Chosen for God's Purpose

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Spare Change...How Do You Spend It?

It’s Friday afternoon, and I am beginning my weekly countdown to 5 pm. Only a few more hours to go, and then I will be free for the weekend to do whatever I please. Or will I? How many times a day do you think this way, "I am free to do as I please"? I realize many of us spend our days dictated by someone else’s schedule or agenda. We have jobs that tell us when to arrive and when to leave. We have expectations and goals to meet each day, and they are rarely set by us. It would stand to reason that when we break out of that routine, we wish to control the remainder of our time - our “spare change” if you would. We rarely value time as a commodity, until we run out of it. Our desperate attempt to grab hold of whatever extra minutes we can find and hoard them for ourselves is a natural reaction, but not the most valuable or advantageous. We all have obligations in life. We must eat. We must have shelter. We must have clean clothing. We must be able to pro

Let Us...

Have you ever wondered what it would take to have a successful year? Not just the kind of year that you get through, or the kind that you feel OK about. I am talking about a truly life-altering kind of year. The kind that causes you to look back and shout "Hallelujah!!" when you see all the growth and transition God has brought forth in you. What would it take for 2018 to be that year for us? At the beginning of 2018, when everyone was knee-deep in their resolution making process, I had the privilege of listening to a series of messages by world-renowned Bible teacher, Derek Prince. If you have not experienced the pleasure and the challenge of his teaching, I would encourage you to seek him out (derekprinceministries.org) . In this series, entitled Twelve Steps to a Good Year , Derek walks us through the book of Hebrews, and points out twelve specific verses that point us towards a life more set on God -- more set on service -- and much less s

The "Birthing" Season

Anyone who tells you that childbirth is easy is lying. This person is not your friend, and you should run…run away as fast as possible 😊 The reality is, birth is likely the hardest task a woman will ever undertake in her life. Pregnancy and birth is the culmination of “giving up” of self – of one’s physical appearance and body image, of one’s normal bodily functions, of one’s time and freedom, but most of all…of one’s heart and soul. As a mother prepares for the arrival of her child, she passes through many levels of self-sacrifice. There are the countless hours spent nursing nausea and fatigue. The constant press on your body to provide; not only for your life and sustenance, but that of the other human being growing within you. You provide every ounce of nourishment, protection, shelter, and comfort this tiny person needs as he/she does the work of growing and developing. It is truly a team effort – mother and baby w

Is there Thanks in your Giving?

The pictures flashed across the tv screen, and my numb eyes roll as I murmur to myself, “Here we go again.” Homeless and emaciated children. Communities without clean water. Animals deserted and dying behind bars of steel. Their haunted eyes lock with mine; pleading for me to act, desperately seeking assistance. Irritated, I move onto the next channel as quickly as possible, not ready to be bothered once again by their plight. I settle back into my cozy chair, pull a warm blanket under my chin, and take a long, relaxing sip of my steaming coffee. Life is good on this side of the tv, and I do not lend another thought to what I have witnessed. Obviously, needs are not simply seen through the square window of our television screen. Need lives and moves about in our community; it walks with us through the store, drives with us through town, even sits next to us in church. Need is everywhere – and it comes in many forms. Need was also rampant when

Follower or Imitator- Conclusions and Final Thoughts

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Follower. Imitator. After a careful review of the previous six posts that allowed us to dig into the characteristics that Christ manifested in flesh - can you now see the stark difference between these two terms? A follower is one who simply goes where another leads. An imitator is one who strives to become like the one they follow. I believe that the early church was full of disciples , those who truly desired not only to follow Christ, but to become more like Him every day. They were passionate pursuers of the truth that He lived out, and proclaimed it with boldness . They learned to lay their lives down in sacrifice and humility and faithfully serve one another as they served Jesus. And they worshiped - oh did they worship ! For the fre

Follower or Imitator- Where is Your Worship?

All we are...All we ever will be...found only at the Cross One of the greatest blessings of Christian fellowship is the mystery of worship. The God of the universe, creator of all things, ruler of the stars, longs and desires to fellowship with us. In fact, He is jealous over His time with us; seen in Exodus 34:14 as we are told “you must worship no other Gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you”. What an honor and privilege to worship. Worship is inherent in creation. Luke 19:40 shows Jesus answering the Pharisees who commanded Him to silence the disciples from offering worship, and Jesus stated “I tell you, He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.” All creation was designed to offer worship and praise to the creator. The winds blow praise. The waves crash in praise. The mountains stand majestic in praise. The creatures of the earth and see proclaim God’s glory, and J