Springhill Church

Topic: Direction

  • How Can I Know the Will of God? – Part 2

    HOW CAN I KNOW THE WILL OF GOD – PART – 2

    Ephesians 5:15-17 NKJV See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

    Ephesians 5:15-17 CEV Act like people with good sense and not like fools. (16) These are evil times, so make every minute count. (17) Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.

    Colossians 1:9 NIV For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

    The four primary ways that God will lead the Born-Again believer are:

    1. The Written Word of God
    2. The Inward Witness
    3. The Inward Voice or Voice of Your Spirit
    4. The Voice of the Holy Spirit

    How Do We Become More Spiritually Sensitive:

    1. Give the Word of God first place.

    Isaiah 55:6-11 NKJV Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (8) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. (9) “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (10) “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, (11) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

    2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (17) so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

    Hebrews 4:12 NIV For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

    Don’t let the Word of God be an afterthought or the LAST RESORT!

    Make it the first thing you go to.

    1. Meditate in the Word of God.

    Joshua 1:8 AMP This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

    The Word of God shall not depart out of your mouth…

    To meditate means to mutter or speak to yourself.

    Psalms 1:1-3 NKJV Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. (3) He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

    1. Practice the Word of God

    James 1:22-25 NKJV But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; (24) for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. (25) But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

    Begin the practice being a doer of the Word by doing in all circumstances what the Word tells you to do.

    Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (25) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (26) “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: (27) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

    Here is a New Testament Example:

    Philippians 4:6 NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

    Philippians 4:6 AMP Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

    God does not ask us to do something that He does not give us the ability to do.

    Philippians 4:7 NLT Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

    We want verse 7 results without first doing what verse 6 says. If you do verse 6, you will get verse 7.

    1. Instantly obey the voice of your spirit.

    The human spirit has a voice. We call this our conscience.

    Sometimes we call it an intuition or an inner voice. The world calls it a hunch.

    We always put the Word first and therefore our spirit becomes an authoritative guide.

    This is a process that takes time to learn.

    1. Spend time praying in other tongues.

    1 Corinthians 14:14-15 NLT (14) For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. (15) Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.

    1 Corinthians 14:2 NLT For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.

    • When you pray in other tongues, you are speaking directly to God – the Father of spirits.
    • Praying in other tongues causes us to become more spirit-conscious.
    • When you pray in other tongues, your mind grows quiet – because you are not praying out of your mind.

  • How Can I Know the Will of God? – Part 1

    HOW CAN I KNOW THE WILL OF GOD – PART – 1

    Ephesians 5:15-17 NKJV See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

    Ephesians 5:15-17 CEV Act like people with good sense and not like fools. (16) These are evil times, so make every minute count. (17) Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.

    Colossians 1:9 NIV For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

    The will of God for us can be divided into two categories:

    1. The general will of God that is made known unto us by His Word.
    2. The specific will of God for our individual lives – where do we live, where do we work, who am I supposed to marry?

    Let’s establish two things in this:

    1. You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body.

    1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT (23) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

    Hebrews 4:12 NIV For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

    1. The spirit is made new at the New Birth.

    2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

    1. Our souls must be saved after we are Born Again.

    James 1:21 AMP So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

    Romans 12:2 NKJV And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

    1. We present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

    Romans 12:1 NLT And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.

    1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

    1. God lives in you.

    1 John 4:15 AMP Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God.

    1. God will guide us and lead us through our recreated human spirits.

    Proverbs 20:27 NIV The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD that sheds light on one’s inmost being.

    Your recreated spirit is a safe guide for you to follow, but how?

    1. The first way that God is going to speak to us is through His written Word.

    2 Peter 1:16-21 NKJV For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (17) For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (18) And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. (19) And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; (20) knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, (21) for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

    1. The second way God will lead you is through the inward witness.

    Romans 8:16 NKJV The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

    1. His Spirit, God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are His children.

    There is a knowing that is right down on the inside of you.

    If He will bear witness in our spirits about being Born Again, the most important decision that we could have possibly made, then surely, He will bear witness about all of the decisions in our lives.

    Colossians 3:15 AMP And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].

    God will lead you in this way as you pursue a “peaceful knowing” in your spirit.

    He will also warn you of impending danger or harm in the same way.

    1. The third way that He will lead you is through the inward voice or the voice of your recreated human spirit.

    Sometimes we call this our conscience. We sometimes refer to this as the still, small voice of the Lord.

    Let’s look at the working of our conscience.

    1. The Holy Spirit does not convict us of sin. It is OUR SPIRIT that convicts us of sin in our lives.

    1 John 3:20-21 GNB If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything. (21) And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God’s presence.

    1. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin.

    John 16:7-9 NKJV Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. (8) And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

    1. It is very important that we remain tenderhearted, especially in the things of God.

    1 Timothy 4:1-2 AMP BUT THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach, (2) Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized),

    Unless you keep a tender conscience, spiritual things will become indistinct to you.

    Your conscience is the voice of your spirit and it is your conscience that will relate to your mind what the Spirit of God is saying to you in your heart.

    1. The fourth way that God will lead you is by the voice of the Holy Spirit.

    This way is the more authoritative voice of the Holy Spirit versus the still small voice of your spirit.

    Acts 10:19-21 NKJV While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. (20) Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” (21) Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”

    This can almost seem like it is audible but it is not. It is the Holy Spirit in your spirit speaking to you.

    1 Thessalonians 5:21 AMP (21) But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast.

    Always remember that the Bible teaches that the Spirit of God and the Word of God agree. Anytime that the Spirit of God speaks to you, it will always be in line with the Word.

    1 John 5:7 NKJV For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

    We are not to seek voices. We should not follow voices.

    WE SHOULD FOLLOW THE WORD OF GOD!

    The four primary ways that God will lead the Born-Again believer are:

    1. The Written Word of God
    2. The Inward Witness
    3. The Inward Voice or Voice of Your Spirit
    4. The Voice of the Holy Spirit

    These are develop spiritual sensitivity:

    1. Meditate in the Word of God. (Joshua 1:8)
    2. Practice the Word of God. (James 1:22)
    3. Give the Word of God first place.
    4. Instantly obey the voice of your spirit (your conscience).
    5. Spend time praying in other tongues.

  • Dream Again – Part 4

    DREAM AGAIN –  Part 4

    (Proverbs 29:18 MSG) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

    (Acts 2:17 NIV) “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

    Put the Dream to the Test
    1. Does it line up with the Bible?

    (1 John 5:7 NKJV)  For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

    1. Will it make me more like Christ?

    (Ephesians 4:14-15 NLT)  Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  (15)  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church.

    1. Do those in spiritual authority confirm it?
    1. Is it focused on others?

    (Mark 10:42-45 NIV)  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  (43)  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  (44)  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  (45)  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

    What will the Dream require?
    • A God dream will require persistence.

    (Hebrews 12:1 AMP) THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,

    • A God dream will require hard work.

    (Philippians 2:16 NLT) Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

    • A God dream will require God’s help.

    (Psalms 54:4 NIV) Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

    (Psalms 121:1-2 NIV) I lift up my eyes to the mountains– where does my help come from?  (2) My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

    (Ephesians 3:20 NIV) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

    (Jeremiah 32:27 NIV) “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

    (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV) “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

  • Transformed – Part 5

    (Romans 12:2 NLT)  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

    (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV)  (23)  May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    How Do I Renew My Mind?

    (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV) (3)  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (4)  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)  (5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

    Three Levels of Mental Activity:

    1. Thoughts
    2. Imaginations
    3. Strongholds

    Our thoughts are a process of moving through the circumstances of our everyday life.

    There is no such thing as a blank mind. Your mind is in operation all the time.

    1. The first level of mental activity is the selection of thoughts.

     (Matthew 6:31 KJV)  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

     You determine the thoughts that you take or reject.

    You take a thought by attaching words to it and saying it out of your mouth.

    (2 Corinthians 10:5b BBE) …causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ;

    The thoughts that come to you that do not correspond with the standards of God’s Word; if you do not put words to them, you don’t take them.

    The thoughts are in line with God’s Word or the dream He has placed in your heart, you take those by putting Words to them.

    1. The second level of mental activity is imagination.

    Imagination – the process of mental imagery.

    This is the level where behavior comes into play as you begin to visualize your life in one way or another.

    The process of visual imagery is what leads to behavior.

    The process of repetitive or consistent behavior will only take place if there has been repetitive or consistent visual imagery.

    1. The third level of mental activity is called a stronghold.

    Habit – an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become involuntary.

    It literally can become an enemy fortification if Satan becomes involved.

    God created you to be a creature of good habits.

    How you can gain the victory over the strongholds in your life:

    1. Identify the stronghold.
    1. Fast and deny the cravings of the flesh.

    This magnifies the anointing in your life and the anointing of God is designed to destroy bondages in our lives. (Isaiah 58)

    1. Pray and the Lord will answer.
    1. Push the enemy back with the Word of God.

    Jesus resisted the enemy with the Word of God in His mouth.

    1. You cannot do this alone.

     Imagination will breed expectation.

     What you imagine the most you will begin to expect to happen in your life.

     How do you cultivate a greater level of expectation?

    • Meditation in the Word of God – imagining yourself going beyond the barriers of pre-disposed limitations.

    (Joshua 1:8 AMP) This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous (break out), and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

    (Psalms 1:1-4 NKJV) Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;  (2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  (3)  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.  (4)  The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. (have no root)

    (Mark 4:14-20 NKJV)  The sower sows the word.  (15)  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  (16)  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;  (17)  and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.  (18)  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,  (19)  and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  (20)  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

    Meditating in God’s Word is what causes the Word to become rooted in your heart.

    Hope – To look forward to with confidence or expectation:

    Remember, Hebrews 11: 1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

    (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)  (31)  But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

    The Hebrew word for expected or expectation means as in a binding cord that attaches something to you.

    (Proverbs 24:13-14 AMP)  My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.  (14)  So shall you know skillful and godly Wisdom to be thus to your life; if you find it, then shall there be a future and a reward, and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off.

    Psalms 1:1-3 NKJV
    (1)  Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
    (2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
    (3)  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

    In this scripture we see a progression of life and our behavior:

    • What you SIT and listen to the most of will determine what you STAND for.

    If you never learn to sit and listen you will never be able to stand.

    Sitting implies listening and learning.

    • What you stand for will determine how you walk in life.
    • You can then walk out what you stand for and this determines the quality of your life.

    Your actions follow what you meditate or think on the most of.

    How does wrong thinking work?

    This process that he uses to place people in bondage can be reversed and used in the positive.

    1. It begins with a suggestion; a brief idea.
    2. He follows that up with an open contradiction.
    3. He follows that up with an imagination.
    4. An imagination leads to action which will lead to a stronghold.

    Satan is not a creator; he is a copier and perverts what is already created.

    God is the Originator of this process so let’s see Him use this in action:

    Judges 6:11-12 NKJV
    (11)  Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. (12)  And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

    1. God begins with a suggestion:

    The angel shows up and gives him a suggestion: You are a mighty man of valor.

    Judges 6:13-14 NKJV (13)  Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” (14)  Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

    1. God then contradicts what Gideon says by saying what is contrary to Gideon’s circumstances.

    Judges 6:19-21 NKJV (19)  So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them. (20)  The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. (21)  Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

    1. God then does something to stimulate his imagination.

    Judges 6:24-27 NKJV (24)  So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (25)  Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; (26)  and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.” (27)  So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.

    1. Gideon stayed with his imagination, buys in, and is able to do what God tells him to do.

    This process will work exactly the same for us:

    1. Spend enough time in God’s Word for Him to make a suggestion of faith to you.
    2. Meditate on that suggestion over and over. (“You are a mighty man of valor”)
    3. Contradict boldly every one of those thoughts that are contrary with the Word of God. 
    4. Imagine your life being experienced that way that God wants you to live.

    Imagine breakthroughs. Imagine getting a raise. Imagine a great marriage. Imagine good, strong, godly children.

    Begin to put your words to it.

    Behavior will follow!

  • Dream Again – Part 3

    DREAM AGAIN – Part 3

    (Proverbs 29:18 MSG) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

    (Acts 2:17 NIV) “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

    Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams

    (Genesis 37:5-7 NIV) Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

    (Genesis 37:19-20 NIV) “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

    • Even if it didn’t start off well.

    (1 Timothy 1:12-13 NIV) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

    Don’t measure the dream by who you are; measure it by Who your God is!

    • Even if the journey is full of surprises.

    Joseph had some surprises in his journey.

    • Sold into slavery to Potiphar
    • Living in a strange country far from home
    • Given favor in Potiphar’s house
    • Falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife
    • Thrown into prison
    • Put in charge of all the prisoners
    • Forgotten by the cupbearer
    • Remained in prison for two more years
    • Became second in command in Egypt

    (Romans 8:28 NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

    • Even if it takes a long time to realize it.

    (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB) But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!

    (Galatians 6:9 NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

    Along the Way…
    1. Recognize and value the process.

    (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT) So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

    (James 1:2-3 NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

    1. Refuse to let offense stop me.

    (Luke 17:1 NKJV) Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come…

    (Genesis 50:20 NIV) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

    (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

    1. Remember God is always with me.

    (Genesis 39:2 NIV) The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered…

    (Genesis 39:20-21 NIV) But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor…

    (Psalms 139:8-10 NIV) If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

    (Psalms 46:1 NIV) God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

    (Isaiah 43:2 NIV)  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

    (Isaiah 43:5a NIV) Do not be afraid, for I am with you…

    (Matthew 28:20b NIV) …And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

  • Dream Again – Part 2

    DREAM AGAIN – Part 2

     (Proverbs 29:18 MSG) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

    (Acts 2:17 NIV) “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

    Last Days Clarity

    (Habakkuk 1:5-10 NIV) “Look at the nations and watch– and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour; they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them.

    (Habakkuk 2:1-2 GNB) I will climb my watchtower and wait to see what the LORD will tell me to say and what answer he will give to my complaint. The LORD gave me this answer: “Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance.

    1.  Withdraw. (Luke 5:16 NIV)
    2.  Wait. (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV; Psalm 62:5 NLT)
    3. Read God’s Word.
    4. Write
    5. Review.
    What Are You Seeing Now?

    (Ephesians 1:17-18 NIV) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

    (2 Kings 3:9-14 NIV) So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the LORD called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.” Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you.

    1. Dreams are birthed in God’s presence.

    (2 Kings 3:15 NIV) But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha

    1. Dreams go from inspiration to participation.

    (2 Kings 3:16 NKJV) And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’

    1. Dreams must continue regardless of what is seen.

    (2 Kings 3:17-18 NIV) For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also deliver Moab into your hands.

  • You Asked For It – Part 5

    YOU ASKED FOR IT – Part 5

    • When the Bible states that the wife should reverence her husband, does that mean that she should do whatever he says?

    (Ephesians 5:33 KJV)  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

    We must understand there is a vast difference between leadership and dictatorship.

    Leadership in the home will provide stability  and security not anger and resentment.

    (Proverbs 11:29a NLT)  Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind…

    If the husband wants respect, then he should love his wife. If the wife wants love from her husband, she has to give him respect.

    • Is it disrespectful if the wife does not agree with her husband (in private)?

    Any healthy relationship is going to have disagreements.

    The key is to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.

    (Amos 3:3 NLT)  Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?

    Communication is going to be the key to making this work.

    (1 Thessalonians 5:13b NIV)  …Live in peace with each other.

    •  What does it mean for husbands to love his wife as Christ loves the Church?

    (Ephesians 5:21-33)

    This means that the husband is to be willing to sacrifice himself to help his wife become everything that God wants her to be.

    • What does the Bible say about intermixing races in marriage? Is it wrong, impure, unwise, inappropriate, etc.?

    (John 3:16 NIV)  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

    God is far more interested in the condition of the heart than anything else.

    If whoever is good enough for God then it has to be good enough for the people of God.

    (Revelation 7:9-10 NIV)  After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  (10)  And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

    We should pray, “Jesus, teach me to see people like you see people.”

  • You Asked For It – Part 4

    YOU ASKED FOR IT                                Part 4 – What is God’s Will?

    (James 4:13-15 NIV) Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

    (1 John 2:17 NIV) The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

    • The sovereign will of God.

    What God is doing on the earth.

    • The moral will of God.

    What God has already said in His Word.

    • The personal will of God.

    What God desires for my life.

    The more I get to know the sovereign will of God and the moral will of God, the better I will discern the personal will of God.

    Two Questions We Need to Ask the Lord Every Day:

    What am I doing that I should not be doing?

    What am I not doing that I should be doing?

    PUT IT TO THE TEST

    (1 John 4:1 NIV) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…

    1. Am I in a right relationship with God?

    (Romans 12:2 NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

    1. What does the Bible say?

    (Luke 21:33 NIV) Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

    1. What would Jesus do?

    (James 3:14-17 NIV) But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

    1. Have I sought godly counsel?

    (Proverbs 11:14 NKJV) Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

    1. Do I sense God’s peace?

    (1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV) For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

    (Colossians 3:15a GNB) The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make…

    1. Is it my will or God’s will?

    (Matthew 26:39 NLT) He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.”

    I want what God wants – period.

    (Luke 9:23 NIV) Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

    Every death in Christ is always followed by a glorious resurrection!

  • You Asked For It – Part 3

    YOU ASKED FOR IT                       Part 3 – How Do I Share My Faith?

    (Mark 16:15 NCV) Jesus said to his followers, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.

    (2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT) So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

    (Colossians 4:5-6 NIV) Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

    How Do I Share My Faith?

    (1 Peter 3:15 NIV) Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

    • Connect with people.

    (Luke 19:10 NIV) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

    • Share my story with people.

    (Matthew 5:16 NIV) In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

    (Acts 1:8 NLT) …And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere…

    • Invite them to a place where they can experience God.

    (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 MSG) You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did–Jesus crucified. I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate–I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it– and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.

    People See God Through the Lens of…

    (Mark 8:27-29 NIV) Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

    • A locked gate.

    Myth: God can’t be reached.

    (Acts 17:27 MSG) …He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near.

    • A pile of luggage.

    Myth: God doesn’t want me.

    (Romans 5:8 NLT) But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

    • An endless ladder.

    Myth: God requires a lot from me.

    (John 6:28-29 NIV) Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

    • They need to see a free gift.

    This is the true picture of God.

    (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.

  • Fresh Air – Part 3

    We are very grateful for the ministry of Pastor Chris Hodges and Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL. Pastor Chris and Highlands have such a heart to help and support the local church, that they have made numerous resources such as this series available.

    Enjoy Part 3 of this message series by Pastor Chris Hodges: