DRESSED FOR MINISTRY? PUT ON GOD'S CLOTHES!!

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. This scripture reminds us that we are holy and dearly loved people. What a great word for us to be reminded that God has taken the refuse of our lives and imparted His holiness to us. That is love on an awesome level. The word reminds us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)  Then, we are given a wardrobe lesson for the Christian. This is a "what to wear" for those of us who call ourselves His children and want to be seen as such by those we come in contact with. First, Paul says we should clothe ourselves with compassion. Compassion is not sympathy. It is much more than that. Sympathy may get our attention but there is not intention. Feeling sorry for someone doesn't move us to act, but compassion puts us into the situation in a way that causes us to act in a way to insert Christ and His power into the life of those in need. Without compassion, we will pass by the needy an say "be blessed and be filled" but do nothing personally to bless or fill them. Second, we are encouraged to put on kindness. The kindness of the Lord draws people into the presence of the Lord. What does kindness look like? It manifests itself through a hug, a word of encouragement, a prayer of intercession, a sandwich for the hungry, and a gentle touch of a sincere and kind heart. People have had enough pity and judgement. What they need is someone who will interject themselves into their situation with a kind touch.  Then we are to put on humility. Humility comes when we do the work of the Lord with the realization that we are not better than those we minister to. We are just one beggar telling another beggar where to find the bread of life. Too many times, Christians are lured into an attitude of superiority and try to minister from that platform. People know when pride is involved in the help they receive and that kind of "ministry" is not effective or anointed. God resists the proud but comes near to those who are humble. When He is in the midst of what we do the anointing accomplishes what God wants and not what we want. Gentleness is an important part of our wardrobe. Ministry should not be done harshly or without concern for the dignity of those in need. A gentle spirit brings a tenderness to our ministry and sets us apart from those who do things out of a sense of obligation. We are not obligated to help others, we are compelled by the loving gentle hand of the One who first loved us. Last, we need patience to finish off the clothing that sets us apart. The work of God is compared to farming. We have to prepare the ground, plant the seed, cultivate and pull some weeds, water the ground, and finally reap the harvest. This all requires patience and causes us to exercise our faith. As we move to touch the lives of people, it will require us to wait upon the Lord many times. If we are patient and let God do His work with us, we will see Him draw many into a relationship with Him. Let's go out fully dressed in the clothing that God has furnished for us. We will accomplish much more if we do so. Just sayin'...

CAN WE HAVE TRUE HAPPINESS? YES WE CAN!

Psalm 1 ¹Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. ²But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

I love this verse. It is definitely a verse with a promise. The promise is if we don't do some things and do something the result will be BLESSING. The Hebrew word here is 'esher and means a state of living in happiness or blessings. Now this is true happiness-not as the world and it's ways defines happiness. Happiness as the world defines it is temporary and depends entirely upon the situation and circumstances we find ourselves embroiled in. This type of happiness usually leaves a person disappointed, discouraged, and depressed. But what of the happiness that God provides. This is not based on circumstance but is instead based on the trustworthiness of God and His awesome word that is filled with promises. Godly happiness makes you stand out from the world and gives you a quality of existence that is attractive and causes those living without it to be pulled toward you and your God.

So how do we get to this wonderful state of happiness and blessedness? There are three things that God says we can't do. 

First, we should not receive or follow the counsel of those who are ungodly. Those whose life is filled with tragedy always love company. They are quick to tell you what you should do and how you should do it. One thing that should keep us from receiving that counsel is to look at the track record of those who live by the ways of the world. Divorce, rebellious children, financial wreckage, and more are the results of worldly pursuit of happiness. Just because it feels good in the moment, does not mean that it will end with you fulfilled and satisfied. We are in life for the long haul and our wisdom on how to live life needs to come from Godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says that  ^"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom and direction on how to live life successfully and with great happiness.

Second, we can't fellowship with those who are living a sinful lifestyle. "standing in the way" means in simple language that if we are following God we have no business "hanging out" with those who are travelling a different path. Our great downfall is that many times we have our spiritual life undermined by associating on a consistant basis with those who are "practicing sin". We have a tendency to become like those who we fellowship with. We can't totally separate ourselves from worldly people. We work and play with many who are not godly and who have no interest in building us up. We are in the world but we can not be of the world. Fellowship is an exchange-an exchange of heart, purpose, and direction. For the Christian, we need to fellowship with believers. Those who love us unconditionally, won't judge us, and who help confirm God's direction and purpose in our lives. Hanging with God's people brings great blessing.

Third, we should not walk in scorn or judgement of those we come in contact with. God has called us to be an ambassador of Christ to those we associate with. There are plenty of worldly people who are intent on building their self-righteousness on the failures of others. When we look down on people, we have an impossible barrier to our fishing for men and bringing them into the presence of God. We are beggars who have found the bread of life and it is our responsibility to share that bread with the other beggars who have not been fortunate enough to eat of this bread. We can't be blessed of God if we are judging people instead of winning them to Christ.

The thing we should "do" is to meditate on the Word of God. God's word is the book of life and when we open our hearts to it we can't help but bear fruit for God. The happiest people in the Kingdom of God are those who are being infused with life through an intimate relationship with the word. To meditate means to get all of the meat that is available to us through the word. Meditation comes from the word we use called ruminate. Like a cow eats grass and chews the cud until all the protein and potential good out of what they have eaten. This is a picture of what we must do. Don't just casually pass over the word and think that intellectual knowledge is enough to get you to a state of spiritual happiness. We have to take it apart word by word and apply those concepts to our life. Application of God's word will set you apart from the nominal Christian. We should want every blessing God has for us and live in that true happiness God also wants for us.

Can you be happy? YES YOU CAN!!! Just sayin'...

WIDE GATE OR NARROW GATE? NO BRAINER

Matthew 7:13-14 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) The Narrow Gate

 ¹³“Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. ¹⁴But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.

This scripture tells us that there is a choice that must be made by those of us who follow Christ Jesus. There are two ways to travel through this world and its life experience. We as Christians know that following Christ requires some hard choices and we are commanded to follow the Lord. 

One gate we can enter in is the "wide gate". The wide gate is the easy way. This is the way of the world. Not willing to make the hard choice and go the way that everyone else is traveling is characteristic of the way that worldly individuals go. It is easy to tell which decision is the way of the world. Just see where most everyone is headed and you can know that it is the way of least resistance. Why is that? Because if you are headed the way that the devil wants you to travel, why should he give you any resistance? He has you right where he wants you and the spiritual resistance will be minimal. The problem is the easy way leads to destruction. The trade off is easy way now...destruction later. That simply means for all your efforts you get nothing. That is the way that the devil works. He give us a simple way to travel with no resistance but the end of this way is destruction.Psalm 1:6 tells us the that the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

So when you consider that the easy gate brings us to NOTHING...it is total deception that causes us to choose to enter into that wide gate.

Now let's consider the narrow gate. The scripture tells us that the narrow gate leads us into trouble. The enemy hates for us to choose the way of the Lord and he will make sure that there is plenty of trouble along the way to discourage you and turn you around. While there is trouble, the Lord promises us that He will be with us all the way. Psalm 1:6 also tells us that the Lord watches over the way of the righteous and in other scriptures, the word tells us that God's way brings favor and blessings. In Matthew 28:20, the scripture tells us that Christ is always with us even to the end. What an awesome promise from God. Even though we don't have it easy, we have the Lord with us in every situation, every circumstance, and every relationship. The narrow gate leads us to life. Think about that. LIFE. This is a great promise. Now we should understand that doesn't just mean life eternal, it means the best quality of life on earth. The blessings of God aren't just for when we die and go to heaven, He has promised us abundant life here on earth...right now. 1 Timothy 4:8

So the choice is clear...easy now and nothing later or hard now and rewards NOW AND LATER. Given those options....I CHOOSE THE NARROW GATE. Just sayin....

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ALL THINGS??? REALLY???

Romans 8:28 Amplified Bible (AMP) ²⁸We are assured and know that [^[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

WOW!! What a completely freeing concept to hold on to as a Christian. When things are going well it is easy to see the good working on our behalf. But, we all know that everything in life is not "good". This verse of scripture doesn't even imply that. Instead, God says He is causing everything...the good...the bad...and the ugly to work on our behalf.

One great aspect of this verse of scripture is that God is on our side through every situation and circumstance. God is our "partner" in our labor to succeed. His heart for us is to be successful. No one in partnership with another wants that partner to fail. A partner has a vested interest in the other being successful and overcoming any obstacle that stands in the way. So many times, the enemy uses unfavorable situations that we all face in life to derail us and get us to live outside the plan of God for our lives. This scripture says that He is working with us to ensure that EVERYTHING works to fit into a plan...what plan? Well, according to God in Jeremiah 29:11, God has a plan for us to be blessed and not cursed, life and not death, and a hope and a future. So, armed with that knowledge, we need to face every thing that somes into our life with faith.

Our relationship with God is key in walking out this promise found in scripture. There are two things that we need to be aware of as God's children. First, we need to be loving God. Many of us have an idea that God loves us. But this scripture has a promise not to those loved by God, but to those who LOVE God. What does it mean to love someone. It means that we give the one we love our attention, communicate with them, and spend some quality time with them. When we really love and know someone, then trust is established. Loving God is not just lip service but is evidenced by life service. when relationships are right, then we want to serve the one we love. In my relationship with George Anne, the more in love we have fallen, the more I want to do for her. I desire to bless her, be a blessing to her, and see her succeed in every endeavor she cares about. When we are entwined in a relationship with our awesome God, we care about Him, about His character and plans, and we are committed to making God look good in us. Second, we must realize that we are each one called to fulfill His design and purpose in our lives. As I love God and let Him love me, the purposes of God for my life become more clear. 

I want to share a personal testimony about this concept. When my dad was suddenly killed in a car accident several years ago, it was a devastating event. My first question was "Why God?". We can be honest with the ones that we love...even God. When I asked that question the thing that immediately came to my mind was that God said, "I will cause even this to work for good." I didn't understand it completely but that is where faith has to begin and reason is left behind. I begin to testify to the goodness of God even in the midst of my grief and I found the comfort of the Holy Spirit to be sufficient to get me through this time of loss. One morning while I was sharing with a new member of my church what God had been revealing, it impacted his life tremendously.  He later shared with me that this one conversation had been a turning point in his life. He said that he realized that a relationship with God could be real and life changing. He and his wife have now been committed to Christ for many years and they are impacting people in their realm of influence day by day. This is just one example of how God used this situation to ultimately save, heal, and deliver many. My dad is in heaven and I know that he is filled with joy because people are being drawn to Christ through this.

Try putting this promise into practice. The word of God is not theory, it is practical and applies to our lives everyday. The next time you are confronted with a difficult situation....reach out by faith and begin to thank God that He is going to cause even this to bring glory to God and be a good thing that accomplishes His purpose and plan in your life. You will be surprised at what He can do with faith like that. Just sayin....   

GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES

2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

This is an awesome verse of scripture to consider and meditate on. As Christians we have a arsenal of powerful promises from God’s own heart. If we know the will of God for us based on His own expressed word, we have a platform and foundation to not only fight from, but to also WIN day in and day out against the attacks of the enemy. The verse says that these promises are first of all GREAT. They are great because the Word of God according to Hebrews 4:12 is quick and powerful, active and alive. What a potential there is in yielding this battle sword against an enemy who has nothing but lies and empty accusations. The second thing is that these promises from the scripture are PRECIOUS. The definition of precious is an object, substance, or resource of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. When we hold the promises of God into our heart and use them as the Lord intends, we will use them don’t waste the precious resources that Christ has given us.

This verse of scripture gives us insight into how we are supposed to live in the light of God. We are not only students of the divine nature of God, but should be participants in that nature. The Lord has endowed us with the ability to live on a different plane of existence than the rest of the world. So many times we offer the excuse that we are “only human”.  Well, the truth is we are more than human after we receive the person of Jesus Christ. His power and divine nature become available to us to live “in Christ”. We are not only privileged to the power of God to save us from eternal hell, we can be recipients of the power to be set free from the bondages of the enemy that cause us hell here on earth. We can escape the corruption of the world caused by the evil desires and fleshly decay that exists. Knowing that the word has promises is not enough to give us victory. We have to make a choice to appropriate the promises into our unique situations and walk in the faith and assurance that God’s word is the last word on any situation.

We can’t just have a “casual” relationship with the word of God if we are to have the victory. These precious promises are resources that are wasted by Christians on a massive scale everyday. Anytime we yield to the lies of Satan, we are guilty of being careless of the word He has entrusted to us. We need to put some effort forward to being spiritually responsible to use the word of God to its full benefit in our lives. The entire book of Psalm 119 is dedicated to encouraging the believer to have a right relationship with God’s word. Two of the verses that immediately come to mind are Psalm 119:11 and Psalm 119:105. Verse 11 tells us if we hide the word in our hearts we will be protected from the impulse to sin against God. We hide that word through meditation and transforming our minds through exposure to the promises of God. Verse 105 tells us that the word will enlighten the path in which we should walk. Every day we come to crossroads that give us a choice to move in the right direction or the wrong path. An intimate relationship with the promises of God will give us the ability to always choose the right path.

How many precious promises are there in the Word of God? Herbert Lockyer wrote a book called “All the Promises of the Bible” and his list claims almost 8,000 great and precious promises just for us. Let’s make a commitment to not waste one of those promises in our lives.  It will make a difference. Just sayin’…

BE READY TO SHARE JESUS!!

1 Peter 3:15 Amplified Bible (AMP) ¹⁵But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.

It is awesome when we consider that when we live life as God has ordained us to, that those around us notice that something is different with us. We are admonished by the Lord not to hide our light but set it on a hill so that all can see the light that God has put in us. We should always take some time to recall all the changes God has created in us. When we consider that we lived in and breathed an atmosphere of total darkness and God touched us, saved us, and called us to step into a kingdom of light and love, we are destined to change.   The scripture in 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that when we get saved that all the old things pass away and our live begins to take on new characteristics that are in tune with God’s nature and heart.  We love when we used to hate, give when we used to horde, and have peace when we used to fall apart. Because of that change, people around us start to check out what has happened to us that made the change in us.  We become a walking advertisement for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we know why we change and we think others should just automatically assume that God made the difference. Today’s passage of scripture tells us we should always be ready to let people know that it was our encounter with Jesus that has made the difference. In order to give a logical defense for the hope that is in us simply means we need to be ready to share what God has done for us. God has not called us to be “theologians” but instead “witnesses”.  Acts says that after the Holy Ghost comes up on us, we have power to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. As we stand before a world that dwells in darkness and is attracted to light, we have to be on constant ready to let that power to witness flow through us.

We also need to be remembering that sometimes when the world inquires of the hope that is in us , it doesn’t always do so with respect and courtesy. Sometimes the lost world is rude, in your face, and confrontational. We are not to return insult for insult but instead we are to call upon the nature of Christ that lives in us and give our answer courteously and respectfully. This sets us apart from the world that wants to give back just what was received. The power of God flows when we let His love and nature flow through us to reveal the hope that lives inside of us. Are you ready to give an answer?  I pray that I am always ready. Just sayin’…

FASTING FOR THE RIGHT REASON!!

Matthew 6:16-18

Amplified Bible (AMP)
¹⁶And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and sour and dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to and seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full already.    ¹⁷But when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face, ¹⁸So that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.

Most of what really counts for God is the stuff we do that no one knows about except us and God. This kind of relationship with God depends not on the accolades of men, but instead on intimacy with the Lord. The scripture says if our motivation for "doing" good deeds is so that we will be noticed by others, then all our reward will consist of is that recognition. God wants us to know that the power in fasting is the secrecy of it. The moment we want someone to recognize how "spiritual" we are the benefit of fasting is lost and we are on some "glorified diet". God admonishes us through this scripture to appear normal as we fast. Hypocrites walk around with a weak look, waiting for someone to ask why they are so glum and sober. Why? So they would ask and we could declare our superior spiritual stance by saying, "I'M FASTING TO THE LORD!" NO...WE ARE FASTING FOR OTHERS RECOGNITION. 

God not only tells us to refrain from looking sad and somber but He gives us instruction about how to appear as we fast. He says to wash our face, sweeten our smell and act normal so that only God knows what is going on. Does that mean there is no reward coming for our fasting? NOT AT ALL. When we fast and pray we get spiritual insight and the Lord reveals to us the keys to breaking through strongholds and setting captives free. Jesus said that some victories over demonic forces only come through prayer combined with fasting. When someone's soul hangs in the balance there is not price too great to pay for that kind of victory. 

George Anne and I have witnessed first-hand God's reward as those we have ministered to have been set free from the grasp of the enemy. What better, more open reward could a child of the King ask for than seeing the power of God fall on someone? When you set out to fast, check your motivation and pull close to the Lord. HE WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU!! Just sayin'.....