ABILITY VS. AVAILABILITY

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

— 2 Corinthians 4:7

When Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, it was a source of complete amazement that these untrained laymen could be so well-versed in the Scriptures—and more importantly, in their understanding. They were ordinary fishermen, salt-of-the-earth-type people. This doesn't mean they were illiterate. But they had not attended the rabbinical schools or spent their lives in the study of the Scripture.

Acts 4:13 tells us that when these religious leaders "saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." These simple fishermen appeared to be better-equipped than the professionals were. How did this happen? The disciples had been with Jesus. They were boldly sharing their faith. They knew the Scriptures. They were men who prayed.

This should give hope and encouragement to those who think of themselves as ordinary people. Maybe God has not called you to be a pastor, a missionary, or some professional ministry position. But God can use you too. It is clear that He is looking for ordinary men and women to bring the gospel message to others.

God can use you where you are. The opportunities are there. There is a mission field where you work. There is a mission field where you go to school. There is a mission field in your neighborhood. You are God's representative, and He is calling you to go into this world and speak up for Him. God is not looking so much for ability as He is looking for availability. So make yourself available to Him.

       

POWERED BY THE SPIRIT

"Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you."— Ephesians 5:17-18

 When we think of being filled with the Spirit, we often relate it to an emotional experience or a feeling of euphoria.

But in reality, the word, "filled," could be translated, "controlled by." It is a word that speaks of what happens when the wind fills the sails of a boat and guides it along. So God is saying that we are to let His Spirit fill us and control our lives.

Another interesting thing about this word is that in the original language, it is in a tense that speaks of something that should be done continually. So you could translate this sentence, "Be constantly filled with the Spirit." This is not a one-time event. Instead, it is something that takes place over and over again, just as we repeatedly fill the gas tanks in our cars to keep them running.

God wants to refill us with His Spirit. It is a great thing to say each day, "Lord, fill me with your Spirit. Lord, fill me once again." You may have emotional experiences. You may not have emotional experiences. But that has very little to do with the reality of being filled with and controlled by the Spirit.

One other thing about this phrase from Ephesians 5:18 is that it's a command, not a suggestion. The Scripture is not saying, "If it works with your schedule, if you don't mind, would you please consider maybe letting the Holy Spirit fill and control you?" Rather, God is saying that He commands us, He orders us, to be filled with the Holy Spirit

On this rock I will build my restaurant !?

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. - (Romans 12:4–5)

Sometimes people treat churches like they treat restaurants. They take on a consumer mentality. I want to go to this restaurant. Oh, we went there two weeks ago. Let’s go to this other one. . . . But the church is not a restaurant. The church is a family, and you need to be a part of the family.

You also need to engage. Maybe one of the reasons some people feel as though they are not getting enough out of church is because they attend intermittently and don’t commit themselves. But if they would settle in and become a part of what God is doing, it would change for them.

If you have been attending a church for more than a couple of years, then you ought to be involved in a ministry of some kind. You may not be called to preach, but there are lots of other things to do. There is something for everyone. The Bible tells us, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them . . .” (Romans 12:5–6).

It is fine to come and be served in the church. But there has to come a point when you start growing up and decide to start serving. And then you will find that everything changes for you.

So let’s stop thinking of the church as them and start thinking of the church as us. Be a part of the family. Take the gifts that God has given you and develop them and use them for His glory. I suggest that church could completely change for us if we stop coming as spectators and instead join the team.

CALLING ALL FISHERMEN

Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

— Matthew 4:19

 While I am not in the ranks of great anglers and seasoned fishermen, or even “semi amateur”,

 I have fished a few times. I know that I need to use different kinds of bait for different kinds of situations, because different types of bait are required to catch different types of fish.

In the same way, as we share the gospel, we might bring up different aspects of it to speak to a person's situation---to someone who is filled with anguish, we might speak to them of the peace that God can bring. If we are talking with someone on his or her deathbed, we would address the subject of death and the certainty of heaven for those who put their faith in Christ. Another person might be plagued with personal guilt, so we might speak to them about God's offer of complete forgiveness.

These are various types of bait, so to speak, to bring us to a decision for Christ. And for our example, we can look to Jesus, the Master Communicator, who never dealt with any two people in exactly the same way.

There was the woman at the well who had spent a lifetime trying to fill a void in her life with relationships with men. To her, Jesus spoke to her of her deep spiritual thirst.

Then there was a man who was an expert in theology and a great intellectual. With him, Jesus spoke in almost childlike terms as He told him, "You must be born again."

Jesus adapted to their situation and appropriately applied the truth of God's Word.

Jesus had time for the multitudes, but He also took time for the individual. And we should take time as well.

Independence---is it really a good thing?

In a day and age when independence is praised, I wonder if it's really a good thing when it comes to our relationship with God.
"God helps those who help themselves," we say, as if quoting Scripture. Oh really? I believe Scripture implies God helps those who admit they can't help themselves. The Apostle Paul, who probably considered himself quite independent before he met Christ, claimed the strength that comes through a total dependence on God when he said God's "power is perfected in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Some of us have trouble depending on anyone. Usually it stems from being burned -- having had a parent who walked out on us, a boyfriend or husband who betrayed us, someone significant who let us down and made us think twice before we depended on anyone again. We find ourselves think.ing "I don't need anyone. I'm on my own. And I'm doing just fine."
But oh how that mindset must hurt the One who longs for us to depend on Him.
If you've prided yourself on not needing anyone, or have just feared trusting another person because of disappointment or betrayal, God wants to more than make up for your disappointment in someone else by showing you, in His Word, that He's the most reliable One you could ever depend on. This July 4th could be your Dependence Day--it could give you something to really celebrate!

JUNE 17TH---WOW!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. — Psalm 51:10 If you're married, then you remember when you first met your wife or husband-to-be, and how you probably had the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and even a loss of appetite. You felt nervous when he or she was around. You wanted to make the best impression. Today marks the anniversary of my first date with my first wife ( and current one for 52 years) I remember what I wore---where we went---and how I felt! I have always remembered June 17th. I hope you understand that those emotions aren't going to last throughout your entire marriage. I'm not saying that you won't have a deep, passionate love that will grow. But I am saying that I hope you're not expecting to always have the butterflies you once did. It is kind of like driving a car. There is the love that brings you together, like an explosion that starts the engine. Next comes the actual driving of the car, which means that now you need to understand what real love is. The problem is that some people don't understand that. They think that when that emotional excitement is not there on a daily basis, they have fallen out of love and it is not working out. "I suppose we have irreconcilable differences," they say, "so let's just dissolve it." Then they move on to another relationship because they don't have a clue as to what real love is. The idea is that first there is an excitement and passion that brings you together. Then you deepen and grow in what real love is. In the same way, we need to mature in our relationship with God. It is more than a journey of feeling. It is also a journey of faith. So we must deepen in our love for God, because we are in it for the long-term. You might even remember the thrill and excitement of coming into a relation ship with Christ. But let me tell you something, if it wasn’t for the fact that God poured His love into our hearts at our spiritual rebirth we wouldn’t last in a long term marriage or a lifetime walk with Him. ( Romans 5 ) God wants us in it for now and eternity. Let me say that June the 17th means a WHOLE lot more now than it did then---and we want and will finish this race well.

Be Choosey About Your Choices

Many think that life is just a set of circumstances: You can't help what happens, just try to adapt and hope for better luck next time -- which explains the greatest excuse of all time: I'm just a victim of circumstance. The Bible teaches something different. Your life is not the result of random circumstance, it's the result of the choices you make. Moses and Joshua both highlighted this simple truth. "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live..." (Deuteronomy 30:19) "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) Life is a series of choices. Success depends on making the same right choices again and again, day after day -- at the dinner table,on the social internet sites, in conversations with families and friends, with your paycheck, in what you read or don't read in books/internet/magazines,at your job,etc. etc---you get the idea! These choices determine who you are and what your life becomes. Every minute of every day we have the privilege of choices that go into to making your life more rewarding or more disappointing. What choices are you willing to make? Think about it. I mean REALLY think about it!