Missionary-Evangelist Esther Thornton, Oregon

 

 

REFRESHING THE SOUL AND SPIRIT,

THAT WE MIGHT HAVE THE JOY OF THE LORD

 

Joke:

 

Speaker: “This is terrible! I am the speaker at this banquet, and I forgot my false teeth!”

 

Man: “I happen to have an extra pair. Try these.”

 

Speaker: “Too small.”

 

Man: “Well, try this pair.”

 

Speaker: “Too big”.

 

Man: “I have one pair left.”

 

Speaker: “These fit just fine. It sure is lucky to sit next to a dentist!”

 

Man: “I’m no dentist. I’m an undertaker.”

________________________

 

Introduction:

 

Present-day America is without a doubt one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. There are approximately two thousand different religions currently in the U.S., ranging from Muslim to Christian to New Age and etc. About 30 percent of the population call themselves Evangelical Protestants, which makes them the biggest religious group in the country, which include Southern Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal.

 

Many of the people who now attend mega-churches did not go to church anywhere before this. While 141 million Americans - roughly 50 percent of the population say they belong to a church, they don’t belong anywhere specifically. These people are known as “seekers”. They haven’t found the right Christian community that they feel meets their needs.

 

There is a world of difference between “religion” and “Christianity”. “Religion” is a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. “Christianity” is a person - the Lord Jesus Christ. People need to have a personal relationship with Him, and they need to discover God’s purpose for their lives.

 

Our ministry partner in Africa is now in the process of purchasing land near the Zanzibar Islands in Tanzania in which to build a church. We went to the Zanzibar Islands a few years ago with our partner to take a rest and to view the land. The Zanzibar Islands are a lovely tropical paradise, but are 99.9 percent Muslim. God has provided through pledges $6,000 through our ministry in which to fund the purchase of this land on which to build a church. In the future we plan to send teams there, as the Lord leads, to give fundamental teaching to these new Muslim converts whom God will give us.

 

We, who are ministers of the Gospel, have a divine calling, not just a job or assignment. But, in order to meet that call and finish our course with joy, we need encouragement as to how to stay refreshed in our soul and spirit, so that we can have the freshness of the Spirit in our lives and the joy of the Lord in our hearts.

 

So, we are speaking today about: “Refreshing the Soul, and Spirit that we might have The Joy of the Lord".

How can we, as ministers, refresh our soul and spirit.

 

1. Release all bondages:

 

(1) Insecurity - feelings of low self-esteem and inferiority

(2) Jealousy and paranoia - difficulty trusting people.

(3) Defensiveness - always trying to prove myself.

(4) Martyr mentality - “It’s me against the world.”

(5) Self-pity - “Poor me.”

(6) Isolation - “I’m the only one; I’m different.”

(7) Chip on my shoulder - “What exactly did they mean by that?”

(8) Argumentative and contentious - always looking for a fight.

(9) Anxieties, phobias, and disorders - inner turmoils always stirring.

(10) Pessimistic - always seeing the “dark side.”

(11) Depression - a cloud of gloom hangs over them

(12) Loneliness and fear of intimacy - keeping people at a distance

(13) Victim mentality - it becomes their source of attention and identity, and their excuse

for their failures and behavior

(14) Controlling and domineering - “My way or the highway”

(15) Fear of failure - no confidence to try to succeed

(16) Fear of success - no confidence to hold on to success

(17) Aloof and cold - “I don’t need anyone or anything.”

(18) Denial - “Everyone else has the problem, not me.”

 

David said, in Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: [24] And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

2. Be filled with the Spirit:

 

After confessing our short-comings to God, we must not leave any vacuum in our lives. Let God’s Spirit fill every part of us.

 

Ephesians 5:18-20 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; [19] Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

 

3. Release the Power of Love:

 

I Corinthians 13 tells us that there is faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love. We can even give our body to be burned, but without love, it profits us nothing.

 

Col. 3:14 says, “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” 

 

God wants us to love unconditionally, as He loves us. Love is the victory and helps us to walk in forgiveness. Not walking in love and forgiveness is self-destructive - it chokes off the blessing of God from our lives. It was Jesus’ unconditional love that caused Him to die on the cross and because of that love; Satan was totally defeated!

 

4. Develop a Godly, positively attitude:

 

This can come only as we put our full faith and trust in God. Our attitude is an evidence of our faith. The word “faith” is used 558 times in the New Testament; “love” 258; righteousness 230; and hope 85 times. So, faith is a Primary subject in the Bible. Faith grows by stretching.

 

Moses sent twelve spies ahead to spy out the land of Canaan before the people crossed over the Jordan River. Ten of the spies returned with an evil report after seeing the giants in the land saying, “We are going to die.” (Num. 13). They talked themselves out of the blessing of God and God did not allow those who complained to enter the Promised Land. But, Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter. Joshua was courageous and obedient and the Bible says that Caleb “wholly followed the Lord.” Caleb also showed his faith by saying, “Give me this mountain!”

 

When we worry, we are not trusting God in faith. When we praise God, we invite the power of God. When we murmur and complain, we invite the destroyer of the blessing of God.

 

5. Keep your Focus:

 

God is so great - He is omnipotent (all-powerful), and satan’s power is extremely inferior to God’s.

 

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

 

When we magnify problems, we are not demonstrating that God’s power is greater than that of the enemy.

 

A preacher of a large church in Portland was guest speaker at a church that was struggling. The meetings went exceptionally well, but the last night, the Pastor looked dismayed as he met with the speaker. He said, “Did you notice that man on the back row that kept hanging his head in unbelief and giving us all dirty looks?” He allowed that one man to spoil in his mind all that God was doing for the majority.

 

Keep your focus - see as God sees. Have a divine desperation to know Him and to follow Him whatever price is required.

 

6 Align your words with God’s words:

 

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

 

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

 

Some years ago, I was on a death bed; satan spoke verbally to me saying, “Why don’t you just die?” And, because I was so sick and weak, I opened my mouth to agree, when God spoke gently but sternly to me not to agree. So, I opened my mouth and said out loud: “No, Satan! I will live and not die; and I will declare the works of the Lord!” I had been sick over a period of five years. But, when I spoke these words, the enemy’s plan for my destruction came to a sudden halt, and my healing began to come forth, at that point and time. Since that time, we have traveled around the world with the Gospel - eight times to various nations of Africa and once to India. I have preached and seen hundreds of souls come to the Lord Jesus Christ! I have taught and prophesied to pastors and leaders and seen the tears rolling down their faces. I have seen Salvation and hope come to the poorest of the poor.

 

Our words must line up with God’s Word.

 

7 There is a power in choice:

 

I team-preached with our ministry partner from Africa in a church of 7,000 members in the nation of Zambia, Africa. The message that God gave me was on the power of choice. It was a simple but profound thought. There is such a power in choice that a soul can be saved or lost; or a believer can walk in defeat or victory. It is up to us what we choose. Jesus has paid the price but it is our choice as to what to do with what He has provided.

 

Conclusion: God wants us as leaders to enjoy complete freedom and worry-free stress-free living. But, the choice is up to us. We cannot always be free from outside problems and pressures, but we can always be free on the inside by properly appropriating God’s Word in our situation. God’s Word brings us faith and then we are at peace, even in the midst of the storm.

 

____________________________

 

A DONKEY STORY:

 

An old farmer had an old donkey that wasn’t useful anymore because he was so old. The farmer didn’t know what to do with him. So he took him out to an old well and dumped him in. Then, he gathered up garbage from around the farm and dumped it into the well. It hit the donkey and hurt him, but it didn’t kill him.

 

So, the farmer got another load of garbage and threw it in the well. Again, it hurt the donkey but did not kill him.

 

So, the farmer got bigger and heavier items of garbage, such as old tires and threw them in the well but he had the same result. They hurt the donkey but did not kill him.

 

But after all of this garbage, something interesting happened! The donkey had stepped up on the top of the garbage each time and now was finally able to walk right out of the old well!

 

Application: There is a power in choice. The devil can throw all kinds of garbage our way and distractions from following the Lord, but if we will just step up on top of the garbage each time and look up to the top of the well, we will be set free! There is power in our choice.

 

 

God wants us to be refreshed in our soul and spirit so that each day is a joy and not drudgery! For the joy of the Lord is our strength.

 

§                  Our soul: mind, emotions, and will

§                  Our spirit: the part of us where God’s Spirit dwells and that will live forever.

 

Some Hindrances to the Refreshing in the Souls

and Spirits of Those in Ministry:

 

Problem / Answer:

 

1. Overloaded?  Use wisdom in planning and delegate authority

2. Stressed out? Rest!

3. Failure to delegate authority: Recognize others can do it

4. Lack of physical and mental rest: Need time off!

5. Too many burdens? Hand burdens to the Lord and let Him bear them.

6. False Accusations: Ignore them and move on!

7. Spirit of heaviness, discouragement or depression? Rebuke spirit and receive joy!

8. Becoming stagnant in our own spirits: Spend time in God’s presence.

9. Being perfectionists: Relax and let the Spirit change and schedule our plans.

10. Thinking too small and losing our vision: Get the mind of Christ through His Word and prayer.

11. Viewing the ministry with our natural eyes: View it with eyes of faith and vision.

12. Too busy to wait in the presence of the Lord? Make time to be with Him a priority!

…

 

Kathryn Kuhlman once said: “We must yield our will to the will of the Father.”  As we take time to be in God’s presence, we find our own selves and our weaknesses becoming smaller and God’s greatness becoming stronger in our lives. As we spend time in His Word and with Him, His wisdom will begin to come forth in a new way in our lives and ministry, helping us to be “overcomers” in all things!

 

It is God’s desire that we be healthy in our body, soul, and spirit:

 

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

 

God wants us to empty ourselves so that He can fill us with His refreshing:

 

Isaiah 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing…

 

Acts 3:19 …the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

 

Let us rise up in victory today and receive a fresh anointing of His Spirit!

_____________________

 

PROPHECY:

 

1. God is going to put the past behind you - whether good or disappointing. For even, the good is not going to be any longer - but rather, the best! He is doing “a new thing” for you!

 

    Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of    peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 

    Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before   they spring forth I tell you of them.

 

 2. For those whose ministry has been very small, God is saying to “strengthen that which remains” and He will give you more.

 

    Rev. 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain….

 

    Zech. 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice…

 

3. God is raising up re-enforcements that will cause the building of God’s work to grow and to be established, quickly and in God’s order. Man has tried to influence you to do it in man’s order, but God is saying it shall be in God’s order!

 

    Romans 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short        work will the Lord make upon the earth.

 

    (Moses was to raise his arms for Israel to win the battle. But, his arms grew weary and so,      God sent in re-enforcements to hold up his arms so Israel would win.)

 

4. There will be a release of finances to fund the work of God. It will be an “anointing of multiplication”, such as the loaves and fishes, that will not only be enough to fund the work of the church, but an excess will come to reach out to the world. There will even be travel to other nations in the days ahead.

 

    Deut. 8:18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to     get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this     day.

 

5. There will be a great “area” revival that will start as small sparks but will erupt into one, great moving of God’s Spirit that will be far outreaching! God is saying to get ready for the ingathering that will come!

 

    Joel 2:28-29 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;      and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your    young men shall see visions: [29] And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in           those days will I pour out my spirit.

 

6. It is time for your “Isaac” to come forth! Ishmael will not do! You have waited and now is the time for the fulfillment of the vision God has given you in its fullness!

 

    Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and       not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

 

7. “The faith of God” shall be within you and God has been preparing you for the greatness of His glory through your life that is just ahead! You have been stretched, in order that you might be flexible, so that He can use you in this greater capacity! You shall see signs, wonders, and healings in the days ahead!

 

    Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.

 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Rev. Esther Thornton - Global Evangelism Fellowship, Inc.

(503)728-3388 Fax: (503)728-2834

web: www.clatskanie.com/gef

email: etmorg@clatskanie.com

 

 

 

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