Hello, peeps!
This is the title of my pastor's message yesterday at church. I was so inspired by it. I am going to attempt to attach the link to his video message in case you would like to experience my church service yesterday.
Warning: The entire message is 1 hour 40 minutes. If you want to skip the Praise and Worship (which I don't recommend!--I LOVE Praise and Worship!), you can start at the 45-minute mark--that's where he starts his message. Or you can listen to it in bits and pieces as you are able. Or you can choose not to listen. Whatever works for you. :) I just thought I'd throw this out there for anyone who desires.
"I Will Not Be Intimidated" Church service This is the link for the service.
He underscores the fact that we can choose not to be intimidated by Satan's attacks because we have God in us. He talks about David and Goliath, and that even though David had to be afraid to confront his literal Goliath, he refused to allow his fear to master him. DAVID mastered his fear.
One piece he did not get to (he just mentioned the Scripture passage and I meditated on it later) is Acts 21. Paul's refusal to be intimidated is remarkable and astonishing. If we back up a bit and read Acts 20:22-24, we begin to understand how Paul could have been easily intimidated (Frankly, I would have been intimidated.), BUT HE REFUSED TO FOCUS ON THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN; he chose instead to focus on his great and mighty God.
Acts 20:22-24:
22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
I would just be so scared. He gets his marching orders from God (go to Jerusalem), but God also warns him in city after city (in other words, many different people are prophesying the same thing to him) that he will experience suffering. So scary. I encourage you to read the rest of Chapter 20 and also Chapter 21. It was so powerful to me.
I find it fascinating that God let him know that troubles and trials awaited him in Jerusalem, but at NO POINT did Paul even consider staying away from Jerusalem. He knew what God told him to do, and he was going to do it, no matter what the cost. Several believers even begged him not to go to Jerusalem. Of course they would. They loved their dear Paul and certainly did not want any harm to come to him. That's completely understandable from a human perspective. BUT Paul refused to be distracted from his God-given mission. He refused to cave to the fear of the unknown. He STAYED FOCUSED on God. His mind never strayed from the big picture. His response to those who begged him not to go to Jerusalem? "Then Paul answered, 'What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, 'The will of the Lord be done.' " (Acts 21;13-14)
I think the last part of the last sentence is so powerful. How many times do we strive in the Spirit, working so hard to achieve the goal we have in mind (in this case they wanted to save Paul from suffering and possible death), instead of completely surrendering ourselves to God's will and plan? I know I do that. Take the situation with Carlos. He is a fifteen-year-old young man. I, as his mother who loves him dearly, am DESPERATE--with every cell in my body--for this young man to surrender his life to the Lord and ALLOW GOD to heal his deep, dark wounds. I just want God to make the miracle ... yesterday. I am so scared to accept the possibility that it may take several more years for him to get to that point, and in the meantime I have to continue to struggle in this relationship that is a far cry from my dreams for our relationship and HIM personally as well. If you had told me when Carlos was in fifth grade, that he would become like this, I would have looked at you like you were insane and absolutely did not know my child.
I am at the point where I, too, must "cease" and say, "The will of the Lord be done." I have to accept the fact that God understands the big picture far better than I can.
{Isaiah 55:8-9
My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.}
That doesn't mean that I will stop praying (obviously). That means that I will make a CONCERTED EFFORT daily (and some days SEVERAL times per day) not to focus on what my eyes see (the lack of progress in him), but I will walk by faith. (II Cor. 5:7) I will trust my Maker. Period. No matter what the outcome, no matter how many years it takes, I will trust Him because He is trustworthy. I will refuse to become anxious about the lack of progress. I will refuse to constantly look for signs that Carlos is allowing God in and allowing God to speak to him, etc.
Whatever your situation, God is moving in the spiritual realm even if you can't see evidence of it in the physical realm. I am sure of it. Before anyone gets saved, God first moves in the spiritual realm and speaks to them, sometimes long before they actually surrender. We couldn't see it, BUT IT WAS STILL HAPPENING. We are so limited by our human perspective.
One last thing. I wanted to share a coloring page I made the other day that speaks directly to today's post. I hope you like it! :) I was so touched by this quote. It's so true, huh? When we understand who God is (that He is a good God who loves us and takes care of us, and has a purpose in everything that happens under heaven), we can let go of even our greatest fears because we are in His very strong, very capable hands. Paul was willing to trust Him even if it meant death. Striking and astonishing. That kind of faith is incredible, isn't it? I am on a mission to achieve that level of trust in my God.
How did this prophecy play out when he arrived in Jerusalem? You have to read Acts 21 and 22. :)
This is the title of my pastor's message yesterday at church. I was so inspired by it. I am going to attempt to attach the link to his video message in case you would like to experience my church service yesterday.
Warning: The entire message is 1 hour 40 minutes. If you want to skip the Praise and Worship (which I don't recommend!--I LOVE Praise and Worship!), you can start at the 45-minute mark--that's where he starts his message. Or you can listen to it in bits and pieces as you are able. Or you can choose not to listen. Whatever works for you. :) I just thought I'd throw this out there for anyone who desires.
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| This is just an image. You cannot click here. This is NOT a link. |
"I Will Not Be Intimidated" Church service This is the link for the service.
He underscores the fact that we can choose not to be intimidated by Satan's attacks because we have God in us. He talks about David and Goliath, and that even though David had to be afraid to confront his literal Goliath, he refused to allow his fear to master him. DAVID mastered his fear.
One piece he did not get to (he just mentioned the Scripture passage and I meditated on it later) is Acts 21. Paul's refusal to be intimidated is remarkable and astonishing. If we back up a bit and read Acts 20:22-24, we begin to understand how Paul could have been easily intimidated (Frankly, I would have been intimidated.), BUT HE REFUSED TO FOCUS ON THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN; he chose instead to focus on his great and mighty God.
Acts 20:22-24:
22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
I would just be so scared. He gets his marching orders from God (go to Jerusalem), but God also warns him in city after city (in other words, many different people are prophesying the same thing to him) that he will experience suffering. So scary. I encourage you to read the rest of Chapter 20 and also Chapter 21. It was so powerful to me.
I find it fascinating that God let him know that troubles and trials awaited him in Jerusalem, but at NO POINT did Paul even consider staying away from Jerusalem. He knew what God told him to do, and he was going to do it, no matter what the cost. Several believers even begged him not to go to Jerusalem. Of course they would. They loved their dear Paul and certainly did not want any harm to come to him. That's completely understandable from a human perspective. BUT Paul refused to be distracted from his God-given mission. He refused to cave to the fear of the unknown. He STAYED FOCUSED on God. His mind never strayed from the big picture. His response to those who begged him not to go to Jerusalem? "Then Paul answered, 'What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, 'The will of the Lord be done.' " (Acts 21;13-14)
I think the last part of the last sentence is so powerful. How many times do we strive in the Spirit, working so hard to achieve the goal we have in mind (in this case they wanted to save Paul from suffering and possible death), instead of completely surrendering ourselves to God's will and plan? I know I do that. Take the situation with Carlos. He is a fifteen-year-old young man. I, as his mother who loves him dearly, am DESPERATE--with every cell in my body--for this young man to surrender his life to the Lord and ALLOW GOD to heal his deep, dark wounds. I just want God to make the miracle ... yesterday. I am so scared to accept the possibility that it may take several more years for him to get to that point, and in the meantime I have to continue to struggle in this relationship that is a far cry from my dreams for our relationship and HIM personally as well. If you had told me when Carlos was in fifth grade, that he would become like this, I would have looked at you like you were insane and absolutely did not know my child.
I am at the point where I, too, must "cease" and say, "The will of the Lord be done." I have to accept the fact that God understands the big picture far better than I can.
{Isaiah 55:8-9
My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.}
That doesn't mean that I will stop praying (obviously). That means that I will make a CONCERTED EFFORT daily (and some days SEVERAL times per day) not to focus on what my eyes see (the lack of progress in him), but I will walk by faith. (II Cor. 5:7) I will trust my Maker. Period. No matter what the outcome, no matter how many years it takes, I will trust Him because He is trustworthy. I will refuse to become anxious about the lack of progress. I will refuse to constantly look for signs that Carlos is allowing God in and allowing God to speak to him, etc.
Whatever your situation, God is moving in the spiritual realm even if you can't see evidence of it in the physical realm. I am sure of it. Before anyone gets saved, God first moves in the spiritual realm and speaks to them, sometimes long before they actually surrender. We couldn't see it, BUT IT WAS STILL HAPPENING. We are so limited by our human perspective.
One last thing. I wanted to share a coloring page I made the other day that speaks directly to today's post. I hope you like it! :) I was so touched by this quote. It's so true, huh? When we understand who God is (that He is a good God who loves us and takes care of us, and has a purpose in everything that happens under heaven), we can let go of even our greatest fears because we are in His very strong, very capable hands. Paul was willing to trust Him even if it meant death. Striking and astonishing. That kind of faith is incredible, isn't it? I am on a mission to achieve that level of trust in my God.
How did this prophecy play out when he arrived in Jerusalem? You have to read Acts 21 and 22. :)
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