Are You Being the Minister God Wants?

Have you ever wondered what God expects from those He has called to be pastors/shepherds? Ezekiel 34:4 is a great summary of what He is looking for and will hold ministers accountable for. Here we find a list of 5 aspects of what ministry should include.

• First, we are to help those who are weak to become stronger.
• Second, we are to help bring health to those who are sick.
• Third, we are to help those who are injured become stable bring them comfort.
• Forth, we need to be encouraging and helping those who are wandering and becoming distracted come back to God.
• Fifth and finally, we are to actively search for the lost ... those who don't know where they are or what condition they are truly in. 

Now you might be thinking, "I'm glad that's not me, I am not a pastor." But the truth is we are all called to be ministers for God. So every church and every person should be involved in doing these things. If we do this, our churches would grow in health, strength and size. So, are you doing your part today?

Knowing and Avoiding the Cycle of Sin

James 1:13-15 "13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

Throughout this chapter we are given some very practical methods, systems or cycles that we should follow or avoid to live the life God wants for us.

Here we are give the Cycle of Sin. We see why we sin and how that sin develops and grows in our lives. In knowing this we can ask God to help us avoid or stop the cycle before it cause death.

1. First comes temptation that spring from our own evil desires.
2. When this evil desire is left unchecked and dwelt on it leads to sin, or intentional choices and actions that are contrary to living the way God desires.
3. When we continue to sin, it grows consuming our lives. This happens one part at a time and will cause death in each part of our lives. Our dreams and desires, our friendships, entertainment, work, ministry ... every part of life becomes sick and dies.
4. When each part slowly dies it eventually causes us to died from the inside out and leads to eternal death.

May God grant all of us the vigilance to see how we are truly living and guard against this in our daily lives.

The Promises of God from Psalm 37:3-7a

Psalm 37:3-7a "Trust in the Lord and do good;  dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;"

Verses 3-7a of this Psalm are so full of His promises that if we live them out every day, they will completely change our lives. We are told to do three specific things to see God pour His blessings in and through our lives. There is (1)an action based on faith, (2)an attitude based on faith, and (3)a commitment based on faith. It's important to remember that the blessings promised there are not an end in themselves, these blessing are for us to pass on and share with others. So what are we supposed to do and how has God promised to respond.

First, we are told to mix our faith with action. We are to trust God and focus on doing what He wants. When we focus on situations and things that we can't control, trying to fix them we don't have the time or strength to do good. But, if we actually trust God, then we will have all the time we need to do the good He asks to do. The promise to this is that we enjoy where we live and and have safety to enjoy the blessings of the land.

Second, we must make God or very delight. Make Him the motive behind all we do and the thing we look forward to. If He is not our delight then other things will take that place pushing God of the the prominent place in our lives. When we do this then God will be come our desire and I will freely give us more of Himself. He also will grant us other things that are just added blessings to life.

The third command we are given here is to commit our way to God and this action has to be surrounded with trust. Our way here is all encompassing, simply meaning the way we do all things, big or small. To commit means 'to give to  and leave in anther’s care.' This means to walk away from, leaving them and trusting them to do what is best. If we are willing to do this with God then He will will make our righteousness shine. We must remember that Jesus is our righteousness. So when we trust our ways to Him, He will shine brighter than anything in our lives. Our cause or purpose for living will also be proven right for once again, He is our cause, His will is what we live for. It is all about Jesus.

Finally, in verse 7 we are giving a key that we must do to see God work in and through our lives. It is also based on faith in what He is doing. We are to wait patiently. It's not enough to wait on God because many of us are very impatient and even complaining in our waiting. When it comes to God we must not be impatient on His time for this show a lack of trust. Our patience needs to also needs to be for whole time of waiting. Now remember that waiting is not doing anything. Waiting is where we are preparing for action once we are given the word on what to do.

So, are we doing our part so that we can see God's blessings poured in and through us?

A Conditional Promise for the New Year

Psalm 25:12-13 give us a great promise for the New Year. "Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land."

God, You have promised that if we are the one who truly fears You, living in such a way that you are please by all that we say and do, that You will do three things mentioned here. May these promises be true in my life as I, with Your help, live this way. First, may You continually instruct me in the way You want me to live. Not just the general guidelines given for all followers, but the specific ways You have chosen for me as I minister for You in my home, Your church and the community. Second, You have promised prosperity or blessings in this life. I know that this bless and prosperity is not for me to keep but to enable me to share it with those in need. May I always be a conduit of Your blessing to others. Finally, may the life I live for you become an inheritance for my descendants, regardless if these descendants are physical or spiritual. May they receive the blessings my living a life of fearing You.

How do you want this year to go? Focus on the right things and see what God does.

What does God's Word, His Law do for you?

What does God's Word, His Law do for you? This is a good question to ask as it will help us in our study and desire to study it. Here in verses 7-8 we find four descriptions of  God's Word and the resulting benefits that come from it. We should expected to experience each of these as we spend time in His Word, each and every time. 

The first is that the perfect Word will revive our souls. Without the Word regularly put into to us (daily) our soul will begin to loose energy/strength but the daily inflow of the Word will 'super-charge' our lives. 

Second, as we read and study God's Word it will grant to us more wisdom than we had before. This will happen so much that what wisdom we had prior will seem like simple foolishness. 

Third, the Word grants joy to our hearts. As we spend time listening to God, hearing about His loves, standards, and help our spirits will be lifted and as joy fills our hearts we are filled with strength for the new day. 

Lastly, we see that God's Word is to shine out of our eyes so that others can see the difference that it has made within us. As the eyes are the windows to the soul, the only way to get them to shine with the radiance of the Word is to get the Word into our soul. This means more than just reading the Bible. It includes study, meditation and application on a daily basis. Only then will our soul be changed and the light of God's Word will shine through our eyes.

Is God Your Song?

It has been a while since I have written here. I figured when this became a burden and drudgery instead of an overflow of my heart time with God I should take a break. Since my last post many things, both wonderful and challenging have happened. These include 1000's of answers to prayer, dozens of souls saved, people being called into ministry, a new home for my family, a fire in our old home, the birth of my twin sons. Through all of this I have seen God's hand, provision and presence every step of the way.

This brings me to the topic of my post today. It is taken from Psalm 118:14 where it says; "The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." This got me wondering. Here we are encouraged to allow God to be two very important things, things that make it possible for us to not only survive but thrive in life. First, we must let God be our strength ... meaning that He is the power behind everything we do. No matter who we are we can all learn to allow God to be more of our power. Second, we need to allow God to be our song ... this the joy or meaning in life, it is the source of passion behind all that we do. What is the passion behind all that we say and do?

Deserts by Divine Design

Often when we are filled with the Spirit we think we will be led to do something great, or least something good because we are close to God. Yet there are times when … as found in Luke 4, God's Spirit leads us into the desert and times of testing.

It is during these times that we must remember to trust God's leading. This passage goes on to give us the keys to doing this. When in those desert times remember God is with us, He led us there, and we must keep our focus on Him and His Word. Keep going to the Scriptures, they are our strength, encouragement and defense. Also remember that these times of testing in the desert are times of preparation for ministry. So let God prepare you for what He has planned for you to do next. Without these desert times we will never be ready to be used by Him.