Would you build a house
Would you build a house
on someone else’s property?
Of course not…
By Bishop Frank Duprée
If you did you still would not own it. In reality, although you paid for all the materials and did all the work it would belong to someone else.
Let's go into God's Word and find out some things about His Plans and His Timetable for your life...
Jeremiah 29:10-11 “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
The Revised Standard Version says it this way: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
How do we receive God’s Plans for our lives? We can look at what The Lord told the Jews when they went to Babylon...
Jeremiah 29:4-7 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”
There are some principles here that apply to us too. They were told to "unpack their emotional bags" and settle down where they were.
They had to live like “Owners” and not “Renters”?
Owners usually live with their emotional bags unpacked while renters live with them packed. The renter is ready to move on. The owner has unpacked and is “here to stay”.
For us to enter into God’s Plan for our lives we have to UNPACK our emotional bags and take ownership too!
There are two blessings of “ownership” or “living with you emotional bags unpacked”…
Increase and Peace!
Our FUTURE is to be one of INCREASE and our EXPECTATION (Hope) is PEACE.
Even Jesus unpacked his bags when He came to earth… He came to stay! He came to take ownership!
When we unpack we can receive God’s Blessings!
When we unpack we can declare: “This is ours!”
Did you know that God Is Interested In Property?
He has a place for us to INCREASE!
He has a place of PEACE FOR US!
That place is our “sphere of influence”…
Psalms 16:5-6 “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.”
These are property terms…
Let’s look at what Paul said to understand this spiritual truth…
2 Corinthians 10:13 “But we will not boast of things outside of our portion but according to the measure of the sphere of influence which God hath distributed to us, a sphere of influence that reaches even unto you.”
Paul was saying that he did not build on someone else’s foundation (property). The Lord gave him a sphere of influence and that is where he ministered.
God has a "sphere of influence" for each Church. A portion... a property lot where the lines (boundaries) are pleasant!
God remembers and fulfills His Plans!
Genesis 4:10 “And he said; ‘What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.’”
Psalms 56:8b “…put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?”
As Abel’s blood cried out to God, so the tears of over 80 years cry out to Him today! We must declare, “The time has come to reap the harvest of those tears!”
It is time for each Church
in the Body of Christ to:
UNPACK our emotional bags
TAKE OWNERSHIP of their "sphere of influence"!
Claim the tears of those who been praying for years for Revival in that "portion". He has those tears in a bottle… they are recorded in His Book!
NOW IS THE TIME TO RECEIVE OUR FUTURE!
NOW IS THE TIME TO BE INCREASED AND RECEIVE OUR HOPE
NOW IS THE TIME TO RECEIVE THE PEACE, or SHALOM OF GOD!
If you have not done so yet; LET’S UNPACK TODAY!
LET’S TAKE OWNERSHIP TODAY!
LET’S RECEIVE OUR INCREASE TODAY!
JABEZ CRIED OUT… SO CAN WE!
LET’S ACCEPT OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND MOVE INTO IT!