Remember the word given to Saul? Namely this, that he would would be changed into another man and would be numbered among the prophets. There was however with Saul an uncertainty that left him timid and restrained from doing God’s will. With all of us, God seeks to do a new thing, but the timid of spirit can’t see it–its view is clouded by all the baggage. Get it! God says ‘you will be endued with mighty power and with the mind to receive what I would do on your behalf; you will be changed by a heart touched by my love and declare My word to men.’ The word says as much in 2 Timothy 1:7 when it says, ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity but one of power and love and sound judgement.’ Samuel declared of the Lord’s chosen, ‘see there is none like him in all the land’. The New Testament says we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood and yet we too easily miss His mighty acts because we all too often dwell with the timid and not the humble. Saul’s royal life was haunted by that timid spirit, and he never got rid of the baggage he was hiding behind. Timidity will keep you in “Yourself” while humility will take you beyond yourself to behold what God will do just because He said so. Humility will give you a front row seat to God’s glory, but timidity leaves you blocked off with a very realistic view of yourself and no faith to see beyond the strength of your own hand. I recently found myself frustrated and angry because I could not change a particular situation that I was facing. God revealed my frustration was borne of a timid spirit causing me a place of grief instead of seeing the way of victory. The timid never go past the frustration, but continue with a passive approach that leaves them disappointed and missing the full plan of God. He showed my need to dwell with the broken not the timid. In that moment of anxiety God revealed this: the timid fail to see His move because of many reasons all driven by fear, but the broken humbly take a seat of rest by a window of recovery to behold what God says and moreover what He would do. Saul became King, but failed to possess all God had intended because he was slave to his own thinking. It left him angry and disappointed not full–timid but not broken. And the end of his life was spent still trying to change the situation by His own methods missing God by a half a step. What about you…want to be angry for the way things are turning out? The timid spirit will keep you there–mad but unable to really do anything about it. That is why it is so frustrating because there is really nothing “you” can do there behind all that baggage hiding from God’s favor. God says, ‘why don’t you look to the word that I’ve given to you as sons?’ ‘I have not given you a spirit of fear and slavery, but I give a Spirit of love so your heart becomes mine. I give a Spirit of power–an unction moving your life from uncertainty to possess the things I have said on your behalf, because son, there is to be none like you, so that I might declare my life through yours. I have given you a Spirit of discipline to think with sound judgement so you can work my plan not your own with the unlimited ability of my resources to accomplish the word I will send before you. I offer you today sound judgment enabling you to think like sons not slaves. Today, which will you be?’ He further says, ‘kindle afresh the gift of God by the Spirit I have given to you, which is powerfully appointed to enable you to focus and to act as sons.’
Category: Impression
The Open Door
Jesus plainly tells us in Matthew 11:28 to come to His rest! In John 10:7 He says, ‘I’m the door you must enter through.’ All too often we fail to see the open door Jesus has made for our entry into His House of Rest! This past spring a red bird appeared in the window at our house of worship. At first, everyone was pleasantly distracted by his coming to the window. However, over the course of the next few weeks he would make it his mission to attack every window on our building repeatedly becoming a nuisance to everyone. I found myself thinking, ‘that stupid little bird…’, then God said to me, “you’ve been like that little bird”. The truth is, we have all been just like that little red bird. He might have found the door of entry, but he was too busy fighting his enemies, or so it would seem! In reality, he wasn’t even looking for the door. What are you seeking? Is it the open door of Jesus that brings you into a place of rest, or are you like the little bird? Just what does he see in the glass that keeps him coming back to the place of futility? He sees himself, but he is most deceived thinking it’s his enemy. In his zeal to fight, he is bound by a deception that allows the real enemy to steal what God says is rightfully his. There is a ‘little red bird’ syndrome bound in the nature of all our flesh. The little bird is fighting against his own image though he doesn’t see it. Your image will always make you angry, frustrated, and captivated by Your-SELF and the image IT produces. There is a blindness only Jesus can remove. He says to you, ‘I’ve an anointing that can heal blind eyes so you can see the door of rest.’ It is a place of recovery, it is a place of release and abundance. Any attempt to use something other than the door will leave you beaten and bruised. There is hope and healing at the Open Door of Jesus! His lessons are the cure of our Red Bird syndrome! He is saying to you, ‘Son/Daughter, use the door! It represents the only legitimate way to my service and pleasure and by it you will produce My glory and not your own! Use the door, and you will be able to move freely in my presence where there is fulness and joy. It will be a fulness that will keep you from robbing Me and being robbed of what I alone have given you to possess!’
The Ruined Stones
The stone wall behind our barn brought a great revelation to my heart. These stones no one wanted. They were in fact dumped on the property and have spent the last 7 years or so without purpose. These stones were not purchased they were the waste product of some failed project in some other man’s field. But as I looked at the worthless stones now fit into the wall, God reminded me they have been redeemed, and as such they are part of a priceless plan to gather in souls for His kingdom. They now are part of a great purpose–a heavenly plan to retrieve what was lost. The Spirit of God says, come hear ‘the gospel of the ruined stones.‘ 1 Peter 2 says, Jesus, who although rejected by men was the chief cornerstone of God’s building. The word further states, that in Him, we are living stones being redeemed into His building becoming fit only for His divine purposes. What are the ruined stones and what is the gospel that they preach? The stones say: “what is rejected by men will become alive and useful to God.” They no longer declare an earthly cause, but live for a heavenly purpose. The stones reveal to your life that Jesus does not build by conventional means, but with supernatural power to take your ruined places and make them a thing of His beauty. Will you hear the gospel of the stones and what they can say about your worth to God? Understand your waste places can be redeemed. Understand your reading these words right now say to you God’s heart is to take the wasted space and fill it up and redeem it with the priceless purpose of Christ. Say yes to God, say ‘Lord I want you to redeem and change me’. Do it now!
The Love that Listening Inspires
The Spirit’s role is to make your life a conduit inspiring the greatness of God in others through faith. It is important, not that you just read or hear, but comprehend His love and word by listening! Listening involves a developed skill by which you gain awareness, a capacity for spiritual growth and greater understanding. In Mark 4:24-25; Jesus says, ‘take care how you listen’. Listening will ensure your place in the Kingdom by giving you access to ‘spiritual capital’ which is the riches of Christ. Your life will be full and satisfied, and from it, your abundance will overflow to many others. Are you failing to comprehend His love and desire for your life? Listen more closely…get still….put sin away…and come to His word. Jesus promised, if you truly belong to Him, you would hear His voice speaking, going ahead of you and bringing you to an awareness which will make you fully satisfied as His follower actualizing an anointing for the greatness of God in you and through you. Your life will accomplish His purpose inspiring faith and love for God in others…when you listen. He says, be careful how you listen, because I am seeking to reach many who are on your watch. Come! There is a love that listening inspires and I would have you to know its abundance.
GraceLife 