I invite you to step out from the
familiar comfort zone in which you now
are and take a risk.
In the body of Christ today there
are many different kinds of comfort zones. Step out from your comfort zone that
leaves you in the place of
being a "Fallow ground - Christian." What I
mean by that statement is - "Being currently inactive but with the
possibility
of activity or use in the future."
Think Honestly
Are you living as unto yourself,
basking in self-approval or self-hatred, or are you self-consciously living for
God's glory and for the encouragement
of others? Is there joy in your life, and a deeply
developing love for God, in the
"routine" you have carved for
yourself?
We all need the discipline of
doing something that goes beyond our comfort zone. Some of us need to risk
being at an event whose only
purpose is to pray instead of going to get something or
hear something
that
will feed our own need for more attention and self-focus.
How many times have your heard
the line, "If I won the Publisher's Clearing
House Sweepstakes, I would do sooooo
much to help others who are poor
or are going through difficult
times?!"
Or, maybe you have said, "When I
close
this business deal, get my family inheritance, sell that piece of
property
(uh...brings to mind a certain Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5)
then I
will obey the prompting of the Lord to "Do something to help."
A Move from God's Heart
If we are truly going have a move
of God's Heart (not just His Hand) in the form of a "Harvest," we need to
start living the lifestyle that sets a precedence for such a move!
Meaning?
Prying our fingers away from what
we
will not share with others until "we" are first satisfied and justified in
our
own "Self-preservation."
This does not just apply to
material goods. It
means sharing from the heart humbly, partaking openly with
others
allowing
them in, and allowing tears to flow in vulnerability. These make us
equals in painful times and equal when we rejoice. If folks can't share
during their good times and seasons of abundance,
they will not fully obey
the Lord in caring for their brothers and sisters
when times are difficult.
Share What?
Time, resources, wisdom, counsel,
transparent dialog. And, how about a
focused "Listening ear" instead of a
benevolent sort of "tolerant" dead-pan
stare as someone pours out their
deeply bruised soul, looking for a
handhold or foothold that will assist
them in grappling with the
overwhelming "mountain" of life.
".....For
the LORD searches every heart
and
understands every motive behind the thoughts.
If you seek him, you will find him;
but
if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." 1 Chronicles 28:9
Woe to those who think they are
fooling themselves when they say that
they "need to be careful" when they
give so people don't "depend" on them
or expect more from them!
Imagine Jesus saying that!
He would never withhold from us
in order to
protect
"His" investments or hard earned, "worked to the bone" assets! He gave ALL with
no guarantee that we would ever appreciate or value it.
Just Do It!
Eat together around the table in
your dining room or kitchen. Talk
together. Pray together.
Start a plan of blessing someone
in need that you know of - together.
Do You Hear Voices?
Stop the mindless chattering that
is allowed in most of our self-talking
heads that allows the flesh to push
aside the promptings of the Lord!
Times are getting tough, and
those who have been reluctant to share when
the times were not nearly where they
are heading now, will be called up for
service again, and asked by the Lord
to assist those who
are perhaps weaker, lesser, and much "leaner" in their
provisions.
Start with something small,
something useful.
Keep it going.
And whatever
you do,
keep it between you and the Lord, where your reward is given weight
in the records in heaven for eternity, not just for a few fleeting strokes
of the ego here on earth.
The "Private Things" of Personal
Renewal.....Exposed!
Begin a private life of personal
devotion.
Rediscover your prayer closet.
"Very
early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and
went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Mark 1:35
Gut it Out with God
Confess your dissatisfaction with
the stale places
where you have allowed "moss" to grow over in your
devotion to the
discipline
of Reading the words of Jesus, Heeding the words of Jesus, and
then
Feeding the Words of Jesus to the hungry, lost, and scared people
around
you in your daily "Missionary calling" as a follower of the Great Reviver of
your soul.
"For this
is what the high and lofty One says - He who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, To
revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Isaiah 57:15
Flat Lining
Personal revival is usually
needed when something in our walk with the
Savior has gone into a "Flat line"
and needs to be "shocked" back into a proper heartbeat.
The closer we become devoted to
and more intimate with The King, The
Comforter, and Savior, the more near
He is to us and, will reveal His daily
"Divine Appointments" for our lives
and for His Glory.
If Jesus did it to survive - so must we!
"But
Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray." Luke
5:16
We Need to be Alone!
Why?
In order to not have the
distraction of leaning on someone else to "do the praying or talking" for us
for one! We gain
perspective, and refreshing after repenting, and a "reality
check" regarding how we are to live the lifestyle of a Christian in an
ever-darkening world
where morals and values are crumbling at an uncontrollable
speed.
Let us See and Hear and Act!
As we face the fallow ground left
unfruitful... (through intentional denial that we allowed this) ...in our lives and
allow the Father to create a clean heart in us, and renew or "Revive" a right
spirit (godly attitude) within it, the soil
can be a host for seed and harvest. He gladly does this! WE are His faith seeds
in the soil of Earth!
"He who
goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, Will return with songs of joy, carrying
sheaves with him." Psalm 126:6
"He
restores my soul. He guides me in paths
of righteousness, For his name's sake." Psalm
23:3
Wisdom from the Spirit
If you want present day
revelation, you must have a level of solid Christian
maturity to not only
discern it, but to apply it. There are more and more "Muddy" approaches
regarding how to be wise or savvy in living your life
being sold in bookstores
and every media venue out there! If you want to
drink or eat re-cycled food...well, be
my guest.
But!
If you truly desire
depth
and a secure anchor for surviving and flourishing in any
circumstance
that you surely will have attempt to sidetrack and undermine your
Godly Destiny, you and I will have to go to THE SOURCE of Wisdom
and
stay there until we "Get it."
1 Corinthians 2:6 "We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the
mature, But not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are
coming to nothing."
"But
solid food is for the mature, which by constant use have trained themselves to
distinguish good from evil." Hebrews
5:14
Give Jesus Joy
Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, Patient in affliction, Faithful in
prayer."
These are the attributes of the
faithful and true follower of Christ. And, as Jesus watches over our coming and
our going, every moment of every day,
His joy is made complete when He sees
the evidence of a restored life being fruitful and steadfast, no matter what
the condition of their
circumstance or surroundings.
Believer! Let us press on into
the walk of maturity in Christ where nothing
shakes or shatters us anymore,
because we live in the light of His Glorious Grace.
"So
we praise God for the glorious grace
he
has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son." Ephesians 1:6
Quote from Oswald Chambers ~
"Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set upon our own ambitions
...We are hurting Jesus.
Every time we stand on our rights and insist that this is what we
intend to do...We are persecuting Jesus.
Whenever we stand on our dignity we systematically vex and grieve His
Spirit; and
when the knowledge comes
home that it is Jesus Whom we have been
persecuting
all the time...It is the most crushing revelation there could be."
Mary Lindow
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