ANewThing
Wehavemarchedforwardrightinto theheartofSpring.Aprilshowers andAprilflowers!Everythingis comingbacktolife,anditis beautiful.Butwithallnewthings comesdiscomfort.Godhasblessed ustoexperiencesomebeautifuldays recently.Blueskies,sunshine,anice breeze,perfectdaysforthat sundressyou’vebeenwaitingto wearallyear!Andallofasudden! ACHOO!That’swhenyourealizethat oneofthereasonsthateverythingis sogreenisbecauseeverythingis coveredinpollen.Thepolleninthe airservesasareminderthatwithall newthingscomesaperiodof discomfort.Allnewthingsrequire adjustments.
In Isaiah 43:9, God said to the Israelites, “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
Itissafetosaythatasanation,we areinawildernessofsorts.The enemyisusingeverytrickinthe booktodeceivepeoplefrom acceptingthetruth,evenifthat meansdeceivingthemintothinking thathedoesn’texist.Buteveninthe midstofturmoilandchaos,Godis stilldoingaNEWTHING!The enemywillnevergetoneuponGod, nomatterhowhardhetries.He’s justacounterfeitthatproduces counterfeits.
Can’t you see the new thing that God is doing in your life?
Inthemidstofatroubledworld gonewild,aworldthatisthirsty, constantlyseekingmore,God continuestoclearsourpaths, makesthemstraightandquenches ourthirstforHimthroughthe LivingWaterwhichisHolySpirit! ThisiswhytimewithGodthrough prayerandHisWordissoessential toourjourney.Ifwe’renotcareful tositatthefeetoftheFatherevery daybymeditatingonHisWord,we maymisstheNEWTHING!
Fearcanalsocauseyoutomissthe NEWTHINGfromspringingforthin yourlife.Thefamiliarityand comfortcancausespiritualparalysis becausechangecanbeintimidating. Butagain,witheverynewthing comessomediscomfortand adjustments.Butthejourneyis worthit!
Youhavetocometothepointwhere youunderstandtheNewThingis notjustaboutyou!It’saboutthose thatGodwillputonyourpath.It’s forthosewho,throughyour obedience,willbedrawntoChrist! It’sforthosethatmaybegoing throughasimilarsituationfrom whichGodhasbroughtyouthrough. Theyneedguidanceonhowtouse HisWordandHisguidancetobe broughtthroughaswell.
Persecutionwillcome.Asamatter offact,Jesusclearlysetthe expectationsforthisinMatthew 5:11-12“Blessedareyouwhen othersabuseandpersecuteyouand utterallkindsofevilagainstyou falselyonmyaccount.Rejoiceand beglad,foryourrewardisgreatin heaven,forsotheypersecutedthe prophetswhowerebeforeyou.”
ButjustlikePaul,pressonmy brother!Presson,mysister!
Pressontowardsthegoaltowinthe prizeforwhichGodhascalledyouto. [Phil.3:14]Runwithperseverance theracemarkedoutforyou,fixing youreyesonJesus,thepioneerand perfecterofourfaith![Heb.12:1]. Behold,GodisdoingaNEWTHING inyourlife.Can’tyouseeit?Be blessed,andcontinueto allowGod'sWordtobeaLight toyourpath!
IT’SATOSS UP!
AswearenowinaPresidential yearofelections.There'salwaysa slimchancethatattheendofthe day,thefinalaccountmightshow uponthepopularvote,that’sa “TossUp!”meaningneither candidatewon,butit'sachoice nowoftheElectoralCollegeto decidethefinaloutcomebecause “It’sATossUp!”
Atthebeginningofeveryfootball game,bothteamcaptainsaregiven anevenchanceforthekick-off,a coinchosentobetossedintothe air.Theycallheadsortailswhen thecoinisflippedintotheair,It’sA “TossUp!”
Justasdecisionsaremadeandchosen andgiveninthesport’sarena, andthe politicalarea
Wehave“ATossUp!”intheBible, however,asrecordedinIsaiah55:8:“For mythoughtsarenotyourthoughts, neitherarewaysmyways,saiththeLord.
Iwanttounderstandthat’sthesame wayitiswiththeLord’s“TossUp!”but it’snothingliketheonesdescribed neitherinthepoliticalareanorinthe sportsarena
ButtodayIwanttointroduceyouto Jesus’s“TOSSUP!”manyofgoodhearted, humbleanddedicatedChristiansare undertheimpressionthatthechallenges theyhavefaced,aswellasthemany challengesyoumightbefacingrightnow.
buttodayIwanttointroduceyoutoJesus’s “TOSSUP!”manyofgoodhearted,humble anddedicatedChristiansareunderthe impressionthatthechallengestheyhave faced,aswellasthemanychallengesyou mightbefacingrightnow.Suchasajobloss, threatenofbeinglaidoff,thepossibilityof beingevicted,eventheclosenessthatyou oncehadwithacertainrelative,allofa sudden,theydistancethemselvesfromyou oryoufromthem,evenfromcertainpeople, placesandthings.
Thereseemstobeashiftinyourinterests, yourdesiresandallofyourinterestshave becomesosomewhatbizarretoyou,andyou arequicktoblamethedevilandsayheis attackingme.
No,“IT’SATOSSUP!”
Godhasallowedorinstitutedtheseunusual happeningstooccurinourlivesbecause “IT’SATOSSUP!”.Letmesharewithyoua passagethatyouhavereadorheardmany times.
ButbeforeIdolet'sagreetothisdisclaimer, of,whichIknowmanyhaveheardandsome havepreachedthemselves,ButIwanttobe perfectlyclear.Thatwhatyouaregoing throughisnotaJobexperience.
Neitherdidthedevilhaveaprivate conversationwithGodconcerningyou,nor didhebetGodanything,norhasthedevil askedGod’spermissiontotestyou;therewas nocontractdrawnbetweenSatanandGod concerningyouasitwaswithJob;that’s erroneousteaching.
Thereseemstobeashiftinyourinterests, yourdesiresandallofyourinterestshave becomesosomewhatbizarretoyou,and youarequicktoblamethedevilandsayhe isattackingme.
No“IT’SATOSSUP!”
Godhasallowedorinstitutedthese unusualhappeningstooccurinourlives because“IT’SATOSSUP!”.Letmeshare withyouapassagethatyouhavereador heardmanytimes.
ButbeforeIdolet'sagreetothis disclaimer,of,whichIknowmanyhave heardandsomehavepreachedthemselves, ButIwanttobeperfectlyclear.Thatwhat youaregoingthroughisnotaJob experience.
Neitherdidthedevilhaveaprivate conversationwithGodconcerningyounor didhebetGodanythingneitherhasthe devilaskedGod’spermissiontotestyou, therewasnocontractdrawnbetween SatanandGodconcerningyouaslikeitwas withJob,that’serroneousteaching.
Thedevilnolongerhasaccesstoheavento beabletoapproachGod;oncehewas kickedoutofheaven,hewasdone!Ifyou researchthehistoryofthebiblein chronologicalorder,thebookofJobisthe firstandoldestbookofthebible.“It’sA TossUp!”
HereistheWordofGodtoletyouknow“It’s ATossUp!”
16Johnansweredthemall,“Ibaptizeyou with[a]water.Butonewhoismorepowerful thanIwillcome,thestrapsofwhosesandals Iamnotworthytountie.Hewillbaptizeyou with[b]theHolySpiritandfire.17His winnowingforkisinhishandtoclearhis threshingfloorandtogatherthewheatinto hisbarn,buthewillburnupthechaffwith unquenchablefire.”Luke3:16-17(NIV)
Iwouldlookatthefan,Thewordfanhere meansWinnowingFork. AWinnowingfork wasusedtoseparatewheatfromchaff.Iwant youtofullyunderstand?Separatefromchaff, nottares.
Chaffwasatermusedtodescribethe unwantedextrasthataremixedinwiththe wheat.
Theseparatingofthewheatfromthechaffis calleda“threshing”.Duringthe“threshing”a “WinnowingFork”,wouldbeusedtossthe wheatandchaffintotheair.Thewheatwould becollected,andthechaffburnedwithfire.
Don'tmisstherevelation,thethreshingfloor wastheplaceofseparationwheretheuseful wasdividedfromtheuseless.
.Thethreshingfloor,spirituallyspeaking,is theplaceinyourlifewheretheHolySpirit separatestheGodlyfromtheungodly.Not justGodlypeoplefromungodlypeople,but ungodlythings,ungodlyways,attitudes, charactersanddistastefuldispositions
.Manyarewonderingwhytheirchildren aresodisobedient,unruly,anddownright rebellious.Youareexperiencing“AToss Up!”Examineyourself.Youarenotobeying Godasyoushouldandyou'rerebellious eventhoughyoushouldn'tbe.So,Heis puttingyouonthe“threshingfloor”soHe can“TossyouUp!” toseparatethose unwanted,useless,andunneededthingsin you,toseparateyoufromtheungodlyin yourlife. Thetwomostimportant elementsduringa“TossUp!”bytheHoly Spiritisthewindandthefire.He“Tossus Up!”intotheair,likethewheattogetridof thechaff,“It’sATossUp!”.
WhenHeblowsonuonus,whichhesifts usandseparatesusfromwhateverandnot usefulinourlives.Someofusarespiritual hoarders,hangingontothingsandstuff thatarenotanyusetoyouortoanyone else.
Youknowhowitusedtobe,whenyour Mommawouldtakeafloursifterandyou taketheflourandpouritin,turnthelittle handleonitandcrankit. Whathappensis thosehardcurdswouldseparatefromthe flour,likeathethreshingfloor,thechaffare thecurdsinourlives, theyareleftinthe sifter,onceouttheflourispure,thesame wayoncethechaffisremoved,guesswhat wearepurealso,butwemustexperience the“TossUp!”inourlifealongwiththe “threshingfloor,”.Well,“It’sATossUp!”
But“TossUp!”isusedtoseparatethethings holdingontoyouandthosethingsyouare holdingonto,suchasworldliness,thatGodis tryingtoblowandburnoutofyourlife.“It’s ATossUp!”
Godistryingtoblowwayunhealthy influencesawayfromus.Henowburnsthe chaffforeverseparatingyoufromwhoever andwhateverwouldcauseyoutobe spirituallyuseless.
TheHolyGhostisthewindandfireofthe “threshingfloor”
Whenyoudoubt,Godcan’tuseyourfaith; whereyouareindoubt,Godwill“TossYou Up!”toreleaseyourfaith. Whereyouare fearful,Godcan’tuseyouinpower.Where youhaveunbeliefanduncertainty,youarein a“TossUp!” blowingandburning!“It’sA TossUp!”
ExperiencingwherecanbelieveGodforthat, butnotforthis,He“TossyouUp!”Togiveyou totakethelimitsoffGod,it’snotthedevil, “It’saTossUp!”thatthedevicethatthedevil.
It'sGod“TossingYouUp!” togetjunkoutof yourlife.“It’sATossUp!” Separating, dividing,blowingandburning! ifyoufound yourselfherewithinthesepagesthen,“It’sa TossUp!”Ifyoucan’tsayamen,sayouch! Why?because“It’sATossUp!”
It’sAToss Up!
.ArticleWrittenby:Dr.Norman DavidFounderofWordofWisdom NationalSchoolofTheology. Also founderofTheBreakThroughHour onclubhouse,SundayandTuesday nightsat8PM.
Myfashiontipforthemonthof Aprilis“Justgoforit”!Sydney Steven,thebeautifulmodel wearingMyraSkeltonDeSigns, askedmetomakeheroutfitfor GreenvilleFashionWeek.Though myweeksareinfusedwithmany differenttasks,Isaidyes.
Herfaithinthegiftandtalents thatGodhasgivenmewasmore thanIthoughtofformyself. Encouragewordsfromhersaying don’tdoubtyourselfyougotthis. Gavemethatextrapushtoadd thesleeves.
Lettinggoofdoubtandstress abouttheworkload,wepulledit off.Proudly,Sydneywalkeddown therunwayinmydesign.Isatin thesecondrowtryingtophotos, thinkingthiswasthestartofa newbeginning.AllbecauseI decidedtojustgoforit.
Wetitlethismagazine“Iamdoing anewthing”andthisseason,this year,andallthereafter.Iam catching,seeing,anddoingthe newthing!
ToSydney,itwasanhonortobe yourdesignerthisyear,and thankyouforrockingthe runway.
MyraSkelton,fashiondesigner andfounderofMyraMeilleure LLC.
