Rise Up!…Continued

To rise up above your situation requires faith “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 What are you hoping for? What are you waiting for? What are you expecting to happen? While you are waiting for it to manifest act as if you have it already. Start making preparations for it. I don’t see it, but I believe it will happen. I don’t understand it but I know it’s going to work out for my good. When will you rise up above your situation? How long will you sit there? How long will you wait for someone to come and rescue you?  How long will you feel sorry for yourself? How long will you blame others? When God has already given us the power to rise up.

Can you imagine? You are in service and someone you have known for years of being lame and now they are instantly healed. For years of wanting to be healed, years of being rejected, years of not knowing who you are, years of living in confusion, years of living in rebellion, years of not knowing your purpose, you messed up. Get over yourself. It’s time out for excuses. God knew it was going to happen, God knows what you were going to do or have done. It’s over; now rise up! You just keep coming to the temple, keep imaging, keep believing in your miracle, and don’t you dare give up. They were amazed and were standing there watching him. He hadn’t walked since birth and all they could do is watch him. He is in the temple praising. When you see God perform a miracle in someone’s life don’t just stand there and watch. Praise the Lord with them because you are next. Your miracle is on the way.

5) His faith was awakened at the moment of a rightly spoken word. “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: And a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23) Your words should bring you joy. Tell yourself to rise up! You don’t have any joy what have you been saying? The man could have stayed on the mat in that condition but on this day, he wanted more for himself. It’s almost as if he was waiting for someone to help him get up. Has anyone ever spoken those words to you? Rise up, get up, shake yourself, let’s go, move, keep going, you can’t stay there, you got this, you can do this and you are coming out. Rise up above your current state of mind and walk in faith. How long will you stay in that state? Make your move towards God, make a step, and rise up.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. (Proverbs 3:12) Have you given up on your situation? God moves when he sees faith in action. Faith without works is dead. You can say all day long that you want something but what are you doing to get it? Stop wishing and start working your faith organ, start moving and walking in faith to that desired place. Today is your day to rise up! When you rise up from that low place your perspective changes. Things begin to shift and you have a new mindset. It’s time to change your mind upward and rise up. It’s time to change your vision. What do you see? Do you see yourself healed? Do you see yourself free? Rise up and assume your rightful position in the Lord! You have been playing the pauper for far too long like a stepchild. Time out for the woe-is-me mentality. God has chosen you. You are an heir of the most High God, you are royalty, a King’s kid, and an ambassador for Christ. You are seated in heavenly places. Rise up, square your shoulders walk like it, and talk like it.

Rise up from that low place of thinking about your situation. What did you learn from it and how can you use it for the Kingdom? You have prayed about it, you have fasted and prayed. You have talked about it, cried about it and some have given up. You have meditated on God’s word and you can’t see your way out. Stop talking yourself out of getting up. What did God tell you to do and you have yet to step out in faith, and make your move? It’s time to rise up. Time out for sitting on the sidelines as if you are a spectator in the Kingdom, twiddling your thumbs as if you don’t know what to do. If you don’t know rise up and you better ask somebody.

It’s time to get up, shake yourself, and rise up. Let’s walk out your own soul salvation. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) No time for backing out, backing down, and being scared. Be bold and courageous.

Now is the time to move upward. I am rising above all of my fears and doubts. God, I don’t understand what you are doing in my life but one thing I do know, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,” (Philippians 3:13) I will trust you.

God may have given you a glimpse of your future and it seems like it is taking forever to get there. God never reveals to us how we will get there. Enjoy your process, God knows exactly where you are in Him and He hasn’t given up on you. So don’t you give up on yourself or God? God does not move according to our timetable. We are on His time.

It’s time to emerge from obscurity. You’re not late, you didn’t miss your chance. You are right where God wants you because if God wanted you in a different place, in a different season you would be there. This man went to church every day bound. Everyone knew he was bound. They knew his condition. They could see his issue but what about those people who go to church and they look as if they have it all together? They go to church bound, with the same issue year after year and no one knows about it. God sees you and when He sends the answer, rise up! When God sends your deliverer, it may not be the person you want but God will send the one you need to help you to rise up. The answer will not be in a nice wrapped-up package. It will be enough is enough, dry those tears, stop saying that, get up, and let’s go. You are wrong and I am not agreeing with you. Now you know I love you but is time for you to rise up.

When you stop coming to the house of worship you are in a low place. Life has a way of throwing some trials our way that we don’t know how we are going to get out. Don’t stay home whatever you do. You negate your power source of the fellowship of the brethren. When you stop coming, we know you have an issue. The issue isn’t with your brother or sister in Christ or someone else. The issue is with you. You don’t want to deal with you. When you rise up above your situation you are maturing and growing up. This is a faith walk!

Some of us have been in this low place for far too long and it’s time for you to rise up! “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6 You must remain confident in God and know without a shadow of a doubt that He is going to do it for you. Let’s agree with God’s Word and do what He has called us to do.

He could have chosen to stay home and give up on a productive life. He could have listened to those negative thoughts in his mind I am an invalid and there is no use. He told himself I am not invalid; I have a purpose. One thing about the lame man, he went to the temple every day. All pride was out of the window. He was dependent on others to get him there; he was on his post of duty to beg for a living. On this certain day, on this specific day, God gave Him his deepest desire. He received his miracle at the temple. I am sure the church folks got tired of seeing him there but he didn’t care. You keep coming to church, you keep tuning in, you keep serving, and keep giving, you keep doing what you have to do to get here.

Sometimes we are on an upward slope to rising. Have you ever or have you seen someone climbing up a slope this can be painful as you are working those muscles in your legs. You are in that place and God is working your faith muscles. They are getting stronger each and every day but stop complaining, stop being negative, and encourage yourself in the Lord. There are times when it takes some of us longer to rise above our life experiences because we don’t know who we are and who we belong to. Our confidence is to be in God and not in ourselves or anyone else. I know my righteousness is nothing but filthy rags, I know I can’t do anything without God, for it is Him who giveth me life and sustains me.  “For in him we live, and move, and have our being;”

I am sure that as the years went by, he kept the thought of walking deep in his mind. The doctors told him he couldn’t walk. His family and friends believed the report of the doctor. He held on to his dream of walking one day. This certain man didn’t care what anyone had to say. He went to the house of the Lord every day. He was persistent, strong, and reliable, and he encouraged himself every day by getting up and showing up at the temple.

I could hear him saying today could be my day. He seized the opportunity to walk. He got what he wanted. He kept the faith. When the Apostles said, “Rise up”; he got up! Keep believing, stay consistent no matter what, and remain faithful no matter what. God sees you and He hasn’t forgotten about you. There is something that you have got to do though.

You keep coming to church. Disciples of Christ can’t stop and we don’t quit. No matter how bleak the situation looks. You keep the faith, keep getting up. Some of us rise up and some of us stay in the same place. The same place believing the lies we tell ourselves. Rise up out of that lame place. It’s not over and God is not done with you yet.

It’s time for you to rise up! Rise up above the naysayers, above your doubts, above your fears, and above what you think and how it should be. God’s Word supersedes what we think. Rise to the occasion and do what God has called you to do. The lame man never gave up and he received his miracle. Don’t you dare give up on yours and rise up!