March 2011
There are times when we wish we had a million-dollar budget, had direct access to the President’s private line, and could harness any talent imaginable. Yet, in reality, we seem to have a very limited budget, little access to anyone, and hardly the skills necessary to get the job done the way you desire.
Do the best you can with what you have.
Serving the Lord isn’t about having the best, most expensive, or some technologically savvy ministry. Serving the Lord is about giving Him and others the absolute best of your ability. The Lord will honor your service before Him as you do it unto Him for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). You don’t need these things to be effective and reach people for Jesus Christ.
You may not have the most talent or the best resources, but you have access to the ONE that has all power in His hands.
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Josh Klute
Proverbs 30:8-9 – Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Here are the words of Agur…a prayer unto the Lord to live with integrity (and balance) in His presence. When many people are asking God for more success, money, and power, Agur prayed that he have neither poverty nor riches and to be fed with food that’s convenient for him. When many people are waiting for their ‘overflow’ of blessings, Agur desired to remain in a state where he would neither deny the Lord or take His name in vain through His actions.
Most people understand compromise to be a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles. Compromise is also known as an endangering, especially of reputation; exposure to danger, suspicion (Dictionary.com).
Each day we face numerous decisions that can affect our lives before the Lord. One choice decision can change the course of our lives on earth and beyond. There comes sometimes when you would want to please your spouse (1 Corinthians 7:32-33), children, family, friends, or associates when you know God’s will is entirely different. There is a compromise that occurs, but it is at your (and other’s) expense.
Matthew 12:36-37 – But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
In Matthew 12:22-37, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man and the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out devil through the power of Beelzebub (read Matthew 12:22-37 for context). Through this dialogue, Jesus illustrates what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is, and how we will be give an account of the negative things we say. Think about the negative and useless things you’ve said over the last week. On the day of judgment, you will stand before the Lord and give an account of each of those words. Not only that, but it is by our words that we will be justified or condemned.
In the original translation, the word idle is translated as inactive, lazy, useless, barren, and slow. When writing to the church in Ephesians, Paul admonished the church to use their words for edifying others:
Ephesians 4:29 – Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
We can say many things about many situations each day. Some situations ‘scream’ for you to say something negative or in anger. However, allow the words you speak to build others up rather than tear them down. If you don’t have anything kind to say, don’t say anything.
Remember that the idle words you speak will come back to you when you will stand before the Lord. You will have to account for them. Do not allow the idle words you speak to condemn yo before God. Speak life!
Photo courtesy of Stock.XCHNG.com/BJN
Friendships (and associations) are important to our lives as social beings. They give up opportunities to express ourselves, share our best and worst moments, do things together, etc. Who we choose to be considered a friend (or even an associate) is very important to the success of our own lives.
However, you must be very careful about who you choose to associate with. If you do not, you may find yourself in compromising situations that may change the course of your life forever. You should be cautious in your associations if:
James 1:2-4 – My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
When trying times (temptations) come, the last emotion or feeling most people have is joy. They want to receive a quick resolution, answer, promise, fulfillment, and closure of their situation. Patience is not an option.
Our society today doesn’t like to wait for a lot of things. Every request today needed to be answered yesterday. There is no time to wait.
Many people are looking for a good church home. They want to find a church that has…
- specific ministries
- good preaching/teaching (at the least the style they like)
- good location
- friendly people
- loving atmosphere
- great service to every one of your needs
As they travel throughout their city, they will may find a church with four out of their six desires and they will move to the next church…and the next one…However, there is one one requirement for finding a church home:
Matthew 20:25-28 – But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
In reading Matthew 20, after Jesus explains how the last will be first and the first last (in comparison to servanthood), the mother of Zebedee’s children comes to Him and asks a question. She asks for her sons to be given the right to sit on the left and right of Jesus in His kingdom. He tells her that those places will be given to those whom the Father has already prepared. (This is a paraphrase.) Now, based upon Jesus’ response to James’ and John’s mother (Mark 1:19), her reasoning for placing them to the right and left of Him was for them to be in positions of authority over people in His kingdom. Jesus then brought His disciples together and told them that they were not to exercise dominion over people. He gave the example of the princes of the Gentiles and those over them (the great)…and how they exercise authority over the people and one another. The disciples were not to live over people in such a manner. The great and chief among the people must be a minister and servant among them.
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