Showing posts with label comfort zone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comfort zone. Show all posts

Monday, October 26, 2015

"You're A Messenger of Courage: For Such A Time As This" by Joey LeTourneau - The Elijah List


"And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!'" Judges 6:12
"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" Luke 1:28
As happened with Gideon and Mary in these two instances, my heart has been pulled for the courage rising up within God's children to step into their purpose and calling. It's not just any courage, but a kairos kind of courage that empowers us to leap beyond the hope of our calling and into its appointed time of action and fruitfulness.
It's a crossing over of the mind, and an empowerment of the heart to fully believe, fully receive, and then to seize the purposes and promises we've prayed and waited for as the moment arises.
The last few weeks I've found myself sharing about a quote I hadn't recalled in a long time, from a movie called "We Bought A Zoo." I believe the words are very relevant to us in this time as we learn to seize what God has placed before us:
"You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." (We Bought A Zoo)
I believe this is a now word for you and me. We are being presented "suddenly" moments, for such a time as this, to step into a breakthrough that is bigger than our hope can comprehend. 
These might be moments that look like immense risk or require vulnerability, but we have to seize that incoming wave at the opportune time with fresh courage. (Photo via Wikipedia)
We must realize the breakthrough starts within us – so it can be brought to life all around us – by stepping outside our comfort zone and recognizing the new thing that He is doing now.
Breaking Out of Our Comfort Zone
"I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?" Isaiah 43:19
Often, the hardest thing about receiving something new for us is that it almost always requires something new of us. Those new breaker waves we pray and believe for rarely flow through our familiar comfort zone. They don't stay within our boundaries or control, rather, they are the move of His Spirit calling us to jump outside our self-imposed box and ride the wave of a lifetime.
The above verse from Isaiah is quoted frequently, even hung as a banner to declare the new thing God is ready to do. But how often do we leave off that last part? How often do we turn a deaf ear to the question the Spirit asks us each day when He inquires, "Shall you not know it?"
Will we know the new thing God is doing in, through and around us? Will we recognize His fresh move, beyond our insecurities, critiques or judgments? Will we be able to embrace the very thing we've been praying for when it passes by just outside familiar waters? 
If we will, it will take courage.

ElijahList Prophetic Resources

It will require us to be lion-hearted, found among those through the ages who have – like Gideon – lived a courage that is not so much about a valiant charge into battle but about a radical step of obedience that joins God in what He is now doing.
Your Messenger of Courage
The Lord doesn't just send us into such a leap out onto the waters without equipping us. 
Like with Gideon and Mary, there are different times throughout Scripture where we see the Lord send a messenger to one of His chosen ones to call them over the chasm that lies between the promises they hope for and the purpose they are created to live. 
God goes all in to help us be who He has created us to be, and to prove it, He sends us messengers of courage to strengthen our leap.
"Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree...Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress...And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!'" Judges 6:11-12
"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!'" Luke 1:26-28
Gideon was addressed as "mighty man of valor." Mary as "highly favored one." It is not coincidence that God called them by such terms not after they completed their purpose, but before. This is how they were addressed from the outset; then God called them to step into the appointed time of their destiny.
You have a Messenger of Courage within you, a Helper, the Spirit of Truth, and He is calling to you like He did Gideon and Mary, already addressing you as beloved and a victor, not just hopeful of such. 
He wants to visit you, meet you, and call to the courage He already sees within you. He wants you to see yourself as He does, and He is imparting to you the courage necessary to leap out and seize the moment that is only just beyond your reach.
(Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
The Lord has aligned timing. He has aligned circumstances. He is calling you by a powerful name like "Mighty" or "Favored" to remind you who you are in Him, and that He is with you. For when you know who you are, you'll also know what you are supposed to do.
He calls you by your identity before you discover your victory. So, what is your messenger of courage saying over you?
"Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." Luke 1:45
Joey LeTourneau
Imagi-Nations LLC

Email: joey.letourneau@gmail.com
Website: goimaginations.com
Joey LeTourneau, along with his wife Destiny and their five kids, live in Redding, California, and work across the nations to see the Father's heart revealed, and want to see God's children empowered to live out every purpose they've been created for – that no purpose would fall to the ground. 
Joey has authored six books and recently created a revolutionary new board game that helps people dream into their potential purpose – especially for youth around the world. Together, he and his wife founded Imagi-Nations LLC, a movement to "Imagine nations changed because you lived your purpose and dream."
To subscribe to The Elijah List go to:http://elijahlist.com/subscribe

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Kathie Walters - "Put up your sail and catch the wind." Or "Getting in and out of boats." (Identity Network)

Kathie Walthers

"Put up your sail and catch the wind."  
Or "Getting in and out of boats." 

Have you ever thought of something you would like to do, but you couldn't figure out how it would work or how it would succeed? So you dropped the idea "until later." 

What about the book or booklet you were going to write, but never got around to it? What about the art classes you wanted to take? What about the place you promised yourself to go? Or the person or ministry you really wanted to hang out with? 

You know we only have one life to live down here. You may as well have some adventures. I tell the older people, the grandpas and grandmas - this is the best opportunity you've ever had to get up and do something adventurous.
 
How do you know if it is going to work? Well sometimes you don't know, you have to "give it a go," as they say in NZ or as Janice's husband, David says to her, "Put your sail up and see if the wind will catch it." 

Take the Opportunities 

You have to take opportunities - doors can open and close, windows of opportunity can open and close.  If you don't have your spiritual antenna up you can miss those doors, because you are "busy."  Did you know you can be so busy working for Jesus you can totally miss a God opportunity?  Jesus doesn't require you to work for Him; He wants you to yield to Him so that He can work THROUGH you. Much easier that way.
 
Some opportunities mean that you are in the boat. But you have to push off from the shore. You have to leave familiar territory - your comfort zone and launch out, not exactly knowing all the details on the map either. 

Sometimes you have to get OUT of the boat if the boat has become your comfort zone. Remember Peter, he got out of his comfort zone didn't he?  A boat - that's his territory -  he was comfortable there. He was a fisherman and guess what?  Fishermen practically live in boats. A very familiar place for him he had probably managed to keep safe in all kinds of weather before now. But suddenly! Peter saw Jesus walking on the water. Do you know just like you, Peter had never actually seen anyone do that before. 

I'm sure he had eyes like saucers. "Whaaaat?"  But before he knew it, he realized this was an opportunity, and he leapt into an unknown sphere of faith. He couldn't wait for Jesus to get in the boat, because that particular  opportunity would pass.  He leapt into action, didn't he? 
Next thing - there he is walking on the water. Whhoooa amazing.  Of course we all know he got His eyes off Jesus and had to get back in the boat, but at least he had a go.  At least he knew in future that's a possibility. 

Sometimes You Can't Wait 

You know sometimes there isn't six months for you to debate about how to respond to an open door.  You have an idea of something but that's not enough - you have to push out from the shore, you, have to raise the sail. You have to let the wind catch the sail. 

Do you know that in Ireland in the 5th century and 6th century there were many preachers in the monasteries. During that Celtic revival the monasteries would have about 4,000 young men and women. They were like our Bible colleges. They healed the sick, preached the Gospel and raised the dead.  Some of them, called the Peregrini, would get into a boat off the shores of Ireland. The boat had no engine, no oars and no rudder. They hoisted the sail and trusted God to send the winds to take them where they were meant to go.  Brendan, the navigator, had many miraculous adventures that way. He even sailed to America (the land of promise he called it.) 

So, what about you?  You can stay in your comfort zone - in your familiar boat, or you can raise the sail and let the winds take you out and into the purposes of God.  It's so easy to get settled, isn't it? Now is not that time. We all have heard and seen the prophesies about the move of God and about the CHANGES. 

Follow Me 

Peter was probably quite successful as a fisherman. He was comfortable there - it's what he knew. But He met Jesus and Jesus really turned his boat upside down. There he was in his comfort zone life and suddenly he met a man unlike any other man he had ever met. One day Jesus said, "Hey Peter, leave all that fishing, get out of your boat, I have some other fish to fry."  Kathie's interpretation, but it's good (and scriptural). 

Peter had to make a decision didn't he? Jesus didn't say, "I will give you six months to think it over and if you feel so inclined, well you can come with me."  He just said to Peter, "Follow me," and probably carried on walking. 

Are you ready to hoist the sail?  Are you going to push away from the shore?  If you want things to change you have to do something different. I don't believe it's the will of God that you are in a job that you hate, or a ministry or church you can hardly stand; That's immoral really as you will never give it your best. He puts His desires in your heart so that when you serve Him, it's delightful, because it's in your heart. What really is in your heart?  Keep your antenna up.  Hoist the sail, let the wind come and take you where He wants you to go. 

Read my Celtic Book, Celtic Flames, and read about the great adventures those 6th century Fathers of the faith had - Patrick and Brendan and Brigid and Cuthbert and Comgall, who founded the famous Bangor Monastery. They all raised the dead, healed the sick and preached the Gospel. You can find it on www.identitynetwork.net

Kathie Walters

 
 
 
 
 
Columba -The Celtic Dove
Book
By Kathie Walters
Price: $7.99
Click HERE to order.