Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (Heb 12:1). One important thing that can be seen from this scripture is that when you exercise faith you get into the gear of patience. What you are doing in effect is that as an individual you are running the race that is set before you. You are not running in a race that is set before others or the race that other people are running. Instead you are running your own race. A patient person runs his/her own race. Through patience he has found his track, stayed on it and is running his race. The real test is whether you are going to follow through on the race that is set before you as an individual or if you are going to get involved in other things because of the pressure and distractions of seemingly lucrative opportunities that violate your conscience. The primary point in this issue of patience is that you must possess your own soul.
If at any point in time you start falling short in that race, two things will happen. The first is that the root of bitterness and resentment will spring up inside you because of what is happening in your environment. Many times resentment and bitterness develop from the fact that people compare themselves with others (i.e. the way they are treated etc) and if they think it falls short in any way they develop a sense of resentment. What we must understand is that in our individual walk with God that He will bring the challenges and situations that we require into our lives. God in His faithfulness will allow us to experience them so that our weakness (es) can be converted. God will give us the grace and opportunity to overcome them.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me (2Corth12:8 KJV). In this scripture we find Paul asking God to remove a certain challenge from his life. In answer God had this to say,’ my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ (2Cor12: 9). When Paul heard this reply from God he started rejoicing realising that it is in those areas of weakness that God’s glory rests and manifests more. (2Cor 12:9b-10) Those are the places that are going to become the strongest areas in your life as an individual, if you allow the entire process to work out in your life (i.e. let patience have her perfect work in you).
If a person starts a business and is struggling, he needs to understand the grace of God. When other people are moving ahead and growing fast if he takes pleasure in that current state and allows God to work, he will discover that the temporary set back and weakness that he has been exposed to will become the area through which the strength of God will be perfected in his life. This means that if the person goes through what they are supposed to and learn the lessons then the weakness will be removed and the strength, not just natural strength, but the strength of God will be made manifest.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Still Small Voice
Text: Acts 12:1-15.
When you pray right about a particular thing you will hear the result before you see the actual manifestation. Remember Jesus said, ‘I will knock, who ever opens the door, I will come in and sup with him (Rev 3:20). What this means is that you will definitely hear a voice. When you respond to that voice by opening the door of your heart, you have walked in obedience in answer to prayer. The Bible tells us not to harden our hearts when we hear the still small voice. Do not look on the outside for results or answers, instead focus on what is going on within because this is where Jesus always begins His work.
He said, go forth, and stand upon the mount before the lord. And, behold, the lord passed by… (1King 19:9) this means that the answer to your problem is passing by in physical manifestation. This is part of the lesson God is teaching some of us. You can start a business a massive investor comes by and shakes the bank, and then you say the Lord has come, but God may not be behind it. That is why you can be talented and gifted but it takes experience to get certain things done. If you do not have experience there are some things you can not learn and as a result, you can not do them. That is why you have to learn in order to have experience, so that as things come your way, you learn. Do not get angry before the lesson is over. You can be gifted or talented but you still need experience. Don’t get angry instead learn.
According to 1 Kings 9:19 God was not found in the wind or earth quake but in the still small voice. In Acts 12:13-14 after Peter had been delivered, he stood at the gate and Rhoda heard the still small voice. The Bible exhorts that in the day of temptation that we should not harden our heart (Psalm 95:8). You will get to a place of temptation where it looks like nothing is working. At such a time the Bible tells us to come and bow before the Lord because it is at this point in time that revelation starts getting unfolded. You will start hearing the still small voice instructing you to make certain adjustments telling you this is the way to go, walk in it. (Isaiah 30:21) When you hear that small voice, even when people say you are illogical at what you are doing, you will constantly affirm that it is so because now you have something(one) within, giving you instructions.
The Word of God that you are confessing is transformed into the voice of God inside your heart. One step after another the still small voice instructs you in the way to go. It tells you what you should change and you must be sensitive enough to hear the voice and make the necessary adjustments. You must hearken to that voice because it will make you a steward forever.
When you pray right about a particular thing you will hear the result before you see the actual manifestation. Remember Jesus said, ‘I will knock, who ever opens the door, I will come in and sup with him (Rev 3:20). What this means is that you will definitely hear a voice. When you respond to that voice by opening the door of your heart, you have walked in obedience in answer to prayer. The Bible tells us not to harden our hearts when we hear the still small voice. Do not look on the outside for results or answers, instead focus on what is going on within because this is where Jesus always begins His work.
He said, go forth, and stand upon the mount before the lord. And, behold, the lord passed by… (1King 19:9) this means that the answer to your problem is passing by in physical manifestation. This is part of the lesson God is teaching some of us. You can start a business a massive investor comes by and shakes the bank, and then you say the Lord has come, but God may not be behind it. That is why you can be talented and gifted but it takes experience to get certain things done. If you do not have experience there are some things you can not learn and as a result, you can not do them. That is why you have to learn in order to have experience, so that as things come your way, you learn. Do not get angry before the lesson is over. You can be gifted or talented but you still need experience. Don’t get angry instead learn.
According to 1 Kings 9:19 God was not found in the wind or earth quake but in the still small voice. In Acts 12:13-14 after Peter had been delivered, he stood at the gate and Rhoda heard the still small voice. The Bible exhorts that in the day of temptation that we should not harden our heart (Psalm 95:8). You will get to a place of temptation where it looks like nothing is working. At such a time the Bible tells us to come and bow before the Lord because it is at this point in time that revelation starts getting unfolded. You will start hearing the still small voice instructing you to make certain adjustments telling you this is the way to go, walk in it. (Isaiah 30:21) When you hear that small voice, even when people say you are illogical at what you are doing, you will constantly affirm that it is so because now you have something(one) within, giving you instructions.
The Word of God that you are confessing is transformed into the voice of God inside your heart. One step after another the still small voice instructs you in the way to go. It tells you what you should change and you must be sensitive enough to hear the voice and make the necessary adjustments. You must hearken to that voice because it will make you a steward forever.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Instinct and You
The real key to success is following that compass inside you. It is not about anything that anyone tells you on the outside that produces success. A lot of people are stuck in life because the system that tells them what to do and where to go has not been awakened as a result they look on the outside and copy what others are doing. If you happen to have a GPS system in your car and have already put in your destination it would be foolish to take any other route other than obeying the instructions of the GPS system. All you have to do is to listen to what that system is saying to you and then follow the instructions. The issue is to listen to the voice that is speaking within and follow the specific instruction for that particular situation. It may mean that He might tell you to get closer to one person, whilst He asks you to withdraw from another all this is dependent on the individual.
If you have not reached that point in your life where you have discovered the compass then one can say you are living your life based on external trends and formulas. The chastisement of God according to the Bible is to withdraw you from your own purpose and to put the plan and purpose of God inside your heart for a particular purpose/thing.
So once you start making the confession and warfare seems to break out on the out side, the key is to run the race that is set before you. You must find your true north and follow it. Like the shepherds that saw the morning star and decided to follow it it led them to the place where Christ was born. As an individual you need to learn to follow that true north. If you want to get out of the position of stagnancy you have got to be making your confessions, exercising patience (i.e. consistency) with a deep sense of expectation. The minute you connect and decide to live this way (i.e. to hearken to the voice of the Spirit) He starts speaking to you.
If you have not reached that point in your life where you have discovered the compass then one can say you are living your life based on external trends and formulas. The chastisement of God according to the Bible is to withdraw you from your own purpose and to put the plan and purpose of God inside your heart for a particular purpose/thing.
So once you start making the confession and warfare seems to break out on the out side, the key is to run the race that is set before you. You must find your true north and follow it. Like the shepherds that saw the morning star and decided to follow it it led them to the place where Christ was born. As an individual you need to learn to follow that true north. If you want to get out of the position of stagnancy you have got to be making your confessions, exercising patience (i.e. consistency) with a deep sense of expectation. The minute you connect and decide to live this way (i.e. to hearken to the voice of the Spirit) He starts speaking to you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)