LIFEBOAT

Lets pretend that you are in the middle of the ocean in a lifeboat.  You have a choice to make.  You can stay in your lifeboat with your issues, your problems and your difficult circumstances or you can start chunking. 

If you decide to stay in the lifeboat, with the issues that ransack your joy and the people that steal your peace, your lifeboat will eventually begin to sink.  Little by little you go deeper and deeper and find yourself unable to breathe. 

Do you want to sink?  What’s the other option?

 The other option is to start chunking.  Get rid of the excess that is weighing you down.  Throw out all of the clutter and clean up your space.  Remove the toxic people that poison your life.  Send away your insecurities and fears.  Eliminate everything from your life that doesn’t bring you joy and peace. 

Soon the only thing that is left in your lifeboat is you and the Lord and that my friend is all you need. 

  It is through Him that all things are possible.  It is with Him that you gain strength.  He comforts you in all of your troubles.  He gives you His grace and His mercy.  He washes away your sins and makes you new.  He boosts your confidence, believes in you, rewards you, fills you and restores you.  He will keep you going when you grow weary. He is wise and He is patient.  He LOVES you. 

Why would you need anything else in your lifeboat when you have Christ?  You wouldn’t.  Christ is your lifesaver, He is your all in all.  You have all you need with Him.

And if your lifeboat begins to sink, He will carry you because He walks on water!

Philippians 4:19King James Version (KJV)

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

REVIVAL

Our church is beginning a Spiritual Revival this week.  It is perfect timing since I started a new book “ Chazown” written by Francis Chan.    Chazown means dream, revelation or vision. 

How many of you need a dream or a revelation or maybe a new vision? 

Chan wrote this book for you to see yourself and your life differently.  He begins talking about your death.  Death isn’t something we like to discuss, however it made sense when he spoke of it.  Chan asked the question, “When you are lying on your death bed what do you want people to say about you?”

Is that difficult for you?  Maybe for the first few seconds, but think a minute and make a list of five things you would like for people to say about you. 

Chan wants us to live our lives differently.  He wants us to make the decision today to live life for God’s purpose.  He wants us to realize that every decision we make affects what will be said in our epitaph. 

So does that make a difference to you?  It does to me.  So lets begin. 

There is no better time than now to begin your own Spiritual Revival. There is no better time to come up with your chazown. 

God created you in your mother’s womb.  He knew about you before your parents did.  He has a plan and purpose for you, but it is you that must take the steps to unveil your purpose. 

You may be saying great how do I do that?  Chan gives us some sentences to finish.  These statements will help us to evaluate our lives right now.

o   The thing that was most important to me

o   People say I stood for

o   I made a difference in my world by

o   God was glorified because I

o   People knew I loved them because

o   The reason I expect god to say “well done” is

After you have answered these questions go back through your answers.  Is there anything that has been made clear?  Is there something you thought of that you really want to do before your life has come to an end?  Is there something you need to change so you can begin to work towards your purpose?

After you have evaluated your life go to God with a blank piece of paper.  Pray to God for Him to help you fill in your paper with the plans and goals He has for your life. 

 We are never promised tomorrow so start today.  Begin your new dream, your new revelation, and your new vision.  Put your trust in Jesus.  His vision for your life is much more than you can imagine. 

KEEP STEPPING

When I was literacy director for the school district I walked a lot.  One month I decided to wear a meter that would track my steps.  Thousands of steps were taken in a day.  Up one hallway and down another my feet would go.  I encountered many students as I walked.  I would always take the time to speak and visit.

Everyday we take steps and everyday there are people we encounter with our steps.  My daughter and I always laugh when we discuss the people we encounter.  We laugh because we understand that we attract “people who need people.”  Our steps lead us to those that need motivation and encouragement.  It happens to us in airports, waiting rooms, department stores, elevators and even bathrooms.  I suppose we have a invisible sign on our head that says, “Yes you can talk to me.”

Are these just coincidences?  I think not. 

God gets us to where He wants us to go.  He directs each step for His purpose and plan.   Mark Batterson states it best in DRAW A CIRCLE.

“God wants us to get where God wants us to go more than we want to get where God wants us to go.  And He is awfully good at getting us there.  All we have to do is follow the script of Holy Scripture and improvisation of the Holy Spirit.  We can’t create divine appointments.  All we can do is keep them.  We can’t plan God-ordained opportunities.  All we can do is seize them.”

Are you letting God direct your steps?  Are you following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, which leads you to divine appointments?  Are you seizing the opportunity that God has placed before you to help people in need or are you letting fear and anxiety stop your steps?

Intervention with others can be difficult, but if God places you there He has put you there for a reason.  Many times my daughter and I have helped people with only a few words of encouragement. 

Remember you don’t know what someone else is going through, but God does.  He places you in situations for a reason. 

Keep the appointment. God had you step those steps for a reason.  Step by step He leads you down the path He has planned for you.  Take each step and follow His appointment schedule. 

Proverbs 16:9  In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

EQUIPS

When the temperature drops and your job is outside, you must be equipped with the proper gear.  This year for duck season I got my husband heated gloves, heated socks and a heated coat.  This gear will keep him warm when the temperature is frigid. 

To do our job efficiently we must be equipped with whatever is needed to help us perform our particular task.

I don’t know what you job or role is, however I do know that we all must be prepared for life.  With that being said, what do we need so that we can accomplish all the life tasks God gives us? 

As I am brainstorming my mind goes to the song, “All We Need is Love.”  So where does that perfect love come from? 

Perfect love comes from the Lord.  He loves us unconditionally.  He loves us whether we have walked the straight and narrow or ventured off the path. 

So what does this have to do with being equipped?  When we fully understand that the Lord loves us we go to Him first. This is what being equipped means.  We have complete faith and trust in the Lord.  We know that He equips us with whatever we need to perform the tasks He has for us. 

Before your feet hit the ground go to God in prayer.  He will equip you for your day ahead.  He knows what you need to perform the tasks He has placed before you.   

Hebrews 13:21New International Version (NIV)

21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

When Christ calls you He equips you!

LEAVE EGYPT

Exodus wow what a great study going on right now with First5.  If you haven’t downloaded the app do it today.  The study just began this week and today was the first weekend wrap-up video.  You can catch up by watching or you can go back through the archives. 

Exodus and First5 led me to this writing.

Are you struggling with a task that God has placed on your heart?  Do you feel you aren’t equipped to do the job He has given you? 

You question the same question that Moses did, who am I to do a great work?

When God has given you a task do not question.  God is God; the same God He was for Abraham, Jacob and Moses.  He is in control, He is wise and He is on time.  His plan is much better than our plan. 

God has equipped us with what we need and who we need to perform our jobs on earth.  We may feel ordinary, but God has a job for us that is extraordinary. 

While doing a task for the Lord we will encounter the same things Moses did.  We will be in the wilderness, be in Egypt and have a Pharaoh.  There will be struggles in our wilderness.  Our pharaoh will continually tell us we can’t and our Egypt will put up barriers trying to keep us held captive. Through all of this our Lord will rescue us, lead us and guide us.  He will speak to us through our burning bush giving us His wisdom.  Listen to Him. 

Feed yourself with the words of Exodus and leave Egypt and Pharaoh in your dust.  Put on your full armor of God and keep walking the journey in the wilderness with God.

Whitney Capps:  “Wrap your heart around the consistency of God’s character rather than the inconsistency of your life.”