Something Great is Around the Corner

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

 

Have you ever gone through a period of spiritual dryness where God feels distant and heaven is silent?  A time where you don’t feel His tangible presence like you have felt so many times, but instead, it’s difficult to worship, pray, and read the bible?

 

I have felt that way many times before, but looking back, I also recall times of great refreshing, hunger, and revelation that immediately followed that period of dryness.

 

The wilderness can be a time of great growth if we don’t give up.  Our Lord Jesus (Matthew 4:1) and some of the greatest heroes of the bible went through a wilderness period just before being launched into their ministry or being used by the Lord to perform a great work.  Moses was in the wilderness when God called him to lead His people out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-2).

 

The wilderness can be a great tool the Lord uses to shape us and prepare us for the work that He has planned for us.

 

If you’re feeling that way today, hang in there, even if it’s by your fingernails. Keep your eyes on the Lord, even if all you can muster is an occasional glance.  A time of refreshing is around the corner.

And if the enemy whispers to you in the wilderness and tries to get you to take your eyes off the Lord and put your trust elsewhere, do what our Lord did and say “It is written…”

 

And, most importantly while in the wilderness, hold fast to God’s promise that “He will never leave your, nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).  He calls our heart His home with a promise to never leave, ever! 

So, hang in there. 

Something great is around the corner.

 

A Lot of Questions to Ask

“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Genesis 15:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s blog post builds on yesterday’s.

 

Head love asks a lot of questions.

Questions like:

What’s in it for me?

What do I have to give up?

What is the easiest path to victory?

How can I avoid any discomfort and pain?

Heart love also asks a lot of questions.

Questions like:

How can I be a blessing to others?

What use of my time will allow me the greatest opportunity to minister to others?

How can I be a more effective witness and servant for Christ?

Do you see the difference?

One is very inward focused while the other is Christ centered.

Heart love cannot truly be experienced or shared apart from a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Head love offers many options – many ways of making it easier on oneself.

Heart love leaves us with but one option – obedience.

Don’t misunderstand though.

Heart love has great rewards.

None greater than Jesus Christ Himself.

Head love offers nothing remotely close to that!

 

 

Head or Heart?

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

II Corinthians 5:14-15

 

 

Do you love God with your head or with your heart?

Maybe a fairer question to ask is: Can you love God with your head only?

I think an honest answer to that question would have to be No!

Was the love of the Father that Jesus modeled for us head love or heart love?

The religious folks of Jesus’ day (and religious folks today) would have to admit the love Jesus demonstrated made no sense to them.

It simply was not logical – to their way of thinking.

He forgave the woman caught in the act of adultery.

The law said she should be stoned.

He told others to pray for and love their enemies.

Now that made little or no sense to them.

God’s love embraced us “…while we were yet sinners.”

God’s love is sometimes incredibly illogical to the human mind.

Maybe that’s why scripture tells us that our thoughts and His thoughts are not the same.

Our own human reasoning and logic just cannot fathom that kind of love.

But the wonderful news – the renewed heart can receive His love!

The renewed heart can even share His love.

The heart filled with His love has told some pretty incredible stories.

I think of those who have forgiven an incredibly hard offense.

Our head says “I could never do that!”

His love in our heart makes the impossible possible.

Think of the power resident in a church that can love Him with their heart and love others the same way.

Suddenly, things we ‘thought’ we couldn’t do we do.

Because His love compels us…

 

GET OUT

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,

lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Matthew 28:19-20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go!

That is the first word of the Great Commission spoken by Jesus to His disciples.

I have checked numerous translations and they all contain that same word: “Go!”

Somehow, we’ve mixed it up over the years and we’ve said: “Come!”

“Come into our buildings, come to our programs.”

We have turned the command around.

No longer are we ‘sent ones’ we have become ‘sit around ones’.

Ouch.

That hurt, I know.

But they are not beating a path to our door.

Jesus never said they would.

He told us to…Go into all the world.  

He never once told the world that they should visit our church.

Maybe this can help us – instead of thinking of the word “go” as a word think of it instead as an acronym –

 G.O.

standing for the words:

Get Out!

Get out of your comfortable sanctuaries and multi-million dollar buildings into all the world.

Get out of the comfortable places to the places where people are hurting, lonely and desperately seeking answers.

Read the Gospels.

Jesus got out.

Never once did he hold a conference, workshop or invite people over.

His invitation was to a person and not a place.

“Come unto me…”

When you get out – you can do the same:

You can invite them to a person and not merely to a place!

“Four Months to get a Hug”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,

and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?

Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?

Do not even pagans do that?

 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:43-48

 

Odd title for a blog post, isn’t it?

Today, as the church gathered, we were told of the progress of one of the newer ministries begun here at His Place at the direction of the LORD.

It was noted that after four months of serving a group of people one of those ministering had received their first ‘hug’ from someone who had been blessed by that ministry.

A small step but a step nonetheless as they seek to build relationships, minister to needs and share the Gospel.

We were challenged, perhaps not with these particular words, but with the same sentiment:

What would you do if it were four years before a hug was received?

Would you continue to serve faithfully?

Would you continue, in love, to pray for them?

Radical love answers “Yes!” to those questions.

That person to whom God has revealed His grace cannot help but share the news of that wonderful grace with others.

They realize that God extended His grace to them while they were ‘enemies’ of God.

If we minister only to those who already love God how is His Kingdom advanced?

Let God stretch you this week.

Ask Him to lead you to someone you would not normally reach out to.

Maybe you’ll not have a chance to say a lot but speak His love through your actions.

You’ll be amazed how powerfully that love can speak!

 

 

You Are Indispensible

Today's blog post was contributed by David Trotta:



Have you ever seen those funny TV clips where the character put together a machine of some sort only to find a few spare parts lying on the table after the assembly was finished?  The character usually shrugs off the extra parts only to have the equipment malfunction and cause a mini-disaster.

We usually chuckle when we see a skit like that, but in real life, if you assemble something without using all the parts, that piece of equipment will almost always malfunction and not be able to do what it was designed to do.

Case in point is an automobile engine.  The average automobile engine has thousands of parts, some big, some very small.  But, regardless of the size, each part has a specific and important purpose.

As a former automotive mechanic, I went through great pains to keep track of every nut, bolt, washer, gasket, and o-ring that came out of an engine to make sure it went back in during reassembly.  If even the smallest of parts was missed, the engine would not perform at peak level, or in some cases, cease working all together.  Every part was indispensible.

The body of Christ is the same way.  It is made up of many different parts called “you” and “me” that function collectively to present a tangible Jesus to the world around us.  1 Corinthians 12:27 says “Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [each with his own place and function].”

You and I have a distinct purpose in the body of Christ that only we can fill. And when we are not doing our part, the whole body of Christ suffers.  Just like that part sitting alone on the table can’t fill its designed purpose, we also can’t fill our purpose when standing on the sidelines of life.

You may think the part you have to play is small and insignificant, but it’s not.  Each part, big or small, is equal in importance.  You are an indispensible part of the body of Christ and your local church and necessary to the advancement of the Kingdom of God on the earth.

By This…

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.

 Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers,

and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”

I Timothy 5:1-2

 

 

The Bible gives us instruction in how we are to treat one another and

 surprise, surprise, it once again uses the picture of a family.

We are to respect the older men and woman in our fellowship in the same way we respect our own mothers and fathers.

Likewise the younger are to be treated like brothers and sisters.

As we were reminded this past Sunday the church is a family of believers.

We are not a business or a social club.

Perhaps this advice seems so foreign to some because even in our families we no longer respect and honor one another.

The elderly are not esteemed; they are mocked for their slow driving or forgetfulness.

Our peers aren’t treated as brothers or sisters but as competitors we are always trying to outdo.

If we are not careful these same attitudes can creep into the church.

Certainly this is not confined to one’s age but also their ‘station’ in life.

We fawn over the well-heeled and have disdain for those lower on the social ladder than ourselves.

This must not be.

We must be a model to the world.

We must show His love to one another in such a way that those outside the family cannot wait to become a part of it.

Jesus said it best (He always seems to doesn’t He?)

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

 

 

 

Confidently Sent

“For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.”

I Corinthians 4:17

 

What a wonderful testimony concerning Timothy.

He was loved, he was faithful, he was able to remind the church in Corinth of Paul’s way of life in Christ Jesus.

Paul trusted Timothy to be a good ambassador of Christ and of himself.

I want to be that way for others as well.

How about you?

Do you want to be a reliable, faithful servant to those with whom you minister?

Do you want to be sent confidently by those who are sending you?

Of course you do.

We talked previously about accountability and submission.

Those are two vital traits for any believer and certainly would have been needed in Timothy’s life as well.

The kind of trust that Paul had in Timothy likely came after many shared trials and tribulations.

Timothy had proven himself faithful, perhaps even in situations where others deserted Paul and the mission Christ had sent him on.

Timothy had to believe that not only did God have a call on his life but that He also had a call on Paul’s life and he needed to be able to submit to the authority of Paul.

That was part of the relationship building and trust that God was establishing so that when the time came Paul could confidently pen the words you read above concerning his son in the faith.

We do not live out our call of God in a vacuum.

It is an individual call but it can only happen through accountability, submission, connection and relationship to the God who calls but also to those who has placed alongside us.

Don’t ever try to ‘go it alone’.

If you do you will not walk out your call, you will be headed for a fall!

A Mirror or a Window?

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Ephesians 5:21

 

 

Where does accountability begin?

One would have to argue that it begins in the home.

God created man and woman and instituted marriage.

He established an order for the home which, if unheeded, has huge implications for the family and for society at large.

Without getting on my soap box today let me just say that there is also an essential and necessary accountability in the local church.

God is a god of order and not of chaos.

Without accountability in our churches they become a mirror of society rather than a window into heaven.

Accountability brings order and direction to a church.

Have you ever tried to row a boat?

Draw one oar back in the water and then the other instead of drawing them back in unison and you end up going in circles.

Accountability brings that unity of purpose and direction needed to accomplish things for the Kingdom rather than everyone doing their own thing.

Our human nature rebels against submitting to authority and being told what to do.

But scripture is also clear that our human nature needs to be brought under submission to the Spirit of God and that includes submission and accountability within the local church.

So we can ask ourselves some questions:

Do I lovingly submit to those God has set as leaders in my church?

Do I pray for them and commit to fulfilling my part in the vision God has established?

Am I accountable and committed to His Place or the local church God has planted me in?

Do I look to find fault (the easy road) or do I look to build up?

Do I serve where God has put me?

Just as any home has obligations on the family so your church has obligations for you to fulfill as they fulfill the vision God has called them to.

Without the Parts We do not Have the Whole

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

I Corinthians 12:27

 

 

 

Several years ago one of our overhead garage door springs broke.

I was in a hurry one morning and as I went to close the door manually I paid no attention to where my right hand was on the door and began lowering the door.

Well my middle finger was in one of the door panel cracks and as it came down that crack closed on my finger and broke the tip.

Yes it hurt!

But the reality of how much that unassuming right middle little fingertip did for me in the course of a day hit home.

It was a ‘tiny member’ but everything I did seemed to be impacted by it.

At least that’s what the pain screamed to me every time I tried to us it.

Eventually it healed but the lesson learned for me in the process is that every part of the Body of Christ is essential and one part is not functioning as it should, we all suffer.

If you are a believer you cannot, you must not go through your journey with Christ alone.

No just for the results it can have in your life but also for the impact it will have on the Body of Christ.

We need you.

As part of the local church at His Place  I would encourage you that we need you to grow with us. Without that commitment on your part, to us, we will not make the impact for the Kingdom we are called to.

That’s a pretty strong statement but it is true.

We need you!

The same applies to anyone reading this who may not call His Place your home church.

Whatever local body of believers you call home needs your commitment to them in order to impact the world for Christ.

God never called you to do it alone.

He called us to reach the world.

The Great Commission commissioned a people, not just a person!

 

 

God’s Formula for Growth = You + Me

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

What a perfect picture of a healthy church - believers generously sharing their time, talents, and treasures.

Then, the above verses go on to say “and the Lord added to their number daily.”  I don’t believe it is a coincidence that God put that statement at the end.  I would even suggest to you that God’s ability to add to their number was a direct result of the labor of love the church demonstrated one to another.

There is no greater evangelistic tool than our actions.  As our pastor always says “preach the gospel at all times and use words when necessary.”  When the world sees the heart of Jesus in action, they will respond.  

Jesus offered a message of hope to hopeless people.  He demonstrated love and compassion to a hurting world by forgiving sin, healing sickness, and setting the captives free.  He said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Whether or not the world wants to admit it, they long for what Jesus has to offer and you and I are called to demonstrate that love by sacrificially loving one another.  When we do that, the world will take notice.

When the early church came together with one heart and mind, people saw an inviting Jesus and He added to their number daily.  He wants to do the same though you and me today.

Sneak In and Sneak Out

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

 

 I once observed a man who would arrive for Sunday morning services a few minutes late each week and leave moments before anyone else at the conclusion of service.

In doing this week after week he would not interact with anyone on any meaningful level.

He was free to ‘observe’ what God was saying but not have to walk it out through purposeful relationships with other believers.

While this can happen in any church it is certainly easier, as was the case here, in a larger church.

But I doubt anyone would argue that his behavior could fulfill the admonition of

“…not forsaking the assembling…”

He never even allowed the opportunity to “…love one another…” by his late arrival and early departure.

Sneak in and sneak out but never engage.

There were many people who saw and heard Jesus when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago.

But 12 men were impacted far greater than these many others, because they gave up their lives and their livelihoods to follow Him.

To quote a popular phrase from today, you might say they had ‘skin in the game’.

Through their choice to follow they were the ones who were faced with questions like:

“Who do men say that I am?” or “Peter, do you love me.”

They were tossed into the moments when Jesus overturned tables, walked on water or called the religious leaders of the day whitewashed sepulchers.

There were ‘engaged’ in the relationship the same way you and I are challenged to be engaged today.

We are called to an obedience that will bring down blessings from heaven and persecution from man.

But you don’t have to take that course.

You can choose to be an observer, not engaging while remaining comfortable and relatively unchanged.

But God has called you and purposed you for greater things…

Purpose is Fulfilled in Relationship

“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

I Corinthians 12:21-27

 

You’re the best thing to happen since white bread…and then some!

Now only if the Pastor and the rest of the church were on board with that same understanding!

Not!

If that is your attitude – and we have all held it, if not expressed it, to some degree at one time or another – you need to re-read the text above penitently!

One of the ironies of life may just be that when we are stuck in self-centered adoration we will never (let me repeat that word in bold, caps and underlined) NEVER fully understand or live out the purposes God intended for our life.

As the above text illustrates, it is only in the context of our relationships within the Body of Christ that we can truly know and experience our full usefulness and purpose.

So come on, apart from that finger writing on the wall in the book of Daniel, you have to admit that body parts are meant to function as part of a body and not on their own!

You and I were meant to be a part of the Body of Christ.

The church helps you discover your purpose!

That’s why, in part, (no pun intended) lone rangers crash and burn.

They have disconnected from the body

What a wonderful work God has done in connecting purpose to relationship!

I need you and you need me.

And that is more than just a trite bumper sticker truism.

It is the Truth of God.

Don’t expect to be able to say “It is finished” at the end of your race if you try to go it alone.

If you’ve ‘disconnected’ from the body (for any reason), it’s time to re-connect.

If you’ve remained connected – it’s time to strengthen the cords.

Purpose is only fulfilled in relationship.

 

 

Devotion

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Acts 2:42-47

 

 

What a rich passage of scripture this is.

It is filled with instruction and example of what we, the church, are to be.

But a key is held in verse 42.

There we find four ‘devotions’ of a believer and a church.

Devotion to:

The Word

The Fellowship

The Breaking of Bread

Prayer

It would certainly be difficult to expand on all these verses hold in this short blog

But don’t miss this point – it is only in fellowship with other believers that we can truly live out these verses.

The church helps to develop spiritual maturity in each of us.

Understanding, of course, that the ‘church’ is not a building or an address.

 ‘The ‘church’ is the gathered believers of a local assembly.

Only as I live out these verse within that context can I expect to go on to maturity.

Some would say – I don’t need others.

That is contrary to the truth of His word as we see above.

Don’t be misled and misguided in this.

We need one another.

No amount of denial will change that fact nor change the clear direction in His word.

When you forsake gathering with other believers you forfeit your chance to mature.

Fellowship with the family of God is not optional.

Just look again at the company it keeps – the Word, prayer and the breaking of bread.

Check your devotion.

Ask yourself – “What am I devoted too?”

Check your calendar and check your checkbook.

Too powerful indicators of your devotion!

More tomorrow…

Are You a Spur?

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

 

The word “Spur” is defined as - a goad to action;

Some of us, though, when we hear that word may think of this definition –

“a sharp pointed object that is attached to the heel of a horse rider's boot and that is pressed into the horse's side to make the horse go faster.”

Does the church you attend help you stay spiritually motivated?

Are you ‘spurred’ on to love and good deeds by your brothers and sisters in Christ?

The original picture in the Greek text of the New Testament was that of a ‘goad stick’.

A goad stick, like a spur, was a sharp pointed stuck used to persuade or provoke livestock to move in a certain direction.

Am I saying we are nothing more than cattle?

Not at all, what scripture teaches us in these verses is that sometimes we need one another to provoke us in a certain direction – spur, goad or provoke us to love and good works.

Left to ourselves that might not happen.

We can easily become complacent and self-centered.

We need the Body of Christ.

We need one another to move toward maturity.

God never meant for us to walk the walk alone.

We look out for one another knowing that we cannot do it alone.

Are you a believer in Jesus Christ?

Then you must be connected to His body.

Anything less is less than His best plan for you.

I need you and you need me.

Christ created us to be in fellowship with Him and one another.

It is in that close, intimate fellowship that we can spur one another on.

Not for the purpose of inflicting wounds or advancing our own agenda but for the sake of love and good works!

Friend or Foe?

Today's blog post was contributed by David Trotta:

When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. (James 1:2 - J.B.P.)

Trials and tribulations - friend or foe?

James challenges us to look at our trials and temptations in a whole different light.  I think for many Christians, including myself, learning how to even “accept” trials and tribulations would be considered be a major victory, but James takes it to a whole different level by instructing us to not only tolerate them, but welcome them into our lives as friends.

To underscore the point James is trying to make, let’s look more closely at the difference between an intruder and a friend.

An intruder is never welcomed in our home.  We would resist an intruder with every ounce of strength we have.  We lock our doors and windows, install alarm systems, and own big, mean looking dogs to keep intruders out.  Intruders are viewed as hostile enemies who want only to bring harm.  Intruders produce thoughts of fear and anxiety.

A friend on the other hand would receive a smile and warm embrace when they enter our home.  We leave them our keys and say “let yourselves in and help yourself to whatever is in the fridge - mi casa su casa.”  When friends leave, we miss them and look forward to seeing them again.  We consider them an important and necessary part of life.  They encourage and challenge us and make us better people (as iron sharpens iron, so one friend sharpens another).  Friends produce thoughts of encouragement and comfort.

The next trial or tribulation that stands in the doorway of your life, think “friend” and invite it in knowing that it carries with it a specific purpose and outcome from your heavenly Father - to produce endurance and mature character.

Don’t ‘Zip’ Past Seasons of Growth

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:11

 

Have you ever faced a season in your life that was a struggle from the moment you got up to the moment you were able to lay your head back down on your pillow?

How did you handle that season?

Whether a relationship gone bad, a financial struggle,

a job that wears you down and out,

Did you pray for the season to end or did you embrace it?

“Embrace it?”

“I’m not a glutton for punishment!”

No, neither am I.

But it is during those difficult seasons that our greatest opportunity for growth exists.

When life is a breeze and void of any challenges we can easily

‘zip’ through it like a child on a water slide.

All pleasure and fun but no growth!

The writer of Hebrews addressed this same issue some 2,000 years ago (yes, the important things in life have remained the same).

He challenges us even today to allow discipline to train us.

Do not run from it.

In a broad sense seasons of difficulty can be seen as times of discipline, opportunities for growth.

If you allow it.

Will you?

 

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

“…if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast.”

Psalm 139 9-10

 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

It is an old expression…and no, it’s not found in the Bible.

As a matter of fact, nothing could be further from the truth

 when it comes to the God of the Bible.

Why?

Because you and I are never out of His sight!

I bring this up because this week our Pastor will be leaving to minister to

Pastors in Malawi, Africa alongside Bishop Mikisi.

While he is out of our ‘line of sight’, so to speak, he will be watched over by the LORD.

So do we need to pray then?

Of course!

Pray God’s will be done in Malawi as it is done in heaven.

Pray that in all things and in all ways – God is glorified.

Pray for spiritually open hearts, eyes and ears.

Pray for anointing on Pastor Tim, Bishop Mkisi and anyone else ministering with them.

Pray for abundant fruit from this trip, fruit that endures.

Pray for travel mercies there and back.

Pray with thanksgiving that, while he is out of our sight...

...he is never out of the sight of God!

Do You ‘Light Up’ the Room?

“But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,”

II Corinthians 7:6

 

 

 

Have you ever said – or heard someone else say:

“Oh no, here comes that trouble-maker!”?

I doubt that you have ever heard this though:

“How wonderful, here comes the comfort maker!”

There was something God knew about Titus.

There was something Paul and the others knew about Titus.

Whatever it was, they knew it would bring them comfort through Titus.

Perhaps he was someone who only knew how to encourage.

Perhaps he was someone who lit up a room with his joy and thankful heart.

Maybe Titus put his shoulder to the plow and worked as a servant from beginning to end.

Titus didn’t just happen to wander into their lives.

He was sent by God purposefully, intentionally to accomplish something.

He was to comfort the downcast.

I don’t even know that Titus was fully aware of that.

Often those used by God don’t know the impact they have on the lives of others.

But it is clear from today’s scripture Titus had an impact.  

Most of us would love to be surrounded by people just like Titus.

But how do we ourselves become like Titus?

We become more like Christ!

In Christ we find all the admirable attributes and qualities we see, and desire, in others.

Do you want to be known as someone whose very arrival into a room brings encouragement?

Spend some time with Jesus first.

Then you will ‘carry’ more of His presence wherever you go!

 

The Gotta-Haves vs the Real Needs

“The Lord will guide you always;

    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

    and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Isaiah 58:11

 

 

Have you ever watched any of those home improvement or real estate shows where a couple walk through a possible new home and details all that they do or do not like?

You can hear comments like “It doesn’t have stainless steel appliances”, “I must have granite counter tops” or “I just couldn’t live here – it is not the open concept I need!”

The reality behind these ‘reality’ shows is that all of those things are wants and not needs.

We can carry that thought process over into our walk with God if we are not careful.

“I must have….”

You can complete that statement!

We make walking with God contingent upon a list of pre-requisites being met.

Yes, the psalm does say –

“Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

But a funny (actually a wonderful) thing happens as you delight yourself in the Lord.

As you reflect Him more and more the desires of your heart change.

Listen to the one ‘pre-requisite’ David had –

“One thing I ask from the Lord,

    this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

    and to seek him in his temple.”

Psalm 27:4

God’s presence, His life was David’s one pre-requisite.

A more ‘modern’ hymn expressed it this way –

“Take this whole world but give me Jesus.”

Allow the Holy Spirit to sort out with you the “gotta-haves” from the real needs in your life.

You just might be surprised!