I want to talk about gifts. Not the gifts we all just opened around the Christmas tree but the gifts that we all get from God, our Father. We each have gifts of some kind and it is sad that so many do not look at what they have inside and see the gifts that God has blessed them with.
I have had people say they do not have anything to offer people. If that was true why are they here? Why did God allow them to be here? We all have something to offer someone even if it is a one time deal with one person. Maybe it is the one person you are closest to, maybe it is someone you have not met yet. Maybe your gift is not just one person or thing but it is to reach millions. How do you know what it is? I have been blessed to see so many people use their gifts and they didn't even know they were using the gift. I have been through a hard time in the last 2 years, but I have gotten to see people use there money, words of encouragement, prayer, and all the resources with people to help me.
1 Corinthians 12 in the Message Bible names some of the spiritual gifts that we as Christ followers can receive. Wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick, Miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, Tongues, Interpretation of tongues. These are just some of them. Can you find yourself in there any where?
Do I know what my gift is yet? No, but i think some of us may never know unless we ask God to show us. I know that God will use me if He hasn't already, to make a difference. All I know is that if we seek God and open our hearts and minds, we will receive a blessing and insight to what God has given us.
I would like to encourage you to take a look at some of the people around you and see if there is someone you can help in someway, then seek God for what it is you can do for that person and then go do it.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Choices
Have you ever had to make a choice that you knew if you made it, it would have generational effects? I knew the day that I chose to turn my back on all that God has tried to show me in my life that I was going to be going down a road that would have an impact on the generations to come behind me. Anytime you choose to follow the world and turn your back on God there is going to be a consequence that you are going to face.
For me it was almost losing my family, friends, and my career. I found myself lost and searching for answers, hoping that all things would be forgotten, hopes to never face those things in my life, hoping that life would pass me by, and that I would never be seen. I wanted to hide my face because of all the shame that I felt. Shame for leaving my family, for not being able to be strong and fight off Satan for them-that was a CHOICE. I have let my family, myself, and God down because of that one choice that I made. You might be saying you would never do something like that to your family. What people do not understand is that if you put anything in front of God such as money, your job, yourself or family, you have affected those coming behind you in a negative way. For me, making the choice to put my needs in front of my family's needs automatically told them I loved myself more and I deserved to be happy. What a mistake that was!
For me it was almost losing my family, friends, and my career. I found myself lost and searching for answers, hoping that all things would be forgotten, hopes to never face those things in my life, hoping that life would pass me by, and that I would never be seen. I wanted to hide my face because of all the shame that I felt. Shame for leaving my family, for not being able to be strong and fight off Satan for them-that was a CHOICE. I have let my family, myself, and God down because of that one choice that I made. You might be saying you would never do something like that to your family. What people do not understand is that if you put anything in front of God such as money, your job, yourself or family, you have affected those coming behind you in a negative way. For me, making the choice to put my needs in front of my family's needs automatically told them I loved myself more and I deserved to be happy. What a mistake that was!
We all face choices everyday. For some of us we go to bed thinking okay Lord, in the morning I am going to wake up and spend a quiet time with you. The alarm goes off and we say I need a little more sleep. That's a choice. How about the little choices we make such as when people need help and some of us look away like we never saw them instead of helping them or just seeing what they need. Here's my favorite-church, how many people wake up on Sunday morning and say I stayed up too late or its too early or its too cold, to hot, or I just sneezed-I better stay home. What a choice. Isn't it great that we live in the greatest country in the world and we have the choice to do what we want, hmm.
Wonder what would have happened if God chose not to manifest himself into a human to walk on this earth, to feel the things we all feel. I wounder what would have happened if he didn't heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind and cast out demons. What if he chooses not to ask all the disciples to follow him, and one day say I think I am going to choose to let you figure out all the things to come on your own. I know you see where this is going. What if He chose not to go to the cross and take on all the sickness, sin, and pain that ever happened, and that ever will happen. What if...
I don't know for sure what makes people choose the things that they do but I know I have chosen God. I choose to seek Him and what His word(the bible) says, and what He has for me and my family. I choose to stand up for Him, for anything about him. I am not perfect and He does not expect us to be, but I think as a whole we could all make better choices.
The next time you think you don't want to come to church, or take the extra time to pray and seek him, or maybe you see someone that could use some prayer down at the altar, we should think about what all God has chosen to do for us.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Change
Change: A) to make difference B) to make a radical difference. C) to give a different position, course, or direction, or D) to replace with another. Now I have a question, have you changed, do any of these definitions apply to you, or are you the same person you were when you where in your youth? Some people have said to me, I have changed but in reality they have not changed, they have grown up. They still have some of the same feelings they have always dealt with or felt. The only difference is that now they are in a place where if they do those things they will pay a heaver consequence for their actions.
For me, growing up in small town America, it was easy to get in trouble but hard to keep people from finding out about it. To be honest, as a young kid I really didn't care who knew but there was something in me that would try to hide every time my mother or father yelled "Richard"! Before I knew it I felt like there were people all over town saying that boy is...whatever. It wasn't until I moved from that small town did I realize I can't be acting this way and doing all the stuff in a small town that I was doing in my new town. Why is that? Because sooner or later we must grow up but that does not mean we have changed. We need to act different to get to where we need to be.
I remember my mother telling me that she would let me live with her but her requirement was that I had to go to church. Why? I did not understand at the time but God was ready for me to change my direction, change from the kid inside and grow up. It took some time but eventually I said okay I will change. Bam! I got changed, I got saved, got a job, met my beautiful wife, bought a house, had kids. Wow, did I change... so I thought. It seemed on the outside I changed but the truth was no one knew who I was-not my wife, my parents, not even myself.
It seemed to me that I was holding on to the past. Women, drinking, and being in charge of myself. I had no idea that I was not in control. I was out of control heading down a lonely road all because I refused to change. You will need to look at some of the other posts to see where loneliness and not wanting change in your life will take you.
It took going through hell before I was ready to change, ready to see a difference in my life, and ready to make a difference in my life, for me to be REAL (I have seen that word before). Is being real a change? It was for me. I had to put away all of my selfish needs and thoughts and turn them over to God. I had to do something that I have never done, let God in, let my wife in, and all the people that wanted to come in and help me change in.
There will come a day when you will say I sure would like to change or someone might say behind you I sure wish he or she would change. Either way, if you thought it, or if someone else did, you must have something in your life that needs change and only God can do that.
First you will need to confess out loud. Father(God), I need to change and I can't do it by myself I need you to come in and change me. I need to make you first in my life. I need you to save me. I believe in you. I believe you died on the cross for me and my sins. If you mean that prayer, watch out because change will come.
If you will accept the change and are looking forward to a new you, the change will be on going for the rest of your life.
For me, growing up in small town America, it was easy to get in trouble but hard to keep people from finding out about it. To be honest, as a young kid I really didn't care who knew but there was something in me that would try to hide every time my mother or father yelled "Richard"! Before I knew it I felt like there were people all over town saying that boy is...whatever. It wasn't until I moved from that small town did I realize I can't be acting this way and doing all the stuff in a small town that I was doing in my new town. Why is that? Because sooner or later we must grow up but that does not mean we have changed. We need to act different to get to where we need to be.
I remember my mother telling me that she would let me live with her but her requirement was that I had to go to church. Why? I did not understand at the time but God was ready for me to change my direction, change from the kid inside and grow up. It took some time but eventually I said okay I will change. Bam! I got changed, I got saved, got a job, met my beautiful wife, bought a house, had kids. Wow, did I change... so I thought. It seemed on the outside I changed but the truth was no one knew who I was-not my wife, my parents, not even myself.
It seemed to me that I was holding on to the past. Women, drinking, and being in charge of myself. I had no idea that I was not in control. I was out of control heading down a lonely road all because I refused to change. You will need to look at some of the other posts to see where loneliness and not wanting change in your life will take you.
It took going through hell before I was ready to change, ready to see a difference in my life, and ready to make a difference in my life, for me to be REAL (I have seen that word before). Is being real a change? It was for me. I had to put away all of my selfish needs and thoughts and turn them over to God. I had to do something that I have never done, let God in, let my wife in, and all the people that wanted to come in and help me change in.
There will come a day when you will say I sure would like to change or someone might say behind you I sure wish he or she would change. Either way, if you thought it, or if someone else did, you must have something in your life that needs change and only God can do that.
First you will need to confess out loud. Father(God), I need to change and I can't do it by myself I need you to come in and change me. I need to make you first in my life. I need you to save me. I believe in you. I believe you died on the cross for me and my sins. If you mean that prayer, watch out because change will come.
If you will accept the change and are looking forward to a new you, the change will be on going for the rest of your life.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Where is everyone?
I have been thinking lately about that old rhyme we said when we were kids. Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and here are the people. Are the people really in there or are they just there physically? Everyone has heard the phrase "the light is on but no one is home". I once was one of those people. I also wonder why it is that when we go to our favorite football game or sporting event that when something good happens everyone rises to their feet yelling, raising their hands, giving high fives to each other. When something bad happens like a foul of some kind we take offense to it like it was personal.
Where are the people at to celebrate the birth of our King? Where are all the people to stand up and cheer knowing that our Father is there for us when we are having a bad day, week, or year? I don't know about you but when I hear someone preaching about Him or when my favorite praise song is being sang, I want someone to say that is awesome or raise their hands with me and root for our team. When someone mocks our Lord our says anything negative, I want to stand up with disbelief and take it personal (I think God wants us to also).
I have had the opportunity to see people come to Christ and get baptised. Did we cheer as if our team mate scored the winning touch down? No. Most of us sat there, maybe we clapped, maybe got an amen, but that was about it. Even though they did score the winning touch down they won the game, they scored the goal for themselves. We are the fans to root for them and give them high fives!
I think its time to stand up for the team. What team are you on? The winning team pumps each other up and celebrates with each other when they do something good. Getting saved and being baptized is something that I want to encourage. We need to be there for them, have their backs when they do not understand why things are happening to them. We need to be there when things are bad, when things are hard. That is how we get to be there when things are good.
Very seldom do we get the opportunity to do something in life that really counts. I 'm not talking about getting that job, or house, or that statis. I am talking about making a difference in lives. Lives that can be changed for ever. If we stand up for those who just scored the big one and congratulate them and let them know how proud we are to have them on our team, then maybe we can also be in the game called salvation. Do not get me wrong, I do not think its a game at all but so many people do. They only want to play if they are in the spotlight. Those are the ones that do not understand being washed in the Holy Spirit. They think that since they came down front and asked the coach (God) if they could come and get in the game, that they are playing. The truth is they are on the side lines watching, until its time to score then they rush in and try to score but get pushed back because of lack of experience. I know because I have been there.
People, it's time to get real and take the responsibility that we receive when Christ comes into our lives. You might be asking who gave me the right to call you out? In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said "All the authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Jesus). Therefore go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age".
Surely after you read this you can see what I am talking about. We need to go out there and put ourselves on the line and seek God's will and what He has COMMANDED each one of us to do.
It's time to go to battle for those who are new in their spiritual walk and for the ones that have grown tired and are hurting. We need to stand up for them.
More to come on this subject...
Where are the people at to celebrate the birth of our King? Where are all the people to stand up and cheer knowing that our Father is there for us when we are having a bad day, week, or year? I don't know about you but when I hear someone preaching about Him or when my favorite praise song is being sang, I want someone to say that is awesome or raise their hands with me and root for our team. When someone mocks our Lord our says anything negative, I want to stand up with disbelief and take it personal (I think God wants us to also).
I have had the opportunity to see people come to Christ and get baptised. Did we cheer as if our team mate scored the winning touch down? No. Most of us sat there, maybe we clapped, maybe got an amen, but that was about it. Even though they did score the winning touch down they won the game, they scored the goal for themselves. We are the fans to root for them and give them high fives!
I think its time to stand up for the team. What team are you on? The winning team pumps each other up and celebrates with each other when they do something good. Getting saved and being baptized is something that I want to encourage. We need to be there for them, have their backs when they do not understand why things are happening to them. We need to be there when things are bad, when things are hard. That is how we get to be there when things are good.
Very seldom do we get the opportunity to do something in life that really counts. I 'm not talking about getting that job, or house, or that statis. I am talking about making a difference in lives. Lives that can be changed for ever. If we stand up for those who just scored the big one and congratulate them and let them know how proud we are to have them on our team, then maybe we can also be in the game called salvation. Do not get me wrong, I do not think its a game at all but so many people do. They only want to play if they are in the spotlight. Those are the ones that do not understand being washed in the Holy Spirit. They think that since they came down front and asked the coach (God) if they could come and get in the game, that they are playing. The truth is they are on the side lines watching, until its time to score then they rush in and try to score but get pushed back because of lack of experience. I know because I have been there.
People, it's time to get real and take the responsibility that we receive when Christ comes into our lives. You might be asking who gave me the right to call you out? In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said "All the authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Jesus). Therefore go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age".
Surely after you read this you can see what I am talking about. We need to go out there and put ourselves on the line and seek God's will and what He has COMMANDED each one of us to do.
It's time to go to battle for those who are new in their spiritual walk and for the ones that have grown tired and are hurting. We need to stand up for them.
More to come on this subject...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Faithfulness
I have often wondered about faith, faithfulness, and being faithful. To me these are some very serious things to be concerned with. Faith, what do you have faith in? Is it men or a job, or is it in yourself? I have had faith in all of those things and I am here to tell you that man will let you down. Your job can go away and you can not do it on your own.
I would like to ask that you look at what you do in a situation that you have no control over anything. Do you go and ask for advice from a friend, do you go and try to work more, or do you say to yourself I can get through this? If any of you are like I used to be I would say or do any of these things and then wonder why things are not getting better. I would try one thing and then go to the next. But I always fell short of my goal.
Hmm...my goal when did it become about me? When did it make sense to try and do what I wanted to do? That is putting your faith in your own hands and not putting your faith in God. There has been times when I have put my faith in man only to be let down. When you put men up on a pedestal you are looking for them to have all the answers and to not have any flaws but they do.
There has only been one man that was able to hold up to what men wanted him to. That man is Jesus Christ. He was so faithful to you and me that he took it all the way to his death. Not only to death but he took on everything wrong in our lives. That sounds to me like someone I would put all my faith in. How about you?
Over the last year I went from having enough money in my pocket to blow, to having nothing but my pockets blowing, but God provided for me only after I put my faith in Him. I still do not have a job but I believe His word, that if you give him what you have he will bless you in ways you would not expect. People are saying that praying is the only way but if you do not put faith in what you are praying for and believe that he has already begun to work out things for you, then you have little faith. Just like the disciple he asked to come to him out on the water, as he walked he started to doubt him and began to sink and he called him out - "Ye of little faith", that's what he will say to you in one way or the other.
I have found that it makes sense to believe and have faith, total faith in God, than to think I can do it with out him.
Habakkuk 2: 4 See that he is puffed up; his desires are not upright but the righteous will live by his faith.
I love the last part of Romans 1:17 The righteous will live by faith.
I found over 50 places in the Bible on faith. I think its time to put your faith in him, all in him, and only in him.
I would like to ask that you look at what you do in a situation that you have no control over anything. Do you go and ask for advice from a friend, do you go and try to work more, or do you say to yourself I can get through this? If any of you are like I used to be I would say or do any of these things and then wonder why things are not getting better. I would try one thing and then go to the next. But I always fell short of my goal.
Hmm...my goal when did it become about me? When did it make sense to try and do what I wanted to do? That is putting your faith in your own hands and not putting your faith in God. There has been times when I have put my faith in man only to be let down. When you put men up on a pedestal you are looking for them to have all the answers and to not have any flaws but they do.
There has only been one man that was able to hold up to what men wanted him to. That man is Jesus Christ. He was so faithful to you and me that he took it all the way to his death. Not only to death but he took on everything wrong in our lives. That sounds to me like someone I would put all my faith in. How about you?
Over the last year I went from having enough money in my pocket to blow, to having nothing but my pockets blowing, but God provided for me only after I put my faith in Him. I still do not have a job but I believe His word, that if you give him what you have he will bless you in ways you would not expect. People are saying that praying is the only way but if you do not put faith in what you are praying for and believe that he has already begun to work out things for you, then you have little faith. Just like the disciple he asked to come to him out on the water, as he walked he started to doubt him and began to sink and he called him out - "Ye of little faith", that's what he will say to you in one way or the other.
I have found that it makes sense to believe and have faith, total faith in God, than to think I can do it with out him.
Habakkuk 2: 4 See that he is puffed up; his desires are not upright but the righteous will live by his faith.
I love the last part of Romans 1:17 The righteous will live by faith.
I found over 50 places in the Bible on faith. I think its time to put your faith in him, all in him, and only in him.
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