There was a man named Joshua Chamberlain who was a professor who answered the call to duty. He became a soldier and climbed the ranks to become a colonel of Union Army infantry unit. On July 2, 1863 Chamberlain and his 300 soldier regiment was the only thing standing between the Confederates and a certain defeat at a battlefield in Gettysburg, PN. They held their ground after 5 charges by the confederates but on the last all but 80 union soldiers were knocked down even Chamberlain had fallen as a bullet hit his belt buckle.
It was Chamberlain time for decision that would drastically impact destiny. He was informed that no reinforcements were coming and all his regiment had was one round of ammunition per soldier he must act immediately! His lookout sitting high in a tree on Little Round Top told him the Confederates were forming rank. Despite the logic of surrendering Chamberlain pointed his sword and yelled CHARGE… His men fixed bayonets and started charging the confederate army and caught them off guard by executing a great right wheel… And in what ranks as one of the most improbable victories in military history 80 union soldiers captured 5,000 confederate soldiers in 5 minutes flat!
This is considered by many historians as the suicide move that saved the union… Many believe if confederates would have obtained the high ground they would have won the battle of Gettysburg and many believe that would have won the war.
One mans Courage saved the war and saved the union!
An old proverb says it best
For want of a nail
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
TO GOD LITTLE THINGS ARE BIG THINGS
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the lord rejoices to see the work begin Zechariah 4:10 NLT
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Luke 16:10 NLT
If we do little things like they are big God will do big things like they are little things. We do everything in the natural with an every ounce mentality and let God do the supernatural!
Yes the dreams God’s giving our church are big they’re huge planting 10 churches in the next 10 years launch in five transformation cities and helping launch five more. eradicating the need the Foster and adoptive parents in our counties, see schools not just in Branson but in the cities that surround the Ozarks implementing value-driven content did the transformation initiative, building out and expanding bloom Academy add more grades create more opportunities for young people to be a part of sprouts and Bloom Academy and thrive in a life-giving school environment. raising $750,000 this year. Those are huge God size dreams!
But here’s the great thing not one person is called to Bear the weight of that God size dream. we’re called to be faithful with what our responsibility is as the body of Christ. no one can do everything but everybody could do something end together we could see the impossible through God. why I’ve encouraged you as your plowing your heart (praying, listening, obeying, wow) to ask God in this time what is your responsibility and what’s that next step God asking you to take on the giving ladder. just one step and it will be a stretching step and it should be because God if you let him speak to you as your plowing we’ll pull a while sized goal in your life because he’s going to want to stretch you through faith. it’s stretching for Amanda and me to increase our giving this year to bloom to 15%. But we truly believe the God can take our little individually mixed with your little individually and he can multiply it to Monumental things to accomplish Kingdom-Minded goals in our church!
We’re continuing our series on Mountain Moving faith and I’m wanting you to learn the power of believing God for the impossible in every single area of your life.
I titled this message “Eyes Fixed Upward” Someone who gives every ounce looks past their current circumstances and keeps there eyes locked on God.
I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalms 121:1-2 NLT
This understanding of eyes fixed on God creates something inside of us that we cannot sit still… We cannot settle for surviving and just getting by, but we must move forward…
WE MUST HAVE A PASSION FOR GROWTH, A FERVOR FOR PURPOSE, A RESOLVE TO ADVANCE, AND FAITH THAT GOD IS STILL IN THE MIRACLE BUSINESS!
- YOU MUST START DREAMING
- YOU MUST START DESIRING
- YOU MUST START BEING AUDACIOUS
- YOU MUST BEGIN
It’s not enough to dream have a desire and even have this odd – is faith that God can do the impossible. Mountain Moving face has to start acting with this belief that nothing is going to stop your dream from succeeding and that’s why you start moving forward. you’ve got to put action to your faith.
Faith goes from your imagination into a conversation you start speaking it and then you got to start organizing your effort to start moving towards that dream. Get started and do something!
Years later Chamberlain would reflect on that battle and said these words
“I had deep within me the inability to do nothing. I knew I may die, but I also knew I would not die with a bullet in my back” Joshua Chamberlain
I had deep within me the inability to do nothing!!!!!!!
WHEN WE REALIZE AN INDECISION IS A DECISION, WE WILL RECOGNIZE AN INACTION IS AN ACTION.
We know God created you with a purpose… You were not accident and not an after thought, but you were specifically designed to make a difference in this world and make an impact in your community!
You may say that sounds all nice Mike, but I don’t even know How God can use me. How Can I change or make an impact in my community. Moving forward starts with giving God every ounce of your life. Give your life to God as complete devotion and watch as God starts to fill in the blanks. Trust his ways trust his plans trust what the word of God tells you as an instruction and how you should live your life. As you start falling in love with GodAnd putting God first in every part of your life. God is firstAnd you learn to be generous with your time and your talent and your treasure and your testimony. and as you start falling in love with God and making him a priority and putting him first watch what will happen. God will start Reviving The dreams that he created you with he’s going to start recognizing that passion deep inside of your heart that may have laid dead and dormant for so many years because it has been hidden by this sin of this world and unhealthy desires.
God always opens doors for those that Steward the life that God has given them in Godly ways and I promise you you will never understand what satisfaction of the film it is until you understand what it means to walk in a surrendered life to the will of God.
do you believe God is who he says he is? do you believe the word of God is true? Do you believe his thoughts are not like your thoughts and his ways are not like your ways? Can you believe he is not a man that he shall lie? If all of those things are true did we have to understand living in complete alignment with the will of God despite what the world says is the only place to True Joy passion purpose and fulfillment.
Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 NLT
Now it is easy to say something like that, but it is hard to do something like that! It is easy to read the history books and say I would answer the call, I would have yelled charge, but it is a whole different story when your boots are on the battlefield and God is looking for people who are not just willing to say it, but do it!
GOD WILL TEST THE RESIDENCE OF OUR FAITH.
You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. Psalms 66:10 NLT
Now let me interject this here… This is not the same as tempting us, God does not tempt us with sin, but as it says in 1 Cor. 10:13 He promises to provide an escape for every tempting situation.
But we may be placed in impossible circumstances that will leave us with a choice will we continue to look upward or will we run back to the life we have always known…
Why do we go through these situations? B/C too much is at stake… Eternity is at stake and to make an eternal difference we have to walk empowered not by our own might but Gods… There is growth in these moments
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 NLT