Editors Note: I have been going through my personal pillars of freedom over the last month. You can read the previous three in detail over the last few posts, but for sake of continuity, here is what was covered:
#10 I Stopped Comparing Myself With Others
#9 I Stopped Worrying About Who Is Absent
#8 I Stopped Measuring Myself By Singular Activities
Now for number 7...
Hello All,
I have been surrounded by many men who I would consider successful in life. Some men have attempted to share with me their secrets and ways, but most have simply said that they were in the right place at the right time, with the right idea. Casual observation and the remarks of certain people caused me to think that one should just wait around, and God would begin to change and put you on a path in life that would bring you fulfillment and Him glory. For quite some time, this helped to shape my activity or inactivity.
More than that, I had heard about how God had moved in the past in great ways, and had come to believe that such things were miraculous interventions into time and space, without the aid of any man. Hearing about the days of the Tent and the various other great periods of revival, made me wish and wonder for God to do such things again.
It was not until a famous day in a meeting with a close observer of the Jesus Movement that I was informed quite otherwise. He shared with me that a great deal of money had gone into advertising and invitation. The result was the Jesus Movement. God had moved, but so had man! Man had begun to walk after something that was in God's heart to produce. Certain men took calculated, costly steps toward a goal, and God met their faith in the middle.
This was a spriritual crisis point for me. For what I felt was a long time, I had waited for others to promote me, or notice me and invite me into spiritual posts of responsibility. I figured that if God wanted me, He could supercede any human government and work out His purpose in my life.
Can God do this? Sure. Has He done this with other men? Definitely. Is that the way He works with all of us? To a degree, yes. Is it easier to move a moving vehicle or to move a parked vehicle? Definitively the former!
I needed to chase after something. It began easily enough, with me asking the Lord what it is that I might chase after! So I asked. The answer took some time, but it came in the form of Spain nonetheless. Then, I investigated. What is happening in Spain now? Who is already there and what works could I come alongside of? My investigation led me to a very dear family, the Cascos, that Lela and I eventually came alongside of for a season. Then, after asking the Lord, investigating His call, I purposed to go and be spent on the mission field for as long as He wanted me and my family to serve. He answered that we would only be serving for 9 months in country, and another year or so, in consecrated waiting!
The Lord wants to have victories in my life and in yours. We have a choice to walk in those victories, being confident in His ability to lead as we move toward whatever goal He puts in front of us. The success is not in how long one does any one thing. The success is not in what gets accomplished through you. The success is the heart of endurance IN YOU!
The same was true with Abraham. His greatest test of faith had little to do with what He actually did, but was rather tied to what he was willing to do! And when God initially called him, you will find that where He was going was less important than who he was going with! This is the lesson that radically altered my spiritual perception. God wants me to walk with him...this we all know, but He wants me to walk with Him SOMEWHERE!! He has a goal and we can waste time waiting for Him to move us, which He certainly can, or we can stand up and prepare ourselves to move into a purpose that is His from before the foundation of time, when He chose us to be His!
You might object at this point with the typical statement that sounds like this: But you need to wait on the Lord! I would be a liar and the worst Bible teacher ever, if I led anyone to think that waiting on the Lord was not a necessary part of following the Lord's lead. Many will point to such verses and perhaps the most popular of these verses will be Isaiah 40:31, which says, "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;" But most have either never read the rest or just plain ignored their significance. Isaiah 40:31b says, "They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." They wait, linger for, hopefully anticipate, the Lord's presence, so that they will be empowered to fly, to run and to walk!!
We do wait. We do test the waters. We do seek godly counsel. But my point, from my experience, is that we can wait when God is calling us to march! The prayer of your heart and mine, should always be: God give me wisdom to know the difference and the courage to follow OR wait! Either takes wisdom and courage you know!
What I have found has surprised me in wonderful ways. I don't know where I'm going or where I will end up in ministry, but the ride has been such a joy. All the trials and troubles have been worth it because I feel that true spiritual progress is being made. True spiritual muscle is being developed and I feel that I am moving toward a destiny that only lay in the heart and intention of God the Father.
I pray that you might take the heart of what I have just communicated. There is no need to make your own road or get a vision for your life. God has a vision for your life. Ask Him what it is or more clearly, ask Him what step you need to take right now. Between now and then, you wait!! But when the answer comes, start moving! Either way, the answer is initiate and count the cost that your work will be just as necessary as His!
That means, if you are going to reach a person, know that every person will require your concentrated attention. If you are going to learn to play that instrument, know that that instrument will need a passionate set of hands (and feet for that matter!). If you are going to get through the difficult Bible passages, then you might consider your library and study habits! God will meet you...all we need to do is move toward Him!
Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez
#10 I Stopped Comparing Myself With Others
#9 I Stopped Worrying About Who Is Absent
#8 I Stopped Measuring Myself By Singular Activities
Now for number 7...
Hello All,
I have been surrounded by many men who I would consider successful in life. Some men have attempted to share with me their secrets and ways, but most have simply said that they were in the right place at the right time, with the right idea. Casual observation and the remarks of certain people caused me to think that one should just wait around, and God would begin to change and put you on a path in life that would bring you fulfillment and Him glory. For quite some time, this helped to shape my activity or inactivity.
More than that, I had heard about how God had moved in the past in great ways, and had come to believe that such things were miraculous interventions into time and space, without the aid of any man. Hearing about the days of the Tent and the various other great periods of revival, made me wish and wonder for God to do such things again.
It was not until a famous day in a meeting with a close observer of the Jesus Movement that I was informed quite otherwise. He shared with me that a great deal of money had gone into advertising and invitation. The result was the Jesus Movement. God had moved, but so had man! Man had begun to walk after something that was in God's heart to produce. Certain men took calculated, costly steps toward a goal, and God met their faith in the middle.
This was a spriritual crisis point for me. For what I felt was a long time, I had waited for others to promote me, or notice me and invite me into spiritual posts of responsibility. I figured that if God wanted me, He could supercede any human government and work out His purpose in my life.
Can God do this? Sure. Has He done this with other men? Definitely. Is that the way He works with all of us? To a degree, yes. Is it easier to move a moving vehicle or to move a parked vehicle? Definitively the former!
I needed to chase after something. It began easily enough, with me asking the Lord what it is that I might chase after! So I asked. The answer took some time, but it came in the form of Spain nonetheless. Then, I investigated. What is happening in Spain now? Who is already there and what works could I come alongside of? My investigation led me to a very dear family, the Cascos, that Lela and I eventually came alongside of for a season. Then, after asking the Lord, investigating His call, I purposed to go and be spent on the mission field for as long as He wanted me and my family to serve. He answered that we would only be serving for 9 months in country, and another year or so, in consecrated waiting!
The Lord wants to have victories in my life and in yours. We have a choice to walk in those victories, being confident in His ability to lead as we move toward whatever goal He puts in front of us. The success is not in how long one does any one thing. The success is not in what gets accomplished through you. The success is the heart of endurance IN YOU!
The same was true with Abraham. His greatest test of faith had little to do with what He actually did, but was rather tied to what he was willing to do! And when God initially called him, you will find that where He was going was less important than who he was going with! This is the lesson that radically altered my spiritual perception. God wants me to walk with him...this we all know, but He wants me to walk with Him SOMEWHERE!! He has a goal and we can waste time waiting for Him to move us, which He certainly can, or we can stand up and prepare ourselves to move into a purpose that is His from before the foundation of time, when He chose us to be His!
You might object at this point with the typical statement that sounds like this: But you need to wait on the Lord! I would be a liar and the worst Bible teacher ever, if I led anyone to think that waiting on the Lord was not a necessary part of following the Lord's lead. Many will point to such verses and perhaps the most popular of these verses will be Isaiah 40:31, which says, "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;" But most have either never read the rest or just plain ignored their significance. Isaiah 40:31b says, "They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." They wait, linger for, hopefully anticipate, the Lord's presence, so that they will be empowered to fly, to run and to walk!!
We do wait. We do test the waters. We do seek godly counsel. But my point, from my experience, is that we can wait when God is calling us to march! The prayer of your heart and mine, should always be: God give me wisdom to know the difference and the courage to follow OR wait! Either takes wisdom and courage you know!
What I have found has surprised me in wonderful ways. I don't know where I'm going or where I will end up in ministry, but the ride has been such a joy. All the trials and troubles have been worth it because I feel that true spiritual progress is being made. True spiritual muscle is being developed and I feel that I am moving toward a destiny that only lay in the heart and intention of God the Father.
I pray that you might take the heart of what I have just communicated. There is no need to make your own road or get a vision for your life. God has a vision for your life. Ask Him what it is or more clearly, ask Him what step you need to take right now. Between now and then, you wait!! But when the answer comes, start moving! Either way, the answer is initiate and count the cost that your work will be just as necessary as His!
That means, if you are going to reach a person, know that every person will require your concentrated attention. If you are going to learn to play that instrument, know that that instrument will need a passionate set of hands (and feet for that matter!). If you are going to get through the difficult Bible passages, then you might consider your library and study habits! God will meet you...all we need to do is move toward Him!
Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez
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