Special Gifts for you and through you

Posted on February 27, 2012 by pastorpstephens

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit….But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”  1 Corinthians 4 – 11

In my home I have a small wooden carousel which was gift to me from my father.  He gave it to me many years ago when my children were young.  He meant for it to be a special gift that would bless me and those I love.  I would play it for the kids and they enjoyed the music and the small hand carved horses.  We would listen to it for a little while and then it would be placed back on a shelf.  As my kids grew, they became less interested in carousels and musical merry go rounds and eventually this gift found its way into a box and was placed in a closet.

I thought about the carousel recently as I prepared a sermon on spiritual gifts.  I thought about it because spiritual gifts have been given to all believers with the same intention by our Heavenly Father that the carousel was given to me by my earthly father.  Gifts are given to bless us and so that others might be blessed through those very same gifts.  The gifts we receive are meant to edify the body of Christ and yet many times, those gifts are simply placed upon shelf.  The music is not played, the carriage does not turn and the hand-carved horses don’t have the opportunity to light up a child’s face.

The Lord has gifted each of us in a special way with a gift that was chosen just for us.  Each gift is special because it was picked out by our Lord who knows us intimately and who longs to bless us greatly!

In recent years I have taken that small wooden carousel out of the box from the top of the closet and shared it with my granddaughters.  I have cherished this gift more than ever now that my father is not here with me.  I have put that gift to use again and begun to tell them stories about the love behind this gift and other gifts I have received from my father.  And I must say I have been blessed!

What gifts do you have that you are not using?  What gifts do you have which have simply been placed away and are gathering dust?  Take them out of the box, use them.  Tell of the great love behind those gifts and let the Lord use them to light up someone else’s face!

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How can you discover your spiritual gift?  Some people take assessments online or complete a checklist.  That can be helpful too but the problem with those is that we sometimes can mislead ourselves by guiding ourselves to the things we desire rather than the things God desires for us.  I think that discovering one’s spiritual gift is as simple as the ABC’s.  You can discover your spiritual gift by:

  1. Ask!  Pray!  Ask God to help you discover your gift.  Ask Him to reveal to you how He wants you to be involved in His Kingdom work.  God will lead you and guide you.  It may take some time but the bible promises in the book of James 1:5 that “if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  God will not keep your gift a secret from you.  He may allow you to grow and mature before He places you into a position of service and authority, but He will not keep your gift a secret from you.  Because personal growth is involved, we need to be involved in:
  2. Bible study.  Study God’s Word.  As you read the bible and learn about the nature and character of God, you will learn about yourself.  As you learn the Word, you will better learn to hear God’s voice and He can more easily lead you and guide you in your life.
  3. Callings are from God.  Listen to your heart.  God will give you a passion for certain areas of service.  God will speak to your spirit and He will place certain callings on your life.  He will draw certain things out of you.
  4. Direction from others.  Listen to your pastor, to your Sunday school teacher and others that God places in your path.  God will use other people to lead you and guide you as well.  Other people will recognize the gifts that God has given you.  I remember it was almost 20 years ago that I had rededicated my life to the Lord and finally began to faithfully attend church.    We had been attending regularly for several months and I was so happy that I was singing loud – loud enough that people noticed.  I even hit a few notes every now and then.  After one service, I was approached by somebody who said they needed someone to fill in for them the next Sunday.  In the choir I asked?  No, they practically shouted – which I thought was rather inappropriate.  “Not in the choir!  Heavens no!”  They needed somebody to help teach Sunday School…. and they thought that I would be good at it.  I had never thought about it before.  It never crossed my mind.  But I listened to someone else, someone who saw something in me.  I tried it and I was blessed beyond measure.  And God in His grace continued to grow and nurture that gift and a passion for it within me.  Which brings me to my last suggestion on discovering your spiritual gifts:
  5. Experiment and Try some things!  Look around in your church, your community, your family and see what needs to be done.  Try some things, pray, listen to God, listen to others, and you may be surprised how God will use you.

The truth is that God will use you.  He has blessed you with some gifts to edify the body of Christ and to benefit the Kingdom of God.  When you use those gifts you will be blessed.  And when you use those gifts you will be a blessing!

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please feel free to email me directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com.

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“Right Beside You Son”

Posted on February 21, 2012 by pastorpstephens

Hebrews 13:5  “… He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”

I was walking through the neighborhood recently one Saturday morning and I came across a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwall painting.  A young, lanky father was standing next to his little boy and a shiny red bicycle without any training wheels.  The boy appeared to be about 4 or 5 but it was hard to tell because of all his gear.  He had a full-size helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and a bright orange vest.  He had all of the safety equipment known to man.  All he was missing was one of the little alert buttons that he could press and say, “Help I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”  And at his size with all the gear he had on, that might not have been a bad option because if he fell, he might not be able to get back up.

Dad carefully explained the safety rules to his son.  Never ride alone, stay on the sidewalk, and watch for cars coming in and out of the driveways.  Once the lad knew the rules, the time honored tradition of a parent teaching their child how to ride without training wheels began.  This tradition typically involves much huffing and puffing on the part of the parent and a few bumps and bruises on the part of the child.  Dad started off to one side holding the handle bar with one hand with another hand on the back of the bike seat.  After a few wobbly passes up and down the sidewalk, the father loosened his hold on the handlebar and maintained only a light grip on the back of the seat.  When the bike started to wobble again the boy noticed his dad’s hands were not on the handlebar and he became worried.  His father reassured him by saying, “I’m right beside you son.”  As his son gained more skill and dexterity, dad reached the point where eventually he was simply jogging behind his son.  It was about this time that the boy exclaimed in an excited voice, “Look Dad, I’m riding a bike all by myself!”

I was almost as excited as that little boy.  It is such a blessing to see kids learn new things and enjoy new experiences.  But as excited as that little boy was, I knew that he was not riding that bike all by himself.  His father was still jogging behind him; close enough that he could reach out and grab his son and prevent him from riding off the sidewalk and into the street.  His father was right there if his child needed him.

As that thought crossed my mind, I had to smile.  It has been that way for me in my life.  Not just with my own father teaching me how to ride a bike but also with my heavenly father.   There have been times when I have distinctly noticed the presence of His hand guiding and directing me.  He has redirected my course when the bike started to wobble and I was about to get off track. There have been times when the ride has been fast and sweet and I have been joyously caught up in the moment and thought, “I’m doing this all by myself!”  There have been other times when I have had that same thought of being on a ride all by myself and it was not an expression of excitement but rather an expression of worry and dismay.  Those were times when I have wondered where my Father is, and when I have called out in my fear and worry He has always answered me, “I’m right beside you son.”  Our Lord has promised to always be with right there with us.  He has promised never to abandon us; even in those times when He has to pick us up and dust us off and set us back on our path.  “I’m right beside you son.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Those are such beautiful words to hear.  He has always been with me.  He has never left me nor forsaken me.  I have never been riding alone.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please feel free to email me directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com.

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Redeemed, Reclaimed and Never Condemned

Posted on February 13, 2012 by pastorpstephens

The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.  Psalm 34:22

I work in the Subrogation Department of a large insurance company.  Basically we try to recover our claims payments from other insurance companies or individuals who are responsible for the losses that we have paid.  Usually it is Monday to Friday job, but I did get to work this Saturday.  (I say get to because I am blessed with a job and there are lots of people who aren’t and they would have loved to have worked this Saturday.)  I arrived at the office about 5:30 am and worked until 11:30 am with some friends.  We had to clean out a storage room of old parts that are no longer needed.  These are parts like pipes, valves, toasters and other parts that failed and caused damages to peoples’ homes.  We have paid claims on the losses and then have tried to collect damages from the manufacturers or installers of the parts who were responsible for the failure of these parts.  Our claims are now closed and these old parts are no longer needed as evidence so they have been tossed away.

Some of the parts were dirty – like sprinkler pipes that had been under the ground; some were dirtier like smudgy old toasters that had caught on fire and some were down right filthy like sewage sump pumps that failed and caused raw sewage to back up into people’s homes.  Eeewww!  Those potty parts make you shake your head in disgust every time!  Every one of these parts had their own unique story of failure and yet they all ended up with the same fate.  No longer good for anything, they were condemned and headed to the scrap pile.  They cannot be redeemed or reclaimed and no one wants them.

I am so glad that people do not have to suffer the same fate or have the same story as those failed parts.  While each of us fail in various ways and while each of us end up with smudges, stains and stories that may make others shake their heads in disgust, none of us ever has to feel that we cannot be redeemed or reclaimed by God.  None of us ever has to feel like God does not want us.  The bible says in Psalm 34:22

The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.  Psalm 34:22

The Lord God is a Redeemer.  He loves us and desires our fellowship – no matter what our story is!  He is able to take people who are weak and who have failed and reclaim them and make them new again.  He is able to forgive them and give them a fresh start and empower them to live a productive life that brings Him glory and honor.  Those who take refuge in the Lord will never be condemned and cast away!  Through our faith in Jesus Christ we receive forgiveness for our sins and the stains, the smudges, the dirt of the disobedience in our life is washed away!  Oh my goodness our God is good!

I hope that you know His Goodness.  I hope that if you are looking for work that you find a job soon.  I hope that you know that God can do something new in your life!

If you would like to receive information on how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, feel free to contact me directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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The Fullness of Joy

Posted on February 7, 2012 by pastorpstephens

We had our “Souper Bowl” Supper yesterday at church.  Everyone brought some canned goods for the local food bank and some soup, chili or other item and we had a potluck lunch following the service.  We had a very good time.  My oldest granddaughter Avery who is 2 years old was there and she had a great time.  She loves being around everybody and playing with the other kids and she especially loves the chocolate cupcakes.  By the time she finished her cupcake she looked like she had a brown mustache!

She had such a wonderful time filled with great joy.  The joy that little kids express reminds me of the joy that we should have as members of God’s Kingdom.  The bible says in Psalm 16:11

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.  Psalm 16:11 

 In the Lord’s presence is fullness of joy…even better than a chocolate cupcake!  Our Lord has made known to us the path of life and granted unto us awesome blessings and magnificent promises of grace, mercy, forgiveness, strength and provision.  As His Children we should live with an attitude of gratefulness and marvelous joy each and every day.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Grow in Grace

Posted on January 30, 2012 by pastorpstephens

2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen”

This weekend was another good weekend.  I was blessed with an opportunity to spend time with my two lovely granddaughters.  Our oldest granddaughter is two and the youngest is 4 months old.  The 4 month old is changing every time I see her.  She no longer has that new born look and has started to develop the looks, features, facial expressions and characteristics of a happy, healthy little girl who will some day be able to keep up with her big sister.  It is amazing the growth that I see in her each time she is in my presence.  I can hardly wait to see what she will do next.  When will she start that next stage of her development, when will she start to rock back and forth and eventually begin to crawl?  When will she say those words I long to hear, “Hold me Pawpaw!”

I often wonder how the Lord reacts to the spiritual growth and changes that He sees in us.  Does He sometimes look on in wonder as we take a step we have never taken before?  Does He wait expectantly for us to form words that He has been waiting to hear us say?  Words like, “I’m sorry.  I need you.  Please never let me go.”

I know that the Lord does expect some development from us.  The bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:18 that we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”  Because God asks us to grow, I know that He will help us to grow.  Growth involves learning His word, His ways, and His will.  It involves learning new behaviors.  I know that growth does not happen overnight and it is not always easy.  But I know that when we do grow, He is pleased.  To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Don’t be Lukewarm

Posted on January 23, 2012 by pastorpstephens

The weather has been crazy this winter.  It has been up to 72 degrees one day and down to 42 degrees the next.  This rapid change from hot to cold temperatures has been making my head hurt a little bit.  It is not any good for my sinuses or my allergies.  I wish it would just stay either hot or cold, this bouncing back and forth drives me crazy.  More than once I have been caught at the office without the proper type of coat or jacket.  Last week I was forced to wear the old, musty “Mr. Rogers” sweater that has been hanging on my office chair for the last 5 years.  That song is still going through my head thanks to all the people in my department who felt compelled to sing it as they walked by my desk!  Any time the temperature jumps around like this I am reminded of what the Lord said in His word to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14 – 16,

Rev 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:  15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.  16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’”

The Lord, the true witness, Jesus Christ knew the deeds of that church and He was not pleased.  They were rich and had become complacent.  They were no longer on fire for the Lord.  They had become lukewarm in their testimony, lukewarm in their witness and lukewarm in their love.  The Lord said that their present state was so distasteful to Him that He would just as soon spit them out of His mouth.  That is a sad commentary for a church or a person to receive from the Lord.

I think that all of us have become complacent and lukewarm at some point in our Christian walk.  I think that all of us have had our fire go out and have no longer extended warmth to others in our outreach, in our witness or even in our fellowship as we interact with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  That is distasteful to our Lord and Savior.  In that same chapter the Lord encourages us to come to Him and become rich in His grace, clothe ourselves in His fellowship and once again warm ourselves with the fire that only He can bring to our lives.  He tells us that if we make ourselves available to Him we can overcome the sin, the challenges and even the complacency that plagues us in our lives.  We don’t have to stay lukewarm.  We can catch on fire again for the Lord!  That is such an awesome promise!  I pray that you will not be lukewarm this week.  I pray that you will know the great warmth and love of His presence and His fellowship.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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10 Months Since My L4 L5 Fusion – God has blessed Me!

Posted on January 16, 2012 by pastorpstephens

It has been 10 months since I had my L4 and L5 vertebrae fused.  The results have been great!  I have been very pleased with the results.  I no longer have any lower back pain – not even when I run or play basketball.  The only thing that hurts when I play basketball is my ego from time to time.  As far as the back goes, I have spent time pulling weeds and even spent extended hours shopping in the mall with my wife and my back was fine.  I did not experience any pain or tightness associated with the impingement of my sciatic nerve.  I also did not have any muscle spasms where my back locked up and I had to walk around like a 90 year-old man looking for a lost contact lens.

Yes, the surgery has been great!  Now there were some challenges early on in the first couple of weeks – you can read about them on some of my earlier posts, but all in all God has blessed me with a wonderful recovery.  He has definitely been with me throughout the journey.  The hardest part was being patient and not doing too much beginning about week number 3.   Patience finally paid off and now I am back to doing all of the things I did  before the surgery, plus a whole lot more, except that I have no lower back pain.

I am back to my regular schedule and I am able to pick up my two year old granddaughter and fly her through the house – plus I was blessed with another granddaughter too carry around the house at the end of last year!  I am able to lift weights and participate in sports without any restrictions (I was released to work out at about 7 months past the surgery).  All in all, I have to say that life is good and God is great!  As David said in Psalm 22:22

I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.  Psalm 22:22 

Yes, the Lord has blessed me during this process.  But I must say that even if I had not had as good of an outcome, I am still blessed.  I was blessed before the surgery, even on the days when my back ached.  I had a Savior who loved me and was always with me.   I had a wife and children that the Lord had surrounded me with who cared for me and loved me.  I have been blessed with a good job, a nice home, wonderful friends, a good church family and a host of other blessings.  Even on the bad days, I was blessed.  Yes, even on the bad days, life is good and God is great!  I hope you have such a relationship with the Lord that you can experience His love and blessings even on the bad days.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Run the Race Well – Get off your Spiritual Couch

Posted on January 9, 2012 by pastorpstephens

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.  25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 

This is a glorious passage!  I love the words God gave Paul to describe the Christian life, comparing it to an athlete who competes in a race.  God gives us this picture to help us stay on track, to help us to stay strong and to help us keep growing in our faith.  We are to be like a dedicated athlete training for an event.  “All who run in a race run, but only one receives a prize.”  I like that.  I like prizes!  When I was a young boy I used to open a new box of cereal and stick my arm in that box all the way to the bottom just so I could get the prize!   My momma told me I shouldn’t be sticking my arm all the way through that box any more because it wasn’t clean….so I started opening the boxes of cereal from the bottom!  I like prizes!  And I like winning.  I don’t know about you but I am competitive when it comes to sports.  When I play basketball I want to win.  When I run a race I want to win.  When I play checkers I want to win.  I am a competitive person.  My wife still accuses me of cheating at Trivial Pursuit on our 3rd date.  We have been married for over 26 years and she still hasn’t forgotten about that.  She had enough evidence to accuse me but not convict me!

Yes, I like to win.  I want to win when I am involved in something.  That’s how athletes are.  Athletes in an event compete to do their best.  Athletes want to win.  In Paul’s day, in the games at Corinth, the winner received a wreath.  There was no prize for the others.  So if you weren’t first, you were last.  For that reason athletes take competition seriously.  If you are a Christian, you ought to take your event; you ought to take your life seriously.  You ought to take your witness and your testimony seriously.  Unlike the athletes in Paul’s day, Christians are not in competition with one another.  We all receive a wreath and it is an IMPERISHABLE wreath!  Our prize never fades and never fails!  We all receive eternal life.  We all win the big prize.  Based on our confession of faith we have received forgiveness of our sin and received eternal life.  We will spend eternity with our Lord and Savior.  WE ALL WIN!  But just like an athlete it is still important for us to train every day.  It is important for us to be disciplined.

An athlete trains and thinks about his event daily.  Like an athlete we think about our faith every day.  We must be vigilant and focused on our spiritual walk.  That is what Paul means when he goes on to say in verse 26:

1 Cor. 9:26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27  but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Paul takes his faith seriously.  He takes a strategic and disciplined approach to the race he is running.  He takes that kind of approach because he wants to run well.  Paul does not want to be telling others about the life changing power of Jesus Christ and then be seen by others to be living an unchanged life.  Paul does not want to be telling others about the power of Christ to set men free from sin and then be seen by others living in bondage to sin.  Paul says that would “disqualify me in my race”.  That does not mean it would keep Paul from obtaining his salvation but it would get him off track and hinder him from completing the call that God has on his life.

Paul knows that if he does not take a strategic and disciplined approach to his race he will not run well.  He is honest about his strengths and his weaknesses.  He knows if he is not proactive and disciplined he won’t be in the race for the long haul.  He won’t be able to keep up the pace.  He won’t be able to go the distance.  He will let himself down and he will let others down.  And Paul does not want to let anyone down.  Paul wants to win.  Paul wants to glorify God.  Paul wants to run well.

Because Paul wants to run well, Paul prays, Paul reads his bible and Paul worships the living God with others on a regular basis.  Paul stays engaged in spiritual discipline.  I want you to notice that Paul talks about it in terms that do not indicate that it is always a walk in the park.  Paul says, “I run… I box… I make my body a slave…”   Those words tell me Paul has to get up off of the couch and make himself do some of the things he needs to do some times.  That tells me that Paul has to fight the urge to use some excuse not to pray, or read his bible or go to church.  Paul has to choose to do the right thing.  Paul has the right to stay at home on the couch but he doesn’t because Paul wants to run the race well.

Paul made the right choice and he was blessed…others were blessed…and we were blessed.  Paul made the right choice and God was glorified.  I want you to know that when you make the right choice, you will be blessed and others will be blessed too.  When you make the right choice God is glorified!  When you make the choice to pray, to read the bible and worship the Living God with others on a regular basis – you run the race well.  Maybe you have gotten off track before and are still off track ….get back on!  Get back in the race!  Start praying again!  Start reading your bible again!  Start worshipping with God’s people again!  Make amends where you need to but don’t think the race is over!  The Lord will embrace you and receive you in His arms!  Start running the race well today!

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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How to know what to do with my life

Posted on January 2, 2012 by pastorpstephens

I stayed up all night with the youth group on Friday night at an event called “Mania Marathon”.  Each year a local church has it on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the New Year and to have a worship service followed by Laser Tag, Bowling and movies or games.  This year it was on the 30th instead of the 31st so that we could get into church on the 1st which was on Sunday.  It was a fun event and our kids were awesome!  I like going because it gives me some extra time to visit with the kids and to see what is on their mind.  This year several of them asked questions about how does a person know what they should do with their life.  They were asking questions from a college and career perspective.

I tried to explain to them that they can count on the Lord to help them in this area.  The Lord promises to help us guide us in these types of decisions.  He promises to lead us in the way we should go.  With that in mind, I submit the following steps for seeking God’s will for your life.

1.   Pray!  While we may not audibly hear God’s voice we can still expect Him to instruct us and teach us in the way we should go.  The bible says in Psalm  32:8

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”  Psalm 32:8

We can expect God to place certain desires and motivations upon our heart.  We all have certain gifts, strengths and talents that He has blessed us with which will help us in our pursuit of a career or in fulfilling the tasks that He has placed before us.  Pray and think about what it is you would like to do.  Pray and think about what it is God would want you to do.  Sometimes these two things do not always match.  Sometimes we do not want to do what God wants us to do.  If you struggle with that, please bring someone else into the struggle with you to help you pray about the matter and give you some guidance so that you can sort it out.  Talk to a trusted Christian friend or your pastor.  But please pray about what you believe the Lord would have you to do.  Many times you will find that He is okay with you initial inclination.  (He has plans of growth and change for all of us and is more concerned about getting us moving!)  But please understand that the Lord who we trust with our eternal salvation is more than capable of guiding us with our earthly vocation!

  1. Plan!  Once you have an idea of what you want to do, you need to make some plans.       The bible says in Proverbs 21:5

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage…”  Prov 21:25

When you think you know where you want to go, when you have the destination in mind, you need a road map for getting there.  Don’t just jump in the car and wander aimlessly in life, squandering time and resources.  Do you want to be a writer for a newspaper or a magazine?  If so, you probably need to go to college and obtain a degree in English and/or Journalism.  And you definitely need to be engaged in writing.  Do you want to sing?  Perhaps voice lessons or music theory classes need to be in your future.  Do you simply want to help others?  Volunteer at a school, food bank or nursing home.  The list is endless.  Begin your search with prayer.  Perhaps you look at this roadmap you now have and think that you cannot make this journey.  Perhaps you look at it and you fear that you don’t have the resources to fulfill some of the requirements on your list.  Some will rightfully point out that Jesus said in Luke 14:28

For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘’This man began to build and was not able to finish.”  Luke 14:28 – 30

I find that whenever one is faced with such a list or such a situation that those times are perfect times for prayer.  Has God placed this goal, this desire upon your heart?  Do you truly believe He has called you to this task?  If so, ask Him to provide the resources and the wisdom and the insight for you.  I have faced such a list before and I can assure you that anything God asks you to do, He will help you to do.  For scriptural support I will offer up Philippians 4:19 – 20.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.   Phil 4:19-20

 

3.  Place  your boat upon the water and let the winds and waves of God take you where He will.  Once you have prayed and made your plans and prayed again place your boat upon the water and get busy!  Continue to pray along the way and allow God to make navigational changes along the way.  The bible says in Proverbs 20:24

Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?  Prov 20:24

The Lord may make some changes to your plans along the way.  Continue to pray and in absence of any distinct direction from the Lord do what makes sense to you.  When you are in doubt about what to do next or about some decision that you need to make, get counsel from trusted Christian advisors.  But always lean on your faith and always make room for the Lord to change your plans.  One scene from the bible that comes to my mind is from Joshua chapter 5.  Joshua has taken over for Moses and is now leading the Israelites into the Promised Land.  Joshua has been a commander of the army, he is a battle-scarred veteran and now he is staring at the walls of Jericho devising a military plan of attack to launch on that city.  At this point Joshua has not received any distinct direction from the Lord so he is going to do what makes sense to him.  I am sure that Joshua already has some idea in his mind as to how to go about taking the city when the Lord appears to him at the end of chapter 5.  Joshua is probably thinking about scaling the walls or having spies sneak in and open the doors and the Lord tells him in chapter 6 that they are simply going to march around the city, blow some trumpets and the wall are going to fall.  It probably seems crazy to Joshua but the Lord has brought him this far and Joshua is not about to stop trusting Him now.  The Lord changes Joshua’s plans…and it works out great.

The Lord will change your plans too at some point.  And at first it may seem crazy.  But if you trust the Lord, it will work out great.  Your steps are ordained by God, you cannot understand His way.  You simply need to place your boat upon the water and prayerfully let the wind and the waves of God take you where He will.  That does not mean you just sit back and do nothing, you still have to row the boat, batten down the hatches and do all the other things required on a boat.  But you need to understand that God will make navigational changes in your life.  Trust me.  I know.  I never dreamed I would fill a pulpit, I never dreamed I would write a blog to encourage others to seek the Lord and His best for them in their lives.  But now, I cannot imagine doing anything else.  May God bless you on your journey.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

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Never Cast Out

Posted on December 27, 2011 by pastorpstephens

It is the week after Christmas and I am on vacation!  It is about 7 in the morning and my wife is asleep.  I have been up for a little while trying to complete some writing before she wakes up so that we can spend the day together.  As I am sitting here writing letters to some friends one of my little weenie dogs is sitting by my feet and wants some attention.  She stands up on her hind legs and begs for me to pet her.  Her name is Teenie.  She is about 13 yrs old and is in good shape physically but she is starting to go deaf.  That is okay because she never listened too well anyway.

This dog originally belonged to my sister-in-law.  She bought Teenie while she still lived in an apartment.  Because Teenie stayed in the apartment all day, roaming around at will, she learned some bad habits.  The worst habit was she learned to do her business inside.  When the apartment manager found out about Teenie, my sister-in-law had to get rid of her.  We took her in, even though she had some bad habits and even though she wasn’t the friendliest dog and even though we already had a dog.  It took a long time for Teenie’s bad habits to change.  It took years.  Sometimes she still backslides – if you know what I mean.

But we took her in and we have kept her all these years.  My wife loves weenie dogs and just could not resist no matter what Teenie’s background or bad habits were.  It reminds me of what Jesus said in John 6:37

 “He who comes to me I will certainly not cast out.”   John 6:37

I am so glad that the Lord accepts us even with our various backgrounds and bad habits.  He loves us and cannot resist letting us into His Kingdom when we come unto Him!  He does not look at us and say, “Nope, not this one.  He has too many bad habits.  He would be a long term project.”  Our Lord simply opens His arms wide and embraces us!  I am so glad that He does not reject us or cast us out of His Kingdom.  I am so glad that He keeps us in His Kingdom and His grace forever and ever.  We serve an awesome God!

Well, I better go and give that dog some attention before she starts to bark and wake up my wife.  Until next time, may God bless you and your family.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com

 

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