ROWING MY BOAT . . . GOD’S WAY (Vision)

Danna Shirley

Fountain of Praise

  Gautier, MS

I worked in the office at Vancleave United Methodist Church during the week but my heart and loyalty was at Fountain of Praise Church, where I was being spiritually fed. So why did I wake up one Sunday morning totally confused as to where I would attend church? It was like I had been rowing my boat toward Fountain of Praise for so long and now I was sitting dead in the water. All of a sudden I had a vision of my boat changing course and I started rowing toward Vancleave Methodist. Fountain of Praise was growing faint in the distance. What was God doing?

Vancleave United Methodist

    Vancleave, MS

Now I was in a Methodist Church, a denomination I hadn’t attended since childhood. The people were great and the sermons were scriptural but there was no “fire of the Spirit” that I was used to. I only attended for a short time when my husband was assigned to a position in Japan and we were to leave in a few months. I wondered why God would move me out of a church that I loved, with good preaching and wonderful people, just to move me again a few months later. Why didn’t He just leave me where I was?

Hario Chapel 

   Japan

            I thought I would be lost in Japan but we had access to the military base so I made Navy friends and attended the Hario Chapel just fifteen minutes from our home in Kawatana. I learned quickly that God is not limited by geography or denomination.

            I soon met a visiting evangelist, LaVonne Hira, who gave me insight as to why God moved me from one church to another back in MS. She explained that it was really His mercy that came into play because He knew how difficult it would be to leave Fountain of Praise to go to Japan but it wasn’t difficult at all to leave Vancleave Methodist to go to Japan.

            We stayed there five years and then I rowed my boat across the Pacific and back to MS.

Vancleave Assembly of God

   Vancleave, MS

Even though I had gotten saved in an Assembly of God, I did not immediately gravitate to the local A/G church. For several weeks I visited in Ocean Springs and Gautier. Strangely enough, it was a sermon in a Gautier church that sent me back to Vancleave A/G. When I walked in the middle of the pastor’s sermon, his message confirmed that I was home. My boat had docked.

Bartlett First Assembly of God

     Bartlett, TN

            The death of my husband in 2003 capsized my boat and I found myself in a huge tidal wave of confusion and uncertainty. I decided no move was the best move and so I stayed in still waters for eighteen months. Then God uprighted my life and moved me closer to my daughter and family in Bartlett, TN. I climbed back into the boat and my rowing commenced. I put into port a few different places until I docked at Bartlett First A/G. I was home and with a church family again.

            I don’t know how long I will be here for God makes waves and directs our course but for right now I’m . . . steady as she goes.

Napa Valley Baptist Church

     Napa, CA

            Steady as she goes lasted nine whole years before it took me to Napa, CA in 2013. I moved temporarily to help as caregiver to my mother, sister, and brother-in-law. I found a nice church just down from my mother’s house and was warmly welcomed into the fold. I don’t know how long I will remain in Napa because home is still Memphis and I will return there eventually. For now I’m happy to just cruise around the wine country.

  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS (Vision)

Danna Shirley

I was a semi-new Christian in 1988, just helping out in the church office and wherever I was needed. I couldn’t sing or play an instrument or pray lofty prayers but as a worker bee, I typed the bulletin and organized. So when an announcement was made to plan our Christmas activities that year, I attended the meeting.

Fountain of Praise had been newly renovated from a former automotive repair shop so it was a long, narrow building. The fellowship hall was also long and narrow and was petitioned off from the sanctuary. As we all sat around the tables facing each another, throwing out ideas for programs, I looked at the end of the fellowship hall and saw it open up into a huge living room with comfortable couches and chairs, a large area rug, coffee tables and lamps, a warm fireplace with a lovely decorated Christmas tree beside it filled with festively wrapped packages underneath.

When I explained my vision, everyone agreed that was what we would do . . . decorate the sanctuary like a living room at Christmastime and invite everyone to come to our “Christmas Party.” The church offices had plenty of furniture and what we didn’t have, people brought from their own homes. The invitation read “Bring Gifts for Baby Jesus” which would go into our nursery.

The night of the party came and everyone who had ever attended our church received an invitation. It was a delightful setting. The room was lit with candles and lamps, rugs and throw pillows—nice and comfy cozy. Gifts arrived and were put under the tree. Everyone made themselves at home eating snacks and drinking punch. We sang Christmas carols and the children opened the gifts for baby Jesus.

Then we invited everyone to say how they had come to visit Fountain of Praise or how God had ministered to them through our pastors, Bob and Anne Tolar. It was a wonderful evening of sharing and good memories.

           

GOD CRIES TOO (Vision)

--Danna Shirley

The worship leader at my church was praying at the end of our song service when God flashed a vision into my spirit. I saw a friend crying over her husband who had recently passed away. Her tears and God's tears--like rain--were falling together at the same time. Two or three days earlier after a nice rain that was desperately needed, there appeared a rainbow over the vineyard behind my sister's house in Napa, California.

I came home from church and wrote the vision as best as could be described. I pray it brings comfort to you as a word from God that He also grieves with us. 

"When we lose a loved one, God’s tears mingle with ours and fall like rain to water the earth. When our season of grieving is over, He brings forth the rainbow as a sign of His mercy moving us gently into a new season of comfort and well-being. Wait patiently on Him."

WHAT ONCE WAS LOST...

by Danna Shirley

            Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you were there? Then you declare to no one but yourself, “What did I come in here for?”

Senior moments are contagious. My sister, Paula, asked me the other morning, “Have you seen my wedding rings? I came in last night and took them off. Now I can’t find them.”

            “I’m sure they’re here somewhere,” I replied, not too concerned. Paula has a large house with lots of travel paths throughout. She could have laid them down anywhere. I wrote a reminder note to ‘find rings’ (as if Paula would need one!) and we left for the day to run errands. We searched a few hours later that night with no results. I thought to myself, I need to pray and ask God to reveal where those rings are, then I got ready for bed and immediately forgot to pray.

            The next morning I woke to find Paula going through the recycle bag by her chair. I was prompted to pray with her but something distracted me and I forgot again. Later I found her in the bathroom quite panicked that her rings still hadn’t appeared. She was opening every drawer and cabinet, cleaning, and going through her laundry.

I went back in the kitchen and started pulling everything away from the counter’s edge. I said a quick prayer as I pulled out drawers, got a flashlight and looked under the toe kick, and then moved into the living room to look under the chairs, couch, and coffee table. Nothing! Now Paula and I were both in a panic. We had searched the laundry room, the car, the bathroom, the kitchen, the garbage cans, and the living room.

I thought again that I should pray, and again I didn’t stop to do it, I was too busy looking. Paula came in the kitchen and retorted that I should be more systematic in my search. She and I are quite different and usually approach things contrary to one another. I snapped back that I was doing it my way. It was as if God finally shouted at me—STOP! . . . PRAY! . . . NOW!

I pulled a chair up in front of Paula and grabbed her hands. “We’re not doing another thing until we pray.” I asked God’s forgiveness for disobeying His promptings to pray like I knew I should have from the beginning. Then I asked Him to open our eyes and show us that what was hidden would be revealed and to direct our footsteps to the exact location of those rings. Amen!

I left the kitchen and walked to the edge of the living room, then stopped and turned immediately to the entry hall where Paula has a display case of weeping gold glassware. The top of the case is filled with gold pieces and the second one I looked in held her wedding rings. Maybe all of thirty seconds had passed from praying that prayer to God answering it.

             I picked up the rings and went back to the kitchen. Paula was still rifling through papers when I said, “God is so good!” She looked up and I held out the rings. We both laughed and hugged and wept and thanked God. I showed her where they were and then she remembered having placed them there.

I hate to admit it but I haven’t been reading my Bible lately and prayer has been quick and slight. I’ve let myself follow distractions down a rabbit trail instead of pursuing the Lord with all my heart. I’ve always had good intentions but they don’t get the job done. The best blessing to me was not just finding the rings but realizing God had been prompting me over and over again to stop and pray—to fully seek Him. He knew where those rings were and was just waiting for me to obey Him . . . and I had not heeded the call. Why do we sometimes go to God last instead of first? He always shows Himself mighty on our behalf, especially when we are obedient and draw close to Him.

Paula and I prayed together again, this time a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. What a joyful noise we made rejoicing that what once was lost . . .

. . . HAD NOW BEEN FOUND!

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH DREAMS

By Danna Shirley

            I found myself walking around aimlessly, going nowhere. It was a carnival of some kind and as long as the direction was open, I continued to walk . . . until I came to a dead end door. It was massive and ancient. Why do closed doors entice us to find out what’s on the other side?

            Two ladies appeared to my right and my left and pushed open the door as if it was a feather curtain. The inside seemed to be a dungeon from an old English castle. It was dark and musty. I resisted breathing deeply for I feared my lungs would instantly become moldy.

The ladies bid me to follow and we climbed a huge staircase that could have belonged to Jack’s giant. After several minutes I was alone and still climbing. What could possibly be at the top of these stairs? I hoped it would be daylight and fresh air.

            The stairs led to more closed doors. I would enter one, another would appear, and another. Finally I reached the top and went no farther . . . nothing! A blank wall stared back at me. I couldn’t go on and I couldn’t go back. 

I flipped open my cell phone to call for help and the two ladies were instantly beside me again. Their hands touched the walls and they fell away into nothingness. Daylight blinded me until I went down, down, down a water slide and back into despair. Every thought screamed, Don’t let the phone get wet.

The anxiety of falling disappeared and I was on my feet again, this time in a deserted and broken down area of town. It was overcast and a gloomy gray. My cell phone was still open in my hand but water was dripping from it now. I couldn’t call anyone to help me.

            I stood in front of a weed infested parking lot. The pavement was dipped and cracked. No cars had parked there in a very long time. Fear bathed over me. The clouds grew darker. Someone please come and find me. I don’t know where I am.

            I shook out my cell phone. Nothing! It was useless. No vehicle, no family, no friends, no 9-1-1 to call for my emergency. 

“GOD HELP ME!” 
Why do we cry out to God as our last resort?
I woke up . . .

Symbolism:

I was on level ground in the carnival of life.

I went into darkness.

I came to the end of myself and called for help.

The darkness fell away and Light came.

I went down into gloom and despair…again!

My life was weed-infested, cracked, fearful, dark…again!

I called out for help…again!

Then I cried out to God…

My life is a roller coaster ride of peaks and valleys.

Such is life…even with God!

Cry out to God anyway! Call on Him first instead of last.

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE 49-53 (end)

© By Danna Shirley

#49 - CROWNS

The Bible speaks of several crowns . . . crowns that we can receive one day. 

Crown Imperishable   1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

RUN THE RACE

Crown of Rejoicing   1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

IN HIS PRESENCE

Crown of Righteousness   2 Timothy 4:5-8

“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT - FINISH THE RACE - KEEP THE FAITH

Crown of Life   James 1:12

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

RESIST TEMPTATION

Crown of Glory   1 Peter 5:2-4

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”

BE A SERVANT

The last crown guarantees our receiving of the first crowns . . .

Crown of Thorns   Matthew 27:29-31

“When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.”

CRUCIFIED FOR US!!!

Props:  One crown to represent first references or five crowns to represent each reference and then a crown of thorns. 

#50 - ARE YOU DRIFTING

“But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.”  (Matthew 14:24)

Have you ever tasted of the good things of God? Have you experienced His presence in a profound way?

I go through spells of hungering after and drawing close to Him in study, worship, prayer, and church attendance . . . and at other times I am too easily distracted by meaningless activities, television, computer nonsense, and just a good afternoon nap.

I go from being totally blessed by God’s presence to beating myself up because I have drifted away.

How quickly and easily we let the contrariness of the wind toss us around in our daily living...

     . . . distracting us from doing what we wish

            . . . tempting us to do those things that are unsought.

Don’t let yourself be tossed by the waves and the wind to drift through your spiritual life unmoored and unanchored. Set an objective to regularly spend time with God . . .

     . . . in prayer

           . . . in reading the Word and studying the scriptures

                 . . . in meditation

                       . . . in fellowship with other believers.

Remain moored to Jesus and delight yourself in Him . . . and . . . His delight in you will be reflected back as your special blessing.

Prop:  Driftwood.

#51 - DISCIPLINE

 “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”  (Hebrews 12:11)

I recently lost twenty-five pounds through a weight loss program. I was thrilled as the ounces and then pounds began to slip away from my frame. It seemed easy to avoid those foods that had tempted me in the past because I was seeing great results and I was encouraged as my clothes size went down.

When I reached my goal, I thought it would be easy again for me to maintain my weight because I had been on an eating plan which I felt I could continue. Wrong!

The process it took to reach my goal was also the process it would take to maintain my goal. I had begun to add my favorite foods back into my diet and I quickly gained back five pounds.

Discipline! It doesn’t seem to be joyful for the present but painful. If victorious, however, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness because we are trained by it!

I began to appreciate the DISCIPLINE that I had learned in my eating habits and realized quickly that my training was a gift and not a punishment. 

Props:  Bathroom scales.

#52 - PLANTING and WATERING

“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”  (1 Corinthians 3:7)

I had a reunion recently with two friends that I had known in Japan. Dot drove from Florida to meet me in Mississippi and then we drove to San Antonio to stay with Hope and do some sight-seeing of the Alamo and the River Walk . . . and to catch up on our lives.

As we were walking from the parking lot, another lady fell in step behind us and asked which way to the river. We told her we were going in that direction and asked her to join us. Her name was Kathy. Throughout the day we shared our faith and did not reduce any of our conversation about our love for God.

The last stop of the day was a Mexican souvenir market.  Kathy and I sat down to rest as Dot and Hope continued to walk the path of small shops. She asked questions about heaven and I answered what I could.  Just as I was beginning to come to the end of my knowledge, Hope appeared beside me. I motioned for her to take my place and said, “You’re up!” She continued with “the rest of the story.”

Before we all parted, we were able to pray with Kathy and assure her that the day was no accident but it had been orchestrated by God for her benefit. I planted, Hope watered, but it is God who gives the increase. This is as it should be, God is in control . . . but don’t miss His divine appointments!

Props:  A plant and watering can.                                                                                   

#53 - IN CONCLUSION . . .

If you do not know this Jesus of Whom I speak, I encourage you to get to know Him. There is only one way . . .

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!!!

So how do you do that?

You acknowledge your need for God . . . Why? Because you’re lost without Him. You’ve followed your own desires (sin) and gone your own way down many wrong paths. You have reached the end of yourself and have no place else to go and no one else to turn to . . . EXCEPT TO GOD! He’s waiting for you . . . truly waiting for your sincere outcry. 

It’s a win-win situation . . . SO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM!!!

Romans 3:23

Believe that He has provided the help you need—A SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST . . . Because God loves you so much and knew that you needed someone to stand in your place to “save you” from your sins, He sent Jesus, His only Son, Whom He also loves so much, to die on a bloody cross just for you . . . individual and precious you . . . fearfully and wonderfully made you. He paid the price over 2,000 years ago just for this day to arrive . . . for you! Today is your born-again birthday.

It’s a win-win situation . . . SO BELIEVE IN HIM!!!

John 3:16

Confess your sins and repent of your sins . . . He already knows them anyway but He wants you to realize your state of sin and your total need to surrender to Him and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. List them if it helps so you can confess them one by one. Then tear up the paper into little pieces and burn them. Know that they are ALL covered under the blood of Jesus Christ and are scattered as far as the east is from the west, to be remembered no more.

To repent means to change one’s mind . . . turn around . . . and go in a different direction. Get serious once and for all. Confession and repentance are like a cleansing bath in the most peaceful and beautiful pool of refreshing waters. You jump in with all of your sins (black, dirty, grimy, gunky,  smelly)  and  you  come out squeaky clean, white  as  snow, with  a  feeling  of  being renewed, refreshed, restored, and forgiven . . . a feeling that you never want to go away. As you continually confess your sins, God continually forgives you of your sins . . . day by day.

 It’s a win-win situation . . . SO CONFESS AND REPENT OF YOUR SINS!!!

1 John 1:9-10

Receive Jesus into your heart . . . that’s all you have to do. You will then have clean hands and a pure heart before God and you will desire to follow after the things of God. You will have forsaken your old ways and the stubbornness that led you down that path to destruction and now you have surrendered yourself into God’s hands and His plan for your life. Ask Him to come in and take up residence in you. 

Now you can pray this prayer with all sincerity . . .

“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that my Heavenly Father sent Him to purchase me out of my sins through the blood He shed on the cross, that His blood has saved me from my sins, has forgiven me of my sins, and has ushered me into eternal life with Him in heaven. I receive Jesus Christ NOW as my Lord and Savior.” 

 It’s a win-win situation . . . SO RECEIVE CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART TODAY!!!

John 1:12

Walk the walk and talk the talk . . . it’s not a game. You can’t live your life one minute for God and the next minute in the world. You can’t speak of the good things of God and then blame Him for the bad. You go to God at all times for all things. It’s a continual daily walk and the things that will keep you strong in the Lord are to . . .

          . . . pray every day (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

          . . . read God’s Word every day and obey it (2 Timothy 2:15)

          . . . witness for Christ through words and deeds (Acts 1:8)

          . . . trust God for every need in your life—spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, 

                financial, and social (Mt 6:26-34)

          . . . confess your sins on a daily basis (1 John 1:9-10)

          . . . attend church and be in fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:25)

          . . . be baptized in the Holy Spirit to receive power (Acts 1:8)

The results are that as you draw closer and closer to Jesus, you will walk in the fruit of the Spirit . . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)

. . . and you will find grace, mercy, hope, guidance, direction, health, protection, prosperity, friendships, etc. 

 It’s a win-win situation . . . SO BE CHRIST-LIKE IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED!!!

Romans 6:4

God didn’t promise you a rose garden . . . but He did promise that He would never leave you nor forsake you. You are in this world so you have to live with all the death, destruction, disaster, and disease that you hear about every day. You won’t escape until you make “The Great Escape,” when Jesus comes to take you home to be with Him in heaven.

But while you are here, He’ll give you the grace and power to get you through each day. He wants to use you to make a difference in the lives around you. Sometimes the very thing that you may see as a tragedy in your life, God will use for good . . . in your life and in someone else’s life, too. Oh, the joy you’ll experience when you see how God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. 

It’s a win-win situation . . . SO TRUST AND OBEY!!!

2 Timothy 1:12

THAT’S IT!!! That’s all you have to do to be saved, born again, redeemed.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,

you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)

And the adventure begins . . .

Now you can live and be satisfied right there . . . but there is more if you want more!

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you . . .and you shall be a witness for God. What is this power? It is called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Jesus is the Baptizer. If you want more of Him, just ask. He will fill you up with rivers of living water on the inside until it overflows out of your belly and through your mouth to touch the world around you. He desires to use you in a mighty way. 

You will receive this gift . . .

. . . to witness for Christ to the world around you (Acts 1:8)

. . . to be an intercessory prayer warrior over those things God will lay on your heart 

      (Romans 8:26-27)

. . . to be built up in your faith (1 Corinthians 14:4)

It’s a win-win situation . . . SO BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!  

Matthew 3:11 

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE 41-48

© By Danna Shirley

#41 - HOW IS YOUR SOIL

 “Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. (Mark 4:3-4)

Meaning: “. . . Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.”  (Mark 4:15)

“Some [seed] fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.” (Mark 4:5-6)

Meaning:  “. . . when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time…when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.” (Mark 4:16-17)

“And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.” (Mark 4:7)

Meaning:  “. . . they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 18-19)

“But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:8)

Meaning:  “. . . these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:20)

The SEED is the WORD OF GOD . . .

YOU are the SOIL . . .

Do you find yourself as soil by the wayside? Then Satan tries to come and take the Word from your heart!

Do you find yourself as stony ground? Then the Word can take no root in you and you stumble!

Do you find yourself surrounded by thorns? Then the cares of the world and worldly desires have choked the Word!

But when you find yourself as good ground, you can produce a crop yielding one-hundred times more!

Take particular note of the effect on the seed by the wayside versus all the other seed. The seed by the wayside was devoured by the birds (Satan) before it ever took root, but all the other seed was lost due to the condition of the soil (heart of man).

How much of our own crop production is our responsibility and how much is to be laid at the feet of others? A certain amount belongs to the “sower” who sows the seed, but the soil is responsible for its own rich, fertile, fruitful condition. 

Are we fallow ground or will we cultivate our soil to receive God’s Word and produce a fruitful crop? 

Only we can know the condition of our own soil (heart) and only we can cultivate it and prepare it for the planting of the Word.

Props: Use four shallow pans each representing the wayside, thorns, stony ground, and good ground. Have each containing what you might consider the wayside, thorns, stones, good soil, etc. Choose four people to come up and try to plant in each of the pans. Demonstrate how difficult it is in the first three pans and how easy it is in the good soil. Show the result of how the Word will or will not survive in each type of soil.                     

#42 - HEARTCRY

“Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”  (Psalm 119:11)

Psalm 119 encourages us to keep God’s Ways, Commands, Statutes, Precepts, and Ordinances. These are not requests; these are directives.

Here are just a few: Blessed are those . . .

   . . . who keep His testimonies (v 2)

   . . . walk in His ways (v 3)

   . . . keep His precepts diligently (v 4)

   . . . keep His statutes (v 5)

   . . . look into all His commandments (v 6)

   . . . learn His righteous judgments (v 7)

   . . . take heed according to His Word (v 9)

   . . . not wander from His commandments (v 10)

   . . . teach His statutes (v 12)

   . . . meditate on His precepts and contemplate His ways (v 15)

   . . . delight in His statutes; forget not His Word (v 16)

   . . . and the list goes on and on . . .

First you must have God’s Word hidden in your heart! His Word guides and directs your footsteps so that you do not stumble and fall.

God’s Word is for all of us at all times . . .

     . . . sometimes, however, He gives a particular Word

     . . . to a particular person

     . . . for a particular time.

Don’t miss what He wants to tell you . . .BE IN HIS WORD!

Props: A heart (either a Valentine, a heart-shaped balloon, a cutout poster of a heart, etc).

#43 - KEYS

 “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  (Matthew 16:19 KJV)

I had my purse stolen recently. I didn’t realize how much I depended on the contents until everything was gone. Of course the thief took pictures of my husband and granddaughter (irreplaceable) and cash and checkbook (replaceable) but an unexpected loss was my set of keys.  I had no car keys to even drive home.

Technology is great until you must have your car towed to a dealership and hooked up to their computer before a new set of keys can be programmed . . . and I had to do that for my car AND my truck! I also had all the locks changed on my house! A necessity due to the thief having my address as well. 

MY KEYS . . . limited . . . for transportation and security purposes!

But God’s keys are spiritual. They reach into Heaven to lock and unlock, to bind and loose. 

God gives us His “keys” and instructs us that we can bind whatsoever and loose whatsoever. 

GOD’s KEYS . . . limitless . . . for binding the assignment of the enemy against us and loosing the power of God for us!

Props:  Set of keys.

#44 - IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK

 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry, He will baptize you with the HOLY SPIRT and FIRE.”  (Matthew 3:11)

A spark, though often thought of as very insignificant, can and has brought life and death to a variety of situations and people.

 

It was a spark of sorts that caused the great Chicago fire. 

It is a spark that determines whether your car will start each morning. 

A spark in a darkened room can bring light into an otherwise frightening or very dreary experience. 

Jesus desires to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and Fire . . . to ignite the spark within us and set us on fire for Him . . . WHY? Because He warns us that if we are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, He will vomit us out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16).

Desire to be red hot and aglow for God . . .

. . . let the SPARK of God set you on fire. 

Let the FIRE of God lead you into His will . . .

. . . let God be glorified in all you say and do!

Props:  It would be helpful to be in a dark or unlit room. Use a candle lighter or matches and every time you say the word spark or light or red hot or aglow, strike a match and expound on Jesus baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and Fire. Point out the darkness of the room and then the spark (God’s presence) that brings light to the room.

#45 - ROCKS

 “Then, as He [Jesus] was drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’”  (Luke 19:37-40)

I am so thankful that I don’t have to have the most beautiful voice in the world in order to please God . . . to sing praises unto Him. I can lift up my song and my hands in the sanctuary and praise His Holy Name. I choose to do this in surrender.

Now if I were to look at the people standing around me, fearful of what they might think of my unashamed chorus, concerned about their judgment of my open expression of love and worship, and I were to quench my spirit from praising God, I would be most miserable.

WHY?

Because if I do not raise my voice in praise to God, He can easily raise up stones to praise Him. Aren’t I am better than a stone! 

Props:  Pile of stones.

#46 - CHOSEN INSTRUMENT

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light . . .”  (1 Peter 2:9)

Every one of us is a solo individual . . . chosen by God and precious in His sight. How beautiful we would sound if we proclaimed our praises unto Him . . . together?

Consider the sound of a solo performance by . . .

     . . . a piano or organ

           . . . a trombone or a trumpet

                 . . . a clarinet or a flute

                       . . . or a DRUM!                

How beautiful! Then compare that solo performance to the sound of a symphony orchestra. 

We may be just one note in God’s symphony but we are a chosen instrument to play that one note. Every note we play for Him is important. Every instrument in His orchestra is chosen.

He tells us we are CHOSEN, ROYAL, HOLY, SPECIAL, and CALLED to proclaim praises unto Him . . . whether it is as a solo performance or in an orchestra.

WE ARE CALLED . . . WE ARE HIS!!!

Props:  An instrument. If possible, have someone play one instrument and then all the praise team together.

#47 - COME GO TO THE HOUSE

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”  (John 14:2-3)

As a newlywed and a Yankee just entering my husband’s southern family, there were many expressions I was hearing for the first time. One of them was,

“Ya’ll come and go to the house with me!”

I didn’t understand the invitation because the visitor had been with us all afternoon and was now inviting us to go with him to his house . . . strange! I learned it meant that he didn’t want the visit to end even though he had to go home . . .

“Come go with me!”

That is Christ’s invitation to all of mankind as well. He is preparing a home for us in heaven and even though He is our Resident Visitor (Colossians 1:27) here on earth, He wants us to . . .

Come and go to the house (mansion) with Him.

Are you preparing yourself to go just as He is preparing a place to receive you? Don’t be left behind!

Prop:  Dollhouse. Possibly develop a scenario with two dolls.

#48 - SURRENDER

 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”  (1 Peter 5:6)

God does not delight in making us humble . . .

     . . . He instructs us to humble ourselves

           . . . freely, willingly, voluntarily,

                  . . . eagerly, cheerfully, enthusiastically.

                                                                                                     

We can be a pretty stubborn people, however. So proud that the phrase “humble yourself” tends to make us resistant. If we let pride rise up in us to the point of handling our cares alone and don’t allow God to exalt us out of them, then He may put us in a situation where we are made to be humble and that, dear one, can be humiliating.

Do we want to obey the scripture that instructs us to humble ourselves?

OR

Do we want to fall under the scripture that warns . . .

“Pride goes before destruction . . .”  (Proverbs 16:18).

God desires that we humbly come to Him casting our cares upon Him because if our pride gets in His way, He will remove it.

Therefore, humble yourself and say to Him . . . “I surrender all!”

Prop:  White flag.