Fanning the Flame

How to Quiet Your Spirit

December 2nd, 2011 No Comments

I found this in the November email Newsletter from Steve Hill Ministries. It has been a great help to me, and maybe it will be to you as well. You can also get his free email daily devotional here.

Here’s how to quiet your spirit before Him:

Acknowledge God as your only refuge and strength.

Why do you have to do this when it’s time to quiet your spirit? Because there’s always something trying to get between you and your Heavenly Father. There’s always something trying to weave its way into the throne room of your heart. But as you get on your knees and acknowledge who He is to you, those hindrances will fall by the wayside.

The great thing about it is that you can acknowledge Him as your refuge and strength anywhere, anytime. Your child could be on his deathbed in the hospital emergency room. The situation could look grim. But you can get on your knees in the chapel of the hospital and acknowledge Him saying, “Jesus, YOU are my Rock…” There, in that quiet place, He will meet with you.

Focus your attention on Him through praise and worship.

Remember when Paul and Silas were in prison? They were not only chained – they had also been severely beaten. I can imagine Paul looking at the burns on his hands from the chains and the cuts all over his body. He and Silas were hurting and their lives were in jeopardy. But what did they do? Instead of getting depressed and complaining, they began to praise God.

I can just hear them lifting their voices to God in praise in the midst of their desperation. It caught the attention of heaven, and God sent an earthquake to deliver them! Likewise, the eyes and ears of heaven will bend toward you as you focus on Him through praise and worship.

Align yourself with His view of the circumstances around you.

Many of us are familiar with the prayer that Jesus prayed during His darkest trial in the Garden of Gethsemane. After agonizing and pouring out His soul unto death, Jesus resigned Himself to the will of the Father, praying, “not My will, but Yours be done.”

But something else happened to Jesus in the garden after He prayed. Notice Luke 22:43:“An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.” My friend, this is so powerful. Always remember that after Jesus resigned Himself to God’s will, the angels strengthened Him. And so it is with you. It’s after you resign yourself to God’s will that the angels will come and strengthen you!

Don’t allow yourself to take the present situation out of context.

Whatever you’re going through, don’t allow yourself to take it out of context. Remember, it’s a season and it’s going to pass. Think about how God has brought you through difficult times in the past, and realize that He’s going to bring you through this season as well. Remember the promise of Hebrews 12:11, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Here is where so many miss it. They allow their present situation to dictate everything that’s going on around them. Instead, you must learn to relax and say, “This is a season, and it is going to pass. It’s going to bring the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Some good is going to come out of this…”

Isaiah 30:15 tells us why it’s so important to learn how to quiet our spirits. “In quietness and in trust in your strength.” It doesn’t get much clearer than that.

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Sometimes you just can’t help yourself! Maybe its a favorite snack, and the desire to indulge overwhelms you. Maybe there is a project that you thought you could handle, but halfway in you realize you are over your head. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just can’t help yourself! The cross of Jesus is the ultimate reminder that we need that help of God, because sometimes we just can’t help ourselves!

Scripture:

Colossians 2:20-23

”These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” (V23)

Observation:

“DEVOTION,” DENIAL,” and “DISCIPLINE” will not conquer evil “DESIRES.” Freedom only comes when there is death to the old life, and resurrection to the new life that only comes through repentance at the Cross.

No matter how STRONG your DEVOTION is you will not be saved without humbling yourself and admitting your DEPENDENCY upon God. Not matter what “pious SELF-DENIAL” shows on the outside; it is only the ACCEPTANCE of Jesus on the inside that will save you. Your “SEVERE bodily DISCIPLINE” may impress others, but God only rewards a will that has DIED to self. In other words, there is no certain attribute that you can posses that will cause you to be right with God except repentance that leads you to put your faith in Jesus.

There is no new life in Christ, without death to the old life of self. Adding some new habits, and applying a few fascinating tips is not enough to cross the gulf between you and God that has been created by sin. There is nothing on this side of heaven that can. Thank God that He sent Jesus and “canceled the record of charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossian 2:14)

Application

At the cross we find responsibility of our sins. The intersecting beams of the cross reminds us that we fall short, and need the intervention of God to be saved. The cross gives us the opportunity to repent. It reveals how bad we really are, and how good God really is. Our sins are so awful that it would demand such and unspeakable price, and God is so good that He would be willing to pay it. Finally, the cross is the doorway to redemption. God does not desire to leave you trapped by sin, but wants to see you free by in His Spirit. Jesus was lifted up on the cross and rose again from the grave, so that you could be lifted up in life, and experience eternity in heaven.

Prayer:

If you are away from God, I pray that you will take responsibility of your sins by confessing them before God, repent of your old life by placing your faith in Jesus, and receive the redemption of God that comes from making Jesus the Lord of your life. Jesus died on the cross, not to teach us about sacrifice, but to make away for man to be forgiven of sin, accepted by God, and receive eternal life in heaven.

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Change of Seasons

November 18th, 2011 No Comments

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Recent 220 Encounter

November 12th, 2011 No Comments

Guys Encounter Recap from 220 Power on Vimeo.

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No Reason for Hope

November 4th, 2011 No Comments

Have you ever been suddenly woken up from a deep sleep? You are startled at first, but then your senses become heightened. You can feel the hair raise on your arm, and you begin to hear sounds you didn’t even know existed in the blankness of night.

This is what should happen to you every once in awhile when you are reading the scripture. You have your daily bread, but then sometimes a certain passage seems to give you a wakeup call to an area of faith where you had previously been sleeping. A little over a week ago I had that very experience with this passage:

Romans 4:18 – “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping-believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God has said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”

“No reason for hope…”

How many times have I given up pre-maturely, right before God was about to do something miraculous, only because I talked myself out of faith? It is so easy to use logic to talk yourself out of something that God wants you to believe for. This is especially true when the people and the circumstances of your life seem to be talking you out of believing everyday as well; or in other words, when there is no reason for hope. You would think that God would give you at leas ONE reason to hope, but this is not always necessarily true. Abraham literally had “no reason to for hope,” but he kept hoping simply because God had spoken to me.

Who or what you turn to when you have no reason for hope reveals your true source. Do you lean on your own understanding, or on God’s promises? Do you trust in you own observations and reasoning, or are you counting on God and living by HIS power?

Sometimes we have to come to a place where there is nothing but the promise left to stand on, so that we will learn to trust God more than we trust ourselves. We know that the enemy and this world is going to talk you out of your faith dream everyday. The question is what are you doing to talk yourself into it? If you do not have a promise from the scripture to stand on, then you really do have no reason for hope. On the other hand, if you can find a promise, and no matter what, never let go it, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t have hope. The promise is all you need.

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Holy Dissatisfaction

October 19th, 2011 No Comments

Have you ever had an intense craving, only to be left unsatisfied? Maybe you had your heart sat on a specific restaurant only to get there and find out that they were closed. The worst is when you sit there, your stomach is growling, you order you favorite entree, and the waiter reply’s, “We are out of that right now.” Ugh!

In 1 Samuel 1 Hannah also had a desire of her heart that was left unsatisfied. God would use her brokenness in the situation to bring healing to entire nation that was lost and away from God.

“Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” -1 Samuel 1:8

Hannah’s plight was not that she had an ungrateful heart, but that she had an unsatisfied holy hunger. The Lord wants us to be content with what he has provided us in the natural (Philippians 4:12), but expects us to continue to hunger for the things of the spirit, no matter what we have received so far.

This is an important value that I have learned from the teachings of missionaries Danny Ost and Jack Haynes. Hannah is in the same situation as Rachel was before her. She was well provided for, protected, had her husbands affection, but she was dissatisfied, because she was not able to reproduce for her husband after all he had given her.

Sometimes we can become spiritually satisfied with the protection, provision, and Presence that God has given us that we do not seek to produce the same thing in the life of another. As a leader, you can become so satisfied with what you have already accomplished, that you do not rely on God’s grace and step out in faith to see His Kingdom advanced even further.

Every person with the heart of a champion only enjoys that past victory momentarily before focusing on the next. The desire to reproduce in others what God has produced in us must continue to burn in the heart of every believer. “Lord, give us the holy dissatisfaction of Hannah to cry out for more, and rely on you to accomplish more.”

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September 23rd, 2011 No Comments

The Block Party from Bethany on Vimeo.

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Evangelism by Relationship & Discipleship by Preaching?

August 30th, 2011 No Comments

People want evangelism by relationship, and discipleship by preaching, but Jesus did it just the opposite. A long-term relationship is not necessary for evangelism, but it is very beneficial in discipleship.

I’ve heard someone say that those they are witnessing to need to be able to “trust you” before they accept Christ. The problem is that it is not about you, and the gospel works every time no matter who shares it. On the other hand, when you only receive discipleship from a stranger’s sermon that does not know your life, you may be improving in general, but a personal relationship will reveal the specific area that if you changed everything else would be accelerated in your life – the area no one knows about but you, and those close to you.

““If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.” –Luke 17:3

Jesus and his disciples walked together and lived together. As a result, it was clear when someone needed a rebuke in order to change. Who are you walking with? Who has the right to rebuke you if you step out of line? You need relationship in discipleship.

“Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?” –Luke 17:17

There are few things that get me fired up like hearing a believer say that they need to build a relationship with someone before sharing the gospel with them. One leader told me that, “Sharing the gospel one-on-one just doesn’t bare any fruit.” What if Jesus would have given up on healing when only one person returned, because it, “didn’t bare any fruit?”

Whether the person repents on the spot or not, sharing the gospel always bares eternal fruit. It is a seed that is planted in their heart, and it is up to that person to take care of the soil. People can definitely come to the Lord by building a relationship over time, but we do not have that luxury with everyone, and therefore it should not be counted on. Evangelism is not about you. It is so powerful that it can work without someone seeing it in your life over a period of weeks, months, and years. If they can see that example, that is great, but the potency of the gospel is dependent on the eternal truth of the Cross, not you!

Jesus boldly shared the message of the Kingdom of God one-on-one, and in groups. Whether they walked away, or walked with Him, His goal was obedience to His Father.

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Process of a Testimony

August 27th, 2011 No Comments

People are full of excuses. Have you ever noticed this? There is nothing that reveals the state of the human heart like an excuse. Maybe that is why you will never find more excuses then when you look at why people do not share the gospel, and why they do not accept Jesus. Although there are many excuses for both of these things, they all share the same root: PRIDE.

In Luke 14 JESUS sheds some light on excuses for both evangelism and salvation. The focus seems to be that we are looking to the WRONG PEOPLE to do the work of evangelism, and to receive salvation. Evangelism is not just the responsibility of those with POSITION, and salvation is not just for those who are POPULAR.

God wants to use the HUMBLE in HEART to reach the POOR in SPIRIT. It may seem like a badge of honor to have someone who already has influence to come to the Lord, and it is a miracle when anyone gets saved, but at the same time you cannot overlook someone who is in the PROCESS of a TESTIMONY.

When you overlook someone in the PROCESS of a TESTIMONY you also overlook the PROMISE in Luke 14:11:

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

GOD GETS GREAT GLORY when he ELEVATES and EXALTS those who have been EXCLUDED and EXPELLED. Those who appear to be less valuable to the Kingdom of God because of addiction, sin, or reputation, may be building the Testimony that is needed to ignite a mighty move of God.

The guy in your class who looks like Count Dracula’s cousin may seem like the last person you want to share the gospel with, but that person’s testimony may be the transformation that will cause many to acknowledge the work of God!

APPLICATION:

Don’t wait for God to use someone else to do what you can easily do because they seem more gifted, special, or in a higher position.
Don’t overlooks someone who is in the process of a testimony!

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Don’t Eat the Marshmallow! Steps to Lasting Happiness

August 16th, 2011 No Comments

This video illustrates a great point on how delayed gratification can improve the overall success and happiness that you experience. It is important to remember that what happens in our spirit effects how we live in the natural, and vica versa. Here are five practical things you can do to improve the happiness in your life.

Romans 6:23 – Your relationship with God determines your happiness.

Whenever there is sin in your life, lasting happiness is not possible. This means that in order for anyone to find true happiness they must first find Christ. After that, the relationship you sustain with the Lord through obedience, prayer, Bible reading, and church community will all contribute to your overall happiness.

Philippians 4:7 – Some aspects of happiness CANNOT be controlled.

What if you are maintaining these things well, but you still find yourselves unhappy at times? One thing we have been taught, and is true, is that you cannot base your happiness on your circumstances. Some people find themselves in tough situations that require them to put their trust in the Lord in order for them to find peace and joy, even though they may not be “happy” about what is going on in their life at the present time.

Proverbs 19:3 – Some aspects of happiness CAN be controlled.

There are some circumstances that you can take control of that in the end will produce a more stable environment for your maximum happiness to be achieved. On the other hand, if ignore these areas then they will eventually destroy your ability to receive from the Lord. The natural does affect the supernatural, and those who focus on one but ignore the other do not receive the benefit of either. life.

Matthew 7:13-14 – Some things are simple but are difficult.

Just because something is simple does not mean that it is difficult. The way to lasting happiness is very simple, and accessible to everyone. The reason why so few find it is because it is too difficult for them to surrender their will and change their ways.

D.R.O.P.P. – 5 Secrets to Happiness

Delayed Gratification – The greatest pleasures in life are not readily available. Short cuts in life only lead to dead ends. It’s the long road that leads to the top of the mountain. A deep rich satisfying and fulfilling life is achieved over time, and as the result of investment. When you don’t know what you want, you will settle for the best thing in front of you, instead of what is best for you.
Routine – Routine is a commitment to the things that are most important to you. Routine creates powerful momentum in your life that will propel you towards destiny, and help you push through distractions. This works by keeping you from having to re-learn things, and re-enforcing what you already know. Routine allows you to focus on what is major instead of what is menial. It also trains your mind and body for good habits, and at the same time breaks bad habits. Where there are no good habits, bad habits automatically fill in. Your recall dramatically reduces over 24 hours (by 80%). Routine breaks that pattern and frees up your concentration for other things.
Order – Order does not mean being up tight, it just means enjoying things in moderation. Order ensures you can do the things you want to do when you need to do them. The key to maintaining order is balance. Life should not be filled with going from one mundane task to the next, and being faithful all the way. God wants us to rest, and that is why He gave us the Sabbath. You should enjoy the things that life offers, but it must be in moderation.
Preparation – Preparation is a sign of organized priorities. It has been said that those who fail to plan plan to fail. Preparation is not needed for when things go right, but when they go wrong. Many people live by the “tyranny of the urgent,” not because something unexpected happen, but because something that they should be expected happened, but they did not plan ahead.
Putting Others First – The most selfish thing you can do with your life, is to give it to others, because it is the most rewarding thing you can do. This would explain why one of the most satisfying experiences you can have in life is to lead someone else to the Lord. Next time you are in a group, instead of focusing on making yourself look good, do your best to sincerely make others feel better about themselves. You will quickly see that the same feeling will come upon you as well.

Conclusion: Putting these 5 things in practice without having your heart right before the Lord, will do you no good. At the same time, if you serve the Lord with all of your heart, but ignore these five things, you will find yourself eventually frustrated, and blaming God for you lack of fulfillment. Get these 5 things down in the natural, and they will create a lasting foundation for you spirit man to build upon.

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Fanning the Flame

joshroberie.com

How to Quiet Your Spirit