TIME TO UPGRADE!

You know it never seases to amaze me how God involves himself in the smallest details of our lives. How he lovingly guides us through thoughts and ideas just so that he can reveal himself in some type of way.

I have recently started a new journey to a healthier me! There were a number of reasons why I finally came to this decision, but the #1 reason is simply because I need an upgrade! Yep! you heard me...I am in need of an upgrade!  No one walked up to me and told me that I needed an upgrade, but I could feel that an upgrade was needed; and when I would look in the mirror, I could see that an upgrade was needed, but what got me was when I began to feel the Holy Spirit move within the day I said, "man, I need an upgrade."  I thought, I must have said something He wanted to hear!

The only thing I needed now was to figure out how to make it happen! So I began to think of people who have upgraded their homes. What made them realize that an upgrade was needed or even wanted? Well, as I pondered this question, this is what came to me:
 
People upgrade when they want to "enlarge an area" ... (I thought about God enlarging my territory!)
People upgrade when they want to take something old and make it "like new" again! (I thought about the ability of the blood of Jesus!)
People upgrade when they want to "increase the usability" of what already exists! (I thought about God using this body for his glory!)
People upgrade when they want their homes to be "more presentable" (I thought about how I should be presenting my body as a living sacrifice!)
People upgrade when they want their homes to be "transformed" ...(I thought about being transformed by the renewing of my mind!)  .........Somebody say, .."It's time for an upgrade!"


I think about scriptures like 1 John 4: 12-17, that let's me know that my Savior lives within me, and well if this is true, and my Savior has taken up residency within me, let it be known this day that over the years I have been nothing more than a "slum lord" to my Savior!  Now, I know that that sounds awful, but it's the truth! And if one is not careful, one could become a slum lord to the Savior as well!


What makes one a slum lord to our Holy Spirit? Well, not caring about filthy conditions, such as unrepentant sin! Refusing to upgrade when prompted...which is disobedience! Oh, and let's not forget, allowing "trash on the premises!"...trash talking, trashy behavior, watching trash, listening to trash, putting trash in our bodies...drugs, alcohol, and even making unhealthy food choices! 
All of this can lead to one becoming a slum lord to the Holy Spirit who lives within them!


Ask yourself...Am I a slum lord to the Holy Spirit's dwelling place?  Is he pleased with his living conditions within me?


I had a displeased tenant...a grieving Holy Spirit! And I realized that I needed to do something about it! Well, I made up my mind! I don't want to be a slum lord any longer and therefore I must make a change within!
No more just "touching up here and there!"
No more "covering up problem areas!"  Lord, expose me! I don't want to live as if I am rented property! I belong to you and you have trusted me to manage what is rightfully yours and I have failed! I know that you have given me the tools to make your dwelling place more inhabitable and the wisdom to get it done!  Lord, I am under construction...and under new management!  And when I feel that it's getting too hard to complete, you remind me that my upgrade has already been PAID IN FULL! 

The Other Side of the Furnace!

Daniel 3:16-18King James Version (KJV)

15 And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.


The other day I was reading this old familiar scripture, and a question came to my mind. What if He doesn't do it? Have you really ever just thought about that thing you've been praying so diligently about? That thing that has your expectations on alert! Think about that very thing and ask yourself, What if He doesn't do it? I want you to stick with me for just a moment because I'm not trying to kill your faith, or make you doubt that God can do the very thing that you need Him to do! I am one of his biggest fans! And will be the first to tell you that He can absolutely blow your mind!

Now! Back to the question: What if He doesn't do it? Whatever that is for you! Let's look back at verse 17 as they are explaining to the King that God is able to deliver them...then they go a step further and say that He will deliver them out of the King's hands! It intrigued me that they included verse 18! What made them include verse 18? They had their faith "locked down" with verse 17.

The Hebrew boys knew, even in their expectation that there was a chance that God, in his sovereignty, could have chosen not to deliver them...What they say in verse 18 is a game changer!

But if he doesn't chose to deliver us ....Be it known unto thee..Oh King! that we will Not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up! 

What I love about this is that it is indicative of what they knew to be true about the God they served. You gotta know something about the person in whom you are boasting when you have a fiery furnace in your face!! You better know that you know who you're talking about When you have a fiery furnace trying to set up camp in your body! You better know beyond the shadow of a doubt who's praises you're singing When you have a fiery furnace threatening to devour your children, your marriage, your purpose!  The enemy will test what you're claiming! "We KNOW the God we serve is ABLE!"

But, "Even if he doesn't deliver us!" Even if he doesn't approve that loan..even if he doesn't fill that womb with child...even if he doesn't heal of that illness..Be it know unto thee...Oh King! We will not bow! The King then wants to ask a question. "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" How do you answer this question? Is it With certainty? Is it With assurance!? The one and only true God that's who!

Let's talk about the part everybody loves and that is the furnace!  I wondered why they turned up the levels in the furnace? Wasn't the first level hot enough to kill them? Obviously this wasn't the norm! I think the King found out quickly that there was nothing average about these boys! Just like the enemy knows there is nothing average about you! Which is why he can't deal with you on a average level!!

Why turn the furnace up to level 7?  I believe that when the King saw what he was dealing with, he knew that a normal plan wasn't going to work! They couldn't have left the fire on level 1 because they realized that these here boys weren't level 1 saints! They realized they weren't dealing with a level 1 faith... nor were they dealing with a level 1 anointing.. Which means they couldn't have been serving a level 1 God!... They're saying, "We gotta make this thing "hotter than usual" because ..their faith ain't usual, their Anointing ain't usual, that type of assurance..it ain't usual! I want you to know that what you're going through is Not usual because you're not usual!! You were built to stand! You were built to last! And how does the enemy attempt to destroy something that was built to last?  He turns up the heat!!!  Saying, "Surely they can't be delivered from this type of heat! This type of attack! This type of illness! Come on somebody! This type of financial mess! But guess what? The King's heat wasn't the only heat in the story! These boys prayed ferverently. Fervently means with intense heat? So, it turns out that these boys were the only ones really bringing the heat! They had power backing their heat, while the King's heat had no power!! and no effect!

The King is trying to figure out how in the world they can stay faithful to a God, who is able to deliver them, but can chose not to! The enemy is trying to figure out who does that? Who claims that they will stand no matter what God's answer may be!! Where do you stand? What if God has a No on the other side of this story?! Is he still faithful? What if he choses not to deliver, Is he still worthy? The Hebrew boys says... yes! "We will NEVER bow down to your God! But what do you say when the enemy ignites a furnace just for you?

Are you intimidated by the furnace? Is your response, "Be it known oh Satan, I will never bow down. What do you do?...how do you respond! When you're faced with a furnace situation? "We will never bow down Oh King!" I love this part because they're still acknowledging the fact that he is "A" King, but letting him know that they're alligiance is to The King of Kings!! Can you embrace God in ALL of his  sovereignty (when It's a yes!)..in ALL of his majesty..(when he says wait!) And in ALL of his glory! (When he says No!) Can you embrace all of him? Can you embrace him when favor is flowing, and still embrace him when storms are raging? Can you embrace him on both sides of the story? "Be it known unto you, oh King...I will love him forever! Not just for his attributes that satisfy me, but in ALL of who he is! 100% good!  100% God..100% of the time!.

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Broken With A Purpose!

                                                  

"A broken person is a force to be reckoned with!"

                                                       Dr. Tony Evans

I love that quote by Dr. Tony Evans because it is so true...well, when it's God doing the breaking. Satan tries to break you to leave you broken; but much like a broken bone that has to be re-broken to ensure proper growth; God breaks you to promote a healthier you! A stronger you! A much more effective you!

Throughout the Word of God, we have seen Him use broken people, and broken things to accomplish His holy agenda. I'm reminded of Paul's shipwreck in Acts 27. God gave Paul an assignment; A purpose; and by way of strategic planning and a sovereign agenda he ends up on a ship headed towards that purpose. Along the way he encounters storm after storm. His ship even gets off course at times, but his agenda never changes!

At one point, very close to his destination, Paul's ship strikes a sand bar and breaks to pieces. 

How can God's agenda get side tracked like this? 

 Can I just tell you that God's agenda was Never side tracked, Nor was it delayed! See, although his ship broke into pieces, those same pieces became a mode of transportation that would get some safely to shore! God many times will allow brokenness to become a part of our journey so that He can become your deliverer in that situation or circumstance. 

It's important for you to know that whatever method God is using to grow you, and to get you to a destined place....He will not fail.  His mode of transportation may seem to fail, but his agenda will never fail.  God never promises that we will get to our destinations with no glitches. God never promises that our mode of transportation to those destiny's won't change. In Paul's case, God's allegiance was to his agenda, not to the mode of transportation, which was the ship! The ship served it's purpose in the story and had to be dismantled in order for God to make provision!

Whether by train, boat, plane, or wrecked ship...He's going to get you to the place he intends for you to go! It's not about your transportation; it about your final destination!

I hate to get behind buses because on the back of the bus, it warns you of the fact that "this vehicle makes frequent stops!"  I just go around the bus, however, the people on the bus must endure the frequent stops. The bus will get them to their destination, many times right on time, even though it has built in stops.  God is saying, "I may take you on an alternate route, or even may make frequent stops along your journey, but just know that I will get you where I have ordained you to go...AND you will be there on time! Your destiny will become a reality!!  

God is going to either deliver YOU TO IT! or He will deliver IT TO YOU!!