Breaking Barriers to Raise Barriers

From: Jumpstart P.E.P. Talk
Sunday, August 17, 2014

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

Those of you who know me know that I love to torture myself by running miles.  Running is my preferred exercise to stay fit.  I recently "kinda" completed an eight week challenge that I gave myself from my running app.  The app makes you name the challenge.  I named it "Breaking the Barrier".  The reason why I named it that was because when I ran track in my younger years, I ran middle distance; at the most, my event was two miles.  This challenge called for me to run three, four, five and six miles each week for eight weeks.  I had never trained my body or my mind to run over two miles, so the two mile mark was a "barrier" that needed to be broken.  After the second mile, everything in my body would tell my mind to quit, that I couldn't make it and to quit the entire challenge.  Everyone who does any kind of sport knows that your mind has to be made up to win before you start the race.  If not, when the pain hits, you will quit.

After a few weeks of running my challenge, I quickly realized that I and all of us humans are in and of ourselves, weak, feeble, frail and limited; not just in our physical bodies but in our minds.  Our nature without Christ is frail, feeble and powerless; carnality at its finest. I also realized that in my frailties, Jesus loves me!  There was nothing that I did to get  God to send Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save me and there is nothing that I can do to make Him stop loving me, even when everything in me is telling me to give up.

God wants us to completely rely on Him for everything.  Our accomplishments, lack of accomplishments, abilities, lack of abilities, etc. can't matter in the scheme of things when it comes to acceptance, sufficiency and power.  We can never broker or negotiate our way into success, no matter how hard we try.  That's like boxing the wind , running in place or swimming in a riptide.  People who look good on paper aren't necessarily happy and fulfilled in Christ because our works apart from being led by Christ is fleshy and becomes a thorn in our flesh.  Verse 7 says, "Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh....He asked the Lord to take it from him but Jesus answered, "My grace is sufficient, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  After defining these words in context, here are what the words from that verse means.

1. Sufficient - to raise a barrier, to ward off, to be enough or to avail.
2. Strength - ability, might, power, and possibility.
3. Made - accomplish or finish.
4. Perfect - accomplish or finish.
5. Weakness - lacking in ability, might, power and possibility.

Looking at these definitions, here's what that verse is saying.  "My unmerited, unearned favor has raised a barrier to ward off the danger of pride and selfishness to avail so you can realize, believe and understand that it's enough for you.  My ability, might and power breeds, accomplishes/finishes accomplishes/finishes in the face of every lack inability, impossibility and sheer powerlessness that you have in your flesh."

No matter what your accomplishments are or what your inabilities are, God's unearned favor and love is what sustains you even when you are messed up.  It's God's power that rests on you in your weakest point to bring strength to you and make the impossible possible. You must know that God's grace is enough for you.  Nothing that you do can out perform His grace and love.  You are accepted, so stop trying to prove yourself to people who will love you one day and hate you the next.  Jesus proved everything on the cross on your behalf.  He broke every barrier to raise barriers of protection for you so that His grace would be effective in your life.  Accept it.  Believe it.

I hope that this word has blessed your heart and transformed your mind.  Please meditate on this word and share it with your friends and family.

I can't wait to fellowship with you!

The prayer conference call has a NEW NAME and a NEW TIME!  It's "Jumpstart P.E.P. Talk" Praise|Exhortation|Prayer; a time to talk and listen to our loving Father. The call is designed to give you a boost to start your week off right. You may call in every Sunday MORNING at 6:00 AM EST at 530-881-1212, Pin#:545-495-056. I hope to hear you on the call. If you have a specific prayer request, email me at joslyn@hisimagemanifested.org.

If you want to receive giveaways and gifts from the ministry as well as finding out what we're doing and where we are going, go to the website and click on "Contacts" and hit "subscribe".

Check out my new website at www.hisimagemanifested.org. You can get to the blogs, podcasts, subscribe to our email blasts and book Joslyn and LeDerick from this website. You can also see where we have been and what we are doing. If you want to go directly to the podcast, click on Joslyn's Podcast to hear the messages from the bible studies and the Jumpstart prayer conference calls.


In HIM,

Jos

Joslyn's Blog: Rabbit Ears or SatelLIGHT?

Joslyn's Blog: Rabbit Ears or SatelLIGHT?:   When we choose not to move to the next phase in which God is leading us, we end up holding "rabbit ears" with the inability to see and hear. Get with the "SatelLIGHT" so you can stay in clarity and with a high level of discernment. Share with your friends. 



From Jumpstart - P.E.P. Talk August 3, 2014 "For if blood of bulls and of goats, and ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanct...

Rabbit Ears or SatelLIGHT?

From Jumpstart - P.E.P. Talk
August 3, 2014

"For if blood of bulls and of goats, and ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God." (AMP, emphasis)

I remember when I was younger and televisions had antennas, "rabbit ears", on top of them in order to receive a good reception of basic channels.  Moreover, there were the larger antennas on top of the house that communicated with the airwaves and the antenna on your television.  At certain times, the picture would get "fuzzy" and the sound would go out which meant that the antenna needed to be adjusted either on the roof or on the television.  I remember trying to adjust the antenna for a better picture and sound.  Sometimes, when I would touch the antenna, the picture and sound would clear up and all was A-OK, but as soon as I removed my hand, the picture would mess up again. So, the person that I was then, while watching Tom & Jerry, would stand there holding the antenna so I could continue watching my show.  I stood there, arms getting tired, and getting thirstier and hungrier (it was after school, my snack time).  I was so frustrated because I had to stand there holding the rabbit ears to get the picture and sound to work.  I was doing what I had to do if I wanted to see and hear.  I always thought to myself, there has to be a better way.  Then along came cable; Cox Cable to be exact.  No more rabbit ears to hold.  It all came from satellite.  The satellite is now the source that communicates directly to the television for a quality picture and sound.

We can look at this story from a spiritual perspective.  When life becomes skewed, unclear and cloudy; we do whatever we have to do in our own strength so that we can hear and see.  WE THINK WE CAN FIX IT.....So, we go and try to fix life's problems by standing there and holding the rabbit ears; getting thirstier and hungrier.  As a result we begin moving through life on the road to the driest places in our lives because we won't take our hands off  long enough to go to the "Well" and drink from Him and be led of His Holy Spirit in Whom He left for us to lead us and live in us.

Holding the rabbit ears is like performing dead works.  It's the blood of Jesus that purges our conscience from performing dead works and gives us the mind to serve the Living God.  The ultimate example that Jesus gives us is to do what we do THROUGH the eternal Spirit that leads us and guides us into all truth, provides a lamp for our feet and a light to our pathway.  He often stated, "I only say and do what My Father tells me to say and do." Just as he ordered Jesus' steps, He orders our steps.

Romans 9:13 -14 confirms to us two things:

1. What we do in our fleshly effort doesn't purge our thinking or our minds from the necessity to perform dead works.

2. It was the unblemished blood of the Chosen One, the Anointed Christ and His anointing by the anointing that purges our thought patterns from continuing in dead works.

When we think that our performance is how we get to get into God's good graces and become accepted by Him is when we live in error and operate in a "dead works" mentality.  His Spirit has been sent to make you new and alive to Him so that your works are THROUGH Him.  Yes, you do have things to do in this life, but what you do is to be lead by Holy Spirit.  He's the satelLIGHT that gives you HD quality in your vision and hearing.  Which would you rather; the rabbit ears or the satelLIGHT?  

I hope that this word has blessed your heart and transformed your mind.  Please meditate on this word and share it with your friends and family.

I can't wait to fellowship with you!

The prayer conference call has a NEW NAME and a NEW TIME!  It's "Jumpstart P.E.P. Talk" Praise|Exhortation|Prayer; a time to talk and listen to our loving Father. The call is designed to give you a boost to start your week off right. You may call in every Sunday MORNING at 6:00 AM EST at 530-881-1212, Pin#:545-495-056. I hope to hear you on the call. If you have a specific prayer request, email me at joslyn@hisimagemanifested.org.

If you want to receive giveaways and gifts from the ministry as well as finding out what we're doing and where we are going, go to the website and click on "Contacts" and hit "subscribe".

Check out my new website at www.hisimagemanifested.org. You can get to the blogs, podcasts, subscribe to our email blasts and book Joslyn and LeDerick from this website. You can also see where we have been and what we are doing. If you want to go directly to the podcast, click on Joslyn's Podcast to hear the messages from the bible studies and the Jumpstart prayer conference calls.


In HIM,

Jos