Switching Gears

I haven’t written much about cars in a while.

My man has taken a break in racing.

We both have.

We’ve been switching gears in this season.

It’s something how cars are symbolic to the spiritual conditions of our lives.

Some are new and shiny-

believers who are excited, and eager to get out on the road, showing off what Jesus has done for them.

Some are old and dingy-

They’ve been on the road for a while. The new has worn off, and the threats of rust taking over and parts wearing out become an issue.

Then, there are those in between.

Cars, that were once brand new, and then got worn and somewhat rusty,

but have a patient, caring, and motivated owner,

who see their potential, and decide to Restore them back to their original glory.

Or in my Man’s case, to take them even further than they have ever gone before!

His idea of Restoration, as seen in the picture of this blog’s background,

not only put a polishing perfection,

(and I do mean perfection-

the undercarriage is just as shiny as the outside)

on the display of the car’s original intent,

But now, this baby looks better and goes faster than it ever did before!

Sounds like the heart of Someone else I Know.

Jesus declared through the Apostle Paul,

that we would have exceedingly more than what we could ever ask or think,

by the power that works in us.

In my Man’s terms-

We have unlimited ‘horsepower’ hidden within.

Just like His vision-

to not only see a has- been,

restored to working order,

but to take it to the fullness of it’s restored potential, and then some-

His thinking is, if it’s possible, Why not use it?

And I totally agree.

Now…..

It took me a while.

I was the one who had to switch gears.

I was fine, with the restoration part.

But acceleration…. that was just too much.

So I thought.

I have a tendency to be fine with how things are.

Anybody with me?

As long as it’s working, I’m good with it.

But Thank God for the heart of My Jesus, and My Man, to have a different and, better perspective.

If you haven’t realized this yet, Good is like grand theft auto to Great.

Brothers and Sisters,

Jesus didn’t pay for us to live mediocre lives here on the earth, surviving our way to heaven.

No, He paid for the exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond kind of life.

Jesus said that the thief is all about killing, stealing and destroying,

BUT JESUS,

is All about Life, and giving it to us in Abundance.

The enemy tries to kill our dreams and steal our understanding of what God has for us.

But Jesus not only Saved us for Heaven, but Gave us the Potential of bringing what we have stored there, to earth.

Abundance, and the understanding of it, wins races!

Paul said He didn’t just want to run the race, but He wanted to win.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that you may obtain. 1 Corinthians 9:24

Paul, like my Dustin, recognized potential.

They got that from Jesus, you know.

So, why couldn’t I see what they saw?

Why was it that I was ok with just being ok?

How is it that some people experience the Above and Beyond Life, and others, don’t?

Well, According to the Word…..

It’s all about Vision.

The bible says that where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Now, I used to quote just the first part of this verse.

But I’ve learned that what is written, is written for our benefit.

All of it.

Most people have vision, but how many are seeing with total clarity?

Loving the Law… the Word of God is what gives us total clarity.

The New Testament Law is Love…

Loving God, and Loving our Neighbor.

Small minded vision, or short-sighted-ness, is All about me.

Keeping Jesus to myself.

Wanting Jesus to bless my life with not much requirement on my end.

People have the limited vision of going to heaven one day, but fail to live on earth, with Heaven’s mentality like Jesus did.

Just like the children of Israel, we want freedom, but we don’t want to exercise it.

We don’t want to go through battles.

We want to avoid them.

We want the shiny car, but no work.

Forget dealing with the rust and oil changes.

But, When Jesus is your Real Vision, The Father is your vision.

The Father’s Vision is a Restored family.

I had vision.

I knew that Jesus was who I should be looking at.

I had vision of going to heaven.

I even had vision of healing and prosperity and peace.

I saw it in the Word-

Knew that it was available

and I could see the Finish Line-

but not with total clarity.

What was unclear to me, was how to get from here to there.

I started out shiny and brand new.

Like a new car.

So excited about the unlimited possibilities of where all of God’s promises could take me.

But then, life happened.

Wear and tear.

Extensive mileage.

And I was even tempted, to trade what I had,  in for a “new” one.

Paul said that we should be established in truth and not carried away with divers and strange doctrines. For it is good that a heart be established, or satisfied (that’s my own emphasis) with Grace. Hebrews 13:9

When you are satisfied in Grace, you know Provision is from within, not without.

Grace provides everything God has, and faith takes it.

You can’t have one without the other.

But how many of you know, that when a new car comes on the market, we are tempted to want to trade up?

In the physical world, there may be nothing wrong with that,

If your faith is there to ‘afford’ it.

But most of the time, we fall for the lie, that this shiny new thing will give us the desires we’re looking for, only to find that we’ve also taken on a hefty new payment.

The enemy, and in most cases, the “inner me” is always tempting us to want more.

But I have found, as I was so delicately taught by the Spirit,

That you stop falling for those “strange” things, when you realize what you Already Have.

In the car world, I hear of people all over the race track looking for “more power.”

Power adders they call them.

And I wish I could say that as a believer, I never bought into the thought of “adding power, ” but I was bewitched.

Just like Paul made a “call out” on the church of Galatia.

Somewhere, I bought into the lie that I was lacking something and now I needed someone or something from a deliverance “ministry” or some new form of spiritual warfare to get me and others right.

Then, because I took it upon my flesh to “deliver,”

Pride began to take root.

Let me encourage, and warn you, Brothers and Sisters,

The only Minister of Deliverance is JESUS, and those who are Authorized-

Or truly understand their Authority In Him.

All others are a fake.

Most minister flesh, not faith.

When all you can see are your failures,

Or others failures,

your rust and dings,

And theirs…

and you begin to obsess over them,

taking  it upon yourself,

in the natural….

what you behold, you will become.

If you obsess over failure.

Failure will overtake you eventually.

It’s all about your perception.

Do you see an old rusty piece of junk,

or do you see Potential-

because of the Greater One inside of you.

Are you impossible or “I’m-Possible?”

If you realize that the Same Potential that you had in the beginning,

that Powerful Motor of the Life Giving Spirit of Jesus,

Is the ONE that started the work in you,

then He alone, will finish it.

That’s what Restoration is all About.

But if you fall into the temptation, like I did, to start looking for a quicker way to be fully restored,

you’re bewitched.

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh? Galatians 3:3

After a while, I began to try and deliver myself.

It’s something, isn’t it, how we know it’s only Jesus who can save us, but after we learn and quote a few scriptures, we think we “got this” from here!

And trust me, while you are at work, trying to deliver yourself, you will also try and deliver others.

It becomes your ministry.

But let me remind you, the True Ministry of God, is that of Reconciliation and Restoration.

Reminding yourself and others about Jesus.

What He HAS DONE.

Continuing in Truth.

It’s not trying to add something to give you more power,

it’s acknowledging the power that has Already been given to you-

Personally.

The seven sons of Sceva were in a “deliverance” ministry. Looking all the time for “power adders.”

They saw that the Name of Jesus worked to cast out demons- to deliver.

They simply added it to all the other names and things they had tried.

(I can’t take credit for that tidbit.. I heard some other kids of God sharing this nugget)

But they failed to realize that a personal belief in Jesus is what brings true deliverance, not just the Jesus, that you’ve heard others preach.

What worked for others, will only work for you, if you believe it.

Like my Grandmother once told me,

“I can pray for you until my tongue drops out, but if you don’t believe it for yourself, it won’t work.”

You, have to be fully persuaded that Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in this world.

The demons that they were “trying” to get out jumped on them and ripped them to shreds.

Left them wounded and bleeding.

I dare say that so many believers today, have found themselves even more bound now, then when they started.

Not because there isn’t Power in the Name of Jesus, but because they have become bewitched to take matters into their own hands, and just slap the Name of Jesus on their own efforts.

Ask me how I know.

 BUT GOD…….