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It’s Time To Go Forward!

It’s Time To Go Forward

exodus1

Exo 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

Israel Had Spent The Last Twenty-Five Chapters In Egypt

There Was No Future For Them There!
They had lived in bondage long enough.
It was time to go forward.

Going Forward Is A God Thing!

It was for Israel.
It is for you!

Israel Had Lived With A Slave Mentality For About 400 Years.

They had forgotten what liberty was like.

For Them It Was Hard:

To go forward.
To believe God.
To trust God.
To follow a cloud floating across the sky.

To believe God would set them free.
To believe God would bless them.
To leave the only security they knew.
To leave the leeks and onions.

Don’t Crave The Things That Hold You Back!

Many Israelites May Have Wanted The Promises Of God,

But they still died in the wilderness.

They had Fears.
They had Excuses.
They had Unbelief.
They were Unwilling to go forward.

At AI – Israel Was Stopped Dead In Her Tracks

Sin was in the camp.
After they got the problem out of the way
They went forward.
If sin has stopped you, get it out of the way.

God Wants To Take This Church Forward

Like He did for Israel, He wants to give you a harvest you never had to plant.
Wells you never had to dig.
Houses you never had to build.
But you can’t have them, if you just sit and don’t go forward.
It’s time to go forward.

Some Folks Today Are Going Backwards Instead Of Forward!

They are letting down on standards and doctrine.
Compromising with the world.
Justifying Hollywood.
Mocking Holiness.
Dress like the world.
Doing what the world does.
They have become again what the world is.
It’s time to go forward.

What’s Sad Is They Think They Are Making Progress.

But They Are Like A:

A dog going back to its vomit.
A pig going back to its wallow.

Every Day Life Can Nearly Shut You Down.

Circumstances can bring you to a halt.
Events can bring you to your knees.
Things steal your joy.
Don’t let it.
It’s time to go forward.

People And Things Can Hurt You.

Divorce.
An unfaithful spouse .
Loss of a job.
Cancer.
Addictions.
Personal failures.
Offenses.
Unforgiveness.
Your Past.

Some React To Their Negative Situations By

Withdrawing.
Resigning their job at church.
Sitting back.
Coasting.
Quit worshipping.
Become unfaithful to church.
It’s time to go forward.

It’s Time To Get Past Your:

Failures.
Hurts.
Pride.
Complacency.

Don’t Let You Friends Hold You Back.

Don’t let your fear.
Don’t let your shame.
Don’t let your unbelief.
Don’t let your family.
Don’t let your flesh.
Don’t let your job.
Don’t let your excuses.
Don’t let your weariness.
Don’t let anything in this world.
It’s time to go forward.

With Hell Rejoicing All Around Us In 2015…

With compromising on all sides.
With Holiness dying out in some churches.
With signs of the end-times all around us.
With Bible prophesy being fulfilled daily.
With friends falling away.
With hell reaching for our children.
With the future uncertain.
It’s time to go forward.

Make This Year The Best Ever!

Make this a year of revival.
Make this a year of consecration.
Make this a year of Holy Ghost renewal.
It’s time to go forward.

God Had To Prompt Israel To Go Forward A Second Time

Deut 1:6 The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

God Had To Prompt Israel To Go Forward A Third Time

Deut 2:1 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.

Deut 2:2 And the LORD spake unto me, saying,

Deut 2:3 Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.

They Had Gone In Circles For Forty Years.

Life had become routine and monotonous.
Though moving they were getting nowhere.
No progress in forty years.

No True Progress Was Being Made.

Does this describe your spiritual state?
They were circling the mountain by their own choice.

40 Years Earlier God Had Said: “Ye Have Dwelt In This Mount Long Enough.”

The journey from Horeb to the Promised land is only 11 days.

It’s Time To Break Free From:

Cycles,
Bad Habits
Patterns in our lives that have been unproductive and unhealthy.
You’ve been circling this mountain long enough.
It’s time to go forward.

Why Do We Camp In One Place Until God Forces Us To Move?

Lot Did– God Even Sent Two Angels To Get Him To Move

God brought special deliverance.
Lot’s wife looked back.
Lot begged to stop when God asked him to go forward,
That’s when he really messed up.

It’s Time To Go Forward

Rich Young Ruler – Money held him back.
Agrippa –Questions held him back.
Felix – Timing held him back.
Demas – The love of the world held him back.

What’s Holding You Back?

Simon Peter

Luke 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net

When The Lord Speaks, Respond!

Num. 10:5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.

Num. 10:6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

I Believe The Spirit Has Sounded An Alarm!

Written by Martyn Ballestero

January 4, 2016 at 11:57 am

Posted in Christian Living

Tagged with Spiritual Growth

Some Did, Some Didn’t

with 3 comments

Some Did, Some Didn’t

Fall is a beautiful time in Indiana. The farmers have little roadside vegetable stands set up that stay busy with city slicker customers looking for fresh produce.

By this time of year, most crops have already been harvested. Well, except for maybe soybeans, pumpkins and the field corn.

The average crop of field corn is beautiful when it is harvested. Trucks can be seen hauling the yellow corn to the ethanol plants and to the local Co-op.

For the most part, all the ears of corn look very much alike. But what catches the eye, are the ears of corn that don’t look like the others. Some cobs are full with golden kernels; others are not. There are ears of corn of varied lengths and descriptions. In every truck load.

What these ears of field corn have in common, is that:

They all were planted by the same farmer.
They all were purchased at the same feed store.
They all were planted in the same field.
They all received the same amount of fertilizer.
They all received the same amount of sunshine.
They all received the same amount of rain.
They all received the same amount of wind.
They all received the same amount of weeding.
They all received the same amount of irrigation.
They were all planted the same day.
They were all harvested the same day.
They didn’t all turn out the same.
Why?

Was it difference the farmer’s fault? Was the problem with the seed, or was it the soil? I’ll never know. The harvest shows the disparity of each ear.

There is another harvest that comes to mind. That one is a Harvest of Souls.

Apostolic churches are beautiful in spirit and worship. They are lovely in holiness and truth. Their love and fervor for the name of Jesus is without equal.

Yet, not every church member looks and acts the same. Here and there exceptions are found in every congregation.

Some don’t pray like the rest.
Some don’t worship like the rest
Some don’t pay tithe like the rest.
Some won’t dress like the rest.
Some won’t live like the rest.
Some won’t be faithful like the rest.
Some won’t witness like the rest.
Some don’t love holiness like the rest.
Some won’t obey God’s Word like the rest.
Why?

What made them different from all the others? How come others connected with God, the church and the pastor and they didn’t? I can’t answer that, and you may not be able to either.

They all went to the same church.
They all sang the same songs.
They all prayed at the same time.
They all had the same pastor.
They all heard the same sermon.
They all received the same encouragement.
They all received the same correction.
They all were given the same love.
They all were given the same hope.
They all attended the same revivals
They all came forward to pray at the end of the service.

Yet some got on fire, and others did not. Some submitted to God, and others did not. Some got a good experience of the Holy Ghost, and others… who knows?

Some lived a life of carefulness. Others did not. Some looked godly. Others did not. Some dressed modestly. Others did not. Some knew God. Others… who knows?

Some women had uncut hair. Others did not. Some men were clean-shaven. Others were not. Some always said ‘Amen”. Others did not. Some had a fiery testimony. Others did not.

Some day, some will hear Him say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Others may not.

Written by Martyn Ballestero

September 27, 2011 at 1:00 am

Posted in Christian Living, Ministry, Obedience, Old-Time Pentecost, Personal Evangelism, Personal Growth, Submission, Tithes, Witness, Worship