Let Go of the Rope

Matthew 11:30 - "…My Yoke is Easy and My Burden is Light" 

The Oxford English Dictionary says that the phrase "tug of war" originally meant "the decisive contest; the real struggle or tussle; a severe contest for supremacy". Did you know that this contest dates back to the 8th century BC?  That there are formal rules for this game, including the regulation size of the rope, weight requirements and not being able to lower your elbow below your knee?  Interesting, eh?  

Many of us live our lives just like a game of tug of war, struggling to hold onto something, no matter how much energy and effort it takes.  At one point in my life, I was fighting for my "right to be right", and I saw a mental picture of myself digging my heels in the sand trying to forcefully pull everything I wanted over a line.  I became tired and worn out, and the Lord said to me, "Let go of the rope, don't worry, you won't lose".  In other words, "Let Me be in control, not you".  I finally let go and God began to move in my life in ways I could never accomplish on my own. 

Today, if you are struggling in an area of your life, a relationship, a job situation, an important decision…let go of the rope!  Let the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth lead, guide and direct you.  Give up your right to be right and listen to what He is saying.  

It’s your choice…go through life engaged in "the decisive contest; the real struggle or tussle; a severe contest for supremacy", OR yoked together with the One who knows all things, loves you, and has your best interest in mind.  Here’s a hint…let go of the rope.

 

So Much More

I have to say, Romans, chapter 5 has some of the most amazing truths in one portion of scripture.  Four times Paul uses the term "much more" in reference to a believer’s life after the cross…

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him - Verse 9

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many - Verse 15 

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ) - Verse 17 

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: - Verse 20 

God has called you to so much more.  You serve a much more God.  Much more opportunity in life, much more forgiveness toward others, much more favor on your job, much more restoration in your family.  Much more than you ever had before.  Much more than you will ever need.  So much more.

 

Stir it Up!

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2 Timothy 1:6 “Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God that is in you by the putting on of my hands”.

We used to have a coffee shop in our town called Stir it Up. I would order a big cup of hot cappuccino with a little cream on top, then give it a good stir. How awesome it tasted! In 2 Timothy 1:6 Paul talks about “the gift of God”, which is in every Spirit filled believer. The Greek word for gift is charisma, or our word for grace. Like Paul, I’m reminding you today of something so key to living a powerful life: this gift or grace on the inside of you needs to be stirred up. You need to regularly add fresh fuel to the fire.

Stir up the gift of grace on the inside of you. Don’t let it stay inactive or dormant. When you’re facing issues in life, stir up the grace of God and His promises that are hidden in your heart and speak out loud, “yes and amen”. The next verse goes on to say, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. When stirred, grace reminds you of who you are. When stirred, grace reminds you what God has called you to do. When stirred, grace prompts you to action in agreement with His Word. So...stir it up!!

 

Sleepless in Heaven

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Esther 6:1 “That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. “

It’s amazing how an event in your life can be turned around by one sleepless night! In the 1993 movie Sleepless in Seattle, after the death of his wife Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) moves to Seattle with his son Jonah. When Jonah calls a talk radio program to find a wife for his dad, Sam reluctantly gets on the phone to talk to the radio host. Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) seeks out the dad and eventually they meet and fall in love. Can everyone say Awww!

In Esther 6:1, the king has a sleepless night and asks for the book of Chronicles to be read to him…interesting choice. By God’s design he hears about a man named Mordecai who saved his life. What he didn’t know at the time is that Mordecai’s life was in danger because of the evil Hamon. Also by God’s design, the king decided on that sleepless night that it was time to honor Mordecai for his valiant act. That’s the favor of God. That same favor is working behind the scenes for you right now. Someone is going to have a “sleepless night” and your face is going to come to their mind. You are going to get that job, that promotion is going to go into effect, rules are going to be changed on your behalf, policies are going to be amended, doors are going to open. Why? Because God never slumbers or sleeps, He’s always awake orchestrating ways to bless you and moving things into position on your behalf. While you’re sleeping, He’s working. He’s sleepless in heaven!

 

The Tooth Be Told

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Isaiah 41:15 “Behold, I will make you a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: you shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff.”

Mentioned 56 times, the Bible has some interesting things to say about teeth. Scripture often uses teeth symbolically, to refer to the power of individuals, or regarding human rage (as in the “gnashing of teeth”). Let’s take a look at the use of the word teeth in Isaiah 41:15...

God says that “I will make you”, meaning that He will release extreme power through you from the inside out. Make you what? “A new sharp threshing instrument”. Threshing instruments were ancient boards that had sharp protruding fragments built in that looked like teeth, and used to pass over large sheaves of wheat to separate the grain from the chaff. “Having teeth”. What for? How does this relate to us today?

The “teeth” is the Word of God in your mouth. It’s a double edged sword, to thresh every mountain and obstacle in your way and beat them small. By the power of God’s word problems, hindrances, limitations, lack, and delays will blow away like chaff in the wind. This year, let the “tooth be told”, the truth of God’s Word be told to every mountain that stands in your way. Don’t climb every mountain, thresh every mountain!

 

Breaking Through Resistance

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Philippians 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God In Christ Jesus"

Even a dead fish can swim downstream. Know why? There's no resistance! How do you respond to resistance in your life? When you decide to live in the "high calling", you will face opposition and resistance. "…all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" 2 Tim3:12.

So, if there's a "high calling", there must also be a "low calling". The high calling is a life lived on earth according to heaven's standards; it's seeing the kingdom of God manifested through an individual's life. People who live in the high calling control their surroundings. By staying in their authority, they change the spiritual climate around them.

Darkness cannot overpower light, light always expels darkness. The brighter the light, the more darkness is displaced. This is how it is when we walk in the authority of God's kingdom. We place our surroundings under its rule. Jesus could eat with sinners because HE controlled the atmosphere. If you are stronger in God then the unbeliever is in the devil, you will control the atmosphere. If the sinner is more dominant in evil than the believer is in righteousness, the unbeliever will control the atmosphere.

Again, when you decide to live the high calling, you will face opposition. But you've already overcome because of the finished work on the cross. Yet many settle and live for the low calling. Why? They don't want to face the resistance that accompanies pressing toward the high calling. They would rather conform to their surroundings than change them with godly confrontation. It's much easier to blend in than to stand out.

The word "press" signifies an aggressive mentality that refuses to give up, rather than a "passive" mentality that follows the path of least resistance. Keep pressing forward with the Grace of God and the power of the Holy Ghost. Greater is He that is in you than what you are facing in the world. Break through the resistance! Press toward the mark! Start today!

 

Check's in the Mail

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Daniel 10:12 "Then said he unto me, fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, Thy words were heard, and I come for thy words".

Years ago when I was in a windows and siding business, after I would make a huge sale, I would stop by the customer's house at scheduled intervals to pick up a check for the job. When they didn't have it ready, I would get a little (okay, a lot) impatient and I would call the customer to check on the check! Their response, these famous words, "the check's in the mail".

In Daniel chapter 10, it appears that it took three weeks for Daniel's prayer to manifest. However, in verse 12, the angel of the Lord, said something really powerful and revealing to Daniel. He said, "For from the first day…thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words". That tells us that every prayer that’s in agreement with God's word is answered instantly.

It was the prince of Persia that withstood Daniel's prayer (verse 13), for 21 days. The prayer was answered but the manifestation took time to get there! That's huge, but how come? Daniel was under the old covenant he didn’t have authority to speak "TO" the delay. Daniel had to wait because he didn’t have the authority on the earth that you and I have.

Do you have any "unanswered prayers"? Don't give up. If your prayer is in agreement with God's Word, it's on the way, "it's in the mail". Use your authority and command the answer that rightfully belongs to you, and expect to see it!

 



Can You Give Me an Amen?

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2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him, Amen, unto the glory of God by us”.

This is one of those verses you could chew on for a year and still get more from it. It’s that rich and that full. One thing I remember so vividly about Pastor Demola is that after he would share something from the Word, he would follow up with a quick, “Can you give me an Amen?” I loved it, especially when I found out what “Amen” means. It means so be it.

In 2 Corinthians 1:20 it says “for ALL the promises of God IN HIM are yes…” I could stop right there. Healing is a promise. Prosperity is a promise. Peace is a promise. The good life is a promise. There are literally thousands of promises in the Word of God, AND in Him they are all “yes”, and in Him they are all “amen”.

It’s one thing to know the promises of God, but it’s another thing to know they are a “yes” for you personally. Then after you know that they are a “yes” for you and receive it, You need to add your “amen”…so be it!. If you got that then you’re probably jumping and dancing wherever you are right now! Why? The promise of victory over that impossible situation is a yes for you. The promise of restoration for your family is a yes for you. The promise of being healed of that “incurable” disease is a yes for you. The promise of a hundredfold return of every financial seed you’ve sown is a yes for you. Now add your amen!

 

A Rich House

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Psalm 112:3 “Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever”

Two days ago I was looking for someone’s home, and I got a little lost. As I continued to drive I saw this huge, and I mean huge, house. Like I said, huge. It really got my attention, that’s how extraordinary it was.

In Psalm 112 it speaks about the man who is so blessed that it rubs off on his children. It says his seed or his offspring is blessed upon the earth. In verse 3, it goes on to say that “wealth and riches are in his house”. Now is that something you might be interested in? Would you like to have this promise fulfilled? I think you would. Here’s how.

In the same verse it says that “his righteousness endures forever “. That’s right standing with God. That’s the gift that you received at salvation in 2 Corinthians 5:21. You’re already righteous if you’re born again. And it “endures forever”, that means it never changes and never diminishes.

That, my friend, is one of the keys to wealth and riches in your house, knowing who you are and what belongs to you. You’re already wealthy and rich. Today, no matter what things might look like in your house financially, decree and declare what Psalm 112 says about you, I am righteous, therefore I have a rich house, me and my children, forever amen.

 

When We Rest, He Works

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Psalm 121:1-5 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord…He who watches over you will not slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you”

One night as I was getting ready for bed, I had something pressing on my mind. Then I heard the Lord say to me, “Why don’t you go to sleep, I’ll handle it”. I had been pondering something that I had to do, and how it was going to be done, and… You know how it is, you’ve been there I’m sure. What was the Lord’s advice for me? “The best thing you can do right now is go to sleep”. That’s awesome. When we rest, He works. But here’s the twist, the opposite is true too. When we work, He rests. We get to choose.

It says in Psalm 121:1-5 that He watches over us in our sleep. He’s active and working on our behalf while we sleep. He’s taking care of things and ordering things in our favor. And when we wake up, we’re refreshed. By His goodness and grace, we have the supernatural wisdom we need, and the answers to our questions, and solutions to our problems. That’s amazing. All because we chose to rest and let Him work. Imagine that, God working things out to get the job done while we rest. I am totally okay with that. How about you?

 

No Vacancy

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1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no man despise your youth”.

I remember our first vacation with my wife and family. For some reason, we decided that we would just drive to the beach, on July 4th weekend, and find a hotel when we got there. All we saw at each hotel was “No Vacancy”. We ended up going from one town to another and finally found a room.

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul the Apostle is writing to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus. Timothy was one of the youngest ministers in a whole city of pastors. Apparently there seemed to be an issue with their respect for Timothy as a fellow pastor due to his age.

I love the way Paul addressed him. Instead of writing to all the other pastors and saying, “I want you to respect my son in the faith, Timothy!”, he said, “Hey Timothy, don’t you allow them to get into your head”. He said, “You’re in control of how you respond to their actions”. He said, “LET no man despise your youth”. This signifies that Timothy had control over what he allowed to take up space in his thought life. He refused to LET them rent space in his mind.

Are there negative words that others have spoken trying to take up space in your mind? That’s your opportunity to allow God’s grace, his unmerited favor, to empower you. Don’t LET anyone or anything rent a room in your thoughts! Think about it, no one or nothing should have that kind of power in your thought life. Simply declare, no vacancy, all rooms are occupied by grace! Amen!

Do vs. Done

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John 19:30 “When Jesus had received the sour wine He said, It is finished, and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

There’s a big difference between something that you need to do and something that is already done. At dinnertime the other day, I looked in our pantry and I saw a jar of spaghetti sauce, a box of pasta, and I saw the sausage in the refrigerator. And I said to myself, “should I make the pasta or order from a local restaurant”? Well, you guessed it, I ordered out…the food was already cooked…done. It’s so much easier when something is done, completed, finished.

That’s the difference the cross made. It took us from do, do, do to done, done, done. The promises of God are yes, and amen. You don’t have to DO anything, it’s already done. Your healing is already done. Your forgiveness is already done. Your victory is already DONE!

If you could just see life through DONE rather than DO, it would make a huge difference. It takes all the pressure off, it takes all the self-effort out, it gives you a confidence because you already know the outcome. Today, see whatever you’re dealing with as Done not Do. It’ll change everything. Stay blessed. You know why? It’s DONE!

 

Your Vital Necessity

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1 Chronicles 22:19 – “Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God…”

One day I woke up with these two words “vital necessity“, and I asked myself what does this mean? To some people, me included, my morning cup of coffee is vital. Maybe you can’t do anything until you eat breakfast in the morning. For others, their morning walk is vital to get their day started.

In 1 Chronicles 22:19 it says, “Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God”. The word vital means essential, indispensable, crucial, critical, high priority. The word necessity means fundamental, basic, necessary. This is truly relevant to the next part of the verse which says, “arise and build…”.

If you want to build your life, make seeking Jesus your vital necessity. How? Set your mind and heart to seek the Lord as the most vital and necessary part of your life. Set your thoughts and desires on Jesus. Not just occasionally, but set your mind and keep it set on Jesus. As you do, His grace will over supply every area of your life, and every demand, and every situation. Make HIM your vital necessity and watch as things in life become effortless. With or without your morning coffee!

 



A Know It OWL

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Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of your calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”

Have you ever heard of the saying “wise as an owl”? Since ancient times, owls have been depicted in literature and folklore as synonymous with wisdom. Mostly because of their huge eyes that give them the ability to hunt at night. They are very interesting birds.

I have discovered a different kind of owl…a “Know it OWL”. This is a person that seeks what I believe is the most important thing anyone could have, wisdom. Wisdom is not just knowing what to do but wisdom is knowing how to do it. In Ephesians 1:16, Paul said that he never stops praying “that the God of our Lord Jesus may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him [Jesus].”

Then in verse 18 he goes on to pray “that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know…” Praying for wisdom allows you to see things with your understanding. It allows you to know what to do in every situation. Wisdom to fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Go ahead, be a “Know it OWL”! It’s awesome!

 

Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal

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Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”

In live theater, a dress rehearsal is the final rehearsal in which everything is done as it would be in a real performance. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately… depending on your viewpoint…our lives are not a dress rehearsal for the real thing. We are living the real thing right now. Guess what? You’re not getting this day back. There are no “do-overs” in real life. It’s the live show for us. There won’t be another. That’s why God wants us to make every day count. Every conversation count. Every moment with our family. Every vacation. Every open door. I could go on and on.

Moses prays to the Lord in Psalm 90:12, “teach us to number our days”. That means to make the most out of every opportunity to add value to someone’s life or your own. Here’s a thought, if you knew that Jesus was coming back in one week (I’m not saying He is, so don’t start any rumors!), what would your week look like? Think about it, who would you meet with? What would you say to some people? Who would you share the gift of salvation with? This is not a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing. Let’s make each moment of each day count.

 



What Are You Doing Here?

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1 Kings 19:9 “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

I don’t really like caves. This past May, my daughter and I went to the Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs, CO. We took a tour inside tunnels that had been excavated over a hundred years ago. It was interesting and insightful, I learned so much, but…I was really looking forward to seeing the light of day outside!

In 1 Kings 19:9, God asks Elijah, “What are you doing here?” How many of you know that God knew Elijah was there in the cave? So He was really saying “you’re in the wrong place, Elijah.” In 1 Kings 19:1-3, Elijah made a very important decision but for the wrong reasons. Have you ever made a decision for the wrong reason? I know I have. Why did Elijah “run for his life”? Because of a fearful imagination.

In verse 2, Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life. In verse 3 it says something interesting, “When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life”. He began to envision what it would be like to die from a sword. Our negative imagination can cause us to make a wrong decision in a moment of panic, fear, or intimidation. The Holy Spirit always leads us, but the enemy always forces or drives us. Today, let the peace of God be the umpire of your heart and mind. Don’t stay where you shouldn’t be and don’t go where you shouldn’t go. Be lead by God’s peace and prompting, even when you’re a little nervous. Bottom line, may we never find ourselves in a place where God needs to ask us, “What are you doing here?”

 

Our Alarm System

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"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 ESV

I'm so glad God blessed us with built in "alarms". We have negative emotions that tell us that something is wrong with our thinking. We have symptoms when there is something wrong with our body. We even have godly spouses, friends and parents to show us things we are too stubborn to receive from God on our own!

But there's one more thing that may not be so obvious. It's a "condemnation meter". It looks like a fuel gauge on your dashboard, but it works in reverse. When the needle is on "Empty", that's good. According to Romans 8:1, God says there is NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. If you're born again, you have received the gift of NO condemnation.

When you give place to condemnation, the needle begins to move away from "E" and guilt and fear set in. If you give place to guilt and fear, the needle moves again and destructive habits set in. Condemnation is now at dangerous levels! The answer, resist all condemning thoughts, accusations and lies with the truth of God's Word. Warning! Resist ALL condemnation.

 

Recalibrate

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Jeremiah 10:23 “Oh Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man to direct his own steps”

The word “recalibrate” has become quite familiar to all of us GPS users out there. Where would we be without them…literally? When we take a wrong turn, we rely on the GPS to recalibrate. If I didn’t have the GPS I’d have gotten lost so many times! I still remember the days when my dad would pull over and dig out the map from the glove compartment of our station wagon. Those days are long gone. Now we just wait for our GPS to figure out a way to get us back on track.

Recalibrate means to calibrate again, to get back on course again. If you’ve gotten off course, no worries, you have the Guide inside. The Holy Spirit will recalibrate within you. He will prompt you to make a simple course correction. Jeremiah 10:23 says “it’s not in any of us to direct our own steps. In life, we need to recalibrate many, many times. God is okay with that. That’s why He gave us the Holy Spirit to recalibrate us as soon as we begin to make a wrong turn. He guides us to make a small course correction, that’s all we need. The sooner we yield to Him, the less recalibration we need on the path ahead. If you’ve gotten off course, listen to the Holy Spirit and just recalibrate. You’ll get to your destination. Trust your “God Positional System”.

 

Weapon of Mass Instruction

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Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge“

I was reading the other day about Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), such as chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons that can do significant harm and damage on a large scale. Mass means large, massive, profuse, overwhelming. But there’s something even more powerful and effective in the spiritual world called “weapon of mass instruction”.

Hosea 4:6 says that God’s people are destroyed for a lack of one thing…knowledge. Knowledge of God’s Word is the most powerful and destructive weapon in the spiritual realm. That’s precisely why the enemy will do anything and everything to try and stop you from gaining revelation knowledge. Mark 4:15 says that Satan comes immediately to steal the Word. Why? Because he knows it’s a weapon of mass, large, huge, effective proportions.

God’s Word is the only offensive weapon that we have. It destroys every work of the enemy. It tears down strongholds of thoughts. It is sent to heal cancers. With it you rebuke every attack. God’s Word is a weapon of mass instruction that will cause you to win in every battle, in every contest, in every challenge. So the answer to any destruction or problem is instruction, the knowledge of God’s Word. Make a decision this year to give God’s Word first place and final authority in every area of your life. Then watch the supernatural changes manifest as never before.

 

A Change of Diet in 2019

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Joshua 5:12 “and the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of Canaan that year”.

After I returned from Winter Break at Charis Bible College a few weeks ago, I saw a friend of mine and they looked so different. I asked, “What are you doing that you look so different?” They explained about their special diet, listing their change of foods and eating habits.

Speaking of eating habits, can you imagine what it would have been like to eat the same food every day for 40 years? That’s what happened to the children of Israel, before they came into the promised land of Canaan. The manna in Canaan represents “just enough” provision for each day. This is survival. Thank God for His provision, but He wants better for His children.

When they entered the land of Canaan, they began to eat fruit. The fruit was already there. The fruit represents “more than enough”. That’s the difference between a miracle and the blessing. A miracle is for crisis. Thank God for miracles, but the blessing is for every day. It’s a way of believing. It’s believing in God’s commanded blessing on His children because of the cross of Christ. In 2019, choose God’s diet. Choose more than enough! Let’s eat!