10 Dec I Recognize You! (Learning to recognize people, places and points that are pivotal in your life): PART 8

Posted at 08:00h in Uncategorized by

I call them “monumental moments” and “defining decisions”.  These are pivotal points in your life when it is imperative you make the right choice!  What you wear to the office today, most likely will not be a life changing decision.  However, who you marry and where you choose to go to church are absolutely life altering decisions that could make you or break you!

We don’t always realize it, but we choose our choices and therefore inadvertently choose our consequences.  Consequences (good or bad) always accompany choices. The good news is if you don’t like your present circumstances, you are simply one Biblical choice away from improving your life (see Deuteronomy 30:19).  You are not a loser…you are a chooser!

Over the last couple of months we have been sharing with you how important it is to recognize people, places and points that are pivotal in our lives.  Let’s review…

“Three Realms of Recognition”:

  1. People (Matt. 13:44)

5 Points Pertaining to the Importance of People:

  1. Association gives you motivation for your destination.
  2. Right voices…right choices.  
  3. Right connections…right directions.  
  4. It’s impossible to live the right life when you have the wrong friends!  
  5. If you want to make wiser decisions, associate with wiser people. 

Then we gave you “11 Treasure Tips”:

  1. God frequently hides treasure behind dirt.
  2. God hides greatness in weakness.
  3. God hides great behind common.
  4. To access the treasure you must honor the dirt.
  5. God digs through the dirt to find the treasure.  People dig through the treasure to find the dirt!  
  6. To get what God intends you must receive who God sends.  
  7. When you ask God for something…He will send it through somebody.  
  8. If you reject the somebody, you won’t receive the something.
  9. Perception determines reception.
  10. How you perceive someone is how you’ll receive someone.
  11. Honor is the key to access. 

“5 Familiarity Facets”:

  1. When His grace becomes common place.  
  2. With acclimation comes a lack of appreciation.  
  3. When miracles become monuments.  
  4. When something that used to turn you on…you now turn on.  
  5. When the devil can’t steal it from you…he’ll just cause you to take the precious for granted.  
  6. Places (I Kings 17:8-9)

2. Places (I Kings 17:8-9)

“4 Powerful Points Pertaining to Places”:

  1. Where you are is just as important as what you are.
  2. Where you are can determine your provision. (I King 17:1-9)
  3. Where you are can determine your reception. (Luke 9:51-53)

This month let’s continue…

4. God wants you planted not potted. (Ps. 92:12-14)

   This verse says, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a  cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the court of our God.  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”  The “palm tree” in these powerful verses refer to victory (remember Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem they threw down palm leaves).  The Cedars of Lebanon refer to durability.  These cedar trees had deep roots and could not be blown over in a storm.  In other words, plantability determines victory and durability.

Where should we be planted…in the local church.  The “house of the Lord” and the “courts of our God” was where the Word of God was taught on a regular basis.  This is an Old Testament type of the New Testament local church! While I am certainly not trying to tell you that there aren’t certain seasons when it may be time to change churches (remember a fish will only grow to the size of his aquarium), I am also certainly telling you that you should not be a church hopper!  When you are planted in your God-ordained local church and develop roots, you will begin to flourish and “bear fruit in your old age.”

In 35 years of ministry I’ve watched people sow seeds in a local church field for years.  I’ve watched them get healed, their marriage restored and their kids begin to serve God. Then suddenly out of nowhere they uproot and leave.  Remember this: When you are planted, your harvest will come up right where you are.  When you are potted, your harvest will come up right where you were!

Can you see how important it is to recognize pivotal people and places in your life?! 

Join us next week as we continue our series…