God is doing something new

Have you felt what feels like a desert around you lately?  I am not talking about a physical desert, but that may also be the case.  I am speaking of a spiritual desert; a time when it feels like you are dry in your spirit, church feels dull, you don't want to read your Bible, you don't want to do anything spiritual.    It's not a pleasant feeling, is it?  It feels like you have been forgotten or that God has decided to skip over you and go move somewhere else.  You might even hear of other places where God is moving in power and incredible glory.  You might also feel that everything around you is falling apart.  Your job is gone or is no longer enjoyable.  Everyday feels like drudgery.  I have been there too.  But recently, it suddenly feels different.  Something is beginning to happen.  I can't explain it other than something new is on its way.

A few months ago, God showed me a vision.  I was standing on a beach.  The waves were coming in and lapping at my feet. It felt nice, like a day in paradise.  Suddenly the waves stopped rolling in and I saw the ocean receding quickly away from me.  At first I my thoughts were "What did I do? Where is it going?  Why are you leaving God?"  Then I looked farther out into the ocean.  I saw a giant swell racing for the beach, right for me.  As I watched, a giant wave formed, a tsunami headed towards the shore.  Then it hit, and it kept coming.  Wave after wave it kept rolling into shore.  I asked what this was.  The answer came this way:  "Just like when a natural tsunami comes and the water pulls out to sea, so will it seem with my presence.  It will seem like everything has stopped, but in reality it has not, it is just preparing for a new season, a season of inundation, a deluge, of Gods glory and presence."

I was again reminded of this scene recently.  It has felt like a sudden waste land, like God was pulling away.  But in reality, He was preparing to come in like a flood.  The purpose for the pulling away was to build our hunger for what He is about to do.  God is about to do something that we see as new.  But is there anything new under heaven?  According to Ecclesiastes 1:9 nothing is truly new.  Just because we have not seen it before does not mean it is new.  But at the same time it is new, not as in something that has never happened before, but new as in greater, something that hasn't been seen for a long time, something that can only be read about in history books. 

Jesus Himself said before he left:  "The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." (John 14:12).  That is what the new thing is.  It will be greater things, a greater presence, something we have not even thought possible.  God is on the move.  He has already started the new thing.  Look for it. As Isaiah 43:9 says:  "Have you not seen it?"  That means we can miss it if we are not looking for it.  For example, there are many things as you travel down the road that you can miss if you are not looking.  You can miss great and wonderful things. 

Does this mean that everything is about to get better politically and economically?  Maybe, maybe not.  But those are not the important things.  The important thing is God is on the move.  God wants to do miraculous things.  If you are not looking, you will miss them.  Even if you know they are coming you have look for them.  You have to expect the new things, the greater things.  It is easy to miss the beauty of God if you are not looking in the right place and your heart and spirit are not ready. 

How do we do spot them?  We must look.  We must prepare our hearts and spirits for the new things, the greater things, the tsunami.  Get ready, look around, look at your own spirit.  Do not miss what God is about to do.  It will be easy to explain it away if you are not prepared.  Here it comes, the new thing God is already doing.

Be Careful What You Say Before God

Have you ever said something and God took you up on what you said, whether it be in prayer or to another person?  Be careful, He just may take you up on it and it may not end up like you thought.

A few months ago I remember telling someone that I would like to have the faith of George Mueller and Smith Wigglesworth.  If you are not familiar with these gentlemen, here is a short synopsis:

George Müller, a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024 orphans in his life (1805-1898).  He would often have no money or food for his orphans he was caring for.  They would often sit down to eat with no food, and would pray that God would bless their meal, and shortly after that someone would knock on his door with a basket of food, or money to go buy food, or a delivery driver would break down in front of the orphanage and instead of letting the food spoil would give it to Mueller and the orphans.  Everything he did was based on faith and asking God for the provision.

Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947), often referred to as ‘the Apostle of Faith,’ was one of the pioneers of the Pentecostal revival that occurred a century ago.  Without human refinement and education he was able to tap into the infinite resources of God to bring divine grace to multitudes.  Thousands came to Christian faith in his meetings, hundreds were healed of serious illnesses and diseases as supernatural signs followed his ministry.  A deep intimacy with his heavenly Father and an unquestioning faith in God’s Word brought spectacular results and provided an example for all true believers of the Gospel. (smithwigglesworth.com). 

Recently I felt God had directed my wife and I to quit our teaching positions at our school with no sign of a job afterward.  My wife had recently discovered she was pregnant.  We finished our contract out and I started looking for a job, whether that be ministry, or secular, I wasn't picky.  After 2 months of coast to coast job searches and rejection letter after rejection letter and only one interview (I didn't get that job either), I started to ask God what I did wrong, or if maybe I had heard wrong about quitting our positions.  The reply back was "Remember when you said you wanted to have the faith of George Mueller and Smith Wigglesworth?"  That stopped me in my tracks.  I did remember.  I never dreamed the road would be so difficult.  Part of me wants to tell God I take it back, but another part wants to see what God has for us on this road.  It has not been easy, but we have seen God supply when we didn't see a way.  I am still looking for a job, lots of good leads, but no answer or reply from anyone.  Our car is starting to fall apart and no paychecks in the future.  Does that mean I heard wrong or spoke out of turn?  I do not believe so.  I believe God is at work but it has yet to manifest itself in the physical realm.

I said all of the above to say this.  Be careful when you say something.  God may take you up on it and when he does, it may not turn out the way you expect or picture it.  Its times like this that our faith might go through tough times.  We may be tempted to do it our way and not wait for God. You must remember  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9).

The other morning, my wife woke up before I did and spotted a full rainbow over our house.  We live in the desert and rainbows are pretty rare and a full rainbow is even rarer.  That was a sign to us that God still knows and will keep His promise.  Not only that, we have watched it rain in the valley, on the mountains, and in town for weeks, with not a drop of rain at our house.  Recently we have had not just a nice rain but a downpour.  Some might even call it a deluge.  I believe this is also a sign from God of things to come.  I am getting excited.

If you are in a tough situation and felt God has directed you to do something and as a result you have said some things, don't give up when times get hard.  Don't give in.  Don't do it your own way.  Abraham did, and he moved before God was ready.  Be careful what you say and keep your eyes focused on Jesus.  He is greater than the promises we make or the things we way.  His ways are perfect and He has plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  It may not feel like it in the moment, but be patient; God is working and waiting for the perfect time.

I have seen God prove in miraculous ways, I have seen God heal others through my prayers.  Does that make me a superhero?  I don't believe so.  I have just positioned myself to allow God to work His miracles in and through me and around me.  I challenge you to find that place as well.  God has something great for you, and the struggle right now is just the preliminary.  The Blessings of God will come in His way and in a way that makes His name famous to those around you and that has a ripple effect spreading out from you so that others may come to know His power because of your obedience. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9).  "So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!" (Psalm 31:24)

Does God Keep His Promises?

Have you ever felt like God promised you something and you still have not seen it?  Did it seem impossible when He made the promise?  Many of us have those kind of thoughts that run through our heads when it comes to the promises of God.  We all have had someone make a promise and then break it or tell us they made that promise.  We all have heard politicians from every political circle and persuasion make promises to get elected and then turn around and do the opposite of what they promised.

The good news is that God is different.  Numbers 23:19 tells us "God is not a man, that he should lie. He is not a human, that he should change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" Again in 1 Samuel 15:29 we find "And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!" God also says of Himself in Psalm 89:33-35 "But I will never stop loving him, nor let my promise to him fail. No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said.  I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie:"  Then again in Hebrews 6:18: "it is impossible for God to lie."

Many may say that because God does not immediately fulfill His promises He is a liar, but God also says that His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8).  Sometimes God takes weeks, even years or decades to fulfill His promises.  He told Abraham that he would have a son, and after a long time, he took matters into his own hands and had a son, but it wasn't the way God intended.  It wasn't till about 16 years later that God fulfilled His promise and at 100, Abraham had a son through Sarah, who was 90.  That was the fulfillment of God's promise.  He told Hannah she would have a son and she did.  He promised destruction on Israel and it came.  He promised blessings on people in the bible and it came.

But you may say, that was then, this is me.  How do I know God made a promise to me and that He will keep it?  Believe me, I know it's hard to fathom God promising something and then not trusting yourself that it was God.  Let me bring you to my point.  A little over a year ago, I felt God had promised me I would have a son, and that it would be  a sign of what He is doing in my life and in my family.  I laughed because at the time we had an 11 year old daughter.  We had at least 2 miscarriages and had seen doctors to find out the reason why.  Still no luck. At the time God made the promise, it was rather unlikely if not impossible for it to happen.  In a word, we had given up.  When He told me this, He also told me not to tell anyone, so I didn't.  I wasn't sure if I believed it anyway but I thought why should I tell anyone if it seems so absurd and impossible.  Fast forward to today.  Almost a year after I felt God had promised me a son, my wife said she thought she might be pregnant.  I suddenly remembered the promise and I couldn't help but smile.  When it was confirmed, I finally felt the release to tell my wife and others about the promise.  Because of the promise, we were sure it was a boy.  Now my thoughts went crazy and I began to think that maybe I heard wrong.  Then logic set in and I thought, the pregnancy part was right, then why not the rest of it?  I suddenly wondered if the son part of the promise was just wishful thinking.  Yesterday, we had our 21 week ultrasound.  And guess what.  Its a boy.  My heart swelled and I am so excited.  Not only are we having another child, but I heard the entire promise from God correctly.  Was I holding my son a year after the promise?  No, in fact I won't be able to hold him until December, almost 2 years after God made the promise.  Does that mean God lied? No, He said in about a year I would have a son.  My interpretation of that was that I would be holding my son in about a year and not just finding out he was on his way. 

God's promises are always true.  They may not happen the way we imagine them, but they will happen.  Although we have a 13 year old daughter, we are proud to say that God kept His promise and it happened just as He said.  Not like I expected, but just as He said.  So if God has made you a promise or you read a promise from His word, you can rest assured it will happen.  You just have to remember that His ways are not our ways and so it may not be fulfilled the way your mind pictures it.  But you can trust the promises of God.  He ALWAYS keeps His promises.