002 Every Second Counts

Welcome to the next episode of my podcast and blog.

Today, I would like to speak to you about living as if “Every Second Counts”.  

I feel as if we are at half-time in the game of our life, and we need to evaluate where we are at. We need to be very clear about what our goals really are and what we need to do differently to have a good match. But this match is different, because as believers we know the outcome of the game. Spoiler alert! Our team has the victory! But we are the ones who determine how many goals we will score. And these goals, the lives we will touch, the ones we help to reconcile with the Father or experience the love of Jesus, the decisions we make, it has eternal consequences.  In other words, during this match of life, every second counts, it matters how we live.

In my lifetime, I have been in transition many times. About 6 or 7 years ago, we moved to our small countryside village and once again I was starting over. But this time, I had no idea what to do with my life. I knew that wanted my life to have meaning, but I was looking for THE THING that would define my mission.

So, one day, I watched a documentary on Netflix about a man called Rich Froning, who won the title for “fittest man on earth” in the CrossFit Games, several times. I was SO inspired by this man, who was not only a champion, but a Christian who used this platform to share the value of having faith in Jesus. He even has Galatians 6 verse14 tattooed on the side of his body for the world to see.

For me, this documentary was a testimony of what was possible, and it gave me hope. In fact, I was SO inspired by his story that I boldly announced to my husband: “This is how I will glorify Jesus! I will become the fittest women on the earth!!

I seriously meant every word, expecting that as usual, I will have my husband’s unfailing, encouragement. Now, if you know my husband – he is German, so you cannot always tell his emotion from his facial expression. But at this moment, there was no question, he burst out laughing and exclaimed:  “That’s never going to happen! You realise that he is in his twenties!” He was kind enough to not point out the difference in our physical form, but nevertheless I was offended.  I was offended – but I took it as a challenge to prove him wrong and I started training harder than I ever did in my life.

The shortcut to the story is that, despite my training, this was not a realistic goal for me. Rich Froning won these titles because he had been training his entire life, he had the lifestyle of an Elite athlete. His entire life involved sacrifices that revolved around his goal and I am pretty sure that he does not drink red wine.  For me, it really was too late. To win such a title, I would have had to start years ago.

Even though, it a silly story, I want to illustrate my point that it really was a dream that I believed in and that gave me hope and purpose and that though only briefly - I thought it was possible. And then the awakening of … “it is too late for me. I can never have this.” I was confronted with all the thoughts like “just imagine what could have happened if I started earlier… or if someone recognised my potential. What would have happened if I was not so busy trying to survive and had the time to pursue other dreams … ” I had to face some sincere regrets and…  I still did not know what do with my life.  But in the end, I had to make a choice:  WASTE TIME with discouragement, regrets and dwelling on the past or turn to Jesus and trust Him wherever he leads me from now onwards.

So, as I am speaking to you at this proverbial halftime of the match of our life, what do you observe: Is it too late for you to reach certain goals? Are you frustrated with where you find yourself? Or have you even stopped dreaming completely and just living with disappointment. The Bible says that “hopes deferred, makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).  When our hearts are sick, it infects the way that we think and act.

At the root of every “sick heart” is disappointment and at the root of every disappointment, there is a lie from the enemy. If we choose to believe those lies, WE give him power over our life and we remain stuck.

But WE are the ones who have been chosen to establish the will of Jesus and His reign in the world; chosen to live in a way that others would know Jesus and to prepare the way for His return.  If we are defeated and living as if the darkness is more powerful– who will bring His light into this world?

Friends, I believe that God gives us hopes and dreams to use for His glory – but the accomplishment of those dreams, is NOT the ultimate destination. God will not hold us accountable for our success, He will hold us accountable for our faithfulness.

I believe that today is the day where Jesus exposes and destroys the excuses and the lies and He will breathe life into YOU and into HIS plans and dreams for you.

So, today, we will talk about 7 truths, that will help us to live as if every second counts.

1.        GOD IS THE GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGS

I will start with a passage in the Bible which reveals what God does for us :  

Ezekiel 37: 1says:  The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.

This valley was a picture of the aftermath of a battle and the finality of death. Do you know why Israel was scattered and defeated and why those dead bones were in that valley? God warned them repeatedly that if they don’t repent of their actions of idolatry and disobedience, their actions will incur His judgement. Israel refused to repent, and this was the consequence of a people who refused to obey.

In the Bible, Isreal represents the nation,  but also the believers, who are the people of God.

But God then used Ezekiel to declare God’s will defy the impossible.

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, AND YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.”

God intervenes will miraculously acts when there is no other possibility, to show His glory and so we KNOW who he is:

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 

Now the bones looked like human beings, but they were still dead.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, AN EXCEEDINGLY GREAT ARMY.

Even if all your dreams were dead and there seems to be no hope. God has the power to give you new life.  EVEN if you made serious mistakes, God gives new life in His grace. Here, He resurrects His people and brings about a mass revival over people who had no future. They received the breath of LIFE, the Spirit of God, NOT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE LIVING THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE LIVED BEFORE. No, they have seen the consequences of living outside of the will of God. This army knows, that without the breath of God, they would be dead. They have been made new and they are fully consecrated to God.

This revived nation is now the army of God, the church, the family of God.

What is an army? It is a group of people who are united by a mission to conquer and protect. Ready to give their lives for each other and for the mission. It is a group of people who are focussed, disciplined, resilient, intentional and strong. My friends, we are living now in the time of a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for those who were dead in their sin… or  in their marriage or dreams.

We live in the time of revival, BUT revival is not the end goal. The outpouring of the Spirit, the manifestation of His power is not meant to fix everything instantly. The Spirit gives us new abilities, courage and creativity.But we still need LIVE OUR LIVES and act in faith to call heavenly realities to this earth which is still broken.

Now, we can experience a measure of His presence. One day, our God will dwell with us in his fully manifested presence. We will co-reign with him in a world where there is no evil and no suffering-  for eternity. I believe that heaven is a place of innovation, creativity of dreams coming true and the family of God living and working together in love.

But it seems so far away, doesn’t it?  I don’t think so.

Do you remember the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples: “Let MY will be done ON EARTH as in heaven” ?  I believe, Heaven starts NOW as we establish the realities of heaven on this earth at this moment.

Like Ezekiel declared, I say to you :

O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Hear the Word of the Lord and RENEW YOUR MIND with these truths which will require an attitude of humility because, GOD IS THE GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGS.

My second point:

1.        GOD WILL REWARD US ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS

YOU and I have been chosen for such a time as this, to fight for the reality of the King and His Kingdom here on earth. You are not too old nor are you too young and it is not too late. You are alive now. And God asks us to do ONE thing:  Be faithful with what He has given you right now.

God has given you a situation, a gift, a project or a dream to use for His glory.  Yet so many of us, still hesitate about what we should do, we compare our situations, or we make excuses. I believe it is because one of the biggest battlefields is in our thoughts and in our mind.

Let us simplify God’s mission for us: What did God give you right now, at this moment to glorify Him with?

If he calls you to be with him tomorrow, would you be able to say with confidence that you were faithful, that you made the best use of your gifts, your dreams, your relationships, your finance?  

2.        THE QUALITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS DETERMINE WHAT YOU BECOME

I have a diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is a proven psychotherapy that has uncovered that if we have a dysfunctional way of thinking, it affects emotions, and behaviours. It all operates in a cycle. If we are trapped in a negative cycle – we must investigate what thoughts or beliefs are at the root of this cycle.

In biblical terms, we must RENEW our minds.

Our thought life affects our relationships, our productivity and our level of joy. When we find that we are becoming negative, if we are procrastinating or making excuses, we must examine our thoughts and our self-talk,  to uncover the lies of the enemy and start to build our lives on the truth in the Bible.

Remember, as long as the enemy can get you to focus on yourself and your problems or your emotions– he can easily derail your mission and rob you of your joy and the rewards that belong to you.

Examine your thoughts and renew our minds with truth.

3.        GOD WANTS YOU TO PROSPER

If you have experienced many failures in your life, choose today to resist the lies that God has abandoned you or that you will never succeed. God wants you to succeed because He is a good Father who wants your life to reflect His provision and His love. For the sake of HIS glory, He will let us prosper. There are many scriptures that prove this, I encourage you to read the book of John, chapter 15, which contain promises that will transform your life.

For example: V5 b: Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

Verse 8 says “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples”.

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide. It was always God’s plan that His people would reflect His glory and His love.

We are called to be 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion”. (Genesis 1:28).

We are called to be blessed and be a blessing to the nations. (Genesis 12:2-3).

But this is important to remember:

God also said that He will return for a bride who is blameless, without spot or wrinkle.  So, if God allows hardship or failure, know that it is an act of grace.  God is in the process of making you holy, more like Him. And becoming more like Jesus, should be one of the most important goals of a Christian. Often it is through challenges that we are humbled, and that He gets rid of pride and immaturity and selfishness - which is offensive to God. He shapes you because He loves you. Which brings me to the next point.

4.        YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM; YOU ARE A WEAPON

Many of you have experienced situations so difficult that you’ve felt completely crushed. Deep inside of you, you wonder “WHY ME?”

But I would like to give you another perspective. Imagine if we refused the lies from the enemy and we truly believed that God will use every situation for our good ? (Rom.8). The bible says, “no weapon, that is formed to destroy us, will prosper”. In fact, the contrary, what the enemy has intended to destroy you, God will use to purify and strengthen you, and you will become a powerful weapon in God’s hands.

I want to challenge you to see your suffering as an opportunity.  What would happen if we decided to mine that situation to find what God has hidden there? I believe that concealed in your difficult situation is an opportunity to collaborate with the Holy Spirit and find SOLUTIONS that will serve you - and humanity.

Your story might have begun with tragedy or has been filled with suffering. But how you respond to your situation will determine how the story finishes.

As I listened to people sharing their disappointment with God, I realised that often these disappointments are based on expectations of promises that God never made. So, point 6 is:

5.        GOD IS NOT OBLIGED TO HONOUR PROMISES THAT HE DID NOT MAKE

Often our disappointed in God stems from prayers that are not answered in the way that we hoped. But we must not build our life on the outcome of our prayers, but on Christ and His true promises. That means, for example, can and should be ENCOURAGED by prophecies, but we need to BUILD OUR LIFE ON PROMISES. We build our life on the character of God.

Let’s look briefly at the difference between promises and prophecies.

-              God promises that He will operate “all things will be for the good of those who love Him”, He promises us His PRESENCE and will never forsake us, He promises, salvation by faith alone and that HE is the source of our joy. These are some of the promises on which we can build our life.

-              With prophecies, often delivered by people - there is a possibility for misinterpretation, and it often depends on our level of cooperation, not to mention the timing of God.

For example, we can build on the promise that Jesus is the source of our joy and be filled with joy in His presence, even while we work or wait for the fulfilment of our dreams. But if we build our life on the prophecy or the dream (which is not promised), we will likely be frustrated - until we get what we want.

So build on promises and but grasp prophecies and dreams by faith, be ENCOURAGED by it, but know that our true purpose is to go where Holy Spirit leads. Our true fulfilment should lie in the journey with God.  The following point is linked:

6.        IF WE WANT TO FLOURISH, WE NEED TO RESPECT GOD’S SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

One of the most important principles in the bible is that God is God. We are His creation, and we have been created for His purposes, for His pleasure and for His glory. Not the other way around. Our knees must bow to God’s ultimate will. God demands humility from us. The opposite of humility is pride, and pride is the root of rebellion.  The bible says that God opposes the proud.  Many of us may think that it is the enemy who is opposing us, but is it not tragic, if we realised that, because we are acting in pride and rebellion, God is opposing us. God grants favour to the humble, those who acknowledges who He is with their heart, mind and soul – their entire being.

Another principle is that through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are given the free and unmerited gift of salvation and eternal life – BY OUR FAITH. No performance needed. But most other things in life, requires some effort on our part.  For example, when we receive a dream or prophecy from God, it comes in seed form, and we have the responsibility to nourish it so that God can let it grow. He is not going to do our part.

Another principle is that God says that we will reap what we sow. How many times have we been discouraged by looking at other people’s lives and what they have accomplished, and we want what they have.  We see great people at the height of their success, and we compare ourselves with them. But we must remember two things: Firstly, we have no idea what they have sown persistently nor what price they had to pay to get there. And secondly, God is not impressed with your position, He is pleased with your faithfulness.

(God’s seasons, to discuss another time).

I will conclude. I gave you 7 truths that we will help us to live as if every second counts.

1.        GOD IS THE GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGS

2.        GOD WILL REWARD US ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS

3.        THE QUALITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS DETERMINE WHAT YOU BECOME

4.        GOD WANTS YOU TO SUCCEED & PROSPER

5.        You are NOT a victim; you are a WEAPON.

6.        GOD IS NOT OBLIGED TO HONOUR PROMISES THAT HE DID NOT MAKE

7.        IF YOU WANT TO FLOURISH, WE NEED TO RESPECT GOD’S SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

Today, maybe you are standing in the valley of dead bones. Maybe the first half of the match was not what we hoped. But I believe, God wants us to give us a new opportunity to do better in the second round and BE the army that welcomes our King. I believe He wants us to establish heaven on earth. I believe God wants to breathe His life into our dead bones and empower us through His Holy Spirit.

But I have a challenge for you today friends:

Are we ready to do our part?  Who is ready to stop making excuses, stop living in the past and BECOME the nation, the army that welcomes Jesus. Let us not waste time and make every second counts for our King!

As we come to the end of this podcast, I would like to encourage you to reflect on these 7 points and let God expose the lies of the enemy and reveal His truth to you. Spend time in His presence and start dreaming with God, then co-labour with Him to bring those dreams to LIFE.

Until next time friends.