Spring Up

 I had a strange morning Tuesday; on my way to work I could sense God prompting me to pray about a situation I had prayed about for years. In frustration I said 'God, I don't know anything else to pray, I have prayed everything I know to pray. Holy Spirit show me how to pray and I will pray.' Immediately I heard the Lord say 'you shall decree a thing.'

Therefore I began to decree what I wanted to see happen. As I went on to the office, the Lord reminded me of a scripture found in Numbers 21. It says 'spring up o well. Sing to it.' I didn't quite know all God was telling me but I took a few minutes and looked up this scripture in its fullness. The words 'spring up' means to ascend or shoot forth. The word 'well' surprised me a bit, it comes from a root word which means to make plain, to declare, and to make clear like letters on a tablet. The word 'sing' means to answer, to testify, and to dwell.

I was a little surprised that this scripture went along with what He had already said when He told me to 'declare a thing.' I knew God was telling me to 'sing' over some things - to call them to spring up, He was telling me to declare it and make it plain - to testify of what I wanted to see happen. Then He led me to another verse.

He led me to John 7:38; it says 'he that believes in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' We are all familiar with this scripture, but have you studied the meaning of these words? I know I have not and was again surprised at their meaning.

First of all the word 'belly' means the place where conception takes place and where the fetus is nourished until the time of birth, and the innermost part of man.

The words 'shall flow' means to move or run with unbroken continuity. Rivers means floods but also means to receive into the soul what serves to refresh and strengthen and to nourish to live eternally.

 Living means not lifeless, blessed, endless in the Kingdom of God, living water having vital power in itself and exerting the same power upon the soul.

So what is God saying? I believe He is saying as we declare a thing, and we sing over our situation, we will cause the manifestation to come forth. He is saying 'make it plain and clear, testify of what you want to see happen.

God is telling us what flows out of us is powerful, full of life and is endless, unlimited in the Kingdom of God. There is a place that conceives, it is our 'belly' our innermost being - it is the place where things are kept safe until they are born - those things are born out of the words that come out of our mouth, they are conceived by what we speak, or what flows continually out of our mouth.

What is flowing out of your mouth? What is being conceived in your 'belly?' Do you realize that whatever is flowing out of you is alive and full of power? Do you know that those words are producing something...either good or bad...depending on what is flowing out of you?

I encourage you today to begin to declare a thing. I encourage you to sing to your situation - sing to the well of healing and call it to spring forth. Sing to your checkbook and tell the abundance of God to spring forth. Sing to your home and command restoration to spring forth. Sing to your children and call salvation to spring forth. Whatever your need is...sing to that well and call it to spring forth.

You are full of life and vital power, it is near you...in your mouth...let that living water flow out of you today - let that life flow out of you today. I am convinced that you will see wells springing forth everywhere in your life.

Today, I am singing over you, singing over our partners and their family. I am singing over your business and ministry - I am testifying of all the wonderful things God is doing RIGHT NOW in your life...I am singing...won't you sing with me? Spring up o well! Spring UP!

 Kim Potter

Global Recording Networks

To find out more information please visit their website at http://www.grnusa.net

What do you do?
We make recordings of basic Bible stories and Bible teaching in thousands of languages - and ultimately every language on the planet - for evangelistic and discipling purposes. We also produce simple audio-visual programmes (cassettes or CDs with picture books) designed to help people, especially non-literate people and those from "oral societies", understand the basic message and teaching of the Bible. In addition we manufacture special purpose playback machines such as hand wind cassette players and solid state player that are not dependent on a power supply. All these materials are supplied to missionaries and local evangelists, pastors and teachers, and also distributed by our own teams around the world.

Where do you work?
We have operational centers, bases and agencies in over 40 countries. Recordings have been made in and supplied to virtually every country in the world. Our centers and bases are usually operated by local personnel. As our priority is on the small, often neglected people groups, we aim to go to even the most remote people if necessary.

Why do you do what you do?

• Hundreds of small people groups have little or no Bibles, New Testaments or portions available in their mother tongue.

• Two thirds of the world's people do not read, or do not read well enough to make use of a Bible or Scripture portion, even if they exist in their language.

• Many of these people are part of "oral societies" where, important information is communicated in a variety of oral and dramatic forms and where printed material is not highly valued.

• The Scriptures promise that there will be some from every nation tribe and language around His throne at the end.

• God, through his word the Bible, commands us to proclaim the Good News to all people and to make disciples in all nations.

Who uses the materials?
After recordings have been made and tested, often our own teams will go back to the place where the recordings were done to distribute them and to do whatever else they can to proclaim the good news. Frequently these teams will work in conjunction with churches, other missions and other missionaries.

The recordings and players are also made available with significant subsidies to missionaries and national churches, pastors and evangelists for them to use in their outreach and discipling ministries.
What technology do you use?
Cassettes have been the main media for many years now, and are still the most widely useful media for our main target groups. However, audio CDs and MP3 files can be produced as needed, and some video material is being developed for VCD and DVD technology. Solid state playback devices are also being developed and used.

What is the main objective of the GRN recordings?
The main objective is to explain to people in the language and style that best speaks to their hearts, the basic truths of God and the way of salvation. In other words, the materials are useful for evangelism and basic Bible teaching and discipling.

Fed up with Mediocrity

Posted on March 26, 2012  By Cindy Grasso

Until you get fed up with mediocrity, you will never step up into excellence or even reach for it. It takes energy, determination and perseverance to go after a brilliant life. It is the life God has called you to. It is the life God has provided for you though the shed blood of Christ- He paid for it. But you must walk in it. You must take it and apply it to your life.

There are moments in the New Testament when I get the feeling that Jesus was fed up with the mediocre life that God’s children were living. When he moved from private to public life, he proclaimed the “God’s kingdom is at hand” (Mark 1:15) he was in essence saying – reach out and take it! Repent- turn around from the life you have been living and start moving toward the life God has made to you to live.

Here is a one such moment from Matt 8:21-25:

Another follower said, “Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father’s funeral to take care of.” 

Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.” 

Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. 

The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat-and he was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, “Master, save us! We’re going down!” (Matthew 8:21-25 MSG)

Then…

Get busy living or get busy dying.

Are you waiting to live? Waiting to pursue God’s call on your 

life? Are you putting it off because you have too many things to do right now? Jesus is not encouraging us to abandon our responsibility to our family but he is challenging our excuses. When the follower asked Jesus if he could be ” excused” from following Jesus, he was actually asking to go live in his father’s house and take care of him until he died for an indefinite period of time, definitely more than “a couple of days”. Jesus called him out on it. He  knew that a couple of days really meant “I will follow you when I’m done following me and done with what I think I should be doing”.

Jesus refused- he will not agree with mediocrity, he will not tell you, “Yes, go ahead and waste your time, energy, and creativity waiting.” No. He says, “There is more for you. Stop focusing on death and start chasing after life, my life, my power, my grace! Follow Me.”

One of my dearest friends, Deb Killian, is an amazing woman who loves God passionately. I have known here for over 15 years and in that time I have walked with her through triumphs and tragedies. One of the hardest times in her life was when her first husband passed away from cancer. I will never forget the morning I got the call that her husband had died. My heart broke for my friend and I rushed right over so could wrap my arms around her. Those were dark days for my friend. She loved her husband do much and I watched my friend push through those days of grief walking hand-in- hand with God. After Deb’s husband died, there were times she felt like she had died too. Who was she now? What were God’s plans for her now? But she was not dead, she was alive and God had a plan for her- a call that stayed clear for over twenty years and did not diminish when her whole life dramatically changed.  As long as I had known Deb, she has had a call to go to Africa and bring God’s love to it. She dreamed about it, prayed about it and for years the possibility of it looked well, impossible. In those first few years after her husband’s death,  God began to stir within her the truth that now was the time to go after the business of life – the purpose He had for her. What a glorious purpose it is! 

As He developed her heart and vision for Africa, He also brought new love into her life through her second husband Roy. Together, they head up “Eden’s Song Ministry” (link:  http://edenssong.org ).  Their ministry supports missionaries by providing resources for them such as refurbished iPods, medical supplies, goats and uniforms so the children can go to school, along with many other things. They also go to Africa once or twice a year to lead a team and minister to the people there.  Deb describes her journey from grief to Africa in her book “Eden’s Song – One Women’s Cry” (link:http://edenssong.org/index.php?s=ms&nid=37705&grpid=8314&grpDetails=true ). 

 

I highly recommend it for anyone who has recently lost someone or is feeling lost themselves as to what God wants them to do. I love this picture of her in the middle of the African children. It reminds that He who begins a good work is faithful to complete it (Phil. 1:6).

 

 It is time to get busy living!

Jesus said: First things first. Priorities are key to walking in victory.  If you aim at nothing- you will hit it every time. How easy it is to let the small things distract us from the important things. Keep first things first and you will be able to do more than you ever thought you could.  It is important to know what your priorities are. Knowing that helps you make wise decisions in every other area of your life.

What is the 1 priority according to Jesus? Follow God- pursue life.  In other words, stop following others, the world or even yourself. Follow God-His word, His way, His guidance, His plan. When you do that, a brilliant life follows.

Your business is life, not death- we are in a world that is dying, and plagued with sin’s rotting stench. We see it in our relationships, feel it in our bodies and have it thrown in our face every day. But our business- that which we are to live ” like it’s our job” is to pursue life. Go after it! Chase it- pursue it like it was that boy you had a crush on in Jr. High but are not hindered by shyness and self- consciousness. Think about it, dream about it, follow it around, find out what it is doing and plan to be where it is – LIFE!

I want you to realize that right after Jesus said “Pursue life!”,  he got in a boat and faced death. It isn’t going to be easy, in fact, you go after God’s LIFE and purpose you have upped the anti and it will seem get harder. The storm will ramp up to the point where you think, “I can’t do this- I’m going down.” The Bible says it was a severe storm. Not a small one but the type of storm that does damage and threatens lives. Yet, Jesus slept. Why? I think because he already knew this storm wasn’t going to kill them. It was just a part of his journey.

The disciples followed Jesus right into that boat -they followed Jesus right into the storm. Can I tell you, that is the right place to be. You are going to encounter storms in your life. There was a storm on the shore that night too. I would rather be in the boat with Jesus than on the shore without him. I would rather get in the boat and follow Him than let doubt and fear keep me on the shore of mediocrity. 

No one is telling you that it will be easy, least of all God. But He does tell you that it is vital and possible. You were made to live a brilliant life hand- in -hand with God.  

What is stopping you?

• What is your #1 excuse?

• Make a list of your priorities. 

• Ask God to give you His list.  Rewrite your list.

• Don’t worry about the storm you are in – it is not going to kill you and it is just a part of your journey. Read the rest of story in Matthew 8 (Jesus spoke to the storm and it ceased!)

• Get fed up with mediocrity and go after the call of God on your life like it was your job!

I love to hear from you and hear what God is doing in your life. Please don’t be shy, I appreciated every comment.

Living in His brilliance,

Cindy Grasso