Tag: #ministry

NOTHING

NOTHING. That’s a really big word. How do you describe such a word? The Mirriam-Webster dictionary gives it a shot:

“Nothing” can be a pronoun, an informal adjective, or an adverb : defined, “nothing” is “not any thing, not a thing,” or “someone or something that has no interest, no value, no importance.”

Isn’t it, by definition, an oxymoron to try to describe “nothing”? If there is “nothing” there, how can you have it? On the other hand, if there is nothing, not any thing, no thing, then there is emptiness, right? I think the second definition may be the most important in light of the following scriptures: ”

of no interest, value, or importance.” Of no consequence.

If we embrace the meaning, the “no – thing”, then the opposite is, of course, every – thing, or any – thing.

“And we know that GOD causes everything to work together for the good of those who love GOD and are called according to His Purpose for them.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If GOD is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?

Can anything ever separate us from CHRIST’s love? Does it mean He no longer Loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For YOUR sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” ) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through CHRIST, Who Loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from GOD’s Love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from GOD’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the LOVE of GOD that is revealed in CHRIST JESUS our LORD.” – Romans 8:28‭, ‬31‭-‬32‭, ‬35‭-‬39 NLT

Look again at verse 38 – What a sermon in one sentence! Do you feel alone, separated, bereft of your God? Is it because the god you worship is not the GOD of the Universe, the GOD Who left heaven to come to earth, the GOD Who became the sacrificial Lamb in order that we might have eternal salvation? I, too, am convinced that nothing can separate me from my GOD. The enemy certainly has tried! But you see, whatever you think is separating you from the Almighty is nothing…. the enemy of my LORD, by name of Satan or Lucifer or any other name, is

of no interest, value, or importance; he is of no consequence when it comes to JESUS! It’s all in the name, people, the NAME of JESUS.

Listen to the song “Praise Him In This Storm” by Casting Crowns.

Who Do You Count On?

“I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His Word.” – Psalms 130:5 NLT

God did not make us to be without Him; nor did He make us to be alone on earth. Read through these carefully:

“Then the LORD GOD GOD said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the LORD GOD formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the LORD GOD caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD GOD took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the LORD GOD made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” – Genesis 2:18‭-‬24 NLT

The LORD made us to be His companions, but He also saw that we need the company and community of others like us. Yes, count on the LORD above all things, because even the best intentions of man will fail at some point, causing us pain and disappointment. Only GOD will never let us down. The significant others in my life, whether friend, family, husband or boyfriend, have all caused me pain over the years. Abuse, both verbal and physical, abandonment, betrayal. The list goes on, but the point is that anyone we know, everyone we know, will prove to be unable to sustain us. We need the LORD above all else, and if we make Him the focal point of our lives, the pain of humanity is easier to bear. To make any relationship successful, the LORD must be first.

Sometimes, we are blessed with a lifetime, life-long companion. There are times that I envy those who have that. Some of us have lost through untimely death (although I could argue that there is nothing untimely with God). Addictions, infidelity, abuse, abandonment, can end relationships – and we should leave those situations where our lives are threatened. My point is this: GOD, the LORD, created us to crave companionship. Our error is that we too often choose another person to fill that need, and that can never be enough. It can be, and should be, good…. but we need the company of our LORD to be complete. Our human relationships will always involve some degree of disappointment; our relationship with JESUS CHRIST, our Salvation, is the only one that we can count on completely and without reservation.

“And so, LORD, where do I put my hope? My only Hope is in YOU.” – Psalms 39:7 NLT

“Let all that I am wait quietly before GOD, for my Hope is in Him.” – Psalms 62:5 NLT

LORD, be with us today as we learn to put our hope in You and not in man; in You where there is no disappointment or betrayal. Amen.

Attention Church Leaders: Is It A Trend?

We are very trendy folks. Look around at the mega-churches, the television preachers with their fancy sets and stages, the pomp and circumstance that consumes many services. Are they leading people to Christ, or are they leading people to an eternity without Him? Maybe It’s just me, but I really don’t see how having an affluent lifestyle with thousand dollar suits and expensive hair and makeup, or driving a fancy car and owning a big expensive house is leading people to Jesus. I’m not saying that pastors should be impoverished, but they shouldn’t be the fashion plate the community looks to, either. They need to be leading by example, showing the satisfaction and contentment of following our Saviour.

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them all. But GOD had Mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His GREAT Patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive ETERNAL Life.” – 1 Timothy 1:15‭-‬16 NLT

It is so painful to see some preachers as they prance around on stage, using showmanship and charisma to draw people in, rather than teaching the Salvation of Jesus Christ. It hurts to see leaders of the church arrested for embezzlement or affairs. I see so many leaders lording it over their congregations, and leading them down paths of disrespect for the Word of God. What kind of example is this for the people who don’t know the Saving Grace of our LORD?

“So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world Lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His LIFE as a ransom for many.” ” – Mark 10:42‭-‬45 NLT

There’s definitely a trend in the scriptures! Over and over, first jesus and then His Disciples, preached that the role of a leader is to serve. They emphasized servanthood over being anything else. Even as Jesus, the most Royal person to ever be on this earth, stooped to the task of the lowest servant in order to wash the feet of His followers. He became the servant, leaving His throne and His crown behind. Not long after I returned to Christ, the Pastor of my church, alongside his wife, illustrated this by washing the feet – literally – of people in the congregation. They chose people who had troubled pasts and who may have been looked down on by some of the more righteous of the people there, it was both an incredibly humbling and exalting experience for me. They took (take) God’s Words quite literally.

“Care for the flock that GOD has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve GOD. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” – 1 Peter 5:2‭-‬4 NLT

“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Matthew 23:11‭-‬12 NLT

Pastors and church leaders, I plead with you to be as Jesus said: serve your people, show genuine care for the least of them, and show humilty in your lives. You don’t need the external trappings of expensive clothes or hair or makeup. The most important thing you can have is an outstanding love for our LORD; humility and true leadership will come through His Word. This last verse is one that we all should be sticking t.o

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the LORD JESUS – the work of telling others the GOOD NEWS about the Wonderful GRACE of GOD.” – Acts of the Apostles 20:24 NLT

AMEN.

Ask not…

Probably one of the most recognized phrases of the Baby Boomer generation was said by our former President, John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” I respect this, because we owe our comfortable, free lives to this country that we live in. In many countries, you don’t have the freedoms to choose that we do, and we owe it to our country and citizenry to do what we can to support it. If we owe allegiance and respect for our nation, and we are working to that end, what about God? Don’t we owe Him allegiance for our souls, our free will, and especially for the Salvation He offers?

To paraphrase Kennedy, “Ask not what God can do for you, ask what you can do for Him!”

“And you must love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT

“For the Angel of the LORD is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him. Taste and see that the LORD is Good. Oh, the joys of those who take Refuge in Him! Fear the LORD, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who Trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.” – Psalms 34:7‭-‬10 NLT

“For the WORD of GOD is Alive and Powerful. It is Sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” – Hebrews 4:12 NLT

What are you asking today?

Know God?

“Yes, they knew GOD, but they wouldn’t worship Him as GOD or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what GOD was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.” – Romans 1:21‭-‬22 NLT

What does your god look like? Is He Majestic and Holy, clothed in His Creation? Is your god clothed in Sooner cream and red, Dallas blue and silver, OSU orange? Perhaps your god is dressed in the latest fashions, or corporate goals. Maybe your god is wrapped up in busyness or children or a spouse. Loyalty, addiction, obsession to something in this world can so easily supplant THE God, Creator and Saviour. Too many times, in our quest to fill that God-shaped hole inside us, we get caught up in the external and the glittery temptations that God’s enemy, Satan, places in front of us. It’s so easy to get sidetracked into his lair, and it can be incredibly difficult to extract ourselves from the webs of deceit he weaves to trap us.

Reflecting on my past, I see clearly many instances where I was hung up in those webs. I was so busy having fun, I could ignore how miserable I was. That’s on way the enemy keeps us trapped. Busy, busy, busy. Career, kids, school, football and other sports, cars, shopping….. rather than dwelling on “What’s in your wallet?”, can we switch focus to “What’s in your heart?” Do you know the Almighty GOD? Is HE in your heart, filling it with love and compassion for His people, or are you cramming tnat hole full of earthly pursuits? It’s lke the sign says,

“Know God, Know Peace. NO God, NO Peace.”

Which part are you? Do you KNOW Peace, or do you have NO Peace in your heart? Be like the author of this psalm: Praise Him, be Thankful for Him, and Pray for God’s help and protection.

“I praise GOD for what he has promised. I trust in GOD, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” – Psalms 56:4 NLT

Spirit Guide – The REAL Thing

“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ …. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” – Galatians 5:14‭, ‬16 NLT

In New Age teaching, you have a spirit guide to help you through life. How ironic that they have pulled it straight out of the scriptures they despise. For a time in my life when I was very troubled and looking for help, I became involved in that thinking, thanks to a ‘counselor’ I went to who encouraged me to it. She encouraged me in looking at ‘past lives’ – I apparently was a black woman, a slave, during the Civil War – and through this counselor I was introduced to my ‘spirit guide.’ This is what I can tell you about that time: the New Age movement is not about bringing truth and light into your life. Oh, it starts out that way. My ‘spirit guide’ came to me (in my mind) as a beautiful, shining woman, eager to help me on my way. It took a very short time, because I didn’t follow her unquestioning and meekly, before this beauty resorted to her her true form – and it was far from pretty. It (not a ‘she’, as I had thought) morphed into a twisted, ugly imp with ragged teeth and claws instead of fingers and toes. It was unquestionably one of Satan’s followers, whose job was to drag me far enough down that I couldn’t find my way back to my LORD.

Oh, people, I pray you can hear me! If these things can happen to a CHRISTIAN, how much easier is it for unbelievers to be dragged into the pits of hell?? I have experienced hell on earth, and my heart breaks for the millions of people who are sucked into these things every day. The only Spirit Guide we need is the Holy Spirit! GOD Almighty, Creator, as our Father, JESUS CHRIST as our Advocate and our Brother, and the HOLY SPIRIT as our Spirit Guide – this is all we need to truly live, both here on earth and for eternity. It took a miracle to break me out of that life, and I praise GOD for my deliverance. Leaving it, just walking away, isn’t humanly possible. It requires divine intervention, and I am forever grateful for my freedom. Once Satan lures you into his lifestyle, it is so easy to get sucked back into it. This experience was second time becoming involved in it – up front, on the surface, it seems like such a good thing. The enemy wants us trapped in the quicksand of his lies and deception, and he absolutely hates it when someone gets free. He pursues the escapees with all of the vengeance he has, and sends his legions to harass and create difficulties and harm from those people. He throws up roadblocks and puts every enticement in front of us.

Even now, years after, he is out to destroy our lives; my life. I put my Hope and my Trust in my LORD Jesus Christ. He put His Angel Army around me to protect me, and He gave me His Holy Spirit to guide me through the darkness and despair.

“O LORD, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. ….. I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your Presence! ….. but even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. ….. Search me, O GOD, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of Everlasting LIFE.” – Psalms 139:1‭,7‭,12‭, ‬23‭-‬24 NLT

HALLELUJAH! My chains are gone! Will you allow Him to release you, today?

I’m Not Religious

“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what GOD has prepared for those who love Him.” …. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9‭, ‬14 NLT

I don’t really care for people calling me “religious.” To me, religion is something people do to show to the rest of the world how “good” they are. I’m not “good”, and there is no way that anything I can do is going to get me to heaven. There aren’t enough Hail Mary’s, and there aren’t enough sacrifices or prayers to wash me clean enough. No, I have enough sin in my past to keep me as far away from God as there is distance. Blessed be His Holy Name, this is exactly where Jesus Messiah meets us! I can’t do enough, but He can do EVERYTHING. My mind can’t comprehend any love that big, and that’s exactly what verse 9 is telling us. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what GOD has prepared for those who love Him.” I can’t see it, I can’t hear it, I can’t even imagine what God has for me. It’s difficult to even think that He loves me; that Jesus LOVED me, enough to leave heaven and come here to cover me with His saving Grace.

Think about this. If Christians have a hard time understanding how deep and how wide our Saviour’s Love goes; how all-encompassing His Love is, how can the unbeliever, the spiritually parched, believe it? LORD, don’t let me be perceived as religious by the world. I pray that the unbeliever will see a difference in me, and that they will want to know how to achieve that peace for themselves. Especially through this time of trial, help me to remain faithful to You and Your commandment. Help me to maintain my faith in You, and my belief in Your faithfulness to me. As I stumble through this time, I know I am not alone and I pray that I recognize Your Strength as You carry me. Show me how to be spiritual, and not religious. Help me remember this: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” – Psalms 103:12 NLT AMEN.

Poverty or Plenty

“Better to have little, with fear for the LORD, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.” – Proverbs 15:16 NLT

Jesus modeled this proverb during His ministry on earth. But what about His life before His ministry? We know very little about His earthly father, except that he raised Jesus in the small town of Nazareth, and we know that Joseph was a carpenter. We know that Joseph was an “upright” man, a righteous man (Matthew 1:18-25), who followed God’s instructions for his life. As a carpenter who was displaced from his home, and with a young wife and small child, Joseph took his family and traveled to Egypt. They lived there until the Judean king, Herod, died and they could return to Judea safely. We don’t know if Joseph was very poor, or middle class, or wealthy. I like to imagine that Joseph mentored his eldest, Jesus, in the art of carpentry, and that he took good care of his family. I imagine that he was a kind and loving husband and father; a good example for all of his children. I like to believe that Joseph lived out Proverbs 15:16, not necessarily wealthy but an adequate provider, and the religious leader of their home. I wonder if he was disappointed that Jesus didn’t take a wife and settle down to live in Nazareth and to work with him. We don’t know if he was alive during Jesus’s ministry, or present at His death on the cross, or His resurrection from the grave. We don’t read about these things in scripture, because the wealth or poverty of Jesus’s parents isn’t really relevant to the story of His ministry. His earthly father doesn’t have the importance, or the significance, that His heavenly Father does. We know where Jesus really came from, and His heavenly home would make any situation on earth look like poverty!

Jesus understood poverty in the earthly sense, too. During His three years of travel and ministry on earth, He stayed with wealthy people like Lazarus and his sisters, and He ate with Zacchaeus and other wealthy tax collectors. We don’t know, in fact, that He was poor and homeless during His ministry. He said “The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ ” – Luke 7:34 NLT

Does this mean He was wealthy? Poor? Homeless? We know He camped with His followers, and He performed miracles to feed the crowds who followed Him, rather than purchasing food for them. Does it matter? At times, He had plenty, and at times He experienced poverty. I understand that, too well. I have had plenty, shopping when and where I wanted, and going out to eat at nice resturants on a frequent basis. I have also experienced poverty and homelessness, staying with friends and also living in a vacant house for a time. Jesus knew what it was like, even though His real Father’s wealth exceeds anything we could possibly imagine. He reminds us:

“You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” – John 12:8 NLT

And then He also reminds us that we are blessed and loved by the Almighty LORD of the universe:

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” – 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

He doesn’t promise to give us everything we want. He promises to provide for our needs. I am clinging to His promises today, not knowing how I will meet my financial obligations beyond today. Mortgage, utilities, car payment, insurance…. no job and no financial cushion because I have used it to survive thus far. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief! All I ask is for enough. Enough to survive and to live on. That’s it. Amen.

Proverbs

PRO-VERB
ˈprävərb/
noun
plural noun: proverbs
a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice.
synonyms: saying, adage, saw, maxim, axiom, precept; words of wisdom

“The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young –
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance –
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:1-7

Good advice, from the man called the wisest man (and also the richest!) ever to live on earth…. I began reading these, again, a few years ago while I was involved in a Christ-centered recovery program. There was a lot of emphasis for my healing on Proverbs 16:9. It kept reminding me that I am not in control of my life; that in spite of my pride and controlling attitude, my idea that “I’ll do it myself,” God was – and IS – the One in control. That’s a hard thing to acknowledge for a person who has suffered emotionally and physically at the hands of others. I had to drop the pretense that I was perfect and recognize that I wasn’t always right. This is a battle still being fought today and every day, as the enemy seeks to pull me away from my LORD, Jesus Christ.

“We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed. …. Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” – Proverbs 16:1‭-‬3‭, ‬8‭-‬9 NLT

We are all in the battle against the enemy Satan. He wants us to believe that we have it all together, that we know better than the GOD of the Universe. Sounds a little silly, especially when we consider that this amazing, all-powerful God knew us before any man even imagined our existence. He knew me in my Mother’s womb, as I was being knit together in the fabulous way He designed. ( Read all of Psalm 139, and Job 10:11). I struggle with verse 8 of Proverbs 16. America is a land of riches, and I see the people around me adding to their “stuff” on a daily basis. If you disagree, take a look outside on trash day at the full-to-bursting trash receptacles and the overflowing recycle bins. Stuff. As I grow older, I find myself yearning for a simpler life…. but I have so much “stuff” I can’t seem to let go of, so how does life get simpler? Ridiculous. Pray for me as I continue to seek the way God wants me to go, as I pray for you.