It’s A Process

This life that we are in is a journey!

And on this journey, God takes us through a process of perfecting.

James 1:2-4(NASB) – Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. and let endurance have it’s PERFECT result, so that you may be PERFECT and complete, lacking in nothing.

God doesn’t allow us to go through the “process” just for the process’ sake. The process is preparation in us for something greater that’s coming.

I believe that God loves you so much that He will not give you your destiny until He has prepared you to handle it. He does not want you to fail.

You can look at examples in the bible of those who received a vision or promise of God of what their future held, yet God still took them through a time of preparation and character building so they could handle His plan for them later. I.E. – Abraham, Joseph, David, etc.

So God takes us through these perfecting processes. Purifying us and working out the kinks and junk in our lives. Much like a potter does with clay before he is able to make a vas or dish. Something beautiful!

Scripture says in a few different place that God is the potter and we are the clay.

An artist will take up clay … dull and grey and shapeless.

• They’ll begin to knead the clay, forcing out pockets of air trapped within the lump of clay.

•They’ll start working out grime, dirt, rock etc.

•They’ll throw the clay onto the wheel, turning the wheel and shaping the clay into a smooth sphere.

In this same way, God is the artist or the potter and we are His clay.

We are in God’s hands, just like clay in the potter’s hands.

•God kneads us, pushing and pulling, applying pressure to squeeze out weaknesses and imperfections before they become permanent and fatal flaws.

•God smoothes us and shapes us until, what lives and breathes before Him, satisfies the aspiration of His imagination.

When the potter takes the raw clay and begins the purifying process, he is not surprised when, in fact he knows that, impure things, and things that don’t look good will rise to the surface and come out.

That’s part of the purifying and refining process.

And he continues until his work is finished cuz he knows that once it has been made pure, it is ready for what it was created for.

This is likewise with God. Our mistakes and downfalls do not shock God. He is not caught off guard or surprised that we mess up sometimes.

You need to understand. I am in NO WAY saying that sinning is not a big deal and that it’s okay no matter what you do. NO WAY!

The bible tells us to stay away from sin.

2 Corinthians 6:17 – So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.

And there is a big different between junk working its way out of you in the purifying process, and you continually allowing junk into you!

BUT while God is purifying you and letting you go through the process, that will make you into who you were created for, and you make mistakes like we all will…

He will NOT give up on you! He is not finished with you!

He who has started a good work in us will finish it to completion.

– Early in the last century, sculptor Gutzon Borglum gazed at the cliffs of South Dakota’s Black Hills. As any great artist would, He saw what no one else could…the sculpted faces of US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. After 14 years, he finally completed his project — Mount Rushmore.

How in the world did Borglum foresee such a work of art by looking at a cliff?

Cause he envisioned what those Black Hills could become.

Just like that sculptor could see that masterpiece when all it was, was a rocky cliff, God can see us and does see us as WHO HE HAS CALLED US AND CREATED US TO BE.

It’s A Process.

 

LIVING YOUR DREAM

Do you find yourself at a place today where you feel disappointed, over looked, and discouraged?

Do you ever feel like your dreams will never become a reality?

Do you feel like everybody else’s dreams are becoming a reality and you are left to just be happy for them and melt in your depravity?

If you have been feeling this way lately remember this – God hasn’t forgotten about you.  He hasn’t forgotten about your dreams and the promises over your life.  But you must also know this  – there is a process and the process is vital in you living in your place of destiny.

So many people are quick to say that they want the success they see in others – but not many are willing to walk the arduous road that it takes to get to that place of success. I believe God wants to help you to develop some things in your life so that you can reach our fullest potential.

Somewhere along the way we have come up with this philosophy that being a Christian is suppose to be easy and that living our dreams is something that suppose to just happen for us.

But your dreams are something you have to fight for.

We are so quick to blame God for what He hasn’t done to make our dreams a reality.  Do you really have faith that God wants to bless you?  Do you really believe that the lover of your soul is for you and not against you?  If you do, then you might need to change your mindset so that you can move past where you are and get to where you are going.

There is only one person that can keep us from our dreams.  That one person is not the devil – although he may try hard to disable us.  The only person that can keep you from your dreams is YOU.  God has called you to great places in your life.  He wants the best for you.  No demon in all of hell can stop what God desires to do.  But if you believe his lies and stop participating in the process – you can and will keep yourself from your destiny.

Many times our dreams are not a reality because of our own failure to do our part in the process.  Please hear this from someone who is walking this whole “living your dreams” thing out too.  It’s not easy.  Yet sometimes, instead of digging in, being relentless, and pursuing our dreams – we throw ourselves a pity party and talk about how much easier it would be to give up.  We want to talk about how much easier it was when we were in our “Egypt” – in the very place that held us captive from our dreams.

Can I give you a quick psychology lesson?  Psychology tells us that what you think about you will speak about – what you speak about you will act on – and what you act on you will become. So, where have your thought processes been?  Have you been telling yourself “this is too hard,”  “I’ll never make it,” or “this is never going to happen for me.”  The reality is that if you dwell on that long enough it is what you will act on and ultimately what will steer your direction in life.  You will never fulfill your dreams if you are constantly dwelling on these lies.  You’ve got to change the way you think.  How do you do that?  Get into the Word of God.  Open up your Bible and read it.  Listen to sermons.  Listen to Christian music.  Begin to claim the scripture over your life – even when you don’t feel it. Tell yourself “I’m not quitting, I’m not giving up, I refuse to settle or go back – no matter what.” If you want to reach your dreams, you’ve got to dig down deep and fight for them.

You have an enemy of your soul, the Devil, who will attack you in the areas of your vulnerabilities when you are most vulnerable to attack.  He doesn’t want you to reach your goals.  He doesn’t want you to step into your anointing.  He doesn’t want your dreams to become a reality.  He lies in wait for you.  He sets up strategic plans of attack for you – to keep you from living in the place God has called you to live.

I believe that there are some Christians who need to bow up and say – “I’m not stopping, I’m not quitting, I don’t care how hard it gets, I am going after my dreams, my destiny, and my anointing and I will not be stopped.”  That might require that you spend some time in the desert – don’t quit!  That might mean you feel isolated and lonely – keep going.  That might even mean that you feel disappointed, rejected, hurt, and overwhelmed.  YOUR GOD GIVEN DREAMS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR!!!  Don’t be distracted by temporary fixes – God didn’t design your life so intricately for you to settle for second best!  He didn’t bring you this far just to drop you off.  HE WANTS YOU LIVING IN THE FULLNESS OF YOUR DESTINY!!!

Getting to that place where you are living your dreams will take determination and focus.  It will take you never, ever quitting – no matter what.  It will mean you have to cling to the Word of God- NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL.  Getting there takes someone who is willing to be tenacious.  Someone who will have the same relentless heart like Jacob that says “I will not let go until you bless me.”   And the person who is willing to walk that road WILL see the promises of God fulfilled in their lives.  There is not a doubt in my mind.  Do you trust Him?  The destiny He has created for you is SO WORTH IT!

Pastor Shelly Riker