Day 9 of 10 Days of Prayer

Day 9 of 10 Days of Prayer
By: Pastor D. Karl Thomas

What If???

Numbers 14:28 “Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.”

The Bible is FULL of people who refused to focus on their inability…and chose to believe in God’s ability working through them.

JOHN 14:12“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

What if Noah had said, “I can’t build a boat?”
What if Abraham had said, “I can’t relocate at this stage in my life?”
What if David had said, “I can’t fight that giant…he’s too big!”
What if Nehemiah had said, “I can’t build a wall around an entire city!”

What if Peter had said, “I denied Christ, I can’t preach to all of these people on the Day of Pentecost.”

What if Paul had said, “I can’t write down what I feel the Spirit leading me to write; after all, who would actually read the words of a former murderer?”

The Bible is FULL of people who refused to focus on their inability…and chose to believe in God’s ability working through them.

The Life Of a believer is so exciting!!!

Proverbs 4:18 (NLT) “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”

C S LewisIn “The Lion, the Witch & The Wardrobe” a conversation takes place when Susan and Lucy ask Mr. & Mrs. Beaver to tell them about Aslan, the lion in the story who is the Christ-figure. They ask if Aslan is a man and Mr. Beaver replies:
“Aslan a man? Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the woods and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and make no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about being safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

That conversation is loaded…please get the last line, He’s good, He’s the King…but He isn’t safe.”

We’ve done a pretty good job at trying to paint a picture of Jesus in today’s society that is safe.  His hair is always perfect (did they really have product back then?)  He teeth have obviously either been whitened or capped.  His robe never has any wrinkles and is always the whitest of whites (I guess the dust and dirt in Israel simply refused to stick to His clothes.)  And…He never becomes irritated, upset or does anything that might offend anyone.

Matthew 16:21-27
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Take Up the Cross and Follow Him.
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Make no mistake about it…He IS GOOD but He is NOT safe!

Following Jesus doesn’t EVER lead to a safe, comfortable & predictable life.

1. If you are going to follow Jesus, you are going to upset some people
Matthew 10:34-3634 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

2. If you are going to follow Jesus, He will bring out changes in you.
Luke 19:8“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
We cannot meet Him and stay the same!

3. If you are going to follow Jesus, He is going to challenge you to look straight ahead and NOT behind, no matter how good or bad it may have been
Luke 9:62 “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

4. If you are going to follow Jesus, you have to be willing to trade up.
Mark 1:18“At once they left their nets and followed him.”

5. If you are going to follow Jesus, you will let Him rule your finances
Luke 16:10-13“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

6. If you are going to follow Jesus, you ARE going to hear His voice clearly and accurately.
John 10:4“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

7. If you are going to follow Jesus, it is going to move your heart to care about others.
People Who Don’t Know Him Mark 16:15“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Everyone Especially Body 1 John 4:11“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

PRAYER DIRECTIVES:

1. Father don’t let us see you through the lens of our own ability. Thank you for filling us with your might. I command myself to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Nothing is impossible for those who BELIEVE!!!
2. Forgive us forever desiring safety over advancing your Kingdom.
3. Spirit of Revelation stir the heart of every believers. Cause us to rise to the reality of our status in YOU! We are retired to rule … to manifest Your Kingdom.
4. Thank you for the open door. We will go through and release your purpose in this season of transition.
5. Make this Saturday Night Service a real breakout ministry to this region. WOW look what the Lord has done!