The Challenge of a Lifetime

In reading my dear friend and fellow writer, Steve Wallace's blogpost today, I was touched and challenged. He speaks on active evangelism, going out and truly being God's hands, feet and voice. Utilizing ministries already set in place, we as God's kids have an army behind us, strategies have proven success rates and tools to easily share the love of Jesus in whatever way or to whatever capacity God offers us. God has ordained and anointed people and programs, ministries and groups for His children to grow but if we only use these devices for our own pleasure, growth or care, what good do they do us in helping the lost, the blind, the broken and shamed?

If our whole hearts are not in evangelizing the lost, what sad, pathetic, useless individuals we become. God's gift to us was His Son Jesus. Jesus' gift to us was His very life. Our gift to them is what we do with our lives.

No more excuses, no more lies, no more ignoring the pain in others eyes. Search deep within, reach out unconditionally, love so much more and do something. Just a week or so before my husband, son and I left Oregon to move to Arizona, my daughter and I had had the opportunity to visit with a homeless man. We invited him to have breakfast with us at McDonald's but upon meeting him there he decided to just take his breakfast and eat outside alone. Buying him food was of little concern, it was just the tool God used to connect our hearts for a brief time. It was relationship that was the needed ingredient here. One in which this man felt unworthy to have with us. I tried to talk him into sitting at a table with us but he refused only saying why would nice ladies like us want to be with a man who's wasted his life? My heart sank for him and broke as he spoke of such hard times as he was growing up that never got better as he aged. I blessed him and said I would pray for him, and to this day I still do.

We may never know the impact or influence our very presence, Jesus' presence, may have on an individual. But we do know God's words will NEVER return void, so if we don't look for the appointments God gives us, so many will remain broken, shamed and hurting. So many lives will remain the same, and so many will die without ever meeting Jesus.

It's not a choice people, it's a calling. And an honorable and mighty one at that. Using ministries already in place empowers you to do the single most simple act in the world, share the gospel with the lost. You are called to share the love of Christ in whatever way God leads you to as He opens doors of hope and opportunities to share. Will you be that link, that connection to Jesus? If not you . . .than who?

Whispers of Hope - week 3

Last week we learned about why we need hope. When life comes crashing down on you and you are taken by surprise or aggressively shaken beyond description hope carries you on when you want to give up. You can be filled with hope, rejoice in hope and live fearless lives trusting in an almighty God who wants to give us a reason to be hopeful.

During this journey towards hope, you have read in Psalm 139 how important you are to the living God. He adores you, knew you before you were even born and places such value on your very life. You have purpose and a reason to go on. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, your plans for a bright future begin the day you give your life to the Lord. As you surrender every area of your life, Jesus begins to formulate a plan for good, to give you a hopeful future. Enter into that plan today if you have not already, and taste and see that the Lord is good and can remove the pain in your life that has stolen your hope, squashed your joy and left you wanting to end your journey.


Everyone needs hope
Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, you need hope. Hope imparts strength at times when you are weak and ready to throw the towel in. Putting on a face of joy when your very soul is aching and bleeding does you no good. Allowing God to heal and renew areas of your life that have been so broken and bruised, battered creates new life within you. Life worth living, worth waking up for, worth carrying on. Jesus died because people needed a Savior. Placing your trust in Jesus gives you hope. God fills you with hope so you can rest on eagles wings and soar to new heights. You do not need to remain hopeless, no matter what your situation looks like. God is in the business of making miracles happen.


Blessed beyond Hope
To be blessed by God is one of the most endearing things you can have happen in your life. Knowing God has placed His hand on you, you specifically, and sent His love and care your way, can instill a hope that cannot be shaken. When situations are disturbing, devastating or sorrowful, who do you put your trust in? Is it yourself, friends, family? Perhaps you don't trust anyone because so many you have trusted in the past have let you down. God is worthy of your trust. People are mere humans trying to do the best with whatever gifts, talents, wisdom and education they have been born with or acquired. Jesus is the only One Who always has it together. He can take care of you in ways you will never be able to care for yourself. Let Jesus be the lifter of your head, the encourager of your soul, the very reason you have hope. He won't let you down.


Shifting your focus
Keeping eternal benefits in the forefront of your mind will do much to alleviate the anxiety, worry and fear that so often overwhelms you and paralyzes your plans. In the storms is where our very characters are built up, tested and made stronger. These storms are temporary and will pass. Having faith enables you to see past your circumstances to better days. Seeing that which is not visible requires attention, focus and diligence. Through faith you can view any circumstance, no matter how shameful or intense, although it feels so unforgiving as the waves of doubt and fear wash over your body and rock your spirit. God will bless you in the midst of your suffering. As your eyes turn to Him for protection, for comfort, for answers, He will lift you out of the mire and the clay and place you upon a foundation that is built on rock rather than shifting sand. Real hope and blessings comes from God who has an eternal plan for your life. With Jesus as your guide and your focus becomes eternal, day to day trials and tribulations will seem less intense, less devastating and more manageable. Peace can flood your soul, if you will only ask for it to.


Today, take a moment to bring your cares and lay them at the feet of Jesus. Box them up as you learned during week 1 of this study, and leave them with Jesus, don't take them back. Ask God to show you how to think eternally and focus on things that last more than a lifetime. Ask Him to give you a thankful heart for whatever situation you are in. God has good plans for you, plans to prosper you and give you hope. Let's be mindful of Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in Him always, again I say rejoice!"



APPLICATION

1. Begin a thankful journal. You can purchase a journal from the store or one you can make yourself. A notebook with paper will work as well. Label it, "I am thankful for..." Each day, jot down atleast one thing you are thankful for. It can be an event, a person or something you were given, etc.

2. Write a short note or make a phone call to someone you have been meaning to thank. Tell the person what you are grateful for.

3. Ask the Lord to give you a new perspective on how you see things, people, your situation. Be ready to receive a new game plan or strategy for tackling a trial you are going through.

4. Wake each morning rejoicing in who you are.Remember, if you have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are a child of almighty God. If you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart, consider asking Him today. Today is the day of salvation as no one is promised tomorrow.

5. Find 3 scriptures speaking of faith or trust in God. You can use your Bible, online resources such as Biblegateway or a book you have read in the past. Write them down on a 3 X 5 card and place them on your refrigerator or mirror in your bathroom. Read them daily.

The Road Least Traveled

In the kingdom there are many different roads we can choose as we navigate through the paths of life. One thing is for sure, if we take any other road other than the one in which God has destined us to journey upon, surely our road will be rockier, more dangerous and take more time to get where we are going. God has given us the perfect road map if we will but only read the directions and follow His lead.

Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way which seems right to man, but its end is the way of death."

I am reminded of so many times I have taken what I thought were short cuts that turned out to be long maneuvers that lengthened the distance to get to my destination and caused my trip to be uncomfortable and wasteful. Paths that lead me away from temptations and struggles are meant to protect me, guide me and enrich my journey. Those which are there to deter me onto paths that are dark, sinful and painstaking I would do best to avoid and ignore.

Proverbs 3:5-6 states, "Trust in the Lord and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways acknowledge the Lord and He will direct my paths." Simply stated, if I choose on my own to take an alternate route and stray away from the ultimate map, I can only expect to encounter harsh road conditions, a lengthy journey and trials along the way.

When I embark upon troubles I had not planned for, I can't blame anyone but myself for strolling off the path meant to lead me safely to my destination. When I create my own road map of life and navigate myself, it is then I need to realize taking the wrong turns along my trip could lead me off the side of a mountain, against an immovable wall of rock or worse, out of the will of my heavenly Father. Trusting in my own feeble abilities is as useful as being dropped off at night in the middle of the wilderness without a compass to lead me to safety.

Taking the road least traveled and following Jesus' lead will allow the one who created the path to give me the revelation I need to travel the path best chosen for me and avoid certain eternal death. What will you do? Follow the path that safely leads you to your destination or make your own road map and discover dangerous corners at every turn, ultimately leading to an untimely death. The choice is yours...

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength - Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah penned these exact words long ago and we would be wise to embed these words into every crevice of our hearts. God's joy is what makes us strong when we are so spent and weak. It is He in us Who is greater than he that us in the world.

As we look upon the Lord to fill us with His strength to make it through the day, to encourage others in their own ways, to serve our families, uplift our friends, pray for relatives and give what we have to the poor, keep in mind our own strength in this life is just not enough. If you haven't already figured that out, you will soon enough.

We believe our strength can be multiplies, extended, built up and exercised without limits, but even Jesus had times He knelt before His Father in weariness to get refueled, energized and recharged Himself. Now if the Son of God had times He plugged into God's strength to continue what was called of Him, do we not think ourselves to be in need of almighty God's strength as well?

Living this life on our own, without tapping into the awesome strength provided by God and through Jesus, is like running a marathon on one leg, dehydrated to the hilt, weak and without hope. Jesus equips us to do all we are called to accomplish, He is our living water, strengthens us beyond good measure and fills us with hope when the finish line has not yet appeared.

Take a moment today to kneel before Father God, humbling ourselves at His feet as we come boldly to the throne of grace. God is able to do exceedingly more than we could ever imagine, Ephesians 3:20, if we let Him. What are you waiting for? Be strengthened today!

The Marriage Code Part III

Unlocking the code to your marriage will take work, dedication, patience,you'll need enthusiasm, intelligence, creativity and most of all, God's help. Moving into the dynamics and living above the line are the backbone of a successful marriage. Because we live in fallen world, sin abounds and temptations are everywhere. Remember though, Jesus has overcome the world and since He crucified our flesh for us, we no longer have to yield to sin's power and control. The victory is ours if we'll just reach out and take it for all its worth.

At the end of chapter 1, Bill and Pam list some questions meant for dialogue over dinner or a cup of coffee. Take these to heart, spend time thinking about them, learn to truly appreciate your spouse for who he is. Make your love last a lifetime.

Attempts to live below the line creates distrust, insecurity and will always be unsuccessful. A husband and wife do themselves a world of good to find out what makes eachother feel secure and successful, loved and respected, and most importantly, accepted by one another just as God has accepted each spouse.


To order Bill and Pam's book The Marriage Code, go to http://www.farrelcommunications.com/