Looking forward to awesome services in @crccpt & @crcstb this Sun with @Aidan_Jeffery! New series #mindset starting! Let's #fetch our world!
| Seizing Your Opportunities |
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| Monday, 31 October 2011 17:22 |
 Making the very most of the time buying up each opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:16 (AMP) There are countless stories in the Bible of men and women who seized opportunities and some who did not. The stories of these individuals sometimes amaze us because of the courage & faith they show in seizing these opportunities. We watch how their stories unfold amidst unbelief, opposition and severe hardships and yet they triumph. On the other side some of these stories bemuse & even sadden us, as we watch these characters waste numerous opportunities to achieve something great or to make a difference. Sometimes we read the Bible and we’re in awe of these characters and what they achieve or don’t achieve for God and we are somehow challenged & encouraged by their stories, but at the same time we’re sort of disconnected from their realities. The reality of some of our heroes in the Bible, are that they were ordinary people, who achieved extraordinary things, through seizing God opportunities. Noah follows God’s instructions to build an ark and preserves the human race. Moses obeys God and delivers millions of people from bondage. Abraham believes God and he becomes the father of faith. David is a young shepherd boy and slays Goliath. Joseph goes from a slave to a ruler in Egypt. Esther saves a nation by risking her life. There are many more such stories, but the point is these were all normal people who were living their lives unaware of any assignments that they had to complete. An opportunity was presented to them – very often in difficult & challenging times. The difference between the people’s names we read in the bible & those we don’t is simply those names we know responded to the opportunity given to them. The thing about opportunities most of the time, are that they disguised in some form of discomfort or challenge. We view them as irritations & distractions to our secure lives of comfort. Jesus never called us to a life of comfort & mediocrity. He promises us a life of fullness and abundance - however that life is attached to opportunity and opportunity more often than not is attached to effort or obstacles. In order to seize your opportunities and to make a difference, you’ll more than likely have to face fear, resistance, doubt, unbelief and a whole host of seemingly insurmountable negative forces. This all sounds very dramatic and scary and can be at times, but God says we can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us. This means that whatever challenge you’re facing right now, God has already given you the grace & power to overcome it. On the other side of that challenge lies your opportunity & breakthrough to achieve the things God has planned for you. Always see challenges as an opportunity to grow and increase. You have to change your perspective. The devil wants to use challenges to destroy you; God wants to use challenges to strengthen you. You choose the outcome. God says choose life. The next time challenges come your way, see them as disguised opportunities that will propel you to a higher level. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 (NLT) Listen to Mp3 |