AT THE RIVER’S EDGE
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of unbelief, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us.” C Dickens
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have lived and are living inside a vortex. We are living in the "Pendulum Paralysis:" I hear the Lord speaking, “I have set before you this day, Life and death, chose life. I have set before you this day, blessing & cursing, chose blessing.” We are stepping outside of Decade of Difficulty and into a Decade of Destiny. Not just a new year but a new dimension. We are living in the chasm of the Wilderness – we’re not in Egypt, but we’re not in the Promiseland. The Paralysis of the Predictable has incarcerated some into their Couch of Conformity. I see it as we’re are standing at the River Jordon’s Edge, poised to step away from a Decade of Wilderness and into a Land of Promise. We must make our move.
The years 2000 - 2009 made the first decade of the new millennium. I called it the “Decade of Difficulty.” We had natural disasters of our lifetime with the 2004 Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in 2005; The meltdowns of our Central Banking institution and gross government and corporate failures; Still suffering from the largest unemployment in 40 years; and radical Islamic terrorism that brought us “9-11.” It brought doom and gloom on one hand and technological breakthroughs on the other. No matter who you are or where you lived, the Decade of the 00’s was a Decade of Difficulty.
I heard the Lord tell me a few months ago that we are living through the Book of Judges. Israel went from on top of the world to the bottom. They would live blessed and become sloppy then backslide. After an enemy would overtake them, Israel would cry out to God in repentance. God would send them a Judge who would bring them out. This would happen almost every 40 years. I say we as a nation are living on the bottom of such a cycle, moving upwards this roller coaster ride of dysfunction. We are suffering from a “Pendulum Paralysis:” People living from one extreme to the other.
Like Israel during the 40 years away from Egypt became a life in the wilderness, I have seen many these past few decades go through some of the hardest difficulty while on the other had experience some of the most profound miracles. I watch some men of God come onto the scene from nowhere to center stage of ecclesiastical success, while others stepped off the platform into spiritual corruption and deception. From one extreme to the other seemed to parade across the spiritual stage. You and I, if honest can share similar straddling difficulties.
I say we are standing on the River’s Edge with a resounding call to “go across this Jordon.” True, this river is not a “creek,” but a “Flood” (Josh 3:15). Yes, it may seem like the prophetic voice is demanding us to put our feet into a rushing torrent, but faith is wishing to secure us that the waters will roll back for us. I agree it doesn’t look simple. It will take crazy faith, divine unction, and (pardon me) but a lot of “guts” to step away from the comfort zone and into what looks like sure destruction. “But if we sit here, we die” (2 Kings 7:3).
I’m calling the church on a 31 day consecration. Consecration means to commit to a purpose, or commitment with a purpose. I am calling everyone to Matt 6:33 with their life, time, money & talents. "Sow a life, reap an eternity." Sow a seed, reap a harvest. Sow a thought, reap an invention. Sow a day, reap a lifetime of fulfillment. Let’s take the first 31 days of this new year, new decade and Commit to a Purpose – on Purpose. Jesus said, “To this end came I into the world and for this purpose was I born” (John 18:37). He never wavered, but stayed at it until he accomplished his calling. I say let us step into the River’s Edge and walk across into our Promiseland. Don’t look back, stay focused and let’s go, we’re well able to take this land.
By Dr. Tim McClure
Missed Opportunities
One faithful day in the summer of 1980, three buttoned down IBM’ers called on a band of hippie programmers at Digital Research, Inc. (DRI) located in the Pacific Grove, CA. They hoped to discuss licensing DRI’s industry leading operating system; CP/M. Instead, DRI founder Gary Kildall blew off IBM to gallivant around with his wife in his jet. Frustrated with Kildall’s failure to secure a deal, IBM turned back to Bill Gates for their operating system and Gates signed the contract. Gates released his Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) and thus the PC was born.
Philosophies to live by:
* Life is not so much a matter of position as of disposition.
* Patience carries a lot of . . . "wait”
* Make friends before you need them.
* A small leak can sink a big ship.
* He who throws mud loses ground.
* If you fail to prepare, you are prepared to fail.
COMING EVENTS
Jan 2010 – Consecration – Theme for January, 10:30 AM Sunday’s
Jan 15-17 – Fellowship groups – @ a place near you – call 321-216-8030
Jan 24 – Bishop Malcolm – from London England @ Promiseland 10:30 AM
Jan 30 – Concert – with Osmond Collins – Promiseland 6 PM
Jan 31 – Consecration Sunday – Pastor Tony Hall – 10:30am & 6pm
Promiseland Church
1855 Lansing St. Melbourne, FL 32935
www.promiseland.org
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