ReFocus

We are a three-fold being.

1. We are body…the physical.

2. We are soul…the home of our mind…the knowledge entity; home of our will…the decision making entity; and the home of our emotions…the feelings entity.

3. But we are also spirit…the connection to God. John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

In a perfect situation, we are to be moving in and about all entities. This represents wholeness. If any of the entities are neglected, we become out of balance and miss out on our purpose.

I am a Christian. I have settled the issue that some things I will never be able to prove. Christianity is based on faith. I trust God with the things that are beyond my knowledge base and ability to understand. I am at peace with that.

These are some of my observations:

1. My body likes tangible evidence…that is why a hug, an intimate night, an embrace are important.

2. My soul likes verifiable evidence. My mind needs to wrap around the facts. My will wants to make a decision based on evidence and facts. My emotions want to sense proof. This is perfectly fine when you are dealing with soul-ish issues.

3. My spirit wants evidence also…but we walk by faith not by sight. When it comes to God, your spirit takes over. I believe in God…I don’t need tangible, verifiable evidence that scientists come up with. I have something better…I have faith!

Faith is the substance, the underlying reality, the title-deed of things we are expecting.

Remember that we are talking about Biblical faith, that is, the kind of faith the Bible talks about. It is the faith that comes by hearing the Word of God, the faith that believes the promises of God.

When we believe what God has promised in His Word, we possess the title-deed to whatever it is that He has promised. That thing is ours, it belongs to us. Because we have believed God’s promise, we have every right and expectation to see it come to pass. It makes no difference whether or not we have seen it yet, it belongs to us anyway.

Faith lays hold of the Word of God, and makes it obvious to us that what God has promised is being accomplished at the spiritual level, even though we do not yet see it at the natural level.

Paul understood this well, for he instructed the Corinthian believers, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” First comes faith, then comes sight.

I have settled the issue that I have a relationship with God Almighty. I have taken this fact into an arena of my being that is protected. I will let no argument chip away at this truth in my life. I have been with the Lord now…55 years. I have had my ‘Joseph Years’ and I will probably have more…years of extreme testing. My stance now is this, “God, no matter what…I am committed to stay with You through good times and bad!”

Word of warning to parents of teenagers: If you teach your children that you can totally prove the existence of God or if they think that what we have taught in church is in the realm of verifiable evidence, then college professors are going to eat them alive. There is plenty of proof but God will never give us 100%. We would not need faith then. Faith is the thing God is looking for from us. So teach them that it is based on a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and that it is based on faith!

You look around at your current situation. You don’t like what you see. You decide not to do anything.

Now that is positional insanity!

If you keep doing what you are doing now (or not doing), you are going to end up with the same results!

The first step toward maturity…determine to take some action steps!

Galatians 2:20 I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live I live by believing in God’s Son, who loved me and took the punishment for my sins.

Action Step 1: Start a systematic feeding schedule… Click here! Get into the Word!

Action Step 2: Start a daily conversation with God… Click here! Pray!

Expect change!

Question: why did Elijah have to pray seven times asking God to send rain? God had just said He was going to cause it to rain. So why did God still want Elijah to pray for rain?

I believe that the four verses (1 Kings 18:1, Revelation 5:8, Ephesians 3:20, Revelation 16:1) are connected.

God desires His will to be done.
God desires a close relationship with His children.
God desires His children to grow mighty in the Lord.
God releases His power as we connect and grow.

God willed it to rain. God prompted Elijah to pray seven times. What was happening every time Elijah prayed? The essence of his prayer was captured and stored in a bowl…seven times this happened. What was happening to God? He was enjoying the fellowship…you see, every time we pray, we go into the Holy of Holies and talk to God. He enjoys this like a dad enjoys his son coming to talk. What was happening to Elijah? He was getting stronger every time he prayed for he was in the presence of God…an energy was beginning to flow through Elijah! After seven prayers, Elijah is pumped! God is having a good ole time…He has had seven sessions with one of His children. The prayer bowl is full! Now as an effectual power is working in Elijah, God is free to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think! The prayer bowl is tipped over and poured out on the situation. God moves! Need is met! God gets glory! And we are growing in the Lord!

And we wonder why we have to wait and pray and pray and wait and wait and pray! It is part of God’s divine process!

James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Have a great week…spend some time filling your prayer bowl this week.

In 1 Kings 18:1, we find these words: And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” God tells Elijah that it is going to rain. Elijah proceeds to pray seven times for it to rain. After the seventh prayer, God sent a drenching rain on the land.

In Revelation 5:8, John records for us: “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” There are golden bowls in heaven that hold our prayers.

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul wrote, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” I have known this passage for years but one phrase stood out this week as I was studying…’according to the power that works in us’. If I understand this correctly, all that God is and can do is released as I allow an effectual power to work in me.

In Revelation 16:1 John also writes, Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” God’s bowls were meant to be poured out….as a release of the contents.

When the children of Israel were this side of the Red Sea and they saw Pharoah coming, who led them to that spot? God did it. They complained and murmur. They failed the test.

However, God opened up the Red Sea and they were delivered. On the other side of the Red Sea, they sang a song of thanksgiving. Where should they have sung that song? On the side before the deliverance! God had the same deliverance for them whether they trusted Him or not. They did not trust and the sea opened. If they had trusted, the sea would have opened. But because they didn’t trust Him, an asterisk was placed by their name:

***Red Sea Test failed – subjects scheduled for repeat test!

So God led them to the bitter waters of Marah. The waters were too bitter to drink. Babies crying, old people fainting, and the thirst was awful. They should have trusted God but, no!…they complained and murmurred which lead to another asterisk by their name and they were scheduled for a repeat test:

***Bitter waters test failed – subjects scheduled for repeat test!

Then God took Israel to Rephidim for another water test. They failed again. Another asterisk was placed by their name and they were scheduled for another repeat test!

Wow…how dumb are we humans. The tragedy of Israel is that they never passed. God led them to wander for 40 years until they just died off and only Joshua and Caleb got to go in because they were the only two that passed the test.

Failed any tests lately? Stand firm. Remember…faithful is He who called you, Who will also do it! Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Wits’ End?

How do you get out of Wits’ End? Two things must take place everytime you are at Wits’ End:
1. Admit that you are at Wits’ End. Remember this is the place where you realize that you have no human solution. Psalm 107:27 ”They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.”
2. Cry out to the Lord in the midst of the storm. Psalm 107:28, “Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.

Did you know that you could be prolonging your own storm? This happens when you continue to murmur, complain, and question the Lord. This happens when you run to human solutions: counselors, psychologists, self-help books or tapes. This happens when you keep looking for the secret, the plan that will deliver you from your pain.

Stand still. Acknowledge this storm is from God. Quit trying to figure it out. Cry out from Wits’ End. Don’t call a friend, a counselor, or a pastor…call God! Tell Him that you have no ray of hope from any natural prospect. Admit that God is your only solution.

David gives four examples of hopeless situations in Psalm 107. Each hopeless situation in this Psalm and in your life is ordained by God…that means that God either caused it or allowed it. Whether God caused it or allowed it does not matter because the result is the same: you are in quicksand and you are sinking fast!

The Psalm begins with a summons: Psalm 107:1 ”Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” The summons is issued by the Holy Spirit as He inspires the writer. The summons is issued to believers: Psalm 107:2 ”Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” The main thrust of the summons is that thanks is to be given to God!

Psalm 107 is divided into four parts:

In verses 4-5, we see the wanderers whose souls have fainted in them because they did not know where to go.

In verses 10-12, we see the imprisoned who have made wrong decisions and have no one to help.

In verses 17-18, we see the foolish who have rejected what could of helped…God’s truth…they are afflicted and near the gates of death

In verses 23-27, we see people who are suddenly overcome by a great storm in life and is at their wits’ end.

Each of these parts are divided like this:

the hopeless situation: wandering people, prisoners, fools, and storm-tossed people

the cry for help (vs, 6,13,19,28): hurting people cry out to the Lord

God’s response: v. 7-9 – He satisfied the longing soul of the wanderers and led them where they were to be;

v14 – He broke the chains of the prisoners;

v. 20 – He sent his Word and healed the foolish;

v. 30 – He guides the storm-tossed to their desired haven.

Man’s Worship vs. 8,15,21,31: thanksgiving for what God has done, telling others of God’s wonderful work. The crying out is worship (I can’t but You can!)

It seems that most families have bought into a set of plans that says this:
1. The school system will educate my child…
2. The Church will make my child spiritual…
3. We the parent/parents will provide food,clothing, and shelter.

This is a recipe for disaster. It is not the sole responsibility of the school or the Church to educate and train your children. The school system will never be successful if the parents are not involved. The primary responsibility for the spiritual training of children rests with parents. This is laid out in Deuteronomy 6.

1. Show Them
Deuteronomy 6:1-5 (NKJV)
Whatever you model before your children, they will imitate.

2. Teach Them
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NKJV)
Systematically teach them spiritual lessons.

3. Warn Them
Deuteronomy 6:10-15 (NKJV)
Warn them of the dangers in life.

4. Answer Them
Deuteronomy 6:20-25 (NKJV)
Be ready to give an answer.

For the complete message, click here.

What do you do when you feel God call you to ministry? Is there no other way to serve God than fulltime career with a church?

If God calls you to a career service in the local church, you must go! But don’t put limits on God…He can use you in positions that we can’t even imagine. Joseph was prepared to serve God totally as the #2 man in all of Egypt and Daniel was prepared to serve God as the #2 in Babylon.

Glen Keane was a young animator who got saved. He felt called to fulltime service. He talked to his pastor. God used his pastor to show him how God could use him where he was. Glen Keane stayed where he was…serves God faithfully. He was the animator for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Tangled’. He shines at Disney for the kingdom.

For Glen Keane’s complete story, read this article