LIMITATIONS OF THE POSSIBLE

"Arise, shine." Isaiah 60:1 (Let God Change you)
Immediate action drills (IADs) are a standard procedure to be carried out in the event of something going wrong (such as an ambush, weapon misfire, equipment malfunction, etc.). If performed immediately, can make a significant difference in the outcome of a life-threatening incident. I remember jumping from an aircraft at 800 ft off the ground. At that altitude (or lack thereof) there is little room for error in checking your canopy and ensuring your posture is correct for the parachute landing fall. On this particular day my ranger buddy had a malfunction with his main chute. He immediately deployed his reserve and worked his process all the way to the ground. Once on the ground he immediately put his weapon into action and went about performing his portion of the mission. Having practiced the IADs in peacetime, he was able to perform with confidence and efficiency in a stressful situation. Think bout how Jesus felt as he descended into hell after he died on the cross. What where his last words? God had forsaken him and yet he carried on his mission. We have to take the next step as though there were no God. It is no use to wait for God to help us, He will not; but immediately when we do arise we find He is there. We must do the thing and not lie like a log. If we will arise and shine, doing the utterly mean grubby things of life becomes divinely transfigured. Read John 13. We see there the Incarnate God doing the most desperate piece of drudgery, washing fishermen's feet, and He says - "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet." Some people do a certain thing and the way in which they do it hallows that thing for ever afterwards. It may be the most commonplace thing, but after we have seen them do it, it becomes different. When the Lord does a thing through us, He always transfigures it. Our Lord took on Him our human flesh and transfigured it, and it has become for every saint the temple of the Holy Ghost. So live your life not like everyone else does…let God transfigure it and let His light shine before all men. Drudgery is one of the finest touchstones of character there is and when we come in contact with them we know instantly whether or not we are spiritually real.

"In your patience possess ye your souls." Luke 21:19 (Grow in His direction)
That previous paragraph talks about being changed. Why should we change? What will happen if we do not change? What is wrong with the way we are? God has a plan for you and he know who you need to be in order for that plan to succeed. He knows the troubles ahead and the immediate actions you need to take in order to avoid tham. Are you training for those drills? Are you allowing to change your mindset? We have to form the mind of Christ. "Acquire your soul with patience." Many of us prefer to stay at the threshold of the Christian life instead of going on to construct a soul in accordance with the new life God has put within. We fail because we are ignorant of the way we are made, we blame events on the devil instead of our own undisciplined natures. Think what we can be when we are roused! We all know James 5:16. Some things need prayer and fasting and counsel…some things merely need to be taken care of…remember the IADs.

There are certain things we must not pray about - moods, for instance. Moods never go by praying, moods go by kicking. A mood nearly always has its seat in the physical condition, not in the moral. It is a continual effort not to listen to the moods which arise from a physical condition, never submit to them for a second. We have to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and shake ourselves, and we will find that we can do what we said we could not. The curse with most of us is that we won't. The Christian life is one of incarnate spiritual resolution, mettle, boldness, pluck.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”- Galatians 5:13

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”- Romans 15:5-6

"Rise, let us be going." Matthew 26:46
So what happens if we don’t practice our IADs or we aren’t where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there? What if we fail? The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say - "It is all up now, it is no use trying any more." This is a very ordinary human experience. Do realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing. Do not sink into despair. Realize Jesus is saying "Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing." I use the term FIDO – Forget It, Drive On! Leave the past mistakes with esus. He will take careof them. Learn from the past and press on toward the future.
There are experiences like this in each of our lives. Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.

I am pleased with our monthly cyber-visits. I am looking forward to your growth with Jesus. He is a good man and a great influence in your life. Be aware the world is trying to bring you back to your once weak self. If you don't give the world some push back, the following may happen. In the name of tolerance, you may settle for a humanistic and "politically correct" theology that trivializes the glory of Jesus.
Pay attention to how "busy" you are. There is a growing crisis in many young Christians across America. Sincere young people are compromising the biblical truths. How is this happening? The young adults are increasing in works of compassion and justice. This in itself is a good thing. However, the work or busy-ness is a desire to fit in. The young adults try to find a place in the world. Without a strong background in bible knowledge the young adults do find their place in this world. They do not realize that they have bent biblical rules or broken spiritual boundaries in the process. The result is spiritual compromises. In the name of tolerance, they are settling for a humanistic and "politically correct" theology. This weakened spiritual life trivializes the glory of Jesus. Many young adults are falling prey to this as they seek “relevance” that dulls the razor’s edge of truth for the sake of man’s approval. It is not enough to mention Jesus’ name if they deny foundational truths about Him. Our works of justice must flow from deep allegiance to Jesus and the Scripture.

Know that Gods hand is upon you. His hands lead and guide you into your future. He desires to go ahead of you to prepare the way for you. Rest assured in that knowledge. Remember to seek first the kingdom of God. After that God will find your place in this world. God knows your future (Jer 29:11). He has a plan. Spend time with Him. Do not worry about fitting in with the world. As you grow in knowledge of God, He will make your paths straight. As you grow in a serious relationship with God, He will introduce you to His friends and family. As you get to know who God is and what He likes, you will make choices that please Him. Spend time with God. With a sense of purpose, grow and grow and grow until you are intimately engaged with God’s direction.

"And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead." Revelation 1:17

Sooner than you think, it may be that like the apostle John you know Jesus Christ intimately, when suddenly He appears with no familiar characteristic at all, and the only thing you can do is to fall at His feet as dead. There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awfulness of the vision which brings you to the realization of you desperateness; if you are ever to be raised up, it must be by the hand of God. "He laid His right hand upon me." In the midst of the awfulness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. The right hand not of restraint nor of correction nor of chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it is unbelievable peace and comfort, the sense that "underneath are the everlasting arms," full of sustaining and comfort and strength. When once His touch comes, nothing at all can cast you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, and to say - "Fear not." His tenderness is indescribably sweet. Do you know Him like that? I pray for you in order that you will desire this relationship. God can do nothing for you until you get to the limit of the possible.

Watch some of the things that strike despair. There is despair in which there is no delight, no horizon, no hope of anything brighter; but the delight of despair comes when I know that "in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing." I delight to know that there is that in me which must fall prostrate before God when He manifests Himself.

Men Guard yourself from emotional immaturity. Stay focused on your God and Your tasks. He is an awesome God. Get to know Him

Bruce Stansbury
Challenge Program Director