Today is a new day! I believe God is saying that today is a day for ACTION ! No more putting off things for tomorrow. A day for taking what God has given you ; the dreams in your heart and seeing them turned into reality.The difference between complacency and completion is ACTION !
Luke 18:35-42
A Blind beggar receives his sight.As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him ; ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’He called out,’Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more,’Son of David, have mercy on me!’Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,’What do you want me to do for you?”Lord, I want to see,’he replied. Jesus said to him,’Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.’
My challenge to you is this: Are you going to sit on the side of the road in complacency – begging ? Or are you willing to stand up as this blind man did and use the authority you have, not to be shut down by the enemy and receive your sight to fulfilment ?We must learn to see the truth. When the voices of defeat start to come we need to see them as signs that breakthrough is coming and we are closer to achieving completion than we think !In James 2:17-18we read ; In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead . . . . . . .
God requires action on our part, but something I have noticed in my life is that whenever I have stepped out with God (in mind), He steps in and the breakthrough’s have been great ! From people coming out of coma’s, a baby raised from the dead, metal leaving a young girls ankle or calf-muscles growing in front of my eyes. All through deciding to step out with God in mind, and Him stepping in and the breakthroughs have happened. So the questions is; how do we get from where we are now to the place of stepping out into the action we were design for ?
1. Repentance:Sin in our lives, including unforgiveness and bitterness are walls that will inhibit our motivation to go forward. We are all in this boat, for as it says in Romans 3:23-24 ; . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But in and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We are so lucky to have a way to rid ourselves of our sin. God made this way by sending His Son to the cross, and He invites us to come and lay the muck-ups in our life down ; and when we do our page is wiped clean ! But sadly, many Christian’s hold on to hurts and offences, or give them to God and then take them back. We need to learn to place it at the cross and leave it there ! To be honest, I think the only commandment I have not broken, would be ; thou shall not murder. So we need to do as Apostle Paul did ; to truely accept Christ’s forgiveness and forgive ourselves also (it’s done, forgiven, gone) ! Like Paul, my freedom comes from knowing that ; there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1
2. Prayer and fasting:All things are birthed in prayer and when we include fasting it shows God we are getting real and are willing to sacrifice for the breakthrough. So we need to take time out to fast and get on our knees speaking with Him as this is where the rubber meets the road in your walk towards action ! How do we pray ?Adoration.Spend time in worshiping him ; showing your love for Him.Confession. Let Him into the dark places in your life (pray the prayer of David’s ; search my heart O Lord . . . Psalm 139:23-24). Ask for forgiveness for sin. Thanks.
Thank Him for all the good things you have in your life. Supplication ; then ask humbly, earnestly, your request in prayer.I have found fasting allows me see more clearly and re-focus myself toward heavenly opportunities.
3. Standing on the word of God:Reading the word is so important as it’s full of God’s promises He wants to release in your life. If you want to see your dreams fulfilled you need to spend time in the word discovering his promises. By standing on these promises God will empower you and release faith that creates movement in your life. How many of us know (from personal experience) that the bible really is the ‘living word’ of God ? So many times God has spoken to me through it. Sadly, many Christian hardly ever read the bible. Maybe they don’t know how !If this is you, here is a suggestion on how to read it. Grab your bible, a pad and pen. Read. Read your chosen section of scripture and record thoughts, ideas and stirrings within you. Observe. Observe and reflect on what God is saying to you through this scripture. Applied. How does this apply to you ?Pray. Pray for God to show you how to live it !
4. Mentors: Although it is your journey, fellowship is so important as many things are released to us when we come together. Maybe this is why Jesus said ; where two or more are gathered I will be with you.
Can I encourage you to look around, and when you see someone that has spiritual gifts you need to move you forward on your walk, go and ask them to mentor you.I myself have men-tee’s, but also have mentors. They are so important to my walk. Supervision by a mature Christian is a must in our walk with God.
5. Never give up:Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965), who’s leadership was so crucial for the allied forces against Hitler, gave a remarkable speech, titled ; ‘Never Give Up’:‘Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy’. (Delivered, post 2nd World War, & dogged determination)So what’s his point ? That’s right ; ‘never give up’ ! The enemy does not want things completed for this disimpowers us and stops motivation in our live’s. But God is into completion, for completion brings worth, fulfilment, a sense of achievement, the release of new dreams and the faith to step out of our place of comfort, towards our goals. How many times do we get side tracked just as we are finishing things and we are robbed of the resulting motivation that comes with completion ?
6. Give thanks:No matter how small the victories are we need to give thanks for them.This message would not be complete without giving thanks :
Father, I thank You for Your ‘Keys to Action’. Help us all to implement them in our live’s and grow strong in our faith in You and become all we are destined to be. Amen
Craig and Winnie Patten
Itinerate Pastors/ Apostolic Leaders
Encounter Ministries
