Friday, January 9, 2015

All In

It’s about right, the timing that is.  We’re only one week into the year and already I’m in a battle to keep believing.  Are you in the same conflict?

How long does it take for you to break one of your New Year’s resolutions?  I’ve stopped making them; at least that’s what I tell myself each year. I say that I’m not going to put myself under that pressure, but somehow by the end of the year that’s exactly what I’ve done.
Sure I may have overcome a few things, but the major changes I’ve wanted to make often leave me still wanting.  Instead of being all in for change, I’ve been all under condemnation, doubt and fear.  Does that sound like a good way to start or end a year to you? 

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Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).

All Things New 
Frankly, I was excited about the New Year and all the things I believed God was about to do in my life.  We had a fantastic Christmas and blessed time of fellowship during the holiday season. Then a joy sucker crept in – sickness.  Scripture says let the weak say they are strong, but circumstances wanted us to believe the opposite.

Instead of 2015 coming in with a bang, it was fired up with a high fever and doctor’s visits.  
 
What a bummer too, missing out on a midnight breakfast buffet. Who knows, that may have been an answer to prayer after all, with some of the mystery meals we’ve eaten lately. 

While in prayer for my husband to get well, I was able to get lots of writing done and enjoyed my study time.  As a matter of fact, I had this week’s post all written and thought that I would be able to relax for the better part of the weekend.  Of course, you know that’s not what happened. 

It’s after 7 PM while I’m penning this, and the message is all new.  What God wants us to believe is that He is giving us “new” things in our life each day, and we need to embrace them while His Spirit is moving. 

If we get caught up in the battle, we’ll miss the new things the Lord is showing us, which will take us out of the battle. 

As in Heaven 

One of the first passages of scripture I learned as a kid was the Disciple’s Prayer aka The Lord’s Prayer.  Perhaps it’s also the most taught and learned lessons in the Bible.  Maybe the same goes for you.

Although the lesson isn’t actually on this, we could recite it together right now to further my point in the real message I want to bring. Quoting from the book of Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) 

“In this manner, therefore, pray (said Jesus to the disciples):

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed (Holy) be (is) Your name.

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
 

Believers and non-believers are familiar with this prayer and tend to quote in in times of need.  Some even recite it daily along with Psalm 23 thinking it satisfies their “spirituality” for the day and keeps them tied to God. 

I’ve heard message upon message about what Jesus was actually teaching His followers. What we often miss is that earth is to be a mirror reflection of what Heaven is if God’s will were completely satisfied.  We think that this “dream” of God is somehow off in the future and only the Lord has power over it becoming a reality.  In some ways that is true, but if it were completely true, why would Jesus need to teach the disciples this principle? 

What comes to your mind when you hear this passage?  Does a warm fuzzy feeling of comfort knowing God is in control sweep over you tossing out all doubt, fear or worry? 

If we really believed that this is a passage of hope, we would be expecting God’s new mercies and be witness to the glory of the Lord falling on us each day.  In other words … here as in Heaven. 

New Mercies Do I See? 

Since January is referred to as the beginning, where people allow themselves to be pardoned from the past in hope of a fresh start, I’d like to propose that we do the same with our conversations with God. 

Our new way of “Doing Something” in continuing with our Favor Walk with God, begins with the time we spend in prayer and seeing God’s vision. 
 
Isaiah the prophet recognized that even though the world was experiencing devastating times, the earth itself was still full of the glory of the LORD.  What God has put in place cannot be removed by satan, his armies or mankind. 

“And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3 NKJV) 

God has blessed us with a new year, which means that it is new without any troubles, blemishes or faults.  As each new day progresses life’s curve balls come at us.  We forget about the forgiving dawn that was graced on us, and let things erase the mercy and glory that was already waiting for us when we awoke. 

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV) 

Instead of our fellowship time with God being one of thanksgiving for His new mercies, we cry out, “Lord, mercy, mercy. Let my will be done on earth… and Lord, have it be OK in Heaven so that it gets done without any pain or suffering.” 

The “Our Father which art in Heaven” daily prayer becomes quite unrecognizable from the version Jesus taught wouldn’t you say?  

A New Song 

Each new day God gives us the daily bread we need through His mercies, which include forgiveness, new ideas, new avenues to travel, new doors to open, new people in our lives, new passions … get it … God’s into “new.” 

So if all things are new, shouldn’t we be singing a new song to match up with the Heaven and Earth prayer we pray?  It does make sense.  When we revert back to our old tunes crying out all the miseries, woe Lord, what about me prayers, we let unbelief, temptation, pride, fear and failure sing their song. Then we even have the nerve to say, “In Jesus’ name I pray.” 

Instead of bringing God’s Kingdom to Earth by believing, we try to bring satan’s domain to Heaven.  That played record will never reach the top anything list in Heaven. 

The new song that we are instructed to sing is full of possibilities, hope, joy, and promise, because we believe God is lavishing His mercy on us. 
 
Favor surrounds us like a shield, love is unending and promise rainbows really do exist beyond the boundaries of Kansas.   

This isn’t a life full of fantasy where nothing bad happens, but a life where God turns what the devil meant for harm into a wonderful new thing that keeps satan under our feet.  That’s the song we want to sing, and one Heaven already knows.  

Our new life song that would match with the teachings of Jesus in the Disciple’s prayer (which is for all who believe in Him) is the song of praise found in the entire chapter of Psalm 96.  Here are a few lines from the beginning stanza. 

Let us sing because we believe as the psalmist did: 

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” (Psalm 96:1-3 NKJV) 

So Heaven and earth come together when we declare God’s glory, bless the Lord and proclaim the good news to all people.  Thy will be done is pretty well spelled out for us.
 

This Week’s Challenge:
“All In” for Believing God 

A new song that will be on our lips this year will be one that matches Heaven's.
 
We’re all in Lord, all in giving You praise, glory and blessings.  We’re all in believing the works that God has done/will do for us are marvelous to behold, giving us victory in every situation. 

“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His Holy arm have gained Him the victory.” (Psalm 98:1 NKJV) 

We’re all in singing this song with other believers openly and unashamed. 

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of Saints.” (Psalm 149:1 NKJV)
We’re all in for singing about the new mercies we receive each day, wherever we go and to whomever You send us.  Our “do something” is not being silent any longer.
“Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth. You (and me) who go down to the sea (all who travel), and all that is in it (basically any believer this applies to), you coastlands and you inhabitants of them (people living on coastlands, inlands and all who live on earth).” (Isaiah 42:10 NKJV) emphasis mine.
Believe Psalm 23:6.  Believe your belief by declaring: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  
 
 
We’re doing something now that will shake Heaven and Earth by aligning our beliefs with God’s.  It will take strength, power and might, but not from us.  The LORD will do the new thing and we get to be a witness. 

No believer is exempt from this challenge if they are to see *new mercies, favor and blessings follow them all the days of their lives.  There is no other way to live than to be ALL IN to believing our belief.
 
 

 
Until next time, where there is belief there is favor.
 

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“My mercy is new to you each day.”
Jesus Christ

 

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Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. 
Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provide by Gateway Bible
Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  All in for God  Breakfast and Fruit Buffet  Sing A New Song  Mark Batterson Quote from All In Book
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.