Steps in Following the Plan of God for Your Life

And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads before God in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will.  We are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor) all things work together and are fitting into a plan for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose (Romans 8:27-28- Amplified)

 

As I mentioned yesterday, when you decide to pursue the purpose of God for your life, you’ll run into opposition. You family will misunderstand you. Jesus’ family and friends in His hometown didn’t understand what He was about until after He had accomplished His mission.

 

Your own thoughts will seek to discourage you from what you know the Father is saying to you, because sometimes it doesn’t seem practical.

 

And then the enemy is persistent in bringing up accusations about your past, who you are, what you’ve done, why you think you’re qualified to do anything for God. Sometimes these things are relentless and ruthless.

  

The best antidote for all of this is just getting into the presence of God in prayer, particularly praying in the spirit, praying in tongues. You see, the plan of God is a spiritual thing in your life, and when you decide to pursue it, that pursuit in and of itself will attract spiritual opposition that will manifest in a thousand different ways.

 

Praying in tongues enables you to pray about things that are beyond your own intellect; things about your future; things that have to do with your obedience to the will of God for your life. For one who speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the Holy Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things not obvious to the understanding (1 Corinthians 14:2- Amplified).

  

Take time every day to pray in the spirit. I suggest an hour a day. If you do, you’ll find that over time your life will lean towards a particular pattern. Things will begin to happen that will pull you towards the will of God for your life. Your life and the providence of God will meet, and you’ll eventually begin to sense a direction from the Lord. As you wait on the Lord and pray in the spirit, at times you’ll be amazed at what opens up to you, and how things change within you.

 

It will seem at times that you’ve entered into a stream or river; and the current of that river is taking you down a certain path. Peace, exquisite joy, and a certain knowing will rise up within you and you’ll know that you are moving towards your God ordained life purpose. It’s an exciting journey that never ends. Get started today!

Following the Call of God

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

 

It was February of 1977 and I had been attending college and working in a grocery store. Six months prior to this I had received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and my entire life had changed.

 

While I was working at about 2:00 O’clock in the afternoon I heard the words deep within me, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. These words kept repeating over and over again as I continued to work the rest of the afternoon.

 

Upon arriving at home (I was 18) I asked my mother if she had ever heard these words before. And she told me that of course she had; they were from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. After dinner, I retired to my room and read the entire book of Ecclesiastes.

  

There I saw what this strange phrase meant. Solomon was decrying all of the work and labor he had given himself to as empty, useless, and vain in the context of eternity. And God used this phrase to call me into the ministry.

 

Up until this time, my goal in life was to go into business and make a lot of money. The desire to for this vanished, and an intensity to pursue God rose up within me. I enrolled in Bible School the following fall, and the rest is history.

 

The call of God is a very personal thing. No one should consider entering ministry without a supernatural call! This was a defining moment in my life. I would draw upon the strength of God’s word to me on that day in February of 1977 again and again throughout my life as the Satan would seek to discourage me from fulfilling God’s purposes for my life.

 

When you find your life’s call, it seems as though demonic forces seek you out to push you away from what the Father has for you. That’s the reason when you’re called to ministry, there must be a defining moment when you know that God has spoken to you. Then, you must do what Jesus said and set your hand to the plow and never look back!

 

God uses all of us in so many different ways. Not everyone has to full time ministry. But all of us are called to make a difference in the world, and to use our energy and talents for the glory of God.

 

Just as the human body cannot function without every organ fulfilling its God designed function, so every member of the body of Christ has a part to play in fulfilling the great commission that Jesus gave the church. Some are called to finance the kingdom of God, and are blessed by the Father to earn money so they can give liberally. Other are called to assist those God has called to full time ministry. No member of Christ’s body should be static.

  

The Father needs us all! And as we pursue Him, He will place a deep desire within each of us to do a particular thing. When you find out what He desires for your life, pursue it with passion!

Don't Live Only On An Inherited Faith - Develop your Own!

When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also (2 Timothy 1:5).

 

Faith can be inherited, as it was the case of Timothy. His grandmother and mother were believers, and he followed them into the kingdom of God.

 

While inherited faith can be a blessing, it can also be a hindrance. We can lean on others so much that we don’t develop the faith to stand on our own.

  

Lot was Abraham’s nephew, and lot was exceedingly blessed as long as he hung around Abraham. The land couldn’t contain them both. As soon as lot separated from Abraham, his blessing ceased. He ended up losing everything but the shirt on his back.

  

I’ve watched children who were raised in a strong Christian home seem to lose their faith when they left home. They didn’t realize the blessing that they had in life was because of the faith of their parents. They never developed a faith on their own apart from their parents.

 

I’ve seen Bible school graduates who sensed the call of God on their lives get involved in a large growing church. They didn’t realize that the blessing they had was because of the association with the man of God whose faith was carrying them. When they left to “go it alone” in starting a church in another town, they floundered. They found that they had been riding on the pastor’s faith.

 

My mother prayed me into the kingdom of God, and had an unusually close relationship with the Holy Spirit. She would know things about my future before I knew them. As a young man, I began to realize that I can’t “ride her coattails” to heaven. I had to purposely ask her to share no insights with me that she had received from the Lord, and to let me develop on my own.

 

As a pastor I’ve seen people who seem to be robust in their faith and confidence in God. Yet when they leave our church, they lose the faith they thought they had.

  

Don’t allow your faith to only be an episode in your life. Make sure that you develop your own confidence in God, and that what you have is more than a derivative of faith that you received from another person. That way, if God calls you on to do something your own, you’ll be fully prepared and ready for the assignment.

Turn the Love of God Loose in Your Life!

The kingdom of God operates on the foundation of love. An amazing thing happens at the New Birth. God drops a deposit of who He is inside of us! Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).

 

The Father’s goal for us is that we allow this love to grow inside of us until it consumes us. At first, there are seeds of selfishness deeply imbedded in our thinking and in our actions. But as we consciously yield to this love nature and allow it to rule us, little by little, selfish acts are replaced by deeds and words of love. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). This love is the main indicator that the world will see that shows them that we are different.

 

Without love dominating us, the flesh remains in control. And the flesh brings death. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death (1 John 3:14). No believer can be strong in God without developing this love nature. Love frees us from the control that the flesh has had on us. Yielding to love will slowly release you from the mental, emotional, and relational habits of the past that have marred your life.

  

Love will keep you from being dominated by feelings and emotions. You’ll be able to respond to others in love instead of react to them in the flesh. Love is an action and many times has no feels attached to it. Notice that Jesus said: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

 

The Father wants us to believe that the love way is the best way. It’s the way of total victory and fulfillment in life. Love never fails. Notice what John said: And we have known and believed the love that God has for us (1 John 4:16a). Love is better than strife, better than selfishness, better than getting even with the person that hurts you or does you wrong. Love is better than force. Learn to believe that the way of love supersedes every other way of living. Until you do, life will be a series of struggles and failures with few victories. Love synchs you with the power of the kingdom of God, and shields you from Satan’s attacks.

  

I’ll leave you with love’s attributes today. Let them sink deeply into your thought life so they can rule you today.

  

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – The Message Paraphrase).

The Thoughts You Entertain Affect Everything About Your Life!

Some time ago I read a fascinating book entitled Who Switched Off My Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf. Dr. Leaf has a background in research on the brain and how it functions and gives some intriguing insight into the biochemical processes produced by thoughts.

I’ve preached for years that we must control our beliefs, our thoughts, and our words carefully. We become what we really believe and think about ourselves. Our words spoken with conviction eventually produce their substance in our lives!

 

In her research, Dr. Leaf discovered that thoughts are basically electrical and biochemical in nature, and that thoughts produce a biochemical response that is carried from the brain via the bloodstream to the cells of our bodies, enabling us to actually feel what we think.

 

She mentions two major foundations for thought, faith and fear. Fear based thinking (worry, doubt, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, anger) produces a  negative biochemical response that affects us in a negative way emotionally and physically. Faith based thinking (faith, love, joy, trust, confidence, hope,) produces a positive biochemical response that will affect us positively emotionally and mentally.

 

Proverbs 14:30 (Amplified) reads: A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones. And Proverbs 4:23 (New Century Version) reveals: Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. You just can’t compartmentalize and separate you mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual life. They all go together and directly affect each other.

 

Proverbs 3: 5-8 (NIV) also gives insight into what our trust in God will do for us physically: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

  

Cleanse yourself today of the toxic thoughts and words of doubt, fear, worry, unforgiveness, bitterness, pessimism, and self-centeredness. Make a conscious decision to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). It will affect you mentally, emotionally, physically, as well as spiritually.

True scientific research will always and only confirm what God has already revealed! Forever, O Lord, your Word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89).

Money is a True Test of Character

For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute mental pangs (1 Timothy 6:10 –Amplified) And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24).

  

Someone has said that money is a true test of character. What a person thinks and does with his money shows his heart motives. Money itself is not evil. Some misquote this verse to read money is the root of all evil. Greed, the love of money, not money itself, is what is decried here. God wants to bless us financially and materially. But He doesn’t want the things that He blesses us with to rule our lives.

Prosperity can be a much greater test than poverty. A person who has nothing is desperate and will cry out to God for relief. A person who is sated with money can become apathetic to the Lord. He feels that He doesn’t need Him. He thinks his money can provide whatever he desires. Over the years I’ve seen so many come to church, receive Jesus, get stirred up in the Word, and slowly drift away when their needs are met.

  

A wealthy young man came to Jesus one day and asked him what he must do to go to heaven. He told Jesus that he kept the Ten Commandments and obeyed the law as well as he knew how (they were still living under the Old Covenant at the time). Jesus told him that he only lacked one thing. He told Him to go and sell his possessions and give the money to the poor.

  

Notice the young man’s response: But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22). Actually, great possessions had him! Greed controlled his life.

 

Those who are blessed must be willing to go through the eye of the needle as Jesus mentioned in the above scripture. The eye of the needle was a small door in the mammoth city gate in eastern countries in Bible times. The gates were very large, and it took several people and a good bit of sweat to open them. When they were closed, it was a lot of effort to open them for only one person.

 

So they added a small door within the gates, called the eye of the needle that could easily allow a person through. Often the person had a camel with them that carried their goods. The camel would be loaded down with the person’s possessions, and would not fit through the small needle’s eye opening. The camel had to be unloaded, taken through the opening, and then the packages had to be placed on the animal again afterwards. It took a lot of time! The camel would just barely fit though the needle’s eye. Loaded, it could never make it.

  

Those who come to Jesus must be willing to give up everything to follow Him. The wealthy young man didn’t realize that God would bless him if he only entrusted his wealth to Jesus. He would more than likely have gotten it back. But his greed became a curse. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. You’ll be more blessed in the long run following Jesus if you’ll surrender everything to him. Be willing to go through the eye of the needle. The end result will be great blessing.

The Cross Brings the Power of God into Your Life!

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11).

We need to apply the cross of Jesus to our  life every day. Without death to the world, the flesh, and to selfish desires, you’ll be a prey for the enemy to come in and rob and steal and kill.

  

The cross is a place of death. For us, the cross represents a place of death to our old habits, desires, and ways of living. The cross to us is a place of separation from being ruled by carnal desires, motives, thoughts, and responses. From the cross applied to our lives daily comes the resurrection life and the abiding power of God.

  

So many want the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit and the power of God, but not the cross. And there is no spiritual power without the cross! Through His cross, His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus obtained power over Satan and his forces. Satan is now a dethroned ruler. He has taken the authority the God vested in Adam at creation due to Adam’s sin. He has authority over the masses of the unsaved worldwide. Only Christians have authority over him, but most abdicate their authority by their refusing to take their flesh and stubborn human will to the cross.

 

The principalities and powers of darkness deeply resent Jesus defeating them and giving authority over them to the church! So they seek to undermine that authority by tempting believers to forsake the cross, the place of death to their flesh and stubborn will. And when Christians yield to the flesh, they lose their heritage of spiritual authority, and give Satan an inroad to defeat them.

 

Just as Esau relinquished his birthright to his appetite, believers can relinquish their authority by refusal to die daily, that is, to put the flesh under control of their spirit. It’s worth the small price you pay to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. The end result is peace, and real resurrection power over the tauntings of the flesh and over Satan and his forces.

 

If you’re not willing to die, you’ll be a weak, vacillating, flesh dominated, Satan pleasing believer! Let’s determine today to bear our personal cross for the glory of God. Take some time today to commit yourself to the cross! For to live in power, you must die!

Don't Neglect the Gift God Placed in You!

Do not neglect the gift which is in you, that special inward endowment which was directly imparted to you by the Holy Spirit by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you at your ordination. Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody (1Tim 4:14-15 –Amplified).

  

Each of us has been given a special gift, talent, or ability by the Father. It’s just an embryo within us at first. Sometimes it manifests as a faint desire that glimmers faintly in the background of our thoughts.

  

This special ability won’t develop on its own. In fact in many people it lies dormant year after year, longing to be activated, but never given opportunity. Paul’s admonition to Timothy shows the practical way the gifts of God develop in  us. You must practice, cultivate, meditate upon, and throw yourself wholly into them.

  

I was eighteen years old when I first sensed the call of God on my life to preach the Word. It came as an embryo of desire to begin with. I changed the course of my life from pursuing a career to pursuing this call. It was a general call to ministry at first, and following that desire I enrolled in Bible College.

 

Then I began to notice a strong desire to help people understand who they are in Christ and to help them apply the scriptures to their own lives. It was faint at first, but as I began to talk with people, it seemed like a “switch” would turn on inside and I found words pouring out of me with passion. That was the gift God placed in me seeking to manifest.

 

A while later I was asked to speak in the morning devotions for our large church staff. I was petrified by fear! But I said yes, and spent weeks studying, praying, and preparing. That “switch” cut on again as I spoke for the few minutes each day that week and the words just poured out. Later I ministered one on one in hospitals, taught Bible studies, ministered to people one on one, and said yes anytime a need arose for someone to minister in a small meeting. The gift kept growing, until today, it dominates me!

 

The Father has placed a gift in you. Develop it. Allow it to grow by giving in to it. It may be only a faint desire, but go after it, whatever it is! Pursue your passion. Give yourself to the godly desire that rises from within. This desire will “tickle” your thoughts over and over again until you yield to it. Fear will seek to override it and keep you from acting, but go ahead and do it scared!

 

It may be a spiritual or natural desire, but give yourself to it. Some have a gift to make money and finance the kingdom of God in earth. Others yearn to stay in the background and be a support for those called into full time ministry. Some have a strong desire to teach and mentor children. Still other have a desire to reach out to the lonely, the down and out and provide practical relief. Some yearn to pray. Whatever the desire, you must give in to it and allow it to develop. It will not until you act.

  

With practice, the gift from the Father in you will make room for itself. Make room in your life for it, and watch what the Father will accomplish with it. He’s waiting on you to faithfully act!

We Are Called to Be Servants

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave —  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28).

There’s a lot out there these days about leadership. Seminars and self-help books abound. While much of the information is helpful, we must keep ourselves in check as believers. We live in a different kingdom. Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world. Our standards are different that that of the world’s. And our attitudes and motives are different.

  

We’re not called to acquire a big name for ourselves; we’re called to glorify Jesus in all we do. We’re not building our little kingdoms; we’re building the kingdom of God. We’re called to be servants. If we’re leading others, we’re called to be servant leaders. The greatest leaders among us must become the greatest servant of all. The more we lead, the more we serve.

Jesus washed the feet of the disciples in John 13. This was the job of the lowest servant in the house. It was a menial task to be sure. And Jesus didn’t stop until He had washed all of the disciple’s feet! He left us such a wonderful example. We need to be very careful in this day of big ministries, lots of money, and lots of helpers. We must never lose the perspective of servanthood in our lives, regardless of our position in ministry.

  

We should carry ourselves in such a way that attention is not brought to us, but to Jesus. In reading of the life of Smith Wigglesworth, he became troubled just before his home-going that people were bragging on him and his accomplishments too much, and he lamented that people were not deflecting the praise to Jesus. Poor Wigglesworth, he said. God must remove me from the scene soon. He longed for people to grasp the concepts of humility and servanthood.

 

I’ll leave you today with Paul’s comments that we best be familiar with:

  

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption —  that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Like Jacob, Be Willing To Walk With a Limp!

A man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak. When the man saw that he could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint.

They kept on wrestling until the man said, "Let go of me! It's almost daylight." "You can't go until you bless me," Jacob replied. Then the man asked, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. The man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That's why your name will be Israel."(Genesis 32:24-28 - Contemporary English Version)

 

Even before birth, Jacob, whose name means deceiver, was in a struggle. Since birth, he had pushed his way through life, doing whatever was necessary to make it. He took advantage of others, and thought nothing of deceiving to get his way.

  

One night of wrestling with an angel (the angel was possibly Jesus Himself!) changed Jacob from deceiver to Israel, prince with God. After that night of struggle, He walked with a limp. He was never the same again. His character was transformed.

 

Don’t ever give up on yourself. No matter how long you’ve struggled with issues in your life, keep going forward! The Lord can transform you. It usually requires that you come to the end of yourself just like Jacob. When his best human efforts failed, Jacob finally realized his need to yield to God’s plan for his life, and he changed. His walking with a limp was an outward sign of his inward submission.

 

Moses was transformed at the burning bush. David was transformed from a shepherd to mighty warrior when he faced Goliath. Peter was transformed after denying Jesus and being filled with shame. The power of God’s mercy created within him a pastor’s heart. Saul was converted on the Damascus Road and was transformed into Paul, one of the greatest men of the church age.

 

In my own life, I was an extreme introvert, ruled by fear and rejection thinking. My only sense of value was through accomplishment. When I came to the end of my own ability, I found God’s grace to change. He replaced the fear with genuine love, the rejection with a knowing that I am accepted in the beloved, and the goodness by works attitude with a knowing that it’s not my deeds, but His grace that make me acceptable to God.

  

Take your personal frustrations with yourself and take your failures to the foot of the cross. Lay them by faith at the feet of Jesus. Humble yourself to Him and like Jacob, he will change your name! He’ll create in you the ability to be what He has called you to be.

 

At the end of your self-striving to accomplish, to be something, or to succeed, you’ll find the power of God to transform. But you must be willing like Jacob to walk with a limp.