3/30/2019           FINE TUNING

              

Though we may be sent out before we think we are ready, Father will put us out in the field when HE deems us ready.  Not before and only after if we are dragging our feet.  God is fine tuning us for our mission ahead.

The snowball, rolling downhill, starts off very tiny but two things happens as is progresses.  As it rolls, the snowball grows bigger and, as it grows bigger, it rolls faster and faster as it progresses down the hill.  However, our snowball, instead of just falling to pieces in a snow bank, when it reaches bottom (our readiness), will burst open as an explosion of great magnitude.  Our snowball, like the blooming flower, springs forth new life and is ready to serve!

We are about half in our current seven year season.  As our snowball is about half way down the hill and as it grows, little pieces will be flying off in different directions.  Those are the little pieces that are not necessary for our growth.  Those little pieces are the sins that pop up in our life, negative thinking and/or our ‘bad’ habits which only hinder us, which we shed.  As we continue downhill, we become more and more the image of our heavenly Father.

Watched SG1 (TV show, Star Gate 1^st team) and in the episode it mirrored what would be a Buddhist-like atmosphere of this particular temple on some unknown world.  The monk-like character could perform some amazing things with the elements around him, simply by thinking it to be so.  He spent time convincing the character Daniel Jackson (of SG1) that he could do likewise.  All he had to was focus and believe.  Focus and Believe! 

What does Jesus ask us to do?  As Christians today, as we focus on Jesus and believe we can do all things through Him, He said we could do all that He did plus more.  Does the grain of a mustard ring a bell (Matt. 17:15-21)?  Jesus promised we could do all that He did and more (John 14:12). The monk also talked about trust.  Just as Peter had to trust Jesus in order to walk on water, we must trust Jesus to accomplish what He has started in our lives.  And then, unlike Peter, stay focused on Jesus (Matt. 14:28-32).  I know that some will say “But Jesus took Peter’s hand and led him back to the boat.  True, but had Peter stayed focused on Jesus, he could have met Jesus on the water and walked back to the boat WITH Him (still on top of the water).  Peter dildn’t start to sink until he took his eyes off of Jesus and started looking at the circumstances around him.  Thank God Jesus is always there to help us in our weaknesses.

When we focus on Jesus, trusting Him for all things and believing He will deliver (just as He said He would), then we can do all things through Christ Jesus because the Holy Ghost is alive and well within our hearts (Phil. 4:13).  Amen?

Father has given all of us a gift that only we can perform (as an individual) in the way He has equipped us, whether we believe in God or not.  But, gifts are given without repentance (Rom. 11:29) so we don’t have to be saved to have a calling or gift (talent).  However, when we follow Jesus, Father can develop that gift to its fullest, pointed in the right direction so we can help those around us AND glorify our Father, which is in heaven.

Fine tuning doesn’t mean less, but more!

More Will be Given to Him that has

Matt. 25:19-21

            After a long time, the Lord returned to settle with his servants

One with 5 talents doubled what he had begun with

Father was pleased

This also relates to our Spiritual growth in the Lord.

As we are diligent and faithful in what God does give us, He will give us more.

Successful at one level, God promotes us to the next

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Fine tuning has a beginning:

            Bones strewn all across the valley

What has God called me to?

            God brings those old dry bones together in proper alignment (bone on bone)

                        Am I understanding my task?

            He connects those bones with sinews so they stay together, no longer scattered

                        Am I becoming focused on my task?

            He covers those skeletons with muscle so they can function – do what He asks

                        God is equipping me to perform that task

He covers the bones and muscles with skin so we can look like what we’re supposed to be – a reflection of God’s love

People recognize that I am God’s servant.  They must see something different about me as I serve the Lord.

            But the resulting body (bodies) has (have) no life

            I know what to do, how to do it but am I reluctant to do it?

            Am I afraid?  Do I have the confidence to step out?

            Or am I content right where I am?

            Bear in mind that being content or luke-warm really doesn’t produce much

And fine tuning continues:

Breath, come from the 4 winds that these who are slain might live – breath of live enters in and an army stands up but they complain.  My bones are dry, I’m lost, I’m cut off for my parts.

I have the Holy Ghost within me and have the authority to go forth but do I still doubt my God-given gift?

Fine tuning isn’t complete until we become complete in God. 

Father says He will bring us up out of our graves (bringing full life), the baptism of Holy Ghost in power (Acts 1:8) and put us in our own land (give us back the authority Adam ceded over to the enemy.

I am now empowered by the HG, I can operate fully in God’s will being effective for the kingdom of God in this world.

All I have to do now is step out and do that which God has called me, knowing that He is with me all the way (Deut. 31:6, John 14:16, Heb. 13:5).

We are fine-tuned enough to go out and serve, but we will continue to grow until we abide in the literal presence of our Lord.

Fine tuning is God’s “Breakthrough” strategy to prepare us for the Spiritual explosion which is coming.

Our strategy?

Each of us has a God-given talent (Jeremiah 1:5 – He knows us, sanctified us and ordained us), for something only we can do, the way He has called us to do it.

Not all will be behind the scenes, not all will preach before large crowds, but all will minister with their own God-given talents helping souls to join us in a true relationship with Jesus Christ.  I’m not just talking about lost souls in the world but those wayward souls in the church.  The church will be shaken as well. 

All those who may have gone astray (for whatever reason), those who are just treading water (hoping to get in to heaven by the skin of their teeth) and those who may really be trying but have no clue to who Jesus really is, will come to the realization of what it takes to enjoy eternal fellowship with the Father through Jesus Christ. 

Yes, this does mean that there will be front-line troops.  Somebody has to be before the lost and the wayward, but all those front line troops have a support team behind them. 

The military is supported by artillery and air support.  All are supported by logistic support and supply lines.  There is a task for all willing to serve and those who do serve should serve with the fullness that Father has to offer.

In the 1990’s there was a movement called WWJD (what would Jesus do?).  The idea was to ask oneself “What would Jesus do in any given situation?

Though I was employed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for several years and the General Services Administration (GSA) for a short time I spent the bulk of my career with the federal government working for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Half of my career with them was processing drug applications for scientific review and approval for public distribution.  We had definitions which guided us identifying the various types of communications we received and how to properly route them for review.  One day I sat grumbling at my desk about how some documents were easy to classify while others took great effort to see what the drug companies were submitting.  As I grumbled I heard a voice in my heart “Buck, give Me the job.”  So I said “OK.”.  Aside from my salvation experience, this was when I truly started giving my life over to the Lord.  As I was obedient to Him, Father blessed me with promotions and then a job change which prompted more promotions.  Father does the same with the calling He has placed on our lives.  He promotes us as we are faithful, maybe even giving us new duties as we grow.         

WE need to seek God as to our task, then pursue it so we can do our part when and as necessary.  Once we know our calling in life, we need to perform that task as if we are serving the Lord.  After all, that’s exactly what we are doing (Matt. 25:37-40).  We do what God gives us with all our strength, might and energy and HE will bring the results.

The enemy doesn’t like to see us grow.  He will try to stop us, but as our faith grows we are more able to resist the devil at any level to which God takes us.  After all, he who is faithful with a small responsibility, shall be given more (Matt. 25:23).

So, as we see in the valley of dry bones, there is a growth process.  But God promises us that through each stage of our growth, He is with us, empowering us to move on to the next.

Our strategy is to continue walking closer with the Lord so we can realize the full potential which He has put within us.

Father desires for His children to come through the torn curtain of the temple, into His Holy of Holies and commune with Him.  Then, because our hearts are one with our Father (through Jesus Christ, our Lord) we can realize that He does give us the desires of our heart because we have committed our ways to Him.

Father is fine tuning us though giving us a breakthrough strategy – serving Him with all our heart.

Amen?