IS YOUR CLOCK ON GOD'S TIME?

A 70-year-old man walks down the aisle to receive his college degree. A
55-year-old woman marries for the first time. A 40-year-old former
housewife settles into a career. Even though it seems as though our
lives follow similar patterns, everyone operates on a different
schedule.
Have you ever known someone who reached a milestone in life at a
non-traditional age? Did you wonder what took so long or assume
something must have been wrong with him or her?
Too often, we get caught up in traditions that tell us when certain
things should be accomplished. Society says we should graduate, start a
career, get married, buy a house, have a child, and retire-in that
order, and each at a certain age. In following guidelines that our
culture sets before us, we tend to rush into life-changing decisions
without considering what God wants for us.
Have you ever wondered why so many people are unhappy with their
careers, why divorce is so rampant, or why people are often completely
unprepared to raise a family?
When we shortcut God's timing and attempt to accomplish our goals within
our own strength and on our own schedule, we will fail every single
time. We will not live a life of contentment or experience the peace
that comes from a sincere understanding of God's purpose.
To truly be in God's will, we must synchronize our clock with God's
clock. We must be willing to do what He asks of us when He asks us to do
it.
The life of Moses is an unmistakable example of the consequences of
shortcutting God's will. Instead of waiting on God's timing, Moses acted
on his own strength: he killed an Egyptian, was forced to flee from
Pharaoh, and remained in relative isolation for forty years. (Exodus
2:11-15)
Moses acted on reason rather than revelation. He asked himself, "What
can I do?" rather than, "What does God want me to do?" His irrational
mind convinced him that he could free two million Hebrews by killing one
Egyptian. He failed to see God's big picture.
Later, when he followed God's schedule, he was able to confront
Pharaoh's army and liberate an entire nation of people. Through Moses,
God performed the supernatural: He parted the Red Sea, defeated an
entire army, and freed the Hebrews.
So how can we apply the knowledge of Moses' life to our own modern
existence? First, we must realize what causes us to get ahead of God:
• Impatience - We aren't willing to wait on God's direction.
• Doubt - We question whether we heard God correctly.
• Pride - We think we can do it on our own or better than God can.
• Selfishness - We expect God to conform to our will.
• Rationalization - If our actions fit "what everyone else is doing," we
believe they are justified.
• Distorted view of God - We fail to realize that He knows all the
answers to our questions, even before we ask them.
Next, we must understand the consequences of following our own desires
and shortcutting God's will:
• Disappointment - Moses experienced the frustration that came from
acting on His own strength rather than waiting on God.
• Disharmony - Conflict and discord will inevitably come from acting on
our strength. For true peace, we must be in communication with Him.
• Denial of God's best - Was God's will accomplished through Moses? Yes.
Did Moses experience God's best? No. Moses spent forty years as a
fugitive because of his actions. Yet God used Moses regardless, and,
ultimately, molded the situation in accordance to His will.
• Spiritual defeat - When we live outside of God's will, we will
constantly experience defeat. Without God, we are relying on our own
flesh; and, as Christ says, "the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). We
cannot win without the Lord.
Finally, we must realize that God will always fulfill His promise to
"cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, emphasis
added). When God gives us a promise, we must have:
• Faith - Faith believes the promise. We sincerely believe God will do
what He says.
• Hope - Hope anticipates the promise. We anticipate and look forward to
God acting on His vow.
• Patience - Patience quietly waits on the promise. Even as time
passes-in Moses' case, it was forty years-we must patiently wait on God
and realize He never forgets a promise. He will not overlook you, and He
has an appointed time to act on your needs.
You may think God has passed you by, or that your life is a waste. But,
if you are a believer and are open to God's call, that could not be
further from the truth.
Moses was 80-years-old when God called him into service. Even though he
lived for 120 years, he did not experience the true power of living in
God's will until the final one-third of his life.
Think about that. One of the most recognizable figures in the Bible-an
average man whom God utilized in a manner never seen before or since-did
not discover God's will until two-thirds of his life had passed! And
look at what God was able to accomplish in that final period of Moses'
life!
Does this mean that we should remain idle and apathetic to God until the
twilight of our lives? Of course not. But Moses' life is a clear example
of how God can use us anytime and anywhere, despite what we may have
done in the past and regardless of our circumstances. God can take the
most difficult, painful, or sinful situation and mold it, prune it, and
completely reverse it for His ultimate purpose.
Perhaps you're mired in an adverse situation or struggling with
conforming to society's standardized, inflexible timeline. If so, the
only way you will ever experience true peace is through surrendering
your will to God's timing.
When we're on God's clock, we'll never be late.

HOW DO REVIVALS BEGIN?

"l you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" - Psalm 85:6

Now that we are at the half-way point in our meditations on revival
we pause for a moment to remind ourselves of some of the points we
have been considering. Revival, we have said, is God bending down to
the dying embers of a fire just about to go out and breathing into it
until it bursts again into flame. The pattern for all revivals is
Pentecost, which was an extraordinary visitation of God accompanied
by extraordinary happenings. God is after the recovery of a
fully-orbed New Testament Christianity and He has invariably used
revivals to this end. The reason why we need revival is because the
Church turns from its first love and falls into decline. And when
revival comes it achieves, sometimes in a few weeks, what could never
have been achieved in years of normal Christian activity. The next
question we must consider is this: How does a revival begin? Is it
something that forms in the minds of devoted Christian people and is
then brought into being through powerful intercessory prayer? Or is
it something that originates in the mind of God and comes down to
earth irrespective of the desires or the prayer life of His people? I
have no hesitation in saying that in my opinion revival begins in the
mind of God. It is something that God plans; men and women have
little to do with it. There are many things that Christians, by
dedicated and committed spiritual effort, can bring to pass in the
Church, but revival is not one of them. For instance, evangelism,
preaching, teaching, and counselling is work that we do for God;
revival is work that God does for us.

PRAYER:
Father, let the wonder of Your sovereignty and power sink deep into
my soul today. Help me see how much bigger and greater You are than
my imagination could ever conceive. In Christ's Name I pray. Amen.

THE WAY OF GOD (GOD'S PREPARATION FOR LEADERS)

"If My people would but listen to Me...." - Psalm 81:13

God has a specific training ground for leaders. There are three
patterns of preparation that have been common among most of God's leaders.
First,there is a time when the leader is separated from his old life.
Consider Moses, Joseph, Abraham, and Paul. In order for God to mold and shape
them into His nature, it appears that He had to remove them from the
life of comfort. A teacher once said, "You cannot go with God and
remain where you are."
Next, there is usually a time of solitude. God often brings leaders
into a time of solitude in order to speak to them without other
distractions.
Hosea 2:14b says, "I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly
to her." Paul was sent to Arabia for two years for a time of solitude.
Joseph spent years in the solitude of prison. Moses spent 40 years in
the desert herding sheep.
The third characteristic of God's preparation for leaders is
discomfort.
The setting in which the preparation takes place usually is not a place
of comfort. Abraham traveled through the difficult deserts. David lived
in caves fleeing Saul. Paul was frequently persecuted.
Are you ready for the classroom of leadership preparation? If God
chooses to bring you into this class, you may have one of three
reactions to the events.
First, you may say, "I don't need it." Perhaps you know intellectually that you do need this, but God wants you to know it in your heart. Pride prevents us from entering this classroom.
The second reaction may be, "I'm tired of it." You decide you've had
enough.If so, this will disqualify you from leadership.
Finally, God's desired response from us in this preparation is, "I accept it." To accept it with joy is the place of maturity in Christ. God often keeps us in
these places until we come to accept and agree that Jesus is enough. Is He
all you need?
Like the people of Israel, I think we have something to do with the
timetable of our education. "If My people would but listen to Me, if
Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies
and turn My hand against their foes!" (Ps. 81:13-14)
Are you ready for the process required for being a godly leader? Ask
for His grace to willingly embrace these times of preparation.

HOW GOD MAKES FISHERMEN

"Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." - Matthew 4:19

Our calling has three distinct stages, which we can see in the lives of
many called before us, to become mature fishers of men who greatly
impact God's Kingdom. First, there is the gestation period. This is the
development stage of our lives. It may involve years of normal work
experiences. You may be a Christian during this time, or you may be
following after worldly success as a non-Christian. Paul spent years in
religious and political training, persecuting believers most of his
early life. Moses spent years in the court of Pharaoh and 40 years
tending flocks in the desert. Jesus spent 33 years living at home and
working in His father's carpentry business. However, all these years
were part of their preparation.
Next is the crisis stage. Sooner or later, God calls you into
relationship with Him. For many, like Paul, it comes through dramatic
encounters like being knocked off a horse, blinded and spoken to
personally by God. Some people are more difficult than others to reach
and so require this level of crisis. This is a time when God requires
major changes so that you follow Him fully. It can be a time in which
God harnesses years of experience for a new life purpose. Paul's earthly
experiences would be used in his calling to the religious and political
leaders of his day. For Moses, the burning bush experience would begin
his journey in which he would discover his ultimate calling after years
of preparation. For Peter, it was his denial of Jesus three times that
allowed him to face his shallow commitment to Christ. For Jesus, it was
the cross. These were the benchmark turning points for men who made an
impact on their world.
Last is the fruit-bearing stage. In it, God's power is manifested in
your life like never before. God takes all your experiences and uses
them to build His Kingdom in and through your life. Your obedience to
this final call results in fruitfulness you could never imagine without
the long preparation process. For Abraham, it resulted in becoming the
father of many nations. For Paul, it resulted in bringing the gospel to
the Gentiles. And for Peter, it meant becoming the rock the Church was
built on. For Jesus, it was salvation for the entire world.
What does God want to achieve through your life? God has a plan that is
so incredible you cannot comprehend it. It requires only that you love
Him and follow Him. Then you will become fishers of men like the world
has never known.

HOW AND WHERE GOD SPEAKS

"The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, "Get up and
go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you." - Ezekiel 3:22

God speaks in many different ways to His children. He spoke through a
bush to Moses. He spoke through a donkey to Balaam. He spoke through
prophets to His kings. He speaks through other believers. He speaks
directly to us through the invisible Holy Spirit. And He speaks even
through circumstances.
When God wants to speak a very important word directly to us without
interruption from the noise of our busy lives, he will take us "into
the plain." The plain is a place of no distractions and no other persons.
It is a place of silence. It can be a place of great need as it often
fails to have the normal provisions we are accustomed to. It can be a place
we go to voluntarily to seek His face, or we can be moved there without
choice by His supernatural ability. More often, it is the latter method
that brings us into the plain. In modern times, it often means a
separation from our normal activities such as jobs or families.
The plain can also be a place where we discover afresh that God's hand
has been on us all the time. When we are so busy with life, we
sometimes forget that God's hand is still there, gently leading our path. When
our lives get so busy that we are not listening or responding to His gentle
touch, He must take more aggressive measures to get our attention.
Thus,the plain is one of those appointed times of one-on-one communication
with our heavenly Father. No distractions, no people, no beautiful
surroundings to capture our thoughts. It is a barren place designed to
allow us to seek and hear clearly. When He speaks, we need to be able
to listen. We hear much better in the plain.
Do you need to hear God's voice today? Is your life such that you
cannot even hear His voice? Each day God calls us to our own mini-plain in
order to speak to us and for us to hear. If we neglect this time of
open communication, we may be invited to His plain in order to hear without
distraction. Pray that you might make time to hear.

HORIZONTAL VERSUS VERTICAL

"Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and
hid him in the sand." - Exodus 2:12

Moses saw the pain of his people. He saw the bondage and the injustice.
His heart was enraged, and he decided he would do something. He would
take matters into his own hands. The result was murder. The motive was
right, but the action was wrong. He went horizontal instead of vertical
with God. Moses fled to the desert, where God prepared the man who would
ultimately be the deliverer of a nation. But it took 40 years of
preparation before God determined Moses was ready. He was a professional
businessman—a sheepherder. It was during the mundane activity of work
that God called on him to be a deliverer.
Moses was like a lot of enthusiastic Christian workplace believers who
seek to solve a spiritual problem with a fleshly answer. The greatest
danger to the Christian workplace believer is his greatest strength—his
business acumen and expertise to get things done. This self-reliance can
become our greatest weakness when it comes to moving in the spiritual
realm. We're taught to be problem solvers. But, like Moses, if our
enthusiasm and passion are not harnessed by the power of the Holy
Spirit, we will fail miserably. Peter had to learn this lesson too. His
enthusiasm got him into a lot of trouble. But God was patient, just as
He is patient with each of us. Sometimes He must put us in the desert
for a time in order to season us so that Christ is allowed to reign
supreme in the process.
Before you act, pray and seek the mind of Christ until you know it is
God behind the action. Check it out with others. You may save yourself a
trip to the desert.

HINDRANCES TO CHRIST'S RULE

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." - 2 Corinthians 10:4

The Bible says when Christ comes to live in your heart, old things are
passed away, all things become new (see 2 Cor. 5:17). The Lord has put
a new Spirit in us. Previously, I could not understand why so many of us
who proclaimed Christ had such little impact on the kingdom of
darkness.
It seemed to me that our culture should be impacted much more if His
children walked in the light as Jesus did. Jesus impacted His culture
like no other man.
I saw many workplace believers, who proclaimed Christ, living no
differently than a person who had not claimed Him as Lord. These men
and women had a form of religion, but little power that reflected Christ's
rule in their lives. Then one day God took me through a time of testing
that led to a discovery of generational influences that impacted the
way I viewed people and circumstances on a subconscious basis. I discovered
this was a stronghold that had been implanted many generations earlier.
Because the stronghold operated on a subconscious level, it was not
easily recognizable. Strongholds keep us from being free to reflect
Christ in and through our lives because they require allegiance until
they are dealt with. Strongholds can often be so hidden that we would
not even identify them as evil. A stronghold of fear, control,
rebellion, insecurity, idolatry, pride, or bitterness may be hidden
until it is revealed through circumstances.
All strongholds are built in our lives as a result of seeking to meet
one or more of seven basic needs God has created in us. Once we believe
a lie that God cannot meet a need without our effort, we open our
spirit to a stronghold. The more lies we believe, the more we invite these
strongholds to take root in our lives.
Are you ineffective in your Christian experience? Are there besetting
sins that seem to recur in your life? You may find that satan has built
a fortress in your heart that has been there many generations. You must
ask God's forgiveness for entertaining this stronghold, and you must
renounce it. Then as Christ renews your mind and heart, you will see
Christ's power released in your life like never before.