This is Why You Absolutely Need to See Things This Way

Corrie ten Boom used the analogy that it would look like a mess if you viewed a loom from underneath, but it would look like a beautiful piece of art if you looked at it from above.

Consider that the Earth is God’s loom, and He views it from above. He understands the ‘loom process’ that He has set in place, and to Him, it is beautiful. But because we view our world from underneath, it too often looks and feels like a mess.

In this vein, the Bible; especially, the book of Revelation, helps us see our world from the same perspective as God sees it. And that changes everything! When you see life from the vantage point of Heaven, it looks different. And, suddenly, we are reminded that God is the author and the finisher, the alpha and the omega. He is the first and the last! And, NOTHING is a surprise to Him. Jesus has a plan to defeat spiritual darkness and win the battle for eternity. We just need to change our perspective and see things from a different vantage point.

The word throne is used 45 times throughout the book of Revelation. And, it makes clear that the ultimate throne belongs to Jesus, and everything proceeds from His throne. According to the whole counsel of Scripture, Satan has wanted this throne from the very beginning. When he was first an angel named Lucifer, he had instruments and stones placed within his body and led beautiful worship.

Ezekiel 28 -- alongside Leviticus’ details of High Priests’ breastplates -- leads us to interpret that Lucifer’s stones, when activated by God’s light, cast beautiful rainbows throughout heaven. But Lucifer was selfish and unhappy. He wanted the angels to worship him and not God. As a result, he organized a revolt with one-third of the other angels in Heaven to take God’s throne. They lost being cast down from Heaven by God. Landing like with the force of lightning strike on the other side of God’s wrath, Lucifer dusted off his ego and became the chief of all fallen angels, the devil, whom we now refer to as Satan.

From the creation of Mankind, the devil has been harassing humanity. (Just read Genesis 1-3!) Our enemy has been trying to steal, kill, and destroy everything we have. But God had a plan, and He sent Jesus to save us all through His blood, and on a hill called Calvary, He took back the keys to death, hell, and the grave! He reestablished His kingship on earth. The gates of Hell will not prevail because God created the church, and His Kingdom made manifest through that Church will win!

The enemy is trying to create a space on this earth that allows him to envision victory, but in reality, we serve a King that has already won! If you want peace, read the back of the book because it will change your perspective. You get the view from above!

You may have been looking at your life from underneath the loom -- the messy side -- but the Holy Spirit wants you to look at it from above. You can win the situation you are in, you can, and you will survive what is transpiring, things will get better, and you have a reason to keep fighting. Let the Holy Spirit refresh and restore you! Remember, all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. Change your perspective to the vantage point of Heaven!

I invite you to view this message, “Upon Further Review”, in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/sE13MwguUI8

Here are a few things to evaluate in your life:

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving the anointing in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus and start seeing your life from a kingdom down mentality and a new vantage point, a fresh perspective? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Are you ready to take your next steps towards discipleship? Many non-Christians are as close to heaven as they will ever get, but through BEGIN, you can be equipped and empowered to change their lives! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Do you want to be a part of bringing Heaven down to Earth? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

How to Evaluate the Status of God’s Anointing in Your Life

So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told to Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself…” (1 Samuel 15:12 NKJV)

From a young age, God used Samuel to speak as an oracle of Heaven on Earth. His obedience in being a voice led him to have an audience of kings, nations, and priests. On this particular occasion, Samuel let Saul know that there was a problem! Saul’s building of a monument unto himself when he should have invested his time in obedience to God’s purpose in his life was a significant issue.

So Samuel said, “when you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17 NKJV)

In the Old Testament, an experience with the process of anointing was quite memorable. According to the Lexham Bible Dictionary, it transpired as people were often anointed (with oil) to recognize the Lord’s divine calling upon their lives; the anointing was a physical recognition of their particular roles, such as king, prophet, or priest.

Visualize it in this way. If someone served on behalf of the Lord in a ministry or leadership setting, a ceremony would convene to anoint them with oil. A special version of olive oil would then be applied to the person’s body in public at the gathering. This physical recognition demonstrated what God was doing inside the person spiritually. Often the application occurred in the form of pouring large amounts of the oil over the candidate's head. I've heard some Bible teachers imply that the moment of anointing could include the deposit of as much as a gallon and a half of oil poured from a container that had formerly been an animal’s horn. This is obviously no longer a practice in modern Christianity, but we still desire the touch of God to be on our lives and on the lives of those who lead us.

If you feel like you’re giving your all in some areas of your life but can’t make traction forward, it is most likely because you lack God’s special touch or favor grace in that area.

While we no longer recognize God’s intentions for someone’s life through the outpouring of extensive amounts of olive oil, we can be certain that God is still in the business of anointing people. But, spiritually speaking, what is the anointing of God? Over the years, I’ve comprised a working definition of anointing. It has come about by funneling various statements from others into this bottom line: The anointing is a special grace upon our lives that allows us to be used by God to benefit others.

God wants you to experience His anointing! And, through that experience, He wants you to benefit others. In fact, the most famous passage in the Old Testament mentions reception and availability of the anointing, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. (Psalm 23:5 NKJV)

Here’s what you need to know, the anointing makes you appear more gifted than you actually are! When you are anointed, you can do things above and beyond anything you were capable of before God favored you with His touch. The special grace of God, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, can change things in your life. You will become a different person. But the anointing isn’t for you; it’s so you can impact others! Other people should benefit from any anointing God releases into your life.

How do we receive the anointing of God in our lives? Saul’s experiences provide us with some great insights.

Then Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” So he said, “To look for the donkeys…” 1 Samuel 10:11 (NKJV)

Through this example, Saul was exemplifying he would do whatever the "father’s house" needed. In response, through Heaven's actions, God confirmed He could work with that! The result was that God turned Saul into another man, one highly favored and anointed with the Holy Spirit, “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will...be turned into another man.” (1 Samuel 10:6 NKJV)

Be willing to look for the donkeys! Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and get to work? You have to be willing to serve before you are ever able to lead. Don’t limit who God wants you to be because you're not willing to accept the assignment He has for you.

If you want to be anointed, consider these four very practical realities.

1. Keep yourself LITTLE in your own sight. God will exalt humble hearts, but pride goes before a fall. Saul was humble when God first called him forward. He even had hesitancy regarding his abilities. But, unfortunately, he forgot to stay little in his sight and lost it all.
   

2. If you want to be BIG, you need to stay SMALL. A great reminder: Never forget how to bow at an altar, in the name of Jesus. Make yourself small in God’s presence!
   

3. People need YOU to be anointed. Because the anointing isn't for you -- it's for others -- the impact of God’s anointing will have a profound effect in your life for the benefit of everyone around you.
   

4. You need an experience with JESUS CHRIST. Jesus is the Anointed One. This application isn't up for debate. If you want to be anointed, you must be in a relationship with Jesus. He had this to say of Himself, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tiding to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound and recovery to sight to the blind. (Luke 4:18 NKJV)
   

We will never be able to maximize our effectiveness to lead our families, businesses, communities, or fulfill our destinies without the anointing! God can take small things and turn them into something big if you will seek the anointing of God within your life.

But with the anointing, “It shall come to pass on that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. (Isaiah 10:27 NKJV) The enemy will always try to yoke someone with something! He tries to yoke us with offense, addiction, and/or lust. He will try to weigh us down with every burden imaginable. BUT when you function under the anointing of Jesus Christ, every yoke is destroyed!

I invite you to view this message, “Move the Monument”, in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/DnAWKgW1duo

Here are a few things to evaluate in your life:

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving the anointing in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

1. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus and start breaking yokes off your life? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

1. Do you want to experience the manifestation of God’s anointing in your life and take your next steps towards discipleship? BEGIN may be the place for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

1. Let’s roll up our sleeves together, and accept the assignments God has for us! Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

God Is Our Great Physician

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

(Matthew 9:12 NKJ)

A few years ago, my husband became ill. It didn't take long after we sought treatment from the physicians to find a tumor growing in his digestive system. Within days of the tumor being identified, he was scheduled for surgery with one of the best gastroenterologists in our region. Having that tumor removed, as soon as it was found, saved his life.

It's easy to decide to have something removed when you realize how dangerous it is to the health and well-being of your body.

The Word of God declares that God is our Great Physician. We often lean on God for the healing of spiritual, emotional, or physical pain, and His Word can guide us to recovery. But I wonder how often you turn to God to be a surgeon in your life.

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in Matthew 9:12, they considered themselves “healthy” before God because of their observance of the law. They failed to acknowledge their spiritual sickness. Jesus was pointing out to them in this verse that only those who acknowledge their sickness can receive the help they need.

How often do you ask God to cut away the attributes that make you spiritually unhealthy?

I want to encourage you to ask God to show you the “tumors” of your spiritual life. For example, do you struggle with discontentment, pride, disobedience, selfishness, ungratefulness, offense, bitterness, anger, or hate? All of these adverse attributes and many others can make us spiritually unhealthy.

With the same urgency that my husband had his physical tumor removed, we should seek God to show us the areas of our spiritual life where things are growing that shouldn't be. Then allow Him to begin the work to remove them. Surgery can be painful, but it's always for the good of our health.

The Pharisees couldn't see their spiritual sickness- and it hindered their relationship with Jesus. I don't want anything to hinder my relationship with Jesus, and I'm sure you don't either. Thankfully we can prevent this from happening in our lives! We are all sinners in need of Jesus, and we can trust Him as our Great Physician, He is the best surgeon we will ever have.