Don't Box Him In...

The Holy Spirit is essential to believers in Christ Jesus. He is fully God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever which means He is still in the miracle working business, if you will. He has not changed. Hebrews 13:8  Only man’s attitude and beliefs about the Spirit of God has changed.

 

Don’t box Him in…

 

When Jesus was in His home town, He could do very few miracles, not because He wasn’t capable, but because of unbelief. Matthew13:53-58, Mark 6:1-5   In John 6:27-29, Jesus said, “This is the only work that God wants from you:  Believe in the One He has sent.”  Father God sent Jesus. Jesus died for all the sins of mankind.  Then He sent the Holy Spirit. John 16:7  Believe it.  His Holy Spirit is here for us…if we believe.

 

Don’t limit what He can and will do in your life due to unbelief.  Don’t let someone else’s personal opinion about what the Holy Spirit “can and can’t” do limit what He can and will do in your life. Don’t be the one who stops the miracles.  Believing is a choice!

 

In Mark 9:17-27, a man brought his convulsing child to Jesus to be healed. Jesus asked him if he believed.  The man said, “I believe, help my unbelief!”  Don’t be afraid to say that prayer for yourself. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve said that prayer…even this very day!!  Ask God to reveal Himself to you, and ask in the mighty name of Jesus. Don’t allow the enemy any room in your asking. 1John4:1  He will not fail us.

 

Don’t take my word for all of this.  Search out the scriptures. Ask God to show you. Trust and believe in Him. Step out in faith. He will lead you, guide you and show you what He wants you to know.

Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your life. Too many people, churches, organizations, etc, for far too long have hindered or stopped the work of the Spirit of God due to unbelief. Be the one to say, “The buck stops here!”  Choose to believe the workings of the Spirit of God in the name of Jesus.  He will not lead us astray. He knows what we need better than what we know for ourselves.

Trust and believe. Trust and believe.

 

He will not fail you.    

 

Please let me pass...

Valentine’s Day…the day that is set aside to let our loved ones know just how much we love them.  What a wonderful day it is for so many people.  Love is in the air!

On my way to the gym this morning, I was reminded by an unfriendly driver, that there are so many hurting people who just need to know that they are loved.

Hurting people hurt people…let’s never forget that.  You never know what others may be going through.  Let’s do our best to treat others with compassion.

Enjoy what’s left of your Valentine’s Day and let’s do our best as followers of Christ to show His love to those who are hurting…even those who may have hurt us…not just Valentine’s Day, but everyday.  With the love of Christ Jesus, our world can be changed. 

Who is your Source?

One day while working at the food bank, we ran out of food filled boxes and I had to make another.  As I was filling this box, I didn’t have the usual staples, but wanted it to be worthy of calling it a food box.  I like to be generous with what I put in the boxes, but at the same time, the resources are limited.  As I was filling it, I picked up a few items to put in the box and out of fear of running out of that item, I put some back.  I heard the Lord say to me; don’t you know that I can replenish what you give away?  Instantly, I said “Yes, I do. Forgive me for not thinking that way.”  So, I put in the box what I had in my hand and then grabbed more and put it in the box.

Over the next few weeks, we didn’t receive very much food.  After filling boxes one Friday, our little pantry was empty except for a few odds and ends.  That day I stood there and prayed silently.  I reminded God of what He had said to me only a week or so before and I asked him to replenish our shelves, refrigerators and freezers to overflowing.  I reminded Him (not that He needs reminding) that we were doing His work…helping those who need help.  The next Friday, our shipment of food was over flowing…and it has been for several weeks now.  Sometimes we don’t even have room to keep everything that we receive.

You see…God is our source…not man!  It’s like the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1-16.  The Lord told Elijah to go the Brook Cherith, stay there and He would send ravens to feed him.  He did as the Lord said and had food and water.  When the brook dried up the Lord sent him to the widow.  She had only enough food for one more meal and then she thought that she and her son would die of starvation.  Elijah told her that the Lord said for her to make bread for him and that she would never run out of food.  She did just what Elijah told her to do and, just as he had said, she never ran out of food for herself, her son and Elijah.

You see, God is for us.  He wants to help us.  But we must put our faith and trust in Him.  His ways are not like our ways.  He is our Source and He is creative in the ways that He provides for us.  We should never say out of our own worldly ways of believing; God would never do this or that.  We simply don’t know how God is going to do what He says he’s going to do.

I encourage you to step out in faith and trust God in areas that you would normally trust yourself or someone else. Give Him the opportunity to stretch your faith and trust in Him.    

Steward :: to manage or look after another's property

Are you being a good steward with  all that God has blessed you with? 

Some want a new house; do you take care of the house that you have already been blessed with?  Some want a new car; does your car look as if a garbage truck pulled up and dumped a load of garbage in it? 

steward ::  to manage or look after another’s property

Everything that we have in this life we have because the Lord has allowed us to have it.  Everything in this world is His. Colossians 1:16, John 1:3  We are simply managing it…or being a steward of it.

How many times have we, ourselves, told our children that until they take care of what we’ve given them, we won’t give them more?  It the same with our Heavenly Father. Take care of what God has given you.  Don’t squander your money on frivolous things.  Are you helping to take care of the poor?  Deuteronomy 15:11, Proverbs 29:7, Proverbs 14:31

If He’s allowed you to run a business, run it to the best of your abilities.  If He’s allowed you a car, take care of it…whether it’s a new car or new to you.  Our attitude about how we steward things will show in the way we take care of whatever it is the Lord has allowed us to have.  If your car, house or yard is a pit, maybe you don’t really value what the Lord has given to you.  How can you expect to be given more?  Joel Osteen told of places that he has visited in Africa.  They were only huts that people lived in…unlike the homes that we live in…which could be considered mansions to someone living in a hut.  Anyway, he said that even though they had floors of dirt, the places were spotless. 

Take care of what the Lord has allowed you to steward no matter how old or how new, small or large it is.  Our Father in Heaven truly wants to bless us.  Be a good steward.

...am I being obedient...

I’ve been calling our dog, Stewie, lately and he simply refuses to come to me until I am forced to get firm with him.  Only after I do get firm with him does he decide to obey and come to me.  I find this very frustrating.  I never had this much resistance from my son when he was growing up and it’s strange to have a dog that is so strong willed!

As this was taking place, I began to wonder; am I being obedient to all that the Lord is calling me to do?  Hmmm…when He calls my name, do I continue on with “the important stuff” that I’m doing or do I drop what I’m doing and do what the Lord is calling me to do?  This is something that I continually want to work on as a follower of Christ Jesus.  I don’t ever want to miss out on something that the Lord has for me…whether it is something fun or whether it’s something tedious and challenging.  I know and believe that no matter what the Lord calls me to do, it is something that is needed for me, first…secondly, possibly help for others, and thirdly…if He calls me to do something, I know that He will equip me to do the task at hand.    

I want my ears to be open to hear what the Lord is speaking to me.  I want eyes to see what the Lord wants me to see.  I want to have a heart that is receptive to what God is doing.  I want to be willing to do whatever it is he is calling me to do.  I actually focus on this as my lifestyle. 

So, when I see Stewie acting in this manner, it serves as a reminder for me to be attentive to what the Lord is doing in my life.  I encourage you to do the same.  Be attentive to what God is doing in your life.  Dare to believe that you can and will be all that God created you to be.  And, by being attentive and willing to obey, we can become and be just that.  Trust and believe in God and hope for the best.  He will never lead you astray!  Trust me, the road will not always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.  He is faithful and worthy of everything that we have to offer to Him…am so much more!         

When speaking the truth...

How is the truth being spoken?  Is it spoken in love or is it being screamed from a street corner with a bull horn or worse yet, from a pulpit by a screaming, spitting pastor?

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,  I have become a gong or clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1

From my own history, I can tell you that I was used to receiving what I believed to be truth without love…and often, that’s how I spoke the truth, as well.  I come from a highly dysfunctional family and it’s all I knew.  I thought it was normal to be critical, mean spirited and overbearing in “truth.”

When I became a Christian and began attending church, it seemed normal to have the truth yelled or screamed at me from the pulpit.  But when I truly began to understand the love of God, this yelling and screaming didn’t make any sense to me.  I began to question where the love was in it.  I can understand being passionate and intense in explaining something, but when it leads to someone yelling, screaming and pointing fingers at those who they consider sinners and calling other denominations cults simply because they believe they have the right to…I cannot stomach it.  I don’t want to hear a word that is being said.  I have been in church services where people, who felt the same way I did, got up and walked out.  There is no love in this type of message, even if there is some truth in what is being spoken.

So, yes…when speaking the truth, speak it in love.  The old saying, “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” speaks volumes.  Truth…speak it in love or don’t speak it at all…please?!