2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 61:1,3 1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me…3 To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them… the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Recently I have been impressed that the Lord is coming soon, and there isn’t much time left. I have sort of been in denial on this point, but I’m more and more convinced it’s true. And even if it isn’t, none of us know how soon our time will be up, so we need to behave like we only have a short time left to live.If that is true, what kind of lives are we supposed to live? Christianity is not about living a happier, more comfortable life here on earth until we graduate to heaven.

That is totally missing the point. Every believer has a specific calling--a special purpose that will glorify the name of Jesus Christ. And when He is glorified, unbelievers receive Christ and believers are built up in the faith. If we fail to fulfill our purpose, not only will others miss out on the blessing, but it will also affect our reward in heaven. So, how do we know what our purpose is?

FIRST, figure out where your anointing is. When does the Holy Spirit work most powerfully through you? When do you have the greatest influence for God? If you can’t figure it out, ask the Lord to show you.

I was meeting with a pastor one day when he said, “The Lord gave me a scripture this morning and I believe it’s for you.” I was very skeptical. It was Isaiah 61:1-3, and Christians like to throw those verses around. I didn’t think they had anything to do with me, but I promised to read them later.

When I was alone later that day, I read those verses out loud. When I got to verse 3, “…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,” the Holy Spirit came over me so strongly that I literally could not read any further. I was shocked. People had told me they were touched by the Holy Spirit when I sang, but I didn’t see that as a very important purpose. Now I read those verses out loud almost every day, and the Holy Spirit usually comes over me at the same spot: “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” I know that I know that I know that’s what God put me here to do.

SECOND, once you know where your anointing is, RUN TOWARD IT. Pursue every opportunity for God to use you in your anointing. I sing a solo almost every Sunday at church. But one night my pastor said to me during a church service, “The Lord wants you to sing more.” My immediate internal reaction was, “I don’t know where I’m going to sing but here on Sundays, Lord…” and I felt Him saying, “You don’t need an audience. Sing to Me.” So I do. And I find that, the more I sing to Him, the more blessed and at peace I feel.

But it’s not just singing. My other areas of anointing are encouragement and teaching. So, every time the Lord shows me something new, I look for an opportunity to share it with someone else to encourage them. Since I came to a turning point in my career recently, I am also offering my services as a Life Coach for Christians who want to live more powerful, spiritual lives.

I find that most Christians don’t have any clue what their anointing is, but once I ask them, they usually think about it and come up with an answer. That’s what I would like you to do this week.

God HAS anointed you. He IS calling you. Are you listening?

Cathleen

No Fear in Success

Joshua 1:8-9 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Mark 4:40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

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I admit, when I the Bible tells me not to fear, my mind automatically interprets that as more of a suggestion than a commandment. After all, everyone experiences fear, right? And there’s plenty to be afraid of—poverty, sickness, rape, murder, loss of loved ones. Don’t even talk to me about impending wars and disaster. It’s a frightening world we live in. Why would God command us not to fear?

Joshua 1:8 gives us God’s success formula. In order to be prosperous and successful, we must:

A. SPEAK God’s word. Instead of talking about your circumstances, talk about God’s promises—that He will supply all your need, give you strength to do everything He requires of you, and fill you with His peace (all mentioned in Philippians 4).

B. MEDITATE on God’s word. Think about His promises constantly until they get into your spirit and become part of WHO YOU ARE.

C. DO God’s word. Be teachable and open to correction. If you feel a twinge of conviction when you read a particular scripture, or if a Christian brother or sister points out an area of weakness or error in your life, don’t shut it out. DO what God is telling you to do.

Joshua 1:9 tells us to be strong, of “good courage” and unafraid. This is not a helpful hint, it is a commandment. If we do everything else right but walk around in fear, we cancel out our faith and enjoy none of its benefits. So, when you feel fear creeping up on you, forcefully replace it with a promise from God’s word. (Remember, His word is a sword. It’s going to feel like you’re in a battle because you are!)

What are you waiting for, Soldier? Get out there and be a success today!

Cathleen

Sowing and Reaping

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

I know what you’re thinking. “I know this stuff. This is just another message on giving money so you can get some back.”

You are almost right. But the Lord showed me something recently that changed my perspective—just slightly, but enough to make a big difference in my life.

Nearly every Christian has been taught that, if we give our money to God (sowing), He will reward us (reaping). But there is more than one kind of “seed” we can sow. If you plant vegetable seeds, you get vegetables. If you plant flower seeds, you get flowers.

So, if we are struggling financially, that means giving money when we need money. But when you give money, don’t just throw it in the offering basket. Lay hands on it, pray over it, bless it, and believe God for a specific financial need to be met.

We also need to be sure we are planting our seed in good soil. If you are attending a church, you should be sowing financially into that ministry—as long as that ministry is in line with the Bible. (And you shouldn’t be going there if it isn’t!)

What if our need isn’t financial? Same principal. If I need more spiritual power in my life, I pray for God to bless someone else with more spiritual power. If I need clothes, I give away clothes. If I need help, I help someone else. If I feel I need more time, I give God more of my time. Whatever I need, I plant a seed of the same kind—with the EXPECTATION that God will meet my need in return.

What do you need right now? Plant the right kind of seed and expect the harvest.

Cathleen

Fully Convinced

Romans 4:20 [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

In his CD on “Miracles,” Pat Robertson tells about an incident in the early years of CBN when his Board of Directors informed him that they needed $1.5 million to pay the bills within one week, or they would have to close the doors. Pat knew that God had called him to start CBN, but he had no clue how to get that much money. So he asked the Lord to show him the answer. Then he opened his Bible and started reading Romans chapter 4.

Suddenly, a verse caught his attention: “… being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:21). He read the verse out loud once… then twice… then a third time. He kept saying it over and over until it got into his spirit. Then he went to bed, knowing he had his answer.

The next day, he received a package from an anonymous donor containing savings bonds worth $500,000. Soon after that, he received a winning lottery ticket that the donor thought was worth $1 million. As it turned out, it was worth a bit less than that, but God did provide the money to keep CBN running.

In my own life, the Lord has been showing me that I receive pretty much what I expect from Him—and that I usually set my expectations way too low. I know He has promised to return my children to me and provide everything I need to take care of them. Recent incidents make that look almost impossible. But I have been meditating on Romans 4:21 for the past couple of weeks, and I am “fully convinced” that God is able to do what He has promised.

Are you facing an impossible circumstance? It can’t be any worse than Abraham’s circumstance when God promised him a son. Find a promise that fits your need (like Phil. 4:19), say it out loud and meditate on it until you are “fully convinced” that God is able to do what He has promised.

Cathleen

Stop Some Traffic!

Matthew 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Matthew 18:18 I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Being homeless for a year forced me to re-examine a lot of my beliefs. I never stopped trusting God, but I did start asking Him if I was doing something “wrong.” I started listening to “faith” teachers I had previously avoided, just in case they knew something I didn’t know! I just don’t want to stand before Jesus one day, only to have him sadly shake His head and say, “I wanted so much more for your life! I really didn’t intend for you to suffer so much. If only you had known….”

Recently, the Lord showed me that I have a lot more power over my circumstances than I realize. Jesus gave His disciples AUTHORITY “over all the power of the enemy” and to bind unseen spiritual powers that come against us. If we are His disciples, then we should be living with that same authority.

Picture a policeman in uniform. He gets out of his patrol car, walks to the middle of a busy intersection, holds up his hand, and traffic stops. Why? Because we recognize the AUTHORITY of that uniform. It represents all the power of the laws and government behind it.

Now, did the policeman bow his head in the middle of the intersection and say, “Lord, please make them stop?” Of course not. He knows his authority and how to use it. On the other hand, if he stood in the middle of the same intersection without his uniform, he would probably get killed.

Now, you don’t see a mayor or a senator or the governor stopping traffic. That’s because that authority has already been delegated to the policeman. It’s his job.

When we pray, “In Jesus’ name,” we are actually saying, “In the power and authority of Jesus.” That is a lot of power! If we don’t exercise the spiritual authority God has given us, we will go through a lot more trouble and experience a lot less victory.

Exercise some of your spiritual authority this week. When Satan sends an affliction on you, take authority over it and bind the spiritual forces behind it. EXPECT THE VICTORY.

Cathleen