The Blessing of Helping Another

  …your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; …your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard…you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I… your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 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 58:8-11 NIV

 

These are some wonderful promises the prophet declares here in Isaiah. I doubt there is a person who wouldn’t want such blessings in their lives daily. I know I do. I have read these promises for years and ask God to make them real in my life. The thing is, there are a lot of conditions that go with these promises. In the above verses I left the word “Then” out. The Almighty gave several actions that if we do the above things will happen in our life.

 

As the above chapter begins Israel is complaining that God is not paying any attention to their religious actions. They are having church and even praying and fasting and the Lord does not even seem to notice.

 

…they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? (Verses 2-3 NKJV)

 

It is then that the Almighty declares why He is not touching their lives even though they are preforming religious acts. God then tells them that they are missing the whole reason for fasting and prayer. They perform religious acts but they never change their life actions. It is then that God tells them the kind of actions He wants to see in their living.

 

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Verses 6-7 NIV) 

 

God said, what I want to see out of you is this, break the chain of injustice you hold over people, stop allowing a person’s past to dictate your thoughts after repentance. Stop allowing the color of their skin to determine if God can do great things with them. Get rid of exploitation in the work place. Stop taking advantage of people you lead. Free the burdened and cancel debts. Stop living and treating people like they owe you. (Just a few thoughts of translating these words into today’s world.)  Start sharing your food with people who don’t have anything to eat. Invite the homeless and poor into your homes. Put cloths on the shivering ill-clad. Become available to your own families; take time for your own flesh and blood. God told them this is what He wanted to see in their lives.

 

It is then the word “Then” comes into play with the verses I started with. If we do what God wants with our lives then the promises happen. Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; And your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I…

 

God then has more conditions. (Verse 9-10)

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 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.

 

We each want the wonderful blessing of God on our life. We each want our lives to shine with blessings. God is ready to do just that If we will live with our lives daily like He wants us to live. Learn to live beyond your own self and wants, learn to live your life to touch someone else. Smile and bless someone’s life today your life is depending on it.

An Offering of Thanksgiving

In our evening service on Sunday I preached about the offering of Thanksgiving. You can find this offering that God gave instructions for in Leviticus chapter seven. There are several things that stand out about this offering that we need to apply to our on personal lives. This offering was a voluntary offering, made from a principle of gratitude, when, with no special occasion, the worshipper called upon his soul and all within him to praise and bless God's holy name. Here are a few things to keep in mind so that you keep a spirit of Thanksgiving.

·         The sacrifice of thanksgiving (7:12; cf. comments on chap. 3) was to be accompanied by one of each kind (7:14) of three unleavened grain offerings (described in v. 12). Since the offerings were without yeast, the priest apparently offered "a memorial portion" on the altar accompanying the fat of the animal of the fellowship offering (cf. 2:9,11-12). First and foremost we need to make sure our spirit of Thanksgiving is from a repented heart. Jesus told us that if we bring a gift to the altar and have and issue in our life we are to deal or purge out the issue and then come back to the altar. (Matthew 5:23) To have and keep a spirit of thanksgiving one will have to repent of the leaven (sin) in their lives.

·         However, the offering with cakes of bread made with yeast (v. 13) was apparently for the communal meal rather than for the officiating priest. The priest's portions of the fellowship offering are explained in verses 28-34. The portion of the meat of this fellowship offering of thanksgiving that was for the communal meal had to be eaten on the day of the offering (v. 15). This part of the offering was intended to be eaten or consumed with friends or family of the one bringing the sacrifice. It could be shared also with the Levite of the community and anyone who could not afford to bring this voluntary offering. God intended on the spirit of Thanksgiving to be a shared fellowship. He never intended on this offering to be enjoyed alone. God wanted the spirit of Thanksgiving to be a shared experience. We too need to live our thankfulness for all to see. Learn to live with a lifted head not a downward look. No matter what live brings we can each find many things to be thankful for. I read a quote this morning that said, “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer  http://pastorstevesmith.com . This is an amazing revelation; they still took time to share their spirit of thanksgiving even in their sorrow and poverty.

·         Even though the offering of thanksgiving was to be eaten on the day it was offered God said the leftovers could be eaten the next day but not past the second day (Verse 16). Anything left to the third day had to be burned. (v 17). It struck me that the Bible tells us that the mercies of God are made new every day thus we need to keep our spirit of thanksgiving new and fresh, renew it day by day. A thankful heart is not a onetime thing it is something that must be kelp new and real every day. Last week’s spirit of Thanksgiving will not work today. God asks for a new spirit of thankfulness. “Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. Edward Sandford Martin

So look around you, you really have a lot to be thankful for. Make a list then spread that thankfulness like a great table full. Get your head up and smile, God is real good all the time. Make sure everyone around you can see your thankfulness. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Continual Thanksgiving

Wow, what at weekend at FPB. I always love our Children’s Crusade and this one was over the top. The Kid’s ministry here at FPB is something else. Every part was first class and the ministry of all the different ones was superb. The greatest part was watching all the children praying in the altars at the end of each service, and then finishing it off with two children being baptized. Thank you Kid’s staff and most of all Thank You Jesus for Your wonderful blessings.

On that note let me remind you of two things this morning.

 

Start each day off being thankful to God.

 

This morning in my prayer time I started with Thanksgiving. I always try to do this and this morning I thanked God for each of those children that I saw touched by this weekend. Time will tell the power of each of those services. No doubt there will come a day when one or more of those little boys and/or girls will stand where Marcus and Bryan did last night and we will see the seeds coming up that were planted. Jesus said to send the little children to Him and never prevent them from getting to Him for such is the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 19:14) Yes, many lives were touched by the anointing of this wonderful weekend and time will clearly show the power of those planted seeds. So join with me today and tell God how thankful you are for all the kids at FPB and those who lead them.

 

Keep a spirit of Thanksgiving

 

We often really start to zero in on the things we are thankful for this time of year. I do so much enjoy this season and believe we should be thankful. I challenge you to start today making a list of all the things you are truly thankful for. You will have to write them down or you will lose some with time. But just stop and look around you and realize that if those blessings were not there, your life would not be the same. Stop today and think how your life would be if those blessing were taken away. But just don’t be thankful during this season. Make a point to live your life thankful continually. Selfish unthankful people are miserable souls.

 

I may have shared this before but allow me to send it again. This story puts a clearer picture on the reason we need to keep a spirit of Thanksgiving.

 

Dr. Norman Vincent Peal wrote a story of a man who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This man had been a vital, dynamic individual. Now he had become an empty shell of a man. Then someone suggested that the way for him to avoid further breakdown and be healed was by the practice of what is called the attitude of gratitude.

 

He was advised to sit down and make a list of all the people who had helped him over the years. Then he was to fill his mind with thankfulness for all that these men and women had done for him. He was asked if he had ever thanked anyone for what he or she had done for him.

“No,” he said, “I never really laid much stress on that.”

The next advice was to think of someone who had especially blessed his life and send that person a letter of thanks. He thought of a schoolteacher who was now elderly. He sat down and wrote a letter telling her that he remembered all the inspiration she has given him, that he had never forgotten her over the years and how much he loved her. 

A few days later, he received a letter written in a trembling hand. Using his boyhood name, it said, “Dear Willy, when I think back over all the children I have taught in my life time, you are the only one who ever wrote to thank me for what I did as a teacher. You have made me so happy. I read your letter every night. I will cherish your words until the day I die.” 

This did so much for the man that he thought of someone else to write to. Then someone else came to mind and before he was through he had written 500 unexpected letters of thanks and appreciation. And the therapy of thanksgiving had much to do with curing him of his nervous depression. It lifted him above himself and into the secret of real living. He was grateful from that time on for every new day, and lived life to its fullest. 

No matter where life finds you today I challenge you to live with a thankful heart and spirit. It will make all the difference in your days to come. Thankful people are wonderful people to walk through life with. So be thankful for all the blessings God has put in your life and allow them to put a smile on your face as you walk through life today. Not only will you feel better but those around you will enjoy you much more too.

 

Thanks for reading this!

From Strength to Strength

A young man, no doubt wishing to seem wise beyond his years, watched and elder gentlemen plant young apple trees. The old man carefully and tenderly set each little tree in the soil and watered it in. After a bit the young man called out, “Sir, you do realize you will never eat an apple off these trees?” “Yes”, replied the elder and went on working. “Then why waste the time knowing you will never get anything out of it?” Ask the younger. The old man’s answer showed the focus his life. The elder man replied, “I won’t eat apples from these trees, but someone will. Someone will come by this place and be thankful of the fact that I planted the trees. Yes, I won’t eat the fruit of my labor but someone will.”

There are many events that touch our lives through the passing of time. Happenings that bless us and leave us smiling and events that touch us and leave us sadden or hurt. Some even leave us shell-shocked and confused. There are no doubt questions in all our minds about what has come our way. Good things, wonderful things and then bad things. We all have things in our life that we have no answer as to why they came our way. Why did I have to deal with that?

 

Years ago I had an event touch my life that left me filled with questions. I prayed, asked God why, and puzzled over the lack of an answer. I didn’t know anyone to turn to who had walked down a similar road. For a few days I walked through life in a daze not knowing any reason or lesson, direction or hope as to why I was staggering through that barren area of life I was. After a few days a received a hand written letter from an elder in my life who said God woke Him and he felt he should write me the letter. In that letter he described in detail the exact same event in his life with a different time, place and name. Yet it was my story and my event in someone else’s life. He encouraged me and gave me words of wisdom.

 

Today looking back I still don’t know the reasons or the whys of that event in my life but I have purposed that I would not leave the place barren. Because someone else will walk there and I plan when that day comes to be a fresh pool for them to be encouraged by.

 

There is a song in scripture found in Psalm 84. It is a song about the wonders of the tabernacle of God. It describes the blessing of being in the Lord’s courts and how the writer longs to just stay there. The singer envies the birds that get to build a nest there. Yet, declares that he will be there, he will journey there, he will return to the court of the Lord with praise. It is in verses four through seven that some amazing thoughts are given.

 

Israel had several feast or holidays of celebration that required they return to the Temple to worship each year. On their way to Jerusalem, from their different home towns, they journeyed no doubt the same route each time. Spurgeon, in his books, The Treasury of David, makes this note about verse 6. “Probably there is here a local allusion, which will never now be deciphered, but the general meaning is clear enough. There are joys of pilgrimage which make men forget the discomforts of the road. “The rain also filleth the pools.” God gives to his people the supplies they need while traversing the roads which he points out for them. Where there were no natural supplies from below, the pilgrims found an abundant compensation in waters from above…”

 

Those who passed through the different dry and barren places must have created places of rest where the rains, which were now long gone, left a pool to rest by. Maybe they dug the pools for the rain to fill. Maybe they built a bridge to get over a certain place. Whatever was there it was a help and a refreshing to those who would later, maybe years later, come that way again. They journeyed to the presence of the Lord from one strength to another strength.

 

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84:5-7 NKJV 

 

I don’t always know all the reasons why life handed me what it has passed to me but a long time ago after a note that made a difference I decided to dig a pool at the event. I may never use the water of help caught there but someone will. I don’t always know why some blessings come my way but I have purposed in my heart to plant something that will bear fruit so someone can enjoy it. I don’t always know the reasons but if I can learn enough I can help someone else walk where I have walked. I can dig a pool.

 

That day when I received that note I decided I would be ready to write such a note when the need of opportunity came. I will dig a pool, build a bridge, plant a tree, I will do something with the events of my life so that those who come after me can go from strength to strength.

 

No, I may not get to eat the fruit but I will plant the tree because someone will need the fruit.

I challenge you to look at where life walks you and  make it a better path so someone else can go from strength to strength, help others appear before God in His courts.

Your Most Important 5 Percent

This morning when I left the house the cool crisp air felt wonderful. It was a hint of what is no doubt to come in the next four or five months. It’s a time of the year that I like. Matter-a-fact, it’s my favorite time of the year. As we move into this fall season things start to get really busy for us here at FPB. The next three months are filled with fast pace excitement and busyness. We will have a chance to touch the lives of a lot of people over the next several weeks. Yet, at the same time I want to remind you to plan time to slow down and really see what is going on around you.

 

Recently I was made aware of some things I must focus on. I am reading a book called, Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro. In this book the author reminds his readers there are some things in our life that he called the most important five percent. He writes,

 

Eighty-five percent of what we do, anyone can do. These tasks don’t require an elite expertise or specialized skill. Many of these tasks can be delegated to others so we can concentrate on what’s most important to the job we have been given to do.

Ten percent of what we do, someone with a modicum of training should be able to accomplish. After all we were trained to do what we do; someone else of like capabilities could learn how to do what we do.

But 5 percent of what I do; only I can do! This is the most important 5 percent for me. I can’t delegate these initiatives to anyone else. I can’t hire someone else to take my place in any of these activities because they require that I be there! This 5 percent will determine the validity of the other 95 percent.

 

I think we tend to really not believe that someone else can do our other 95 percent but we are just fooling ourselves. If we were to step from this life today there would be tears and some sad days but within weeks our jobs and positions would be filled as life went on. This world has never stopped because someone was no longer there. But we can get so busy that we neglect the most important things that only we can do, our most important five percent. My five percent may be different from yours but the principals are the same. After reading this chapter I put down my most important 5 percent.

 

1.      A vibrant growing relationship with Jesus through prayer and His Word. He in me and I in Him. (John 15)

2.      A healthy and real relationship with Stephanie that’s enjoyable and comforting.

3.      An authentic family that love God and also have a close relationship with Him. Also that my family be close to one another.

4.      A God pleasing ministry that is continually consumed by His anointing.

5.      A physically healthy body with a creative mind and an emotional heart.

6.      Taking time to enjoy life with my family and friends and in that order.

 

So as you move into this busy season make sure you keep everything in order. If you get the top 5 percent out of focus the other 95 percent will be a mess and really just a fake. I want to finish with a story I found years ago that still gets me in my emotional heart every time I read it. It’s called 1000 marbles. Enjoy!

 

I was shuffling towards the basement with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.

Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whoever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.”

I was intrigues and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet.” He said.

“Too bad you missed your daughter’s recital.”

“Let me tell you something Tom,” he continued.

“Something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my priories.” And that when he began to explain his theory of “A Thousand Marbles.”

“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. “Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime!

Now stick with me Tom, I’m getting to the important part.”

“It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail”; he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.”

“So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large clear plastic container.

Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away.”

“I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.”

“Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.”

It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here in the band.

73 Old Man, this is K9NZQ clear and going QRT, good morning!”

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to go fishing with some of my buddies this morning, and then I was going to work on the antenna, so I could listen to the game. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife with a kiss. “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.”

“What brought this on?” she asks with a smile. Oh nothing special, it just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids.

Hey, can we stop at a toy store while were out? I need to buy some marbles.

From www.lovethissite.com

 

If we use the same figure as the story, 75 years:

If you’re 25 you have 2600 Saturdays left.

If you’re 35 you have 2080

If you’re 45 you have 1560

If you’re 55 you have 1040

If you’re 65 a little over 500 Saturdays left.

Get the top 5 percent right, your running out of marbles.

The Deception of Life

Sunday was a great day at FPB. The altars were full in both services and another one was baptized in Jesus name. To God be the Glory!

As I read my twitter feeds Sunday evening I read how God moved all across our fellowship. People are being baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost across the globe. The Word of God declares that the Almighty would pour out His Spirit on all flesh in the closing hours of the church. The revival that is sweeping this world is a clear sign that Jesus is about to come. As I preached in Sunday’s first service don’t become deceived by this world and the events of your daily lives and miss the coming of the Lord. The signs of His coming are all around us if we are not asleep or being ignorant of what is coming upon this old world.

 

While attending the Arkansas District Camp Meeting this past summer one of the evangelists made this statement. “Too many opportunities are being missed by people with other things on their mind.” Stan Gleason

 

It is the plan of this world and the works of darkness to side track the church so that we become less effective for the kingdom of God. Jesus warns us not to be distracted or deceived in this closing hour.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Matthew 24:3-4 KJV

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.  Behold, I have told you before. Matthew 24:24-25 KJV 

 

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matthew 24:42 KJV 

 

Today your world will take your attention and the anointed moment of God will be missed because we are carried about with other things. Just as Jesus warns Martha, we can get covered up with other things and miss the best things.

 

Don’t laugh it off as those mentioned in 2 Peter 3:2-5.

That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
For this they willingly are ignorant of, …

The Apostle Peter says that there will be people who willing decide to be ignorant of what is about to happen. They will excuse it and put it aside because their day has deceived them and they live as if things will always be the same. This day you are living in will deceive you into thinking such a though. This day will make you become ignorant of what is about to happen in this world. But such feeling will not stop or change the fact that God is about to come but will cause us to miss a great chance of being ready.

The Apostle Peter goes on to write in his book, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,…” 2Peter 3:10-12 NKJV 

 

Last week a Muslim leader stood before the UN and introduced the fact that there is a man who will as he claimed, fix all this world’s problems, a man he named. While we worried over trivial things the great possibility of the anti-Christ was about to be introduced to the world almost happened. By what this man said he knows who the man is. He knows of a man who can fix everything. With all this and many other things pointing to the coming of the Lord what is distracting you away from living a vessel filled life. (Matthew 25:1-13)

 

What has your focus this week? What keeping you from daily prayer?

What was more important than living holy righteous before God?

What takes all your dreams and time and causes the coming of the Lord never to cross your mind? What is deceiving you? Do we not realize we are breathing air that the trumpet of God could very well be about to sound through? What is getting your attention? What has you focus?

What is deceiving you?

Deception from this world will take your focus and cause one to miss the coming of the Lord.

 

Here is the link to the speech given in the UN.

...http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/09/26/transcript

Today is Important, Count It!

I live in an old house and on an old home place. There is a barn on my property that is over a hundred years old. It is made of logs and one can still see the marks of the axe that hued the timbers. It is full, no doubt, of forgotten memories of the people that once walked through it and worked around it. There are laughs and tears, hurts and happy moments that are now lost and forgotten forever. Days, which at the moment, seemed more important than anything in the world. Yet, time came and is erasing each as if they never happened. Days that were numbered, used up and then lost forever.

 

Psalm 90 is a psalm ascribed to Moses. It is the only Psalm definitely credited to him.

He apparently wrote the words at or near the end of the forty-year wilderness trek just prior to his death. He has watched Israel, those twenty and older, die along the way. Possibly over a hundred everyday may have slipped into eternity. Moses, in watching this realizes that they average around 70 years on the earth and 80 if they were strong enough. It is with this realization that Moses prays and ask God to teach us to number our days and apply wisdom to our hearts concerning the time we have on this earth.

 

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:10-12 KJV

 

Of this scripture Spurgeon penned:

Count how many days have gone. Will not the time past suffice us to have wrought the will of the flesh? You cannot tell how few remain, but still, if you live to the longest period of life, taking that for granted which you may not take for granted, how little remains! Oh! that we might by the shortness of life, be led to apply our hearts unto wisdom, so as to live wisely. And what is the best way of living wisely, but to live in Christ, and live to God?

 

God, teach us to number our days! It is important for individuals to number their days and make the most of the years they have on earth for the glory of God.

Since the Israelites wandering in the wilderness died relatively young for their time, it seems reasonable to think that they probably were not aware of their approaching end. In other words, death had a tendency to slip up on them and catch them off guard. Consequently, they missed how important it was for them to recognize the significance of each day of life.

Each day was a blessing – an event to be numbered with gratitude but they failed to see that.

 

It is a wise person that will number their days and use them to prepare for eternity and produce something that will touch tomorrow. Numbering our days is not always a happy task. It is often filled with nostalgia, melancholy and memories that have sad reflections. Some people convince themselves that there is plenty of time to think about the end of life, to deal with eternal issues.

The rich fool procrastinated dealing with the state of his life and was only concerned with building something greater for himself. Scripture calls him a fool because that night his days were finished. (Luke 12:16-21)

It is a wise person that set priorities and refuses to ignore the urgency of today and counting their days while considering the importance of eternity.

 

“Every morning you are handed 24 golden hours. They are one of the few things in this world that you get free of charge. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn’t buy one extra hour. What will you do with this priceless treasure? Remember, you must use it, as it is given only once. Once wasted, you cannot get it back.”

 

Before I plan my days I want God to write His plans upon my heart. I will number my days well when I trust God for the details. Numbering well happens when I open His Word and listen to Him speak through the pages. It happens when I pore out my heart in prayer. It happens when I lift my heart in worship and thanksgiving.

 

Much of what will fills our calendar are daily tasks of little consequence. A year from now, they’ll be forgotten. But when we yield our day to God, when we allow Him to work in us however he chooses, the mundane can become divine. Numbering our days aright isn’t accidental. It begins with a choice, a choice to seek God first. Perhaps that is the first thing you should write on your calendar for tomorrow, no, start it today.

 

Review yesterday prayerfully and honestly.

Encounter God before encountering the day.

Schedule time to spend studying your Bible.

Turn each calendar entry into a prayer.

Ask Jesus to help you see His opportunities each day.

Touch something regularly that will outlive you.

Don't Lose Your Saltiness

In Matthew 5 Jesus uses three examples of the power of our wittiness, connected to the actions of our life. The Christ-like life is compared to a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. It is compared to a light not placed under a covering but on a high place, a lamp stand, so that it may give light to all in the house. Jesus is teaching this is His Sermon on the Mount.

 

Yes, I believe that it is of utmost importance that we live such a visible life. I believe that we must present ourselves in such a way as to show those around us the way to Jesus. We cannot hide the Christ-like-life! Yet, before Jesus ever mentions a city set on a hill, before He ever tells of a light on a stand, He tells of the importance of keeping our seasoning. All the display in the world will not be effective if the taste is bad or even bland. Before you can ever have an effective visible life, there are some personal actions that will have to be lived right if one is to become that city on a hill a lamp on a stand.

 

Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” NKJV Both Mark and Luke reiterated this again in this fashion.

 

"Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   Luke 14:34-35 NKJV

 

Your ability to season (Salt) a circumstance is a God given ability.

The way you live your life can drain your anointing out and cause you to lose your dreams and visions. The way you live your life can cause you to become a wore-out, dried up soul with not even a smile to give. The way you live your life can cost you the chance to win that soul you are reaching for and touch that life you want to see come to God! The life could be a family member and someone you really love. We don’t live just for ourselves. We don’t just walk through this life alone. We have a lot of other people’s emotions connected to our life. These people know about our flavor or seasoning. Understand you can become so caught up in life that you lose your anointing and your tenderness, you lose your smile and your laughter. You can become dry like path dirt (trampled underfoot by men).

 

You can’t allow life to take from you your love and patients. 

You can’t let life have your mild mannered ways and your self-control.

You can’t allow life to cause you to grit your teeth and keep you frustrated.

You can’t allow life to take your peace and confidence.

You can’t let life take your joy, your gentleness and your contentment.  (Read Galatians 5:22)

 

A well-lived life is an ongoing journey!

Some people only live their life in a someday mode. Always looking to what it might be someday and never living in the day that God has for them at the moment. A well-lived life is an ongoing journey, what is happening now will touch a lot of my tomorrows and how I respond today will change relationships possibly forever. A well-lived life is characterized by many things. It has many elements to it that in their right place make for a well-lived life. Learn to live life with and through:

 

Excitement – Life is not all fun but some of it had better be. There needs to be a certain amount of excitement and longing expectation in your life. You need to feel that, “I just can’t wait” feeling every once-in-a-while. You are never too old for excitement. If you think you are you’re on the road to becoming a bitter boring old person.

 

Adventure – Take a walk in a new direction. Do something you have never done before. Lose your excuses that are telling yourself, you have always done it that way. Try something new. Take a step into the unknown. Adventure will take you out of the status-quo mode. There is nothing like adventure to put excitement in your life.

 

Success – Live life so it can produce right. Life has to have success but success comes by planned living.  Prepare and live so that you can have accomplishments. Stop living to just exist, stop floating in the amiss of life, stop living to just get through another day. Catch a reason and make it produce with the talents God has given you. Nothing brings adventure like success; it causes you to want to take another step.

 

Challenges – There is no such thing as a well-lived life without challenges. Another word for challenges is trials. Challenges make you try harder and pray more. Don’t every live or think like you will not have test if you get it all together. Life has challenges; life has trials, work on them and fix them. There is nothing like a challenge to bring you sweet success.

 

Problems – Even a well-lived life will bring you problems, its part of the process. You can’t live perfect enough not to have problems. You are not the only one having a problem nor are you the only one having your problem. Yet, you can’t allow problems to make you unstable. If you go to pieces every time something goes wrong you will lose your ability to season life and people will stay away from you and you will become gritty path dirt. There is nothing like a problem to give you a fresh challenge.

 

Struggles – Again expect hard time, plan on dealing with them. Struggles often last a long time sometimes a lifetime.  There is no such thing as a life without struggles. Lose the day-dream that has you always wishing for a perfect life or a life without needs and struggles. That only happens in fairy tales. You will have bad days you will have struggles. Apostle Paul, after listing many things that were struggles in his life makes the statement, “But none of these things moved me.”  Don’t allow bitter times to make a bitter life. You cannot lose your ability to season the life you are living.

 

There is a big difference in the last three. Challenges are often for the moment. Problems often soak up or weeks and months. Struggles are the touches of life that sometime we carry a long time. How we deal with these will say much about how well we are seasoning life.

 

Life is swifter than a weaver’s shuttle Job said, so you have to slow down long enough to check you life’s vital signs. We are all better at this than we would like to admit.

We know when something is not right. We know what we should be doing to make a difference. You’re smart, you know what you are doing, you know what to do. The real issue is whether or not we are willing to pull out of the fast lane long enough to find out what’s going on with our life and fix what we know we need to fix.  Jesus preached and said that His children were to be like a light on a stand, a city on a hill but also like salt that didn’t lose its ability to make life taste better. I ask you, can anyone even tell you have walked through this life? Does anyone even know you have been here? Or are you like a salt-less cracker dropped in a boiling pot of soup that just dissolved and no one knows it was there. Don’t lose your saltiness.

God Loves Sacrifice

One thing that comes to mind when I start making a list of what the Almighty loves is sacrifice. Throughout time and scripture over and over God showed He loves and responds to sacrifice. He is still moved today when people open up their life and go into the realm beyond themselves and give. When someone offers up to Jesus a sacrifice whether it be praise (Hebrews 13:15), prayer (Psalm 141:2), financial (Mark 12:41-44) or time (Romans 12:1), The Almighty responds. God loves sacrifice!

 

When people give themselves totally to God, not holding any part back, God moves on that sacrifice in a great way and consumes the offering with His presence and anointing.

In Leviticus 9 when Israel offers the first sacrifice on the altar of God the Bible says there when out a fire from before the Lord and consumed the sacrifice.

 

God loves it when His people go beyond the bounds of the normal in their life and give to God that which cost them. When people sacrifice God always moves. The Lord wants to move on lives. He wants to touch and bless, bring joy and peace, save and deliver. All God is waiting for is us to give up with a willing heart and go past what is convenient in our living for Jesus.

 

A beautiful example of what happens when one pushes past the norm of their life in found in 1^st Kings 18. In this story of Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal, God showed how much He loves sacrifice. The challenge that the prophet issues and the willingness to meet and stand up for the Almighty, took Elijah out of his comfort zone. The sacrifice that day started with Elijah showing up with the whole kingdom of Ahab looking to kill him. He tells the king to meet him on Carmel and the God that answers by fire let Him be God. The Almighty must have stood up off the throne that day when Elijah laid it all on the line. His life and his confidence in God, Elijah gave it all.

 

When you get to the last third of the chapter you find the prophet of God rebuilding the altar and putting the sacrifice all in order. Seeming to want to prove the wonder and power of God the prophet has gallons of water pored over the sacrifice. Again the water its self was a gift beyond the normal. They were in a three and a half year drought. There is no telling what Elijah had to pay for the water. Yet, on that day when the prophet of God stood seemingly against the world and gave it his everything the consuming fire of God fell. The fire came and took the sacrifice.

 

The fire didn’t come for the altar. The fire didn’t show up for the wood. The fire didn’t fall for the water. The fire of God fell for the sacrifice. The beautiful thing was when the fire of God showed up for the sacrifice, it consumed the wood, and it consumed the water and consumed the rocks of the altar. When the fire of God found the sacrifice it consumed everything else involved.

Everything was touched because of the sacrifice!

 

When someone will step towards God and give it all up and say not my will but Yours be done, the powerful anointing of God will consume the life. It is for this reason the blessed keep being blessed. If we need the Lord to touch every part of our life we have to realize it starts with sacrifice. Yet, when we offer a sacrifice to God with a pure heart everything about our life will get touched.

 

I don’t know about you but I need Jesus consuming every part of my daily life. So, I will continue to present my life a living sacrifice. I want the spirit of David that says, “I will not offer to my God that which cost me nothing (2^nd Samuel 24:24).  I challenge you to do the same and see what God will do as He consumes the sacrifice of your life. Because the Almighty loves sacrifice!

You Have A Mission

Wow! What a wonderful weekend at FPB!

Global Missions Sunday was anointed and full of challenge. Just a few of the things that stood out to me are:

 

·         The world is the harvest, the harvest it truly ripe and we can make a difference. Missions, home, nationally and foreign, is our concern. We must reach the lost for the cause of Christ.

 

·         The talent level at FPB is great. People are growing their abilities in this church. In doing this we must leverage our abilities to do a greater work for Jesus. We must do better than ever before. This day demands we give evangelism our best every day. Take your abilities and increase them for the kingdom of God.

 

·         I can never control my emotions when I hear the World Version of How Great Is Our God. The worship teams and children did a wonderful job in our first service with this song. It stirred my heart deeply. One day every tongue will join as one and with one voice to worship the King of Kings in glory. Today as people sing and worship Jesus across this globe it must sound somewhat like this song. I Loved It!

 

·        We must pray daily for workers to get into the field. Jesus said as much in Matthew. “Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Matthew 9:37-38 NKJV  We must include the harvest in our daily prayer life. Pray for people to get into the field.

 

·        We personally must get into the field. The field starts in our living room with our own families and then happens just outside our door. The field is all around us daily. The grain is truly ready to be gathered. Pray for workers but also expect God to convict you to get into the field. We have a mission; there is a field for us to get into.

 

·        Over one hundred and eighty envelopes for missions were picked up from the altar at the end of our first service. Another thing we each can do is give. Give so that someone can go. We must fund evangelism. We must help people get into the field.

 

·         The underground service in the evening was an eye opener. A reminder that across our world are children of God who are giving their life for this cause, the cause of Christ. This is not something that is just in history but daily there are those who give everything for the cause of Christ. Never forget these people and never live without taking full opportunity of your blessed day. When we think life is just too hard to go to church remember some go knowing it will cost them their life. Thanks to the Young Adults for making this service happen. It was great. I have never been in something like this.

 

·         In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4-5 NKJV

Keep the light of God alive in your life, if you do the darkness can’t touch you. The devil just doesn’t get it. Keep him under your feet.

 

I could go on and on there were many great things that blessed us Sunday at FPB. I challenge you to not allow it to wear off. We have a mission, a field to get into because the harvest is truly ready. Pray, Go, and Give, Make a difference in your world for the cause of Christ.

 

Don’t become discouraged by those who just don’t care or those who are stuck on their own feelings and opinions. Do the work of God. Jesus knows about these feeling and those people but He taught us to not be distracted by the voice of the self-centered religious. The Pharisees said Jesus cast our devils by the ruler of the demons. (Matthew 9:34) Yet, the next verse says Jesus went about preaching, teaching and healing lives. He was filled with compassion for the lost. It is then He tells us to pray for people to get into the field.

 

Don’t get distracted by the wind, there are miracles going on all around you. Plan on being part of what God is doing in the world, the field. The grain is ripe the harvest is ready, pray and get into the field. It’s all about over so work while it’s still day.

 

Last week I heard a teacher say in a class I attended “Stop whining, your sharp, fix it.”

About your mission, “Stop whining, you’re called, pray and reap it.”

You can do this get into the field. We have a Mission.

The House is Too Full and the Field Too Empty

It is what I refer to as one of the prayer request of Jesus. It is found in Matthew 9:38 and Luke 10:2. It is where Jesus tells us to pray for laborers. Jesus says the harvest is truly great or much but the workers of the field are truly few. We are instructed to pray for more people to get in the field. This is a prayer request from Jesus and it needs to be in our daily prayer life. As the church, this must be our push and focus.

For the last two weeks I have been on vacation driving across the beautiful state of Colorado. I had a great time but I must confess I was shaken by the lack of churches. I found myself asking my wife as we drove through each community, “I wonder if there is a church here?”  Time and time again I found there was no church that preached biblical truths. I visited cities that left me with a sick and disgusting feeling because of its sins and immorality. I also left towns where I felt sorry for the people I visited with knowing Sunday they would not have the blessing of worshipping in an anointed church. Honest I was simply left shaking my head at the overflowing harvest, time and time again. Yes, it’s easy to say it’s not my field, yet Jesus said we are to pray for people to get into the harvest. It is our concern or should be.

A tweet from T.F. Tenny woke this burning up in my heart a few weeks back. He asked the question can Jesus be seen in our church. He was referring to the book of Revelations chapter one. Here John turns and sees Jesus in the middle of the seven golden candle sticks. John saw Jesus in the middle of the church. Can this world, can anyone, see Jesus in the middle of our church? Is He still there?

One can read in John’s writings and listen to the rebukes and blessings that are handed out to the churches mentioned there. We often spend a lot of time declaring the wickedness and immorality found in some of these churches. Preachers have spent hours screaming out these sins. Yet we must never forget that two of them were also rebuked for leaving their first love and becoming caught up in the laziness of the day. They left their zeal and allowed their day to take their concern. We should note they received the same warning as those who had moral issues. Unless they changed Jesus would no longer be seen in that church.

I must ask, “Can Jesus be seen in our congregation?”

We can’t be content any long to just exist. The harvest is great, there must be more workers. Jesus said as much. The only way this will happen is in the daily fact that Jesus is seen in our congregation. So, what do we do? There are three things that come to mind that everyone can do.

First we must do what Jesus said, Pray! Everyone one of us can do this. Age doesn’t matter here, everyone can pray that God would send workers into the field. This must be part of our daily prayer life. We need to not allow one day to slip by without ask God to send people into the field. Yes, this will wake a stirring up in the lives of people and if you dare to pray such a prayer you had better expect the Almighty to wake up something in your soul too. Whatever the cost we must pray and believe that the Lord will send workers into the field. Stop today in your busy Laodicea moments and pray for God to send someone to the empty fields.

Second, if we dare to pray and believe such a prayer we must expect God to call us into the field. Again everyone can do this. It may be a local field or it could grow into a call to a field away from your comfortable place. Yes, I realize everyone can’t go but everyone can do the work of God in the field you are living in. But I do believe more of us would be in other fields if we were not so caught up in our own dreams and enjoying the laziness of our Laodicea ways. If more had not left their first love, their first desires in God, there would be more people in more fields. I will tell you if you dare to pray with sincerity that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers then be ready to Him to call you. It will happen. There is a place for you in a field somewhere. Sincere praying people can expect the voice of God on their life. We must get in the field, the house is too full.

Lastly we all can give financially. Again this is something everyone can do. We should give to make a difference around this world. Again this day causes us to spend great amounts on our own comforts and wants. We are truly increased with goods and have need of nothing so we chase wants. Again we are warned to change this lest we get to a place where Jesus is not seen in us as a church. We shouldn’t give and use it as a reason not to go but we must give because someone is going to go. All of us can send our finances. We can sacrifice; really lose some wants so that the work of God would happen. We each can make a financial contribution so as to make it easier for someone to get into the field. We need to be more concerned about making it easier for someone to get in the field rather than make it easier for us to have more wants and bigger things

The question now must be asked, knowing you can pray, knowing you must go and knowing you can give, will this world be able to see Jesus in this congregation? Will we change; really change to be everything Jesus asks us to be? The house is too full and the field is too empty. What will you do about this fact?