The Rear-View Mirror

  • January 11, 2012 3:20 pm

A number of years ago, I had an old friend who used to say, “Never try to drive your car by looking in the rear-view mirror. You’d do better to look out the windshield.” While it sounded a little weird, I understood what he was getting at. Don’t let past experiences (both good or bad) control where you are going now.
It is important to make a clear decision to leave the past behind and pull away from anything that would keep you from being all that you can be through the Lord Jesus. If necessary, forgive. Clear the slate. Forget. Release the past — the good, the bad and the ugly.  Release all of it, so that you can proceed without anything besetting you. Stop trying to drive forward by looking in the rear-view mirror.
Hebrews 12:1 — Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Philippians 3:12-14 — Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 
lori Enjoy your day!
Lori Greenwood, PhD

Continue to Teach Yourself How to See

  • January 7, 2012 10:15 pm

Develop a flair for the obvious.  Learn to observe details.  Pay attention to the visual subtleties in the responses of people around you.

Leonardo da Vinci once wrote, “The average person looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness and talks without thinking.”

Don’t settle for average.

Teach yourself to see.  Use your mind’s eye to visualize yourself succeeding.  Bring to mind as much detail as possible.

Psalm 119:105 — Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

(From page 7, The Vision Link.)

www.lorigreenwood.org

Develop Your Ability to Communicate

  • December 31, 2011 2:38 pm

Vision Link #24: No person is an island.

Others will play key roles in moving you toward your vision.  Learn to understand, interact, and motivate others.  Use what is “alive” inside you to create momentum in others and they will do the same for you.

(From pg. 16, The Vision Link.)

Manage, Diffuse & Build

  • December 31, 2011 10:55 am

Vision Link #20: Develop Your Ability to Manage Conflicts,
Diffuse Hostility and Build Bridges Between People.

Make direct statements.  Say what you mean.  Don’t antagonize or attack another.  Make “I feel,” or “I need” statements.  Express your genuine feelings of hurt — not hostility.  Allow people to know where they have disappointed you.  If you don’t, all those unresolved “hurts” will accumulate into hostility — and then you will “come out fighting!”  You cannot build bridges and burn bridges at the same time.  The vision will require you to develop your construction skills.

(From pg 14 of The Vision Link.)

Theory vs. Application

  • December 19, 2011 10:01 pm

Implementing theory into application will often take experimentation.  I may need to consider numerous approaches, pursue additional education or knowledge, and train or prepare myself in some fashion in order for the theory to manifest in application.  I must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me through each step toward the picture that God has shown me — I must be the one to DO what the Lord has shown me — to put the pieces together.  God will not do the assembly for me.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” — 1 Corinthians 3:13

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” — James 2:18-24

“Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. — James 3:13

“The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]” — Proverbs 1:5 AMP

(Quote from The Vision Link, p. 13)

“Vision is the link between what God has already stored inside of you and the future He has prepared for you.”

To visit the website, click here!

Embrace the Ambiguity

  • December 14, 2011 10:50 pm

Learn to disassociate ambiguity from anxiety.  Use moments of uncertainty to develop your intuition about outcomes, circumstances and personalities.  When forced to act on limited evidence, use the opportunity to hone your decision-making skills; this takes the fear out of hostile or unpleasant situations.  The Apostle Paul learned to be content in every situation, even the ones that were dangerous and life-threatening.  This is because, I believe he learned to embrace the ambiguity.  (Quote from The Vision Link p.11)

“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” — Philippians 4:11

Can God Really Do That?

  • December 1, 2011 9:12 am

Can God REALLY show you things to come?

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. – John 16:13 KJV

Here’s another sound byte from the NEW BOOK!  It’s from Chapter Three, which is entitled: Seeing Things to Come. And it includes dream intepretation… from real people… like this little piece from Melissa’s dream below:

One Sunday at church, I was teaching on the lower level where the kids & youth classes meet.  When the Worship Service concluded, parents began to trickle downstairs to pick-up their children.  It was during this time that I over-heard a conversation going on between Melissa and one of the Sunday school teachers.

Melissa was talking about a very strange dream she had.  At one point, while looking around the room for her kids, she turned her head my direction, and I heard her say, “Then, in the dream, there was a woman… a judge… dressed in the judge’s robe and everything…” Up out of my spirit came these words: “Time of trial. The judge represents a time of trial.” Since I really wasn’t part of their conversation, I turned on the vacuum cleaner and began to clean up. (Let’s skip ahead a little…)

Later in the day, after we had all left the church service, I got an email from Melissa.  She asked if I would consider reviewing her dream and see if the Lord would give me the interpretation of it.  I agreed.  I asked her for a few days to wait on the Lord.  I began to fast.  A few days later, I began to see…

“Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my children, and concerning the work of my hands…” — Isaiah 45:11 ASV

The entire story (dream, interpretation and fulfillment) will blow your doors off!  The same chapter includes a little story about Global Day of Prayer founder, Graham Power.  Here’s a little bit of the story:

The Power Dream – In May of 2005, I was participating in a global conference in Indonesia. While there, I had an opportunity to meet South African businessman Graham Power, who was in Jakarta for the same conference. Graham is the founder and director of the Global Day of Prayer.  Through some time spent together, I had an opportunity to learn more about the global prayer movement, but later in the day, while sharing a taxi with him, I heard exactly how the Global Day of Prayer started.  It all began with a dream…

The book is called, FAST FORWARD (available in January 2012).  Check back later for more details on how to get a copy! www.lorigreenwood.org

More from FAST FORWARD

  • November 29, 2011 8:00 pm

Here’s just another quick sound byte from my new book…

The following is an excerpt from FAST FORWARD (Chapter 2: A Nation Under God), by Lori Greenwood

In 1970, after decades of British rule, Fiji became an independent nation.  The fledgling nation got off to a rough start, struggling through more than one bloody coup d’état.  The chaos climaxed in May 2000, when yet another coup ushered in a prolonged period of political and social turmoil. Finally, in 2001, when the nation began gradually moving toward parliamentary elections, an unlikely candidate emerged.  Vying for the office of Prime Minister, a humble man began calling the nation to repentance.  Yes, that’s right…I said he began calling the nation to repent. Imploring the nation to fast, pray, and call upon the name of the Lord to heal their land, Mr. Laisenia Qarase began turning heads everywhere he went.  When the dust of the August 2001 elections had finally settled, Qarase emerged at the nation’s helm.1

In February of 2005, in the city of Suva, I met with [then] Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, who spoke candidly about significant things that God has been doing throughout the nation of Fiji…. For me, it was a heaven-on-earth moment.  There I was, sitting with the Prime Minister of a nation, who was talking about God’s mandate for the future of his country.  It was an honor to speak with and pray with this amazing man…

Read more of the story in my new book FAST FORWARD — coming January 2012

Check-out our bookstore!

Eyes to See

  • November 29, 2011 1:35 pm

The Lord has given you eyes to see and ears to hear, but you are not limited to your five sense, alone — especially when it comes to seeing and hearing.  No!  You can discern things by the spirit. God can reveal things to you that exceed the use of your senses alone.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
I believe God has opened the windows of heaven for you! And He has called you up to a higher plateau in the spirit. From this vantage point, you can see and hear beyond your circumstances. This is critical! In fact, if you do not step up to the higher vantage point, the situation will go right on looking “impossible” to you. So much so, that it may cause you to select another course of action and step outside of God’s plan and purpose for you! Before you take a detour, the Lord is saying “Come up to the higher plateau, where you can see beyond the moment. There, you will know.  There you will see.  There doubt will be erased and faith will spur you forward!”
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them. (Proverbs 20:12)
Vision: A Blueprint for Victory
Vision is a “heavenly thing.” Vision is something that happens apart from the physical realm. It operates in your soul and spirit. Much like memory allows you to replay the past, vision allows you to pre-play the future. So, go ahead and dream. Why? Because it will move you above and beyond the things that anchor you to the earth realm. As you gain vision and insight you will “see” the open doors and opportunities that are before you. Refuse to be held back by fear and insecurity. Move boldly toward the open doors and you will see that your present situation will be left behind! Release yourself into God’s freedom and liberty. With Him, the possibilities are endless!
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)
Like Habakkuk, we all need to stand on our watch tower (Hab 2:1) and wait to hear from the Lord, FIRST. Ask God to give you the picture, even if it comes as a rebuke (which is exactly what happened to Habakkuk). Then, follow the same 3 steps: Write out what you see.  Make a plan to get there…Then get going!  You’ll find it will work much like a road map — when you can see your destination clearly, the road to get there is obvious.
Habakkuk’s outline is simple:
1. Write the vision.
2. Make it plain (or as I like to say it: Make a Plan)
3. Run with it.
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Habakkuk 2:2)

Fast Forward

  • November 27, 2011 11:19 pm

The following is a brief excerpt /introduction from my new book: Fast Forward (coming January 2012):

In May of 2010, I was interviewed by Cheryl Turnbull for an online publication called Priscilla’s Women.  In that interview, like so many times before, I found myself encouraging God’s people to begin fasting.  It was something I felt strongly about… getting people started!  Many times, in seminar settings or church services, I would refer people to my book, A Walk in the Wilderness. I can remember jokingly saying, “When it comes to fasting, this is your starting point.  This is your primary reader.  See Jane fast.  Fast Jane, fast.”  People would laugh and pick-up a copy of the book.  Yet, deep down, I knew I was launching them into something that could, at times, be quite wild and wooly. And in so doing, I was not really giving them all the information they would need to navigate through the experiences that were sure to come.  In this book, Fast Forward, I hope to correct that.
Yes, there are many “basic” advantages to fasting.  You’ll lose a little weight.  Your health will improve.  Your understand of God’s Word will increase.  But, for those of you who stick with it, in the Spirit, you’re about to merge into the fast lane.  So hold on, and buckle your seatbelt.

Be sure to check back to the website in January to get your copy of Fast Forward!

www.lorigreenwood.org

Want to get started now? Read A Walk in the Wilderness