’t get what we deserve. I can say “amen” to that statement all day. All day, every day. Thank you Jesus!

Scripture does seem to indicate, more often than not, we do get what we expect. That is why we are discussing the need to raise our expectations in relation to our ability to thrive in hope.

Ray Johnston explains five attitudes and actions that will help us become a person who expects great things.

1) Believe Impossible Things Are Possible

One of my favorite stories of persistent faith is found in Luke 5:17-25. Some men desired to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. When they arrived at the house Jesus was teaching in, there was not enough room for them to enter. They could have given up and tried another day, but they had great expectation. Like the women with the issue of blood, they knew if they could just get through the crowd, Jesus would meet the need.

Their determination took them to the roof of the house, where they created a hole big enough for their friend to pass through, and lowered him to a place right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he forgave the man of his sins and healed him of paralysis. The man left whole in body and spirit. God honored their faith, and because of their great expectations, he exceeded what they thought was possible. They believed for a healing, but I don’t think they expected his sins to be forgiven. God is so good!

Four of the worst words we can allow to fill our minds, or worse yet, to escape our lips; are the words, “Things will never change.” Unbelief literally handcuffs the all-powerful hands of God. We have to be careful not to limit the Holy One of Israel like the children of Israel did in the wilderness. We must not be like those who lived in Jesus’ hometown, who made it impossible for God to do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.

We need to expect God to do great things in our life. It may be impossible with man, but with God, nothing shall be impossible to them that believe (Mark 9:23).

To bring balance, I am not saying God will do everything we expect. He is sovereign. We sometimes ask amiss, according to our flesh. We sometimes ask things that are not according to the plan of God. Finally, sometimes we ask for things to be fulfilled outside of their God-ordained time frame.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get your prayers answered right away. Keep praying according to the will of God and expect miracles, sings, and wonders to follow us as we believe.

2) Believe That God Has Better Days Ahead

We have to keep expecting God’s grace to improve our lives. We have to believe that if we will continue to sow things in the Spirit, we will reap the things of the Spirit. If we will be faithful to submit ourselves to God’s Spirit in prayer, and expose our minds to the transforming power of His Word, our lives will improve. We may not have more money, more possessions, more wealth, more fame, or more of the other temporary things we often long for; but we will have more love, more joy, more peace, more contentment, and more eternal rewards.

As we walk with Him, we will be separated more and more from the bondage of sin. We will receive more and more power to push back the darkness of spiritual opposition.

We walk through many different seasons in this life. Some days are great, and some days are horrific. But we can be confident, that in the areas that matter, things will continue to improve as we follow Christ.

When we are struggling horribly, we can always have the assurance that some way, some how, things will get better. Jesus will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. We will see greener pastures and still waters again. We just have to keep following our Shepherd.

3) Realize the Power of Perspective

A young college student wrote her parents a tough letter during a sophomore year:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I know this is really going to be disappointing to you, but I met a guy. He is fifteen years older than me. We’re in love. We just eloped. I’m two months pregnant. I’m dropping out of school and I will contact you at some point in the future. I’m really sorry,

Your Daughter

Just below the note she added a P.S.

P.S. Just Kidding. But I did flunk one class and I need $200. Please keep this in perspective.

Sometimes we don’t need a change of circumstances as much as we need a change in our perspective.

Remember the twelve spies who were tasked with giving a report about the Promise Land? They all saw the same things. They all had the same promises from God. They had all been delivered from Egypt by the mighty hand of God. They had identical circumstances. The difference between the two who brought the good report and the ten who brought the evil report – perspective.

When Nehemiah asked his friends about how things were going for the Jews in Jerusalem (who had returned from captivity), they told him:

“Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” (Nehemiah 1:3)

Things were horrible, and they had not improved for 92 years, but Nehemiah had faith for things to change. He had a different perspective.

For 92 years, Jerusalem had no walls. For 92 years, the people lived under fear, failure, frustration, and fatigue. Then Nehemiah arrived with a different perspective.

Under Nehemiah’s leadership, the people were able to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days!

Are you providing an expectation of faith and hope for your family, on your job, in your school? Are you bringing a hopeful perspective to a seemingly hopeless situation?

I challenge you to maintain the perspective of hope, through faith in God, regardless of the circumstance.

4) Replace Fear With Faith

Johnston offers a profound definition of fear – “fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.”

We need to move from fear to faith.

Johnston uses the story of David and Goliath to illustrate fear vs. faith. He says:

“Israel allowed four destructive steps – FEAR – to keep it quivering on the sidelines. But David made five positive choices – FAITH – to take a risk for God.”

The four destructive steps of FEAR are:

Focused only on the problem (1 Samuel 17:4-10)

Expected to be defeated (1 Samuel 17:11)

Attitude of self-protection (1 Samuel 17:23-24)

Ran from the problem (1 Samuel 17:24)

Conversely, the five positive choices of FAITH are:

Focused on God (1 Samuel 17:26)

Anticipated God’s help (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

Insisted on being involved (1 Samuel 17:28-32)

Took time to prepare (1 Samuel 17:38-40)

Had an impact on everyone around him (1 Samuel 17:51-52)

When David destroyed Goliath, it moved the entire nation of Israel from a paralysis of fear to victorious march of faith.

5) Replace “What If” with “Why Not?”

In Exodus 14, we read how the Lord had just delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and commanded them to turn and camp by the sea. The Lord had intentionally led them to a place where Pharaoh would see they were trapped and pursue them.

When Pharaoh and his men began to pursue them, the children of Israel saw that they were trapped between the mountains and the sea. They had nowhere to go and Pharaoh was bearing down on them.

As the children of Israel panicked, their minds must have been filled with “what ifs.” What if God had not led them here? What if they would have stayed in Egypt? What if they would have ignored God’s direction and taken a different route?

Thankfully Moses had a “why not?” When God told Moses to stretch out his rod over the Red Sea to part the waters, Moses said, “why not?” He could have been overcome with the “what ifs” like the others, but instead he silenced the inner reasoning, and with faith, said “why not?”

As a result, the children of Israel saw the power and the plan of God that day. He did not lead them to that place to die. He led them to that place so their enemy would chase them and be destroyed in the Red Sea once and for all.

A friend of Ray Johnston’s, named Roger Crawford, was born with shortened limbs, including two mis-shapen hands that protrude from his forearms with two fingers on one and one on the other. Needless to say, he has encountered many challenges in life because of his abnormal condition. But Roger learned how to silence the “what ifs” about his condition and excel through an attitude of “why not?”

Not only has he learned to play tennis, but he learned to play it exceptionally well! In fact, he became a NCAA Division 1 tennis champion!

As a result of his accomplishments and his exemplary attitude, Crawford speaks to audiences all over the world about overcoming critics and doubters. He encourages people to lay aside the pessimism of “I can’t” and embrace the unstoppable power of “I can.”

Crawford was asked to tour Walter Reed Memorial Hospital and encourage soldiers who had lost limbs in the line of duty. He noted how devastate most of the soldiers were. It was such a grief-laden atmosphere, the normally optimistic Crawford was feeling depressed. Then he walked into a room where a young man lay flat on his back, unable to move.

As Crawford talked to the smiling young man, he found out he was a committed Christian.

“Hey, you don’t have normal arms either,” said the young man to Crawford. “How can I pray for you?”

Crawford was taken back by the young man’s optimism as they continued to talk, and finally he asked the young man, “What’s your secret? Everyone here is devastated and depressed, but you actually have hope.”

“I’m flat on my back,” the younger soldier said, “so the only thing I can do is look up.”

Perhaps God has led us to a particular situation where we are surrounded by difficulty, and instead of wallowing in the despair of the endless “what ifs,” why don’t we look up to God and say “why not?” I know things are hard, but I know God can lead me through this, “why not?”

Conclusion:

Our expectations are shaped by our faith in God and our knowledge of His will. As we know His will, we can have expectantly hope that He will perform it. We just have to make the choice to trust in Him. We have to willfully choose to expect great things from Almighty God, according to His will. No matter how impossible it seems.

Recharge Your Batteries (Part 2)

Posted on Sep 8, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Recharge Your Batteries (Part 2)

Isaiah 40:31 KVJ

31 But they that wait upon the

Lord

shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 AMP

31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
Will gain new strength and renew their power;
They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary,
They will walk and not grow tired.

Yesterday we examined 5 passion killers that drain our energy, and consequently, hinder our hope.

Today we will examine 5 supply lines that are essential to staying encouraged.

1) Invest in your own growth:

Ray Johnston asks the question, “What are you doing, year by year, to invest in your own growth and development?”

It is a good question for all of us to answer. Two good preceding questions would be, “What is your role in the kingdom of God? How do you see yourself making an impact in the body of Christ and as a witness to those who are lost?”

Once you figure out those things, what are you doing to invest in your growth or development in those areas? Are you reading books that will help you in this area? Are you attending seminars that will help you in this field of ministry? Are you preparing for an increase in your level of impact?

The Apostolic Conference, Harvest Northwest, and our North American Missions retreat are three events that significantly ministered to me and my development as a pastor this year. I entered the events needing some fuel in my tank, and thank God, I left with a renewed focus and vision. These events have been instrumental in my development.

I will readily admit that I need to continue to improve as a pastor in helping others find opportunities to invest in their personal growth and development. Some of you continue to express a desire to learn and grow, and I absolutely love your desire! It is my prayer that our church offers training that equips people to continually grow and develop their role in the Kingdom of God. (This is part of the vision behind things like Life Groups, Discipleship classes, Bible classes, and mentoring relationships)

Preparation is an act of faith. It expresses hope that God will use us in a greater capacity in the future and that we need to prepare for it. In order to advance His kingdom, He wants to use us more in the future. Let’s prepare for it.

2) Understand the power of worship:

Psychologist Martin Seligman attributes the epidemic of depression on “rampant individualism.” Contrary to what our carnal mind thinks, focusing too much on ourselves actually leads to hopelessness. The answer is connecting to God and others.

Worship helps us to focus on God’s goodness, majesty, power, grace, and love.

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus

Helen H. Lemmel

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

We can connect to God through worship with times of prayer and praise throughout our days. Sometimes it may be structured and intentional, while other times it may be purely spontaneous. There is great blessing in practicing worship before we do anything else in our day. You will find your day filled with more hope when you do so.

Not only do I want to encourage you to connect to God in worship today, but connect to His body in corporate worship. Our goal should be to attend church events as much as possible. In doing so, we are blessed and we are a blessing. We both give and receive hope as we minister to each other with the love of God.

3) Unleash the Bible in your life:

A Midwest church conducted in extensive study to reveal the most important factors in spiritual growth and life transformation. After 4 years of interviewing thousands of people from hundreds of churches, the study revealed the most powerful catalyst for spiritual growth was the Bible. Nothing else even came close.

The reason is simple. The more we study the Bible, the more our mind is transformed and renewed. As our mind is changed, our thoughts change. As our thoughts change, our entire life is changed.

The following quote has been attributed to many people. Whoever originally said it was speaking with great wisdom:

“Sow a thought, reap and action. Sow and action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

It all begins with our thought life. We need to have our carnal minds (fear, human reason, doubt, unbelief, selfishness, etc.) exchanged for the mind of Christ (faith, God’s wisdom, love, hope, joy, peace, etc.). God has revealed His mind through His word.

Note: We need to ask God to reveal His word as we read it. We cannot approach it with a desire to understand it without His help. But as we seek Him with all of our heart and trust in Him, He will reveal Himself to us.

4) Build great relationships:

As I encouraged earlier, we need more than just a relationship with God apart from a relationship with His body – the church. We need each other.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 NLT

10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

God did not intend for us to walk through life alone.

Relationships take work. They are not easy. They require give and take. They take granting forgiveness and receiving for forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

The theme for Apostolic Conference a couple years ago was “Build.” Pastor Jason Dillon made an astute observation. He said that in the middle of “build” is you and I (the letters “u” and “i”). Never more is this true than in building relationships, it takes you and I to build them.

I challenge you to do your part in building great relationships.

5) Pay attention to whose voice you are listening to:

In this section of his book, Ray Johnston relays a story about a man who was crawling through a cave with a more experienced person. At one point, the person became very panicked and thought they were going to get stuck and die. The more experienced friend had to encourage them to ignore the voice in their head and listen to their voice only. They had already climbed through this spot many times. Just listen to their voice and keep crawling.

The struggling person was able to persevere by listening to the voice of their friend, and as a result, they were able to enjoy the beauty and the splendor of the next cavern. They were able to experience new and better things because they listened to the voice of hope and kept moving forward.

The voice of reason in our minds will say things like, “I will never make it through this. I am not going to be able to pay my bills and I am going to lose everything. I am not going to be able to provide for my children. I will never be able to overcome sin.”

On the other hand, if we listen to Jesus, He will say things like, “I will cause you to triumph in all things. You will overcome by my blood and the word of your testimony. You will live and not die. I will provide for you as you trust in me. I have come that you might have abundant and eternal life.”

Listen to Jesus.

Recharge Your Batteries

Posted on Sep 7, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Recharge Your Batteries

Isaiah 40:31 KVJ

31 But they that wait upon the

Lord

shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 AMP

The need to recharge our batteries is an appropriate topic following Labor Day. We all need to take a break from our worries, concerns, and responsibilities from time to time and recharge. Knowing this, the Lord commanded us to rest. Not only does He command it, but He provides the it. We find rest in Him.

Matthew 11:28

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Rest is relevant to our theme of hope. Ray Johnston lists “recharging our batteries” as the first of seven factors that will raise our hope quotient.

Johnston says we need to be mindful of the things that drain us and the things that fuel us. Although all of our lives differ, there are 5 passion killers that are common to most people.

1) Unhealthy People:

We have to be careful about how much time we are spending with people that only “take” from us. Some relationships are only one-sided.

I am not advocating that we only have relationships with people that never need anything from us, rather, I am saying our primary relationships must be with people who invest in us as well – people who build us up.

2) Unkind Critics:

We all need friends and spiritual mentors who will offer us correction/advice in love. We need people who love us enough to be honest about the areas that need growth in our lives. Having said that, we don’t need to listen to people who are being critical just to be critical. We don’t need to pay a whole lot of attention to people that don’t love us and are not willing to invest in our future. Be kind. Hear them out. Pray and ask God if there was any truth in their statements. Then flush the rest and move on.

3) Unbalanced Schedule:

It is important to make sure we have necessary breaks in our schedule. Being a hard worker is a great quality, being a workaholic is not. Sometimes it comes down to us being able to trust God to provide for us. Not only will we lack hope and optimism, we will ruin a lot of our relationships if we do not properly balance our schedules and priorities.

Someone once said, “If you’re burning the candle at both ends, you’re not as bright as you think you are.” (I am really convicted about this one)

4) Unnecessary Guilt:

Johnston says you cannot feel enthusiasm and guilt at the same time. Unconfessed sin is one of the biggest contributors to unnecessary guilt. Confess it and let God forgive you.

It is really hard to move forward in hope when we are dragging a huge weight from the past.

1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

5) Underestimating the Impact of Exposure:

Our minds will think most about what we most often expose ourselves to. The things we watch, read, listen to, and the environments we place ourselves in, will shape what we think about.

For example, watching cooking shows makes me hungry. The more I see delicious food, the more I want to eat something. I may have just eaten dinner 20 minutes ago, but seeing people prepare food makes me think I need to eat again!

If we are exposing ourselves to negative things, we are going to adopt negative thoughts. It is hard to be full of hope with a constant diet of discouragement.

Conclusion:

This concludes part one of our devotion on Recharge Your Batteries. Tomorrow we will examine part two which will encourage us to develop five supply lines that will keep us spiritually and emotionally fueled.

Hope and a Future

Posted on Sep 2, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Hope and a Future

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the

Lord

. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

In Jeremiah 29 God is speaking to the children of Israel who are exiled in Babylon.

Jeremiah 29:4 NLT

4 This is what the

Lord

of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:

They were not on a luxurious vacation. Instead, because they had forsaken God, they had been driven out of their homeland in judgement. They were discouraged. Their future appeared bleak.

Jeremiah 29:5-7 NLT

5 Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.

6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!

7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

First, let’s note that hope in God does not mean that He is always going to remove all of the difficulty from our lives.

Author and blogger Mary DeMuth addresses these verses in her post,

Jeremiah 29:11 Doesn’t Mean What You Think.

She explains that God does not always give us the assurance that he will immediately deliver us from our adverse circumstances. She says God’s assurance is “not that we would escape our lot, but that we would learn to thrive” in the midst of it.”

“

Yes, of course God knows the plans He has for us. And ultimately He will give us a glorious future. But as we walk out our lives on this crazy earth, let’s remember that the best growth comes through persevering through trials, not escaping them entirely. And when we learn perseverance, we find surprising joy.”

Indeed that is what Jeremiah 29:5-7 is counseling them. In the midst of your struggle, don’t despair. Hope in God!

It does not seem we are going to see a quick resolution (escape the struggle) in America. But rather than despair, we need to do our best to prosper and multiply – all the while maintaining hope in God.

The same goes for any of our current struggles – emotional, financial, spiritual, career, etc. – we need to continue to do our best in the circumstances we find ourselves. We need to remain faithful to praise God and serve Him. He will prosper us!

Jeremiah 29:8-9 NLT

8 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, 9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.

Secondly, the Lord exposes Hananiah’s lie. The false prophet Hananiah claimed the Lord was going to deliver them from exile in 2 years. God gives the correct timeline in the next verse.

Jeremiah 29;10 NLT

10 This is what the

Lord

says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.

Hananiah said 2 years and God said 70 years. Which one sounds better? 2 years, right? We have to be careful hearing the reports of false prophets that promise things God never inspired them to promise. I would rather here the report of a prophet who tells me what I

need to hear from God, than what I want

to hear.

Through Jeremiah, God tells them they will remain in exile for 70 years, but he reminds them His desire is to give them hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.

13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

Your current circumstances may be very difficult, but if you will pray, God says He will listen. If you look for Him wholeheartedly, you will find Him. Ultimately, in His time, if you will continue to seek the Lord, He will fully restore us.

Even though we are to do our best to serve Him and prosper here, our greatest hope is not even going to happen in this life. Our greatest hope is not in our past or present, but in our future.

1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

There is a reason your windshield is much larger than your rear view mirror. A driver is supposed to spend much more time looking ahead, and moving forward. Let’s stop focusing on our past and embrace the future God will grant us as we seek Him.

Prayer:

Jesus, we thank you today for the assurance of a better future. We thank you for the assurance of ultimate victory in heaven. We thank you for the admonition to prosper and multiply despite the struggles of this life. We thank you for encouraging us to shun despair and rejoice in hope. We trust in You. We hope in You. We know everything will work out in the end. Because of the hope you have given us, we expect great things! Thank you Lord that our best days are not behind us, they are ahead of us.

The Disease of Discouragement

Posted on Aug 31, 2016 in Uncategorized |

The Disease of Discouragement

2 Corinthians 2:11

11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

1 Peter 5:8

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Discouragement is one of the greatest weapons of our adversary. We must be aware of it and we must guard against it. The spiritual enemy of our souls is always looking to steal, kill, and destroy, and discouragement is one of his go-to devices.

I am including another direct quote from Ray Johnston’s book “The Hope Quotient” in today’s devotion:

“A huge life principle I have learned the hard way is that

discouragement precedes destruction

. I cannot find anything that has been destroyed without discouragement being the underlying cause.

No person has ever come up to me and said, “I’m so encouraged about my marriage, I’m getting a divorce.” No one has ever come up to me and said, “I am so encouraged about school, I’m dropping out.” No teenager has ever come up to me and said, “I’m so encouraged about what my faith means to me, I’m going to start drinking and taking drugs.”

Discouragement devastates, and absolute discouragement devastates absolutely. In the absence of hope, discouragement rules. You won’t find a more ruthless, negative, destructive, vicious dictator anywhere on the planet.”

For the remainder of the devotion, we will examine 5 characteristics of discouragement that are listed in Johnston’s book.

1. Discouragement is a universal disease. We all get it.

Discouragement is not something any of us are unfamiliar with. We have all experienced the debilitating disease of discouragement. Some of us may have experienced weak strains of it and it only effected us for a few days, while others have dealt with its distressing symptoms for weeks, months, or years.

Thankfully, just as the disease is universal, so is the cure.

1 Samuel 30:6

6 And

David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but Davidencouraged himself

in the LORD his God.

As David and his men returned home from battle, they found their home (Ziklag) in ruins, their possessions burned, and their wives and children gone. They were devastated.

In addition to his personal loss, David had to deal with his men blaming him for their calamity. Needless to say, he was having a bad day. Just as the wild fire had leapt from house to house and consumed them, discouragement was spreading from heart to heart, destroying their hopes and dreams.

In this moment, David could have given up. David could have retreated to a solitary place and fallen on his sword. It wouldn’t have been hard to understand his actions. But instead, David turned to the Lord. David encouraged himself in the Lord, received divine direction, pursued the enemy, and he and his men recovered all the enemy had taken…and then some.

In our moments of discouragement, we need to learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord.

Psalm 61:1-3

(especially verse 2)

1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

²From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

2. Discouragement is a repeating disease. We will catch it more than once.

Unfortunately victory over discouragement is not everlasting. It will be in heaven, but as long as we are on this side of heaven, we will face things that can bring discouragement.

Don’t be discouraged when you feel discouraged again. See what I did there?

It will happen to all of us. The beauty of it is, we have overcome it before, and through Christ, we will overcome it again. Overcoming discouragement is not permanent, but neither is our struggle with discouragement. You can be encouraged one moment and discouraged the next. Keep your head up. You will be encouraged again.

David found himself in the predicament of discouragement many times and learned to converse with his soul.

Psalm 43:5

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him,

who is

the health of my countenance, and my God.

If you are discouraged today, encourage yourself in the Lord. Remind your soul that God loves you and He is for you. He will cause you to triumph as you trust in Him.

3. Discouragement is a contagious disease. You can catch it from discouraging people.

Booker T Washington said, “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone then in bad company.”

Proverbs 12:26

26 The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 13:20

20 Walk with the wise and become wise;associate with fools and get in trouble.

The people we choose to spend time with will go a long way in determining whether we are encouraged or discouraged. Some people are encouragers, and some are discouragers.

I am not saying we cannot try to love and influence those who struggle with negativity or discouragement, but we need to be wise about our exposure to their illness. Doctors and nurses work with the sick all day long, but they are wise about how they interact with them. Additionally, it is important to discern when someone has a desire to change, and when someone is content with a lifestyle of discouragement.

On the positive side, just as discouragement is contagious, encouragement is contagious.

Acts 4:36

And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite,

and

of the country of Cyprus,

Joses was renamed by the apostles because he was such an encourager. They named him Barnabas, which means consolation, exhortation, rest. An encourager is a person who is refreshing to be around. I believe God chose Barnabas to mentor Paul after his conversion because Paul was going to need a lot of encouragement to overcome his past failures in persecuting the church. Without Barnabas, Paul’s ministry would not have been nearly as effective, if he would have had a ministry at all. You never know the impact your encouragement can have in a person’s life. Be Christ-like, be an encourager today.

4. Discouragement is always circumstantial. It always has a cause.

There is a humorous story cited in Johnston’s book under this section. It appeared in the editorial column o the

New York Times Magazine.

The abbreviated version is as follows.

A crew, in the Sea of Japan, was shipwrecked and then jailed for their explanation. When questioned by authorities, the crew members each gave the same story – a cow fell out of the sky, landed on their ship, punched a hole in the deck, and ultimately sunk the vessel. Thinking they must be lying, the authorities placed them in jail.

After several weeks, the Russian Air Force called. They explained how a crew member on one of their cargo planes had stolen a cow and hastily put it on board the aircraft, planning to take it back home from Siberia. While in flight, the cow began thrashing around, causing the crew to fear they might be unable to safely land the plane. Their solution; quickly unload the cow at an altitude of 30,000 feet over the Sea of Japan.

Now that the authorities knew the sunken ship’s crew members were telling the truth, they released them from jail.

Whether the story is true or not, it is a great illustration. Sometimes discouraging circumstances seem to drop out of nowhere.

No matter how careful we are, unexpected things happen. You cannot plan for the unexpected. Therefore, we can become discouraged because we are unable to figure out a solution.

David and his men did not expect to find Ziklag in ruins when they returned home. They expected to be greeted with hugs and kisses from their families. Great despair came when their circumstances changed drastically and unexpectedly.

David understood this was not a surprise to God, and although David had not prepared for this, God had a solution. He always does.

Elijah went from amazing victory on Mt. Carmel to a deep state of depression, wishing he had never been born, in a matter of a few hours. The Lord did not ignore Elijah’s situation. He sent an angel to minister to him.

When you find yourself in discouraging circumstances, turn to the Lord. He will strengthen you.

5. Discouragement is deadly. It Kills.

We must not take discouragement lightly. It is not a foe to be handled with kid gloves. We must rigorously fight it with prayer and hiding God’s word in our hearts.

God is not willing that any would perish. He wants all of us to be saved, not only eternally, but from each bout with discouragement. God wants us to live with an abounding hope.

This doesn’t mean our lives will be perfect, but it means that God wants us to face every difficulty with the hope that we will ultimately prevail through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:

In the following days, we will use the seven factors Ray Johnston includes in his book as a framework for increasing our Hope Quotient – our capacity to hope.

Prayer:

Jesus, you are our provider today. We receive your provision of hope. Despite our current struggles or circumstances, we choose to encourage ourselves in You. We know our situations are not hopeless. As long as we keep you at the center of our lives, no weapon formed against us will prosper. We surrender fully to You today. We trust in You today. We hope in You today. We are thankful that You are the God of hope, and that as we trust you, You are filling us with all joy and peace in believing, and that we will continue to abound in hope, not in our human effort, but through the power of the Holy Ghost according to Romans 15:13. Thank You for infusing us with hope today!

Infused With Hope

Posted on Aug 29, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Infused With Hope

Romans 15:13

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Hope

The refreshment of hope is like taking a break from rigorous activity on a hot day for a drink of ice cold water. There are few feelings that can compare to water soothing your parched mouth, and the cooling sensation that follows, as it pours down your throat and spreads out to hydrate the rest of your worn-out, aching muscles.

Joy and peace in believing result in an abounding hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Just like Jesus came to give us abundant life, He came to give us abounding hope. Biblical hope is:

Having a confident expectation that the promises of God will come to pass in our lives.
That we will be victorious, we will overcome.
That, no matter how dark our circumstances, somehow things will get better as we surrender it all to God.
That God loves us and is for us.
That God will grant us eternal life as we trust in and follow Him.

God doesn’t want us to live a life of discouragement. He wants us to possess a lively hope!

As I sought the Lord for a few hours this morning (wanting direction for our church), I felt the Lord lead me to a book I had checked out at the Beaverton City Library a few weeks ago. It is a book titled, “The Hope Quotient” by Ray Johnston. I felt I would use this book in the future, and that time has arrived.

In addition to examining the topic of hope through this book and the Bible in our devotionals the next few days, I am feeling the direction to teach/preach a series on this topic. I am excited because I believe hope is a fundamental pillar of our Christian life that often gets neglected. We often speak of faith and love, as we should, but we do not talk about hope nearly enough. I also realize you cannot separate hope, faith, and love. They are intertwined and interdependent, but it will be beneficial to focus more specifically on hope for the next few weeks.

The Hope Quotient

In our devotionals we will just scratch the surface of the principles laid out in Ray Johnston’s book.

Today I will begin by including a direct quote from the book the great enemy of hope – discouragement:

“Howard Hendricks gave a gripping definition of discouragement: “Discouragement is the anesthetic the devil uses on a person just before he reaches in and carves out his heart.” He’s right. When people lose hope, they lose their ability to dream for the future. Despair replaces joy. Fear replaces faith. Anxiety replaces prayer. Insecurity replaces confidence. Tomorrow’s dreams are replaced by nightmares.”

When spouses lose hope, they give up on their marriages. Parents give up on their teens. Leaders give up on their people. Healthy emotions like contentment and peace are replaced with the toxic emotions of confusion, shame, worry, and disappointment. In short, it’s impossible to be spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, or relationally healthy when we’re gripped by discouragement.

Some wise person once said that we can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air – but not a single moment without hope.”

An Abundance of Hope

The goal, over the next few weeks, is to produce a hope that is lasting. This is not a self-help seminar where you will get shallow catch phrases and quick-fix solutions. My desire is to use the principles of this book as they relate to the principles of the Word of God, along with the power of the Holy Spirit, to produce a more sustained infusion of hope and encouragement. The goal is to have an overabundance of hope so that it runs over and splashes onto those who we encounter every day.

The 10 Percent Factor

Hope is so powerful, we don’t need a huge increase to make a profound change. Johnston says that he met a leading psychologist who was able to see deeply troubled marriages turned around by getting 10 percent improvement. It didn’t require 100 percent, 50 percent, or even 25 percent – just 10 percent. It only took 10 percent, because that 10 percent gave them hope. When people have hope, anything is possible!

Four Things Hope Does That Nothing Else Can Do

Again, from the book, Johnston lists four things that hope does:

Hope liberates. Hope releases you from your past.
Hope motivates. Hope helps you bounce back.
Hope initiates. Hope sets you free to dream.
Hope activates. Hope is the fuel that makes the world a better place.

Tough Circumstances Versus Hope

In closing today, we will examine the heavyweight matchup that features in one corner, in the black shorts, hailing from Hard Knocks USA, Touuuuuugh Cirrrrrrcumstances. In the other corner, in the white shorts, hailing from Bethlehem’s Manger, Hoooooooope. (I know, corny. Did you expect anything less?)

Before the introduction to his book, Johnston lists some examples that highlight this title fight (sorry for using so much boxing lingo for you that are not boxing fans).

-Lock him in a prison cell, bet him, and shipwreck him, and you have the apostle Paul.

-Deafen him, and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven.

-Raise him in abject poverty, and you have Abraham Lincoln.

-Burn him so severely that doctors say he’ll never walk again, and you have a Glenn Cunningham – the man who set the world’s one-mile record in 1934.

-Call him a slow learner, label him “retarded,” and write him off as uneducable, and you have Albert Einstein.

-Strike Him down with infantile paralysis, and he becomes a Franklin D. Roosevelt.

We could go on with many more examples, but suffice it to say, tough circumstances are no match for people fueled by hope.

Again, this is not about mustering up some kind of mental fortitude to be stronger, this is about becoming more reliant upon the Holy Spirit and allowing the grace of God to cause us to abound in hope. The greatest hope, just like the greatest love, is not produced by human ability, but through the grace of Almighty God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Almighty God of heaven and earth, as we begin this journey of hope together, we believe we will discover a greater hope than we have ever experienced before. We will come to the place where we are abounding in hope. Your hope will be so alive in us, we cannot but help share it with others. Hope will cast out all discouragement today. We are believing for a flicker of hope that will begin pushing back the darkness of despair in our lives and in our city/region. The truth of your Word will produce a hope that destroys all the deception of the enemy in Jesus name! We receive a revelation today of how much you love us and how much you are for us. We receive abundant life today in Jesus name. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer today.

Seek Him First

Posted on Aug 26, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Seek Him First

Psalms 63:1

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Matthew 6:33

³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Proverbs 8:17

¹⁷I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Jeremiah 29:13

¹³And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

God can and will bless us the most when we put Him first. We should seek him early in life, early in the day, and early when trouble arises. The longer we wait, the more we will operate in our own understanding and the more we will resort to solutions that are far less effective than Jesus. Seek Him early.

I was blessed by a message preached several years ago by Pastor Art Hodges from San Diego, CA. The message was entitled “God First.” At the conclusion of his sermon, he handed out business cards. I still have mine (pictured below).

You probably cannot read it very well because I have been carrying it in my wallet for about 10 years. The simplicity of the message has made a profound impact on my life.

It simply reminds us to put God first in our thoughts, conversation, reading, time, affections, money, talent, and worship.

Thoughts:

Do we make sure our thoughts are pleasing to God? Do we think of Him first in our decision-making? Do we allow His will to govern our thoughts?

Conversation:

Are the words of our mouth pleasing to Him? Are we blessing the Lord at all times? Is His praise continually in my mouth? Is my mouth a conduit of blessings and edification to others? Are words of prayer and praise the first things to escape my lips in the morning?

Reading:

Do we read the Bible before anything else in the morning? Do we place Bible reading as the top priority of our reading material?

Time:

Do we spend more time on eternal things or temporal things? Do we spend time advancing the Kingdom of God? Do we make every effort to participate in fellowship with the body of Christ?

Affections:

Do we love God more than anything else? Do we seek first the Kingdom of God? Do we set our affections on things above, on things eternal?

Money:

Do we make giving to the Kingdom of God a priority? Do we give out of our first-fruits or our leftovers? Do we give to God first and then pay for other things with whatever is left?

Talent:

Are we using our talents to bless the Kingdom of God or promote ourselves? Are we using our abilities to do the will of God or to pursue fame an fortune? Are we using our talents to make Him famous?

Worship:

Do we make God the central focus of our worship? Is there anything we revere or adore more than God? Do we thirst and long for fellowship with Him?

It is good to examine our lives today in light of these simple principles. I have heard it said that if you want to see what someone values the most in their lives, look at their checkbook and their day-timer. Most of us don’t actually use a checkbook or day-timer anymore, but the principle is the same. We will devote time and money to whatever we love the most. Talk is cheap. If we say we are seeking the Kingdom of God first, but we are not putting Him first in the areas listed above, we love other things more.

Putting Him first will produce more joy, more peace, more contentment, and a deeper fulfillment than anything else in this life can afford.

Yes, it takes effort. Yes, we have to reexamine ourselves often to make sure we are not allowing other things to rob our devotion to God. No, it is not always easy. But a life in devotion to Jesus is one of abundant blessings.

You can put other things first and be left wanting. You can put other things first and lose all you have worked so hard for in one heart-breaking event. Putting Him first always yields great reward, both here, and in the life to come. Remember, we are storing up treasure in heaven where thieves cannot steal, and rust and moth cannot corrupt.

Put Him first and experience abundant life. He will not disappoint you. You will never regret putting Him first.

Vessels of Honor

Posted on Aug 24, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Vessels of Honor

2 Timothy 2:20-26

20 Now in a large house there are not only vessels and objects of gold and silver, but also vessels and objects of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honorable (noble, good) use and some for dishonorable (ignoble, common). 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonorable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels. 24 The servant of the Lord must not participate in quarrels, but must be kind to everyone [even-tempered, preserving peace, and he must be], skilled in teaching, patient and tolerant when wronged. 25 He must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it], 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Vessels of honor. I love the sound of that! I want to be used for His glory! I have been a vessel of dishonor many times, but by the grace of God, I am going to become a vessel of honor more frequently. Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost) gives us some instruction of how to be a vessel of honor in this letter to Timothy.

The first thing we see as a requirement for becoming a vessel of honor is the command to cleanse ourselves. Obviously it is the Lord who ultimately cleanses us, but it does not happen apart from some willful choices on our part. We have to choose to remove ourselves from certain activities and influences. We should not only cleanse ourselves from things based upon what will cause us to be lost or saved, but we should also lay aside things that hinder our ability to be used in a greater capacity. We should not only be willing to cleanse ourselves from every sin, but also the weights that hinders us in running the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Weights are not sinful in themselves, but they impede our progress. If we want to be a vessel of honor, we must be willing to cleanse ourselves to a greater degree than the person who is only interested in doing the bare minimum required to make it into heaven.

To be set apart for a special purpose, we have to flee youthful lusts. David Guzik’s study guide on 2 Timothy 2 says:

“Youthful lusts describes the sort of desires and temptations that are especially prominent when someone is an adolescent or young adult. Sexual temptation, illicit pleasure of the flesh, and a longing for fame and glory often mark one’s youth.

The command is simple: Flee also youthful lusts. Don’t entertain them. Don’t challenge them. Don’t try and endure them. The idea of “I will just test myself on this one to see if I can stand against it” has made many fall into sin.”

Separation from sin is not a separation that leads to isolation – it is a separation unto God. We don’t flee youthful lusts and run towards nothing. When we change course and run away from youthful lusts, we set our course to pursue “righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:22) Separation from sin leads to:

Righteousness:

The condition acceptable to God. holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight (Colossians 1:22).

Faith:

By fleeing youthful lusts we are showing our faith in God. We are saying, “God’s ways are better than my ways. Even if something has pleasure for a season, I would rather have the favor of God. I would rather pursue eternal things.” Like Moses…

Hebrews 11:25-26

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Love:

When we choose to forsake the gratification of our insatiable lusts, we become a caring, compassionate person, no longer concerned with only satisfying our needs. Selfishness is extinguished by love.

Peace:

A state of quietness and rest, and an absence of conflict with God and our fellow man.

We are not to pursue these things alone, but we are to pursue them with our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, who are also calling on God out of a pure heart. We need to be pursuing the Lord with other believers. There are no Lone Rangers in the kingdom of God.

Most of us are well aware of the challenge presented by Paul up to this point. We understand we are to set ourselves apart by fleeing youthful lusts and pursuing the things of God with other members of the body of Christ. The next few verses may be a little more challenging.

2 Timothy 2:23-24

23 But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels. 24 The servant of the Lord must not participate in quarrels, but must be kind to everyone [even-tempered, preserving peace, and he must be], skilled in teaching, patient and tolerant when wronged.

Do these verses describe our interactions with others in social media platforms? Do these verses define our conversations with our coworker who is an unbeliever? Do the verses accurately depict the discussions we have with our antagonistic family members?

Part of the cleansing process that sets us apart for God’s use involves avoiding fruitless discussions. If people are sincerely discussing things in pursuit of truth, then we can continue discussion despite the current disagreement, believing they will accept truth as they grow in their understanding of it. But some people have no desire to give an inch on their stance of controversy, they just want to argue and debate. Avoid these types of conversations. I know that sounds harsh and we need God to reveal to us when this is the case, but we must heed the command – The servant of the Lord must not participate in quarrels, arguments, or fights.

It is hard to have a mind that is surrendered to God when we are engaged in arguments. God doesn’t call us to argue with people. He calls us to communicate the gospel to people who will listen. The moment it becomes a fight, we need to remove ourselves from the situation. That doesn’t necessarily mean we will never talk to them again, but useless, unedifying controversies put a strangle hold on our minds. These conversations only breed confusion, anger, and strife. We need to cleanse ourselves from such discussions.

There are many things happening in our world right now that are breeding division (racial tension, political views, social agendas, etc). We cannot allow these things to invade our thoughts and cause division in the body of Christ. In order to be used as a vessel of honor, we need to flee these things. Run from these discussions. Don’t worry about getting in the last word, or proving them wrong. Don’t worry about defending your position or your intelligence. Flee these controversies! Avoid them at all costs!

Many times Jesus said nothing to his accusers.

2 Timothy 2:25-26

25 He must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it], 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

In the case where the Lord leads us to correct someone, we must do so with courtesy and kindness. This takes a lot of grace! Our flesh, especially if we are competitive by nature, wants to

win

the argument. Our flesh delights in saying, “I told you so!” Our flesh loves to put people in their place. This is not a Christ-like approach. We should not desire to win arguments. We should desire to win souls.

The constant barrage of media invades our thinking with many competing philosophies, values, opinions, and views. In order to be a vessel of honor to reach our generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have to learn the art of communicating with gentleness, courtesy, respect, and kindness.

Do you want to be a vessel of honor or dishonor? Do you want to bring honor or dishonor to Christ in the way you communicate with unbelievers and fellow believers?

Prayer:

Jesus, grant us the wisdom and grace to set ourselves apart from youthful lusts so that we may be vessels of honor, prepared by You for every good work. We will continue to engage in conversations about the Faith with those around us, but we believe you will give us the discernment to avoid useless and fruitless arguments. Help us to forgive anyone who we may be in dispute with at this time, or someone who has hurt us in the past. We acknowledge that in our flesh is no good thing, and the ability to lead people to repentance is only possible through your grace. We desire to be used by you to bring multitudes out of darkness into your marvelous light. We desire to be like the early church, who filled their city (Jerusalem) with their doctrine. We want to fill Washington County with your doctrine. Help us to keep our minds unclouded from anger, fear, and strife. Help us not to get caught up in all the divisive, slanderous activity of Satan. Keep us from harshness and rudeness. Let us be governed by righteousness, peace, and joy alone. Thank you for your abundant mercy and grace. Thank you for the washing and cleansing that comes from studying your Word. We receive your cleansing today in Jesus name.

God On The Mountain

Posted on Aug 23, 2016 in Uncategorized |

God On The Mountain

Exodus 19:10-13, 23 (NKJV)

¹⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. ¹¹And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.¹²You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shotwith an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

²³But Moses said to the Lord

, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’”

Exodus 19 tells us the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai, and Moses desired to separate himself unto God. He wanted to rise above all the distractions of other people (their fears, doubts, and evil reports of unbelief) and his personal worries and concerns of life. Moses wanted uninterrupted fellowship with God. He wanted to hear God’s voice and receive direction. So he climbed the mountain to appear before God.

Let us note that Moses chose the mountain. It was not a commandment from God. Moses chose the mountain out of his desire to be separated unto God.

If Moses were alive today, the mountain is a place with no cell phone coverage. No internet. No social media. No CNN or Fox news to remind him of all the bad things going on in the world. No neighbors, or even family members, to interrupt his intimacy with God. Just the quite whistling of the wind, and the still small voice of his Divine Companion.

When Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God, the Lord called to Moses out of the mountain. I am so thankful God draws near to us as we draw near to Him. If we will make a concerted effort to separate ourselves from distractions and draw closer to Him, He will respond and meet us where we are.

Because Moses had separated himself, the Lord spoke with clear direction, Moses was able to receive it, and deliver the instruction back to the people.

After relaying the Lord’s commandments to the people, Moses brought the people’s response back to the Lord. The Lord, pleased with the people’s agreement with His instructions, answered by instructing Moses to consecrate the people through cleansing and to consecrate the mountain by drawing boundaries around it.

God was so serious about removing distractions and communicating to Moses alone, He said whoever crossed the boundary of the mountain would be killed. God only wanted Moses on the mountain. God is jealous about His uninterrupted time with us.

Because Moses had chosen the mountain as a place to meet with God, the Lord responded by making this otherwise ordinary geographical structure, primarily comprised of nothing more than common rock and soil, a holy place of communion. Mt Sanai became a sacred sanctuary where God would impart the Ten Commandments, and communicate the statutes of the Law that would govern the conduct of the entire nation of Israel.

Most of us will not climb a mountain to talk to God. Who are we kidding? We probably won’t even climb a small hill or flight of stairs. However, each of us can set aside a place where we remove ourselves from distractions and separate ourselves to hear His voice alone. Whether it is a literal prayer closet where we shut the door behind us, a rocking chair or a recliner in a quite living room, our car during break at work, or a place in a nearby park; that place you consecrate to God will become a place of holy communion where God will impart direction about how to be closer to Him and how to love others more.

I encourage you to choose a quite meeting place, your own Mount Sanai, so you can talk to God without any other distractions. The God of the mountain will meet you there.

What Is Consecration?

Posted on Aug 23, 2016 in Uncategorized |

2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing

; and I will receive you,

Exodus 30:30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, thatthey

may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

1 Chronicles 29:5 The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing toconsecrate

his service this day unto the LORD?

Consecration essentially means to be set apart for God’s holy purpose. Aaron and his sons – ordinary men set apart and used by God. Silver and goldsmiths – ordinary men who set aside time to apply their God-given gifts/abilities to the building of the Kingdom of God. Silver and gold – ordinary elements of the earth set aside to be used as instruments in the tabernacle and the temple for worship and service to Almighty God.

The ordinary becomes extraordinary when set apart for God’s purpose. You and I may feel very ordinary, but we when we separate ourselves for the Lord’s purposes, we become extraordinary vessels used to bring glory to Him and advance His kingdom.

A manger in the time Jesus was born was typically a feed trough found in a stable. Some sources state these mangers were made from clay mixed with straw or from stones held together with mud; sometimes they were carved in natural outcroppings of rock. Whether the manger was made from wood, clay, or rock; it was still a vessel whose purpose was merely to hold food for animals. But on that fateful night, a manger was used to be a crib for Almighty God robed in flesh. That night, an ordinary manger was set apart as a bed for the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Creator of the universe.

During this time of consecration, we are setting ourselves apart from some things that typically consume our time (hobbies, movies, books, social media, etc.) in order to hear from God and be used by God. We shouldn’t approach this from a legalistic mindset where we think we are “earning” something, but rather from the understanding that God’s grace will enable us in a special way as we are privileged to spend more time in fellowship with Him.

As we set ourselves apart, God will move us from the ordinary to the extraordinary; from the natural to the supernatural.

Here are a couple prayers of consecration we can pray during this time of being set apart:

“May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God’s presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of my self as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love.”

-Andrew Murray.

“O great and unsearchable God, who knowest my heart, and triest all my ways; with a humble dependence upon the support of Thy Holy Spirit, I yield up myself to Thee; as Thy own reasonable sacrifice, I return to Thee Thine own. I would be for ever, unreservedly, perpetually Thine; whilst I am on earth, I would serve Thee; and may I enjoy Thee and praise Thee for ever! Amen.”

-Charles Spurgeon