"I want my life to count for something of eternal value. I want to be a positive influence on those around me." Do you have these thoughts? Let me assure you; they're coming from God. He's leading you in a quest for significance - a desire that grows while abiding in Him. As Christians, we have the power to walk away from mediocrity. We're called to a high purpose - to make a phenomenal impact in this world.

Have you come to a place where you're discovering new hope at nearly every turn? Is the Lord renewing your mind and strengthening your spirit with His truth and love? Then go forth, Christian, and be strong in your new vision! Expect to see God's power transform your life and the lives of others. Be confident that you'll do the work that Jesus did, and even more - Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father - John 14:12. Let faith lift you and show you the Glory of God.

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him;" for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 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 11:5,6.

Do you want to please God? Then believe Him! Dreams that result from faith in God's promises are no longer dreams, but reality. When we're diligent to trust and obey, when we learn the entire Word of God, not just bits and pieces, we can know that our faith is accurately placed. Continue spending time with the Lord, allowing Him to teach and transform you. Embrace His hope and purpose for every day. Dare to dream those dreams inspired by the Most High God.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen - Hebrews 11:1.

Forgiveness - Not an Option
by Susan Rose
www.intothedeep.net

God requires that we forgive those who hurt us. He doesn't give us a choice. We just have to do it. Sadly, the importance of forgiveness has been brushed aside by too many Christians. We've minimized the sin of unforgiving, and we've decided that it's tolerable.

The sin of unforgiving has been swept under carpets and tucked into closets. It's even been "justified" by convincing dialogue and plentiful evidence. Some have attempted to white-wash their grudges, proclaiming to have "high standards of conduct." But righteous indignation is only allowed for a few hours. God tells us to "get over it" before the sun goes down (Ephesians 4:26).

God says that we've all come short of His glory (Romans 3:23). None of us are allowed to demand perfection of another.

Unforgiveness - the condemnation of others - completely opposes the One who died to save us.

Now, let's take a look at the "unforgiving servant":

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him. Up to seven times?"

Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

"The servant therefore fell down before him saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

"Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'

"So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

"So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'

"And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses" - Matthew 18:21-35.

According to verse 35, God will turn us over to "the torturers" if we refuse to forgive. We'll lose His favor and His protection from the enemy. We mustn't think these words from Jesus' mouth are harsh, after what He did to secure our pardon. The complete forgiveness we've received must be passed on to others.

Because Jesus embodies forgiveness, refusal to forgive is to reject the essence of Jesus. It goes against the grain of all that He is and all He did for us.

Psalm 103:2-5 lists all the benefits we receive from God, beginning with forgiveness of sins. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. If we refuse to forgive, the torturers will steal these blessings.

If we don't forgive others, as God has done for us, we allow the power of sin to have full reign, and it will eat us alive. The torturers may stay out of sight for awhile, but at soon as the stage is set, they'll begin to wreak their havoc. Sickness, anger, depression, and loss will haunt us, day and night.

God knows forgiveness isn't easy. He knows the sins of others can wound us deeply. One sinful act can turn our world upside down - in an instant. And those "less serious" but repeated sins can aggravate us and steal our peace. God hates all of this. So He sent Jesus to pay the heavy price of removing our sin and robbing it of any permanence (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Forgiveness has a wonderful healing effect on both the victim and the offender. It's a soothing balm - a kiss of kindness - a medicine for all involved. And no wonder. It comes from the heart of God.

I think it's time to jump and do cartwheels and shout that God is good! It's time to praise Him for His mercy! Because the moment we forgive - "from our heart" - we'll be released from the torturers. When we forgive, then we're forgiven. And God thinks of it no more.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us - Psalm 103: 10-12.

God, Is That Really You?
by Susan Rose
www.intothedeep.net

1996, the year of my divorce, was a dreadful, yet wonderful year. The cruel ordeal seemed to last forever, but God was with me through it all, using the circumstances to draw me nearer to Him. During this time, I learned to hear God's voice more clearly than ever before.

Because of the conflict I faced, I sought direction and encouragement on a daily, often hourly basis. I desperately needed to hear from the Lord, and I hoped He wanted to speak to me. And if God spoke, I wanted to be absolutely certain it was Him and not my imagination.

As providence would have it, I'd recently become involved with a Spirit-filled church. Before this time, I’d only attended churches that were steeped in tradition. Now, in my new church, I was being exposed to truths that were fresh and alive. I learned that God wants to be actively involved in my life – every day. I heard that He might give me visions, and that He might speak to me through dreams. I was told that God talks to people through nature - that He will draw our attention to particular natural occurrences and then make an application to our lives. Incredibly, as fast as I learned these new truths, I also experienced them.

God had drawn near and was holding me close. It seemed that I heard from Him in one way or another almost every day. The words in my Bible were extraordinarily clear. God's word is the standard I used to measure all other communication. Beginning with scripture, and having the Holy Spirit as my guide, I stepped forward in faith.

Nature was an active messenger, conveying to me some powerful lessons. One morning, a goat ate most of the leaves off a large potted plant that was sitting on my patio. Because it was ruined, I pulled the naked plant out of the pot and tossed it onto a pile of branches that later would be burned. A week or two passed, and I was walking through that shady area of my yard, when I noticed tiny green leaves all over the plant. With its roots exposed and having no water, this plant was sprouting new growth! Clearly, God was telling me, “I’m the Creator of new life. I bring miraculous restoration. Don’t be afraid of what the future holds.”

On another day I witnessed the Lord's overwhelming power over the enemy. God set up a presentation for me in which "evil" was portrayed by a snake. After pulling my car into the garage, I pressed a button to close the big rolling door. Glancing back toward the driveway, I noticed a snake wiggling on the cement in a place where the heavy door would soon press down on it. I wondered why the snake didn't move out of the way, since it appeared to be a healthy specimen. It seemed to be focused on me and wasn't looking up. I watched as the garage door pinned the snake securely to the floor. I considered releasing the snake, but then God explained the meaning of this exhibition. “The snake is Satan, and the garage door is My power.” Now I knew: The snake that portrayed the enemy was not going to be set free. I used a shovel to cut off its head, and by the next morning an army of ants had reduced the body to a fragile skeleton that trembled in the tiniest breeze. The message from God was clear. Evil is no match for My protective power. You're completely safe in My hands.

Along with the demonstrations of the natural world, I began learning more about direct communication with God. A new friend taught me to ask God questions, then to wait while He answered my questions with mental images. Until now, I'd always expected words, but I rarely heard them because my mind would wander. I needed a new level of faith to believe that God would talk with me in this non-traditional way, so He increased my faith to receive His vivid answers. During this difficult time, it was often easier to see a picture than to hear God's voice over the roar of my own thoughts.

Throughout the long year of my divorce, I had many unusual dreams, and I know that some of them were from the Lord. I would wake in the morning, knowing in my spirit that a particular dream was meaningful. I remember one dream that dealt with my future: I was applying for a clerical job, but I didn't pass the typing test because the keyboard was made up of new letters and characters. I would have to learn the new system if I wanted to be involved with that company. When I woke, I wrote down the dream, then prayed about it. God told me that I'd be learning some new things in the spiritual realm. I would learn new rules and a new language. God would take me to a new place if I wanted to go.

I've learned that if I spend the time with Him, God has much to share with me, in whatever way He chooses. Sometimes He quotes scripture to me, and other times He shares His thoughts in less familiar words. But however God speaks, whether in words or pictures, through nature, or in a garage presentation, it's always encouraging and sometimes downright thrilling.

Because God was surrounding me with an abundance of encouragement in multiple forms, I was kept from crumbling under the pressure of that trying time in my life. I loved hearing from the Lord, and I needed every word He had for me, because the enemy was hard at work. The powers of darkness were shooting arrows of pain, discouragement, and fear. The enemy was continually telling me lies - "You're not really hearing from God. You're just imagining those things because you want to hear them. God is not going to help you."

I hated those lies because they were so unsettling. I would believe God, but then I would doubt and be afraid. I loved the things God was telling me, and I wanted to believe them every minute of every day. I didn't want to be afraid, ever again. So one day, as I was walking on the beach, I asked God to show me the truth. I asked Him to please tell me if I was imagining things. I asked Him to confirm to me whether or not these new ways of hearing from Him were valid and to show me if I was receiving them correctly. I said, "God, please show me the truth in a way that Satan can't come along and steal away from me. Please show me in a way that I will know beyond any doubt is from You." I trusted that God could answer that prayer, and I hoped that He would answer it. Figuring that He would tell me in His own time and in His own way, I walked a while longer, and then I went back to the condominium where I was staying that week.

About an hour later I was swimming in the pool, and I had completely forgotten about my prayer. I was in a relatively good mood, just relaxing and enjoying the outdoors. Then I looked up at the sky. What I saw was phenomenal. Shaped from the clouds was a gigantic "V." It began at the horizon and extended to "high noon." No, this image was not a jet trail, because the lines of the V were much too wide for that. The V was thick and solid, having perfectly straight, smooth lines, except for the outside edge of one side, where the cloud was beginning to softly drift. As I looked at the letter, I knew it represented "victory," and I knew it was placed there by God. I had grown accustomed to seeing God's hand in nature.

Then finally, I remembered! I had asked God to answer my question in a way that I would know was from Him. This was His answer! With one huge letter in the sky, God was saying to me, "Yes, Susan, I’ve been speaking to you. None of this is your imagination. And I have VICTORY for you in the future."

The enemy has never been able to take this from me. In fact, every time I think of what I saw, I’m filled with joy. Indescribable joy.

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him - Psalm 91:15.