Being Shaped For God's Calling On Your Life

And the Lord said, "Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?"

One suggested this, and another that.

 

1 Kings 22:20

 

There are few times we get a glimpse of what goes on in Heaven and in the verse above we see the angels were conferring with God about the judgment of King Ahab for his sin, and  about who was going to set up Ahab for this judgment.

If God is to use you to impact the world for Jesus Christ, what circumstances would have to be created in order for you to respond to His call?

 

Would prospering you materially encourage you to this end?

 

Would a major change in what you are presently doing be necessary?

 

What would your response be should God and the angels conclude that the only way to move you into a position of fulfilling God's purposes was to remove some things that might be very dear to you?

 

Are you willing to agree with God's plan in order to fulfill the purposes for which He has made you?

 

Hard questions, aren't they?

There are many examples in the Bible of God bringing major change in the lives of those He called for His purposes.

 

Why?

The reason is that we do not always seek God with a whole heart in times of prosperity and comfort—we tend to breed complacency and satisfaction.

 

It is rare to find the man or woman who seeks God with a whole heart who does so simply from a grateful heart. We often go through certain circumstances that help shape us into the man or woman God is calling us to be.

 

Eventually, we do step into a new calling, and we embrace that calling as we are open to the Holy Spirit's work in us. We can actually thank God for the change that was required to get us to this place, but it is not without anguish of heart at times.

Would you be willing to surrender to God's call on your life even if it means things will not always be comfortable?

 

Could you give God complete freedom to work in your life, in order to build you up for the call He has on your life, no matter the cost?

 

Ask God to give you the faith to trust in Him as you say, "yes" to His calling.

I Will Help You

"I will help you," says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

 

Isaiah 41:14b

 

 

Take to heart this promise of God and some encouraging thoughts on it from Charles Spurgeon:

 

The Lord says to each one of us: "I will help you. It is but a small thing for Me, your God to help you. Consider what I have done already. I bought you with My blood. I have died for you; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less?

 

Help you!

 

It is the least thing I will ever do for you; I have done more and will do more. Before the world began, I chose you. I made the covenant for you. I laid aside My glory and became a man for you; I gave up My life for you; and if I did all this, I will surely help you now. In helping you, I am giving you what I have bought for you already. If you had need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it to you; you require little compared with what I am ready to give.

 

Help you?

 

Do not fear!

 

I will help you!

 

Oh my soul, is not this enough?

 

Do you need more strength than the omnipotence of the united Trinity?

 

Do you want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit?

 

Bring your empty pitcher!

 

Surely this well will fill it. Gather up your wants and bring them here–your emptiness, your woes, your needs. Behold, this river of God is full for your supply; what can you desire beside?

 

The Eternal God is your helper!

Staying Connected

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.

Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.

 

Psalm 143:8

Two of the greatest inventions of this day and age have been the laptop computer and e-mail. The laptop means we no longer have to stay in one place to be productive in school, business, or our personal life. E-mail has allowed us to stay connected to people all around the world with the touch of a button.

However, one of our greatest frustrations is when either of these does not work. Sometimes we cannot use our laptop because the charged on the battery has died, or sometimes e-mail cannot be used because we are unable to get a connection. Both of these situations mean we are incapable to tap into the resource that allows us accomplish what we have set out to complete while using these devices.

Spending time with God is much like these situations.

 

As we seek to spend time with God and in His Word we are recharged. This recharging has an important effect on our lives. It allows us the greatest opportunity to hear and sense the direction God is leading our every step. It sets forth the opportunity for God to speak into our spirit what He desires for us each day and it allows us to focus on God's purposes, not our own.

If we refuse to "get connected," we risk following our own ways of fulfilling what God is leading us in.

The only way to know someone is to spend time with him or her. The only way to discern the voice of another is to hear that person's voice. David, the author of this psalm, was a warrior, king, and businessman. He understood this principle of connecting with God. His time with God allowed him to connect with His love, renew his trust in Him, and hear His directions for his life.

 

Shouldn't you and I do the same?

Fast History Facts And Sayings

The next time you find yourself enjoying a relaxing bath and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts and sayings about the 1500s:

• Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today, of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

 

• Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

• Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (i.e. mice and bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, it's raining cats and dogs.

 

• The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start sliding outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying, a thresh hold.

 

• Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.

 

• Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

 

• Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom, of holding a wake.

And that's the truth... Now, whoever said History was boring?!

Cleaning The Heart

Have you ever been involved with a project to "gut" a house? Imagine a decrepit house that reeked of mold and rotting food. After donning respirators and safety goggles, you are given crowbars and other tools and instructed to get the house down to the studs. At first, the work is difficult; the house was small and stifling. However, as you remove rotten, moldy boards and took out the windows, breezes are able to blow through the house.

 

It was rough work.

 

Maybe at some point you wondered whether it would not be easier to tear the house down with a dozer and rebuild. However, the man who owned the house had built it with his own two hands—it was a work of love. He was the creator of this house, and he couldn't bear to see it eradicated.

 

So you labored over the house—pulling nails, tearing out the bathroom, and prying floor-boards as rats ran about under the foundation. The odor dissipated as the breeze blew threw, and after much effort, you finished tearing the rottenness out of the house. Fresh boards could now be placed on the floor joists, and the house could be rebuilt.

 

Gutting is a dirty job, but it is necessary.

 

If you think about it our hearts can be handled in a similar way. Going through all corners of our hearts to rid us of destructing habits, idols, and sin is a lot like gutting an old house. But we know that we have the best foreman for the job and that is our Creator—the One who designed us and we are the work of His love.

 

The effort it takes to cleanse our hearts is worth it.

 

In Ezekiel 36, God talks about the new hearts He will give us. But first, He must rip out the old one with its foul odor and rampant growth of sin—this begins when you first become a Christian. God begins pulling and prying at the structure and throwing away the rottenness so that your heart may be rebuilt on a solid foundation, the foundation it was meant for—God and God alone. After all, we wouldn't want to build a house back on top of mildew and rotten boards; the house would be shaky and just plain gross.

 

However, it doesn't stop there!

 

God has set His mark on us—He has put His Spirit in us—and He won't leave His people. He will continue His work in us for His glory. Ezekiel 36:24-27 states it well, I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Discernment

We all have an inherent tendency to apply the Bible to our lives in black-and-white, all-or-nothing applications. Living as we do in a pragmatic, cut-to-the-chase age, we've gotten accustomed to adopting formulas that enable us to avoid the exercise of discernment.

 

And when we live by formulas, we don't glorify God as we should, and we also miss out on many freedoms that are ours to enjoy in the Christian life.

 

Establishing our own standards takes less time and effort, but it eventually enslaves us to legalism. Discernment, on the other hand, requires us to know Scripture, which takes a good bit of time and effort. But the more we know it, the more we will have a well-rounded understanding of how to apply it practically.

We will come to understand how the Bible that tells us, "God has given us everything for our enjoyment" is the same Bible that calls us to lay down our lives. If we get stuck on formulas and rules, we're going to get hung up on what seem like contradictions in God's Word. But if we learn to discern, we'll be able to see how its multi-faceted truths apply to the issues of our daily lives.

The Proverbs 31 woman is the quintessential discerner. She learned how to feed the hungry and how to make herself attractive—and glorifying God in it all. Learning to discern teaches us balance. Notice in Proverbs 31:10-31 how many of the verses are devoted to the woman's appearance in comparison to the number that focus on her charity, hard work, and family responsibilities. Nevertheless, her "fear of the Lord," which is at the heart of biblical discernment, or wisdom, taught her the freedom to enjoy all those things.

The more we know Scripture, the more we'll love God. And as our love for Him grows, we'll find ourselves asking less often what the rules are, because we'll care a lot less about what we're "allowed" to do and more about what we "get" to do in our love for God.

Hungry

You're sitting in your favorite chair all relaxed watching television. Suddenly you feel hungry, but you resist the urge to scavenge the pantry by concentrating on what you're watching. Then, after a few tantalizing commercials, you remember those double-stuffed, cream filled cookies you bought just to have in the house for when unexpected guest drop in. Before you know it, you're returning to your favorite chair, cookies and milk in hand. It's a slam-dunk snack, but, oddly enough, after eating and watching, you still go to bed hungry.

 

The Bible tells us that after Jesus fed the 5,000 they wanted to make Him king. Jesus resisted the idea and told the disciples to go to the other side of the lake while He went away to pray. The people longed for a king that could feed them, so they tracked Jesus down the next day. When they found Him, they began to ask if He could feed them manna like Moses did in the wilderness. The picnic the day before was pretty awesome and not cooking every day sounded too good to be true!

 

They hungered for more bread from heaven, bread they could taste that would satisfy their needs.

 

Jesus knew that people's perceived hunger for a miracle was really their hunger for a relationship with God. After telling them He didn't come to feed them food like Moses, He said, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35).Jesus was saying that He is what they craved—a relationship with Him would satisfy their deepest hunger and thirst. They had misplaced their spiritual longing for God with a physical craving for food. Most of them didn't understand. In their physical-minded world, food was the only source of satisfaction for hunger. Jesus, however, came to fill the hunger of the soul with a living relationship with God through Him.

 

The next time you get the urge to snack, ask yourself, "When was the last time I tasted the Bread of Life?" Then, rather than following the path to the pantry, take a detour to a quiet place and feast till your soul's content on the Bread of Life and the Living Water. Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 4:6).

 

Eat up! Your soul will be satisfied and you'll go to bed full.

Trusting God With Your Financial Future

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

Hebrews 11:1

 

 

So, what's in your future? No, this has nothing to do with horoscopes, but many Christians make financial decisions based on fear of the future, instead of trusting that God will provide for them. Fear of the future can cause us to forfeit the blessings of God, because we base decisions on the latest headline or stock market report.

 

Too often, Christians give little thought to God's ability to take care of them.

 

This doesn't mean that we shouldn't plan ahead to ensure financial stability; however, when Christians find that attitudes of fear and worry are motivating financial decisions, they need to reevaluate their financial priorities, and recommit to trust in God.

 

The U.S. economic slowdown has the financial well-being of many Americans hanging in the balance. They worry about not having enough money to pay normal monthly bills, and the rash of recent mortgage defaults has devastated many. Causing many Americans to live so close to the edge financially that a prolonged economic downturn could put them in serious financial straits.

 

No Christian can truly serve God and live in fear of financial loss.

 

Fear of our financial future exhibits a lack of trust in God and in His provision. In other words, when we fear the future, we choose to serve the fear of financial loss, rather than to trust and serve God—Who has conquered all fear and holds the future in His hands. God's plan seems to be that we have some needs so that we can develop our faith in Him. It is vital for us to view potential future financial needs as opportunities to exercise and develop our faith.

 

It is a matter of who are you going to trust.

 

There are some important steps we must follow that will help us trust God completely with the present and the future:

 

• Find God's direction for your life– Most frustrations that Christians experience are the result of trying to model their lives after someone else's life. Instead, through prayer and study, find God's direction for you, which will allow you to properly plan and establish a budget with your finances.
• Make a conscious effort to trust God– Put thoughts, words, and commitments into action and trust God. Don't buy on credit. Plan ahead and wait for God to supply your needs.
• Develop a long-range perspective– Trust God's directives and His guidance (See Matthew 6:34).
• Pray diligently– Prayer is the key that unlocks God's blessings, power and direction (See 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

Although we are bombarded daily with events that can cause doubt concerning our financial future, we must never doubt that God is in complete control. Refuse to panic, and do not be governed by fear of the future. Keep your commitments and vows to God, pray without ceasing and trust your future to Him without reservation.

Humbling Circumstances

The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.

 

James 1:9

Do you find yourself in humble circumstances?

 

If so, James tells us that we are to take pride in this "high" position. These two things would seem to be an oxymoron. Most of us would not consider humble circumstances a high position. The world tells us that being on top means being wealthy, attaining favor and status, or having power to influence.

Follow along as we look at a life of a well to do man who went through some humbling times…

 

J.C. Penney is a name synonymous with department store. Mr. Penny first launched his chain of "The Golden Rule" stores in 1907. In 1910 his first wife died. Three years later, he incorporated as the J.C. Penney Company. In 1923 his second wife died giving birth to his son. In 1929 the stock market crashed and he lost $40 million. By 1932, he had to sell out to satisfy creditors. This left Mr. Penney virtually broke.

 

Crushed in spirit from his loss and his health suddenly failing, Mr. Penney wound up in a Battle Creek, Michigan sanitarium.

 

One morning he heard the distant singing of employees who gathered to start the day with God: Be not dismayed, whate'er betide, God will take care of you… Mr. Penney followed the music to its source and slipped into a back row. He left a short time later a changed man, his health and spirit renewed, and ready to start the long climb back at age fifty-six.

By 1951 there was a J.C. Penney store in every state, and for the first time sales surpassed $1 billion a year.¹

The success of Mr. Penney can be traced to God's mercy in his life to bring him out of his humble circumstance. Do you find yourself in a humble circumstance? God is the only one who can help you see your humble circumstance from His viewpoint—a high position. It is a high position because of what God is going to teach you in this place. He does not intend you to stay there; it is merely a stopping place to learn some important things you would not learn otherwise. Press into God and trust Him for the outcome to your circumstances.

 

 

 

[1] John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 340-343.

Being Spirit Led Equals Blessings

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

 

Romans 8:13-14

Joshua and Caleb are described in Scripture as men who had a different spirit. They were two of the 12 spies sent into the Promised Land to determine if it could be taken, as God had promised it to them. The other 10 gave a bad report that instilled fear in the people, which ultimately caused a rebellion.

 

This resulted in an entire generation dying in the desert.

 

Joshua and Caleb were the only 2 who were led by the Spirit of God, versus the spirit of fear. They were the only ones to enter the Promised Land from their generation, because instead of following the lead of the Spirit of God the other 10 spices chose to flout the Spirit of God and go their own way.

Are you a person led by the Spirit?

 

The verse above tells us that those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God, and Caleb exhibited this in his own life. We see this in Numbers 14:24: But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the and he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. Even though Caleb lived long before Romans 8:13-14 was written he allowed the Spirit to lead him and he was greatly blessed.

Many of us have failed to enter into our own Promised Land because we have failed to be led by the Spirit rather than by fear.

 

Fear prevents us from entering into what God has promised for each of us. God has reserved an inheritance for us that is exceedingly good. God described the Promised Land as a land of milk and honey. Our own Promised Land is the same, but you must be led by the Spirit to enter in. You cannot be led by fear, reason and analysis, or even skill—the Spirit must lead you.

Commit yourself to being men and women who are led by the Spirit and you too will see many great blessings that God has for you in your Promise Land.

Breaking Through Fitness Plateaus

It's been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This could not be truer than when it comes to breaking through a fitness plateau. Many people do well with an exercise plan as long as they are seeing fast results, but when the results slow down or stop, they throw in the towel and go back to old habits. 

 

Our bodies reach plateaus because of the awesome way God created them to survive under a variety of circumstances. Whatever you consistently expose your body to will become the new level of normal. To break through a plateau something has to change so that the body will have a need to respond by getting stronger or losing weight. Consider the following options to tweak your fitness plan and continue progress.

 

Change the amount of time and/or intensity of your exercise– The easiest way to alter an exercise plan for results is by increasing the amount of time you exercise.  Even adding five minutes to your workout will bump up the calories you burn. If you exercise three days a week, add a day or two to your routine. If you can't add any more time, then increase the intensity. Walk faster. Change the incline. Add light (no more than two pounds) hand weights. Add jogging intervals. Climb stairs. Anything you do to challenge your current level will increase the calories you burn and propel your body to adapt to a higher level.

 

Try something different– If your regular exercise plan has become so routine that you do it without thinking, then it's definitely time for a change. If you are normally a walker, then try biking. Attend a group fitness class. Rent a variety of exercise videos and workout in your living room. Use a different type of equipment like an elliptical trainer or stationary bike. Try swimming or water aerobics for a cooler summer workout. Anything you do that is out of the regular routine will challenge your body in a different way.

 

Alter your exercise schedule– Changing the time of day that you exercise causes the body to readjust. If you normally exercise in the evening, go to bed earlier and try exercising in the morning or at lunchtime. Or, consider splitting your exercise routine and complete half in the morning and half in the evening.

 

Add strength training exercises to your routine– If you don't already perform strength training exercises, adding them to a cardio-respiratory (heart and lungs or aerobic) workout really alters the intensity and asks the body to make progress. In a fitness center setting, enlist the help of a personal trainer to set you up on a program that will safely increase your strength. If you are on your own, adding body weight exercises like push-ups, lunges, and squats can increase lean muscle tissue and your body's ability to burn more calories even at rest. 

 

Take a break and get some rest– As a general rule, exercise breaks down the body, allowing it to repair at a stronger level during rest. But, if you are exercising without adequate rest, you lose the opportunity for healthy repair. For healthy balance in an exercise plan you should take at least one or two days off per week. If you are pushing your workout to the limit for an extended amount of time without further results, it may be time for an active rest period. In active rest you exercise at a lower intensity or stay involved in physical lifestyle activities (like hand washing the cars, sweeping the driveway or patio, or working in the yard) and take a brief vacation from your regular exercise routine. Active rest will allow the body to fully repair, and when you return to your workout you will be strong and ready for continued progress.

Laughter

The power of laughter:

 

Vibrant- full of life, energy, and warmth.

 

Communal- expressive of shared enjoyment.

 

Cross-cultural- it can happen with anyone, anywhere.

 

Honest- there isn't much room for duplicity or selfish motives.

 

Appreciative- if it is laughing with someone, then it is affirming their sense of humor or storytelling or something else that made you laugh.

 

Healing- "a cheerful heart brings life to the bones," and there is no better prescription for cheerfulness than laughter.

 

Isn't it great when you laugh so hard that your abs hurt and your eyes tear up and your face turns red and you've almost forgotten what was so funny, but everyone around you keeps laughing and then you laugh at each other and then you start to think you're all crazy…

Making Time Count

Time.

 

We take it for granted, yet complain we don't have enough of it. Today's society encourages people to work longer so they can earn more and buy more. As a result, attitudes about the value of work and the value of leisure have changed. Family, friends, and personal enrichment—things traditionally cultivated during leisure time—suffer.

 

Recent studies reveal the average American has only four hours of true leisure time on the weekends because of the demands of work, home, and family.

 

We've learned to cope with added stress by denying the frailty of time. Believing we have all the time in the world, we tell ourselves, "We'll watch a sunset, marvel at the stars, read a novel, go on picnics, lie in the sand at the beach, or eat dinners by candlelight… someday." Only someday never comes.

 

The urgency of the hour dominates our lives, stealing our time and relationships. Too often we run around like headless chickens, trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy in our days when, in truth, our lives are whirling out of control.

 

We often fill our schedules so full that we waste precious time on the nonessentials.

 

Perhaps lust for material possessions or the busyness of projects throws you off guard, making it difficult to hear God and His instructions. If you're thinking, I'm trying to listen, but why can't I hear from God? May I gently ask how you're listening? When you pray, do you wait for instructions or issue orders?

 

When we sincerely seek God's direction for each decision, opportunity, responsibility, and appointment, we slowly develop balance in our lives. Life is a juggling act—but no juggler perfects his act the first time. Keeping several balls in continuous motion takes practice. In the same way, we have to practice the act of balance in our lives.

 

Developing balance begins with your choice to meet with the Lord each morning to seek His guidance for the day. It continues as you become aware of His presence in each aspect of your life. It grows as you relax and trust God, willingly obeying His slightest nudge.

 

It is not impossible when you yield your life to God each day.

 

It has been said the believer's least requested gift is discernment—we have access to God and His wisdom. We simply need to ask God to fill us with insight and discernment for the choices we face and how we are to live.

 

When we seek God's wisdom and step out in faith, He becomes our strength, enabling us to accomplish whatever He chooses. We may not gain more hours in a day, but the time we spend will count for eternity. Our decisions and actions will be done in a manner pleasing to Him.

 

Time is fleeting.

 

And James 4:14 tells us, Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

 

How are you choosing to spend your time?

Do What You Can With All Your Might

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.

 

Ecclesiastes 9:10a 

 

 

Theodore Roosevelt had many quotes for us to ponder, but one that we should take to heart and put into action is this:

 

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

 

It is the age where most don't think they can or they put limitations on what they can and cannot do. It's not that they don't want to do anything, though, of course, that is always the case with some, it's that they feel someone else would do it better, and maybe they would. But the thing is... they don't.

 

So nothing happens, and nothing changes, and the world is just how it was before, and it's destined to remain that way until we put aside our limitations and step out in faith.

God doesn't expect us to be experts, but He does expect us to use what He's given us—dreams, gifts, talents, skills, and resources. He most often doesn't use the people who are most qualified, because they would not trust Him as they should. Instead, He uses those who are willing to follow Him with a life of obedience seeking to do great things to further His Kingdom.

 

God uses those who will do what they can to further His Kingdom and bring glory to Him.

God is the greatest Teacher, and is well able to equip you far greater than you ever dreamed for the work that's right in front of you. It may be a great work that at first glance may seem too big to tackle, but remember you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (See Philippians 4:13). It might be hard and tedious, but do what you can.

 

You may not have what it takes to finish it now, but do what you can. You may not have the means to go far, but go with what you've got. You might not be able to do much, but do what you can. It might cost you everything, but do it anyway—live fully for God and do not put limitations on what you can and cannot do.

 

Do not put limitations on what God has in store for you, but do what you can and He will give you the strength to accomplish His work.

God doesn't build us up and prepare us for what He has in store for us and leave us to struggle unaided. Far from it, He is with us every step of the way. He guides us, directs us, and gives us wisdom greater than we can realize now, but He expects us to go forward, and do all that we can by His power and strength within us.

Having Preeminence In Your Life

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Colossians 1:17-18

Who is first in your life?

 

How do we determine the answer to this question?

 

Most Christians would say God is first in their life, but is He?

One's position in life does not determine who is first in their life. Who is first is determined by more than priorities, as well. Now, of course, if one's priorities are not correct, then God is not first. However, just because one's priorities are correct does not mean God is first either.

 

For God to be first He must be preeminent in all areas of your life—He must be what you are seeking!

 

Our priorities can be in order and yet we are seeking things for self… thus, God is not first.

Either self is first, or God is first in our life. This is subject to change on a daily basis, so to properly answer the question as to who is first; one must answer it daily or moment by moment. Christ can be first in your life today, but not tomorrow. It is a matter of who you allow to control your life. Paul said, "I die daily."

As we study the Word of God we learn of God and His attributes. We learn of His holiness, love, mercy, longsuffering, power, justice, etc… it is here that God gives us knowledge too see the wisdom of letting God be first in all areas of our lives. We learn He is able to manage our lives better than we can. We see God is able to provide for all our needs—mentally, physically, and spiritually.

 

To actually let God be first takes faith.

 

Why faith?

 

Because without faith it is impossible to please God.

 

You see, through faith we have the opportunity to please God—we please God by our faith. By trusting in Him and acting upon His Word as a result—faith will produce actions (See James 2:14-26).

For God to be first, we must learn of Him in His Word, trust Him on a daily basis, and live in obedience to the principals of God's Word regardless of circumstances.

Notice how God used and changed the lives of significant men in the Bible who were obedient and allowed God to be first:

 
Joseph– From slave/prisoner to Prime Minister.
Joshua– From slave to general/leader of the people of God.
Daniel– From slave to Prime Minster through two world empires.
Elisha– From farmer to one of the greatest prophets of God.
Paul– From religious hypocrite to Apostle/preacher.
Peter– From fisherman to Apostle.
Your Name– From and to?

The Influence Of The Printing Press Continues

In a dimly lit room in Germany, a man sets huddled over his desk arranging wooden tiles. He strokes his beard thoughtfully as he squints in the candlelight. Finally, he places the tiles on a bulky, homemade contraption. This was it—the invention that would make or break the destiny of Christendom, making books available to all.

 

Words inked by Gutenberg's printing press would revolutionize Europe, and to this day, every library and bookshelf owes its existence to that man. In 1997, Time-Life magazine declared Gutenberg's invention to be the most important of the past one thousand years. No invention since Gutenberg's printing press has been more influential; until, perhaps now.

No, we are not on a continent struggling to emerge from the Dark Ages (though sometimes I wonder). Most can read and we now take books for granted. However, as never before in history, virtually limitless information is brought to us via a single tool: the internet.

 

In years past, it was only an elite few who harnessed the ability to broadcast information on a large scale. Now that responsibility has been placed in the hands of any—man, woman, boy, or girl—able to click a button.

 

Everyone has access to this updated version of Gutenberg's printing press. It's so easy and potent. Yet the greatness of any invention is not the object itself, but how it changes the world through its existence. A printing press doesn't matter unless people's minds are changed for the better from the words that are printed.

Words—written, printed, or spoken—have a powerful influence on us and those around us whether we realize it or not.

 

Do we only take what we've learned and tuck it into our brains to catch dust—have we truly learned anything?

 

Do we live what we believe when it comes to studying and reading God's Word or other valuable resources?

 

Do we assume our nation—family and friends alike—is doomed because they are not open and willing to learn from that which is written, printed, or spoken?

 

Action is how change happens.

 

By God's grace He will use written, printed, or spoken words, to affect people's lives so that change does occur for the furtherance of His Kingdom and for His glory alone.

Fit For Ministry

Are you able to do what God calls you to do whenever he calls you to do it?

 

Are you ready spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically for ministry?

 

Because we are whole people created to live in physical bodies, we must be physically fit for effective ministry.

 

A wonderful biblical example of physical fitness and ministry readiness is found in Acts 8:26-39, in the account of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

 

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

      " He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
      And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
       So He opened not His mouth.
       In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
      And who will declare His generation?
      For His life is taken from the earth."

So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

 

Phillip was prompted by the Holy Spirit to start walking down the road between Jerusalem and Gaza. We are not told how far he walked before he saw the eunuch and was prompted by the Holy Spirit to approach his chariot. Scripture tells us that when Phillip was told to go, he had to RUN alongside the chariot and talk to the man all before he was invited into the chariot to share Christ.

 

Remember, chariots were pulled by horses and even at a trot, Phillip would need to run at a good pace to keep up.

 

While running, Phillip spoke to the man in a loud enough tone that the eunuch heard him over the road noise and horse hooves. Running and talking at the same time indicates good cardiovascular fitness. Phillip was physically and spiritually fit to accomplish this mission from the Holy Spirit. The result of Phillip's readiness was the salvation and baptism of the eunuch.

 

Notice a few things Phillip didn't do—first and foremost he didn't argue with the Holy Spirit about the arrangement of the assignment. He didn't say,

 

"That's great, I'd love to share Christ with that man. Could you just have him pull his chariot up beside me? I don't think I can run that fast." Or, "We could meet at the nearest Starbucks for coffee and I'd be glad to answer all his questions."

 

No, Phillip just did as the Spirit said.

 

Phillip wasn't gasping for air as he talked to the eunuch, and we know this because the eunuch understood what he was saying and was able to respond.

 

Phillip didn't ask the eunuch to go out of his way to listen, but instead accommodated the situation by running alongside and waited for an invitation to join the eunuch in the chariot.

 

How often do we use excuses and negotiations to alter a call to minister?

 

God has equipped us with everything needed to do anything that He calls us to do. He gave a body designed to be strong and fit to respond to his call. Yet many of us find ourselves diseased, stressed, fatigued, weak, and wimpy.

 

Improving your fitness level requires commitment, discipline, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to reveal to you the areas that are not in top shape for his service. Accept the answer and develop a plan for improvement.

 

Consult your physician or other health professionals for healthy guidelines for better eating and more activity through exercise. Healthful food and exercise can affect our bodies in a positive manner so that we are physically in shape and ready at a moment's notice to answer God's ministry call.