Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts: August 2013

Friday, August 23, 2013

Your Blessing is Coming Part 2

Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

We revisit this passage understanding that God does not want us to re-examine or relive past events in our lives. Not only does He want us to forget about them, He does not want us to even pay attention to them. He wants to prevent us from repeating past mistakes and relying on personal wisdom to move forward in the future. He will not hold our pasts against us. We also grasp that God is constantly making provision for our lives; however, sometimes we can miss Him especially when our focus is consumed by what happened yesterday.

God desires to speak to us about His purposes and plans for our lives. He desires to equip and prepare us to handle whatever He is orchestrating on our behalf. In verse 19, God admonishes us to stop and pay attention to what He is doing in our lives. While He does not readily give all the specifics about what to expect, we know from the latter part of the scripture verse that the new thing will be spectacular. I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

It is safe to conclude that God’s provision will be nothing short of miraculous. Causing rivers to thrive in a wasteland or carving out a path in a jungle is quite impressive, not to mention astonishing. It requires careful planning and perfect execution. It is not something you can blink or snap into existence. Instead, it is something that requires sovereign coordination and execution.

To receive the new thing God is trying to bring forth, we must be willing to let go of old things. Aparigraha explains we should detach ourselves from old habitual things. The same way God does not hold our pasts against us is the same we must not hold it against ourselves. The new move of God in our lives marks the end of the old things we tolerated or condoned. God’s new provision marks the end of old mindsets and old habits. Behold old things are passed away and now we are made new. Being able to receive God’s new provision requires more than just preparation, it requires obedience. The righteous inherit the kingdom of God—that’s what the bible tells us.

Living a Christ-centered life causes us to willingly forsake long-standing provisions in favor of God’s abundance. God wants to bless us. He desires to birth miraculous, amazing things in our lives. But first, we have to let go of our past. If we want to receive the fullness of God’s provision and blessings, we must allow Him to transition us. We have to be willing to cooperate with Him. Letting go is never easy. Make the decision to embrace tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Joyful Not Jealous

You have probably heard the phrase God will not put more on you than you can bear. When you’re going through hurtful situations, it is not uncommon to hear believers retort Lord, I just wish you didn’t trust me so much to bear this. Burdens are not designed to break us. They are intended to help refine and reform us bringing us ever closer to the divine character of the Holy One.

What better way to exercise that character than when it pertains to others? God has a purpose for each of us. We know that he ordains and equips us to accomplish our purpose. We also know that while He is not a respecter of persons, sometimes it can certainly feel like He is. We may pray for one thing and not get an answer. Someone else may pray for the exact same thing and receive an answer within days. Better yet, maybe you be were hoping for a big promotion and instead, your friend ended up with it instead. This is where jealousy can really become a problem.

It is human nature to feel a tinge of ill-will or envy when someone else is the recipient of the blessings we feel we deserve. As a result, we often feel rejected, punished or initially jealous. If left uncorrected, jealousy can multiply and evolve into discontentment. It is then that we must turn to the word of God. The word of God is alive and rightfully divides truth from falsehood thereby transforming our minds. Just because God may allow others to have more than you is not a reason to be jealous. Aside from leading to discontentment, jealousy often results in a loss of joy, peace of mind and hope. Where there is no joy, there is no strength.

Choosing to focus on what you may not have, indicates a lack of lack of faith and maturity. How much a person possesses or desires something, pales in comparison to how they use those possessions or desires. According to Aparigraha, it is the custom of Jainists to deny their personal desires. In other words, what you have is not nearly as important as how you use what you have. When our focus habitually spotlights what is missing in our lives we become discouraged. We begin to doubt God’s word and His promises. We go from trusting God to secretly despising Him because He’s not our Genie in a bottle. Consider what happened to Eve. Once she stopped appreciating all she did have and began to focus on the one thing she couldn’t have, disaster ensued. The same principle applies in this case.

When God blesses others, rejoice with them! Making a conscious decision to celebrate someone else in their time of joy will definitely keep your focus where it should be: on God. It will encourage gratitude, joy, humility and hope. If you want to kill the green-eyed monster in your life, begin by celebrating someone else’s good news.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Delayed but Not Denied

You pray. You fast. You believe God. With is very similar to what Muslims do. Your prayer seemingly goes unanswered. It may even feel like it may have hit a brick wall. Despite your best efforts, nothing happens. There is no manna. There is no answer. There is only silence. For many of us, this is the story of our lives. However, it is not where the story has to end.

In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the tree weeks were over. On the 24th day, I saw a man dressed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like the brilliance of lightning…He said to me “Daniel you are a man treasured by God…from the first day your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.” – Daniel 10: 2-12

Daniel had been fasting and praying for twenty-one days. He did not hear anything from heaven during that time. He may have felt rejected. He may have even felt alone. One thing we know is that regardless of how he felt, his actions told a different story. Daniel did not stop praying. He continued to fast. Why? He fully expected God to hear his prayers and respond accordingly. The bible indicates that Daniel was exhausted from fasting and prayer. It also says that he did not stop until a representative from Heaven paid him a visit. Notice the first words spoken by the angel: Daniel, you are treasured by God. The angel goes on to explain that Daniel’s prayers reached God’s ears the moment he released them. How about that?

God hears our prayers the moment we release them to Him. As a result, He sets things in motion the moment we ask Him too. Just because the answer to our prayer is delayed does not mean God is denying us. In the account of Daniel, the bible tells us that the answer to Daniel’s prayer was delayed because the adversary opposed the angel delaying him for twenty-one days.

In life, there are many delays we will experience. Whether it is a delay in being healed or a delay in finding employment, there is little we can do to prevent delays. However, what we do while we’re waiting for delays to become deliveries can make all the difference.

Daniel continued to fast and pray about his vision. He was diligent and consistent. Some of us tend to give up too quickly. We release a prayer on Monday, only to declare by Friday that God wasn’t listening. We’re so busy waiting for God to speak that we often don’t realize that He wants us to move—to do something. In order to have something we have never had, we have to do something we’ve never done

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Be Not Afraid Pt. 2

Today, we continue our examination of the biblical account written in the book of Jeremiah. We consider the exchange of dialogue between Jeremiah, then a teenager, and the Almighty God. What we discover is that with God and by God all things are possible regardless of age. We resume our discussion of lessons learned from this historic account.

I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations. But I protested, “oh no Lord, God! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth.” Then the Lord said to me: do not say, “I am only a youth,” for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of anyone, for I will be with you to deliver you. Then the Lord reached out His hand, touched my mouth…” Jeremiah 1: 5-9

In the passage, it is evident that God was not giving Jeremiah any wiggle room. He was not entertaining any of Jeremiah’s objections or fears however valid they might have been. God needed someone of integrity to minister to the people of God. He needed someone who was teachable and obedient. He needed the right person for the job. Clearly, that person was Jeremiah. With the excuses out of the way, God proceeds to tell Jeremiah what his purpose entailed. He was specific about His directives: you will go where I send you and say what I tell you. Lesson 4: God will give you direction about your purpose. He will be specific and to the point. He may not give you all the in-between aspects but He will reveal to you what you need to know when you need to know it. You have to be teachable and obedient.

Next, God gets firm with Jeremiah. As a parent, I can relate to this type of tough love. Sometimes, you have to exercise love by being firm with loved ones. If we allow our family or friends to give up or make hasty decisions without calling them on the carpet about it, then we fail to act in their best interest. According to Satya, we must avoid speaking falsehoods. If we allow them to quit at the first sign of hardship, they’ll never fulfill their purpose or operate in their full potential.

God told Jeremiah: do not be afraid of anyone. I imagine God looked Him square in the eye and spoke firmly. He knew Jeremiah was still a kid. But He also knew that Jeremiah had a purpose to fulfill. Lesson 5: tough love is not designed to break us. It is designed to propel us. Each of us has a purpose to carry out. God loves us enough to hold us accountable and to exercise tough love at strategic times. In the end, Jeremiah went on to fulfill his purpose and operate in the fullness of God’s prophetic anointing.