God has turned up the Heat!

God has turned up the heat and shut off the rain!
August 24, 2011

I’ve been praying for God to give me some sort of word about this drought and heat in Texas....the news stated last night that temperatures are to rise up to 110 or higher this week, with no relief in site. This is getting scary and not to mention....dangerous.....at what temperature do we worry about our heads exploding, when we step outside? Our water supply is drying up and some towns are having it trucked in. Again, I asked God.....what do you want from us? Then it was impressed upon me that I should encourage a day of fasting and prayer. This should also include reading the bible and to keep God’s word open for an entire day.....week.....months...etc.... God has impressed me that we are carnal and distracted. We know how to worry and talk about what is happening to our world, but do not know how to really turn to the one that controls it ALL! We are in a state of Laodicea. Revelations 3:14-22, God talks about a time when the church loses site of what is important. WORK, WORK, WORK......BUSY, BUSY, BUSY......distractions of programs and numbers and how to be more excellent and affective......instead of getting on our knees and truly leading people to prayer....to read Gods word......to fast.....to be filled with God’s spirit.....NO.....it’s more concerned about where to seat people on Sunday morning and making sure they are entertained enough, so they will come back. Some even offer ipods, computers, gadgets, widgets, etc....to attract them in, instead of the love of Jesus!
In Revelations 3, it states I know your deeds!!!!! BUT....THAT......you are neither cold nor hot....(TO TIRED From YOUR BUSY WORK!) I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot or cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth! You say that you are rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing....WE ARE BLESSED!!! WE LIVE THE GOOD LIFE!!!! But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (THESE ARE SPIRITUAL THINGS NOT WORLDLY GOODS) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me. Revelations 3:14-22
This message wasn’t for the unsaved.....no, it was for the churches that are caught up in their worldly wealth and living the good life - Twittering and emailing and face booking and so and on and so forth. Being blessing isn’t wrong, unless we forget where we came from and STAY IN OUR SPIRITUAL MINDS. But you have to admit, with our busy lives, and schedules and television time and family needs and choir practice and classes, etc.......leave very little...if any.....time, left for God.
So God turns up the heat.....do I have your attention yet???? No, you still carry on.....each day and worry!
So, I was lead to the book of Jonah and would like to suggest that everyone take a moment and read this short, but effective 4 chapters of the bible. You see, God asked Jonah to tell everyone that disaster was coming and he was afraid of looking stupid! He was more concerned of what people thought of Him! So he ran from God.......This shows how small minded we humans are sometimes, I mean what makes us think we can run from God? God is all powerful and we are at His mercy. We are powerless without the almighty and the spirit that works within us.
So Jonah ran and tried to hide from God and the Lord dealt with Jonah in His way......not like ours. See, God doesn’t think like we do........God knows the hearts of man and our fears. Jonah must have been afraid of the storms of life and being consumed with the sharks in a world, which could eat him up and spit him out. So the Lord.....in His mystery....not to mention thines sense of humor......dealt with Jonah on his level and got his attention. He provided a big fish to swallow him up for 3 days and 3 nights. Now if it were me....I would have said...ok...ok... you got me! I will do whatever you want....please, just save me......but like many humans do, instead of surrendering...he argued with God even after his life fell apart....even after the mighty storm took over and that the BIG fish swallowed him up.....even after the crisis hit the fan!!!! He argues with God! Remind you of anyone?
After Jonah finally surrenders his life to God, 3 days later......his prayers are answered and the fish ejects him onto dry land....but then......he heads out to obey what God asked him to do. He goes to the place that scares him and tells them that God is about to bring disaster to the city of Nineveh.
After Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, something happened that Jonah did not anticipate.....They listened to him!....They believed him! And they fell to their knees!........How many times do we keep our mouths shut because we don’t think that anyone will listen.....or how many times do we hide our truth, because we fear what they will think of us???? But then Jonah’s ego got the best him......isn’t that what he was really fighting all along? God was pleased that the people turned from there wicked ways and prayed and God changed his mind...hallelujah! The people of Nineveh were safe. But, Jonah was embarrassed that what he said didn’t happen...... and he got mad at God. He said, why did you put me through all this humiliation to not do what you said you were going to do....now, I look stupid. Jonah could not appreciate the fact that God used his life to save more than a hundred and twenty thousand people. He had the power of God to influence that many people!!!! Wow!
Then.....God reminded Jonah......what right do you have to be angry with me? So God then did something amazing for Jonah...even in his anger.......he provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give him shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. But at the dawn, the next day God proved a WORM, which chewed the vine so that it withered...the sun rose and God proved a scorching, east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die and said, ‘It would be better for me to die than to live.’ But God said to Jonah, “do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do, he said. “ I am angry enough to die.” But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more that a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about the great city?
Again.....the Lord reminds me....how we are all Jonah. We are more concerned about our one vine...afraid it’s going to die.......our one church, afraid the numbers will go down.......our one little life, afraid we will never find meaning. That we have forgotten about the masses and how they need God! Their lost and cannot tell their right hand from their left. No, the worm comes in!!!!!!! We complain......I’m hot....I’m thirsty...I feel bad.....and pray for relief for ourselves. We fear the drought and the heat and fear economic disaster. But can we for just a moment, stop and ask....why....why has God turned up the heat. God controls the weather! God controls the things that we cannot. What is your ‘worm’ that eats away at your calling?
So I want to step out on faith....put aside any fears that I might have or selfish ambitions and say......lets pray for rain.....not only from the weather and the rain that comes from the sky.....but pray....God....may your spirit rain on me........pour out the rain of your spirit on all people and all flesh. Pour out revival in all of us!!!!! Rain Lord....Rain! Find the need to see God pour out his spiritual rain upon our hearts.....that we see the water’s flow on the dry and thirsty land of our life.
Fast, know the word, prayer is the key that will unlock this drought.....we are spiritually dry..........and God has turned up the heat!
Will you pray with me today? Will you commit your hearts and turn from being lukewarm........again as it states in Revelations 3
I Am Here! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has and ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev. 3:20-22
And then we can sing...........
I feel the rain
I feel the rain
I feel it falling down on me!!!!!! (Repeat)
The former rain the latter rain together
I’m not talk’en ‘bout the weather
It’s the Holy Ghost rain
And it’s fall’en down on me!
God Bless, Lisa Maynard