Monday Memo 351: Why So Surprised?

I have been home now since May 13, a personal record for this century.  I am thoroughly enjoying my time and have plenty of work to do.  My new website should be up soon and very soon, and I will make sure you are alerted to the launch.  It will be worth the wait.

IT'S A GHOST!

I am always surprised when people are surprised that they have the mind of the Lord on certain matters, especially where purpose is concerned.  We often act like the disciples in Acts 12.  Peter was in prison and the church was interceding for his safety.  An angel came to release Peter and he immediately went to the house where he knew the saints would be praying.  I'll let Luke tell you what happened in his own words:

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." (Acts 12:14-15).

Another translation says that they thought it was Peter's ghost.  They were praying but they never really expected their prayers to be answered, at least not in the way that they were.  So they dismissed the answer as some spiritual quirk, telling the messenger of the good news that she didn't really understand what she had heard.

ASK AND DON'T DOUBT

James was clear about how to get an answer from God:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:5-8).

When you ask for wisdom, God will give it to you.  There is only one catch: you cannot doubt or you will receive nothing. So if you are asking God to reveal your purpose, if you are seeking Him concerning some idea you have (as to whether or not you should proceed), then why don't you believe that you have your answer?

Let's put it another way.  The Holy Spirit lives in you, the same Spirit who raised Jesus back to life.  He came to give you power to live the life that God want you to live.  Part of that involves giving you the mind of Christ. So if you have the mind of Christ (and you do), then why are you so surprised?  Why is that so hard to accept? Yet it is and, what's more, we can do just what the disciples did when our prayer is answered: We can dismiss it as a spiritual quirk or not recognize the day of its coming.

HE WILL CAUSE YOUR THOUGHTS. . .

I have quoted Proverbs 16:3 from the Amplified Version in many seminars and I will leave you with it as a parting thought today.  It reads,

Roll your works upon the Lord, commit and trust them wholly to Him, and He will cause your thoughts to be agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.

Do you have any good ideas that you have dismissed as "ghosts"?  Do you have a recurring dream or vision that you have tried to bury, only to have it come back again and again. If so, stop fighting it (or them) and take action.  If the Spirit came to give you the mind of Christ, why are you so surprised that you have it?  Have a great week.

    Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 11 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show will air every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Four: How To Use a Business to Fund Your Vision!

Do you want to start a business, but use that business to help you do something else?  Do you have a desire to make a difference not just in your city, but in the world? If so, then join John Stanko and his special guest, Bruce Binkley a businessman and part-time missionary from Dallas, Texas, as they discuss Bruce’s business and how it helps him meet needs around the world.

Comments

[Rene]

He Will Cause Your Thoughts - I have a dream that I cannot let go of. A vision for downtown San Antonio. I am convinced this vision comes from God. I hesitate to move forward because of fear and because it feels like I am still alone in this vision right now. Where do I go from here?

[kenny]

When you're faced with a Dream that you can't let go of, then You're Answering your Own Question. You may "feel" alone, because you need HELP with the FOLLOW THRU. Artists, Visionaries, and Creative people alike, often get the "idea", "vision" or "dream" quickly, it's the FOLLOW THRU, the Starting of IT, that's the most "difficult." i think you NEED to DO the "Next Right Thing." You will find doors and avenues open up, but you gotta starting walking thru the water to have the "Red Sea" of you Dream OPEN UP. Remember the "hard part" of This Memo, you Can Not Doubt. =) Stanko said it, "When you ask for wisdom, God will give it to you. There is only one catch: you cannot doubt or you will receive nothing."

[David Avilla]

John 10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." This is one of the most challenging opportunities presented to us as disciples of Jesus! What attitudes and postures of our hearts position us to hear His voice and then respond? I heard someone put it this way: Vision clear, Values certain, Vents open. Be seeking a clear vision of what God is leading into, pursue values that are the highest and the best to which you can aspire, and keep your eyes and ears open so you can see the open doors and receive the directing impressions. Then expect that the Holy Spirit will lead you!