Expect a Progressive Miracle

God is continuing to deal with me in this area of expectation. In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell talks about the “The Law of the Lid” that states Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness. In other words, those who follow you cannot advance any farther than you, and therefore, you as a leader must constantly be developing yourself. The results of not developing yourself are that those who follow you become discouraged, complacent, or rebellious.

I believe there is a “law of the lid” in our expectation of God. Because of challenges and disappointments in life we lower our level of expectation, resulting in discouragement, complacency, or rebellion against God. God has no lid. He is limitless in every way. Yet, we allow circumstances to lower our expectation of Him.

The area that God has been dealing with me in is to clearly define my expectations of Him based on His Word and expect to see a progressive miracle in my life. Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

In this verse we focus on the faith and speaking, but there is also the aspect of being specific in what we speak. When blind Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus until he had Jesus’ attention, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knew what Bartimaeus needed but he wanted him to clearly articulate what he expected. In the same way, we need to clearly articulate to God what we expect from Him and be prepared to respond in obedience to what He tells us to do.

Like most things in life, restoration is often a process, a plan and a series of steps we must take. God’s miracles are often progressive because God desires to mature and develop us through the process. Expectation is what keeps us on track toward the goal. Expectation keeps us in the race and causes us to fight a good fight of faith to receive the prize that God has for us.

Do not let people and circumstances lower your expectation. Don’t spend your life wandering around the wilderness of mediocrity. Be willing to fight the good fight, take on the giants, armies, and walled cities to enter into the promises that God has for you. “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (I Thessalonians 5:24)

Andy Clark

Results of Expectation

1. Expectation causes us to seek God with persistence.

Psalms 123:2 “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.”

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Luke 15:8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?”

2. Expectation causes us to believe God fervently.

Matt 17:20 “For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

3. Expectation causes us to yield to God.

John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.’”

The problem is that we want to bring God into the limitations of our lives. We expect God to do things in a certain way within the limitations of human thinking, understanding, and ability. We often want to maintain control. Do things our way. The only way to get out of our box into a limitless God is to totally yield to Him. When you get on a plane, you lose all control. If you are afraid to give up control, you will never fly.

Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Let God do far above or beyond what you could ask or think by the power that works in you.

Andy Clark

Expecting From God (part one)

What do you expect? As we go through life, challenges and disappointments can diminish our expectations. Part of the reason for disappointments we face is that our expectations are in the wrong place. Our expectations are in people and things of this world that often fail us rather than putting our full expectations on God and His word.

Hebrews 11:11 says, “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” Sarah’s expectation was not focused on the promise but on the faithfulness of the One who had given the promise. Here are four areas of expectation that God spoke to me about:

1. EXPECT TO BE REWARDED AS YOU DILIGENTLY SEEK THE LORD. “God is a rewarded of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6). Are you in hot pursuit of God? Above the noise of the crowd blind Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus until Jesus heard and responded. How desperate are you for God to intervene in your life? Jesus exhorted us to ask, seek, and knock.

2. EXPECT TO SEE EVIDENCE OF A PROGRESSIVE MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE.  “With God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)  We need to be clear in our expectation of God. Jesus asked blind Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” What exactly do you want from God? Be responsive to what God asks you to do. Restoration is often a process, a plan. Step by step God’s work in us is a progressive work.

3. EXPECT GOD TO KEEP HIS PROMISES. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Num 23:19

"God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

4. EXPECT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ALWAYS IN HIS TEMPLE. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you”. (John 14:15-18)

Get into God’s word and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in your expectations. Allow Him to pray through you and empower you to walk out the abundant life that God has for you.

Andy Clark

Look for part two of this teaching next week, Results of Expectation.

Orphan Heart

John 14:15-18

"If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever —  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

When I lived in Haiti, I had a missionary friend who took into his home an orphan boy off the street. Even though the refrigerator and cupboards in my friend’s home were full of food and there were three meals a day and food to snack on any time, this orphan boy would save part of his meals and hide them in different places in his home for fear the day would come that there would be no food.

We as Christians sometimes behave like this orphan boy. Even though we know as children of God we are joint heirs with Christ and everything that is God’s belong to us, we continue to have the heart, mind, and attitude of an orphan. We are independent-minded, self-made, self-reliant individuals who depend on our skills and abilities to make it through life. We strive for the praise, approval, and acceptance of others. Our lives revolve around personal achievement and success. When we fail, we become insecure, frustrated, fearful, discouraged or depressed.

But Jesus said that He would not leave us as orphans who are trying to make it on our own. He promised to send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would dwell in us and be with us 24/7 forever. The Holy Spirit is the fullness of God the creator who lives in us, loves us, and is there to aid us in every aspect of life. There is full joy, love, peace and acceptance in Him. His cupboards are full of everything we need for a godly, fulfilling life.

Romans 8:12-17 says, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,"Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

In the midst of a world that has lost its identity, moral and spiritual bearings, we can walk with confidence in our identity in Christ. We have received the Spirit of adoption, which bears witness that we are children of God. Our security, success, and fulfillment are in Christ, the author of life. He wants to hang out with you today and be part of your everyday life. Rejoice, you are not on your own!

Andy Clark