11/04: April 2, 2016 Nuggets from “Releasing Your Grasp” by Priscilla Shirer
Category: General
Posted by: Pastor German
In this edition of Pastor’s Notes, I want to share some nuggets I and other ministers of IDF-Columbus shared during our monthly minister’s training tele-video conference. The assignment was to watch, listen, and gather the nuggets received from Priscilla Shirer’s message entitled “Releasing Your Grasp” on YouTube. Friends, I guarantee after watching this ‘rhema’ word from the Lord you cannot ever be the same again!
If after watching and it does not call you to change the way you carry yourself, then I will be bold enough to say to you, you need to be saved! I know it is bold to put it that way, but in the days that we are living in and soon and very soon, Jesus Christ will be coming again, I really don’t have time to “sugar coat” the Word of the Lord but must share with you these great truths and heavenly nuggets the Lord is dropping through his servants!
Priscilla Shirer takes as the backdrop the prophet Elijah from I Kings 17 and 18. The prophet Elijah pronounced the judgment of God because of Israel’s disobedience that there would be a drought in the land for three years and that not a drop of rain would come until he said so! Now in those days, the validity of a prophet or authenticity is that what he proclaimed would come to pass and it did – there was a drought in the land! Now Elijah is a very prominent in the land, people are talking about the prophet – his ministry is about to take off, but GOD has other plans and He tells the prophet in vs. 3 and following to “get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. [NKJV, vss. 3-6] Here are some nuggets to share and believe you me, when you watch the video, you will glean so much more! 1) Even though Elijah was comfortable in the place where he was and established by God, God still called Elijah out from that comfortable place into a place of isolation! Sometimes you may think that something is wrong with you when others don’t want to sit with you, or be with you, nor talk to you! Your flesh cries out for that relationship, but if our faith and trust is in the Lord and we know that because we desire more of God, or should I say, we are dying more to ourselves and discovering what God has already placed in us – to be conformed to the image of Christ – if we can get to the truth that our isolation is not at the hand of the enemy, but it is the hand of God calling you from out of your comfortable place into a place where He alone can commune with you and build you up in your most holy faith! Elder Brown shared, “we need to realize that this isolation or separation is not to our detriment, but it is for our benefit!” We ought to count it a privilege that God actually desires to speak to us and build us up and let alone use us in His plan in the Kingdom! Wow! What an amazing God! In spite of our stubbornness, in spite of our laziness, in spite of ourselves, God still desires to use His creation in the whole scheme of things! In while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8)! Pastor Annell shared, “He cannot use us in our own comfort zone, because we are comfortable doing our own thing.”
Another nugget. Noticed that in the place of separation – in this isolated place, God took care of the man of God! Remember, there was a drought going on, meaning people’s crops were not growing because of lack of water! People were starving! People were losing their business! People were suffering because of the drought! They were experiencing an economic crisis because the land was going through a drought! BUT GOD, sustained the man of God, even in the drought! Saints of the most high God that’s a word in itself! If you trust Him, even to the point of being separated from the crowd – trust Him when it seems everybody is moaning and complaining about how bad things are and getting – if you trust Him and you can tear yourself from the things of this world – tear yourself from those hang ups you may have, jealousy, pride, divisive, quick tempered, always talking, never listening – if you can tear yourself from these things and TRUST GOD IN THE PLACE OF SEPARATION – ISOLATION you can rest assure that the Lord will take care of you! He will feed you and give you drink! This separation for Elijah was a good thing because God took Elijah away from the drought! He did it to build up Elijah for the next assignment that He had for Elijah! Evangelist Perkins shared this nugget: “Cherith is a place of isolation. It’s a place where you are completely cut off, and are totally dependent upon God and His resources.”
Priscilla Shirer shared about a designer district in Dallas, TX in which she would always see the billboard, but never had the experience of going there and seeing the details, but when she finally had that opportunity she was truly amazed of what was in the district because now she took the time to get into the details of what was there! Same with us and our relationship with the Lord! Are we just seeing the billboard about GOD, or are we willing to go in and get the details of GOD so that we can know His character, know His ways, become intimate with Him or as Elder Brown shared, are we just cohabitating in the church? We are there and coming, but are we paying attention to the details of GOD? Are we willing to indeed listen and do as the Spirit of the Living God directs us? Or are we comfortable with just enough God for the week. Elder Brown further said, “You have to commit to the relationship and stop cohabitating (popping into church, bible study, conferences and revivals) being in the same place but avoiding the commitment.” Min. Horne shared “when you take the time to go through the details of the separation, you will see more of GOD! It will build your character and prepare you to what’s coming next! It builds endurance and stamina within!”
The nugget that had the greatest impact on me came when Priscilla Shirer gave the illustration using two Velcro sheets and tearing it apart from each other! As she began to tear it – separate it indeed it was a struggle! You could hear the tearing (separating) taking place! Now you know that is some kind of separating! But this illustration proved the point that it won’t be all that easy for us to give up something, stop seeing something, separate from someone or something! It is not going to be easy! But if you desire to get in position of all of what God has for you, it is necessary for you to do it! There are even times you may go three quarters of the way thinking that is all that you need to do and that it is pleasing to God that you went that far, but God is looking for a total separation – a total tearing away – total surrender unto HIM! Don’t you remember the children’s song “99 and a half just won’t do!” Definitely, it won’t be easy, but IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL TO OBEY GOD, TRUSTING IN HIM! You have got to see the video to really appreciate what I am writing! My words just don’t do it justice!
I will conclude this edition of “Pastor’s Notes” with the nugget that Min. Althea Brown shared. She said, “Sometimes God wants to separate (pull away) so that He can: SUSTAIN US, SHIELD US, and SURPRISE US!” My God! I pray that each of you are seeing that when God is calling for us to separate, isolate, give up something, tear yourself from a relationship that is not right for you now! If we were to obey the voice of God and do what He says do we will see that it is not to harm us. He said in Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” We will discover when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God in due season, He will lift us up into a good place – in position to do His will, His way! But there must be a cutting away – a separation – an isolation to get into His presence, know the details of who He is, and then position ourselves for the next assignment! Throughout the process GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU! We have heard the commercial, “You’re in good hands with All State!” I dare you to stop paying the premiums with All State and we will see those good hands open up and drop you! Not so with God! He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you!” He is bidding for each of us to come nigh unto Him and drink! To come and eat! He will have you drink from the brook and cause the most unlikely bird to come back in the morning and in the evening giving you bread and meat! It is not the normal instinct for a raven to return back to the same place, it will go elsewhere! BUT GOD! The Word said that God commanded the raven to go back and forth, back and forth, in the morning and in the evening! God will do exceeding, abundantly, above to let you know that HE IS GOD! HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU to all who will give of themselves to Him!
Definitely there is so much more to bring out of this passage and from the video! You will see! I encourage you to view Priscilla Shirer’s “Release Your Grasp” on YouTube! Have a good search for those nuggets as you dig deeper into the things of God!
If after watching and it does not call you to change the way you carry yourself, then I will be bold enough to say to you, you need to be saved! I know it is bold to put it that way, but in the days that we are living in and soon and very soon, Jesus Christ will be coming again, I really don’t have time to “sugar coat” the Word of the Lord but must share with you these great truths and heavenly nuggets the Lord is dropping through his servants!
Priscilla Shirer takes as the backdrop the prophet Elijah from I Kings 17 and 18. The prophet Elijah pronounced the judgment of God because of Israel’s disobedience that there would be a drought in the land for three years and that not a drop of rain would come until he said so! Now in those days, the validity of a prophet or authenticity is that what he proclaimed would come to pass and it did – there was a drought in the land! Now Elijah is a very prominent in the land, people are talking about the prophet – his ministry is about to take off, but GOD has other plans and He tells the prophet in vs. 3 and following to “get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. [NKJV, vss. 3-6] Here are some nuggets to share and believe you me, when you watch the video, you will glean so much more! 1) Even though Elijah was comfortable in the place where he was and established by God, God still called Elijah out from that comfortable place into a place of isolation! Sometimes you may think that something is wrong with you when others don’t want to sit with you, or be with you, nor talk to you! Your flesh cries out for that relationship, but if our faith and trust is in the Lord and we know that because we desire more of God, or should I say, we are dying more to ourselves and discovering what God has already placed in us – to be conformed to the image of Christ – if we can get to the truth that our isolation is not at the hand of the enemy, but it is the hand of God calling you from out of your comfortable place into a place where He alone can commune with you and build you up in your most holy faith! Elder Brown shared, “we need to realize that this isolation or separation is not to our detriment, but it is for our benefit!” We ought to count it a privilege that God actually desires to speak to us and build us up and let alone use us in His plan in the Kingdom! Wow! What an amazing God! In spite of our stubbornness, in spite of our laziness, in spite of ourselves, God still desires to use His creation in the whole scheme of things! In while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8)! Pastor Annell shared, “He cannot use us in our own comfort zone, because we are comfortable doing our own thing.”
Another nugget. Noticed that in the place of separation – in this isolated place, God took care of the man of God! Remember, there was a drought going on, meaning people’s crops were not growing because of lack of water! People were starving! People were losing their business! People were suffering because of the drought! They were experiencing an economic crisis because the land was going through a drought! BUT GOD, sustained the man of God, even in the drought! Saints of the most high God that’s a word in itself! If you trust Him, even to the point of being separated from the crowd – trust Him when it seems everybody is moaning and complaining about how bad things are and getting – if you trust Him and you can tear yourself from the things of this world – tear yourself from those hang ups you may have, jealousy, pride, divisive, quick tempered, always talking, never listening – if you can tear yourself from these things and TRUST GOD IN THE PLACE OF SEPARATION – ISOLATION you can rest assure that the Lord will take care of you! He will feed you and give you drink! This separation for Elijah was a good thing because God took Elijah away from the drought! He did it to build up Elijah for the next assignment that He had for Elijah! Evangelist Perkins shared this nugget: “Cherith is a place of isolation. It’s a place where you are completely cut off, and are totally dependent upon God and His resources.”
Priscilla Shirer shared about a designer district in Dallas, TX in which she would always see the billboard, but never had the experience of going there and seeing the details, but when she finally had that opportunity she was truly amazed of what was in the district because now she took the time to get into the details of what was there! Same with us and our relationship with the Lord! Are we just seeing the billboard about GOD, or are we willing to go in and get the details of GOD so that we can know His character, know His ways, become intimate with Him or as Elder Brown shared, are we just cohabitating in the church? We are there and coming, but are we paying attention to the details of GOD? Are we willing to indeed listen and do as the Spirit of the Living God directs us? Or are we comfortable with just enough God for the week. Elder Brown further said, “You have to commit to the relationship and stop cohabitating (popping into church, bible study, conferences and revivals) being in the same place but avoiding the commitment.” Min. Horne shared “when you take the time to go through the details of the separation, you will see more of GOD! It will build your character and prepare you to what’s coming next! It builds endurance and stamina within!”
The nugget that had the greatest impact on me came when Priscilla Shirer gave the illustration using two Velcro sheets and tearing it apart from each other! As she began to tear it – separate it indeed it was a struggle! You could hear the tearing (separating) taking place! Now you know that is some kind of separating! But this illustration proved the point that it won’t be all that easy for us to give up something, stop seeing something, separate from someone or something! It is not going to be easy! But if you desire to get in position of all of what God has for you, it is necessary for you to do it! There are even times you may go three quarters of the way thinking that is all that you need to do and that it is pleasing to God that you went that far, but God is looking for a total separation – a total tearing away – total surrender unto HIM! Don’t you remember the children’s song “99 and a half just won’t do!” Definitely, it won’t be easy, but IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL TO OBEY GOD, TRUSTING IN HIM! You have got to see the video to really appreciate what I am writing! My words just don’t do it justice!
I will conclude this edition of “Pastor’s Notes” with the nugget that Min. Althea Brown shared. She said, “Sometimes God wants to separate (pull away) so that He can: SUSTAIN US, SHIELD US, and SURPRISE US!” My God! I pray that each of you are seeing that when God is calling for us to separate, isolate, give up something, tear yourself from a relationship that is not right for you now! If we were to obey the voice of God and do what He says do we will see that it is not to harm us. He said in Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” We will discover when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God in due season, He will lift us up into a good place – in position to do His will, His way! But there must be a cutting away – a separation – an isolation to get into His presence, know the details of who He is, and then position ourselves for the next assignment! Throughout the process GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU! We have heard the commercial, “You’re in good hands with All State!” I dare you to stop paying the premiums with All State and we will see those good hands open up and drop you! Not so with God! He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you!” He is bidding for each of us to come nigh unto Him and drink! To come and eat! He will have you drink from the brook and cause the most unlikely bird to come back in the morning and in the evening giving you bread and meat! It is not the normal instinct for a raven to return back to the same place, it will go elsewhere! BUT GOD! The Word said that God commanded the raven to go back and forth, back and forth, in the morning and in the evening! God will do exceeding, abundantly, above to let you know that HE IS GOD! HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU to all who will give of themselves to Him!
Definitely there is so much more to bring out of this passage and from the video! You will see! I encourage you to view Priscilla Shirer’s “Release Your Grasp” on YouTube! Have a good search for those nuggets as you dig deeper into the things of God!
Pastor Don German
