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"Looking Back to the Future - A Word for 2004"
by Steve Shultz
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Everyone knows you are "supposed" to live in the present,
and not the past.
I know that too . . . yet there is always "the other side of the coin" to every
"truth."
The Other Side of the Coin
The other side to living in the present? That would be "looking back TO the
future," of course.
Last night I had one of the more vivid dreams of my life. So real, yet so odd
and impossible.
The Angel Pointed "RIGHT"
In this dream, I encountered someone I believed to be an angel sent by God to
point me in the right direction for the next phase of my life. That would be
the phase that creates the most fear in most people - the fear of the future.
This angel, in fact, pointed me to my right as the direction I was to go next.
Turning "right" is usually good in dreams. It means going the "right" way.
So I turned left.
That's right, I turned left.
As I did, I knew it was the "right," or shall I say, the "correct" thing to
do. I was to be shown something meaningful. This angel seemed to come with me,
shadowing me, approving of my turning left and going back in the direction I'd
come.
How strange to be so disobedient and also receive approval for it!
As I turned left and back, I began to walk from life scene to life scene, each
scene as if on a movie set or in a mall store. Each scene was a separate phase
of my life; my past was being presented before me. Indeed, as I was walking from
the present, backwards through time, I saw both my personal experiences and scenes
of my family history.
I visited perhaps five to seven scenes, each one with the surroundings, setup,
and props becoming progressively old-fashioned and each one containing a person
I knew from my past, who seemed to represent that phase in my life.
One interesting scene was more symbolic. A friend was running a zip code bookstore.
That would be where you would buy old books containing old zip codes.
"Wow," I thought to myself. "Those zip codes are no longer valid."
Acts 17:26 "From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit
the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places
where they should live."
Each scene appeared to be 5 -10 years apart, and I felt that I ultimately went back
into a time in history before my birth. Even a few decades before I was born.
A Strange and Impossible Phenomenon
With each move back in time, a most strange phenomenon happened. I felt I was
advancing in "technology" the further back in time I "traveled" - which of
course wasn't possible . . . or was it?
And with each scene, I felt more and more of the miraculous power of God in
operation in my life. Said another way . . . in my earlier real life, when I
had felt little or no power, more power had actually been in operation than
I had actually felt in later years.
Impossible. Or was it?
The angel had pointed me forward and to my right, yet seemed pleased to see
me go backward and to my left to examine the history of my life and times that
had gotten me to this point in time.
And why was each "backward-in-time" scene accompanied by such an awareness
of technological advancement? It should have been the other way around. Why
also was each grouping of years behind me, accompanied by a growing sense of
the miraculous power of God?
I must tell you of my shock when I finally arrived at the last and most old
fashioned time in my life (or perhaps prior to my birth). All the houses, and
vehicles were more out-of-date than I can even remember. It was in this dream-scene that I discovered that human beings were empowered to fly, without the
need of an airplane, and it was in this scene that I felt more of the Lord's Presence
than I've ever felt.
In the waking hours that followed this dream, the Lord began to open to my understanding
the dream's purpose and the message it conveyed to me, and I believe, to the
Church as well.
"Historically" Examining Your Future!
The most powerful thing God ever did, and ever will do for you or me . . . is
in your past. Your salvation - or the place you now stand in God - took much more
power to accomplish than you will ever need again!
Scripture is exact, that God's most miraculous act for us, is already accomplished - behind
us!"
He uses the "how much more" argument. One of the Lord's favorite arguments,
by the way. (Study the "How much more" arguments in Scripture, and you will know
the Lord's Ways even better!)
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much
more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him! For if, when we were God's
enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more,
having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this
so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we
have now received reconciliation." (Rom 5:8-11)
The greatest "Spiritual power and technology" God has ever shown you, and the
greatest power He will EVER show on your behalf has already happened to you - in
your past!
Even when God pours His Spirit out in places and times future, it's not MORE
in quality than anything He's already done. Just different places and more places,
all at the same time. But trust the Scripture that God has already demonstrated
His greatest Power through the Cross and the work of your salvation. The quantity
of his demonstrations will however, yet be poured out on the many, rather than
the few.
When you examine what He accomplished for you through the Cross . . .
and your
own personal salvation, reconciliation, and friendship-with-God story, it should
add a whole new meaning to your words when you pray to God for "more power"
in your life . . .
. . . What you are really praying, or perhaps what you should be praying is,
"Lord give me more of that same beyond-belief, unheard of, never-before-understood
supernatural power that it took to get me where I am now."
The Greatest Power Was to Get You "Out of the Mud!"
Jesus, through the Cross, got you to where you are. He got you out of the mud
of your life, and into the Kingdom of God, through the power equal to an infinite
number of atomic explosions.
Eph 1:19-20
"And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited
and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe,
as demonstrated
in the working of His mighty strength, Which He exerted in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places
. . .]."
AMP
For God to get you to the next stage . . . to get you to turn right and keep
going, is a simple matter of getting you to look backward, into your past first,
at what has already been accomplished through His Power in your life.
What is this then that He has accomplished for you?
. . . Since you stand "RECONCILED" to Him now, "how much more, having already
been "reconciled" will you be able to live now, in the present and future circumstances
coming your way and to be kept in that salvation through the fact that HE IS
ALIVE AND AT WORK IN YOU AFTER YOUR RECONCILIATION! [paraphrased] (Romans 5:8-11)
The "hard" work of God, on your behalf, is behind you and is recorded in Heaven's
books. God can show those days to you whenever He wants to. Or, you can just
look at them yourself, with the Help of His Holy Spirit.
Never again will the Father have to work "that hard" nor will He have to supply
more energy, or add more miraculous, supernatural POWER to your life than what
He has already supplied to you, in your personal history.
Look at your life!
Look at where He took you FROM to get you WHERE YOU ARE NOW.
You may find this difficult to believe, but the supernatural you will operate
in for the rest of your life has already been sown into you, your life, your
actual DNA, and your future, BY JESUS ON THE CROSS AND IN YOUR LIFE, from long
before your birth up to the moment you read this.
The further you examine your history, the more you will see the Power of God
having already been miraculously displayed in your life. After what He's already
taken you through, everything else is just plain "easy" in comparison.
That's the point of the dream.
Look back to see your future. Remember and examine what He has done and you
will then know what He is able to finish using just "little ol,' imperfect" you.
The greater miracles are already accomplished in you (though you may see a larger quantity
of them just up ahead of you.)
Somehow, meditating on what HE HAS ALREADY DONE supplies you with or will re-supply
you with the faith, the fuel, the provision and the vision - to FINISH WHAT
HE WILL ASK YOU TO DO THIS YEAR - AND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
Some call this meditation, "Worship." Some call it obedience. Some just call
it meditation.
But whatever you call it, let the Father reignite the flame in you through your
obedience to His command:
Ps 77:10-15
"Then I thought, 'To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High.'
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
"Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph."
Steve Shultz
THE ELIJAH LIST
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