Bill shares with Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry students on the importance of sowing and investing into those around us, even in difficult seasons. This kind of investment is eternal, and we can have confidence in the nature of God to honor all that was done in His name. We can all stir up the courage to do good to one another, but true nobility is found in the way we think about those around us – everything starts with how we think.
nice nice to see you by faith I’m gonna
lower this thing thanks guys for
bleeding yeah I’ll keep it just in case
they get lazy you know I walk around too
much but I can’t walk anymore
they go in front of one camera alright
well happy happy virus day or whatever
we call this this is a most unusual
season for all of us I don’t remember
anything quite like this before but
whenever there’s an unusual season like
this there’s always the opportunity yeah
I can’t I can’t sit there’s always an
opportunity to to advance in ways that
you couldn’t advance before in
opportunities to grow in areas that you
never realized needed development
there’s always the opportunity to sow
into your future in a way that has a
tremendous benefit later I I know
through the years I’ve had moments where
I’ve realized that the Lord blessed or
rewarded me or honored me or did
something that was connected to
something that I did maybe twenty years
earlier and it’s it’s one of the most
sober sobering moments you can
experience I I’ve talked a bit about
this passage sewing with tears reaping
with joy and I remember a missionary
sent a letter out this is goodness
probably 35 years ago sent a letter out
to a lot of us pastors and he said for
the first time he understood with that
passage man and he was missionary in
Africa and he watched as women with
children strapped to their backs had
seed and they were hungry
and that seed would have provided a meal
for them for their child for their
family maybe for a day or two whatever
it might be but instead she realized
that if she didn’t plant it there would
be no harvest in the future and so she
hears this mom or a series of mothers
there are tears coming down their faces
as they have a baby strapped to their
back and they walking through the fields
planting seeds and my goodness what a
sobering picture that that there are
times where that’s the kind of sowing
that we do we we so when need to be
preoccupied with our own need our own
desires our own vision our own promises
whatever it is fill in the blanks but
the point is it’s there are times where
we face where we face moments or even
seasons where we have unusual amount of
attention on what we need and it’s in
those moments that are the most critical
because what we do with those moments in
our thought life our prayer life our
thought life what we entertain what we
think about our prayer life what we pray
into our our time the way we spend our
time with people there our comments our
contributions if you will that we make
into other people’s lives whether it’s
at a grocery store or whatever it’s
those moments that God gives us and all
of us have the ability to stir up the
courage to do all of us can do that all
of us know what it’s like to to really
stir yourselves up to do that noble act
of maybe giving something very valuable
away or maybe going way out of your way
to helping to serve somebody all of us
know how to turn that on but oftentimes
nobility is seen in the things that
nobody is measuring it’s it’s the way I
think of another person it’s my
willingness to go out of the way to make
sure things are well with them and it’s
just this lifestyle of generosity every
one of us are businesspeople in in a
sense we’re we’re all investors we
invest our time we invest our emotional
health or emotional strength we invest
money we invest possessions we just
invest we invest insight there are
there’s there’s a tendency in some to
even withhold insight if you could
imagine seeing something profound and
you want to wait for the right moment to
share it and I think there’s wisdom in
that but there’s times where where a
person can even withhold information it
would help somebody else just because
they’re they’re waiting for more
glorious moments and really what it
comes down to us we’re all investors and
we get to invest in people you know I’m
thinking about you know the person who
led Charles Finney to the Lord or led
Billy Graham to the Lord or these people
that we may never know their names you
could find them out in history but they
their names are not championed much like
our heroes of faith from Charles Finney
to wiglesworth to whoever Edwards all
these wonderful people were we’re not as
knowledgeable of the names of the people
that impacted them and yet those are the
ones that in many ways receive the the
greater glory from the Lord because they
invested in somebody they didn’t invest
because they thought well here’s a great
hero of the faith they invested simply
because that was their lifestyle so
here’s what I wanted to do today I I’ve
got to I’ve got kind of a strange
strange thing I want to do I want you to
go with me to proverbs 31 and I want to
encourage you I’m gonna if I remember
I’ve been encouraged although all of our
students today when you’re at home
especially it’s easy to think you can
multitask don’t give your full attention
to the Lord what he’s doing in a moment
that he gives you don’t oh don’t try to
keep this text going in this
you know Instagram going whatever
whatever is that you’re involved in give
him full attention and to put put the
stuff aside because he’s simply he’s
worthy of that I had a phrase that I
read from odd Annika howard-browne
rodney howard-browne wife she made a
comment on on the internet here maybe
two weeks ago and it really impacted me
I really I really loved it and of course
responded to her but she said um it’s
not how much money you have in the bank
it’s how much seed you have in the
ground it’s not how much money you have
in the bank it’s how much seed you have
in the ground and you understand that
concept of course she’s addressing
finances but it really is is about life
itself it’s it’s not how much I have
stored up for me for the for the
difficult time of the difficult day
it’s what have I invested in other
people and there’s this passage nehemiah
is as an individual that I admire so
much and I admire his I admire his his
approach to helping rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem and just the the incredible
profound picture of his servant to it in
his his wisdom his strategy his the way
he could use the resources of people
around him there are times where he
didn’t let anybody know what he was
doing he went secretly at night and
there’s just this brilliance that he had
and of course Nehemiah’s name means
comforter so he’s a wonderful wonderful
picture of the Holy Spirit but here in
this his is like the right hand guide to
the king and he’s released from that
king to come and rebuild Jerusalem and
and when he did so he chose not to
receive the governor’s allowance he
would have it would have naturally as
the one who was leading Israel and he’s
leading Jerusalem for the rebuilding he
would naturally have access to
tax resource an allowance to govern
govern and to lead that the people but
he chose not to do that and he took care
of all the expenses for his staff out of
his own out of his own resource and so a
Nehemiah I know I told you to turn to
proverbs 31 will go there next alright
there was I want I want to just read a
few verses here verse 15 of Nehemiah 5
you can just listen if you’d like but
the former governors who were before me
laid burdens on the people and took from
them bread and wine besides forty
shekels of silver yes even their
servants bore rule over the people but I
did not do so because of the fear of God
indeed I also continued to work on this
wall we did not buy any land all my
servants were gathered there for the
work at my table there were 150 Jews and
rulers now imagine feeding those folks
every three times a day besides those
who came to us from the nations around
us and now that which was prepared daily
was one ox six Joyce sheep also fowl
were prepared for me and once every 10
days an abundance of all kinds of wine
yet in spite of this I did not demand
the governor’s provision because the
bondage was heavy on this people but
here’s the point apart I want you to see
verse 19 remember me my God for good
according to all that I’ve done for this
people that’s an awkward way to pray it
may not be for you but this is a verse
I’ve honestly I started studying
Nehemiah goodness way back in 1974 I
into the season where I wanted to study
two books over and over and over again
Ephesians and Nehemiah so I did I took
on those two books and spent six months
to a year or forget now it’s been a long
time about six months to a year just
reading over those two books and just
asking the Lord to teach me so this
something that has stood out to me for a
long time but here’s this here’s this
this prayer where he says remember me my
God for good according to all that I’ve
done for this people sometimes real
faith in real confidence in God would
look like arrogance to anybody with
unbelief it would look like arrogance
and self-centeredness and all of that to
anyone who is outside of that divine
moment have you seen those those rocks
there geodes they’re just rough and ugly
on the outside you cut them open inside
is beautiful purple crystals and all the
stuff to me all the stuff for the
kingdom is like that it’s offensive on
the outside but once you get inside you
find the beauty revival is that way
every great move of God has an offensive
aspect from a distance but when you’re
in it you see the beauty of all that God
is doing this is one of those moments
that from a distance could look quite
arrogant where Nehemiah is demanding
something of the Lord because of his own
righteousness or his own goodness
instead what you have here is you have
this unusual confidence in God as a
father and here is a son who’s coming
before the father and he’s doing what
he’s been commanded to do to remind the
Lord of his own righteous deeds it’s
it’s an unusual approach to the Lord but
what it is is it’s a confidence number
one in God as our Father but number two
he is the reward er of those who seek
Him
he’s the reward er faith has two aspects
to it in Hebrews 11 verse 6 faith he who
comes to God must believe that he is so
there’s the confidence of his existence
and that he is number 2 the reward er of
those who seek Him so half of faith is
an understanding that he is a father who
rewards half of the issue of faith is
this confidence in the nature in the
heart of God to honor all that was done
right in his name we have this picture
in Corinthians of judgment and judgments
a scary thing but it’s also a very
beautiful thing
and in Corinthians you have this if you
would look at all of our lives as is
just this big pile of debris so to speak
and the Lord comes and he lights that
pile on fire and everything’s the straw
the wood the hay the stubble all the
stuff that was not done in Christ all
the works that were not done for his
glory but actually done for ours all
those things burn up and all that
remains the silver the gold the precious
stones in other words the things that
cannot be harmed by fire they actually
remain and that which remains is the
basis for our reward it’s probably wise
that we start learning about this
concept of reward not so that we could
demand something from God in the sense
that he owed us anything but so that we
can move wisely into his economy
realizing he’s the covenant-keeping god
he’s a covenant-keeping god
so nehemiah gives himself really
unselfishly to serve the people of
israel to serve the city of Jerusalem
and he entertains all these
international gasps he’s got his own
group of a hundred and fifty servants
that work with him continuously and he
has everyday he has all this food
prepared by a whole nother group of
people cooks and chefs and what all and
they come and they serve this group of
people at the end of all that he’s been
doing this now for quite some time he
stands before the Lord and he says
father says please remember this for me
for my good it’s not that God forgets
it’s just not that God forgets and in
Corinthians no excuse me a book of Acts
book of Acts there was Cornelius and he
was a Gentile who gave generously to the
work of God and it says that his gifts
rose up before the Lord as a memorial
III know it’s a concept you’ve heard
before but listen let’s think over in in
this context he says the scripture says
here’s this guy he’s been doing acts of
kindness for the Jews he’s been sowing
into their faith he’s had this honor and
the fear
of God on his life for all these years
and and and it says that his alms his
giving rose up as a memorial before the
Lord the concept is repeat it’s a New
Testament repeat of an Old Testament
concept the Old Testament concept was
when Israel off the Red Sea when they
crossed the Jordan River on the other
side of the Jordan River
they took twelve stones out of the river
they put him in a pile on the bank of
the river so that in future in the
future when they’re walking you know and
father and son are on a hike mom and the
kids are walking around on the river
trail so to speak and they see this pile
of stones the kids gonna say hey what’s
that what’s that therefore then the mom
or the dad are reminded this is where
God brought Israel across this river on
dry ground into our promised land all
that we’ve inherited is because God
brought our forefathers through this
river on dry ground to this inheritance
now what we have is a result of God’s
provision so what was it it was a
reminder to the people of God of God’s
works now in the New Testament this
thing is reversed when we live honorably
when we live the generous lifestyle when
we live sowing into other people’s lives
the memorial stones are built in heaven
and they speak to God about our works I
don’t understand how this works because
I know that God doesn’t forget anything
and he doesn’t need reminding but
something happens to us when we step
into in line we sit with his thinking in
line with his values in line with his
commands to pray for specific things the
Bible tells us he knows what I need
before I even ask and yet
so it’s it’s not like my prayers ever
provide God with any new information
prayer is not for the purpose of
providing God with new information he
knows it all anyway it’s for the purpose
of bringing me in line with his heart
his covenant that I would have enough
faith to act upon and pray according to
what has been written father I ask you
to remember this that I’ve done remember
this for my good Nehemiah was investing
in his own future he had been sowing and
sowing and sowing he refused to take
income in this situation the people if
you read through the book you see were
chapter 5 is actually where there had
been a great famine an early part of the
chapter and the people were hit very
hard and he was moved with great great
compassion for the people so he chose to
pay for everything himself of his own
personal team expenses 150 people plus
so here’s the point is he
he was deliberate in his actions to give
on her deliberate in his actions to be
generous and deliberate in his actions
to stand before the Father and expect a
reward we don’t demand a reward in the
sense that I have rights
that’s just my approach I I don’t come
before him as though he owes me anything
even when there’s a promise I’ll bring
the promise before him but I he’s not my
servant I’m his but I will pray as a
father I ask that you remember this for
my good and that you would you would
reward my labor here in a way that most
honors you and in your best timing and
and then put it in his hands and this is
a profound thing here for me out of
Nehemiah life where he prays this prayer
remember me my god for good according to
all that I’ve done for this people
profound profound moment I hear in
history now I want you to go through
with me to proverbs chapter 31 and
proverbs 31 I don’t know if I’ve ever
spoken on proverbs 31 I don’t know if I
ever have it’s a great chapter about
the first part is on on ruling well and
the last part verse 10 on is about a
virtuous wife and my goodness you read
through this through this chapter this
woman has to almost be superwoman to
accomplish the stuff that she’s a
businesswoman she’s a seamstress she’s a
you know the most amazing chef she’s
she’s she’s you know a million women
wrapped up into one so this is this is a
kind of a profound a profound chapter I
like it starts in verse 10 says who can
find a virtuous woman in in the
sidelines of my Bible it gives a
definition of this who can find the word
virtuous wife it says in the sense of
all forms of excellence which I love
excellent so much so that I just kind of
excited me when I when I saw that but
here’s here’s what I want you to look at
there’s this there’s this portion that
that says this if I can find it you real
quickly I apologize I thought I had it
here says when oops so sorry I lost my
verse
well maybe one of you can find it for me
I just tell you what it says but it’s a
bummer how do you lose a verse it’s
right here on the page oh well I’m gonna
have to just say what it says I
apologize for for losing oh here it is
verse 21 it’s kind of a strange verse
she’s not afraid of snow for her
household for all her household is
clothed with scarlet strange verse to
talk on I own but think about this for a
minute
here’s a woman let’s let’s just say that
she’s a type of the Bride of Christ I
think that would be a legitimate
comparison the Bride of Christ the
church here’s a woman you know I have
jokingly tell tell the women you know
you have to learn to be sons of God I
have to learn to be the Bride of Christ
so we all have some adjusting to do but
here she says it says I’ve heard says
she’s not afraid of snow for her
household for all her household is
clothed with scarlet it goes on to talk
about all that she had done for the sake
of her family she’s not afraid of snow
for her household all her household is
clothed with scarlet she prepared before
the devastation of winter came she
prepared her family her household where
everything that would need be needed
before the devastation of winter came
and shut down their capacity to harvest
to do all the things that would they
would normally do
I don’t know it’s just my imagination
but I was reading over this this morning
it just really has really left off the
page in fact it it really joins it links
in my heart at links this concept with
the concept with Nehemiah mentioned
earlier and the statement that Adamic I
heart Braun made last week or two it’s
not how much money I have in the bank
it’s how much seed of having the ground
here is a woman who prepares ahead of
time knowing that winter is going to be
a time not of going out into the field
and harvesting not in in the sense of
bringing in the kind of income or the
grain of the breakthrough that we would
normally have in certain seasons this is
a season where everything shuts down we
are facing that in strange ways right
now in ways I I’ve never even thought of
before what would it be like for cities
and nations literally just to shut down
all of our activities or travel or
business life schools everything it’s an
it’s an awkward season but here’s um
here’s something that really speaks to
me she’s not afraid of snow she’s not
afraid of a shutdown that happens
because of disease
she is not afraid of a loss because of a
fire that was last year or a year before
she’s not afraid of the difficulties
that come we can’t always stop the
difficulties from coming but when you
live in integrity you are constantly
investing in the people’s lives were
like Nehemiah you can stand before the
Lord and you can pray father please
remember me what I’ve done remember this
for my good this this strange verse
speaks to me in a lot of ways look at
the second part of says her household is
clothed with scarlet
you know I I would I would think you
would say her household is fully clothed
with warm clothing but instead it it
announces the color of the clothing in
other words she clothes her family in
festive colors in winter in other words
she’s not going to allow the season
around her to define the appearance the
well-being the expectation the hope of
her household there is a festive
approach to the season as though it were
springtime as though it were the
celebrations of summer as though it was
the great parties that you have during
harvest time honoring God for his
abundance near life instead she has
prepared ahead of time with a garment of
brilliance and of beauty for her
household so that when is cold and it’s
dark and there’s the snow all there’s
all the stuff there is this festive
approach to life I mean I like this so
much I think it’s the most amazing thing
it says in verse 22 it says she makes a
tapestry for herself her clothing is
fine linen and purple so here we’ve got
we’ve got let’s just say the body of
Christ we know that we live in difficult
times it shouldn’t surprise us when
things happen that are crazy that’s just
the hour that we live in we’ve been
privileged assigned by God to live in
perilous times I read a statement so
many years ago and it really it really
moved me it was a book on leadership and
it was it was from a former president of
the United States and he made this
statement he said some of the greatest
leaders the world has ever had we will
never know their names because they were
unfortunate enough to not live during
difficult times great leaders great
skills great abilities but they weren’t
alive at a time when there was a crisis
and so we’ll never know who they are
well guess what you and I live at a time
where
there seems to be an acceleration of
crisis well we have to keep in mind is
there’s also an acceleration of good
there’s also the acceleration of
breakthrough there’s the acceleration of
increase there’s all that we’ve seen in
past revivals are starting to accumulate
almost almost like they’re there a team
is coming together all these different
aspects of outpourings of God throughout
history they’re all beginning to rally
together for a great great wave of
revival the billion soul harvest of
youth of just abuse and all of that that
is all approaching us right now
and and here is this here is this
god-given confidence that I don’t know
what’s coming I had no idea of viruses
coming maybe some prophets did I heard
I’ve heard of some that I know who
announced that it was coming that’s fine
I don’t know what’s coming what I do
know is I’ve been planting for the last
forty some years in difficult times
I don’t plant just in abundance I plant
when there’s a famine I plant it’s not
just money it includes that but that’s
just the tip of the iceberg
the generous lifestyle means when I’m
hurting when I’m suffering I’m still
going to try to find somebody that I can
to encourage it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t
be the one to receive encouragement or
strength or help or whatever that’s
that’s a given they’re in relationships
that happens but the point is is the the
one part of my life that I have absolute
control of is that is how I’m going to
react to the different devastating
situations how am I going to respond
what is my hope like what is my what is
my hope of the future in this particular
store which I just think is so so
profound she she she’s not afraid of the
snow that she knows is coming she’s
she’s not concerned she has done all
that she has known to do to make sure
that she sews into her own future
there’s a story that Paul men wearing
sure I won’t get all the details right
but the story really really really has
moved me and it’s a it’s a story it’s a
story about a friend of his that many
years ago was was attending a conference
and he was staying at somebody in the
church or the ministry staying at their
home and on the last day of the
conference the hostess who whose home he
was staying at asked him when you’re
when you clean up your room please fold
the sheets of your bed and put them
central so anyway as the story goes he
went about the morning eat breakfast he
left he went to the conference and while
he was in the conference he remembered
he didn’t fold the sheets and so he
actually left a meeting that he had just
assumed be out he was there for that
reason he went back to that home went
into the room took the sheets folded the
sheets and left him as the hostess had
had requested and then went back to the
conference fast forward many years later
he is he received some sort of a
notification a phone call something that
a very dear friend of his was very close
to death and if I remember Riots fourth
stage cancer is in very very very very
rough shape and very very close to
breathing his last and he goes in there
and he prays for his friend and there’s
a dramatic dramatic healing dramatic
instant turnaround
dramatically healed everybody knows it’s
the work of God it’s the grace of God
and and he was praying I don’t remember
if it’s the same day or if it’s a week
later but sometime short he’s just a
fellowship in with the Lord and the Lord
spoke to him and said do you know why I
could trust you with that without
healing and he said why says cuz you
folded the sheets
oh man that messes me up I mean I just
makes me want to sit on a cry the Lord
the Lord gave him a simple
tasks to test the heart to see if he
could trust him with a noble task see
all of us know how to psych ourselves up
for the noble event it’s it’s the little
ones it’s the little moments you know
it’s it’s the things that nobody’s
looking at the things that nobody would
measure nobody would fault him if he
forgot to fold the sheets it wasn’t that
it was it was that he wanted to honor
the one who allowed him to stay in their
home and so he went back and he folded
the sheets the miracle life’s lifestyle
that we’ve asked for the Lord’s allowed
us to taste it we see it we have if
you’re anything like me you have seasons
where there seems to be just dramatic
breakthrough breakthrough breakthrough
and then there’ll be kind of a reprieve
for a season where there’s breakthroughs
but they’re much more occasional and
then there’s other times it just seems
to come one after the other end and I of
course I that’s what I want all the time
but the the Lord miracles create
attention in our lives miracles create
miracles create obligation miracles
create a sense of demand upon our life
that the absence of miracles do not
there’s expectations when you walk into
a room when you’re at a particular event
if if you’re known as somebody who prays
for the sake of praise for finances
whatever might be but there’s
breakthrough when you pray there’s
additional demands and there’s extra
weight of glory on your life and
learning how to to carry that well is is
such a significant thing learning how to
carry that glory in a way that he is
truly honored and we don’t take it to
ourselves
learning how he’s looking for people we
can trust his desire for planet Earth is
beyond everything every one of us could
have made
he said beyond beyond all you could ask
or think beyond all you could ask the
reach of your prayer life or you could
think the reach of your imagination
that’s where God has committed himself
is to work in that in that realm of
beyond but the next phrase in Ephesians
3 says according to the work of God
within you according to the the depth of
the work of the Spirit of God in me
in other words he will go beyond my
reach in the same measure
he works deep within me folding sheets
picking up piece of trash
I remember yours years ago I don’t do my
taxes in fact I’ve never done my taxes I
always pay someone to do them but I
remember in my in the early the early
years you know I used to do a lot of
weddings and funerals now sort of thing
and I travel so much now it’s it’s
pretty rare event but and it would be an
honorarium given for doing a wedding
honorarium given for doing a funeral and
I would keep record of all those things
and come to the end of the tax season I
would look at my list all right I I made
$20 here and $50 there and add it all up
and you know include that obviously as
my as my income and for for many years I
knew it was I knew it was possible and
now we have everything on record but I
knew it was possible I may have
forgotten the one and so just for
illustration sake let’s just say I added
it all up and it was you know fifteen
hundred dollars of additional income and
I reported on my tax but I would for
years I would add like a hundred dollars
I said well you know I might have made
more I don’t remember I think it’s
accurate but I may have made more and so
just in case my records are not as
perfect as they should have been
I’m gonna I’m gonna say I made more
money than I did so that in a month from
now if I remember something that I
forgot to record I won’t feel guilty or
shameful and I will know that I’ve
already covered it some sometimes it’s
those it’s those little tiny moments
where you you you you strive so much to
honor the Lord with a little actions
those little thoughts the little
investments of time the comments that
you make to a person all of that starts
with how you think all of it starts
there it doesn’t start with the check it
doesn’t start with the compliment to the
cashier at the store
it doesn’t start there it starts when
you’re by yourself what do you think
about how do you think of other people
how do you think of your future this
said she wasn’t afraid of snow she
wasn’t afraid why because she had
already sewed all the clothing that
wouldn’t be needed in a difficult time
she had already set up everybody to be
successful in the coming challenge or
difficulty she wasn’t afraid
and I I believed that the Lord is taking
the church he’s taking you and he’s
taking me into a lifestyle where we are
confident that we have said yes to all
that God’s called us to doing to be and
we’ve said we’ve said yes to sowing into
our own future that we prepared
ourselves as much as we know how when
I’m not afraid of winter coming I don’t
know what’s coming next year you know it
was the fire now it’s this crazy plague
who knows what it’s gonna be next year
but I am sowing now I’m not retreating
in fear
I’m putting seed in the ground I’m
making sure that my thought life is not
one of an fear about the future but
instead it’s it’s an approach of
investment I am a business person I am
functioning with Kingdom business and
I’m investing words that change lives
I’m investing touch I’m investing time
I’ve been investing money I’m investing
inside council words of wisdom whatever
it might be I’m investing in people’s
lives because they know that it’s gonna
be helpful for them number one but
number two I know it’s how I ensure that
my future is safe
it’s how I it’s how I ensure that my
future is secure here’s a woman she’s
not afraid let’s just take the Bride of
Christ not afraid of the difficulties
that come why because of the people
we’ve been continuously investing in not
just survival but we’ve created clothing
for each other that is festive in nature
even though it’s dark and it’s cold I’m
wearing purple you’re wearing red the
point is we are moving into celebration
at the most Awkward time and we’re going
to honor God for what he’s provided for
what he’s done and we’re gonna close
ourselves with the righteous acts of the
saints we’re gonna do so in such a
triumphant overcoming way starts with
how we think there’s a lot of anxiety
you know I don’t get to talk to you so I
don’t know what’s going on with you but
but I do get a chance to talk to
different friends I’ve had goodness I’ve
had more zoom calls and conferences and
stuff I’m not traveling now but I’m
traveling through the airwaves they’ll
tell you I’ve got two more conferences
this week and things that we’re doing
online we’re speaking into a camera like
this and I know from talking to friends
the anxiety the the the pain that people
are in I don’t ever want to downplay the
severity of this virus
anybody who has it we keep hearing news
of loss of life and suffering and and I
never want to minimalize that that’s a
that’s a great tragic tragedy one loss
is too much so when it’s hundreds and
it’s actually now several thousand
it’s great great tragedy the scripture
says the thousand may fall at my side
ten thousand at my other side it will
not come near me at some point
there has to be a confidence in God that
says it’s not coming to my house it’s
not coming to my house and should
somehow it’s sneaked past my shield of
faith and afflict someone in miles it is
not taking anyone out it is not taking
he is the one who delivers me from the
snare of the Fowler Psalms 91 is filled
with such revelation knowledge such
understanding here’s here’s what happens
in Psalms 91 we’ve got this promise of
safety we have this favor of God this
blessing of the Lord on an individual
this person in Psalms 19:1 does several
things number one they make this decree
I trust in him it’s a confession
it’s a proclamation it’s a confession
and it’s a prophetic proclamation he is
my refuge he’s my strength he will
deliver me there’s that confidence
it’s a proclamation of something some
things just need to be spoken they don’t
serve well just as happy thoughts it has
to it has to volcanic ly erupted me i
I’ve dwelt on the provision of the Lord
through his word so deeply that it
erupts in me into this prophetic decree
in Proclamation and throughout this
Psalm which I believe is very key for
all of us I’ve been I’ve been trying to
read it every day and just meditating
praying over that song here’s this this
incredible stream of Revelation on the
safety and protection of the people of
God but the thing that just messes me up
is that towards the end of that Psalm of
great protection and deliverance he
makes this statement he says he will
protect you so that you don’t dash your
foot against a stone so here’s here’s
the picture he’s going to protect you in
fact this is a verse that Satan quoted
to Jesus to try to get him to act
inappropriately outside of what
was saying doing and so he the devil
uses the word against Jesus who is the
word which is a bizarre concept and it
says the angels of the Lord protect us
so that we don’t stumble we don’t dash
your foot against the stone the very
next verse says and you will trample on
the lion and the Cobra the serpent the
scorpion you will trample on all these
powers of darkness so here’s the picture
is the angelic realm protects us so we
don’t hurt our feet why because we have
something to trample on it protects us
so we aren’t injured why because we have
an assignment that protected become the
protectors that delivered become the
deliverers the healed become the healers
the restored becomes the restores God
doesn’t protect us and bless us so that
we can sit comfortably in our easy chair
and do nothing he protects us to equip
us with an understanding of his nature
an understanding of his covenant an
understanding of his heart for people so
that in that place of safety
we’ve been protected and now it’s time
to trample now it’s time it may be since
we can’t get together it may be walking
around your house sometimes I will do
physical things like that I will walk
and I will I will trample I will just
declare the powers of darkness are under
the soles of my feet in every place that
the sole of my feet treads God has given
to me and you you make these statements
that you find throughout scripture I
will not be afraid of the winter of the
snow that is coming I will not be afraid
of the changing of seasons why because
I’ve been sowing into the ground and I
know my household is not just well
clothed they’re clothed with festive
colors because in the darkest seasons is
still a season where I get to celebrate
the kindness and the goodness of God I
am moving into that realm where I refuse
to fear the changing of seasons I don’t
know what it’s going to look like I
don’t know what’s going to happen but I
do know who I am with and he is ensured
that I get to pray in this way father I
done this through these seasons I’m sure
I haven’t done everything perfect but I
know I’ve said yes to you and I’ve done
these things for your honor for your
glory
I asked now that you remember those
things for my good that my family would
benefit from your safety your blessing
because I have sowed into their lives I
remember I each my children many years
ago now and it was soon after they were
married and I I told them I felt as
prophetically I told them they would not
struggle with some that financially in
ways that Benny and I struggled and we
were blessed because of my parents and
their parents every generation sets the
stage for a new level blessing so I
remember meeting with my kids and I said
you’re not gonna have the same struggles
I did but I want you to know why it’s
because I have lived generously David
lived with extreme generosity in a set
the stage for Solomon to come into a
level of breakthrough that had never
been known before and I remember
announcing that to my children that
there would be levels of breakthrough
and blessing on their life because of my
yes why would I do that certainly not to
be praised or honored I I want them to
know how it works I want them to know
that they now have the responsibility of
doing the same things to set the stage
for their children to enter into realms
in God that that that they didn’t have
time to go that they would have
opportunity to see my children would
have a chance to see their grandchildren
come into blessing and for me blessing
is a material things it includes that
sometimes but that’s that’s not
Jesus says if you don’t know how to
handle unrighteous mammon who will
entrust you true riches to riches is not
more unrighteous mammon true riches are
the things that’s why you’re at the
school that’s why I’m here so why I’m
doing what I’m doing is because I’m
after the true riches I’m after the
favor of God I’m after the grace that
I’ve seen on men and women throughout
history to shape the course of history I
am after that I’m after the true
blessing of bringing to him a reward
that he deserves the harvest that he
deserves I’m in it for that the true the
true wealth and so here we are we we say
yes we sacrifice we pour our lives out
why because we’re pursuing a true
blessing we’re pursuing the true riches
the things that really make a difference
and with it come the car and the home
and all this stuff but once that becomes
my focus one once that consumes my my
appetite I’ve just I’ve just cut off the
sense of eternity in and the whole the
whole privilege of bringing to him a
harvest and something that brings him
honor it’s I I don’t want all these
things you know I like this night things
as much as anybody I’m thankful you know
if it’s crazy how the Lord provides for
me sometimes it’s embarrassing sometimes
it would be periods of time they’re very
difficult great lack great need never
announce it but it’s there and then
there are other times it’s it’s just
crazy
he’ll just provide in ways that are it’s
sometimes almost embarrassing the point
I’m trying to make is he knows what he’s
doing
and it’s it’s important for you and for
me to live as this woman a proverbs 31
read this is a 31st today this is when
this one is do read this with this in
mind how can you live in a way that does
not fear tomorrow but you’re doing
everything you know how to do you’re
using all your resources of time you’re
investing in people investing maybe it’s
up maybe you’re in business investing in
this situation that situation you’re
investing who you are the grace that God
has given to you so that you can look at
winter and say you don’t scare me
in fact everybody I’m involved with is
wearing red or purple because we are
going to celebrate we’re going to be
festive in the time that it’s dark and
cold we’re going to celebrate the
goodness of God because it remains in
any and every season and so I want to
invite you into into that strangest
teaching I have ever done it now it’s
probably not true but anyway the I want
to invite you into this season shifting
approach what do you think about what do
you dwell on what do you anticipate how
does your thought life not just your
prayer life your prayer life is where we
control our thoughts and we direct them
to the Lord how does your thought life
represent him how does your thinking
reveal what you anticipate in the days
to come I really I’ve said it I’ve said
the last few weeks I I mean it’s so
strong I this is this is a weird season
for all of us this whole shutdown of the
nation the economy everything is just
it’s just there’s so many questions and
I don’t have answers but I but I’m very
close to the one who does and and so my
my approach is I’m not going to Alette
my questions about tomorrow destroy my
answers for today I’m not going to let
my
wonder about what’s coming
destroy the piece that I carry right now
I’m gonna protect what I have because he
gave it to me and and I I want to I want
to pray I feel like I what I’ve said
before many times is I feel like this
could be the most important month in our
schools history that’s crazy to think
that because we’ve had so many you know
outwardly great moments you know where
Randy comes and imparts on all of us
which is just an incomparable time the
missions trips that have shaped all of
our lives through the years all those
things I never want to undervalue those
things but knowing how God works this
could be the time where you get scarlet
clothing ready where you refuse to bow
to that to that thing that wants to come
in and press upon you the fear the
anxiety those small thinking that exists
all around us even sometimes even in the
church so here’s what I want to do I
swung pray I’m gonna pray and I want to
wrap this up and and then I’ll turn it
turn the door father I ask that this
this team of students of servants this
wealthy wealthy group of people wealthy
and the things of God wealthy in time
that gets to be focused on you and you
alone you’ve made us rich rich with
heritage rich with testimony rich with
experience rich with encounters that you
take every single one of us every one of
us and that you would close us in
scarlet that this season we’d look back
in ten years and say we accomplished
more we understood more we grew more and
the final weeks of this school year in
2020 than we did any other season of our
life father I’m asking that you’d put a
spirit of breakthrough a mantle of
breakthrough upon us as a school as a
church family effect as a city that this
city would find acceleration in hope
acceleration and the things of God but
they’re very things the enemy meant for
evil again you would reverse their
effects reverse their effects so that
great faith comes out of trial great
purity of values in thinking would come
out of this challenging season instead
of anxiety people would together we
would think creatively and imagine and
prepare ourselves for the great
breakthroughs that are coming I ask all
of this for the honor of the name Jesus
and lord please help us in our thinking
so that our values truly are your values
I ask this in Jesus name Amen amen well
thanks for patiently listening I bless
you and I look forward to the day soon
when I can actually hug you and it’s
legal all right