God’s Word is very clear as to His plans for your life. Be encouraged today knowing that His plans started for you long before you were even born. The activating of His plans for your future on earth starts whenever YOU start them. Simple obedience to His Word and promptings will start His favor and plan for your life immediately. It starts now.
As a Christian, I have often asked the same question that I hear many asking today, “When will the call of God on my life start?” As a Pastor, I now have a new perspective on things and have found the answer to this question. Your call has already started in God’s eyes; it just has to start in your eyes. You see, the book of Jeremiah tells us that God knew us before we were ever born, and He called us, set us apart, and had a plan. That means that when I was born, God saw me as a pastor. My parents, the doctor in the delivery room, and all the nurses may not have called me pastor – but God did. Even when I was backslidden in my teenage years, he still saw me as a pastor – even when the cops saw me as a juvenile and a threat. God has always seen you through the eyes of His calling for your life. Your call begins when you start it. When your eyes and vision about yourself line up with God’s eyes and vision towards you, then you will launch into the perfect plan that He has for you. Stop asking WHEN and start looking at NOW!
As a pastor I often ask God, “Why do people leave?” If you aren’t a pastor then you will not fully understand my questions to Him, but as a human I am sure you have felt a similar way. These questions I ask Him are birthed from a revelation of that person’s destiny. Here is a tip for you to follow today: The moment you find your place is the very moment satan begins to create another one for you. Distraction will arise the moment you are accurately placed where God wants you. Relationships that seem right will form, but at that very moment you should ask yourself, “What is the purpose for this relationship? Will this relationship boost me further in the same direction I am currently headed or will it catapult me into a different direction?”
Don’t follow fads, follow peace. Wherever God has placed you STAY PUT! It’s in that place that He will continue to promote and train you. Satan desires nothing more than to uproot you from your place, and He will do it very creatively. Don’t fall for it. Don’t settle for it. STAY PUT and watch God radically use you.
Many times we fail to reach our God-given potential.
Too many Christians, through simple ignorance, go through life with the assumption that God is going to make everything happen for them in His timing. We even use phrases like, “it’s all in God’s timing…” What if I were to tell you that God is waiting on you? What if what you get in life is determined by what you do in life? Let’s look at a famous parable of Jesus and see what we can learn from it.
A KINGDOM MINDSET
Anytime the bible describes Jesus and His teachings, it always says that He was speaking of things pertaining to the Kingdom.The Kingdom of God is not a place; it is a way of doing things. In the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us how we should pray,
“…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus came to establish God’s way of doing things in the lives of His children here on earth. In Matthew 25 we see Jesus sharing with us another glimpse into how God’s Kingdom operates.
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
Matthew 25:14-30 (NLT)
14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.”
Immediately, my interpretation of what Jesus is talking about is Himself.He will soon be ascending after His resurrection, and will be entrusting us with a responsibility.
15 “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.”
The KJV of this parable refers to the bags of silver as “talents.” Now, right of the bat it appears unfair that some received more than others, however, if you look closely, it reveals why.
“…dividing it in proportion to their abilities…”
That means that before they were entrusted, the master knew their abilities. Once you have proven yourself, an opportunity for promotion will arise. Once that opportunity reveals itself, what you do after that will determine your promotion.
(AMP)” To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country.”
Although Jesus is using money to illustrate His parable, His meaning is much deeper, and not limited just to this world’s currency. This parable has been preached many ways, primarily concerning money. While this is the illustration, and should cause you to reflect on your financial stewardship in God’s Kingdom, I will primarily speak to you tonight concerning the entirety of your life.
16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.”
Notice the first two men who were entrusted with more, had a knowledge already of what to do with what they had been given. In my opinion, this reveals the reasoning behind why the master divided the money the way that he did.
18 “But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.”
Immediately it is revealed that this guy had no clue what to do with the money. Somehow, his knowledge and or training was not the same as the other two men. In my opinion, knowing that the master knew their abilities, I would not have given anything to the third man at all. It seems to me that the master was giving this man an opportunity to grow, and possibly change his current abilities. It would also seem to me that this third man could have, if he was wise, watched the other two men and done whatever they did. It was evident that they knew more, since they were entrusted with more.
What if the master only brought the third man in to the challenge to give him an opportunity to surround himself with people who he could learn from? I wonder if in your own life right now, you are unaware of the opportunities God is giving you that lie within your relationships.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.”
Let it be known that no matter what it is in your life that God has entrusted you with, YOU WILL HAVE TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR WHAT YOU DID WITH IT!
20″ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.”
Notice, the first man stated what the purpose was for what he was entrusted with – to invest it. -He knew his purpose for what he was given.
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Let’s celebrate together!’
(AMP) His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the You have delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.
(MSG) “His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
Anytime the Lord gives you little, recognize it as a ladder to more. Once you have faithfully made the climb of faithfulness, you arrive on the scene of promotion. Little is never a bad thing. With God, it is an opportunity to receive more.
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
Again, this man also knows the purpose for what he has been entrusted with to invest it.
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said,
Many would say this man is an idiot, however, he did have knowledge of a very important thing.
AMP the master said, “…Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.
This was a profound statement. The master, who the third man (the one who buried his talent) described as someone who harvests crops he didn’t plant and gathers crops he didn’t cultivate, had purposed all along to have these three men inherit the same exact trait. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man,harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. Have you ever heard the statement, “He make money in his sleep.” What this is referring to is someone who has discovered a way to prosper without having to do much work.
I would lose your money, so I hid it and look here is your money back.’
Right here you see the problem, fear. Fear will rob you of promotion. Fear will always choke the life of your harvest by paralyzing your seed. Notice the place where he hid what he was entrusted with in the earth.Now, what was this parable illustrating? The whole purpose of this parable was to teach us about the Kingdom’s way of doing things. The Kingdom way of doing things is not the earth’s way of doing things.
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! This man had knowledge of who this master was, but he did not know the purpose for which the master was entrusting him. God’s gifts to us are not necessarily for His benefit, rather ours, and the benefit of the Kingdom that He is establishing on this earth. 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,The third man planted in the earth, rather than the Kingdom, and his return was worse than nothing. What he had was taken away. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
(AMP) For to everyone who has will more be given, andbut from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
What has God entrusted you with? Many of you know exactly what I am talking about right now, while others are scrambling through your thoughts to try to figure out why you even exist. Yes, God has given entrusted you financially, and you should be investing it into His Kingdom, rather than this earth; but what else?
What about your gifts, your call, you life in general? Are you doing anything at all for the Kingdom, or are you merely investing in the earthly rat race that we call life? I wonder if God has placed you around others that He has entrusted with the same responsibility? Are you learning from them or are you busy digging holes of fear. What you have is an opportunity for more, no matter the amount that you have been entrusted with.
SECOND THINGS SECOND
Mark 12:29-31 (KJV)
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor
The two commandments that Jesus said are the most important is (1) loving God and (2) loving others. However, if you look deep within Verse 31, you will find a third person that you are to love yourself. This is where we often miss the mark all together. as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Let’s read some other translations of this verse to better define what Jesus is telling us to do.
(MSG) And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’…
(NLT) The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
no other commandment is greater than these.”
Jesus said loving others as yourself is equally as important as loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. He said no other commandment is greater.
(ERV) The second most important command is this: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself. These two commands are the most important.”
We cannot effectively love others like Christ commands us to unless we effectively love ourselves. According to God’s Word, for me to effectively love you, I must first effectively love me. Think about this for a moment: He tells us to love others in the same way we love ourselves. If you are not happy with you then you will not be happy with others. In order for God’s love to reach others through us, it must first reach us. You are doing people an injustice by not loving yourself.
“You can tell a lot about a persons relationship with God by how they treat people.”
–B.B. Hankins
1 John 4:19 (KJV)
We love him, because he first loved us.
We must understand His love for us. It is through that understanding that we love Him. It is also through that understanding that we love others. Once this is in tact then everything begins to work together, but if one is off, then we begin to have issues. Our issues with us will also become our issues with others. It’s often been said, “Hurting people hurt people.” Our relationship problems with others stem from a relationship problem with ourselves. People who attack others verbally and are easily offended usually have a low self-esteem.
“The problem with most marriages is that that you have two people trying to love one another who don’t love themselves.” –Kenneth W. Hagin, Jr.
Most relationships experience trials because one person is trying to force the other to become something that they have not yet become themselves. The greatest thing that you can do in your relationships is TAKEOVER your love for yourself. If you do not know who you are in Christ then you will never know who you are to be in a relationship.You cannot be the spouse, child, friend, employee or employer that you need to be unless you know who you are in Christ. Many people are playing the wrong roll in their relationship to others.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?
No matter what people may say about you, what do you say about you? Jesus said in Mark 11:23 that you have what you say. What are you saying about yourself?
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” –Henry Ford
Perspective is everything. Let’s look at a few scriptures to see what God has to say about us. We should be saying the same things and thinking the same thoughts about ourselves that He does about us.
2 Corinthians 5:17
(KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
(NLT) This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
(ERV) When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!
Even if we don’t like who we are, we see in God’s Word that once we become in Christ, who we once were is dead and gone, and we have a fresh new start.
Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
In our eyes sometimes we can’t do anything right. In our eyes everything that we touch messes up. But in God’s eyes we are a new creation, created in Christ Jesus, able to do everything through Christ.That takes the pressure off of us as we rely on Christ.
Romans 8:37 (NIV)
…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Ephesians 2:10
(NIV) For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(ERV) God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.
2 Corinthians 2:14
(KJV) Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
(MSG) …in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade.
(AMP) But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, There is scripture after scripture after scripture about what God thinks about us. But there is excuse after excuse after excuse of what we think about us.
Why is it that we are our worst critics? Depression and low self-esteem are an attack of the enemy. Jesus said, “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength…” but if you don’t feel worthy then you won’t do it, resulting in you violating the first and greatest commandment.Then, if you cannot effectively love Him, how can you have anything to love yourself with, much less others? Satan can knock you out of the game by the way you view yourself. There are so many people in this world that need to be loved but can’t be until we are loved.
We have to receive in order to distribute. If we cannot receive love then how can we give love? If God’s love is good enough for others, it’s good enough for you. If we can TAKOVER in the area of loving ourselves, we can then be used by God to TAKEOVER by loving others.
How many of you here today desire for God to have 100% control of your life? Think about that for a moment, if He has ALL of us then that means that we also have ALL of Him. If we desire to give God 100% control of our lives, we cannot allow other things the have control as well. One area that most people have trouble with in their life is in the area of relationships.
Over the next few weeks we are going to discuss the many facets of relationships that we must takeover in order for God to move freely in our lives, and for us to give Him complete control.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Mark 12:29-30 (KJV)
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy heart, and with thy soul, and with thy, and with all thy : this is the
(AMP) And you shall love the Lord your God all mind strength first commandment. with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul out of and (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. principal commandment.This is the first and all
Jesus tells us that the first relationship that we are to have control of is our relationship with God. He even tells us how to love Him. We are to love Him with all our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds, and with all of our strengths. The Amplified Bible says, “out of and with all…” How many of you would say that you are already doing this? Let’s just take one of these and compare the last seven days of your life to it.Over the past week, did you love God with ALL of your mind (faculty of thought and moral your understanding)? Were you thoughts focused 100% on Him and His plan for your life? The answer is probably NO!
The reason that Jesus listed these areas to love God with is because these are the very areas, that if controlled by something else, will affect your relationship with God.Your relationship with God is the most important relationship that you must have. Jesus actually commanded it. God should come first in everything that you do. This is the first commandment that Jesus says we are to follow, however, it is usually the first thing that we neglect and forget about. Too many times Christians lose sight of what is important and get distracted because their heart, soul, mind, and strength has been used up with other affections and other relationships. As a pastor, I have heard some pretty crazy excuses for why people haven’t been to church in a while.I’ve heard even crazier excuses for why they don’t tithe.The problem is this, you don’t have to convince me of why you don’t come to church, and why it’s ok that you are robbing from God by not giving your tithe you have to convince Him.
NO OTHER AFFECTIONS
Exodus 20:1-6 (NLT)
1 Then God gave the people all these instructions:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God,
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.I would say God is very serious about our love for Him.He began with a history lesson, a reminder of what He brought them out of. How many of you remember what God brought you out of? Today, we may not build other gods out of gold and bow down to them like they did back in those days, but we build gods out of other things these days. Our jobs become our god, our flesh and lusts become our god, other relationships become our god, even our families become our god. “I am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands”. I have had many people tell me that God never comes before your family. I disagree, I believe God comes first.
Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…”
God instituted the family. Without God, what kind of family would you have?“Well pastor, we stayed home from church the past two weeks to have some family time.” I’m not against family time, I just wonder if you told your boss the same thing on Monday morning. God reminded them of their life before He rescued them.This proves that as Christians, we can easily forget about what God has done for us, and get distracted with other affections.
Matthew 6:24 (KJV)
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
(MSG) …You can’t worship God and Money both.
Most people, without knowing it, serve money better than they do God. Don’t believe me? When is the last time you gave God forty hours of your week? Have you ever thought about why you actually exist?What is your purpose in this life? Most people are unaware that they have an individual purpose in life, that God designed their future before they were ever born.
Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…”
How much time do you invest in your relationship with God each day, each week, each month? Take inventory of your time and see what is taking up most of it. Is your time being spent or invested? I truly believe that if every Christian would takeover their relationship with God, He would move in a greater measure on earth in these last days. For some reason, attending church has stopped being a priority to most.Reading our bibles has stopped being a priority. Praying has stopped being a priority.Paying our tithe has stopped being a priority. Studies show that 4% of Christians tithe.
HOW TO TAKEOVER YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
It’s not enough for me to tell you the importance of taking over your relationship with God; you also need to know some simply steps in how to do so.
One,repent for putting other gods before Him.
Two, change your daily routine.You will never make a change in life without making a change in life. Wake up earlier, dedicate an allotted time to Him where you read His Word and then speak to Him through prayer.
Three, never allow anything to come before church. I understand that sometimes it is impossible to make it one week, but making it a habit of missing church is not healthy for your relationship with Him.Our greatest investment in life must be in our relationship with God.
Four, pay your tithe consistently and faithfully. God is not one who blesses people when He feels like it; He blesses those who simply obey the His Word.Don’t be someone who obeys when they feel like it; just simply make it part of your lifestyle and part of your relationship with God.Think of it like this, if you were dating someone, you would take them out each week and spend a portion of your paycheck on them. If we can do that for flesh and blood, why can’t we do that for our Creator and Lord?
If we can takeover these small areas we just discussed, God will have more of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, enabling Him to have greater control of our lives.
This year we are going to takeover every area that we have allowed to takeover us. God cannot have 100% control of our lives if other things have control also. One thing that keeps many people from doing the will of God for their life is sickness. Whether physical, spiritual, emotional, or even financial, sickness can keep you from going forward. Today, we are going to learn how to loosen the grip of sickness, and welcome the grasp of God’s healing power.
THE SUBSTITUTE
No matter what you have been told, it IS NOT God’s will for you to be sick. If you don’t get anything else from this message, please get this. If it were God’s will for us to be sick or experience sickness, then He would have contradicted His will by sending Jesus to the Cross.
Galatians 3:13 (KJV)
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
(NLT) But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing…
(AMP) Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us…
The word “for” is a substitutionary preposition. This preposition reveals to us what Christ did, in order that we would not have to. If I were to hire a couple of maids to come and clean my house, I would not expect my wife to put on an apron and join in. The reason that I would not expect her to is because I hired the maids “for” her, so that she would not have to clean the house.
If I were to take my family out to eat at a restaurant so that someone else could cook “for” us, I would not expect my wife to leave the table, make her way into the restaurant’s kitchen, and begin cooking our food. Why? Because the restaurant’s purpose for existence is to cook so that you don’t have to. Christ became a curse “for” us so that we would not have to be cursed. His purpose for existence was to be our substitute. Sickness is a part of the curse. He became sickness “for” us so that we would not have to be sick.
IF WE WERE, THEN I AM!
1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
(MSG) He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing.
(NLT) He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
(AMP) He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
You must pay close attention to the tenses that scripture reveals. This scripture uses the phrase “were healed.” “Were” is a word reflecting past tense, meaning an event that has already occurred. Let me ask you this, if we “were” healed, do we need to ask for healing? Think of it like this. If I was born in America, do I need to ask someone if I can be an American? If I was born in Texas or Louisiana, do I need to ask someone if I can become a Texan or a Cajun? The answer is “no.” You are simply born into that condition.
John 3:3 (KJV)
…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Once we are born again, our lives resemble the Kingdom. We are simply born into it. Whatever the Kingdom has to offer is now ours. We don’t have to ask to become it; it simply is in our nature and is our condition. When you are born again you don’t have to ask for healing, you just simply are healed. There is a difference in asking for something unaware of its availability, and asking for something aware of its availability. When you are aware of its availability, your asking is from a place of expectation to receive. Now it made sense to you when I used the analogy about American citizenship, but why not Kingdom citizenship?99.9% of Christians aren’t having an issue of asking God to heal them and He not heal them, they are having an issue with receiving the healing that is already theirs.
As Christians, we do not have to ask for it, we simply receive it. The way we receive healing is by faith, the same way we receive salvation. So when we receive a bad report from the doctor or experience symptoms in our body, we are not to get on our knees and beg God to heal us, we simply receive the healing that is already ours. If God were to heal people when they begged Him that would mean that He could be manipulated by our pleas and emotions. God cannot be manipulated by man, or by any other thing.He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I promise you that there has not been one time since Jesus’ resurrection that He has come back down to earth to die on the Cross again.
The bible says it was a finished work. So how do we receive the healing that has already been made available? First, you must know that healing is God’s will. Once you know that it is His will, you find it in His Word. Once you have scripture to prove your case, you now have something to stand on. Isaiah 43:26 tells us to put God in remembrance of His Word. If you “were” healed then act healed.When you have received something that is already yours, you act like it’s yours. The proof of ownership is in the act. -Whether or not my car is outside this building right now doesn’t mean that I don’t know it’s mine. Whether or not healing is manifested in your body right now doesn’t mean that it is not yours.
Mark 11:24 (KJV)
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
We must get to the place in our lives as believers that we quit asking for things that are already available.We must simply receive them.
TAKEOVER YOUR HEALING
Exodus 15:26
(KJV) …for I am the Lord that healeth thee. (NIV) …for I am the Lord, who heals you. (MSG) …I am God your healer.
Psalm 107:20 (KJV)
He sent his word, and healed them…
Romans 8:11 (NLT)
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Healing lives in us; it resides on the inside of every believer at all times. All we have to do is tap into it and receive our healing by faith.
Psalm 103:2-3 (KJV)
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
The Word of God is our medicine.When medicine is prescribed, it always has directions on how to take it and how often. The Word of God is the same way, we cannot take one scripture every now and then and expect to be healed, we must take it until the healing manifests. Kenneth E. Hagin would always make this confession concerning his life:
“I bless you Lord with all my soul – I thank you for ALL your benefits – you have forgiven ALL my iniquities, and ALL my sin, and healeth ALL, ALL my diseases. I thank you Father, that you sent your Word to heal; your Word says you healeth ALL my diseases. I thank you Father, your Word is penetrating my spirit and making health come to my physical body. I thank you, Father that healing is a benefit of our covenant. I will not forget your benefits, you forgave my sin and healed my diseases.”
Let’s takeover our healing by first understanding that it is not God’s will for us to be sick. It is God’s will for us to receive the healing that has already been bought and paid for.
As we get closer to closing the chapter of this year (2012), we have a great opportunity to enter into a new chapter of our lives. In my observation of people, there are two things that are difficult for most during this time: (1) Forgetting about the past and (2) laying hold on a brighter future. No matter what you have experienced this year,
God has something greater in store for you. As a matter of fact, God has something greater in store for you every single day. Usually during this time of the year, people are making New Year’s resolutions concerning the things that they want to change about themselves that they do not like. While we are our greatest critics, what would happen if we allowed God to critique us? Setting natural goals are great, but what if we heard from God about some supernatural things that He desires for us to do, and make those our goals?
Forget And Go Forward
Isaiah 43:18-19 (KJV) 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
What God is saying through the prophet Isaiah is that He wants to do something new. “New” would mean something that you have not experienced before. However, in order to do something “new”, you have to trade in something “old.” It’s an exchange – old for new. He starts off by telling us to forget about whatever experiences we have had in life. He even eliminates any excuses that we could use. Many people tell God, “God, I would do this but there is no way possible for me to do this because of my situation.” This is when He makes the statement, “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT)
18 “But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
“Where God takes you from is nothing compared to where He’ll take you to.” –Matt Shearin
Another reason people do not lay hold on what God has for them is because they do not see it. He asked, “…Do you not se it?” Many times we cannot see what God is doing because we focus on what has already been done. God didn’t say that He had already done it; He said that He had already begun it.If what you need is not there, He said that He would make it or create it.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (AMP)
18 Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Reset
This version gives a broader description of what God is saying through the prophet Isaiah. God is asking if we will give heed to the new things that He wants to do in our lives.Sometimes in order to go on with our lives, we have to “reset” our lives. Have you ever been working on a computer and all of the sudden it freezes on you?
You can’t work any further than what you have already done. Have you ever had your modem or router lock up? You cannot access anything more than what you have already accessed. Most electronics come with a “reset” button. This button is to be used when things freeze or stop working properly. Many times people freeze themselves in a particular situation, never moving forward from it.
“Never park by your successes and never park by your failures.” –Oral Robert
Too many times people either can’t get past their failures, or they simply bask in the glory of their previous successes. You cannot sit in the past and expect a future out of it. Your tomorrow is determined by what you capture today. So you did a couple of stupid things in your life, is that what you are going to allow to define you?
So you did a couple of great things in your life, is that all that you want to achieve? Our lives are to be lived as one who never stops growing, never stops learning, and never stops achieving. The day that you stop and sit in your past is the day that your future becomes someone else’s. The Apostle Paul said it best in Philippians chapter 3.
Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
What Paul is saying is that there is a life that Christ has already obtained for you, it is your job now to obtain it. He said forget and look forward! Remembering always connects to looking backwards.You cannot remember something that has not happened yet. Satan can trap you by your memory. Paul simply says, “Forget.” Concerning relationships, I once heard a man say, “The key to having a long-term relationship is having a short-term memory.” There is something powerful about the reset button.
Philippians 3:12-14 (MSG)
I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
Paul starts off by addressing his speech. He says what he is not saying, and then he says what he is saying, “…I am well on my way…”
“What is in your mouth today will effect your life tomorrow.”
–Terry Mathews
Our words have power. We must choose them wisely. “Your world is framed by the words of your mouth.”
–Mark Hankins
Paul’s statement in verse 14 reveals his attitude towards life, “I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”
“Your attitude is a library of your past, a spokesman of your present, and a prophesy of your future.”
–Guy Peh
Whatever your situation has been, it doesn’t have to be. “Be” refers to the present and the future; “been” refers to your past. We are to reset our lives in such a way that we have a fresh start, a “new” beginning; a life of expectation of what God is doing that we have yet to experience.
For many, love seems to be a thing we chase after. But really, love is not to be chased but rather received. John 3:16 tells us that God loved us so much that He sent that love to us. We simply receive it. 1 John 4:19 says we love Him because He first loved us. Instead of chasing, be chased. God’s love is chasing us down. Simply receive and then distribute to others (Romans 5:5).
Today I write to you on the subject of God’s love. A book that I highly recommend that every Christian read is called, “The Greatest Thing In The World” by Henry Drummond. In this blog post, I will be quoting a lot of what he says in this book. Many times throughout the bible we come across the word love. The Apostle Paul wrote about this subject throughout most of his epistles. In 1 Corinthians 13 he introduces us to the definition of this kind of love. In science we have all seen what happens when light passes through a crystal prism. As the light passes through, it comes out on the other side of the prism broken up into its component colors – red, blue, yellow, violet, orange, and all the colors of the rainbow. In the same way, Paul passes this virtue – love – through the magnificent prism of his inspired intellect, and it comes out on the other side broken up into its elements. In this passage of scripture we come across a few words that make up this spectrum of love. In this spectrum we see 9 ingredients.
The Spectrum of Love
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (KJV)
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth…The 9 ingredients of love:
- Patience Love suffereth long.
- Kindness And is kind.
- Generosity Love envieth not.
- Humility Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.
- Courtesy Doth not behave itself unseemly.
- Unselfishness Seeketh not its own.
- Good temper Is not provoked.
- Guilelessness Taketh no account of evil.
- Sincerity Rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth.
Patience, kindness, generosity, humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good temper, guilelessness, sincerity – these make up the supreme gift, the stature of the perfect man.
#1 – Patience
Patience is the normal attitude of love; love passive, love waiting to begin, not in a hurry, calm, ready to do its work when summons comes, but meantime wearing the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. “Love suffers long…bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things…” Love understands and therefore it waits.
#2 – Kindness
Kindness is love active. Have you ever noticed how much of Christ’s life was spent in merely doing kind things? Review His life with that in mind, and you will find that He spent a great portion of His time simply making people happy. Someone once said, “The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children.” Henry Drummond said in his book The Greatest Thing In The World, “I wonder why it is that we are not all kinder than we are? How much the world needs it! How easily it is done! How instantaneously it acts! How infallibly it is remembered! How superabundantly it pays itself back – for there is no debtor in the world so honorable, so superbly honorable, as love.”
1 John 4:16 (NLT)
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
Where love is, God is. As children of God, we must love. Love without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, simply love. Henry Drummond said, “There is a difference between trying to please and giving pleasure.”
“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
-Stephen Grellet
#3 – Generosity
Generosity: “Love envieth not…” This is love in competition with others. When you attempt a good work, you will find others doing the same kind of work, and probably doing it better. Envy them not the bible says. Envy is a feeling of ill-will to those who are in the same line as ourselves. Henry Drummond said, “Envy, that most despicable of all the unworthy moods which cloud a Christian’s soul, assuredly waits for us on the threshold of every work, unless we are fortified with this grace of magnanimity. Only one thing truly need the Christian envy – the large, rich, generous soul which “envieth not.”
#4 – Humility
After you have done all these things that we have discussed (patience, kindness, generosity), then you must forget that you did them – this is called humility. After you have put love in motion, go back into the shade and say nothing about it. Love hides even from itself. “Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up…” Humility is love in hiding.
#5 – Courtesy
Courtesy is love in society, love in relation to etiquette. “Love does not display itself unseemly…” Politeness has been defined as love in trifles. Courtesy is said to be love in little things. The one secret of politeness is love. Love cannot display itself unseemly. You can put the most untutored persons into the highest society, and if they have a reservoir of love in their hearts they will not behave themselves unseemly.
#6 – Unselfishness
“Love seeketh not her own…” To be unselfish doesn’t mean that you give up your rights; it goes much deeper than that. Love would have us not seek our own rights at all, to eliminate the personal element all together. It’s not hard to give up our rights. They are often external. The difficult thing is to give up ourselves. For everyone not to look on their own things – but in the things of others – that is the difficulty. Christ’s teaching is that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.
Acts 20:35 (KJV)
…It is more blessed to give than to receive.
#7 – Good temper
The next ingredient is a very remarkable one: “love is not provoked…” We usually view at a bad temper as a harmless weakness. We usually do not take it into a serious account when estimating someone’s character. And yet, right in the heart of the analysis of love, it finds a place; and the Bible again and again returns to condemn it as one of the most destructive elements in human nature. A person’s temper is significant, not in what it is alone, but in what it reveals. We all know the story of the prodigal son. That story speaks about two sons, not just the prodigal. The other brother had a bad temper/attitude about his brother coming back into the family and receiving a fresh start. That very disposition is what continues to keep the world outside the doors of the Church. Henry Drummond said, “It is a test for love, a symptom, a revelation of an unloving nature at bottom. It is the intermittent fever which bespeaks unintermittent disease within; the occasional bubble escaping to the surface which betrays some rottenness underneath; a sample of the most hidden products of the soul dropped involuntarily when off one’s guard; in a word, the lightening form of a hundred hideous and unchristian sins. A want of patience, a want of kindness, a want of generosity, a want of courtesy, a want of unselfishness, are all instantaneously symbolized in one flash of temper.
Matthew 18:6 (KJV)
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
It is the deliberate verdict of Jesus Christ that it is better not to live than not to love.
#8 – Guilelessness
Guilelessness and Sincerity may be dismissed almost without a word. Guilelessness is the grace for suspicious people. The possession of it is the greatest secret for personal influence. You will find if you think for a moment, that the people who influence you are people who believe in you. In an atmosphere of suspicion people shrivel up, but in a trusting atmosphere they expand. “Love thinketh no ill…” If you ever try to influence someone, you will find that your success in doing so is in proportion to their belief of your belief in them. Henry Drummond said, “To respect a man is the first restoration of the self-respect he has lost; our ideal of what he is becomes to him the hope and pattern of what he may become.”
#9 – Sincerity
“Love rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth in the truth.” We are to rejoice not only in the truth, but also with the truth. True sincerity takes no pleasure in the faults of others. It is dedicated to finding the best attributes of others and focuses whole-heartedly on those.
Love Analyzed
Now that we know what love is and have analyzed it, we must now fit these things into our character. Is life not full of opportunities for learning love? Every person, on any given day, has hundreds of opportunities to do so. The world is not a playground; it is a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday it’s an education. And the one eternal lesson for us all is how can we love better?
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