I can think of many testimonies where women have been delivered from the bondage of shame and fear. When I was in Kazakhstan we were conducting a very large woman’s conference, and at the end of the meeting this very little lady came up to me holding a gold chain. She grabbed my hand and put the chain in it saying, “Leslie, my husband is in prison for sharing his faith and I am all alone in my home. I have three small children and I have come from far away. I felt so ashamed and so alone—they closed up the church and the government is against us. I have always asked myself, what did I do to cause this to happen? What sin did I commit that might have sent my husband to prison?  But today you have given me hope and reminded me that it is the blood of Jesus that paid the price, and what my husband and I are doing we are doing because Jesus Christ has come to us. Now I know I do not have to be ashamed, I am not the cause of this! I now can come before God with an open face, and I am giving this chain to you to remind you that the women of Uzbekistan will never forget that they have been created in the image of God, and we can come boldly into His presence.”

She ended by saying, “Now I return to my country and I will lift up my head, for I am not ashamed that I am a Christian created in the image of God!”

We find people today are looking more than for a job. They are looking for a life of meaning and a work they can commit themselves to. At a young age with a certain degree of success and friendship, I had a question in my mind: Is this all there is? What I found was beyond my wildest dreams! A life without limits was being offered to me! This same life is offered to every person. Today people are scrambling for a job and glad to have one, but security is not satisfaction.

The good news is that every job is a joy if you see it tied to something bigger and more significant for your quest of life. Jesus came into this earth from the Father and Creator of all things. He said you can have life like My Father and I have life. You can let go of your limitations and enter a place where the source of all things is not limited by economy or government or education or country.

Jesus opened the door when He said: “Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart.
Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.” Mark 11:22

The possibility stands before you. Go for it!

When the Church stopped taking responsibility for producing answers, then governments and other institutions started saying, “Look at us.” This relinquishing of responsibility for receiving miracle supply has caused the Body of Christ to slip into a corner of the world’s influence, when the Creator has said that we are to be center stage.

“The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence” (Eph. 1:23 Message).

God has given us all that pertains to life, and we have the answers. We have a source that cannot be controlled by other humans, economics, armies, or any powers!

“Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say…” Luke 9:44

This bible quote encourages us to find a place of tranquility where we can take in God’s Word and take out God’s strength!  In the hectic day to day race that most people find themselves in, it is good to remember that we must take in God’s Word so that we may take out the kind of life He desires for us. This morning I am praying that each one of you would find time to enjoy God’s presence.

Remember we can find His presence in the simple things of life. One fall after a number of weeks of outreach in the radiation red zone just North of Chernobyl, I stepped out of the hotel into this grey Soviet era landscape. In between two 20 story buildings in the far distance was a little tree not more than 6 feet tall. On its branches were bright red leaves. I remember blurting out, “Look everyone! Isn’t that beautiful!?” The crowd around me was strangely confused looking for anything of beauty, but there in the distance was that bright autumn tree.

I encourage you today in the midst of your busy life to make a moment that refreshes your heart and your spirit. Maybe it is gazing at a special picture, taking a walk on the beach, or even throwing a few snowballs. Regardless, remember—take in His life and take out His presence!  Special moments come when we stop and glance at the beautiful landscapes of life!

Today’s miracle reality is that you are seated at the right hand of God, far above all principalities and powers. Literally, the mystery that as you go about your day you are physically present in this earthly realm, while at the same time you are seated in heavenly places in Christ at the right hand of God.

How can this be? We are living in two places at once reigning in life and reigning in heaven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

There is a fish in South America that has two sets of lenses, one for looking above the water’s surface and one for looking below it. This fish is physically present in one place with one set of eyes, but has vision in two separate spheres. We are like this fish in that we may view life through our spiritual lenses and through our natural lenses.

It is an amazing reality that we are seated in heavenly places—right now—above our circumstances! Yet, we are physically present in this natural world looking into the heart of our circumstances!

Where’s the power? It is in us, it is around us, it is upon us, and we are seated at the right hand of this power! Hey, if God be for us, who can be against us?

Today keep your focus clear in both worlds! It helps and it is possible!

“But God, who is rich in mercy…Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ… And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” Ephesians 2:4-6

I want to encourage you in your awareness of your ability. Scripture reveals that we are known and called from the foundations of time. We are not an accident and our uniqueness should always be considered a gift. Each of us has a special role that has nothing to do with the role of others. God alone gave us life and calling so He alone is equipping us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” Ephesians 1:4

I want you to know that the Lord has always had His hand on you to help you in your calling. We live in a new era where each of us is a priest. The priesthood of believers. We who call on Jesus’ name are equally welcome into the throne room of our father.

 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”  Galatians 1:15

Our calling is to reveal the life giver. Jesus did for us what no man could do. He became the source of all things for this life and the next, and the world is waiting to hear it and see truth demonstrated.

When the ship was going down and all hope was lost, an angel appeared to Paul and said to be of good cheer, he must appear before Caesar. We all have a Caesar to appear before. We all stand in place of Jesus on this earth to speak of the unseen God to a searching world. You are called to your Caesars. Go to them!

It’s another Monday morning, and you’re back at your job after a wonderful weekend. Physically you’re behind your desk, but your mind is still clinging to the freedom and pleasures of the past two days. You like your job, or maybe you don’t like it, but most miss the days off. So you hang in there because by the time you go home Monday night, Saturday and Sunday will be just a memory!

Now, work and labor are a good thing. It’s how we survive and prosper. But how we carry out that work is equally important. What do our co-workers see when they observe us at work? Are we enthusiastic? Impassioned? Committed? Or do we simply go through the motions, doing what we have to do to collect a paycheck?

“Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.”  Ephesians 6:7 NLT

As Christians, we are to work in such a way that separates us from the rest of the world. Our attitude must be entirely different by being positive and infectious. They must see a difference in us because we work from a supernatural perspective knowing that the natural will be taken care of. Remember, our focus is set on things above!

As your work week begins today, don’t forget that the eyes of your co-workers are on you. Do you show them Jesus on the job or someone else? Will they want what you have, or will they just see more of what they see in the world? Let’s show them the best way!

People who encounter Jesus have not changed much in 2,000 years. Unless they are trained to understand the truth, they begin to just stand and wait for a gift from heaven instead of using the gift of righteousness that has already been given to them (see Rom. 5:17).

They stand in churches and wait for a sermon to inspire them. They stand in schools and wait for an education to anoint them. They stand in seminars and wait for the free gift of a prophetic word to call them out. But there is a real danger in waiting. It is the main cause for the failure of the Church structure today. Inactive people find themselves in a very destructive mode.

If you ask a beekeeper when the most dangerous time is to deal with a hive, he will say that it’s when the bees have stopped producing honey and the hive is full. Thousands and thousands of bees swirling around with no work to do causes great agitation. They begin to look at the beekeeper and each other as enemies.

That’s when they begin to sting.

Churches that have lost the larger purpose of outreach begin an inward-spiraling cycle of backbiting, scorn, and criticism. This is destructive to the church and the very people they are called to work with.

The angels are still crying out to people, “Why do you stand here waiting? There is no gifting better than the one you have: to be blessed with the indwelling presence of Jesus Himself. There is no training better than what you have: to be led by the Holy Spirit within. There is no prophecy better than what you have: to declare over your life what Jesus has already done for you, and who you are in Him!”

There is no need to wait for what God has already given. However, there is a need to believe in yourself, and that you are gifted by God Himself to carry out His purpose for your life.

I was fortunate to enjoy an afternoon in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. When Michelangelo painted the chapel, he did not do it freestyle, just splashing on the walls and ceiling with whatever colors he felt at the moment. No, first he constructed a model of the room and made detailed drawings of each corner and each figure, so his work would not appear distorted when viewed.

Jesus is our model. As we go out representing Him, we must look more closely at Him. Why do people have a distorted image of Jesus? It is because we are the only image they see! That image can bring life, love, joy, peace, and healing power to every person on the earth. But if we do not represent Him accurately, people will not see who He is.

Let us understand Jesus not as just another nice spiritual man, but as the living God. And let us not see His Kingdom as something to be looked forward to, but as something to be experienced now!

We must take one more step to untangle ourselves from the system of thought that denies power to us today and makes us spectators, rather than players, in the arena of life. What will get us out of the bleachers so we stop acting as observers, critics, and reporters and start making life happen now?

William Booth is not a name most people recognize.  He was a prominent Methodist evangelist living in mid-19^th century London, England.  One cold night as he returned home from a service, he noticed the poor and homeless sleeping under the London Bridge and was overcome with compassion for them.  He decided at that moment that he had to do something to help them, and The Salvation Army was born.

In 1865 He and his wife Catherine opened The Christian Revival Society in London, and “Food for the Million” soup kitchens, which fed large bowls of soup and bread to the poor.  They established lodging houses to shelter the homeless from the bitter winters.

Christmas was always the most demanding time of the year and everyone needed extra help and encouragement.  Because of this, General Booth would send a telegram each Christmas Eve to his weary soldiers all over the world, to encourage them in their work.

In what would be his last Christmas, he composed a paragraph of heartfelt words to inspire his troops, but then realized the cost of sending it would be too much. He edited the paragraph into three sentences, then one sentence, then three words—and realized even that would be too many.

Finally, he decided to send only one word…one word that would continue to inspire his army to win souls, feed the hungry and give shelter to the homeless.

That word was simply, “Others.”

This Christmas season remember that Christ came to dwell in your heart and in the hearts of people. Allow Him to dwell in you and live through you—and let this Christmas be an “others-minded” Christmas!