HOW TO GET OUT OF WHERE YOU’RE AT

Apostle Handley

Are you in a place in your life or ministry where you think: “I will never get out of this situation!” Then you probably won’t. The Bible tells us, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” [Proverbs 23:7] Let us rephrase it to make it personal: “For as YOU think in YOUR heart, so are YOU.”

This scripture means more than, “If you dwell on negative, fearful thoughts most of the time, then you’re a negative, fearful person. It actually means these things will come to pass in your life. It’s not just that you experienced these things over and over and they caused you to be that way. But conversely .. your mind caused you to experience them!

The battleground is in your mind. That’s where your future is set! Your future isn’t dependent upon where you grew up or from what family you came. Your future is set for success if you are born again and of the royal seed of Abraham through the shed blood of Christ. But ... you have to control your thoughts to line up with your Father’s promises.

Your thoughts ... just like dreams ... come from one of three (3) sources: God, yourself, or the devil. Don’t let Satan lie to you and tell you: “You will never get out of this situation.” “You will never have victory in this matter.” “You will never pay all those bills off.” “You will never reach every nation, tribe, language group, and race of the earth for Christ.” The devil will tell you, “You’re too young, you’re too old, you’re not smart enough, you have too much education and it has hurt you.”

Remember the life of Queen Esther whom we studied last newsletter. She was so confident in God that she didn’t ask for anything to take into the king’s court on her first appearance to Ahasuerus. Whatever she desired would have been given to her. [Esther 2:13] “And Esther obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins.” [Esther 2:17] God can give you favor in whatever situation you find yourself. But you have to BELIEVE, OBEY, and CHOOSE to live in FAITH and VICTORY.

You may be in a jail cell. But God! Those are powerful words ... think about them: “But God ...” Jesus was taken from the wooden cross stake after having been crucified and laid in the tomb. “BUT GOD raised Him from the dead.” [Acts 13:30] I was a scheduled speaker at a large interfaith conference where I was Dean of the ministry school and met a brother, a minister, who had been sentenced to prison for life. He had been an attorney and was convicted of crimes by the federal government in the USA that resulted in his life sentence.

After being committed to prison he gave his life to Christ. One day, without advance notification, guards came and escorted him out of his prison cell and he was released permanently. “But God ...” What is your situation? This relationship of ours with God, the Father, is a MIRACLE relationship. Never forget it! It has all happened as a result of the resurrection .... AND ... the Holy Spirit is God’s agent on earth to supply the resurrection power of Christ. Believe God!

You must control your thoughts. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God [the Word of God], and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” [2 Corinthians 10:5]

If you do not cast down Satan’s lies, if you listen to them ... or if you choose to dwell on your own negative thoughts of defeat, poverty, and sickness, you will limit your life. God is NOT limited by your family, your background, your education, your companion. God is limited by your FAITH.

Choose to dwell on thoughts of life and hope and positivity. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that both you and your future posterity may live.” [Deuteronomy 30:19]

Is your life dull ... boring? It’s because you’re not believing God for exciting things. Find a promise (or promises) in God’s Word that pertain to the thing(s) you want, and then believe God for them.

If it’s a new car, then go down to the dealership, find the model and color you really want and believe God for it. Put it on your prayer list. Ask God to show you if there’s something He would like you to do for Him. If it’s a husband or wife you want, then tell God what you’re looking for.

I was speaking at a large singles’ convention recently. I was late (it wasn't my fault) and they had been waiting for six hours (in their seats) for me to arrive. Many people were saved and many were healed instantly with MIRACLES from God.

While speaking, I approached a young lady in the audience and asked her if she was praying for a husband. She said “Yes.” I asked her what kind she was praying for. She couldn’t answer me specifically. I said to her (and to the congregation) “How will God know what kind of husband to give you? Tell Him what you want!” “Do you want a white husband, a black husband, or a green husband? Do you want a tall husband or a pygmy? Intelligent ... or unintelligent?” Finally, she got the point. Be specific in your praying.

Also, if you’re single, be specific in your goals before you go on a date. This will help you get your prayers answered. You have to come to the place AHEAD OF TIME, where if you’re tempted with sex, you can say to your date: “I really love / like you, but I want to please God ... I love Him more ... and I don’t want to have sex unless I’m married.”

My purpose in writing is to get you out of where you’re at. Here’s what to do:

1. Find something God wants to do ... that’s near to His heart.

2. Find something you want to do ... that’s near to your heart.

3. Join the thing(s) you want to do WITH and UNDER the things God wants to do.

IF YOUR PLAN FITS INTO GOD’S PLAN, YOU’LL HAVE GOD’S FAITH ... AND GOD’S FAITH ALWAYS WORKS!

4. Bring (plead) your case before God.

“Put me in remembrance: let us plead together; you declare, that you may be justified.” [Isaiah 43:26]

You have to get SERIOUS with God and PLEAD YOUR CASE BEFORE HIM. Lay out the facts. Show Him the paper work if you have to. How would you appear before a human judge who doesn’t even have one iota of the authority of Almighty God, the Judge of the Universe?

This is more than just praying! You're standing seriously before the Court of Heaven pleading your case. It's a "life or death" situation because you don't want to end up where you're at. You may be 8 years old ... or 108 years old. But, the KEY element here is that you need to be FREE and PRODUCTIVE so that life can be ministered and multiplied to millions of people around the world through the ministry God has given you!

Give due diligence to present your case. Tell God WHY and to WHAT ADVANTAGE it is to both you and Him for you to be released from this situation in which you find yourself. If you are in that situation because of sin or disobedience, then repent and ask God for forgiveness. Assure Him that it will NOT happen again. (You may be there for a “learning experience” because God has been merciful upon you in that you would not learn the lesson another way.)

You may be there because the enemy has tricked you ... deceived you. Explain this to God, and appeal to His mercy. Remember, God’s enemy is your enemy. This gives you favor, just as Queen Esther had favor ... just as Joseph had favor. And it may be, just as in both the lives of Joseph and Queen Esther, that God will turn this situation around and use it “to save many people”.

When you leave the Heavenly Court, do so with humility, respect, and thankfulness. Wait, listen, and obey!

Write down your goals and the things you want God to do through you. Write them down in the form of goals or concise statements: what you WILL accomplish, by the grace of God. At the top of the page write these words: “By the grace of God and His MIRACLES, I will:”

Then underneath write out the prayer goals that you want the Holy Spirit to accomplish through you. You may have to pray for days, months, or years. Remember what Jesus taught us in Luke 18:1-8, recorded below:

“And He spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men should always pray, and not faint; saying,

There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, ‘Avenge me of my adversary.’

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her. Unless by her continual coming to me she wearies me.’

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes to earth, shall He find faith on the earth?”

I have things for which I have prayed daily for decades. Years ago I spent time alone in a hotel room writing down the goals that I wanted Christ to accomplish through me in the future. They were BIG and I thought many might not come to pass for 50 years. However, almost all of them came to pass within a few years.

Believe God for BIG things ... so big you could never do them. That way, everyone, including yourself and your enemies, will know it is God when they come to pass! Claim Jeremiah 33:3 which says, “Call unto me and I will answer you and show you GREAT and MIGHTY things you do not know about.”

When you’re out of where you’re at, then don’t go back. Be productive, bear fruit for the glory of God ... and out of thankfulness for what He has done for you. Remember, God brought the children of Israel OUT ... that He might bring them IN. He delivered them from Egypt, that He might bring them into a wide, wealthy place of ENLARGEMENT to be a praise among the nations.

God is bringing you OUT ... that He might bring you IN ... and save alive many people!