Revive your people oh God is our cry; and it is rightfully so. However, before God can revive we must have hearts that will take the limits off God!
“Taking the Limits Off God”
Psalm 78:41 Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel . 42 They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
God’s children time and again have put the limits on God; however, God is calling for us to take the limits off Him. We as God’s children can limit, slow down, and or stop up the Spirit of God from freely working in our lives. Like one of those kiddy cars with a governor on it, we can put the pedal to the metal we don’t go no faster; it is being restricted because of the limits placed on it.
It is my prayer that God will expose our mindsets that limit His power working in us. That His people will have the courage to exalt His truth above our thoughts and imaginations that hinder His truth.
Song 2:15 Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.
We cry out revive us oh Lord and we forget little foxes can spoil the vine. Those small foxes are not purposefully ruining the vineyard they just want some of those grapes. In so doing they bite the vine and damage it. The vine can no longer be supported by the roots because the fox bit the vine and damaged, slowed down, or completely stopped the flow.
Numbers 12:1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!" So the three came out.
Here in Numbers God rebuked Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moses His servant. In the end Aaron and Miriam repented. However, what is it we can learn from them? Is one of the foxes spoiling the vine our lips that speak against the leaders God has ordained for us? To murmured and complain against God’s man is a great way to limit what God is doing. Aaron and Miriam complaint stopped the children of Israel from moving forward for a season.
If the enemy can get us to speak against God’s man he has effectively brought in the small fox to spoil the vine. Can we cry out for revival in one breathe and find fault and complaint against God, His leaders, and His church in the next. The Apostle Paul himself was quick to repent for speaking against God’s ordained leadership; in Paul ’s case the leadership was in the wrong.
Acts 23:5 Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Complaining and murmuring is poison to the work of God in our life. It is indeed a small fox spoiling the vines. Where there is envy and strife there is every evil works. The spirit of strife begins with a spirit of murmuring and complaining.
“I did not get picked” or “they did not invite me” or “they have their own click”. These are all lines that are the bait of satan to bring disunity, bringing in the fox to spoil the vine. Let us be wise of satan’s devises that limit the power of God. If we will walk with a spirit of unity, encouragement, and praise the governor will be broken and the anointing will be allowed to move freely.
We can not hold to the spirit of complaint and disputing while at the same time holding fast the word of life. We either hold lazily to the spirit of complaint and disputing or purposefully hold to the word of life. Complaint easily flows while the spirit of encouragement and blessing are learned through exercise.
1 Timothy 4:7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Oh that mindsets would be broken that enables us to limit the power of God in our lives!
James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
An old wives’ fable when you are sick call the doctor. God’s Word declares if you are sick call for the elders of the church. No I am not preaching against doctors! However I am preaching against the mindset that has never called for the elders of the church! We have how many prescriptions and have not yet submitted ourselves to God’ word commanding us to call for the elders. Much of the mindset of the church, if you are sick stay home from church; call the doctor early Monday. When our traditions have taken the place of being obedient to God words we have restricted God. We have placed the governor on Him limiting His power in our life. If doctor Jesus is our doctor let God be our first priority.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Worry itself is one of those foxes that spoil the vine. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. Where ever you treasure is there will our heart be also. God has commanded us to seek His face; is it His face we seek? Is it the kingdom of God that has our first priority or is it the next football game? You can tell what a man treasures by what he pursues. 3 hours of television and 5 minutes of prayer show our pursuit. A morning of golfing with 15 minutes of devotion time show what we pursue. 3 hours reading a novel and 10 minutes in the Word show what we treasure and pursue. We cry out God send revival we spend an hour or so in the church service and 3 hours at the movie theater. Am I preaching against doing things of pleasure? Let me answer this way. Jesus had times of getting away; however His pursuit in life was doing the will of the Father.
Matthew 12:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Have we have limited the power of God by not pursuing the will of the Father? Is the fox that spoils the vine our own selfish pursuit? Have we given the enemy a foothold in our lives that limits what God can do for us?
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews chapter 11 is said to be the hall of fame of faith. God will reward those who diligently seek Him. It is God’s desire that we join those in this great hall of fame!
Psalm 27:8 When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.
I was in a prayer meeting. While praying the word came to me “I am your reward”. I was anticipating God to use me in prophesying in that morning service and I thought that was the first words I would begin to speak. Many times that is how God does it. When I got home I asked God about it. Lord there was no appropriate time to share this word you put in my heart, how come? God spoke to my heart immediately “the word was for you Bruce”. I begin to weep. God is my reward! What else could one need than for God to be the cherished reward?
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
God Himself is our shield and our exceedingly great reward. Seeking His face has great dividend. We can take the limits off God. No governor on our car’s throttle! We can keep the fox out of our vineyard!
Matthew 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Holdfast the word of life. The word that God speaks is to be treasured beyond life itself. Consider God’s will and word precious like the pearl with great price. Don’t miss the point of the individual who had holy truth and was willing to take what was precious and throw it out like scraps from the table. Slopping the pigs and feeding the dogs with what is holy was the shame.
Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
Israel limited God because they would not remember all that God had already done!
Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Word is filled with ways to take the limits off God and allow Him to work freely. What we speak is so important. Godly fellowship with godly encouragement opens our hearts to His power working in us. Remembering what God has done with a thankful heart brings glory to the Father!
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
The Apostle Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to rejoice, pray, give thanks, quench not the spirit, hold precious prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. These are great keys to taking the limits off God.
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