TIME TO UPGRADE!

TIME TO UPGRADE!

You know it never ceases 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, both physically and spiritually! I realized that I needed an upgrade! Yep! you heard me; this girl was in need of a spiritual make over.  No one walked up to me and told me that I needed an upgrade, but I could feel that an upgrade was needed. When I would look in the mirror, I could see that an upgrade was needed. In my spiritual life I could feel that an upgrade was needed. One day I spoke it out loud and something happened. It was as if the Holy Spirit was agreeing with me. I felt a confirmation as if that is what he's been waiting for me to say. Note: If you want the Lord to respond quickly start speaking upgrade over your life!!

The only thing I needed now was to figure out how to make it happen! So I began to think of people I know who have upgraded their homes and why they felt that an upgrade was needed?

 
People upgrade when they want to "enlarge an area" 

(I thought about God enlarging my territory!) 1 Chronicles 4:10

People upgrade when they want to take something old and make it "like new" again!

 (I thought about putting on a new nature) Colossians 3:10

People upgrade when they want to "maintain the usability" of what already exists! 

(I thought about how God will complete what he has begun in me) Philippians 1:6

People upgrade when they want their homes to be "more presentable" (I thought about presenting my body as a living sacrifice!) Romans12:1

People upgrade when they want their homes to be "transformed" 

(I thought about being transformed by the renewing of my mind!) Romans 12:2 

Somebody say, .."It's time for an upgrade!"

When I think about scriptures like 1 John 4: 12-17, I am reminded that my Savior lives within me; that he has taken up residency within me. "Oh, Lord if this is true, what kind of residential host have I been to you?" I knew the answer. I have been nothing more than a "slum lord" to my Savior and the Holy Spirt!  Now, I know that sounds awful, but it's the truth! I was not being intentional about the upkeep of my spiritual premises.

What makes one a spiritual "slum lord?" Let's take a look...

Failing to rid the premises of 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 yes, even unhealthy eating patterns! Being allowed to share living space with our Lord.

Ask yourself today...Am I a "slum lord" to the Holy Spirit's dwelling place?  Is he pleased with his living conditions within me? Is he able to use me with all of the stuff that I have allowed into his dwelling space?

I realized that I had an 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 the premises here and there!

No more just covering up the problem areas! I needed the Lord to expose me!

I had to acknowledge that he has trusted me to manage what is rightfully his. I had to become responsible with the tools he had given me; tools to make his dwelling place more inhabitable and the wisdom to get it done!  

You can declare today, "I am under construction and on my way to a well needed upgrade! And when I feel that it's getting too hard and I can't finish the upgrade alone, Lord remind me that my upgrade has already been PAID IN FULL! When I put my trust in you!...

Let's Pray:

Lord you said in Proverbs 29:11 that you know the plans that you have for me that will bring me to my expected end and it is your expected end that I want for my life. I now move out of your way so that you can do what you need to do, and I will do that which you have called me to do that brings me closer to you. I thank you for being the God of my upgrade!!

Amen

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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