"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil" (Proverbs 3:5-7).
Oswald Chambers advises, "Whenever God gives a vision to a saint, he puts the saint in the shadow of His hand, as it were, and the saint's duty is to be still and listen... When God gives a vision and darkness follows, waiting on God will bring you into accordance with the vision He has given if you await His timing. Otherwise, you try to do away with the supernatural in God's undertakings. Never try to help God fulfill His word."*
In the book of Proverbs, Solomon warns us not to rely on our own fallible wisdom while trying to do God's perfect will. God wants us to wait for His deliverance. His means of bringing us to spiritual maturity requires us to wait on His deliverance through adversity so that we will be able to discern the difference between our own self-deliverance and God's authentic deliverance in our lives.
It's a paradox but it's true: God often calls us to a ministry - then He deliberately thwarts our efforts to achieve our goals! We see it in the life of Moses. In obedience to God, Moses told Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" How did Pharaoh respond? He said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." Again and again, Moses returned and demanded freedom for his people. Again and again, Pharaoh refused.
God sent plague after plague upon the Egyptians. In response, Pharaoh hardened his heart and persecuted Moses and the people of Israel. So Moses complained to God, "You called me to go to Pharaoh, but You are not freeing the people!" Moses grew discouraged because God had called him to fulfill a vision - a dream of liberation for his people - and the vision seemed to die.
But God was teaching Moses and the people of Israel to persevere, to obey, and to wait upon the Lord in patient trust for God's perfect time for deliverance.
*Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today's Language, ed. by James Reimann (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1992), entry for January 19.
Source: Self-Deliverance By Os Hillman
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Come Often, Drink Deeply Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:38 NIV).
Friend to Friend
We all come into the world thirsty. From the time my son made his first cry in the delivery room, he began rooting around for something to drink. God planned it that way. Our bodies are 50 to 60 percent water and must be replenished continuously. When we go without water, our skin grows clammy, our eyes become scratchy and our head starts to pound. We need water to keep our mouths moist enough to swallow, our vital organs plump enough to function, and our joints lubricated enough to flex. One week without water and we simply dry up and die.
We also come into the world spiritually thirsty. From the time we are cut loose from our mother's nourishing umbilical cord, we begin our journey to discovering the living water to satisfy the soul. Oh, we don't know it yet. But God has placed this desire in each and every one of his image bearers. Until we meet Jesus at the well, we fumble about trying to quench the God-given thirst with anything and anyone who offers temporary relief. But it is just that...temporary.
It is only in a relationship with Jesus that we discover what Peter Kreft in Three Philosophies of Life called, "the ultimate purpose for which we were created, the meeting and marriage between ourselves and God...the highest and holiest and happiest hope of the human heart, the thing we were all born hungering (and thirsting) for, hunting for, longing for."
The Samaritan woman at the well we read about in John chapter 4 had tried drinking from many shallow streams. She had been married five times and the man she was living with when she encountered Jesus was not her husband. But they had all left her thirsty for more - or at least for something different. Jesus offered her freely flowing, resplendently refreshing water; water that bubbles up from the indwelling Holy Spirit and quenches every thirst, washes away every sin, and flows into every nook and cranny of our beings. He invites us to come often and drink deeply.
I live on a beautiful lake. I can look at the lake, swim in the lake and even stand in the lake...and still die of thirst. The only way for the water to enter my system is to scoop it up and drink.
Likewise, we can read about Jesus, listen to sermons about Jesus, and even believe that He was a good man. But until we actually believe that Jesus is God's Son, the Messiah, who died for our sins and rose again...until we partake of Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives, we will remain thirsty.
And our woman at the well? She accepted the invitation. She believed! She left the water jug right at Jesus' feet. She didn't need it anymore. After all, she found what she had been looking for her entire life.
Let's Pray
Dear LORD, Oh how I praise You for Your living water. I come to You thirsty and I will drink deeply from Your Word. Thank You for giving me Your Word that I can read every day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Empowering Others By Os Hillman
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12).
The CEO was excited that he'd found the right man to be general manager of his growing enterprise. He had all the training, the right skill set, and great people skills. The CEO gave him all authority to fulfill his role. However, after six months the CEO had to fire him. It seems the general manager refused to use the empowerment given him to accomplish his tasks.
Great leaders, mentors, and managers must empower others to fulfill the mission of any organization. Jesus invested time and energy developing leaders. Only at the point at which they could properly manage the resource did Jesus empower them. The teacher who offers empowerment too early sets up followers for failure. On the other hand, the leader who fails to empower capable people creates frustration.
Part two of good empowerment is engaging your follower to use his/her authority entrusted to them to fulfill their mission.
Jesus imparted to his followers a balance of both of these concepts. Peter was not ready for leadership before the crucifixion. He failed to use the empowerment given to him by Jesus. It required a failure in Peter's life before he matured in his leadership. However, once Peter began to appropriate from Jesus what He had imparted to him he became a powerful and effective leader. Jesus told his disciples they would be able to not only do what He had done, but they would do even greater things than He did.
This is a key attribute of a leader who wants to empower others to advance their mission.
Source: Empowering Others By Os Hillman
The CEO was excited that he'd found the right man to be general manager of his growing enterprise. He had all the training, the right skill set, and great people skills. The CEO gave him all authority to fulfill his role. However, after six months the CEO had to fire him. It seems the general manager refused to use the empowerment given him to accomplish his tasks.
Great leaders, mentors, and managers must empower others to fulfill the mission of any organization. Jesus invested time and energy developing leaders. Only at the point at which they could properly manage the resource did Jesus empower them. The teacher who offers empowerment too early sets up followers for failure. On the other hand, the leader who fails to empower capable people creates frustration.
Part two of good empowerment is engaging your follower to use his/her authority entrusted to them to fulfill their mission.
Jesus imparted to his followers a balance of both of these concepts. Peter was not ready for leadership before the crucifixion. He failed to use the empowerment given to him by Jesus. It required a failure in Peter's life before he matured in his leadership. However, once Peter began to appropriate from Jesus what He had imparted to him he became a powerful and effective leader. Jesus told his disciples they would be able to not only do what He had done, but they would do even greater things than He did.
This is a key attribute of a leader who wants to empower others to advance their mission.
Source: Empowering Others By Os Hillman
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Modeling Christ to Your Employer By Os Hillman
"Urge slaves to obey their masters and to try their best to satisfy them. They must not talk back, nor steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy. In this way they will make people want to believe in our Savior and God" (Titus 2:9-10 TLB).
Sometimes I hear people say they don't see how they can have any significant impact on their workplace because they are pretty low on the totem pole, with little authority to make change. "I'm just a worker," they say. They fail to realize that the authority to impact any workplace comes from having authority with God, not man. And each person can have great authority in God.
The apostle Paul was instructing Titus on how common workers on the island of Create could have an impact on their employers. These workers were often no more than slaves, working in deplorable conditions for masters who were likely involved in lawlessness, drunkenness and idolatry. Not the nicest of working conditions.
Paul felt the way to win over your employer was to follow several key principles: 1) don't talk back, 2) don't steal, and 3) be trustworthy.
There is a great example of a young girl who worked for the wife of an army commander named Naaman. He had leprosy. The godly servant girl from Israel told her employer how he could get healed. What faith and boldness on the part of the servant girl!
"Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy" (2 Kings 5:1-3).
Naaman followed the advice of the lowly servant girl. God healed him through Elisha. I can only imagine the conversations between the servant girl and her employers after this healing occurred.
How might God want to use you in your employer's life?
Source: Modeling Christ to Your Employer By Os Hillman
Sometimes I hear people say they don't see how they can have any significant impact on their workplace because they are pretty low on the totem pole, with little authority to make change. "I'm just a worker," they say. They fail to realize that the authority to impact any workplace comes from having authority with God, not man. And each person can have great authority in God.
The apostle Paul was instructing Titus on how common workers on the island of Create could have an impact on their employers. These workers were often no more than slaves, working in deplorable conditions for masters who were likely involved in lawlessness, drunkenness and idolatry. Not the nicest of working conditions.
Paul felt the way to win over your employer was to follow several key principles: 1) don't talk back, 2) don't steal, and 3) be trustworthy.
There is a great example of a young girl who worked for the wife of an army commander named Naaman. He had leprosy. The godly servant girl from Israel told her employer how he could get healed. What faith and boldness on the part of the servant girl!
"Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy" (2 Kings 5:1-3).
Naaman followed the advice of the lowly servant girl. God healed him through Elisha. I can only imagine the conversations between the servant girl and her employers after this healing occurred.
How might God want to use you in your employer's life?
Source: Modeling Christ to Your Employer By Os Hillman
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Innovation By Os Hillman
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1).
"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."
Those were the words of a Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp. which is the number one overnight delivery service in the world with 260,000 employees. Founder, Fred Smith, is synonymous with the word "innovation."
There have been many great innovators who have turned concepts into successful companies. Walt Disney said, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
God is the source of all creativity and innovation. He created the world in seven days. He has made you to create. If God has placed an idea in your heart to do, ask the Lord for His help in bringing it to reality. He desires to see His people create new things that can serve mankind and bring glory to God. Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
Faith plays an important role when considering stepping out to launch a new endeavor. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for" (Heb 11:1-2).
Perhaps you've failed in the past and you're afraid to step out again. Most successful entrepreneurs failed several times before they were successful. Don't let fear of failure keep you from success.
You were made to create. You were made to succeed.
Source: Innovation By Os Hillman
"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."
Those were the words of a Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp. which is the number one overnight delivery service in the world with 260,000 employees. Founder, Fred Smith, is synonymous with the word "innovation."
There have been many great innovators who have turned concepts into successful companies. Walt Disney said, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
God is the source of all creativity and innovation. He created the world in seven days. He has made you to create. If God has placed an idea in your heart to do, ask the Lord for His help in bringing it to reality. He desires to see His people create new things that can serve mankind and bring glory to God. Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
Faith plays an important role when considering stepping out to launch a new endeavor. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for" (Heb 11:1-2).
Perhaps you've failed in the past and you're afraid to step out again. Most successful entrepreneurs failed several times before they were successful. Don't let fear of failure keep you from success.
You were made to create. You were made to succeed.
Source: Innovation By Os Hillman
Friday, September 17, 2010
Good News - The King is Coming ...by Rick Joyner
The seventh and last trumpet of God in the Book of Revelation is the message "our God reigns!" This is the last message that will go out from God at the end of this age and will help usher in the age when God reigns over the earth through His Son Jesus, and His Bride, the Church.
Jesus purchased the earth by His own Blood, and He is not coming back to destroy it but to restore it, as we read in such texts as Revelation 21:1-7:
The text above begins with declaring the coming of a new Heaven and earth, but this is not speaking of the physical earth but rather the spiritual. There was also a new heaven and earth after the flood, which spoke of a new spiritual realm and a new social order on the earth. We are told that God is going to establish His dwelling place on earth among men. In places such as Daniel 2:44, we are told that the Kingdom He establishes will last forever. The Lord did not suffer on the Cross to come back and destroy the earth but to save it.
Jesus won the authority to set up His Kingdom and could have done it immediately after His resurrection. However, He is seeking a Bride to reign with Him. There were other reasons why this age had to play out, but the main one was "training for reigning" for His people. The overcomers of this age will be resurrected with a new spiritual or heavenly body like His, but we, too, will reign with Him over the earth. He has not given us many details about this, but He has given us just what we need to make it through this age.
So, our first mandate is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom, and our second mandate is to help build a highway to prepare the way for the Lord. The highway is God's "higher way." While we see the kingdoms of this world collapsing as in Daniel 2, the little stone grows into a mountain and then keeps on growing until it fills the whole earth. That little stone is the Kingdom of God. It is growing now. We need to understand how it is in contrast to the kingdoms of this world, and we need to recognize where it is growing.
We also see in Revelation 11:15 that when the seventh and last message goes forth, the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord. A transition is coming. Not all of the kingdoms or governments of this world are evil and will be destroyed. Though none are in perfect harmony with God at this time, some which have been built may be a part of the highway that will help lead mankind to the Kingdom. For this reason, it should be our resolve that our nation would be one of these. This is why we are devoted to being the salt and light we are called to be in our nation, engaged in the times as representatives of the Kingdom, helping to make the way easier for others to travel.
One word that Christians seem to be getting everywhere is to simplify. Studies on happiness have found that the happiest people on the earth are those who have the simplest lives. We are not here just to be happy, but if we are abiding in the King and His Kingdom, the Scriptures make it clear that we will be full of joy. We are called to bring peace to a world falling into increasing chaos, and we cannot do this if we do not have peace in our personal lives. The times of conspicuous consumption and basing our lifestyles on our ability to borrow are likely gone for good. This is a new day, but it can be a better day for everyone.
If you are still looking at a mountain of problems, take encouragement from the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:6-7:
First we need a plan and specific goals for simplifying our personal lives. Then we need to look at the mountain we may be facing and declare the grace of God over it. God's grace is far more valuable than a lifetime of effort. When we turn to the grace of God, as we always should, we can expect the mountain before us to become a plain. It may not happen all at once, but it will happen.
Then determine that you are going to enjoy these times! One of our purposes is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel is good news that is going to be a great contrast to all of the other news people are hearing. We are also told in Romans 14:17, "for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." So to proclaim this good news, we will need to be demonstrating the righteousness, the peace, and the joy in the Holy Spirit.
If we are walking in righteousness, which is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord, we will know a peace the world will not be able to comprehend, and it will cause us to stick out more and more in the times to come. This peace leads to a joy that will likewise becoming a shocking contrast to the despair that the world is experiencing. This is why, as we are told in Isaiah 60, that when darkness is covering the earth and deep darkness the people, the glory of the Lord is appearing on His people – and the nations will come to the light. The darkness will only make the light that much brighter, and the light will prevail.
So let us resolve that each week we will make some progress in getting our lives simpler and ourselves freer to do what we are called to do. These are the times that all who have walked with God have foreseen and longed to see, and we get to live in them! So let us really live, which we do as we abide in Christ who is our Life.
Rick Joyner
Jesus purchased the earth by His own Blood, and He is not coming back to destroy it but to restore it, as we read in such texts as Revelation 21:1-7:
Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."
Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
"He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son."
The Greatest Hope Ever Heard on Earth
We have the greatest hope that has ever been heard on the earth. It is a hope that will not disappoint. It is the Gospel, or "Good News," of the Kingdom. One of our primary purposes at the end of this age is to proclaim the coming Kingdom of God. This is not bad news about how things are falling apart and judgment coming, but the good news that the King is coming. He is going to make everything right again. The earth will be restored, and it will be the paradise it was originally created to be.The text above begins with declaring the coming of a new Heaven and earth, but this is not speaking of the physical earth but rather the spiritual. There was also a new heaven and earth after the flood, which spoke of a new spiritual realm and a new social order on the earth. We are told that God is going to establish His dwelling place on earth among men. In places such as Daniel 2:44, we are told that the Kingdom He establishes will last forever. The Lord did not suffer on the Cross to come back and destroy the earth but to save it.
Jesus won the authority to set up His Kingdom and could have done it immediately after His resurrection. However, He is seeking a Bride to reign with Him. There were other reasons why this age had to play out, but the main one was "training for reigning" for His people. The overcomers of this age will be resurrected with a new spiritual or heavenly body like His, but we, too, will reign with Him over the earth. He has not given us many details about this, but He has given us just what we need to make it through this age.
Build a Highway to Prepare the Way for the Lord
The highway that is spoken of in such places as Isaiah 40 is the bridge between this age and the next. A highway is a prepared road for people to travel on. Some cut through bushes, forests, and swamps, bringing mountains down and raising up the low places so that others could get on the road they have made so they can make it to their destination much faster and easier. Therefore, one of our basic goals should be to make the way easier for all who come after us.So, our first mandate is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom, and our second mandate is to help build a highway to prepare the way for the Lord. The highway is God's "higher way." While we see the kingdoms of this world collapsing as in Daniel 2, the little stone grows into a mountain and then keeps on growing until it fills the whole earth. That little stone is the Kingdom of God. It is growing now. We need to understand how it is in contrast to the kingdoms of this world, and we need to recognize where it is growing.
We also see in Revelation 11:15 that when the seventh and last message goes forth, the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord. A transition is coming. Not all of the kingdoms or governments of this world are evil and will be destroyed. Though none are in perfect harmony with God at this time, some which have been built may be a part of the highway that will help lead mankind to the Kingdom. For this reason, it should be our resolve that our nation would be one of these. This is why we are devoted to being the salt and light we are called to be in our nation, engaged in the times as representatives of the Kingdom, helping to make the way easier for others to travel.
"Simplify"
For the last few years, we have gone through times when a new crisis or major controversy seemed to be happening every month, to now, when it seems like we are facing two or three a week. Certainly these times are becoming more intense, but this does not mean that we need to feel increased pressure in our personal lives. We have a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. If we have built our lives on that Kingdom, the whole world can shake, but we won't. If we shake every time the world does, then we need to examine where we may be wrongly connected to the world instead of the Kingdom.One word that Christians seem to be getting everywhere is to simplify. Studies on happiness have found that the happiest people on the earth are those who have the simplest lives. We are not here just to be happy, but if we are abiding in the King and His Kingdom, the Scriptures make it clear that we will be full of joy. We are called to bring peace to a world falling into increasing chaos, and we cannot do this if we do not have peace in our personal lives. The times of conspicuous consumption and basing our lifestyles on our ability to borrow are likely gone for good. This is a new day, but it can be a better day for everyone.
If you are still looking at a mountain of problems, take encouragement from the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:6-7:
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts.
'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!'"
A Peace the World Will Not Be Able to Comprehend
Remember that ANY JOB IS DOABLE IF BROKEN DOWN INTO SMALL ENOUGH STEPS. Determine that your mountain is going to be moved and that you will not stop until it becomes a plain before you. The Holy Spirit is not "the Doer," but rather the "Helper." He will not do it without us, but if we engage, He will make it happen. Then determine that you are going to enjoy these times! One of our purposes is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel is good news that is going to be a great contrast to all of the other news people are hearing. We are also told in Romans 14:17, "for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." So to proclaim this good news, we will need to be demonstrating the righteousness, the peace, and the joy in the Holy Spirit.
If we are walking in righteousness, which is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord, we will know a peace the world will not be able to comprehend, and it will cause us to stick out more and more in the times to come. This peace leads to a joy that will likewise becoming a shocking contrast to the despair that the world is experiencing. This is why, as we are told in Isaiah 60, that when darkness is covering the earth and deep darkness the people, the glory of the Lord is appearing on His people – and the nations will come to the light. The darkness will only make the light that much brighter, and the light will prevail.
So let us resolve that each week we will make some progress in getting our lives simpler and ourselves freer to do what we are called to do. These are the times that all who have walked with God have foreseen and longed to see, and we get to live in them! So let us really live, which we do as we abide in Christ who is our Life.
Rick Joyner
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Mercy Gift By Os Hillman
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20).
I am constantly amazed that the Creator of the universe wants to have an intimate relationship with us. While we are frantically searching for that certain something to make us happy, God is standing there the entire time saying "Here I am!" The scripture in Revelation says that He is standing at our door and knocking. If only we would take the time to listen and invite Him in! Our neighbor Gerry told us a story that gave us the perfect picture of this concept.
Gerry is single, an attorney by vocation and works from his home. He has an amazing gift of mercy, an incredible love for animals and a malfunctioning front door. His door doesn't shut properly and the only way to keep the door closed is to lock it, which Gerry rarely does. One day while working at home he heard his front door open. When he investigated the noise he discovered that Buddy, one of the neighborhood dogs, had let himself in by simply pushing on the front door.
Gerry gave him a treat and day after day, Buddy would come and visit. Each day it was the same routine. Buddy would push the door open, stand in the foyer and patiently wait for Gerry to come to him and give him a treat. He never forced his way in or begged for food - he always waited for Gerry to come to him. And Gerry always came. A few weeks later, Buddy started bringing his friends - other dogs in the neighborhood - and soon the dogs started hanging out for days before they would go back home.
Angie and I laugh as we often drive by Gerry's house and see his front door wide open. And yet, we know that inside he is enjoying the fellowship of the neighborhood dogs. We can have that same fellowship with Jesus when we open the doors of our hearts to Him. He is standing at the door waiting for you to invite Him in.
Source: The Mercy Gift By Os Hillman
I am constantly amazed that the Creator of the universe wants to have an intimate relationship with us. While we are frantically searching for that certain something to make us happy, God is standing there the entire time saying "Here I am!" The scripture in Revelation says that He is standing at our door and knocking. If only we would take the time to listen and invite Him in! Our neighbor Gerry told us a story that gave us the perfect picture of this concept.
Gerry is single, an attorney by vocation and works from his home. He has an amazing gift of mercy, an incredible love for animals and a malfunctioning front door. His door doesn't shut properly and the only way to keep the door closed is to lock it, which Gerry rarely does. One day while working at home he heard his front door open. When he investigated the noise he discovered that Buddy, one of the neighborhood dogs, had let himself in by simply pushing on the front door.
Gerry gave him a treat and day after day, Buddy would come and visit. Each day it was the same routine. Buddy would push the door open, stand in the foyer and patiently wait for Gerry to come to him and give him a treat. He never forced his way in or begged for food - he always waited for Gerry to come to him. And Gerry always came. A few weeks later, Buddy started bringing his friends - other dogs in the neighborhood - and soon the dogs started hanging out for days before they would go back home.
Angie and I laugh as we often drive by Gerry's house and see his front door wide open. And yet, we know that inside he is enjoying the fellowship of the neighborhood dogs. We can have that same fellowship with Jesus when we open the doors of our hearts to Him. He is standing at the door waiting for you to invite Him in.
Source: The Mercy Gift By Os Hillman
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Strong in the Broken Places by Mary Southerland
Today's Truth Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) "We are God's workmanship."
Friend to Friend
Sandpaper people, the people who rub us the wrong way, are not only a reality of life but a gift from God. How? God has used these difficult relationships as catalysts in my life through which He has lovingly upset my comfortable plans and purposefully redirected my self-ordered steps. The results have often been chaotic and unsettling, but always life changing.
Our son, Jered, played football all the way through college. Over the years, he endured several injuries, but as a junior in high school, Jered experienced his first surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot. The orthopedic doctor explained exactly what he would do during surgery. "First of all, I will remove the scar tissue that has formed around the break. I will then insert a metal screw to connect the broken bones." As he spoke, I was comforted by my mind's depiction of a shiny thin and smooth metal screw resting gently in my son's foot. There are times when ignorance is a blessing.
The surgery went well and after two weeks, I took Jered in for a follow-up visit during which his foot was once again x-rayed to make sure it was healing properly. The doctor walked in, smiling and waving an x-ray in his hand. "Your foot is healing beautifully," he announced with great pride. Curious, I asked the doctor if we could see the x-ray. When he slapped it up against the light board, I was horrified to see a thick, long metal bolt. In fact, on closer examination, I was certain the beginnings of rust could be seen on that barbaric screw jammed up into my son's precious bone.
Seeing the look on my face, the doctor assured me that everything was fine. I was far from convinced and had a few questions that needed answering - immediately. "Is that screw supposed to look like that or did you put the wrong screw in my son's foot? Will he be able to play football? Will his foot hurt when it rains? Will that enormous screw set off airport security detectors? Will Jered's foot ever be as strong as it was before the surgery?" I asked. The doctor listened patiently, smiled and said, "Well, now that you mention it, I need to be honest and tell you Jered's foot will not be as strong as it was before." The evil doctor then grinned and said, "It will actually be stronger."
I find it interesting that all through life, the greatest strength is forged in broken places. The same is true in dealing with difficult people. God is not committed to our comfort. God is committed to creating His character within us. One way He accomplishes that goal is through the abrasive and coarse work of sandpaper people as they grind off and sand away our rough edges, even to the point of breaking. Suffering comes in many ways, but always with the purpose of making us strong enough to endure pain and weak enough to rely upon God.
Many times, it is through difficult relationships that we experience the most pain. Peter writes that God will "make everything right" which indicates the promise that He will take our circumstances and relationships, adjust them and make the broken pieces fit together in order to equip us for service. "Making everything right" can also be translated in the original language as "mending nets." A fisherman's net was a vital part of his livelihood and a broken net meant no fish. Even one broken net affected the fisherman's ability to make a living and provide for his family. It was imperative for the fisherman to keep his nets in working condition, constantly mending the broken places.
Every time we are broken but allow God to do the mending, we become stronger and new life is provided. Paul was certainly no stranger to trials, pain and broken nets. "We know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4 NCV) I must admit I have been known to insert the name of my current sandpaper person into that verse so that it reads, "I know that my sandpaper person produces patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope." What an amazing progression, from a difficult relationship to Godly character and then on to hope. Hope follows pain because pain forces us to trust God and rely upon His power to mend a broken life. It is in that abandonment to God that we find hope.
Difficult relationships and the brokenness they bring can make us either bitter or better. It is our choice. We can insist on comfort and forfeit character or we can embrace the brokenness, knowing that God will use it for our good. Sandpaper people are grindstones. Whether they grind us down or polish us up depends on what we are made of. Harry Truman said: "Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow and only one thing endures - character."
I believe sandpaper people voice the silent prayer that someone will be strong enough to stop their vicious cycle of offensive behavior. God calls us to be that strong someone. I also believe God allows difficult relationships to form within the realm of our daily walk in order to strengthen us for the very task of life.
Let's Pray Lord, please fill my heart with Your love for the sandpaper people in my life. Please let me see them as You see them. Use them, Father; to refine me to the place that I am the woman You created me to be. I choose to thank You for the difficult relationships in my life, knowing that through these abrasive people, Your work is accomplished in me.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Friend to Friend
Sandpaper people, the people who rub us the wrong way, are not only a reality of life but a gift from God. How? God has used these difficult relationships as catalysts in my life through which He has lovingly upset my comfortable plans and purposefully redirected my self-ordered steps. The results have often been chaotic and unsettling, but always life changing.
Our son, Jered, played football all the way through college. Over the years, he endured several injuries, but as a junior in high school, Jered experienced his first surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot. The orthopedic doctor explained exactly what he would do during surgery. "First of all, I will remove the scar tissue that has formed around the break. I will then insert a metal screw to connect the broken bones." As he spoke, I was comforted by my mind's depiction of a shiny thin and smooth metal screw resting gently in my son's foot. There are times when ignorance is a blessing.
The surgery went well and after two weeks, I took Jered in for a follow-up visit during which his foot was once again x-rayed to make sure it was healing properly. The doctor walked in, smiling and waving an x-ray in his hand. "Your foot is healing beautifully," he announced with great pride. Curious, I asked the doctor if we could see the x-ray. When he slapped it up against the light board, I was horrified to see a thick, long metal bolt. In fact, on closer examination, I was certain the beginnings of rust could be seen on that barbaric screw jammed up into my son's precious bone.
Seeing the look on my face, the doctor assured me that everything was fine. I was far from convinced and had a few questions that needed answering - immediately. "Is that screw supposed to look like that or did you put the wrong screw in my son's foot? Will he be able to play football? Will his foot hurt when it rains? Will that enormous screw set off airport security detectors? Will Jered's foot ever be as strong as it was before the surgery?" I asked. The doctor listened patiently, smiled and said, "Well, now that you mention it, I need to be honest and tell you Jered's foot will not be as strong as it was before." The evil doctor then grinned and said, "It will actually be stronger."
I find it interesting that all through life, the greatest strength is forged in broken places. The same is true in dealing with difficult people. God is not committed to our comfort. God is committed to creating His character within us. One way He accomplishes that goal is through the abrasive and coarse work of sandpaper people as they grind off and sand away our rough edges, even to the point of breaking. Suffering comes in many ways, but always with the purpose of making us strong enough to endure pain and weak enough to rely upon God.
Many times, it is through difficult relationships that we experience the most pain. Peter writes that God will "make everything right" which indicates the promise that He will take our circumstances and relationships, adjust them and make the broken pieces fit together in order to equip us for service. "Making everything right" can also be translated in the original language as "mending nets." A fisherman's net was a vital part of his livelihood and a broken net meant no fish. Even one broken net affected the fisherman's ability to make a living and provide for his family. It was imperative for the fisherman to keep his nets in working condition, constantly mending the broken places.
Every time we are broken but allow God to do the mending, we become stronger and new life is provided. Paul was certainly no stranger to trials, pain and broken nets. "We know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4 NCV) I must admit I have been known to insert the name of my current sandpaper person into that verse so that it reads, "I know that my sandpaper person produces patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope." What an amazing progression, from a difficult relationship to Godly character and then on to hope. Hope follows pain because pain forces us to trust God and rely upon His power to mend a broken life. It is in that abandonment to God that we find hope.
Difficult relationships and the brokenness they bring can make us either bitter or better. It is our choice. We can insist on comfort and forfeit character or we can embrace the brokenness, knowing that God will use it for our good. Sandpaper people are grindstones. Whether they grind us down or polish us up depends on what we are made of. Harry Truman said: "Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow and only one thing endures - character."
I believe sandpaper people voice the silent prayer that someone will be strong enough to stop their vicious cycle of offensive behavior. God calls us to be that strong someone. I also believe God allows difficult relationships to form within the realm of our daily walk in order to strengthen us for the very task of life.
Let's Pray Lord, please fill my heart with Your love for the sandpaper people in my life. Please let me see them as You see them. Use them, Father; to refine me to the place that I am the woman You created me to be. I choose to thank You for the difficult relationships in my life, knowing that through these abrasive people, Your work is accomplished in me.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Opposing God's Leadership By Os Hillman
"The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them" (Num 12:9).
Beware of trying to depose a leader that God has raised in your midst. Leaders are placed by God in business, government, churches - almost every place where leaders are required. When God places a person in position of authority, it is a grievous sin to go against that leadership. God Himself opposes those who come against His leadership.
God's leaders are not perfect. They make mistakes. That is why following a leader can require a faith that goes beyond faith in the leader. Our faith lies in the God who elevated the leader to his or her position.
Miriam and Aaron, the older brother and sister of Moses, had a family dispute about Moses' wife, who was an Ethiopian and Cushite. She most likely was a black woman. We do not know the nature of the dispute, but it was a typical family conflict.
However, the family conflict began to impact God's agenda for a nation. They were now meddling in God's business. And He did not like that in the least. God literally brought Aaron and Miriam into the switching house. He judged both Miriam and Aaron for their rebellion against His ordained leader. "Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (Num 12:8).
Miriam was stricken with leprosy and had it not been for Moses' appeal on her behalf, she would have been cast out for good. God gave her a second chance but it required being cast away from the camp for seven days. Miriam and Aaron repented for their rebellion.
If you struggle with a leader that God has over you, pray for that leader. If God wants to remove that leader, He can do it. Think twice about conspiring to remove a leader whom God has not chosen to remove yet.
Source:Opposing God's Leadership By Os Hillman
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Affirming New Leadership By Os Hillman
"But Moses replied, 'Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!'"(Num 11:29).
One of the attributes of a Kingdom leader is to recognize when God is raising new leadership and be a catalyst to affirm and encourage it. These leaders also model a level of humility that God blesses. Leaders who are insecure about their leadership will put down new leadership in order to maintain their own status.
The Bible says that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth. That is why God used him as a leader to bring an entire nation out of bondage.
Joshua was concerned that two young men prophesied in the camp and considered this an affront to Moses' leadership. Moses viewed the same situation very differently. He viewed it from an eye of a Kingdom leader who modeled humility and a Kingdom focus. Moses was secure in his own leadership and so he did not need to put down others who he could construe as usurping his leadership.
King Saul represented the opposite of this principle with David. The people began to see God raising David into leadership. However, because Saul had a stronghold of insecurity in his life, he was not able to affirm God's new leader. This ultimately led to Saul's removal. God rejected Saul because of his this.
The Body of Christ is in great need of leaders who are secure in their leadership. If God has called you to be a leader, look for opportunities to encourage new leaders. As you do, God will insure that you will fulfill the purpose for which He called you.
Source: Affirming New Leadership By Os Hillman
One of the attributes of a Kingdom leader is to recognize when God is raising new leadership and be a catalyst to affirm and encourage it. These leaders also model a level of humility that God blesses. Leaders who are insecure about their leadership will put down new leadership in order to maintain their own status.
The Bible says that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth. That is why God used him as a leader to bring an entire nation out of bondage.
Joshua was concerned that two young men prophesied in the camp and considered this an affront to Moses' leadership. Moses viewed the same situation very differently. He viewed it from an eye of a Kingdom leader who modeled humility and a Kingdom focus. Moses was secure in his own leadership and so he did not need to put down others who he could construe as usurping his leadership.
King Saul represented the opposite of this principle with David. The people began to see God raising David into leadership. However, because Saul had a stronghold of insecurity in his life, he was not able to affirm God's new leader. This ultimately led to Saul's removal. God rejected Saul because of his this.
The Body of Christ is in great need of leaders who are secure in their leadership. If God has called you to be a leader, look for opportunities to encourage new leaders. As you do, God will insure that you will fulfill the purpose for which He called you.
Source: Affirming New Leadership By Os Hillman
Monday, September 13, 2010
One Last Name by Sharon Jaynes
One Last Name
Today's Truth "Now that we know what we have - Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God - let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help" (Hebrews 4:14-16 MSG). Friend to Friend For almost forty years, Margaret lived with word-inflicted wounds that nearly destroyed her life. From the first day she attended her one room schoolhouse, she and her teacher, Ms. Garner, didn't get along. Ms. Garner was harsh, bitter, and cruel, and could not tolerate Margaret's childish idiosyncrasies. For years, the tension between the two built up pressure.
Margaret was nine-years-old when the cataclysmic day occurred - the one that ripped her world apart. It happened after recess when she frantically raced into class, late again. As she burst through the doors, she faced her peers jeering at her maliciously.
"Margaret!" Ms. Garner shouted. "We have been waiting for you! Get up here to the front of the class, right now!"
Margaret walked slowly to the teacher's desk, was told to face the class, and then the nightmare began.
Ms. Garner ranted, "Boys and girls, Margaret has been a bad girl. I have tried to help her to be responsible. But, apparently, she doesn't want to learn. So we must teach her a lesson. We must force her to face what a selfish person she has become. I want each of you to come to the front of the room, take a piece of chalk, and write something bad about Margaret on the blackboard. Maybe this experience will motivate her to become a better person!"
Margaret stood frozen next to Ms. Garner. One by one, the students began a silent procession to the blackboard. One by one, the students wrote their life-smothering words, slowly extinguishing the light in Margaret's soul. "Margaret is stupid! Margaret is selfish! Margaret is fat! Margaret is a dummy!" On and on they wrote until twenty-five terrible scribblings of Margaret's "badness" filled the chalkboard.
The venomous accusations taunted Margaret in what felt like the longest day of her life. After walking home with each caustic word indelibly written on her heart, she crawled into her bed, claimed sickness, and tried to cry the pain away. But the pain never left, and forty years later she slumped in the waiting room of a psychologist's office, still cringing in the shadow of those twenty-five sentences.
Jesus understands what it feels like to have people call you names. People called him a blasphemer (Matthew 9:3), the prince of demons (Matthew 9:34), an evil spirit (Mark 3:30), and a law breaker (Mark 2:24). His own family said that he was crazy (Mark 3:21). Yes, He knows what it feels like to have a broken heart - both figuratively and physically.
Jesus understands our hurt because He experienced it for Himself. Eugene Peterson, in his work, The Message wrote: "Now that we know what we have - Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God - let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help" (Hebrews 4:14-16 MSG).
Let's go back to Margaret for a moment. After decades of depression and anxiety, she had finally sought help from a psychologist. Two long years of weekly counseling helped Margaret to finally extricate herself from her past. It had been a long and difficult road, but she smiled at her counselor (how long it had been since she'd smiled!) as they talked about her readiness to move on.
"Well, Margaret," the counselor said softly, "I guess its graduation day for you. How are you feeling?"
After a long silence, Margaret spoke. "I...I'm okay."
The counselor hesitated. "Margaret, I know this will be difficult, but just to make sure you're ready to move on, I am going to ask you to do something. I want to go back to your schoolroom and detail the events of that day. Take your time. Describe each of the children as they approached the blackboard; remember what they wrote and how you felt - all twenty-five students."
In a way, this would be easy for Margaret. For forty years she had remembered every detail. And yet, to go through the nightmare one more time would take every bit of strength she had. After a long silence, she began the painful description. One by one, she described each of the students vividly, as though she had just seen them, stopping periodically to regain her composure, forcing herself to face each of those students one more time.
Finally, she was finished, and the tears would not stop, could not stop. Margaret cried a long time before she realized someone was whispering her name. "Margaret. Margaret. Margaret." She looked up to see her counselor staring into her eyes, saying her name over and over again. Margaret stopped crying for a moment.
"Margaret. You...you left out one person."
"I certainly did not! I have lived with this story for forty years. I know every student by heart."
"No, Margaret, you did forget someone. See, he's sitting in the back of the classroom. He's standing up, walking toward your teacher, Ms. Garner. She is handing him a piece of chalk and he's taking it, Margaret, he's taking it! Now he's walking over to the blackboard and picking up an eraser. He is erasing every one of the sentences the students wrote. They are gone! Margaret, they are gone! Now he's turning and looking at you, Margaret. Do you recognize him yet? Yes, his name is Jesus. Look, he's writing new sentences on the board. 'Margaret is loved. Margaret is beautiful. Margaret is gentle and kind. Margaret is strong. Margaret has great courage.'"
And Margaret began to weep. But very quickly, the weeping turned into a smile, and then into laughter, and then into tears of joy." (This story of Margaret was taken from Ron Lee's book, Mistreated).
For forty years Margaret had limped through life with the pain of a broken heart. But finally she allowed Jesus, the Healer, the Comforter, and the Great Physician, to bind up the broken heart and allow it to heal.
What is Jesus writing on the chalkboard about you?
You are chosen.
You are dearly loved.
You are holy.
You are beautiful.
You are pure.
You are my bride.
I have your name engraved on the palm of my hand.
Let's Pray Dear Lord, thank You that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I can almost picture You walking to the front of the room and writing my new identity in Christ on the board. Help me to see myself as you see me and never believe the lies that tell me otherwise.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Seeing the Ordinary as Extraordinary By Os Hillman
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Our Lord never saw the mundane activities as ordinary. Whether He healed the sick or sat around the fire with the disciples, He did not see one activity as spiritual and the other non-spiritual. Life was lived as a holy service to His Heavenly Father.
Many times we fall prey to a spiritual hierarchy mentality.We believe certain activity is more blessed by God because it is done under a spiritual guise. We conduct our Christian meetings and conclude one is blessed by God based on attendance. We work to give money to ministry when we fail to recognize the very work we do is ministry.
God's glory can be expressed in the most common task. Whether washing the dishes or changing diapers or driving to the grocery store. When we begin to assign spiritual value to activities we begin to give greater importance to those activities we deem spiritually higher in the hierarchy.
Philip was in the midst of a major crusade when the Holy Spirit abruptly instructed him to stop and go to a desert road.
"Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said."
"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it'" (Acts 8:26-29). We see in this story that neither activity was more important than the other. Philip's job was to live in communion with the Holy Spirit and be obedient to His promptings.
Today, view every activity you do with an attitude of worship and communion with Jesus.
Source: Seeing the Ordinary as Extraordinary
Our Lord never saw the mundane activities as ordinary. Whether He healed the sick or sat around the fire with the disciples, He did not see one activity as spiritual and the other non-spiritual. Life was lived as a holy service to His Heavenly Father.
Many times we fall prey to a spiritual hierarchy mentality.We believe certain activity is more blessed by God because it is done under a spiritual guise. We conduct our Christian meetings and conclude one is blessed by God based on attendance. We work to give money to ministry when we fail to recognize the very work we do is ministry.
God's glory can be expressed in the most common task. Whether washing the dishes or changing diapers or driving to the grocery store. When we begin to assign spiritual value to activities we begin to give greater importance to those activities we deem spiritually higher in the hierarchy.
Philip was in the midst of a major crusade when the Holy Spirit abruptly instructed him to stop and go to a desert road.
"Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said."
"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it'" (Acts 8:26-29). We see in this story that neither activity was more important than the other. Philip's job was to live in communion with the Holy Spirit and be obedient to His promptings.
Today, view every activity you do with an attitude of worship and communion with Jesus.
Source: Seeing the Ordinary as Extraordinary
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
When Service Exceeds Devotion By Os Hillman
"She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said" (Luke 10:39-40).
A story is told of a western missionary group that was sitting with a foreign visitor planning strategy for an upcoming evangelistic trip to his country. One man led in prayer, asking for God's help in planning their activities. The visitor was surprised how the meeting quickly moved to the planning phase after only a few minutes of focused prayer.
He turned to the leader and said, "You have taught us the scriptures well in our country. However, I've noticed when it comes to prayer you spend so little time in prayer listening and much time in planning." The western believers were convicted by his words.
Martha was Mary's older sister. Older sisters always think they know best. They tend to mother the younger siblings. So when Jesus came over to spend an evening at their home Martha wanted to prepare a special meal. She noticed Mary was spending all her time in the living room listening to Jesus. Martha finally felt compelled to appeal to Jesus about the situation.
"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:40-42).
Jesus reveals a danger in this story that each of us must be aware of. When our concern for serving Jesus exceeds our need to be with Jesus, we are in danger of focusing on the lesser thing. The hardest thing to do for most workplace believers is to sit and listen. It is easier to do.
Today, begin to spend more time listening before you begin doing.
Source: When Service Exceeds Devotion
A story is told of a western missionary group that was sitting with a foreign visitor planning strategy for an upcoming evangelistic trip to his country. One man led in prayer, asking for God's help in planning their activities. The visitor was surprised how the meeting quickly moved to the planning phase after only a few minutes of focused prayer.
He turned to the leader and said, "You have taught us the scriptures well in our country. However, I've noticed when it comes to prayer you spend so little time in prayer listening and much time in planning." The western believers were convicted by his words.
Martha was Mary's older sister. Older sisters always think they know best. They tend to mother the younger siblings. So when Jesus came over to spend an evening at their home Martha wanted to prepare a special meal. She noticed Mary was spending all her time in the living room listening to Jesus. Martha finally felt compelled to appeal to Jesus about the situation.
"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:40-42).
Jesus reveals a danger in this story that each of us must be aware of. When our concern for serving Jesus exceeds our need to be with Jesus, we are in danger of focusing on the lesser thing. The hardest thing to do for most workplace believers is to sit and listen. It is easier to do.
Today, begin to spend more time listening before you begin doing.
Source: When Service Exceeds Devotion
Monday, September 6, 2010
Called to the Ministry By Os Hillman
"Usually a person should keep on with the work he was doing when God called him" (I Cor. 7: 20 TLB).
We've all heard stories of men or women in the workplace that left their jobs for the "ministry." Certainly God does call people into vocational ministry. However, many times this move is more rooted in dissatisfaction with a career combined with a spiritual renewal or first time commitment to the Lord. The idea of a "higher call" can also appeal to our sense of a greater and nobler destiny.
We have incorrectly elevated the roll of the Christian worker that serves within "the church" or a traditional "ministry" role to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life to meet the needs of His creation. Also, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.
I learned this lesson personally when I sought to go into "full-time" service as a pastor in my late twenties, only to have God thrust me back into the workplace unwillingly. This turned out to be the best thing He could have done for me, because it was never His will for me to be a pastor. He knew I was more suited for the workplace.
We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today. View your vocation as means to worship Him.
Paul said it right; "In most cases we're going to remain in the place where He first called us."
Source: Called to the Ministry
We've all heard stories of men or women in the workplace that left their jobs for the "ministry." Certainly God does call people into vocational ministry. However, many times this move is more rooted in dissatisfaction with a career combined with a spiritual renewal or first time commitment to the Lord. The idea of a "higher call" can also appeal to our sense of a greater and nobler destiny.
We have incorrectly elevated the roll of the Christian worker that serves within "the church" or a traditional "ministry" role to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life to meet the needs of His creation. Also, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.
I learned this lesson personally when I sought to go into "full-time" service as a pastor in my late twenties, only to have God thrust me back into the workplace unwillingly. This turned out to be the best thing He could have done for me, because it was never His will for me to be a pastor. He knew I was more suited for the workplace.
We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today. View your vocation as means to worship Him.
Paul said it right; "In most cases we're going to remain in the place where He first called us."
Source: Called to the Ministry
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Accepting My Design By Os Hillman
"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" (Rom 9:21).
My wife and I like to go to movies. She often comments about the lips of beautiful actresses: "Check those lips out! Boy, God sure short-changed me in the lip category," she laments. She has always felt her lips were too thin. Her girlfriends find her concern humorous and often kid her about it.
Have you ever wished that God made you differently? Perhaps you wished you were more athletic or could have a totally different career. Or perhaps you wished you were prettier or taller or even have a different nose.
God made every person differently and for different purposes. Not everyone is made to be in the public eye. Some are made to serve behind the scenes. It is important to know and be at peace with how and why God made you.
Paul tells us in Romans that we are all crafted out of the same clay. There is no one molded and shaped like you, No one has the exact personality as you. Your DNA is one of a kind.
God uses the common to produce the uncommon. No matter how inferior you may feel you are in a particular area, God desires to use you for His purposes. Your unique qualities are made to fit with the way He plans to use you for His purposes. This is why we must accept our uniqueness. We want His power to be manifested in our uniqueness.
Thank God today for the way He made you.
Source: Accepting My Design By Os Hillman
My wife and I like to go to movies. She often comments about the lips of beautiful actresses: "Check those lips out! Boy, God sure short-changed me in the lip category," she laments. She has always felt her lips were too thin. Her girlfriends find her concern humorous and often kid her about it.
Have you ever wished that God made you differently? Perhaps you wished you were more athletic or could have a totally different career. Or perhaps you wished you were prettier or taller or even have a different nose.
God made every person differently and for different purposes. Not everyone is made to be in the public eye. Some are made to serve behind the scenes. It is important to know and be at peace with how and why God made you.
Paul tells us in Romans that we are all crafted out of the same clay. There is no one molded and shaped like you, No one has the exact personality as you. Your DNA is one of a kind.
God uses the common to produce the uncommon. No matter how inferior you may feel you are in a particular area, God desires to use you for His purposes. Your unique qualities are made to fit with the way He plans to use you for His purposes. This is why we must accept our uniqueness. We want His power to be manifested in our uniqueness.
Thank God today for the way He made you.
Source: Accepting My Design By Os Hillman
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