Come to Your Senses

For over ten years I have not been able to smell anything, so my ability to taste is greatly impaired as well. Whenever I read in the Bible about being able to taste it is a reminder to me that even though I can’t discern flavors on earth I can still experience God in different ways. In Deuteronomy 30:14 it says, The Word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so you may obey it. God’s presence and wisdom are that close.

Can you taste the Word in your mouth and feel the Spirit in your heart? – You can if you are obedient.

Psalm 34:8 –Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

God uses all of our senses and the psalmist here wants to illustrate the intimate nature of His relationship with us. The Lord desires this, but will not force it on us.

Trust and have faith in God – Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

God is good and with us all the time. Amen?

Gifts

In real estate it’s all about location, but in wisdom it’s all about application, application, application! Do you know what was Solomon’s response to God after being granted his request for wisdom? He offered God sacrifices before the ark in Jerusalem.

 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.- 1 Kings 3:15

It is appropriate to worship and praise the Lord!

So many times in life we are ill prepared to do God would have us do. We do not bring with us the tools necessary to be successful. Remember the scene from Indiana Jones where he is confronted with this master knife handler wanting to fight him? Indy thinks for a minute then pulls out his gun and shoots him! Thus another modern proverb; Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight! God has made available to us wisdom. It is up to us to receive and use it. After Solomon’s worship time he went right to work using this gift of wisdom from the Lord.

Let's work for God this week, and apply His wisdom to all we do. Amen?

Sheepish

Jesus tells the story of The Good Shepherd and His Sheep in John 10:1-6:

    ¹ “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 

Old Testament Scriptures frequently use the imagery shepherds and sheep. There are 150 uses of the word “sheep”, 51 in the Pentateuch alone. The great personages of Jewish ancestry – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses were all shepherds, and the greatest king, David, started his working life as a shepherd. The lamb also held great significance for the Jewish people. Lambs were used as offerings, sacrifices given expressing atonement for the sins of God’s people. The lamb was the centerpiece of the Passover feast.

Shepherding psalms: 79:13 - Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

 80:1 - Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth!

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd...

The people were well familiar with this analogy, but failed to grasp the significance of His words. As their Good Shepherd, he was there to lead them greener pastures giving them great abundance for eternity.

Hebrews 13:20-21 -May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Is He your shepherd? Then act like your His sheep. Amen?

Step Through

God opens doors of opportunity for us all the time. It usually requires faith to step through them. Paul had that chance, and he wrote the church about it. For the present, I'm staying right here in Ephesus. A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here. (There is also mushrooming opposition.) - 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (The Message)

I find it interesting that in the same breathe he spoke of opportunity he mentions the opposition. Just because god opens the door doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect trouble from the world. (Remember they are against Him.) Even though the Adversary is against God’s work – His people should be more the willing to step up and through these God moments.

God is already there and wants us to be there working with Him! It will be a chance to use our spiritual gifts, and show our obedience.

Always step through any door God opens. Amen?

Upside Down

If you are ridiculed for what you believe remember you are in good company Jesus said in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." I think about how much Christ went through for me, and it makes me very humble. There is nothing in my life that seems so bad in comparison, but sometimes in ministry you can start to feel defeated. You work hard for the cause of Christ, and sacrifice so much. When you examine your results in numbers you become discouraged.

I had an older Pastor friend once tell me this great truth. " Jesus was the greatest leader, preacher, prophet, miracle worker, healer, and wisest person that ever walked on this planet, Yet even after all of that, plus returning from the dead, and ascending in to heaven His church still numbered only 120!"

It's not how big your church is, but what is your church doing for the Kingdom. That church of 120 from Pentecost forward turned the world upside down! 

It's the same message - let's share it boldly. Amen?

Being Good

We should always give Jesus our best, but don't let the feeling that you don't have much to give stop you from serving.

“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT).

That perfectly describes many believers and churches today. It creates a church of passive spectators.

The “good enough” principle, allows more people to get involved.

•It simplify things and accept less than perfect performance

•It doesn’t have to be perfect for God to use and bless it.

•Average people doing average activities in order to get extraordinary results.

 It boils down to this: “Ordinary people doing what Jesus did, wherever they are.”

Always know that you are good enough to share Christ. You can do it! Amen?

Serve Your Best

Together (in Christ) we can defeat the giants of this world, but it will not happen if we leave it up for somebody else.  There’s just to much to do. We’ve got to work together. We all struggle with our confidence but remember - You are Good Enough, and we can all get better!

Five Essentials for You to Serve Your Best

1. Passion: Be passionate about your service.

2. Focus: Keep your eyes on Christ and His work.

3. Strategy: Be clear in what you are trying to accomplish.

4. Team: Build community and trust.

5. Training: Take every opportunity to learn and get better at what God's calling you to do. 

What do you need to work on the most?

How can working with someone help you achieve your goals?

Grow in the work God has given you, and serve Him with all you have. He deserves our best. Amen?