The mini conference that we are having at Life Church is titled "Step Up & Step In" - why? Because we believe the Lord is calling for the charge to go forth. There is an army ready and waiting to move forth together in the power of God to see transformation come into our nation. And I believe that now is the time that He is calling those who believe to stand up in what they believe and step up into it by faith and action and see what He will do.
It is no longer a time of needing to know your salvation is in Him which is all good and necessary but there is a call for maturity happening at the moment to take our salvation, everything that the Lord has deposited into us and step into seeing His Kingdom come here on earth as it is in Heaven. We have a responsibility as children of God, as sons and daughters of the Kingdom to make His Kingdom known. He has given us - you and I - the earth as our inheritance to rule and reign over and now he is saying to take hold of everything I have taught you and take what is rightfully yours. We have been found by him and we are found in him and now he is saying rise up people of God and take hold of the authority that I have given you and step out by faith and speak to those people who don't know him, to rise up and lay hands on the sick and believe for them to be healed, to set the captives free. To speak with truth into injustice etc etc.
2 Tim 1:6 says "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, has has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace...."
It is no longer a time of needing to know your salvation is in Him which is all good and necessary but there is a call for maturity happening at the moment to take our salvation, everything that the Lord has deposited into us and step into seeing His Kingdom come here on earth as it is in Heaven. We have a responsibility as children of God, as sons and daughters of the Kingdom to make His Kingdom known. He has given us - you and I - the earth as our inheritance to rule and reign over and now he is saying to take hold of everything I have taught you and take what is rightfully yours. We have been found by him and we are found in him and now he is saying rise up people of God and take hold of the authority that I have given you and step out by faith and speak to those people who don't know him, to rise up and lay hands on the sick and believe for them to be healed, to set the captives free. To speak with truth into injustice etc etc.
2 Tim 1:6 says "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, has has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace...."
Something the Lord is showing me at the moment is that as I step out sometimes having nothing in mind or thought or feeling but step out in faith that his power is released in a powerful way. It is no longer about me, what I feel, what I have or don't have, but simply a knowledge that God has it all, that God can do it all, that God knows what he wants done in a situation. I simply have to act in faith and step out literally and then I see His Kingdom come in way that just excites me and blows me away.
I love to preach. I used to have really good sermons with a three point plan type thing. But now I struggle to do anything like that as I lend more and more on the spirits leading believing that God will give me what I need when I need it. There are times now when we are going to preach somewhere and I have done everything I can in preparation, I have prayed, sought the Lord on the word, everything for a couple of weeks prior to going, but the Lord has not given me anything to actually speak on. Then the morning I go the Lord may give me a dream which speaks straight into situations and we see really exciting things happen in a way that I never would have dreamt. In this I have had to come to a rest and a peace that God will give me what I need when I need it. We pray in the Lords prayer for the Lord to give us our daily bread - this is actually a prayer I believe for his provision for us for the day. We have all sorts of needs and we need his provision in everything and if we believe that and step out believing he will give us what we need when we need it, we will see God move in ways we never expected or dreamt.
Last week we had a man arrive at our home to sell insulation. It was Gods appointment for us for that day. It was so special. He spoke into our lives and we spoke into his. I felt the Lord say "Bless the man, ask him how you could pray for him" and so I stepped out in faith and asked him and we were honoured and blessed as he shared his story and how we could pray for him. It was a very powerful time and a time where I know the Lord worked powerfully showing His love for this man. But I had to step out on what I believed the Lord said to me and as I did, the man shared his heart and his needs. So many people come into our lives and every one of them have needs that we can stand together in, but sometimes we just need to step over the "chicken line" and ask the questions, and out of that relationships are formed, seeds of the Kingdom are sown, and we look foward knowing that those seeds will bear fruit in due season.
God brings people into our lives, whether its the man selling insulation, whether its the woman selling Life Insurance, whether its the Jehovah's Witness that comes to our door, whether its the workmate in the cubicle next door to us, whether its our family members - all are opportunities for Gods love to meet their needs through us. And as Paul says in Timothy above, he did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. I want to encourage you today that it is no longer about you but about the free gift that is within you - God. We have something special, we have the good news that people need, in whatever way they need it. Whether its just a hug of compassion in their grief, whether its a word spoken that brings life and encouragement, whatever it is, step up in the faith that you have and step out and see what the Lord will do through you.
Lord I ask that today you would encourage people in faith to step up and step out in what you say to them, in the small quiet voice, that we would be obedient no longer worried about ourselves but looking forward to what you will do through that bit of obedience. Lord I pray encouragement would come as people step out, that they would see that mustard seed of faith in that situation become a mighty tree. Lord thank you that you will multiply the work of our hands. Take what we offer and use it mightily for your Kingdom. Thank you Jesus that we can do all things through you who strengthens us!