As the dawning of the day moves us from darkness to light. So will the entrance of God's Word lighten up your life. Stay tuned for the teaching ministry of Charlotte Father, as she presents this life with bringing to light ministries. Today is your day for victory in Jesus.
Good day to you. I'm so glad that you have tuned in to the Bring into Light program. Always a joy to come to you with God's Holy Word. I trust that you have your Bibles with you.
You might want to have them there close because as we look at different passages, it's always good for you to know where those are. And you know, I have found that when I will be diligent to write down those scriptures, and maybe come back later and mark them, that God will send somebody in my way that needs that special word. So feel free to turn with us as we look at these passages, write them down and be ready. We're going to start a new series called Repositioning Yourself.
And I believe it's going to be a blessing to you. So I want you to listen carefully as we get into those things. But before, let's listen to a good word that Shanti has just for you and me. We've all been hurt by somebody and sometimes it's so hard to forgive that person or the situation.
But the Bible says in Mark 11, 25 and verse 26, and whenever you stand praying, if you find that you carry something in your heart against another person, release him and forgive him so that your father in heaven will also release you and forgive you of your faults. But if you will not release forgiveness, don't expect your father in heaven to release you from your misdeeds. Sometimes it's hard to forgive that person that has wronged you or come against you as a child or just even in today's life. But we all face those situations where somebody has hurt us.
But God in his word is saying that we have to forgive them. It may not forget what happened, but God is wanting you to forgive them and release that person. So the word says that if we forgive and we release that person, that God will be there to forgive us for our sins. And we don't want to hold that bitterness and hurt against someone or the situation.
But God wants to bring healing to your heart today. In James 5 and 16, it says confess your faults one to another that you may be healed. So that as we release the hurt in our hearts or things that have come against us or what somebody has come against us or what things that we've done, that as we confess those things to God and to a counselor to our pastor or friend, that God can bring healing to our hearts. And I just want to pray a special prayer today for you for God to just touch you and minister healing to you today.
Father, we come before you Lord in the precious name of Jesus. Father, we thank you that you are so faithful to forgive us for our sins. And Lord, I'm asking you today that you help each one of us to forgive those who have come against us in any way. Father, God help us to have the heart to forgive them.
And God, Lord, God, to go on and allow you to bring that healing to our hearts and to the heart that has come against us. And Father, we thank you for your healing and my brother's sister today. And we pray that you minister peace and joy and healing to their hearts today. Father, as they are able to confess their thoughts and their hearts to you today.
And we thank you for it. And we praise you for it in Jesus' holy name. Oh, praise the Lord. I just thank the Lord for His love, His mercy, and His healing power that comes and heals us from our brokenness.
May the Lord bless you today. Well, praise the Lord. You know, we're going to get into the Word of God in just a moment, but as we look at the title of what we're doing, repositioning yourselves. I believe it's not only a biblical truth, but I also want to say I feel that it's a very prophetic word for the time that we live.
Jesus is coming back soon. And I know many of you say, well, I've been hearing that for a long, long time. Well, so have I. But you know, they heard it for a long, long time that a Messiah was coming into the earth.
And we know the biblical truth even that He would be born of a virgin. And so they were waiting for that. And they felt like they had been waiting for a long, long time. But you know, one of these days, just as sure as we are where we are, there's going to be a trumpet that's going to sound.
And there's going to be a shout. And Jesus is going to call His church home. That's going to happen. I do believe there are certain things that's going to take place.
I know there are people that say, well, you know, he could come now. And yes, he could. But I do believe he's going to give us a last day harvest. I believe there's going to be a harvest of souls that's going to flow into the kingdom of God like never before.
Yes, there are countries even today that there are thousands being born again. That may very well be what we're looking at. But I believe there's going to be a harvest in America. But I think there's things that the Lord is going to do among His people before He comes.
And we're going to look at, again, some of those scriptures. But if you will, just allow me to dedicate this series unto the Lord and let's invite His will to be done. Father, yes, in the name of Jesus, I feel that you have laid this message on my heart. I believe it's a timely message and I pray.
Oh, God, that your anointing would be upon me to bring forth your word, anoint every ear to hear what you are saying. We would not be here as only, Lord, but we would be doers of your word. I thank you, Lord God, for who you are and what you are doing. And you are preparing the church for your coming.
And I thank you for that. In Jesus name, amen. And amen. You know, the Lord gave me many years ago.
He gave me a dream. I was about that dream. But the dream was that my husband and I, and this was a fact, we had a class. We called it the sanctuary class because a lot of people that didn't go into special classes, they would find their way into the sanctuary.
So we had a large group of people. I mean, there were times that would be 100 plus people that would come into our class on a Sunday night. And it was a wonderful time because I had the liberty to preach the word of God as God would lead me. So it was a fact that I would always go to the front of the church and there would be a little podium for me.
And I would minister to the people that we had. Minister not only the word, but also through prayer. But in my dream, we were going into the sanctuary for me to teach the word of God as I did every Sunday night. But when we went in, we walked to the front, we got in behind the podium and I looked and everybody in the sanctuary that had come out for class was looking at the back of the church.
In fact, their chairs was completely turned in the opposite direction of where we were standing. I looked around, the church was full of people, but every chair was facing the back of the auditorium. And I looked and I thought, what do I do? What is this about?
And I heard the spirit of God say within me, reposition yourself. I heard that and I knew what that meant. That meant move from where you are to another place. Well, what would be the most feasible thing for me to do?
It would be to walk up the highway to the back of the church and turn around with my podium looking at all the people and to minister the word. So that's what I did. And I remember I went on with a class just like everything was normal. No questions.
I just began to flow and God's word began to flow through me. I woke up from the dream and I heard the spirit of God say within me, reposition yourself. Now, I don't mind saying to you, I began to seek the Lord's face concerning that word. I began to say, God, what is it that you want me to do?
Where do I need to go? What do I need to do? And I really felt that in that word that I knew came from God, God was saying, if you will reposition yourself, if you will move into the place where I've called you, you're going to be more effective in your ministry. Well, you know, since that time, there's been many times that we've had to reposition ourselves, things that God would say do this, or God would say, don't do that.
And we knew the Lord was speaking to us. And we knew that in each repositioning that we were more effective in what God was saying. I'm concerned that the church today, because we don't like change, because we have fears that if I do change, what's it going to look like? Is it going to be a failure for me?
What are people going to think? Are people going to respond? Are they going to go along with what I'm saying and what I feel that God is saying through me and doing? So we have a tendency to be reluctant in repositioning ourselves.
I can think of so many things in my own life where God called me to reposition. I mean, even way back as a young girl, four years of age to be exact, you've probably heard me testify to this, but there was a little song that I was singing, and Mother had me to practice with a pianist in four years of age, and I would sing from the beginning of the song all the way to the end. I couldn't read, of course, but I knew every word. So it came time, Mother said, now you're going to be ministering the song in the service today.
And I felt fear, grit, my heart. And I remember when it was time for me to sing, I went to the edge of the stage and I was so small, I remember Mother lifted me and standing me up on the stage. I looked out at all the people, probably wasn't as many as I thought it looked like that evening. But anyway, the pianist, she did the introduction of the song, and I started to sing, but I couldn't even think what the tune was.
I couldn't remember the word, and I just stood there where she played a little bit, and then she went back to the very beginning, and she started again. Well, this happened three times, and all three times I couldn't remember the words. I couldn't even remember the first word, and I looked down at Mother, and I began to cry. And I feel emotion, I'm just telling you about it because it is so real down in my heart.
And I remember the shame and the guilt that I had even let my mother down and let the church down because I couldn't remember the song four years of age. Mother came up and she scooped me up off that stage, and she patted my shoulder, and she said, it's okay. She took me back to my seat and sent me down next to her. And I thought, I can never do that again.
It's so horrible. I don't remember the words. I don't remember the tune. But you know what that week, she had me to meet with a lady who played the piano.
And she had me to sing that song up there on that stage over and over. And she said, now this coming Sunday, you're going to be singing that song. And I began to say, oh no, oh no. And she said, yeah, and you're going to do great.
Well, I want you to know that next Sunday came, and she put me up on that stage. The piano started the song, and I began to sing. I knew every word, and I was able to stay in tune with what she was playing. You know, I learned a powerful lesson from that.
And my mother knew she had the wisdom to know that if she ever let me pull back from a very traumatic event for me, that I would never get back up there again, or possibly when I did, it would be worse than what I was going through at such a young age. I want you to know from that day forward, there would periodically be times that I would be singing a song. Later it would be with my sister. We would stand up and we would sing.
She started playing the piano, then we had a quartet. And you know, more and more, I was getting in front of people. And then the Lord called me into the ministry. And you know, I've been able to stand and bring forth the Word of God.
I'm not afraid. I have no fear of that. Some people do. But you know, I'm just thank God that He's given me the grace to move forward in what He's called me to do.
If there's any fear at all that I might have, it's going to be the right kind of fear, and it's called a reverential fear. I have a fear of the holiness of who God is, that when He calls me, I want to be obedient. When He redirects me or repositions me or He is introducing a new place for me, I want to be very sensitive to that and to flow in what He has. When I stand before people to bring forth the Word, I may be very confident that God has given me the Word, but I'm also very confident in knowing that I have to have God's anointing.
The Holy Spirit Scripture says it's the Teacher of the Church. And if I ever move out, reposition, if you will, in any area of ministry, and I depend upon my own strength, I will be a failure. You know, there's a lot of people that are very good at speaking. There's a lot of people that are very good in what they do.
You know, they study in school and they can bring forth a message. And I mean, the outline is perfect and everything is supporting the main idea of what they're ministering. And they're really good at that. I'll give you an example.
Have you ever heard two different people sing the same song? One of them, they do a great job. They hit every note. They know how to project their voice and they can hit every level.
They can do the chords and they can make it sound so pretty. But you can have another person. They may seem well, but maybe they're not hitting everything perfectly. But there's something different about that person.
Why? Because there is an anointing on what they are bringing forth. You see, the anointing is the presence of who God is. And that anointing can flow on anything that we do.
You know, even we have some people that just recently come in the church and they're called IT people. I'm glad there's some people that are educated in that because I'm certainly not. But when they would even stand up and begin to talk about their business and what they do, you can sense the sweetness of the Lord in their lives. So I want you to know that when God calls us to reposition, I don't care how educated we are.
I don't care how long we've been doing it. Without the Lord, it's not going to make a lot of difference. Do you hear me today? I will say that when anybody ministers from the Word, the Word of God is living and it is active.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among the speaking of Jesus Christ. So even reading out loud the Word, there's power in that. But when you bring it forth with the presence and the anointing of God because you spent time with the Lord of you, you have acknowledged your need for the Lord's description. Say, Proverbs 35 and 6, lean not into your own understanding, but in all of your ways, acknowledge the Lord and He will direct your past.
Do we take time to say, Lord, what would you have me to do? Do we ever take a moment and take a step back and say, Lord, I lay this at your feet. If this is something, God, that I am to continue to do, then Lord, I will do it and I know I have your grace to do it. But God, if I need to reposition myself and stop doing this and maybe do something else, then God show me that as well.
And when we acknowledge Him, He will direct our past. So it's very important that we don't lean into our own understanding. You know, when we talk about the Word reposition, it means to place in a different position, to adjust or alter the position of. We also, you are using the Word a lot in our church right now, is a line.
We recently came off a 21-day fast, seeking God, and the very thrust of what we were fasting and praying about is, that we would be in alignment with you. Let me say it this way, that we would position ourselves to be right where you called us to be. But not only that, but that we are aligned one with another. You see, all of God's children are members of the body of Christ.
I don't know where you are in the body. I don't know where I am in the body, but I know what God's calling me to do. But you know, if I'm the shoulder and you're the elbow, you see, we would have a mess in our body, say the elbow is trying to act like the shoulder and the shoulder acting like another part. And that's what we see so much in the body of Christ.
Therefore, the body of Jesus Christ is not functioning as it should. So that's what the Lord is calling us to do. Let us align with what who He is and our relationship with Him, but in turn have the alignment with one another, fulfilling what God is calling me to do, not trying to be you or somebody else, or you trying to be me or somebody else. Then we all walk in what God is calling us to do.
You know, you might be right where the Lord wants you to be, but if you're not, are you ready to change? You see, I think that all of us can pause and say, Lord, search my heart. If there is any wicked way in me, reveal it to me, Lord, and I will repent and I will make it right before you, Lord. What are you saying to me?
God may have me to continue doing exactly what I'm doing. And you know, that's fine. Just do that and let's do it with all of our hearts. But if God is saying, I want you to do something different, example, and I recently I had committed that I would teach a class in our church.
And does this seem like the more I prayed about it, the more I thought about it, I just became very anxious about it. I had so many things going on, things changing with what I was already dealing with, and I realized, I am pushing to make something happen and that I do not believe God has actually called me to do. Well, I've taught all my life. I've had classes all my life.
But now the Lord is saying, no, not right now. I had to come back and say, I apologize, I'm sorry. I said I would teach this class, but I don't feel it's the Lord. So therefore I don't have the grace to do it.
Well, in a sense, we could say, I had to reposition myself, where that had been something I had been aligned with God to do and other people, but now he was saying, it's time to do something different. I'm sitting here, I'm right in front of the camera, but if I moved over here, you couldn't see me. If I moved over here, you couldn't see me. But God has called me right here so that I can minister more effectively to you.
So a lot of times we're doing things that that's not where God wants us. We're doing things, but it's not working well in ministering to people. God has called us to be led by his Holy Spirit. Listen to his voice and follow after him.
Change may be facing something that's uncomfortable. There may be fear of what the results will look like. A sense of wonder if I mess up. How will the people respond to this change?
Have you ever heard people say this concerning leadership? Well, we've never done it that way before. Change is not always easy, but it may be what is necessary. You see, it may be that a church that receives a new pastor.
We've always done it a certain way, but it's God's anointing to lead that group of people. Is God saying something to that pastor that will be more effective? You know, sometimes we get, if you will, in a rut of doing the same old same old, when God says, I'm calling you to do something new. The scripture tells us that the Lord is going to do a new thing.
And if we keep doing it the way we've always been doing things, we will remain the same. But if we will be, if you will, like liquid in the hands of God and allow him to turn the rivers of our heart in the direction whereby he's called us, he will give us the grace to do it and he will equip us to do whatever he's saying, and we will be more effective. We will be able to minister to more and more people. I'm here today to encourage you.
Don't fear if you feel God is redirecting you. I know again, when things begin to present to me, change, and this is something that we're doing in our church right now, with our altar team, God has allowed me, the position to be over the altar team, but now they're presenting things that they feel will be more effective to me. And I'm like, oh my, you know, how many times have I taught this in different ways? It used to be cassette tapes.
Then it was CDs. Well, now it's these cards that we're going to be able to scheme with our phone and get you to the same information. But why is this important? Because that's where our society is going.
And I have to be willing to align with what God is saying, but align one with another. I have to reposition myself from the old way, if you will, the CDs and move into a place where I'll be before a camera like I am right now. But they're believing it'll be more effective. So are we willing for God to speak to us and then be willing to obey what he's saying?
When God calls you, he will equip you. First, that's the longings, 524 faithful. Is he who calls you, who will also do it? When God calls me, when he first called me to do this television ministry, you know, I had to say, Lord, it's not by my strength, not by my power, nor by my mind.
Lord, I submit all that I am unto you. God, where I may be adding up right here, that my trust is that you will be the rest. I give my best knowing that he is faithful and he will work in us and through us and give us the strength to do it. Now, I want to say again, when you reposition yourself, there's always going to be somebody that looks at it and they don't like it.
I don't like this new way that they're doing it. Why can't we just stick to the old? Well, there may be times that we will hang in with the old, but I believe that too many times God is doing something fresh and he's doing something new. I think of even the music that I was raised on when I was growing up.
We had that red bat, the hymnal, and I loved the old songs and that, even from a little girl, I could sing them. You know, without reading the words, but today, it's songs that things like I'm learning a different song every Sunday and maybe you as well. But you know, I've got to believe that we are reaching a people that maybe will be drawn in, that otherwise would not be. Let us be open to the leading of God.
And before it, you're so quick to criticize somebody that's doing something differently. Let's say, Lord, it is just you, let it be. But Lord, if it isn't, close the door to that and we change it to where we're more effective. I've enjoyed ministering with you today.
It's just always such a joy. I want to remind you, your letters mean so much to us. Take a moment, write that part. Yes, that's old-fashioned, but write us a letter card.
That's all the time again we have today, but until next time, may God bless you, and I love you all. You may be doubting your salvation today, but if you have ever called upon the name of the Lord, we know that the word, the Bible says you are saved. And if you believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for you, and you have confessed with your mouth that he is your Lord, that he is your Lord today. And we know that as we have prayed the prayer of salvation, that the Bible says in revelations that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
So the enemy will try to come with our feelings and our emotions or with fear to try to come against us and to tell us lies that we are not saved, or that he is a liar and he is the Father of lies. And we know in John 10-10 the Bible says that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But God has come to give us life more and more abundantly. God loves you so much that he gave his life for you and me, and we know that as we give our hearts to Jesus, as we ask him to come into our lives, that he is our Lord.
Sometimes we may not feel like we're saved, or we may feel the enemy tries to come in with our emotions. But we know that we can stand upon the Word of God, that our salvation is not by our works, but it's by the grace and the gift of Jesus Christ. So I just want to encourage you today that when the enemy tries to come in to steal our joy or to try to tell us that we're not good enough, or that we are not saved. But I believe that as you have given your heart to Jesus, that he is your Lord.
And if there is something in your heart today that you're dealing with as some kind of sin or just an oppression or depression, I'm going to pray with you today that God will just minister to you. And the Bible says that you confess your sins and he is faithful to forgive you, and that to repent and turn from those evil ways. So let's just pray together and just seek the Lord today and thank him for our salvation, and that we continue to walk in his mercy and his grace and his love. Father, I just pray for my brother and my sister today, and I thank you for your mercy and your grace.
I thank you for your salvation. And Lord, I thank you today that you, God, will just minister peace and joy to their hearts, and just draw them unto you, God, by your spirit and by your power, that it's a daily walk with you. And Father, I pray your blessings to be upon each one today, and we just thank you and be praise you for what you were doing in our lives. In Jesus' holy name, Amen.
We'll praise the Lord. I just believe that God will minister just a peace and a joy to your heart and just that confidence and knowing that one day Jesus is coming back, and we are going to be with him, and I praise the Lord for it. We'll just be blessed in Jesus' holy name.