"Imperfect Person"

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty".  1 Corinthians 1:17

When you are listening to some ministers, do you ever wonder how they can hear the Lord so clearly about certain subjects, be so anointed, have amazing Bible knowledge, speak with great authority and are used mightily by the Lord yet they "miss it" in some areas.  In those areas they seem to lack any understanding or discernment.  How is it that they can be so right in some ways and so wrong in others and the Lord still use them?  It is because the Lord doesn't use "perfect" vessels. He doesn't use "perfect" people to do His work.  He doesn't use "perfect" people to speak through.   

The Bible tells us that the Lord uses "weak and foolish" things.  When we come into a relationship with Him, we don't automatically become perfect.  We start a process.  We start a process of growth and transformation.  It begins at the moment of the new birth and continues on throughout the rest of our lives. 

The Lord sees our hearts.  He sees our desire for Him.  He sees our availability.  Therefore, He begins at that point to use us.  He doesn't wait until we become perfect or even fully mature.  (If He did, He would find no one to do His work.)  He uses us just as we are and in the meantime, He keeps working on us to "perfect what concerns us". 

Being weak and foolish doesn't exempt us from being used by the Lord.  Being imperfect doesn't exempt us.  Being frail and human doesn't exempt us.  The fact that we don't know everything and haven't "arrived" doesn't exempt us.  He uses our willingness and through it shows His exceeding great glory.  It is through our imperfection that the excellency of His power is seen--- not us.

Have a great day.  The Lord doesn't wait for us to become perfect before He uses us in His work.  He still uses us in our imperfect state.  

Scripture reference:
2 Corinthians 4:7
Psalm 138:8

"Get Strength"

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might".  Ephesians 6:10

We all experience times of weakness in life-- weakness in body, weakness of character, mental weakness, weakness when it comes to temptations.  But in those weaknesses, there is a strength that we can possess.  It is the strength of the Lord.  His strength is available to us all the time.

We don't have to give in to our weaknesses.  They don't have to control us.  They don't have to dominate our behavior.  They don't have to force us into doing the wrong things.  Sometimes we use the excuse that our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak to do the things that are more convenient at the moment.  But standing in the strength of the Lord is just as "easy" and it is more powerful. 

Are you facing some sort of weakness in your life?  Are you just plain tired?  Tired of living?  Tired of always having to be strong?  Tired of giving into temptation or a besetting sin?  Are you tired and ready to "throw in the towel"?  Don't give up.  The Lord's gift of strength has your name on it.  Just call out to Him.  Ask Him for His strength.  Go to Him.  Don't try everything else and then go to Him.  Go to Him now and tell Him you are weak.  Tell Him the whole story.  Then ask Him to empower you with His strength that is made perfect in your weakness.  He will not withhold it from you.  He will strengthen you in every area of weakness.  He will endue you with His power.  You will be able to go forth.  Through His strength you can do what seems impossible.  Through His strength you can stand strong.  Through His strength you can run through a troop and leap over a wall.  Just go to Him or you will remain weak.

Have a great day.  Do you need strength?  Are you feeling weak?  The Lord has your strength.   

"It Belongs To Him"

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it".  Malachi 3:10

I rarely talk about money but today I feel the need to.  The Bible says a lot about money and our finances.  It tells us many things like the love of money is the root of all evil.  It tells us how we are to use money.  It also tells us that any money we have does not really belong to us.  It belongs to the Lord and He so graciously gives it to us to meet our needs.

When Jesus was asked about paying taxes to Caesar, His reply was that we are to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.  The coin that was held up for Jesus to see had Caesar's image on it, therefore give it to him.  Jesus was speaking on a spiritual level about the things that we should give to God-- love, obedience, ourselves, etc.

Let's look at His words again.  "Give to God what belongs to God".  If all the gold in the hills, all the silver in the mines and all the money in the banks belong to God then we should be giving to Him what belongs to Him.  In short, we should be giving "our" monies back to Him-- since it belongs to Him anyway.  But He does make a requirement-- bring Him the tithes and offerings.

Some of you are struggling financially.  Some of the reason you are is because you have been an "unwise" steward of the money you have.  You have spent, spent, spent like it would last forever now it hasn't.  I know people who make a good living but as soon as they get their pay check, they spend it on things that want.  In a day or two they have no money and they are crying and stressing because the bills have to be paid.  They are reaping the consequences of not managing it better.  They misplaced their priority. 

Back to giving God what is God's.  I feel the need to talk about this because some of you aren't being wasteful, but it just isn't going far enough to take care of all your needs.  May I ask you?  Are you giving to God what is God's?  Are you obeying His command to bring your tithe to Him?  Are you neglecting the tithes and offerings?  Are you holding on to that little bit and expecting it to help you?  If so, may I suggest that you start giving God what belongs to Him.  Start obeying His word about the tithe.  When you do, He will honor and bless you because you are honoring Him and His word.

Have a great day.  All the money you have belongs to the Lord.  Are you honoring Him by giving Him what is His?

References:
Mark 12:16,17
Haggai 2:8

"Real Faith"

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise".  Hebrews 11:39

Faith is not just believing God for some answer to prayer.  It isn't just holding on to a word pertaining to something that you are desiring or He has promised.  There is another side to faith.  Faith is serving God even when He doesn't deliver you from your circumstance.

Daniel may have been delivered from the lion's den, but we often forget he was still a captive in Babylon.  He wasn't delivered from Babylon and restored to his own country, but he still served the Lord faithfully.  Joseph was delivered from the pit and the prison but not Egypt, yet he continued to serve the Lord where he was.  Paul wasn't delivered from prison, but he still served the Lord by witnessing to the guards who were stationed to watch him.  And he wrote most of the New Testament while in prison-- he continued to serve the Lord. 

Real faith is revealed when the Lord doesn't do what we want Him to do yet we refuse to give up, turn back, turn around, leave, throw in the towel or turn from following Him.  Real faith continues to serve the Lord even when He doesn't give us the deliverance we have prayed for.  Or when nothing changes but everything stays the same. 

Daniel died in Babylon.  Joseph died in Egypt.  Paul was taken from prison only to be put to death.  Yet, these men had great faith.  Why?  Because they kept their trust and relationship with the Lord even when He didn't do what they would have rather Him do.  Do you have real faith?  Will you continue to serve the Lord even if He doesn't deliver you or set you free?  Even if you still have to go through your trial?  Even if you stand in the midst of tribulation?  Even if He leaves you where you are?  That is real faith.

Have a great day.  Real faith continues to serve the Lord even when He doesn't answer or deliver you in the way you want Him to. 

For further reading:
Hebrews 11

"Wasting This Day"

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof".  Matthew 6:34

I am one of those people who scrape the bowl and lick the beaters when I bake a cake.  I will put a little water in the bottom of a shampoo bottle to get all of it out.  I try not to leave any residue of anything in a container (if I can help it) whether it is makeup, mustard or perfume.  I like to "squeeze all the goody" out of it.  I want to get every last drop of it. 

We need to be like that with our days.  Get all that we can out of them.  Not leave one hour, minute or second behind without using it to the fullest and enjoying every "drop" of it.  But that won't happen as long as we are constantly thinking about tomorrow.  We talk a lot about how our past can rob from our present by thinking about it so much,  but our tomorrow can rob from our today if we are focused on it.  If we are so busy thinking about tomorrow, we will miss what there is for us today.  God has blessed us with today.  Tomorrow may never come.

Most people spend their time worrying about tomorrow before it even gets here.  Others spend today thinking about what they want to do or plan to do tomorrow and it hasn't arrived yet, in addition tomorrow is subject to chance before it does get here.

Live today.  Enjoy today.  Take advantage of today.  Use today wisely.  Glorify God today.  Fulfill His plan and will for you today.  Spend every last second of today on today, don't waste any one-- they are all precious and valuable.  Squeeze all of the goody out of today.  As for tomorrow, enjoy it when it gets here.  Don't worry about it today and let it rob from today.

Have a great day.  Don't rob from today by thinking about tomorrow.  Enjoy every last "drop" of today.

"A Victim"

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".  1 Peter 5:8

We have an adversary-- one who is out to steal, kill and destroy us.  Often, we are confused about who the real enemy is.  We think it is some person.  We think it is an individual who is out to get us, who wants to do us harm, who hates us, and so on.  But the real enemy is not flesh and blood.  The real enemy may use flesh and blood, he may use a person, even one who is close to you, but they are only a vessel that is being used. 

The Bible makes it very plain, and clear, that our adversary is the devil-- "your adversary the devil".  He was the enemy of mankind from the very beginning.  He was the one who tempted and deceived Eve in the garden.  He hated mankind.  He was jealous of what God had given to mankind.  He was out to get back at God, so he went after God's heart-- mankind.  He used a serpent back then.  He hasn't changed.  What he was at the beginning, he still is today-- the enemy of mankind who is out to "get us".   

He is still seeking to destroy us today.  He still goes around-- disguised as flesh and blood-- seeking who he may devour.  He looks for those he can cause to be offended.  He seeks those he can deceive.  He looks for those he can persuade to do his "dirty work".  He looks for those who will believe his lies and follow through with his plans.

Since the devil is on the prowl be sure that you don't wind up his victim.  There is more than one way to be his victim-- a victim who is destroyed by him.  You can be his victim by allowing him to use you as a vessel/instrument to do his dirty work.  You can be his victim by believing that some person is your enemy when it is really him that you are wrestling against.

Have a great day.  We have a real enemy who is out to destroy us.  Don't become his victim. 

Scripture references:
John 8:44,10:10
Ephesians 6:11,12
Genesis 3:1-7

"Wrong Prayer? - Part 2"

"For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me".  2 Corinthians 12:8

Yesterday we talked about praying the wrong prayer.  The Israelites had rebelled against the Lord God and were worshipping idols.  He told them to repent and turn back to Him.  They would not.  When judgment came because of their sin and they were attacked by the Babylonians and taken into exile, they cried out to the Lord.  Only their prayer was one for deliverance, not repentance.  They prayed the wrong prayer.

I bring this up again this morning because when we are going through hard situations, we want deliverance.  We don't want to go through the tribulation.  We don't want to face the battles.  We want to get out of them instead.  Yesterday we said that when things don't change it could be because we are praying the wrong prayer.  Instead of praying for deliverance the Israelites should have been repenting. 

When we go through hard times, prayers of deliverance are not always the prayer we should be praying.  Sometimes it's a prayer of repentance we should pray-- like the Israelites.  Sometimes it's a prayer of help to submit to whatever direction the will of God may be taking us-- like Joseph.  Sometimes the prayer should be that the Lord would use the situation to change you-- tribulation worketh patience.  Sometimes it's the prayer for the will of the Lord to be done-- like Jesus in the garden.  The point is-- don't only pray prayers of deliverance.  There may be other things the Lord wants to work out in your life through it.  Pray to know what it is-- like Paul. 

Have a great day.  There are more prayers than the prayer of deliverance that we should be praying. 

"Wrong Prayer?"

"Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts."  Zechariah 7:13

Jerusalem was being besieged by the Babylonians.  They were being taken captive and were experiencing the judgment of God.  They had sinned against God.  They had not kept His commandments.  They were worshipping false gods, not Him.  They forsook, rejected and rebelled against the God of Israel.  For years He had dealt with them to repent and turn back to Him.  He sent prophets to tell them to repent but they would not.  Finally, the Lord turned them over to judgment at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.   

It was at that point, when there was no escape, when defeat and exile was imminent, when the enemy was triumphing that they began to cry out to the Lord.  They cried out to the Lord to "behold their affliction".  They cried out for God's help to defeat the enemy.  They prayed that He would deliver them from their enemy and that He would fight on their behalf.  But He did not.  Why?  It was too late.  Their rejection of God had reached the point of judgment.  I also submit to you that it was also because they prayed the wrong prayer. Their pray was not one of repentance.  It was one of deliverance. 

Their sin against God was what had put them in the path of judgment.  It was not the cry for help and deliverance that would save them, but the cry of repentance for their sin against God that would have.

When we are in trouble, when we are under attack, we often do the same thing they did-- we pray for deliverance.  We don't want to go through the hard time.  We want "out".  So we call out to the Lord for help.  Maybe we are praying the wrong prayer. 

There are times when the enemy attacks and we should pray for the Lord's help and deliverance.  But there are times when our prayer should be a prayer of repentance.  Maybe a sin we have committed is what opened the door to the attack of the enemy?  When you are facing difficulties and are tempted to pray a prayer of escape, perhaps you should seek the Lord and find out what is the appropriate prayer to pray in that situation.

Have a great day.  What prayer should we be praying?

"Led By Pride"

"And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence".  Exodus 33:15

I woke up with another song on my heart this morning.  The chorus says, "I can't even walk without You holding my hand.  The mountain's too high and the valley's too wide".  I can't even walk without the Lord's help.  But how often do we act like little children who insist that they "can do it"?   They don't want the help, or need the help, because they can do it by themselves when in reality, they can't.

The reality of life is that we can't do it by ourselves either.  We can't do it on our own.  We can't do life without the Lord.  We can't save ourselves.  We can't supply our own oxygen.  We can't put blood in our veins.  We can't direct our own steps.  We don't know what is best for us.  We don't have strength, wisdom or peace without and apart from the Lord.  That is why the Bible says-- "In Him we live and move and have our being".

To think we can make it on our own apart from the Lord is pride.  Have you ever wondered why your attempts at something failed?  Perhaps it was because you thought you could do it on your own.  Perhaps you thought that it was something you could handle by yourself and didn't need to ask God for help or direction.  This happened to the Israelites at the city of Ai.  They didn't consult the Lord about what they should do because they had just defeated in battle the large walled city of Jericho, and Ai was a small town.  When they attacked Ai, they were beaten and had to run for their lives.  Their pride lead them-- not the Lord.  Therefore, they were defeated.  Pride goes before destruction.  If you are trying to handle things in your own strength and understanding; if you don't think you need the Lord's help; if you are being defeated; perhaps it is pride that is bringing you down.  Pride of thinking you can do it without Him.  Start humbling yourself and acknowledge the Lord in all your ways because you can't even walk without Him holding your hand.

Have a great day.  Are your trying to do it on your own?  Do you think you can do it without the Lord?  That is pride.  You can't.  If you let pride lead you it will bring you down. 

Scripture references:
Acts 17:28
Proverbs 16:18
Jeremiah 10:23
Joshua 7,8

"No Way"

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   John 14:6

You have heard the expression, "The Lord makes a way where there seems to be no way".  There are situations that we face where there seems to be no way that it will work out.  Or there seems to be no way of escape.  There seemed to be no way for the disciples to escape death during the storm, but Jesus made a way by calming the storm.  There seemed to be no way of survival for the three Hebrews in the furnace, but the Lord made a way for them to come out unharmed. 

But when it comes to our salvation the phrase is not-- there seemed to be no way.  The truth is-- there was no way.  When man sinned against God in the garden, there was no way for him to make it right with God.  There was no way for him to be saved from his now sinful state.  There was no way for him to be forgiven and restored to right relationship with God.  There was no way for him to have eternal life.

Man tried to make a way by sewing fig leaves together to cover his nakedness/sin.  Man has tried to make his own way by keeping a set of laws, rules and commandments.  Man has tried to make a way through religious deeds.  He has tried through his own goodness.  He has tried everything, but to no avail.  There was no way! 

There was no way until God sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus into the world to make a way for us.  He became the way through His death on the cross, burial and resurrection.  The question is not whether there only seems to be a way, but "is there a way?"  The answer-- there is a way.  The next question is, "Have you gotten on that way? Have you received the way that was provided for you?".  All the ways you can come up with will never be good enough-- although they may seem to be.  There is only one way--- Jesus.

Have a great day.  There was no way to be saved before Jesus came, and then He made the way.     

"Get Up And Move On"

"And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons".  1 Samuel 16:1

Samuel had anointed Saul as the first king of Israel.  Saul disobeyed God and the Lord removed the kingdom from him.  Because of this, Samuel was grieved and mourned for Saul.  The word mourn means to feel deep sorrow, lament and regret. 

Evidently, God thought that Samuel had mourned for Saul long enough and before Samuel became totally consumed with the sorrow and regret, God told him it was time for him to get up and move on. 

I believe the Lord is saying to someone today the same thing He said to Samuel-- "How long?".  How long will you continue to mourn over this situation?  How long are you going to grieve over what is over?  How long will you continue to "beat yourself up about it"?  How long are you going to hold onto regret for the past?  How long are you going to sit there and let it consume you-- your thoughts, your time, your energy, your future, your productivity, your peace and your joy?  How long are you going to let it hinder you from going to the next thing God has for you?  How long are you going to let it hold you back from your destiny?  How long are you going to let it depress you, keep you in anger, steal from you, frustrate you, confuse you and keep you a prisoner?

Basically, God was telling Samuel-- enough is enough, get up and move on, I have more for you to do than sit here mourning over the past and what has already been done.  It is finished.  It is over.  I have something else for you-- get up and move on!  I believe I heard from the Lord and this is for someone today, if you will receive it.  Stop "mourning" over it.  Move on and let the Lord do a new thing in your life.  Samuel got up and anointed the new king of Israel-- the king that was a man after God's own heart; a king through whom the Messiah would come; a king whose throne would be established forever.  That was much better than what he was mourning over.

Have a great day.  Get up and move on! 

"Drinking From The Well"

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life".  John 4:14

As Jesus sat by a well in Samaria a woman came to draw water from the well.  Jesus invited her to drink the water that He had to offer.  His water would satisfy the longing, emptiness and desire of her soul and she would never thirst again.  The water that He was referring to was Himself.  He was the well that she could drink from and find contentment and peace in her heart.

This woman was looking for something to satisfy a longing in her soul.  She was trying to quench the emptiness, dryness, discontentment and lack that was inside of her through relationships.  She had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband, but that wasn't quenching her thirst.

Many people today are trying to quench what is thirsty inside of them by the water that the world gives. They are trying through relationships, through sex, drugs and alcohol.  They are trying through education, through money, through prestige, through popularity, through power, through forms of entertainment, and so on.  All of these things may satisfy, but only for a short while. 

Jesus offers us what will satisfy.  He gives us the water of life-- eternal life so we will never thirst again.  He gives us every good and perfect gift.  He gives us godliness with contentment.  He gives us peace that passes understanding.  He gives us power and strength.  He gives us grace and liberty.  He gives us joy that is unspeakable.   

When we drink of this water of life (the salvation that He offers freely), we will never thirst again.  All that we are seeking, and all that we lack will be found in Him.  So go to the Well and drink the waters of eternal life. 

Have a great day.  Are you thirsty?  Drink water from the well... Jesus is the well of living water. 

"It Won't Go Well"

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves".  James 1:22

When Zedekiah was king of Judah, the nation was already under Babylonian captivity.  During the ninth year of his reign, he decided to rebel against the king of Babylon.  The prophet Jeremiah went to the king and gave him a word from the Lord.  The word was that he should turn himself over to king Nebuchadrezzar.  But he didn't.  He continued to rebel and fight.  Jeremiah went to the king again on a couple of other occasions telling him to surrender but he still would not.  Finally, Nebuchadrezzar gained full control over Jerusalem and took king Zedekiah prisoner.  He killed his children before his eyes, then he plucked his eyes out and killed him.  The prophet had warned him to surrender, and it would go well for him, but he just would not listen and obey the word, therefore, it did not go well for him.

The prophet was the one who spoke for God, giving His word to the people.  Today God speaks to us through prophets, ministers and primarily His Word.  The story of Zedekiah is an applicable word for us to today.  And that is:  if we will not harken to the word of the Lord, if we will not obey it, if we are only hearers and not doers of the Word, like Zedekiah things will not go well with us. 

Blessings are attached to obedience.  "If we are willing and obedient we will eat the good of the land." (Isaiah 1:19) The Bible is full of promises with blessings attached to them for those who will obey.  It also warns of curses that are attached for those who don't.  Are you obeying the Word of God?  Are you hearing it but not doing it?  Where do you stand in your obedience to the Word?  Hopefully, we will heed the example of king Zedekiah and learn that obedience is better than sacrifice. 

Have a great day.  When we obey the Word of God, it will go well with us.  When we don't obey, it won't go very well.