LOOK UP:

Faith (Part 2)

Psalm 121

¹I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? ² My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Def. Perspective. - A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

Synonyms: outlook, view, viewpoint, standpoint, position, stand, stance, angle, slant, attitude, frame of mind, frame of reference, approach, way of looking, interpretation.

Perspective Changes Your Outlook.

Proverbs 23:7

⁷ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…

I.                   WHAT IS A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE

When our attitude or point of view, frame of mind or reference is derived from what is on God’s mind rather than what we see, thing, feel or wish.

II.                THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH

1.     Faith is essential

Hebrews 11:6

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.

2.     God looks for faith in order to act

Matthew 8:5-13

⁵ Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, ⁶ saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” ⁷ And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸ The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! ¹¹ And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Matthew 15:21-28

²¹ Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” ²³ But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” ²⁴ But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ²⁶ But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” ²⁷ And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

III.             A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE IS KEY TO GREAT FAITH

1.     Abraham looked up and obtained strong faith

Genesis 15:2-5

² But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” ⁴ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” ⁵ Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” ⁶ And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

2.     Peter looked up and obtained Great Faith (for a moment)

Matthew 14:25-32

²⁵ Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” ²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” ²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

IV.            HOW TO LOOK UP FOR GREAT FAITH

1.     Look at God’s Ability (What’s Revealed About Him)

a.      Transcendent

Isaiah 55:8-9

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

2 Chronicles 2:6

“But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple…”

b.     Eternal

Isaiah 40:28

²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

c.      Omnipotent

Revelations 19:6

⁶ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

d.     Omnipresent

Jerimiah 23:24

²⁴ Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.

Proverbs15:3

³ The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

2.     Magnify Him

Psalms 34:3

³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.

3.     Psyche yourself up. (Psyche and psuche – Literally program them)

-         Speech

-         Imagination

-         Self Talk

-         Meditate on truth

Philippians 4:8

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

4.     Wait on the Lord

Isaiah 40:31

31  But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

LOOK UP:

THE POWER OF A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE

(Part 1)

Psalm 121;1-2

¹I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? ²           My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Def. Perspective. - A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

Synonyms: outlook, view, viewpoint, standpoint, position, stand, stance, angle, slant, attitude, frame of mind, frame of reference, approach, way of looking, interpretation.

I.                   THE POWER OF PERSPECTIVE

1.     It Changes Your Outlook.

Proverbs 23:7

⁷ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…

The entire world is our projection, and that things outside neither bind nor liberate us; only our attitudes toward them does that. For example, think about the belief that “life is hard.” If you operate from this assumption, everything you do will seem like a struggle. You look for challenges in every situation, potentially creating your own roadblocks. Instead, if you turn that around to “I am meant to succeed,” then you open your mind to new ideas.

“There’s nothing wrong with the world. You can make it heaven or hell according to your approach.”

2.     Perfect Peace

Isaiah 26:3

³ You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.

                       

                       

3.     Your Heart is free to soar. 

Luke 1:46-47

⁴⁶ And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

           

            Psalms 57:7-11

⁷  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. ⁸ Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. ⁹  I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. ¹⁰    For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, And thy truth unto the clouds. ¹¹ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: Let thy glory be above all the earth. KJV

HYMN

1.      Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
Naught of this world’s delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure;
Jesus is mine; there’s nothing between.

2.      Nothing between, like worldly pleasure;
Habits of life, though harmless they seem,
Must not my heart from Him ever sever;
He is my all; there’s nothing between.

3.      Nothing between, like pride or station;
Self or friends shall not intervene;
Though it may cost me much tribulation,
I am resolved, there’s nothing between.

4.      Nothing between, e’en many hard trials,
Though the whole world against me convene;
Watching with prayer and much self-denial,
I’ll triumph, at last, there’s nothing between.

5.      Refrain:
Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
So that His blessed face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the least of His favor;
Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.

4.     It’s Healthy

According to the latest research, optimistic people are healthier and live longer than pessimists. In 2010, researchers studied the results of 83 studies measuring the impact optimism has on physical health. Optimists had better results when it came to overall longevity, survival from disease and pain tolerance. Additionally, a Yale study indicates a positive attitude helps keep your heart pumping an additional 7.6 years on average.

Stress and Depression

Byproducts of stress hormones can act as…they may contribute to a sustained feeling of low energy or depression.

Stress and Bipolar Disorder

Chronic and/or severe stress can also negatively affect people with Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar individuals who are in a depressed state often lose interest in things that used to give them pleasure; develop sleep problems; constantly feel tired and fatigued; and have distressed, negative, and unhappy moods, irritability, a short temper, and/or agitation. In addition, anger, guilt, failure and hopeless feelings may be experienced.

Stress and Anxiety Disorders

Chronic activation of stress hormones can contribute to severe feelings of anxiety (e.g., racing heartbeat, nausea, sweaty palms, etc.), feelings of helplessness and a sense of impending doom. Stress and Cognitive

Functioning

The continuous presence of stress hormones in the body may alter the operation and structure of some aspects of the nervous system. More specifically, stress hormones may decrease the functioning of neurons (brain cells) in a region of the brain known as the hippocampus (a part of the brain that is important for laying down new long-term memories) and in the frontal lobes (the part of the brain that is necessary for paying attention, filtering out irrelevant information, and using judgment to solve problems). As a result, people who are chronically stressed may experience confusion, difficulty concentrating, trouble learning new information, and/or problems with decision-making.

Stress and Personality Changes

The term personality is used to describe the consistent individual patterns of thoughts, emotion, and behavior that characterize each person across time and situations. Each individual's personality is thought to be influenced by both an inherited "genetic" component (usually called temperament) and by their interactions with the environment. Some people experience personality changes in response to stress hormones, which are part of their internal environment. The following changes in personality are not uncommon to observe in people who are stressed:

·         Irritability

·         Hostility

·         Frustration

·         Anger

·         Aggressive feelings and behavior

·         Decreased interest in appearance

·         Decreased concern with punctuality

·         Obsessive/compulsive behavior (trying to cope with unwanted repeated thoughts or obsessions, by engaging in compulsive behavior rituals such as counting, checking, washing, etc.)

·         Reduced work efficiency or productivity

·         Lying or making excuses to cover up poor work

·         Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness

·         Problems in communication

·         Social withdrawal and isolation

·         Impulsivity (expressed as impulse buying, gambling, sexual behavior, or similar)

II.                HOW TO HAVE A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE

1.     Pray about everything all the time.

1 Thessaloniansans 5:17

¹⁷ pray without ceasing.

2.     Think About God all of the Time.

Psalm 10:4

⁴ The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

3.     Ask God questions. Often!

1 Samuel 23:1-5

Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.” ² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.” ³ But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” ⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

-         Life

-         Reading Bible

-         When Stuff Happens

-         People

-         Yourself

-         Reality

-         World Events

4.     Thank God for everything. All the time

1 Thessalonians 5:18

¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

                       

                        Don’t Stress – Ever

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

5.     Look at the other side of the coin

Paul the Apostle

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death is working in us, but life in you.

Philippians 4:10-13

¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Romans 8:35-37

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For Your sake, we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” ³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Answer Key: Outlook; soar; everything; Ask God; Stress;