Saturday, November 21, 2009
Good Morning
When it comes to my life and Christian walk I always know there is room for improvement. As I get older I'm starting to realize that to remain hungry for the things of God the people you associate and connect become a big part of that. There are friends and relationship that are seasonal and then there re those that last a lifetime. Iron sharpens iron. We all have our specialties due to our assignment but these God given relationships bring balance to each other. I thank God for these friends and co-laborers that God has connected me to in my life. As I enter this new season in life and ministry I know that these relationships and the dynamics of them may change as always but I know one thing for sure. God has blessed me with everyone I have been in contact this last year. It has been a harder year than I let on and one of digging deep inside and rebuilding foundations and settling issues. The fear of man which once plagued my life is gone and the boldness someone prophesied years ago has replaced it. We do not ask to go through the things we need we pray for God to take us out of the fire but it is the fire that refines us. The way God works with his children is remarkable in the fact that in a moment where frustration tried to flood me that a child looking for pen with an innocent trust in her eyes would remind me that I am just going through here and the purposes and dreams God showed me at the age of ten are still alive and in His hands being written one chapter at a time on the stone of my life. Ministry is my purpose and drive. I am called to serve, to love and to show God wherever I am to His glory. I realize that my life is an opportunity for those to know Christ. I trust the shaping hands of the potter more than ever. I pray that the presence of the Lord just follow you as we worship with our lives by just fulfilling what He has purposed for us in the earth.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Will of God
The Will of God for your life is something that cannot be determined by anyone but the Lord. People always want to bind you to an idea or mindset by using "Thus saith the Lord...", "This is what God told me..." or " I believe the Lord is saying...". A simple thing if God hasn't told or revealed it to you in prayer or His Word or a source that would have no privy to that information I suggest you put up a red flag. Sadly we live in a age where most people take almost all pulpit sermons as complete gospel and don't get into the Bible and study it for themselves. I didn't say books and commentaries about the Bible. I said the Bible the 66 book component of our faith. God confirms what he has said through others but as a minister I am very clear about things being my opinion and always suggest people consult with the Lord. Being born again for 25 years I've seen many good and bad things in church and ministry. The most dangerous is somebody saying you have to do something because God told them that. I've seen people change life direction because they have received a "word" and it destroyed what God was building through them. First of all things from God don't happen outside of His order and the authority He set over you. Yes the Holy Spirit uses us to encourage each other and edify but spiritual direction and life choices is another matter that this blog won't leave me time to get into deeply. Some people are like Miriam and Aaron...
(Num. 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, HATH THE LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken aLSO BY US? AND THE LORD heard it . )
...they speak against leadership because something they find wrong with them but not doing as David did recognize that God placed Saul there and don't touch God's anointed. God dealt with Saul but it was never through David. People with this attitude is what I like to call "parking lot prophets" who want to put their '2 cents" in and always have a "word". This is manipulation at it's worst. There is no authority, covering or even respect for the things of God because it's operating outside of His order. When I find out there is no covering over a ministry you cannot pay me to stay there. There is no accountability, no authority and no correction because they are out on their own. Another scenario is someone like King Saul who disobeys but in his mind he believes he hears from the Lord. He was a rebel from when He took it into his own hands to offer the sacrifice right before Samuel arrived. His fear of acceptance and what he wanted tainted God's instruction and ended up in his torment and demise. His rebellion led to witchcraft (trying to control and manipulate others through natural and unnatural means) and his stubbornness led to him idolizing his own opinion over the COMMAND of God.
(1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word oF THE LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.)
We must know that when God directs and guides us He knows who we respect, who is over us and what to tell them to say so we know only God could have told them that. As for somebody saying "god told me and you have to do..," we know God speaks to the person or they sense things in their spirit man a peace that confirms it's God or an unrest that lets us know we need to not do this. God's will is in His Word. He does not force man into doing anything. He wants us to obey. He made us free moral agents with the right to choose. A legalistic religious person will beat you over the head and try to make you feel bad about not doing something they feel God told them about. That's not an obligation for you they have to deal with that. Don't let manipulation, desperation, or settling determine what you should do. Seek the Lord and don't let pressure push you into a decision you may regret. Then don't let condemnation and people's reactions have the power to keep you there. Walk in the liberty Christ has given you to fulfill the purpose and plan he put you on the earth for.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
(Num. 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, HATH THE LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken aLSO BY US? AND THE LORD heard it . )
...they speak against leadership because something they find wrong with them but not doing as David did recognize that God placed Saul there and don't touch God's anointed. God dealt with Saul but it was never through David. People with this attitude is what I like to call "parking lot prophets" who want to put their '2 cents" in and always have a "word". This is manipulation at it's worst. There is no authority, covering or even respect for the things of God because it's operating outside of His order. When I find out there is no covering over a ministry you cannot pay me to stay there. There is no accountability, no authority and no correction because they are out on their own. Another scenario is someone like King Saul who disobeys but in his mind he believes he hears from the Lord. He was a rebel from when He took it into his own hands to offer the sacrifice right before Samuel arrived. His fear of acceptance and what he wanted tainted God's instruction and ended up in his torment and demise. His rebellion led to witchcraft (trying to control and manipulate others through natural and unnatural means) and his stubbornness led to him idolizing his own opinion over the COMMAND of God.
(1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word oF THE LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.)
We must know that when God directs and guides us He knows who we respect, who is over us and what to tell them to say so we know only God could have told them that. As for somebody saying "god told me and you have to do..," we know God speaks to the person or they sense things in their spirit man a peace that confirms it's God or an unrest that lets us know we need to not do this. God's will is in His Word. He does not force man into doing anything. He wants us to obey. He made us free moral agents with the right to choose. A legalistic religious person will beat you over the head and try to make you feel bad about not doing something they feel God told them about. That's not an obligation for you they have to deal with that. Don't let manipulation, desperation, or settling determine what you should do. Seek the Lord and don't let pressure push you into a decision you may regret. Then don't let condemnation and people's reactions have the power to keep you there. Walk in the liberty Christ has given you to fulfill the purpose and plan he put you on the earth for.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
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