S - Submission. When we choose to serve we are submitting to the authority of someone higher than ourselves. Who we choose to serve is our choice. When we submit, we are making a statement about what is important to us. God tells us that we are to respect those in authority who are placed over us. Often we get caught in the trap of Satan, by serving based on how we feel about a person or situation.
- Rom 13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
- Heb 12:9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!
- James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
E - Eager. When we choose to serve, how we do it makes all the difference. There is always a reason for why we serve (compassion, desire, income, love, commitment, pride). God will always provide all the resources we need to serve effectively, but we must rely on Him and not ourselves. You will find great joy, if you eagerly serve as if to God, and not for yourself (upside down from the world's thinking).
Jos 22:5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
- 1 Cor 14:12 And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.
- Tit 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
R - Rejoice. There is an underlining joy that runs deep within us (placed by the Holy Spirit) that can greatly affect our serving. It comes down to choice again. Do we serve in bitterness and anger, or do we serve with gladness and purpose as representatives of the risen savior Jesus? Paul is a favorite of mine that drives this point home. Who continues to serve and sing after being beaten and imprisoned? It should be US! People are watching how we act and what we say. Our response affects not only ourselves, but our friends, co-workers, and family around us.
- Hab 3:18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
- Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
- Dt 12:7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
V - Voice. I believe that our service speaks volumes not only about ourselves, but our God. We have the ability to speak life or death into any situation, based on the authority of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. God created the world by speaking it into existence. As sons and daughters of the living God, we too have that creative spirit. This is why getting God's word into us daily is so important.
- Jer 21:8 “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.
- Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, consider their threats & enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
E - Encourage. Service is a great opportunity to encourage those around us on a daily basis. Our lives are full of worldly peaks and valleys that often define who we are or become. But God has a different plan for His sons and daughters. The Lord commands us to lift one another up in both the good times and bad. To act and live based on who He is and what His love can accomplish. This again is where we so desperately need the Holy Spirit. Our thinking is flawed and our hearts evil. To become an effective encourager, we must stop and listen for the gentle whisper from the Father. His Word and promises are true! If we are willing, He will fill us with His wisdom and hope for the dying world around us.
- 1 Thes 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
- Heb 10:25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
- 2 Thes 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Temple Building
I was reading Jeremiah the other day. Seeing how unwelcome the words that
God had gave this prophet were to the people. He was imprisoned, beaten,
throw into a cistern, and yet I don't remember him doing a lot of
complaining. Even when the people promised to listen to God's word, they
didn't because of selfishness and fear. Fear of captivity and fear of the
Babylonians. I have found myself complaining a lot, while having a warm
place to stay, more food than I can eat, and a job, simply because of
separation from my wife/church/friends in Central Pa. God is teaching me
what it means to be faithful to Him simply for His name's sake. Because He
is my Father, there is a peace and contentment in just knowing Him. If I
have nothing, having Him will be more than enough, regardless of what comes
my way and will set the stage for leadings of the Holy Spirit. I think what
an honor it is to be called His and to know that He loves us. Ancient
Israel always seemed not to be content with God and His blessings and want
more. I am at a place now where Jesus is my contentment and my prized
possession. He is my identity and the only thing that I must have.
Then yesterday, Justin form Pittsburgh City Outreach spoke at the church in
Braddock. His message concerned Zerubbabel. A man given a mission to
rebuild the temple. A man that had been separated from the line of God
because of the wickedness of his ancestors. Things seemed good at first and
then fear overtook them and the building stopped. When God sets a plan into
motion, He provides not only direction, resources, and strength, but also
encouragement to overcome our fears and lack of faith when the enemy comes
attacking. Enter Haggai, God's encouragement. Through this man of God, not
only did Zerubbabel find encouragement to finish the job, but a promise to
once again become the signet ring of God, simply by being faithful. It
wasn't about a building, but about being content with the Father and
following His lead (through Haggai) regardless of the what the enemy around
us is saying. God is our source! Jesus is the signet ring that is placed
on our finger that represents the promise and love of God almighty. Christ
is our authority to do the work given us through His written word and the
Holy Spirit. There is a broken down temple in Braddock that needs
rebuilding. Lives that are shattered by the world we live in. But God has
a plan and a promise to rebuild that is bigger than all of those things.
Not is not a time for complaining, but a time to get to work. Why, because
Jesus is worthy and for His name's sake. Thanks Justin for being my Haggai,
and reminding me not only of God's resources, but His promise never to
abandon through the living Savior.
God had gave this prophet were to the people. He was imprisoned, beaten,
throw into a cistern, and yet I don't remember him doing a lot of
complaining. Even when the people promised to listen to God's word, they
didn't because of selfishness and fear. Fear of captivity and fear of the
Babylonians. I have found myself complaining a lot, while having a warm
place to stay, more food than I can eat, and a job, simply because of
separation from my wife/church/friends in Central Pa. God is teaching me
what it means to be faithful to Him simply for His name's sake. Because He
is my Father, there is a peace and contentment in just knowing Him. If I
have nothing, having Him will be more than enough, regardless of what comes
my way and will set the stage for leadings of the Holy Spirit. I think what
an honor it is to be called His and to know that He loves us. Ancient
Israel always seemed not to be content with God and His blessings and want
more. I am at a place now where Jesus is my contentment and my prized
possession. He is my identity and the only thing that I must have.
Then yesterday, Justin form Pittsburgh City Outreach spoke at the church in
Braddock. His message concerned Zerubbabel. A man given a mission to
rebuild the temple. A man that had been separated from the line of God
because of the wickedness of his ancestors. Things seemed good at first and
then fear overtook them and the building stopped. When God sets a plan into
motion, He provides not only direction, resources, and strength, but also
encouragement to overcome our fears and lack of faith when the enemy comes
attacking. Enter Haggai, God's encouragement. Through this man of God, not
only did Zerubbabel find encouragement to finish the job, but a promise to
once again become the signet ring of God, simply by being faithful. It
wasn't about a building, but about being content with the Father and
following His lead (through Haggai) regardless of the what the enemy around
us is saying. God is our source! Jesus is the signet ring that is placed
on our finger that represents the promise and love of God almighty. Christ
is our authority to do the work given us through His written word and the
Holy Spirit. There is a broken down temple in Braddock that needs
rebuilding. Lives that are shattered by the world we live in. But God has
a plan and a promise to rebuild that is bigger than all of those things.
Not is not a time for complaining, but a time to get to work. Why, because
Jesus is worthy and for His name's sake. Thanks Justin for being my Haggai,
and reminding me not only of God's resources, but His promise never to
abandon through the living Savior.
Separation
God's verse for Elizabeth & me.
"For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 8:38-39
I think about being half a state away from the woman I love and how much I miss her embrace and the sound of her voice. I am reminded as I read God's word about His love and how much He misses us. Longing to talk to us and tell what is on his mind. Share with us his heart and the things He desires for us. To tell us about His son Jesus and how wonderful He is! To teach us about being at peace with Him in all things, free from all worry and stress. That is what it means to be in the arms of the Savior. I guess that is why I long for the embrace of my wife. I feel at peace and at home there.
Thanks Father for your wonderful love and for your Son. Wrap your arms around us today.
"For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 8:38-39
I think about being half a state away from the woman I love and how much I miss her embrace and the sound of her voice. I am reminded as I read God's word about His love and how much He misses us. Longing to talk to us and tell what is on his mind. Share with us his heart and the things He desires for us. To tell us about His son Jesus and how wonderful He is! To teach us about being at peace with Him in all things, free from all worry and stress. That is what it means to be in the arms of the Savior. I guess that is why I long for the embrace of my wife. I feel at peace and at home there.
Thanks Father for your wonderful love and for your Son. Wrap your arms around us today.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Lay Hold Of God
Rom 5:20 Where sin increased, grace increased all the more. (NIV)
Have you ever found yourself at a discouraging point in life where brokenness and failure loom over you? An all to familiar place where you have failed before? You begin to associate your own identify with an area of sin. Your mind reasons that there is no point in even praying since you have disappointed God, yet again. You tell yourself God is tired of listening to excuses and has better things to do. You end up losing hope in certain areas of your life. You begin to believe, "I can't care about this person anymore. They will never change and I am wasting my time even hoping they will.".
You read or listen to the events of the day. The headlines tell of financial crisis and destruction that are ravaging our country and the world. You find yourself feeling helpless, getting frustrated and angry, unable to make any kind of impact or change of course. You ask, what can my hope and prayers possibly do to change what is going on around me?
STOP! Don't give up!
Romans 5:20 tells us something completely different. Sin and its' effects will never become greater than God's grace. His grace is bigger than anything we will EVER face. I find the Holy Spirit reminding me daily "that in our greatest weakness, he is able to perform the greatest transformation of our heart and soul". I am so thankful that God's thinking and reasoning are different from mine (Is 55:8). We serve a risen and victorious Savior, full of hope and passion for each and everyone of us. Enough for every single person in the world, whether they choose to embrace him or not.
This very scripture drives me to the arms of my heavenly Father. We must as believers, both individually and as a body, press into and "lay hold of God". This is a time when we should have heavy hearts for the unsaved. It is time to thank God for the depth and security of His grace. It is a time to dance, worship, and proclaim the Word of God to all around us. It is a time when we should be embracing God's future, seeking and praying for his vision for our community. I feel strongly that this same hunger, to lay hold of God, is what is behind Harvest Cry. Will we allow God to gather us together, united in voice and purpose for his kingdom?
I asked for God for more scriptures and he gave me these:
Heb 4:14-16 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us HOLD firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come BOLDLY to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (emphasis added)
Heb 10:21-25 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us HOLD tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (emphasis added)
Lord, show us the place where your grace abounds, even if it is uncomfortable and painful. There you will begin the transformation of our very thoughts and desires. Teach us to how to LAY HOLD of you, so that through us your spirit may transform the community around us. Show us how to operate in your boldness! Amen.
Michael
Have you ever found yourself at a discouraging point in life where brokenness and failure loom over you? An all to familiar place where you have failed before? You begin to associate your own identify with an area of sin. Your mind reasons that there is no point in even praying since you have disappointed God, yet again. You tell yourself God is tired of listening to excuses and has better things to do. You end up losing hope in certain areas of your life. You begin to believe, "I can't care about this person anymore. They will never change and I am wasting my time even hoping they will.".
You read or listen to the events of the day. The headlines tell of financial crisis and destruction that are ravaging our country and the world. You find yourself feeling helpless, getting frustrated and angry, unable to make any kind of impact or change of course. You ask, what can my hope and prayers possibly do to change what is going on around me?
STOP! Don't give up!
Romans 5:20 tells us something completely different. Sin and its' effects will never become greater than God's grace. His grace is bigger than anything we will EVER face. I find the Holy Spirit reminding me daily "that in our greatest weakness, he is able to perform the greatest transformation of our heart and soul". I am so thankful that God's thinking and reasoning are different from mine (Is 55:8). We serve a risen and victorious Savior, full of hope and passion for each and everyone of us. Enough for every single person in the world, whether they choose to embrace him or not.
This very scripture drives me to the arms of my heavenly Father. We must as believers, both individually and as a body, press into and "lay hold of God". This is a time when we should have heavy hearts for the unsaved. It is time to thank God for the depth and security of His grace. It is a time to dance, worship, and proclaim the Word of God to all around us. It is a time when we should be embracing God's future, seeking and praying for his vision for our community. I feel strongly that this same hunger, to lay hold of God, is what is behind Harvest Cry. Will we allow God to gather us together, united in voice and purpose for his kingdom?
I asked for God for more scriptures and he gave me these:
Heb 4:14-16 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us HOLD firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come BOLDLY to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (emphasis added)
Heb 10:21-25 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us HOLD tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (emphasis added)
Lord, show us the place where your grace abounds, even if it is uncomfortable and painful. There you will begin the transformation of our very thoughts and desires. Teach us to how to LAY HOLD of you, so that through us your spirit may transform the community around us. Show us how to operate in your boldness! Amen.
Michael
Consuming Words
Ezek 3:1-10 The voice said to me, "Son of man, eat what I am giving you – eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. "Eat it all," he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey. Then he said, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel with my messages. I am not sending you to some foreign people whose language you cannot understand. No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! I am sending you to the people of Israel, but they won't listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. But look, I have made you as hard and stubborn as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don't be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are such rebels." Then he added, "Son of Man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' Do this whether they listen to you or not."
When we read, speak, write, and hear God's Word on a daily basis, we are consuming the very things of God. When we choose not to include him, we consume the things of Man. In the above passage we see how Ezekiel learned the importance of not only consuming, but digesting the Word of God. God's word makes you stronger in your faith and its wisdom sweetens your life. God wants us to be able to stand against anything or anyone, including those who deny or hate what is right. You don't have to look far to find people who don't share your faith. I find this unbelieving person is myself at times. Just as we see how God gave Ezekiel tough faith ("as hard as the hardest rock"), he wants to give you stability, perserverance, and insight to live up to the task he has given you. When we surrender to his will for our life, the conditioning to get us into shape begins. How hard is your forehead?
I find that when I consume his word, His spirit begins to consume me. Removing the things that don't belong and replacing it with the things that do. Eating His word is a good thing, as found in Ps 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Our Lord is offering an invitation to "try this, I know you will like it." We must allow the Holy Spirit to go deep into our heart, so that we may be prepared to share the Gospel with everyone. I have learned he will give you not only the words to speak, but provide the opportunity and person when you press in to hear his gentle whisper. All of this eating and digesting daily is a lesson in obedience. It is up to us to choose Him over ourselves each morning as we take that first step. Does your daily diet include God's Word?
I asked God to give me a passage from the New Testament that related to all this consuming. Here is what I received. Read John 6:53-58.
Just as God told Ezekiel to eat his word, Jesus instructs us "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you" (John 6:53). His flesh and blood are true. We are told by Christ to feed on him so that we may have eternal life. Christ, being the Word of God, provides exactly what we need to remain in him and to do his will. I encourage you to taste and see exactly what God has for you. Chew on it awhile and see if it is not as sweet as honey. Ask God to strengthen you as His Word goes deep into your heart and begins to restore and transform you into his delight. Will you join me today in eating some bread of life?
Lord, thank you for your son Jesus, the Word of God. Give us an appetite for the things of your spirit. Begin the conditioning in us today so that we may be hard and stubborn in faith as Ezekiel. Amen
Still Desperate for Him!
Michael
When we read, speak, write, and hear God's Word on a daily basis, we are consuming the very things of God. When we choose not to include him, we consume the things of Man. In the above passage we see how Ezekiel learned the importance of not only consuming, but digesting the Word of God. God's word makes you stronger in your faith and its wisdom sweetens your life. God wants us to be able to stand against anything or anyone, including those who deny or hate what is right. You don't have to look far to find people who don't share your faith. I find this unbelieving person is myself at times. Just as we see how God gave Ezekiel tough faith ("as hard as the hardest rock"), he wants to give you stability, perserverance, and insight to live up to the task he has given you. When we surrender to his will for our life, the conditioning to get us into shape begins. How hard is your forehead?
I find that when I consume his word, His spirit begins to consume me. Removing the things that don't belong and replacing it with the things that do. Eating His word is a good thing, as found in Ps 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Our Lord is offering an invitation to "try this, I know you will like it." We must allow the Holy Spirit to go deep into our heart, so that we may be prepared to share the Gospel with everyone. I have learned he will give you not only the words to speak, but provide the opportunity and person when you press in to hear his gentle whisper. All of this eating and digesting daily is a lesson in obedience. It is up to us to choose Him over ourselves each morning as we take that first step. Does your daily diet include God's Word?
I asked God to give me a passage from the New Testament that related to all this consuming. Here is what I received. Read John 6:53-58.
Just as God told Ezekiel to eat his word, Jesus instructs us "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you" (John 6:53). His flesh and blood are true. We are told by Christ to feed on him so that we may have eternal life. Christ, being the Word of God, provides exactly what we need to remain in him and to do his will. I encourage you to taste and see exactly what God has for you. Chew on it awhile and see if it is not as sweet as honey. Ask God to strengthen you as His Word goes deep into your heart and begins to restore and transform you into his delight. Will you join me today in eating some bread of life?
Lord, thank you for your son Jesus, the Word of God. Give us an appetite for the things of your spirit. Begin the conditioning in us today so that we may be hard and stubborn in faith as Ezekiel. Amen
Still Desperate for Him!
Michael
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