Do Not Steal His Glory

Let us confess that apart from Him, we can do nothing!

Let us not steal glory that belongs to God and to Him alone.  
We, without Him, can do nothing.

Where then is boasting?  It is excluded.

Let us not boast in ourselves or how He can use us- 
rather let us boast that He can use us. 
Because with Him, all things are possible!

Oh, that our focus and motivation may all be on Him and for His glory. 

       “Am I becoming more and more in love with God as a holy God, or with the conception of an amiable Being who says, 'Oh well, sin doesn’t matter much'?  God never coerces, neither does He ever accommodate His demands to human compromise, and we are disloyal to Him if we do……Nothing can hinder God’s purpose in a personal life but the person himself…… It is extraordinary how things fall off from a man like autumn leaves once he comes to the place where there is no rule but that of personal domination of the Holy Spirit.”   Oswald Chambers

      

        Be (being) filled1- Eph 5:18- personally dominated by the Holy Spirit and abandoning all to Him, let Him lead.  Asking Him to empty you of yourself and to fill you to overflowing with His Spirit, follow close. He will lead you on level ground and enable you to walk on your high places as you seek Him first. Be in the Word and in prayer to hear your daily assignment and to partake of your daily sustaining bread.

He will lead you and guide you for His name’s sake and for His glory. (Psalm 31:3)

1 "Be filled"  Pres. imp. pass. "The idea of the word is 'control.'  The indwelling Spirit of God is the one who should continually control and dominate the life of the believer..  The present calls for a habitual and continuing action. Passive could be permissive pass.; "allow yourselves to be...:". This is further supported by imperative (command)."  From The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament.  Rogers and Rogers.

Dream Big! (We Choose- Part 2)

          Your big dream may happen in the prayer closet where no one on this earth sees, but your Heavenly Father does and will reward you (Matt. 6:6).  You may make a huge mark on this world because you have been called to a ministry of secret prayer.  It does not matter if anyone knows about you on this earth; you can be a HUGE success and fulfill your dream without a single person on this earth being aware or impressed with you.  

      As you dream big, think of the everyday dreams: dreams to walk in holiness and sincerity of heart, authenticity, integrity,  to walk in love in your relationships with your God, your spouse, children, friends, dreams to love Him and His Word more each day and to be faithful in prayer.  Are these in accordance to His will that you walk in them?  Yes. So He will enable you to walk on these heights in victory, as you take each step in obedience to His word.

He will make your feet like hinds' feet and set you upon your high places.  His right hand will uphold you, and He will enlarge your steps under you that your feet will not slip.  (Psalm 18:33-36)

        If You are for me and work all things according to my good, to conform me into the image of Your Son (and I do want to be conformed! Yes Lord), and if I am obedient and faithful to do what You have asked and am able to stand before You one day and say that I have done the good works that You had planned for me to do (Eph. 2:10), that I did not back off in fear or unbelief or give in to my desire to live a comfortable life, no matter the results that I may see or not, that is a success!

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."  John 14:12

You cannot outdream God.

Dream big!

We Choose

 “For You are my rock and my fortress;

  For Your name’s sake You will

         lead me and guide me.”  Psalm 31:3

The possibilities for the child of God are beyond

                            all that we dare ask or think.  Ephesians 3:20,21

              We are the ones who tend to limit ourselves. In this sense, we choose how much we will allow God to do in our lives, the ways we will allow Him to use us, and the areas we will have victory in.  He is for us and ready and willing to do abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine and will enable us to do everything that He has called us to do.  Will we believe that He is more able than our own inability? 

         Dream big. Yes, think of all the big 'dreams', the ones that make your heart fly as you are in quiet communion with Him.  If the dream is from Him, He will be faithful to fulfill it. With the call, comes the almighty power of the very God Who spoke and everything came into being.  Our disbelief that we could possibly do 'such a thing' honestly says more about our trust in God than our belief about ourselves, for His word is full of all that He will enable us and equip us to do. 

           It is in our weakness that He is strong.  We must choose to take the steps of faith and try Him out and find Him faithful, faithful even to teach us through what the world would call failure.  When we step out, we are responsible for each step of obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit, and He is responsible for the outcome.  So good or bad outcome, or seemingly no outcome, that is God’s business, not ours.  We are successful in the obedience.

“True obedience is always successful.  It always accomplishes God’s will.".......    ........."If I have obeyed, that is enough.  I am successful.  Beyond that, it is God’s business.  If I insist on a happy, selfish outcome, then I am meddling.  The instant I obey, success is automatic- God’s success, not mine.  Therefore, obedience carries in itself its burst of praise.  I am jubilant, not because my ship has come in, but because it has gone out.  Maybe I will never see it again, but that is beside the point.  The point is, I have launched it unto God and now He is responsible.  So I praise God that He is working, and I rest in His activity.”       Glyn Evans from Daily with the King

       

       What is He calling you to do?  Have you taken that first step?  What about the next? We are safe in Him; He is our Rock and our fortress.  Let us not limit what God would do in our lives by our fear, by our desire for our own comfort, OR by our busyness.  Allowing Him to have His way in your life, choose to follow Him to do 'beyond'.

           Spend some time seeking Him on this issue, and He will lead you and guide you for His names’ sake (Psalm 31:3)

 "...it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  Philippians 2:13

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Choose the 'far more abundantly beyond'!

The Proper Working of Each Individual Part

“As for God, His way is blameless (complete, having integrity, perfect);

The word of the Lord is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God,

The God who girds me with strength

And makes my way blameless (complete, having integrity)?

He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,

And sets me upon my high places.

He trains my hands for battle,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,

And Your right hand upholds me;

And your gentleness1 (condescension) makes me great.

You enlarge my steps under me,

And my feet have not slipped.”

Psalm 18:30-36

                Nothing is impossible.  He makes you to walk on your high places.  He sets you on YOUR high places -your 'beyond', designed especially for you; He does not set you on someone else’s.  Look not to the right or to the left to see what He is doing with others, but look only to Him for your particular path and what He calls you to.  As you walk in obedience and dependence upon Him, you are able through His almighty strength.

          Imagine if we were all, as the universal body of Christ, walking on our high places, believing that God is able to do through us exactly what He is calling us to do. 
          Imagine if we were not just ‘dreaming’ about doing what He has put on our hearts to do, but if we were all walking it out in our everyday lives, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  
          Imagine if we all were living out that 'specific to us dream' that He has put on our heart, not attempting it in our own strength but obediently taking each step as He leads (not too fast-running ahead of Him and not too slow- falling behind in our potential in Christ).  

        What if we allow Him to lead us every step of the way, empowering each step to do things we never dreamed of being able to do- walking it out, not because we are able, but because He is able!!

                Think of all the big things that are in your heart (if He has put them there).  It is not prideful.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

    
 Now think of all of your excuses…..,

Think of what would happen if every child of God believed and used those excuses (because everyone could).  What would ever get done?  The body would be so sick.  Or is that why the body is so sick?!!

Will you step up and take your position?  Will you position yourself and fulfill your calling on this earth? 

 “..we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”  Ephesians 4:15,16

1 gentleness: patience, mildness, tenderness; characteristic of God that fosters growth. (Zodhiates. Word Study Dictionary)

A Prayer for This New Year

"Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us..." Eph 3:20  

        Lord, we thank You for fresh starts, for fresh days even in our calendar system where we especially 'feel' there is a blank canvas in front of us (even though it is true every day- "For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning." Lam. 3:22,23)
      
      Lord would You paint a beautiful picture with our lives this year. We give to You this blank slate and give our lives as the paint and tools in Your mighty hands and say,  'Here am I. Use me.'  
      
       Lord, we press in, BEYOND. Enable us and work in and through us according to your will. We know and choose to truly believe that You are able to do beyond what has been done before in our lives, in the world, in the church, and in our families.  We choose to believe that there is a beyond out there, and in faith, we seek to grab hold of it.

      May this be a year of beyond, beyond what we think we are able and beyond what we think You are able to do with us.  MOVE Lord.  Be big. We press against the boundary of what has been before.  We press beyond all our 'befores'.  Instill a big faith and hope and perseverance in us that reaches beyond what we fear, beyond what we think we are capable of, and beyond what we even dream or imagine.   We take You up on that promise that You are able to do beyond that, through Your power working in us. 

     We are not ashamed of the gospel.  We will not shrink back from declaring the whole purpose of God.  Acts 20:20,27  We believe that You are a rewarder of those who seek you. Hebrews 11:6 You said, "Seek My face," and Your face we shall seek. Psalm 27:8  Eyes on You, Lord.

We serve a big God;  may we live a big life!

      This year, may we not bow down to fear or be silenced. Through Your power flowing freely through us, we are able.  We boldly, confidently proclaim that in You, "I am able." Because You are able and You live in us, we are able to DO all that You call us to and all that you set before us.  Lord, in faith (you tell us to ask according to Your will) we ASK for MORE, for BEYOND: for more faith- powerful, mountain moving faith.  ("You do not have because you do not ask." James 4:2b)

     Lord, we confess and repent and turn away from any doubt and any fear and any worry.  We do not want to be one of 'little faith'.  Be done your will, and Your will IS BEYOND all that we could ask or imagine - to You "be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."  Eph 3:21

Open Our Eyes

             "And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, 'What do you want Me to do for you?'  

           They said to Him, 'Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.'  

             Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him."  Matthew 20:32-34

Oh, may that be our plea and desire.  

           Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.  And may regaining our sight result in fully following You.

          Open our eyes to see You for all that you are and all that You are willing and able to do in and through us.  Open our eyes to Your purposes in this present age and where You have called us to shine for Your glory.  Open our eyes to see the people You have placed us among as You see them, and may we be moved with Your compassion to love and act on their behalf. 

 Open our eyes to see Your perfect love, to SEE You, to see that You are with us, and to see that that changes EVERYTHING.  Lord, we invite you to change everything.

"...I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.........Woe is me, for I am ruined!........For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.........Here am I. Send me!.........."  Isaiah 6

Ruin us, Lord.  Open our eyes.  May we regain our sight and follow You.

Faith-filled Obedience

“…God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!..…Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.’  So…” (And notice the time phrase that shows his immediate obedience)  “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” 

        The book of Hebrews gives us even more insight into what was going on in Abraham’s mind saying, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son…He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”  Hebrews 11:17,19

      Abraham followed through to the point of stretching out his hand and taking the knife, but the angel of the Lord stopped him, saying, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God (are a fearer of God), since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”  Genesis 22:12

      What a powerful example of a heart of faith-filled obedience.

Now, at this point, let us ask ourselves how much evidence do we give the world (and the angels and God) that we are a fearer of God (that we fear/reverence God)?  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.."  Psalm 111:10


   Abraham had a promise of descendants through Isaac, yet there were no descendants, so how could Isaac die?  Abraham had even suggested shortcuts to that promise, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” (Genesis 17:18,19- Abraham, like us at times, would have settled for another plan, one that was easier and required no waiting or faith) ‘But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”

      The scene continues, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”  v.16-18 

       We too need to know God’s promises; clinging to those promises and to faith in Who God is, will enable us to walk in confident obedience. Abraham, knowing the promise, immediately 
obeyed this illogical assignment, and because he did, he was allowed to be a part of blessing all the nations of the earth. 

“Because you have obeyed My voice.”

We have no way of knowing what our acts of obedience will bring about and who they will affect.  God has a great plan in asking for each act of obedience, and there ARE consequences to our obedience that bless us and many others and potentially many, many after us down the halls of time.

Abraham was even allowed to be a part of THE greatest plan:       “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith…….. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.  He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.” Galatians 3:13,14,16

What promises do you need to cling to so that you may walk forward in confidence faith-filled obedience to all that He calls you to?