OUT OF THE TENT, INTO THE STARLIGHT

Genesis 15:5; And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars--if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be. Amen

God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think or imagine. It’s so important then that in approaching God, we keep this in mind and do not think of him as a God who is limited in resources, love or ability. NO MATTER HOW BIG YOUR DREAM IS OR HOW GREAT THE VISION GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, HE IS ALWAYS ABLE TO DO BEYOND WHAT YOU EXPECT. If you have a small vision, God would do much more than you expect, but wouldn’t it be better if you had a greater vision, and watched God unfold it for you supernaturally in ways you could not fathom?

The opening scripture is one that just amazes me. Meditating on it always revives my spirit! We read about God bringing Abraham outside, from his tent into the starlight. So many people are only dreaming in their tents. They are dreaming with their limitations in mind. They dream till they get to a point where their limitations yell at them ‘you can’t go any further than this’ and they stop dreaming right there. What you should keep asking yourself is this: ‘Is my biggest dream big enough for God?’ When you have the creator of the universe willing to accomplish great things through you, you do not present to him a dream the size of a pebble! Instead of asking yourself ‘What if it doesn’t work?’ you should be asking ‘What if it does work?’ Don’t be scared to dream big, to imagine big; dreaming wouldn’t cost you a cent, it’s free. I once heard someone say, ‘DREAM SOMETHING SO BIG THAT IT WOULD TAKE ONLY THE HAND OF GOD TO ACCOMPLISH IT’. That’s what I’m talking about. DON'T LET YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES SET THE BOUNDARIES FOR YOUR DREAMS. Remember Joseph in the Bible, the dreamer of dreams? In the culture he lived in it was difficult to believe his dream could ever come true. What could possibly set the stage for his parents and brothers to bow down and revere him? How could he become king in a culture which had never had a king? But Joseph understood that he had to dream outside his tent. He didn’t let these circumstances limit him; he decided to dream in the starlight.

God needed to bring Abraham out into the starlight for a reason. He couldn’t show him what he wanted to while he was still in the tent. Until we let go of the things that hold us back in our mind, the things that discourage us, which tell us that we can’t do what God has destined us to, he would not be able to show us his greatest plans for us. Get into the starlight of confidence, believe in yourself, you are well able, you have all it takes to succeed! Sure, we might be scared by the enormousness of the dreams but remember that it is the same God who made the vast universe out of nothing we are referring to. If he could make the universe out of nothing, how much more can he accomplish all what he has put in your heart through his greatest creation - you! The starlight is where we look all about us and see all sorts of possibilities and opportunities. In the starlight we not only see the greatness of the dreams God has for us, but also the brightness of the dreams. We are reminded that these dreams hold light for lives other than ours. A God given dream would always be of benefit to others. It would always light up the hearts of someone other than us. Are you ready to step into the starlight and fill your life with the light of a God given dream? 

 

Million, billion, trillion, quadrillion, and then what comes next? What is the largest number you can count to? These thoughts just run through my mind each time I meditate on this verse. God said to Abraham ‘count the stars--if you are able to number them.’ In effect he was saying, ‘you would count the stars till you run out of numbers; when you’ve exhausted every number u know, there would still be a multitude of stars left,’ When God achieves a dream through you he does what is beyond anything anybody knows. That is what we refer to as extraordinary, beyond the ordinary; that is exactly what the fulfillment of a supernatural dream looks like. It leaves people dazzled and awed, they are unable to comprehend it. It beats not just imagination but also all expectation and knowledge. This was the voice of God to Abraham then and I believe it is the voice of God to the seed of Abraham. God wants to do something amazing in our days, but we will need to leave the tent of limited thinking, the tent of unbelief, the tent of selfish ambitions, for him to accomplish this. 

‘…so shall your offspring be…’ All we need to do is to believe and to get into agreement with God. We have to believe, and then he will do the work. We do not accomplish it on our own, but only by his strength and our offspring, that is, the works he will do through us and what he will accomplish by us shall be just as the stars in the sky. Allow God to bring you outside your tent into the starlight.

A BLESSING AND A CURSE

Deuteronomy 11:26; Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. Amen.

It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our heart to take hold of this truth. In one of my favorite verses Romans 1:16 Paul says that For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) {of Christ,} for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes {with} a personal trust {and} a confident surrender {and} firm reliance... Amen [AMP].  The Word of GOD presents us to Christ and we get saved. I don’t want to talk to unbelievers today, but to us as Christians and by the help of the Holy Spirit, we will arrive at this.

                The obedience to the Word of GOD is so important for our lives as Christians. Deuteronomy 12:32; Whatever I command you, be watchful to do it; you shall not add to it or diminish it. Amen [AMP].  What we choose to listen to goes a long way to affect our obedience. Once an anointed of GOD [because of the Holy Spirit living in you], your only way is full obedience to the Word of GOD. Part obedience is still disobedience. In 1 Samuel 15, we see Saul commissioned to kill Agag and everything of Amalekite origin but he only obeyed in part and yet GOD considered it to be disobedience. Nothing starts at ago, it has to start somewhere. Which area of your Christian life haven't you been obedient? It might be small but important because if you don't repent, it will lead to your death [spiritually and later physically]. Saul's disobedience got everyone around him killed. YOUR OBEDIENCE OR DISOBEDIENCE DOESN'T AFFECT YOU ALONE, YOUR CHILDREN WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED.

                Beloved, I want to draw our attention to this spiritual fact. GOD's Word is final as Psalm119:160 puts it Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Amen. GOD's Word [Judgments] will never change. For the Word to change is to say that Jesus has changed but scripture makes it clear that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever so it is impossible. YOU CAN'T CHANGE SCRIPTURE TO SUIT YOU, YOU MUST CHANGE TO SUIT THE SCRIPTUE. It is a principle laid down from ages and it will remain for ages to come. If you know you have to let that particular thing hindering you go, do it and stop justifying or finding excuses for yourselves. Joshua 1:8 also reflects this principle. Joshua was a man that never left things undone and it got him an inheritance. That tells us that if we want to save up a blessing for the generations coming after us we have to act in obedience, full obedience to the Word GOD speaks to us. When we act on the Word of GOD, Jesus rightfully put it in Matthew 7:24; So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock. 25 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great {and} complete was the fall of it. Amen [AMP]. Your house (life) will never be brought down. GLORY TO GOD!!! Obedience brings prosperity as Malachi 3:10 says. Obedience brings abundant health as in Proverbs 4:23. What you want is found in the Word of GOD and obeying it is what brings about the blessing for our lives.

                We may have dreams and plans, but without obedience, our inheritance will be given to someone else. Without obedience, we are serving up a curse upon ourselves and the generations after us. The good news is that the GOD we serve is a merciful one and He always forgives us. Don't wait for a prophecy or word of knowledge before you repent. Take the time out to analyze all you have done so far. It is my prayer that GOD helps us in obeying His Word. Amen. GOD BLESS YOU!

THE LAW OF SEASONS II

                Whatever we have started this year is a step in the building up of our lives. Every decision we take this year is like a stone we are putting up. A DECISION CAN STRENGTHEN WHAT WE ARE BUILDING OR DESTROY OUR HOPES OF A BETTER LIFE. Our decision making can hinder us from reaching our set objectives. Ecclesiastes 3:3; A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up. Amen [AMP]. I will like to say hear that when the season will definitely come, but instead of killing, heal, instead of breaking down, build up. We are called to heal and build up. Sometimes we are called to kill or breakdown but what exactly? The dreams, confessions, lifestyles even language that don't correspond with neither the Word of GOD nor our set objectives. We are called to put an end to as Ecclesiastes 3:5 puts it A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. Amen [AMP]. GLORY TO GOD. As we go on in our lives, we have to let something’s go so that we can receive bigger and better things GOD. Holding unto your past failures is allowing the devil remind you of what you can't do. What you couldn't do before, you can do now because as Acts 1:8 puts it But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you ...Amen [AMP]. Just relax and watch the Holy Spirit work in your life.

                In our walk with Him, Jesus didn't promise that all will be well. No, He didn't because the Bible doesn't say so. Ecclesiastes 3:4; A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. Amen [AMP]. Times won't always be easy. If I said that all will be easy, I'd have lied to you but I won't. But the good news is that if you are going through a terrible season of sorrow or lack, another season of joy and happiness is coming. The key is the LAW OF HOPE. The key is to have hope that things will get better. Hope alone can sustain you but adding faith to it can lead you out of any season quickly. Job 22:27; You will make your prayer to Him, and He will hear you, and you will pay your vows. 28 You shall also decide {and} decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways. 29 When they make [you] low, you will say, [There is] a lifting up; and the humble person He lifts up {and} saves. Amen [AMP]. Yes, Job hoped in the Lord. This created in him the faith he had and his misery changed. Beloved, HOPE IN THE LORD AND HAVE FAITH IN HIM. FAITH SAYS THAT NO MATTER WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH, I'M A WINNER BECAUSE THE LORD SAYS SO. Our faith should be built on the Word of GOD and not what any other person says after all Faith cometh from the Word of GOD which says all things are working for your good. HALLELUJAH!

                To finish today, one man of GOD said that when someone takes away your hope, he has taken your life away with it. The law of hope is very important; we shouldn't lose hope for it keeps us going even in the darkest moment of our lives. We also should ask the Holy Spirit to help us let go of some of the old hindering habits we had so we can move on with Him. GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Meditation; Ecclesiastes 3:3-6, Psalm 30:5, Job 22:29, James 1:3. Deuteronomy 4:31, Ecclesiastes 8:5, Romans 8:19, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.