Wait On The Lord

"Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart"

Whatever you do, don't give up. Take your eyes off the circumstances and continue to trust in God.

I believe this word, spoken by God through Al Thomas, is very timely for many.

“YOUR RESERVATIONS ARE ALMOST READY ... "A Fresh Word by Al Thomas

I was in a restaurant, waiting for our name to be called. We had been waiting quite a while, but the restaurant was an old favorite and we took the time to fellowship. Then I saw one man become very agitated for having to wait so long. He went up to the hostess and gave his name again. She checked the reservation book, telling him he would be seated as soon as a table was available. Then the hostess called another person and they were seated. Because the man thought someone was being seated ahead of him (which wasn’t the case) the man got visibly angry, shouted something to the hostess and stormed out with his wife and children.

Five minutes later the manager of the restaurant came up to the front desk, (not knowing what had happened), looked at the reservation book and called the man’s name, saying, “YOUR RESERVATION IS READY…” But, he was gone! He had waited for over an hour for that table. All he had to do was wait five more minutes and he would have been seated - ordering his meal.

When we pray and ask God to do something, it’s like making a reservation on one of God's promises (2 Cor. 1:20) and often, there is a time of waiting …

"I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope"(Psalm 130:5)

God says:

"BE PATIENT, YOUR RESERVATION WILL BE CALLED"

"For many in the church today there is a heaviness, almost as if you are carrying an invisible weight of oppression and you can find no one to comfort you (Psalm 69:20). They have been waiting for their prayers to be answered, but with no hope on the horizon, so they have fallen into a spiritual rut of despair. Joy and laughter seems to come rarely and then easily slips away. They feel all alone (Psalm 142:4) and just to get a grip on life is difficult. Some have to press hard just to make it through the day … and then look forward to when it ends. This is My word to you: I have your reservation … so rest and wait just a little while (Psalm 37: 7-11; Matt. 11:28-30)"

God says:

“BE PREPARED, I COULD CALL YOUR NAME TODAY, SO DON'T STOP WAITING ON ME"

"So many of My people are on the verge of giving up (2 Timothy 4:10). Do not listen to the enemy; the voice speaking of defeat and failure is his, not Mine. That voice that says, ‘There is no way out’ is the devil, not Mine. My timing is always right. I am never late or too early (Romans 8:28). Keep your eyes on Me and your heart steady. Do not look back … I am not there (Luke 9:62), I am in front of you. You cannot expect to be called for a blessing if you don’t anticipate it (Heb. 11:1). If you are poor, start rejoicing as if you were a millionaire … look up, not down! If you feel discouraged, rejoice by faith (Phil. 4:4). Everyone has setbacks, but only the righteous refuse to camp in the land of defeat (Proverbs 24:16). Your time is coming; the question is: are you cultivating a sense of expectation (Luke 3:15) or gloom? Be ready in season and out of season to receive blessing. Always be ready."

God says:

"BE POSITIONED, STAND ON MY WORD ... NOT ON WHAT YOU SEE OR FEEL ... I ANSWER FAITH, NOT FEAR"

"I advise you to look for a good word, ' … a good word makes the heart glad' (Proverbs 12:25b). You find a good word in My scriptures, but also in My people. Many of you know other brethren who are positive and uplifting. Call them. Don't be a loner. My Son said, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes the mouth of God.' Often My word (of encouragement) is spoken through My vessels ... your brothers and sisters. Jesus said, "My words are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). Feeding on My Spirit by consulting with others will cause you to see your problem from a different perspective. Others have been in the same predicament you now find yourself in (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Be positioned for My blessing and trust Me (Proverbs 13:30), not your feelings; trust My promises and you will see My hand about to move. What do you do while you are positioning yourself to receive … worry and complain? No. Walk in integrity and uprightness (Psalm 25:21) going about the business of My kingdom. Don't get frustrated and walk out now just when things are about to change. So, child of Mine, get up and start looking for someone that you can bless. In the meantime I'll be working on your problem …"

" Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD"(Ps. 27:14)

I hope you're encouraged.

You can find more from Al Thomas on his website http://www.celebratinghislife.com

Possessing The Mind Of Christ

To See as Jesus Sees

“He who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:15-16).

This is one of the most staggering statements made in the New Testament. Paul says that it is actually possible to be free of our carnal, jealous, fearful, unbelieving thought-life and, in its place, possess “the mind of Christ”!

This promise is wonderfully profound. Indeed, it is one thing to be taught edifying principles and truths about the Lord, yet quite another to actually posses the very thought-life of Christ! Listen to what Paul says,

“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Cor. 2:11-13).

When we were born again, we received into our spirits the Spirit of God. A spiritual man is one in whom God’s Spirit has risen in internal ascendancy. Paul tells us that a spiritual man can discern or appraise all things. It is unfortunate that some versions translate “appraises” with the word judges. Some Christians have actually used the word judges as a green light to become judgmental, which they associate with being spiritual. God does not want us to be judgmental, He wants us to be discerning. Indeed, a spiritual man is one who has renounced a judgmental attitude and, in its place, he possesses a redemptive attitude, which is the mind of Christ.How does Jesus view life? How does He look at the imperfections of our world? Paul taught in Philippians 2:5-8

“Have this attitude (KJV: “mind”) in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God . . . emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Christ's attitude was simple. Jesus saw the fallen, rebellious condition of mankind and then did everything necessary to redeem it. Although the world deserved judgment, He “did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). And, with this very same motive to spread redemption, He said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

The Son of God saw the need of the world and emptied Himself to meet it. He gave up all that was His in the Godhead - His privileges, powers and position as the very form of God - and took the form of man. Then He humbled Himself further, remaining obedient to death in order to secure our eternal redemption. This is the mind that we are to have in us “which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Out of the nature of selfless love emerges the mind of Christ. The moment we accept that we are called to lay down our lives for others, we are beginning to understand what it means to posses the mind of Christ. The spiritual man appraises all things: he sees both the need and the answer and he is willing to be a bridge to complete redemption. The spiritual man possesses discernment: he knows the activity of the human heart, its vulnerability to demonic manipulation, its inability to rise out of woundedness. Knowing God's grace toward himself, he pays the price to see freedom come to another.

Beloved, if your motive is love, if you are guided by hope, if you desire to possess Christlikeness, if you love humility and walk with an unoffendable heart, you will certainly find the thought-life of God. You are possessing the mind of Christ.

Lord Jesus, how much I want to think like You. Lord, I want to possess Your mind and be moved by Your heart. Grant, Master, that I would receive in a greater way the character and nature of the Holy Spirit, that I might know the thoughts of God toward the world around me. For Your glory I pray. Amen.

Copyright Francis Frangipane http://frangipane.org/

Used with permission