'Elijah was afraid and fled for his life...' 1 Kings 19:3 NLT
The Bible says, 'Jezebel...sent this message to Elijah: "You killed my prophets, and now...I am going to kill you"...So Elijah fled for his life.' (1 Kings 19:1-3 TLB) Often the voice of fear comes after you've had a mountain-top experience. Elijah had just called down fire from Heaven on Mount Carmel. Then Jezebel spoke. She didn't use chariots and soldiers; she didn't need to. Her words intimidated him, depressed him and drove him into hiding. Look out! If you listen to the voice of fear you'll be afraid of the next telephone call, the next medical prognosis or the next stock market report. Who are you listening to? Who are you going to believe, God or men? Neither the wind nor the fire nor the earthquake could bring Elijah out of his cave, only the still, small voice of God could (1 Kings 19:11-13). Our fears are often the result of two things: imagination and misunderstanding. Fear causes us to think the worst instead of believing God for the best (2 Corinthians 10:5). '...fear brings with it the thought of punishment...' (1 John 4:18 AMP) When something goes wrong we wonder, 'Is God punishing me for something I've done?' No, fear and faith are present with us every day; the one you choose will rule your life. So when you come up against a fear-producing situation, do these three things: pray for God's wisdom and protection; He promises both; admit your inner struggle-you're not unique, we all battle fear; stand on His Word, for He says, '...I will never leave you nor forsake you.' (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV)
'...Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.' Psalm 80:18 NKJV
AW Tozer gives us four more steps to personal revival that we must take: '(1) Bring your life into accord with such Scriptures as are designed to instruct us in the way of righteousness. An honest man with an open Bible, a pad and a pencil, is sure to find out what is wrong with him very quickly. I recommend that self-examination be made on your knees, rising to obey God's commandments as they are revealed to us. (2) Be serious-minded. You can well afford to see fewer shows on TV. Unless you can break away... every spiritual impression will continue to be lost to your heart. The...world used to go to the movies to escape serious thinking about God. You would not join them there, but you now enjoy spiritual communion with them in your own home. The devil's ideals, moral standards and mental attitudes are being accepted by you without your knowledge. (3) Deliberately narrow your interests. Too many projects use up time and energy without bringing us nearer to God. (4) Have faith in God. Begin to expect. Look up toward the throne where your Advocate sits at the right hand of God. All of Heaven is on your side. God will not disappoint you.' The Psalmist writes, 'Restore us...and we shall be saved!' (Psalm 80:19 NKJV) You say, 'Saved from what?' From ourselves! Saved from the influences that pull us away from God and towards this world. Saved to fulfill the purposes for which we have been redeemed and called into His Kingdom. If you desire it, you can have a personal revival.
'...Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.' Psalm 80:18 NKJV
The Psalmist prayed, 'Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.' Almost a century ago, AW Tozer laid out the steps that lead to personal revival. Some of the language may be outdated, but the principles still work today. First, get thoroughly dissatisfied with yourself. Complacency is the enemy of spiritual progress. A complacent soul is a stagnant soul. Secondly, set your face like a flint towards a sweeping transformation of your life. Timid experimenters are tagged for failure before they start. We must throw our whole soul into our desire for God. Thirdly, put yourself in the way of blessing. It's a mistake to expect God's help to come as a windfall apart from conditions known and met. There are plainly marked paths which lead straight to the green pastures; let us walk in them. To desire revival, for instance, and at the same time neglect prayer and devotions, is to wish one way and walk another. Fourthly, do a thorough job of repenting. Do not hurry to get it over with. Hasty repentance means shallow spiritual experience and lack of certainty in the whole life. Let godly sorrow do its healing work. Until we allow the consciousness of sin to wound us, we will never develop a fear of evil. Finally, make restitution wherever possible. If you owe a debt, pay it, or at least have a frank understanding with your creditor about your intention to pay, so your honesty will be above question. If you have quarreled with anyone, go as far as you can in an effort to achieve reconciliation.
'...Be quick to listen, slow to speak...' James 1:19 NLT
Want to become a good leader? Become a good listener! Here are two stories of what happens when we don't take time to listen. The first is from a young woman hurt by a manager who constantly cut her off: 'We expected he would wait and give us answers to serious questions about our work. Many times he walked off when we were in mid-sentence, having heard nothing.' The next is from a church youth director who was fired: 'After serving the Lord there for two years, I was called into an elders' meeting. They took out a list of all the things I'd done wrong in the past two years. Most of what they said was true, for I was brand new in this work. Then they called for my resignation. What did I learn? (a) not once did anyone care enough to coach or shepherd me (b) I'd no idea or warning that I was doing anything wrong (c) the church leaders never built a relationship with their staff.' Why is it so hard for some leaders to listen? Because leaders love to talk, and as they gain more authority there is the danger to think they have less reason to listen. Leaders by their very nature tend to be removed from the frontlines of battle. To win, they must constantly listen to those who are in the trenches and rely on that information to make wise decisions. Before Ezekiel was qualified to prophesy or lead God's people, he wrote: '...I sat among them for seven days-overwhelmed. At the end of seven days the Word of the Lord came to me.' (Ezekiel 3:15-16 NIV) All of us are leaders in some capacity so who do you need to listen to today?
'Seek the Kingdom of God above all else...' Matthew 6:33 NLT
As you read the following nine qualities, ask yourself, 'Are these things evident in my life today? Am I developing these fruits so that I may be entrusted with greater responsibility for the advancement of God's Kingdom?' (1) merciful and grace-giving. 'God blesses those who are merciful...' 'Stop judging others, and you will not be judged.' (Matthew 5:7; 7:1 NLT) (2) reconciliatory. 'If...a friend has something against you...go and apologize and be reconciled to him...' (Matthew 5:23-24 TLB) (3) teachable. 'Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys Me is wise...' (Matthew 7:24 NLT) (4) courageous. 'Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves...don't be afraid...' (Matthew 10:16;26 NLT) (5) submitted. 'Anyone who does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother and sister and mother!' (Matthew 12:50 NLT) (6) surrendered. 'If any of you wants to be My follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow Me.' (Matthew 16:24 NLT) (7) repentant. '...unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.' (Matthew 18:3 NLT) (8) humble. 'But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.' (Matthew 23:12 NLT) (9) servant-minded. 'But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.' (Matthew 20:26 NLT) If you're willing to make Jesus Lord of your life, make His Word the last word on all issues, and seek the fullness of His Spirit-you can live this lifestyle too!
'Seek the Kingdom of God above all else...' Matthew 6:33 NLT
What does it mean to put God's Kingdom first in your life? It means 12 things. Read them carefully then ask, 'How do I measure up?' (1) obedience to God. '...anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.' (Matthew 5:19 NLT) (2) love. '...love your enemies!...If you love only those who love you, what good is that?' (Matthew 5:44,46 NLT) (3) justice. 'God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice...' (Matthew 5:6 NLT) (4) peace. 'God blesses those who work for peace...' (Matthew 5:9 NLT) (5) holy living. '...let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.' (Matthew 5:16 NLT) (6) integrity. 'Just say a simple, "Yes, I will" or "No, I won't"...' (Matthew 5:37 NLT) (7) generosity. When you give a gift to someone in need, 'Give...in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.' (Matthew 6:2,4 NLT) (8) spiritual wholeness. '...Is anything worth more than your soul?' (Matthew 16:26 NLT) (9) Biblical knowledge. 'Your problem is that you don't know the Scriptures...' (Matthew 22:29 NLT) (10) Faith in God. '...if you had faith as small as a mustard seed...Nothing would be impossible.' '...But with God everything is possible.' (Matthew 17:20; 19:26 NLT) (11) blessing people. Jesus not only taught this, but His constant healing of, training, and serving others demonstrated how to do it (12) disciple-making. 'Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations...' (Matthew 28:19 NLT) According to Jesus that's the only agenda worth living for-and if necessary, dying for!
'...we loved you so much...' 1 Thessalonians 2:8 NIV
Hard work. 'Surely you remember...we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone.' (vs 9) If the church had been an army, Paul would have been a commanding general. He could easily have given orders to be provided for to whatever extent he chose, and been obeyed. But he didn't do that. What he did was work hard, beyond the requirements of his ministry, to alleviate the financial burden others would have had on his behalf. Dad, your kids need to see you do the same, because: (1) By seeing you work hard it elevates the importance of work and helps them discover dignity in it. 'Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.' (Proverbs 10:4 NIV) (2) By allowing them to share work with you around the home, you prepare them for success on the job by imparting to them much-needed work principles and skills. 'Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.' (Proverbs 22:29 NIV) You'll be preparing them to be recognized for excellence and promoted because of their outstanding work ethic and skills. In a time of economic trouble when only the strong survive the competition, prepare your children to be the best they can be. The attitudes and abilities you nurture in them will benefit them all their lives.
