Are You Stumbling Toward an Uncertain Future?

By:  John L. M.

My friend, the late Myles Munroe said, “There is something for you to start that is ordained for you to finish.” God made you special for a purpose. He has an assignment for you to do no one else can do as well as you can. Out of billions of applicants, you’re the most qualified. You have right combination of what it takes. God has given each person the measure of faith to do what He’s called him or her to do. Every person is gifted.

A person is never what he ought to be until he is doing what he ought to be doing.

God holds us not only responsible for what we have, but for what we could have; not only for what we are, but for what we might be.

Don’t just pray that God will do this or that, rather pray that God will make His purpose known to you. William Cowper said, “The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.” Note Proverbs 19:21: ”Whatever your plan is just know that nothing else will satisfy you.” Know that God is with you and will provide what you need to accomplish your purpose. The God who made the mouth will also provide the food.

Don’t part company with your purpose. It is an anchor in the storm. A purposeless life is an early death. Psalms 138:8 reads, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; thy steadfast love, O Lord endures forever.”

Rick Renner commented, “The only thing that will keep you from the will of God is if you look at yourself and say, ‘I’m not so much among so many.’” You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth. What you believe is the force that determines what you accomplish or fail to accomplish in life.

Too many people know what they are running from, but not what they’re running to. Having a powerful why will provide you with the necessary how. Purpose, not money, is your real asset.

No wind blows in favor of a ship without a destination. A person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder. What you set your heart on will determine how you’ll spend your life. A person going nowhere can be sure of reaching his destination.

Abandon yourself to destiny.

Blind Faith

By:  G. Markland

Dolores Rivera had a dream, one that contained a message from God. She dreamed of a pillowcase slowly falling, and its four corners grabbed her attention. Some weeks later she heard of a town called Dolores Colorado, a few miles away from a place called the Four Corners.

The Four Corners is a unique location where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah meet geographically. God called her to go to the Four Corners and pray.

After months of prayer, Dolores saved enough money for an airline ticket to Colorado, but was short the funds for a hotel and food for a week. Knowing that God would provide, Dolores exercised blind faith and obeyed.

Upon arrival she found that the airlines had lost her luggage, so what little money she had was spent on necessities. Undaunted, she pressed on. Upon entering the tiny town, she was amazed to see her name on everything. There was the Dolores Post Office, the Dolores Bed and Breakfast, the Dolores Gas Station and so forth.

After speaking with a nice man at the Dolores Hotel, she became aware of spiritual depression in the area fostered by Native American spiritism and witchcraft. God spoke to Dolores again and led her through town to the Dolores Restaurant. The owners inside were Hispanic and because of Dolores’ Hispanic background they had instant rapport.

The nice lady asked Dolores why she was there, and as she shared her story of God’s mission, the lady began to cry.

She said, “We have been praying for revival and asking God to send someone to help us.”

Later she introduced Dolores to a Pastor and some friends, then provided free room and board for her stay. Next, to the Four Corners they went.

Finally, reaching the very spot where the four states converge, they began to pray. She asked for God’s hand upon the land, beginning with the little nearby town of Dolores. Suddenly the sky opened up and a strong wind blew. She knew that her prayer had been heard. She was glad that she had obeyed.

Afterward, the very atmosphere in the town seemed to change. God blessed Dolores Colorado. The local church experienced revival and growth, particularly with the youth. And the restaurant owners, they were blessed and their business grew.

On her return flight, Dolores experienced a flight delay in Washington D.C. and was given free food and lodging in a first class hotel with a free ticket to anywhere! She used that day in Washington to pray for the Nation. She can testify to the scripture that says,

“For we walk by faith and not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7 KJV).

The Bible tells us,

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as an inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:18 NLT).

Abraham obeyed with blind faith, and generations were blessed.

Another young man followed God’s call with blind faith. He packed up his family and traveled to an obscure neighborhood in a small town in Virginia. Having only seventy dollars in his pocket, he arranged to buy a run down television station in a dilapidated building.

To the casual observer, this TV station with its weak signal promised little more than a hobby. Yet like Dolores, Pat Robertson followed with blind faith in an adventure, which became the Christian Broadcasting Network, reaching the world for Christ!

If God is calling you to step out in blind faith, then obey Him and do it! Don’t wait for that perfect time. You might be unsure about some of the details, but don’t worry. When we show confidence in God’s call and obey Him, He honors our obedience and will enable us to succeed. He will not let you down. Blind faith is great faith, which leads to a wonderful life of adventures with God. Only He knows who will be blessed by your obedience.

Stepping out in blind faith is a delight to the Lord.

Remember,

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NLT).

Can God change your life?

Finding God's Timing

By:  D. Markins

Have you taken a moment lately to look at life as it is and consider some possibilities of how it could be. It’s easy to put this off and wait until later…but sometimes it seems that much of our life is spent waiting.

In a small sense we wait in line for a vanilla latte, we wait for our car to fill up with gas, we wait for the cable guy to show up (between 8 and 12…ha! usually it’s 2:10). In a bigger sense we wait to meet the man of our dreams, we wait nine months for our baby to be born, we wait for a job promotion or a pay increase. Waiting is a fact of life on earth.

But are you looking at your own life and evaluating how much time you’ve spent waiting? Have you waited (maybe too long?) to make a change, chart a new course or accept an unchangeable situation.

I waited a long time to make a serious commitment to writing and speaking. What held me back? As with each of us, my answers aren’t simple. I was raising children, working at having a good marriage and helping our business grow. Those are valid reasons; but in complete honesty I held back because of fear and lack of mentorship. When I finally broke through the fear and dove in, God was there to meet me and encourage my progress.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles,” says Isaiah 40:31

The opposite is true as well. Sometimes we jump in and take action without spending much time or thought on the process or likely results. Have you ever tried to “fix” a situation instead of allowing God or others to take care of it? Acting too quickly can lead to comedic and sometimes tragic results.

Too many times to mention I’ve confronted people about things I believed were unfair or done poorly, just to find that they had good reasons for their actions or had already remedied the situation. Boy do I hate to go after someone with a full head of steam only to learn that my issue is obsolete or invalid. Alexander Pope said, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” I’m guessing he knew that angels are much wiser than we humans can be.

In either case there is an antidote and a way to prevent a repeat. Check in with the Lord. A LOT! Talk to Him, read His word and get confirming wisdom from a spiritually mature friend. It would look something like this:

“Father, I really hate my job but am grateful to have it. Thank you for provision. Please bring me clarity about when/if I should take any action to change my circumstance.”

Then consider why God may have you there and the possibilities of making a change.

Find a Believing buddy and ask for his/her prayers, insight and encouragement.

Read in your Bible about people who’ve waited on the Lord and others who’ve taken obedient action. (Jesus has done both.)

Psalms 138:8 says, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love O Lord, endures forever.”

His timeline is frequently much different than ours. When we wait on God’s timing, then take deliberate action, the outcome is likely to be refreshment and contentment.

I hope your life is filled with intentional waiting while God strengthens you, then fruit-bearing action when the time is right for you to soar like an eagle.

I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. - Yeshua

Your Association Matters

By:  John L.M.

I have found that it is better to be alone than in the wrong company. A single conversation with the right person can be more valuable than many years of study.

We become like those with whom we associate. You need to steer clear of negative-thinking "experts." Remember: in the eyes of average people average is always considered outstanding. Look carefully at the closest associations in your life, for that is the direction you are heading.   

Some years ago I found myself at a stagnation point in my life. I was unproductive and unable to see clearly God's direction. One day I noticed that almost all of my friends were in the same situation. When we got together, all we talked about was our problems.

The Lord showed me I needed to change my closest associations; that there were some other people I needed to have contact with on a regular basis. These were men and women of great faith, those who made me a better person just by being around them. They were the ones who saw the gifts in me and could correct me in a constructive, loving way. My choice to change my closest associations was a turning point in my life.

When you surround yourself and affiliate with the right kind of people, you enter into the God-ordained power of agreement. Ecclesiastes 4:9,10,12 (TLB) states: "Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he's in trouble. And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."