Introduction
Last week- shared some thoughts concerning 2009.
Live purposefully- determination/intent/resolve
God’s Word is true today- not just the past
Expect increase- God’s presence/voice
Advance in adversity- not a time to draw back
Alice has a conversation with Cheshire Cat …
Coming to a fork-in road- Alice asks, “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” The cat responds, “That depends on a great deal on where you want to get to.” Alice answers, “I don’t much care where …” Then the cat says, “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” (Alice in Wonderland)
As we go through life, regardless of what road we choose to walk down, we will get somewhere.
The real question, however, is …
Where is that somewhere and
is that really where I want to go.
Not only is it important to know where we are going, it is important to be able to stay on course.
We live in an exciting culture- filled w/opportunities.
One not so healthy trait of- culture- lure of the instant- instant gratification- I want it now mentality.
The result is we are easily distracted from the road that God has us on.
It is those who stay on course that finish life well.
Those who stay on course are those who see life …
as a marathon, not as a sprint.
1 Cor 9:24-27
Live life to its fullest
Yesterday- shared w/men about living life to its fullest
I believe God wants us to live life to its fullest.
If you claim to be a Christian, then you are saying that you have experienced God’s salvation.
Unfortunately many Christians see salvation as …
My sins- been forgive, I am going to heaven,
now I can relax and live as I have always lived.
The term salvation is much more larger than that.
Medical field- use various terminologies to define a person’s medical condition … DTR, RHD, DOA.
One term they give to infants is FTT- failure to thrive.
They assign FTT to those infants who for one reason or another are unable to gain weight or grow.
For many Christians today, if you would look at their spiritual medical chart in heaven, it would say FTT
Salvation speaks of life where once there was death.
Ephesians 2:4-6 NASU
You and I are seated in heavenly places with God.
That should make your head spin with the dizziness of the height to which you have been raised up to.
Jn 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. NASU
Jn 10:10 … My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. NLT
Jn 10:10 … I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. MSG
Jn 10:10 … I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). AMP
Does that describe the life you are living?
To live life abundantly, as I mentioned last week, we must learn to live our life with purpose.
That means- must live purposefully, thoughtfully.
Not haphazardly-driven by – circumstance of life.
Ask yourself a couple of questions …
1. What am I living for?
2. What is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for?
God created mankind to thrive- to be fully alive.
God wants us to experience an explosion of growth.
This will only happen if you live with …
determination, intent, resolve.
A Fresh Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
We are living in a time when I believe we are going to see a fresh outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit.
The book of Acts- exciting book to read- you see God working with and interacting with men-performing many miracles/supernatural acts.
I cannot read the book of Acts and conclude that does not apply today, that it is just for back then.
I am in as much a need for that type of encounter with God as people were back then.
Act 2:1-4
God breathed the breath of His Spirit and everyone around was aware of it.
It did not look pretty and was greatly criticized.
God’s breath came “like a violent rushing wind.”
The religious rulers were upset/tried to shut it down.
Act 4:19-20
You can put us in jail but you cannot stop a move of God.
When God’s Spirit comes, something else comes as well.
God comes to shake things up.
Mal 4:1
According to Malachi God-coming to judge the world
However, this prophecy is for the arrogant/evildoer.
It is not for the believer.
Yes there will be collateral damage.
Christians will suffer as a result of the judgment.
But God has promised that in these hard times, He will be there for His people.
It is a time when we will see an increase in the revelation of God.
Mal 4:2
Here Malachi pictures believers as locked up in stalls.
Satan has succeeded in locking many Christians away from the power and presence of God.
They are locked in …
bitterness/unforgiveness/hopelessness/unbelief.
In that day God is going to rise up/release His people to experience the presence of God as never before.
There has been a great fear in the church of …
miracles, signs and wonders, the supernatural.
Why? There has been abuse and fraud.
There is a fear of fanaticism and therefore there is no longer an expectation of the miraculous.
We have seen the manifestation of the flesh where people act in bizarre ways.
Many manifestations of the flesh have been labeled manifestations of the Spirit.
But true manifestations of the Spirit are coming to the church, and are happening around the world today.
I do not believe God’s heart is for us always to be focused on suffering and difficulties …
God does still speak,
God does still heal,
God does answer prayer,
God does bring about His promises.
God does work miracles.
Act 6:5, 8
Stephen was a common/ordinary man like you/I.
Yet God got a hold of him and used him mightily.
He wants to get a hold of us today as well.
As we look at Jesus’ disciples we see- they were people just like us- common men/women.
That should encourage us- we can walk as they did.
After walking w/Jesus- three years- they were transformed into fearless disciples filled w/HS.
Ordinary people equipped with …
spiritual authority over demons and
exercising power over illnesses.
They were living proof- God can transform a people.
What they had, and what we need, is Jesus Christ.
Jesus has not changed …
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. NASU
Jesus words- spoken 2000 year ago- just as much alive today as they were then.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword-
Spirit of God- still poured out today as He was then.
Just as Christ- able to establish His Kingdom in common men 2000 year ago-
He can do it in us today.
When Jesus comes near to us …
He blesses us externally, but
He also comes with the cross.
God- not interested in just making us comfortable, but in making us like Him- thus the way of the cross.
What should be developing in us the longer we walk w/Lord, is a desire to see the character of Christ-
His meekness, love, authority, life
revealed in our life.
God-preparing us to carry-greater anointing of His HS
Conclusion
At the end of 2009, I do not want to be in the same place I am today- either personally or as a church.
One day each of us will die.
Most of what preoccupies and drains our lives now will suddenly become nothing.
In light of that, let me encourage you to …
Eph 5:15-16 AMP
15 Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),
16 Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.
Live life w/purpose, live life fully, live life w/courage.
