Success in 2009 is a Decision

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6

I have found the secret to victory in these turbulent times is:
1. Turning the news off!! I am immersing myself more and more in God's word.
2. I continue to work hard no matter what the economic environment looks like.
3. I end each day with an expectation that the work I have done (seed I’ve sown) will bring a harvest.

Also, I make it my practice to declare myself responsible for my outcome. No excuses. It is easy to blame the economy and other outside influences, but I reject the desire to do so. It is my declaration that “I am responsible!! No excuses!!”

Accountability is also important. I have people I’ve made myself accountable to. If I am experiencing difficulty at first in changing a mindset or a habit, it helps me to have someone I trust to share these struggles with so I can be victorious.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

We were not meant to exist alone. Sometimes it just helps to have someone to talk with.

Accountability is being responsible to someone or for some activity; Liability to be called on to render an account; subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable.

The ancient Romans had a tradition; whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was being hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in a profound way – he stood under the arch. Now that is accountability!

I like to ask myself these questions frequently:
Can I be honest with myself? In private moments, when no one is looking could I identify situations when I performed less well that I would have liked or made decisions that might not have been optimal? Once identified, can I share these concerns with someone else?

Last, I must remind myself that “Attitude is everything.” Whatever my thoughts are about anything, I am right - because they are my thoughts. That is why I have to be careful what I allow my mind dwell upon. Do I see myself as frustrated, a failure, something that is contrary to what God says about me, or do I see myself as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus? Do I see myself the way God sees me or do I see myself the way my situations and experiences define me? What ever my answer is, I am correct.

I can’t control what goes on outside of me, but I can surely control what goes on inside of me. My constant thoughts become my mind set. My mind set becomes my actions. My actions become my habits. My habits become my destiny.

As I think in my heart, so am I. (Proverbs 23:7)

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalms 1:1-3

This morning as I was out walking, I noticed newly planted plants of all varieties along the exercise pathway. Some of the new plantings were thriving and healthy while others were dried, shriveled and dead. I thought to myself, “some one needs to adjust the sprinklers so all of the plants can get the water they need to live.” Then it dawned on me that many of the plants that comprise my surroundings in California are not native to California. In fact, California’s climate resembles that of a desert climate, thus most of the plants are not created to survive in this climate. Most plants would not live were it not for man-made irrigation.

Then I thought of the words of Peter wherein he said we are strangers & pilgrims in this world (1 Peter 2:11). In other words, like the plants that have been transplanted into the arid region of California that die when they don’t receive steady doses of water, so will the child of God wither and die if he or she does not receive steady doses of the water of the Word of God.

So if our lives are feeling parched, withered and dry, it’s time to soak our souls with the Word of God. Every child of God is promised refreshing from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). So what are we waiting for? It’s time to return to the source of our strength and drink deep from the well of His Word.

Jesus, speaking to the woman at the well in Samaria promised, “… whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). His promise still holds true in 2009. Come, drink.

King For A Day

For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17 (New King James Version)

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:9-10 (King James Version)

Let’s close our eyes and imagine what it would be like to be king for a day. I mean it. Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be the absolute sovereign ruler. What would that be like? What does it feel like? What do you see yourself doing? Where do you live? How do you think? What is the speech that comes out of your mouth? Do you fear anyone or anything? Is there any power in the land greater than you? What are your responsibilities? Imagine the fate of the entire kingdom rests on your decisions. You have at your command the power of life and death. You may take life or you may spare life. It is in the power of your word to do so.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Believe it or not, we are kings and not just for the day. We already have the power to destroy or to build. And it is as near as our mouth. Remember the scriptures declare, “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." (Deuteronomy 30:14). Not only is the word “very near” and “in [our] mouth and in [our] heart.” But, we are also assured that we “may (we have permission to) DO” the word.

God gave us five commands in the beginning. They were - be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it and have dominion. We were ordered by God to have dominion. Why have we not been obedient? Why do we find it so difficult to have dominion? Does the flower have difficulty being a flower? Does an apple have to be reassured that it can do it – it can become an apple? Yet man - God’s highest creation – has difficulty believing (much less having) he can have dominion in every area of his life.

What does “having dominion” mean in the mind of those who live in the west? What does it mean to be the sovereign ruler and to not have our word or decisions denied or challenged? What does it mean to be a king and to have absolute sovereign authority? Do we liken it after the bad images we’ve seen of ruthless dictators who rape, kill and pillage? That is not the dominion we are to have. In fact, it is because God’s man has forfeited his dominion that the man ruled by the fallen heart [nature] has sunken to the depraved depths which he finds himself. Man was not meant to sit in any other throne but that of dominion. And thankfully, to the redeemed in Christ, this is where we are seated ALREADY.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," (Ephesians 2:4-6)

Man was created to be God’s exact reflection in the earth. What God was in heaven, man was created to be in the earth. That why man is described as “in our [God’s] image after our [God’s] likeness.” (Genesis 1:26)

What was Paul talking about in Romans 5 when he said that through Jesus Christ we “reign in life?” Imagine, reigning in life. Sound good? Why aren’t we doing it?

Those who sang in Revelation 5 as the scrolls were opened and they declared “we shall reign upon the earth” saw something in the spirit that was already finished in the mind of God. What must we do to elevate our song and join with that heavenly choir and sing with all of our might to the One who “has made (this is past tense; finished) us kings and priests?” We must simply believe the scriptures to be true and embrace them as our own.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Being a king does not mean owning the most outlandish of goods, but it means having authority, having power, being a sovereign.

We must begin to rule in the environments God has given to us. When Jesus is described as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who are these kings and lords? He is the firstborn among many brethren and He is a king. If we are among the many brethren, are we not kings also? More to come on this……

This (is) the day (which) the Lord has made: we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

I awakened this Easter morning with the words above in my heart and I began to meditate on their meaning for my life today. I absolutely believe in the divine inspiration of the truths of scripture. I know what my life was like prior to my acceptance of Christ as my saviour. Religion was not enough. Being a good person is not enough. The subsequent in-working of the words of the scriptures and their profound effect on every area of my life has transformed me into a new creation. I used to live in fear and doubt, wondering what was in store for my life next. Not any more. I know whose I am and my life is secure in Him.

“This (is) the day….” One of the definitions of the word “day” found in Webster’s dictionary reads, “time specified; any period of time distinguished from another time; age; time with reference to the existence of a person or thing.” For example, he was a great ball player in his day. The day spoken of in this verse is not the 24-hour period it takes for the earth to revolve upon its axis. It is a period of time.

“…which the Lord has made (past tense)….” From eternity past, God saw this day (period) in which April 12, 2009 occupies a small portion of and all that this period is offering. He saw unemployment rising fast, the economy of the world hanging by a thread financially, violence filling our streets (and now our seas with Somali pirates – yikes), etc. He also spoke of a time when “darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people…” but thank God He did not stop there. This statement is actually sandwiched between the following two statements: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come (present tense for the day), and the glory of the Lord is (present tense again) risen upon you” and “but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.” There must be darkness for the light to be visible. The front porch light of my house is often left on all night and it is visible as long as there is darkness. But, when the sun arises, the light from the bulb is irrelevant. The same holds true for our day. Many have rendered the Light of the world irrelevant in their hearts and the consequence of their ways has led to a world filled with darkness. People ask, if God is so powerful, why doesn’t He just stop the madness. That is for another discussion, but think about this, God did not take away the power He gave to man just because man fell. Man still has it within his means to create (as God created) only he does it with a fallen, wicked, evil heart and the consequences to this earth are “all the foundations of the earth are out of course…” (for now). But I believe this is going to change soon!!

“…we will (present tense)…” Will is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “to determine; to decide in the mind that something shall be done or forborne.” In other words, we have a choice whether we will “rejoice and be glad” or be sad and in despair. The choice is ours. In other words, “choose this day whom you will serve….” Let us serve the One whom the day really belongs to!

“…rejoice and be glad in it (present tense)…” Rejoice is defined in the Hebrew language as the “spinning around as if under the influence of any violent emotion…” Have you ever seen someone who won the lottery or just came into outrageously good news and what their reaction was? It was one of uncontrollable joy and gladness. This is how this day is to be lived. We are to live in the day. Glad is defined in Hebrew as blithe or ”joyous or merry.” We are to be joyous in the day we live.

The apostle Paul, writing to his spiritual son Timothy said it this way, “…for I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” That is why I rejoice and am glad that I have committed to Him all that He has so graciously given unto me. My marriage, my children, my friendships and relationships, my job, my health, etc. are all committed unto the One who is able to keep me – no matter what the day looks like.