ReFocus

George Mueller was a rare individual who trusted God to the fullest.

Listen to George Mueller’s own words, “We have had a vivid vision of the divine Potter sitting at His wheel, taking the clay in His hands, softening its hardness, subduing it to His own will; then gradually and skillfully shaping from it the earthen vessel; then baking it in His oven of discipline till it attained the requisite solidity and firmness, then filling it with the rich treasures of His word and Spirit, and finally setting it down where He would have it serve His special uses in conveying to others the excellency of His power!”

To lose sight of this sovereign shaping Hand is to miss one of the main lessons God means to teach us by George Mueller’s whole career. He himself saw and felt that he was only an earthen vessel; that God had both chosen and filled him for the work he was to do; and, while this conviction made him happy in his work, it made him humble, and the older he grew the humbler he became. He felt more and more his own utter insufficiency. It grieved him that human eyes should ever turn away from the Master to the servant, and he perpetually sought to avert their gaze from himself to God alone. “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Mueller believed in prayer. The following are his key prayer principles: “Five grand conditions of prevailing prayer were ever before his mind:

    1. Entire dependence upon the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only ground of any claim for blessing. (See John xiv.13,14; xv.16, etc.)

    2. Separation from all known sin. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us, for it would be sanctioning sin. (Psalm Ixvi.18.)

    3. Faith in God’s word of promise as confirmed by His oath. Not to believe Him is to make Him both a liar and a perjurer. (Hebrews xi.6; vi.13-20.)

    4. Asking in accordance with His will. Our motives must be godly: we must not seek any gift of God to consume it upon our own lusts. (1 John v.13; James iv.3.)

    5. Importunity in supplication. There must be waiting on God and waiting for God, as the husbandman has long patience to wait for the harvest. (James v.7; Luke xviii.1-10.)

The importance of firmly fixing in mind principles such as these cannot be overstated.

•     The first lays the basis of all prayer, in our oneness with the great High Priest.
•     The second states a condition of prayer, found in abandonment of sin. 
•     The third reminds us of the need honouring God by faith that He is, and is the Rewarder of the diligent seeker.
•     The fourth reveals the sympathy with God that helps us to ask what is for our good and His glory.
•     The last teaches us that, having laid hold of God in prayer, we are to keep hold until His arm is outstretched in blessing.”

The Church of Jesus Christ needs some George Mueller’s now more than ever.  Dare to be a Mueller!

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It is a truth that God allows his children to go through tough times for several reasons.

First, tough times correct us. Sometimes we have to face the painful consequences of life so that we can repent and grow. Second, tough times also deepen us. It’s like a plant. The roots of the plant only get deeper if they don’t have water available on the surface. And deep roots make for strong plants. What is true for vegetation is also true of people. Third, tough times provide unique opportunities. The person going through a difficult time has a unique chance to demonstrate faithfulness. The person who is faithful in tough times speaks so much more effectively than the preacher in the pulpit. The fact that Paul kept preaching in spite of the beatings, stonings and imprisonments show that he really believed what he preached. And when you and I are faithful in tough times we show that we really do trust Him.Down through the ages God has allowed his people to go through difficult times.

• Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son
• Joseph was sold into slavery and falsely convicted of a crime
• David was pursued in the wilderness
• Jeremiah was thrown in jail as a traitor
• Hosea’s wife deserted him
• Job lost everything
• The apostles were constantly thrown in jail and persecuted

Do you see how important this is to realize? Instead of cursing these times we should welcome them as “grad school experiences” in the school of faith. In the tough times of life we learn things we could never learn in the times of abundance.

Consider Moses and the Children of Israel as they approached the Red Sea.

Exodus 14:10-12 (NKJV) And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. [11] Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? [12] Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

Impossible Situations Should be Faced With Peace Instead of Panic!

Exodus 14:13-18 (NKJV) And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. [14] The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” [15] And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. [16] But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. [17] And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. [18] Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

When Times Are Difficult Do What He Commands And Watch
Expectantly!

There are certainly times in our lives when we have no idea what God is doing. There are times when we feel abandoned and lost. But the child of God is never abandoned. Nothing will separate us from His love. No one or no thing can take us from His love. So, when we are backed into a corner we must keep doing what we know is right and then watch to see what God will do.

• keep telling the truth
• keep your commitments
• maintain your standard
• keep praying
• keep growing
• keep honoring Him with your life

In some situations this means,

• we keep making contacts for ministry and employment
• we keep trying to have children
• we keep doing our job
• we keep praying for that rebellious family member

That sounds very tough I know, but our job is to remain faithful . . . God’s job is to rescue us.

Try to imagine Moses as he lifted up his staff over the waters and wondered what God was going to do. Imagine the awe and the wonder as the waters miraculously parted and the wind blew the river bed dry so they could walk across it. Imagine the cautious first step of the people as they walked between the mountains of water and the broad smile when they reached the other side. Imagine the panic as they saw the Egyptians begin to follow them and then the wide eyes as the water washed away their enemies for good. Is it any wonder that they worshipped?

That’s what it’s like for those who dare to trust God. We walk by faith and wait to see what God will do. And when we patiently trust we find that we are led to worship and bow down before the God who is sufficient for our every need.

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I have read an absolutely wonderful book. It is ‘God Meant It For Good’ by R.T. Kendall. It is a fresh look at the life of Joseph. I don’t know that I have enjoyed a book as much as I have enjoyed this one. The chapter on forgiveness is the best I have ever seen. To erase the bitterness, we need to focus on real forgiveness.

Joseph demonstrated total forgiveness when he forgave his brothers.

1. Total forgiveness is when we protect the one we forgive. In Genesis 45:1, Joseph asked everyone to leave the room except his brothers. Why? because he did not want anyone to know what they had done to him.

2. Total forgiveness wants to make a person feel completely at ease. In Genesis 45:3, the brothers were troubled…and then Joseph asked them to come near.

3. Total forgiveness will not even allow the person to feel bad or angry with himself. In Genesis 45:4-5, Joseph says, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves.

4. Total forgiveness acknowledges that God was in charge thru the whole ordeal. ‘God did send me before you to preserve life!’

5. Total forgiveness is demonstrated when we keep someone’s sin hidden from the person who means most to him or her. Joseph said, tell dad that God sent Joseph before you to Egypt to preserve life for you.

Isn’t it time to totally forgive…in light of the cross. Aren’t you glad God totally forgave?

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When Nehemiah got word that the walls around Jerusalem were destroyed, it greatly grieved him. The walls were destroyed 150 years earlier. No doubt he had known that the walls were down. He just thought surely someone had put them back up. He wept! This produced a passion within him to rebuild those walls and hang the gates.

Romans 15:4 (NKJV)
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

1 Cor. 10:11 (NKJV)
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

So what is the wall? Our wall is our relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. A believer can’t lose his wall but you can neglect it to the point that the wall becomes weakened! Nehemiah had to lead a team to remove the rubbish first before he can rebuild. Confess any known sin and get rid of it…that is rubbish and you can’t rebuild the wall until it is gone!

Rebuild it with the right ingredients…read the Word daily; pray daily; verbally express your faith daily; and exercise your spiritual muscles by serving God!

Don’t get distracted…when Sanballat asked Nehemiah to come down and let’s talk, Nehemiah said no for he was involved in a great work! Don’t let good things distract you from great things.

Why is this important? The wall of Jerusalem protected their treasures…everything that they valued. Your wall protects your treasure: your personal purity, your name, your reputation…but also as a dad or mom, that wall protects your children from an onslaught of Satan!

Passion pays off! Nehemiah had a great passion that produced a great plan and that led to an accomplished work! They finished the wall in 52 days! Wow! With great determination, you too can turn your life around. You can put your spiritual walk on firm footing. Determine that nothing will stop you until you have a wall up that the enemy can not break through.

Hang the gates! The gates and doors were the place where people and things would come and go! Some things were not allowed to get into Jerusalem. The gates and doors represent your personal convictions based on the absolute truths of Scripture. Some things you do not need to allow access to your home or to your personal life. Be careful the movies you watch, the music you listen too, or the books you read. List your convictions and go over them with your family.

Work your plan! Express your faith out loud: I trust you God for…! Pray using the ACTS fromula: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication. Read one chapter a day from scripture: start with Phillippians. This is your goal: 21 minutes a day for 21 days.

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There are some things in our culture that are hideous and gross. One of those things is child abuse/child neglect. Federal law defines this as an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. This definition of child abuse and neglect refers specifically to parents and other caregivers. Anyone with any sense of decency would agree that this is a major problem and it rates right up there with rape, murder, kidnapping, and spousal abuse. Our hearts break for the abused children and we become angry with the caregivers who commit these awful crimes. How can anyone abuse or neglect a child?

In the past several months, our country has seen an economic down-turn. Gas prices are up. Real estate sales are down. Many have seen secure jobs slip out of their hands. Because of this, many ministries have had to make adjustments. ReFocus Ministry was no exception. After years of only telling God our needs, we saw ‘the brook dry up’.
I wish that I could say that I have handled this well. I have complained, murmured, and even become resentful of the Lord’s dealings with me. This week the Lord showed me how that I had accused Him of child abuse and child neglect. When I saw that, I almost lost my breath. Because of delays in answers to prayer, I have literally placed God among those who have been convicted as child abusers.

This happens when we begin to doubt the love of God. Without my knowing it, the Enemy had convinced me that God no longer loved me like He did at one time. Zephaniah 3:17 says that God has rested in His love for us. That means that God has reached a point that His love for us is established. There is nothing that I can do that will ever make God not love me.

I have come to the conclusion that I have done the same thing that Israel did. Psalm 137:1-2 (KJV) By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Israel hung up their harps because they had no song. They could always sing when deliverance would come. They could always sing when answers to prayers would come. But they could not sing of God’s faithfulness during the trials. They, too, accused God of child abuse.

I have seen that our greatest testimony is to sing during the trials, during the times of drought, during the times of delay, during the times of silence from God. I now choose to pick up my harp and sing a seven verse hymn:

* God loves me.

* God is faithful.

* God is awesome.

* God hears me.

* God knows what He is doing.

* God will honor His covenant of promise.

* God will answer my prayers.

And no song about God could end any better than the way Jesus ended the Garden of Gethsemane scene. After all the agony of the garden, the hurt, the tears, the pain, Jesus said, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done!”
This is my song. I will sing it wherever God plants me. This is my song if my circumstances never change.

Forgive me, God, for accusing You of abuse and neglect.

Billy

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I am amazed at how well the 66 books of the Bible fit together. God used many authors from many different backgrounds and produced a magnificent book that has endured through time and attack. Let me give an example by taking a look at one verse of scripture.

This is possibly the most remarkable verse in all of Scripture. It profoundly impacted Martin Luther. It is repeated three times in the New Testament.

• The Book of Romans is an extra-ordinary book. It develops the principle of justification. We are justified in Christ Jesus. After we are saved, it is just - as - if - I - had never sinned. That is what justified means. We are ‘the just’. The writer of Romans wrote the book to explain the phrase ‘the just’. Romans 1:17 says, “The just shall live by faith.”
  
• The book of Galatians is a fascinating book. It was written to combat the legalism that was growing in the church. It has been correctly written that the journey of a believer looks like a pendulum. We swing one direction into legalism and then we over react and swing the opposite direction into license. Both positions are wrong. God wants us living in liberty in Christ. The writer of Galations wrote the book to explain the phrase ’shall live’. Galatians 3:11 says, “The just shall live by faith.”
• The book of Hebrews is an inspiring book. It was written to demonstrate the faith walk. It contains the Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith and verse 6 gives us our goal in life…verse 6 says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The writer of Hebrews wrote the book to explain the phrase ‘by faith’. Hebrews 10:38 says, “The just shall live by faith.”

It is awesome the way this fits together. One inspiration, one mind, one message…many different authors writing under the inspiration of God…produced a masterpiece called the Bible.

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Picked up one of my old Bibles. I found some great stuff written in the margins.

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I have watched some episodes of the old ‘Dick Van Dyke Show’ at least a dozen times. We own the whole collection of this great tv show. Last night we watched the ‘Andy Griffith Show’ where Gomer yells, “Citizen’s arrest, citizen’s arrest!” Reruns are great and a very real part of our life.

Habakkuk was shocked. He now faced an enormous problem with no way out. This is the backdrop of an awesome lesson that God gives us in this little obscure book. The book could be entitled, “How to Face Life Shattering Problems”. In this book, God gives us precise steps in the midst of overwhelming conditions:

1. Focus of what you do know! Quit focusing on the ‘unknowns’ such as how can we survive or how can make that payment. Read Habakkuk 1:12-17. He focused on the faithfulness of God.
2. Wait on God. Read Habakkuk 2:1-3. “Though the answer tarries, wait for it!”
3. Trust God. Habakkuk 2:4…the just shall live by faith. This could well be the most profound verse in all of scripture.
4. Remember the past acts of God. From 2:5 until 3:15, Habakkuk recalls how God has acted in the past. Keep a journal and during tough times, read it to see how God brought deliverance.
5. Be honest. Read Habakkuk 3:16. “God, I trust you…but I am scared to death!”
6. Express perfect faith. Read the most extra-ordinary passage in all of scripture in 3:17-19. “God, even if my circumstances never change…I am still going to love you!”

By the way, Habakkuk means “to embrace”. When problems come, the best thing we can do, is embrace the Lord.

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The greatest work that we do, the greatest privilege that we have is to stand in the presence of God. Sylvia Gunter has a great understanding of the importance of this privilege. Check out her website. Read Sylvia Gunter’s latest email newsletter:

God is seeking worshipers. He desires His people to be eager to know Him intimately and experience all of who He is. He wants a people who are not content to be just born-again and sitting on their eternal security. He longs for His people not only to love Him but to be in love with Him. When you are in love, you desire to please your beloved more than anything else. You are joyfully, willingly submissive to the one you love. This is commitment. This is surrender. God would rather have you than the things you can do for Him. He is more interested in your being all He wants you to be than in your doing things for Him.

The need of the hour is for believers to be in the inner court as priests. God desires to visit you powerfully to convict, woo, love, proclaim truth, reconcile, make all things new, and glorify Himself. Intimacy with the risen Christ is first priority. Minister to God in praise, worship, and communion in the inner court, just because He is worthy of worship. Let His presence and power flow through you to His glory. Inner-court ministry is the key, if you want desperately to see the works of God done in your life, your family, and your church.

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If I were shipwrecked on a deserted island, what books would I want to have with me?

1. My New King James Bible




2. Prayer by O. Hallesby…the best book ever written on prayer.




3. All of Andrew Murray’s books.




4. Prayer Portions by Sylvia Gunter…check it out…this is the most practical how to guide on prayer




5. Bob Sorge’s book, “The Fire of Delayed Answers”




6. Nancy Missler’s book, “Faith in the Night Seasons”

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