"REPOSITION YOURSELF FOR MIRACLES"
Missionary Esther Thornton, Oregon
We are destined to triumph!
As we are still in the first
few months of the New Year, it important to re-evaluate where we have
been; where we are; and where we are going.
We knew that God has every
good gift for us to meet whatever need we have. But,
why aren't we receiving many times? We need to take of the situation and match
our lives to the Word of God to understand what we can do to receive all that
God has for us, even starting now as we approach this New Year.
T. D. Jakes wrote a book
recently called, "Reposition Yourself". And, this is what he says, "If
you don't like the way your life is going, redesign it. Redeem the years you
lost. Restore your vision, revive your passion for living, and reclaim what was
dormant inside of you.. You can reach the dream that
you have inside.”
1. Out with the old and In
With the New
Are you tired of mediocrity?
Are you sick and tired of the way things have been going? Are you tired enough
that you are willing to lay down the past and pick up the future?
When He had finished
speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the
nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all
night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the
nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that
their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to
come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began
to sink. (Lu. 5:3-5 NIV).
Can you identify with how
Simon Peter must have felt? You have done everything that you know to do in life
to reach your dreams and goals, only to face disappointment again and again as
your repeated attempts and empty nets leave you exhausted and frustrated.
Jesus told Peter to cast his
net in the "deep" waters - not shallow. It seems more risky and less
secure but is necessary for a great catch.
Also, it seems that a newer
person than us in something will try to tell us what to do and we feel
defensive. Jesus was a carperter growing up but
instructed a fish man, Peter, as to how to catch fish.
But, Peter just humbled
himself, admitted his lack, and was willing to listen in order to make a catch.
God may use anyone or anything to get us on track. He used a servant girl for Naaman to receive his healing.
We must learn to listen
carefully to God's voice or His way, through people or circumstances. And, if
we want to succeed badly enough, we will be willing to be humble and listen. It
was like Peter was fishing for goldfish but ended up with Jaws biting his line!
It seems we are on a level
many times where we stay the same and cannot break through. We see others given
what it seems even should belong to us. But, the best advise
can come from unexpected places or people. The key is to not allow our
frustration, past disappointment, present complacency, or personal pride to
blind us to those opportunities.
2. Experiencing Total
Forgiveness:
Do you have Total
Forgiveness toward others? Or, are you justifying situations with people who
are on the "outs" with you by proving that you are right and they are
wrong?
Jesus gives us an example of
total forgiveness in the word "justification". It means: "Just
as if I had never sinned". This is the forgiveness that He gives to us.
God buries our sins in the deepest sea to remember them against us no more. It
is as though we had never sinned.
When we forgive someone
totally, it is like they had never committed the offense against us. We start
with them with a brand new slate.
R. T. Kendall said, "I
had to make an important decision: Which do I prefer -
the peace or the bitterness?" He determined the following: They won't get
caught or found out; Nobody will ever know what they
did; they will prosper and be blessed as if they had done no wrong. And, he
actually began to pray these things for those who had hurt him.
Social scienticists
are discovering that forgiveness may help lead to victims' emotional and even
physical healing and wholeness.
Three categories of
forgiveness:
(l) Detached forgiveness -
reduction of negative feelings but no reconciliation takes place.
(2) Limited forgiveness -
relationship is partially restored but there is a decrease in the emotional
intensity of the relationship.
(3) Full forgiveness - total
cessation of negative feelings toward the offender and the relationship is
fully restored.
We must totally forgive even
those who will not be reconciled. The =
person who gains the most from
forgiveness is the person who does the forgiving. When this happens in the
heart there is peace even if the relationship is not restored. We want the Holy
Spirit to be able to be Himself in our hearts without being grieved in order
that we can carry out what God had called us to do.
A doctor, Dr. Bowie, has
said: "As a medical doctor, one of the most important problems that I
encounter among my patients is that of bitterness, resentment, and
un-forgiveness. It is a major reason why people don't heal."
When we totally forgive, we
want the offender to be totally off the hook, even at our own expense.
I was at the tentative death
bed of a pastor of a large church at one time who had wronged me, as well as
many others. And, as I knelt beside his bed in tears, I prayed, "Lord,
whatever sins he has committed, put them on my charge." I only was able to
pray this by the power of the Holy Spirit within me, in following Jesus'
example on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do." Josephus, a prominent Jewish historian, states that after Jesus rose
from the dead that he appeared to Ciaphas the high
priest, who was the final authority to sentence Jesus to death, and Jesus led
him to salvation. That is total forgiveness.
If you are not progressing
in your life and vision, maybe the lines are clogged with bitterness or unforgiveness. Clear the lines so that the Holy Spirit can
fully manifest Himself in and through your life.
The Five Stages in Praying
for our Enemies:
(1) Duty: out of obedience
(2) Debt: You know God has
forgive you so you know you must forgive others
(3) Desire: You really want
to do right and pray for your enemies
(4) Delight: You begin to
feel happy you are praying for your enemies because it is right
(5) Durability: It becomes a
habit and a lifelong commitment becomes a lifestyle. "To the spiritual
person the supernatural seems natural." (Jackie Pullinger).
What began as duty, now is almost second nature.
You may not want that person
as a good friend and that is O.K., but sometimes they become one. That person
may say "You were loving and caring, never
vindictive" and they remember how you acted toward them when they didn't deserve
it. And, this helps them to become right in their own heart.
My sister got away from the
Lord for some years and mistreated me. But, God showed me to really watch how I
treated her during that time so as I would not hinder her in future from getting
right. And, when she did get right with God, she completely turned from hatred
of me to extreme love and appreciation for me.
God has always asked me when
I am mistreated: "Do you want me to handle it, or do you want to do
it?" I realize I need to take my hands off and let Him handle it so that
it will be done in the right way that will benefit both sides.
3. Repositioned to Give:
Some people, especially
younger people, feel that it is receiving that brings happiness; yet we receive
that we might give.
Isaiah 55:1-2 Lo, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and
without price. [2] Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good,
and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
T. D. Jakes said: When I was
a young minister, struggling to make ends meet, I would longingly eye my
friends' new vehicles and wonder if I would ever make, let alone save, enough
money to acquire a new car. Once I had been working at the local plant for a
while, I realized that my dream was not so far out of reach after all. After
work one day, wearing my hard hat and steel-toed boots, I stopped by the local
car dealership and it was love at first sight between me and the new Trans Am
gracing the showroom floor. Just as I was making mental calculations to see if
that beautiful machine was within reach, someone else took it upon himself to
answer for me.
"You can't afford that
car, son", said an older gentleman with a fake smile. "Let me show
you some of our used cars back here behind the garage."
I hesitated for a moment,
containing my anger and indignation before replying, "I don't think you
know what I can and cannot afford. I'm sure another dealer will be interested
in my business." And with that I strode confidently out of the building
and off the lot.
I returned a few weeks
later, driving the new car of my dreams: a brand-new
2979 silver Trans Am, complete with T-tops, dash console, and, of course, that
beautiful Firebird image burning across the hood. I had driven to a nearby town
the week before and bought it off the showroom floor of a dealership there.
Needless to say, my old friend the salesman was speechless!
While such a car was not the
most appropriate ride for a young up-and-coming minister, I loved that Trans
Am. It represented so much more to me than just luxurious transportation. I had
purchased success, had broken through a barrier (one clearly represented by the
salesman's assumption), and had expressed my ultra hip, exquisite taste as
well, all through that car.
I can remember when I was
dating the lovely woman who became my wife, I'd have
the T-tops down, some Barry White playing on the dual-tone stereo, and the
silver paint so clean it sparkled like sterling. I'd drive through Beckley,
West Virginia, down to my destination, taking my time so that everyone noticed
me, little more than a boy myself at the ripe old age of twenty-three.
But after a few repairs, I
awoke to some harsh realities about my dream car. It was only a car after all.
I was still who I was. It was losing more than gas as I drove it - it was also
losing value. Then, the car became totaled in an accident and I realized I
couldn't invest my notion of success in the car I drove.
Things that seem so
important to us now have only been given to meet needs in order that we might
be blessed and be able to bless others and the work of God.
John 12:24 Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it
abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit.
Matthew 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
There is a debt that we owe
because of what has been given to us.
Luke 12:48 .For unto whomsoever
much is given, of him shall be much required.
Yet, we do not give because
we have to or out of duty - but we give out of love, following the heart of
Jesus when He gave His all for us.
It has been said that Jesus'
heart was literally broken upon the cross for us. His love was more than
anything that we can ever imagine.
4. Repositioned to Thrive:
In 1903, Orville and Wilbur
Wright built the first working airplane. At Kitty Hawk, N. Carolina, on Dec.
17, 1903, Orville Wright made the first successful flight of a piloted,
heavier-than-air, self-propelled craft, called the Flyer, traveling a distance
of about 120 feet. We have come a long way since then. A new 747 has tremendous
thrust and power and can fly easily at 40,000 feet. It holds hundreds of people
and cargo and yet can defy the laws of gravity and lift its weight and
thousands of additional pounds to heights that would once have been beyond
human comprehension. However, in spite of its size and thrust, wing power and
design, it cannot get off the ground without ample runways, In order for it to
overcome the laws of gravity and become airborne, it has to taxi down the
runway and gain momentum.
The purpose of our becoming
repositioned is to thrive - to press through the past - to press forward into
the new - to lay down the old and pick up the new - to clear the pathway for
blessing - to be sure that there is nothing between us and the Lord that would
hinder our progress. We must never settle for less than our full potential. It
is never to late to start
over, begin anew, or grow to a higher level. You have everything you need to
reposition yourself, to throw off the limitations of others, and to thrive. You
can live a life without limits.
5. Willingness to Do Whatever it Takes to Reposition Yourself:
Zacchaeus was a wee little man who had such a strong desire to see Jesus
that he humbled himself and climbed into a tree! He was willing to do the
unorthodox thing because of his desire. As we read of the miracles in the
Bible, we see that Jesus many times asked the person needing the miracle to do
something that seemed strange or undesirable to do.
He asked Naaman
to wash 7 times in the dirty Jordan River to be cleaned of leprosy. And, Naaman was a leader and this could have underscored his
dignity. But, because of his strong desire to receive and his great need, he
obeyed. Obedience is always the key to healing and receiving from God.
How much do we desire the
fullness of the Spirit of God in our lives?
Are we willing even to do
the unorthodox thing in order to see miracles happen?
Smith Wigglesworth laid his body
on a boy who had died and he came to life. He threw a toddler off the platform
who had never walked and the child was healed and ran! Elijah laid 3 times on the widow's son who had died and he was
restored to life. Brother Schambach spit in a lady's
eyes and she received her sight, even as Jesus had done to the blind in the
scripture.
The reason many times that
we do not see God in action is that we try to say how God is going to do
something, instead of just accepting in childlike faith his way of doing it.
"Oh, God wouldn't do it that way!" Well, maybe He would as He is God
and not us!
Zacchaeus realized that he could not see Jesus at his present vantage
point. He had to run ahead and find a new position in order to see Him.
Sometimes we have to be like a 10-year old kid again in order to get what we
desire from God. We have to lay down our dignity and pride and let our total
desire for all God has for us, to rule.
Because of his willingness ot reposition himself, Zacchaeus experienced a radical life transformation. He had
been successful - he was chief among the publicans and rich. Yet, his life was
still lacking and he saw that Jesus had something that he could not buy.
His encounter with Jesus was
life-changing. This tax collector was now
willing to give, not the casual
tenth, but half - 50% of his income to =
the poor and if he cheated
anyone, he'd refund them four times as much =
as he took! He was no longer
headed in the one direction that was toward =
himself. His encounter with Jesus
changed all that!
Sometimes we struggle along
the way to success. Imagine a little eaglet =
dumped from the comforts of its
nest by its mother. It initially starts =
to plummet downward. It flaps
its wings a moment and then starts to =
cascade down again. It is the
process of flying and falling that enables =
it to gain its balance and
ultimately soar into heights unknown.=20
When we wait upon the Lord,
we renew our strength and will mount up with =
wings as an eagle. God wants us
to experience the heights of the eagle, =
not to just be satisfied to
peck at the ground with our head downward =
like the turkey or chicken.
The sad part is that we
limit ourselves when we never reach our full =
potential that God has for us.
Because God is willing and we don't want =
to let hindrances keep us from
the blessing.
Life is short and it is high
time for us to raise our sights and to =
reposition ourselves to receive all
that God has for us.
___________
"Total Forgiveness" by R. T. Kendall
"Reposition Yourself" by T. D. Jakes
__________
Rev. Esther Thornton
Global Evangelism Fellowship
www.clatskanie.com/gef
