POSITION YOURSELF!
If you are a Christian reading this, let me encourage you today. You and I are not meant to live our lives without direction and without God-ordained purpose. Too many Christians, sadly, seemingly have no idea what their calling is meant to look like, and have little, if any, sense of their destiny in God. I remember the director of the Bible College I attended in New Zealand many years ago saying that it was probably true that the graveyards of the nation (s) are filled with the bodies of Christians who never reached their potential in God - for various reasons.
I remember reading of several high-profile Christian leaders, such as Rick Joyner from MorningStar Ministries in the USA saying that sometimes when preaching in different places, he has asked the audience how many know their calling or purpose in God. Only five to ten percent were able to respond positively to this question, and of those, only about half were actually fulfilling that God-ordained calling or ministry! For the Church of the Living God, this is tragic!
Over the years, my wife and I have received a number of personal prophetic words related to aspects of ministry the Lord has been preparing us for. We have been greatly encouraged by these words, many from people of known spiritual maturity and integrity in ministry. Although encouraging, the specifics of the outworking of some of these words has not been made clear, and as with much personal prophecy, we have realized that there is a time period and a process to get from the prophecy to the place of fulfillment. This, of course, requires faith, obedience and much patience on our part!
At least on two or three occasions when I have received a personal prophetic word, I have been told to "Position Yourself!"
The Word of God provides plenty of examples of men and women whom God used mightily who positioned themselves to hear from God and then to see the outworking of His direction for their lives fulfilled in specific detail.
As a people of God, in the book of Joshua, as they were about to cross the Jordan River, they were instructed: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the Levite priests carrying it, then you shall set out from where you are and go behind it. There must be a distance of two thousand cubits between you and it. Do not draw closer to it, in order that you may know the way you should go. For you have not passed this way before."
Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wondrous deeds among you." Joshua 3:3-5.
So the children of Israel as a whole were instructed that they needed to consecrate or sanctify themselves - to position themselves for breakthrough in being able to cross the river.
We too, as Christians need to consecrate ourselves as a means of positioning for all the Lord would lead us into in His purposes for our lives.
The apostle Paul in Romans 12:1,2 says I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. [Emphasis mine]
Following the great faith hall of fame chapter in Hebrews - chapter eleven, the writer encourages us in Hebrews 12:1,2 Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Again, we see this is all to do with how we position ourselves for blessing, guidance and ultimate breakthrough and fulfillment of the outworking of God's purposes in our lives.
Faith is a vital key in realizing our God-given destiny in practice. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith will require us to step out of the boat as it were into the unknown at times, to overcome fear of failure, that we might begin to walk in our callings in God. I have often heard it said, that if you want to get an idea of what God is calling you to do in your life, be committed to a local church and volunteer in areas of service in the church. You may then start to sense in God, and others may recognize also where you are gifted and the areas of strength in ministry.
I remember hearing Joyce Meyer say how that, in her early Christian life when she was seeking the Lord about her particular ministry gifting, she volunteered for children's church, and it only took a couple of weeks to discover that was not where she was meant to be.
God will honour those who walk humbly before Him who really want to know His will for their lives. The verse in Zechariah 4:10 about not despising the day of small things or small beginnings comes to mind. God honours our faith and our faithfulness!
Patience is another vital key in seeing promises fulfilled, and destiny realized for the glory of God in our lives!
Again, the writer of Hebrews in chapter 6 says: God is not unjust so as to forget your work and labour of love that you have shown for His name, in that you minister to the saints and continue ministering. We desire that every one of you show the same diligence for the full assurance of hope to the end, so that you may not be lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (verses 10-12)
The church in this day is being called to "Arise and shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For the darkness shall cover the earth
and deep darkness the peoples;
but the Lord shall rise upon you,
and His glory shall be seen upon you.
The nations shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-2.
Melbourne, Australia, the nations second largest city, has just hosted a strategic gathering of Christians from across the nation and from other parts of the world in a powerful witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - in Awakening Australia. Tens of thousands attended the meetings and hundreds, maybe thousands of people committed their lives to Jesus for the first time. God is on the move in Australia. Revival is coming! It is pivotal that every believer in Christ is on fire for God, and fully functioning in his or her God-ordained cailing and purpose. JESUS IS LORD!
If you have read this blog, and would like to know how to become a Christian, please go online to www.vision.org. Click on the Grow your faith tab then Looking for God! god Bless.
The Word of God provides plenty of examples of men and women whom God used mightily who positioned themselves to hear from God and then to see the outworking of His direction for their lives fulfilled in specific detail.
As a people of God, in the book of Joshua, as they were about to cross the Jordan River, they were instructed: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the Levite priests carrying it, then you shall set out from where you are and go behind it. There must be a distance of two thousand cubits between you and it. Do not draw closer to it, in order that you may know the way you should go. For you have not passed this way before."
Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wondrous deeds among you." Joshua 3:3-5.
So the children of Israel as a whole were instructed that they needed to consecrate or sanctify themselves - to position themselves for breakthrough in being able to cross the river.
We too, as Christians need to consecrate ourselves as a means of positioning for all the Lord would lead us into in His purposes for our lives.
The apostle Paul in Romans 12:1,2 says I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. [Emphasis mine]
Following the great faith hall of fame chapter in Hebrews - chapter eleven, the writer encourages us in Hebrews 12:1,2 Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Again, we see this is all to do with how we position ourselves for blessing, guidance and ultimate breakthrough and fulfillment of the outworking of God's purposes in our lives.
Faith is a vital key in realizing our God-given destiny in practice. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith will require us to step out of the boat as it were into the unknown at times, to overcome fear of failure, that we might begin to walk in our callings in God. I have often heard it said, that if you want to get an idea of what God is calling you to do in your life, be committed to a local church and volunteer in areas of service in the church. You may then start to sense in God, and others may recognize also where you are gifted and the areas of strength in ministry.
I remember hearing Joyce Meyer say how that, in her early Christian life when she was seeking the Lord about her particular ministry gifting, she volunteered for children's church, and it only took a couple of weeks to discover that was not where she was meant to be.
God will honour those who walk humbly before Him who really want to know His will for their lives. The verse in Zechariah 4:10 about not despising the day of small things or small beginnings comes to mind. God honours our faith and our faithfulness!
Patience is another vital key in seeing promises fulfilled, and destiny realized for the glory of God in our lives!
Again, the writer of Hebrews in chapter 6 says: God is not unjust so as to forget your work and labour of love that you have shown for His name, in that you minister to the saints and continue ministering. We desire that every one of you show the same diligence for the full assurance of hope to the end, so that you may not be lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (verses 10-12)
The church in this day is being called to "Arise and shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For the darkness shall cover the earth
and deep darkness the peoples;
but the Lord shall rise upon you,
and His glory shall be seen upon you.
The nations shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-2.
Melbourne, Australia, the nations second largest city, has just hosted a strategic gathering of Christians from across the nation and from other parts of the world in a powerful witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - in Awakening Australia. Tens of thousands attended the meetings and hundreds, maybe thousands of people committed their lives to Jesus for the first time. God is on the move in Australia. Revival is coming! It is pivotal that every believer in Christ is on fire for God, and fully functioning in his or her God-ordained cailing and purpose. JESUS IS LORD!
If you have read this blog, and would like to know how to become a Christian, please go online to www.vision.org. Click on the Grow your faith tab then Looking for God! god Bless.
