Where is the Gift?

Proverbs 25:14
Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift
is like clouds and wind without rain.

2 Timothy 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Have you ever sat on the grass during a beautiful fall day and watched the clouds as they came rolling in? I remember as a child (just the other day), lying on my back and watching those clouds take form. Some of them would look like dinosaurs, while others looked like gigantic dogs. Cloud after cloud would roll by. Changing into shapes like birds, tall buildings, Snoopy, Charlie Brown, etc... Sometimes you would even see shapes like hands, arms and faces in the clouds thinking if this was God. Angels and trumpets would take shape and you would wonder if the Lord’s return was coming right then and there.

Then something happened... as soon as these clouds would form into a shape or image, they would quickly lose their shape. In all seriousness, one moment the cloud could look like a huge angel of God and then immediately turn into a devilish demon. Also, some clouds would roll in as though the biggest rain of the month was about to pour down and when it finally reached over head, nothing! They were just empty.

The Word of God warns us of people who portray the same manner of life. He says that there are some who “boast of a false gift”. Jesus said they are like the seeds that were sown onto the rocky ground. They jump up immediately, but because they lack moisture (Holy Spirit) they wither away and lose the form they tried to take on.

If the gift of God, which is salvation through Jesus Christ, is in you then there will be a different you. It will not be a temporary form of something new. No, it will be a forever change. If you change form daily, if you blow in as a cloud without the rain, if you have a form and not a sure foundation then please come to Christ today and surrender your life. The most dangerous place you can be in this life is to look as if you have the gift and do not. It’s too look like you’re filled with rain, but to be a cloud that’s empty. It’s to profess that you are a Christian, but in works through your life you are opposite. It’s not Jesus on Sunday when the wind blows in and then nothing through the rest of the week. Please surrender your form to God today and find the foundation that is sure in Jesus. I love you.

There is None Like You

Psalms 86:8

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord;

neither are there any works like unto thy works.

I am taken straight to the throne of God by this song. Every single time I hear it I can’t help but rejoice in the Spirit. The words go...

There is none like you,

No one else can touch my heart like you do.

I could search for eternity long, and find,

There is none like you!

Think about it... Who else has ever loved you so unconditionally like Jesus?  Who has pursued you without you ever giving it a second thought like Jesus? Who has ever allowed you to slander his name and reject him again and again, but yet be gracious and still love you like Jesus?  

While I sat there on the front row listening to them sing, God once again showed me something spectacular. He loves me!  I've always known this, but He reminded me of it again. I've always known that there is no other God like our God, but I was reminded of it again through this song. 

Take time this morning to thank Him. Lord, thank you for reminding me that I have everything I need in you!  Thank you for showing me that there is none like you. No one can love like you. No one can forgive like you. No one can save like you. There is truly none like you... I could search for all eternity long and find there is none like you.  

Coming in Loud and Clear

Psalms 3:4
I cried unto the Lord with my voice,
and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

If you scream out, yell out, speak out or even whisper, understand the God will hear. I know that He is not deaf that we need to yell. It's not the manner in which we call out that makes Him draw His attention toward us, right? But wait a minute. There is something that can be said for crying out unto God. Crying out to Him in tears has great potential!

It has no power at all in the shedding of tears or especially conjuring up some crocodile tears. No, you don't have to cry in order for our Lord to hear you. The tears are not a confirmation of His hearing, it's a reality of our need. Tears are an outward sign of the brokenness that is within us. Tears have a way of touching the heart of people as well as our Father.

Years ago a preacher shared a story of a visitation to a family in the church. This woman had asked the Pastor to come and talk with her husband about salvation. This Pastor and minister of music went faithfully to share the Gospel with this man. But the husband would not budge. No scripture, no illustration and no prayer broke through the hardness of this man's heart. It wasn't until the Pastor looked over at this husbands child in a wheelchair that things changed. This child was crying out in prayer for his daddy to be saved. Those tears fell from his face, then the wife's face, then the Pastor and music minister were crying as well when that dad opened his heart and accepted Jesus as his Savior.

You're heart may be broken this morning...may I say that you are that much closer to the Lord hearing you? Because now you will finally tell Him your whole heart. Cry out to Him now, He's always listening. With those tears, you're coming in loud and clear!

Do As He Says

Romans 2:21-24
Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Have you ever heard a parent say, "Do as I say and not as I do?" Let me ask you something. Have you ever heard a bigger line of bologna in your life? I mean that has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You're telling that child to follow rules that you set but aren't willing to follow yourself.

Can you tell someone not to steal if you're a thief? How can you share with people about their adultery if you have been caught in the very act of it? When we do this our God is blasphemed. Blasphemed means rejected. I don't know about you, but the hardest thing to read in this scripture is the last part. "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles THROUGH you. Those are strong words!

God, help me to never be a part of the problem. Keep me close so that I may share with truth your Gospel. Let your name be glorified Lord.

Hitting on All Cylinders

Hitting On All Cylinders 

Ephesians 4:16

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Years ago, as a sixteen year old, I drove my dad's Chevrolet Chevette to football practice. Me, and three other guys, that made me look and feel small, would ride together. Now where we lived there were many hills. And the car had a problem... It was a 4-cylinder car that only ran on 3 of them. One of the cylinders was not firing. So as we would approach a hill, the car would struggle to get to the top of it. Looking back, I feel bad for that little car. (Haha)

If we could have torn apart the engine we could see that three of the cylinders were doing the work of a four cylinder. They were all tied together to the camshaft. And so what is cool... When one piston was up, the other one was down. If one of them were not firing then what would happen is that the other three took its place. 

How often do we see this happen?  20% of the people doing 80% of the work. God would have us all hitting at the same time. That way we could be ready to give full help that is full powered. We get bogged down and put stress on us when we aren't all hitting. It is a sad day when one cylinder thinks they can do it on there own. It takes teamwork. 

Pray today!  Lord if I have wronged you, I'm sorry. If I haven't been laboring in The Lord, and depending on others to carry me always. Please help me Lord. 

Can the Blind Lead the Blind?

Luke 6:39
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

I find it so awesome that God speaks to people like me. I don't mean that I'm better than someone else and God takes the time to talk to me. I mean that He speaks to me in a simple way because I'm simple minded. God could come out with such an illustration and even prepare a PowerPoint presentation to speak to us. (By the way, that would be pretty cool to see a PowerPoint broadcast across the sky by the Lord) He can use any way and any means possible to share with us His truth. For those like me, and you know who you are, He chooses to just speak plain and simple.

This morning He says, "Can the blind lead the blind?" Pretty simple huh? There is no need for an exegetical breakdown of this scripture or an elaborate study on it. No, it's very easy to understand. If you are still in darkness (blinded by sin or lost in sin) how can you lead someone else who is in the same condition as you? I have no idea how you could mess that statement up. Jesus, as His manner was, took it a bit further. He says the blind can't lead the blind or they will both fall into the same ditch.

So let's think about this simple truth today. How can someone who is blind help another blind person across the street? They both lack in the certain skills to do this task. If one who has their sight comes along to help what are their chances of now making it across without falling into the ditch? I know what you're thinking... Some blind people have made it across the street without any help before. This is probably true, but also rare and very dangerous. Chances are that someday, because of their inability to see, they will stumble.

The same is said of those who are lost in darkness and sin. How can someone who is blind in their sin lead someone to Heaven? Occasionally they can do some good things on their own, but eventually they will stumble into the ditch.

Are You Playing the Part?

John 6:70-71
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Peter had just made a statement on behalf of the others with him. He said, "We believe thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." But what Peter didn't know was that there was one among the disciples that was just merely playing the part. Almost as if it was a role in a movie.

A very big disappointment to me is when I see actors take on the role of a Christian in a movie but then only to play a cursing, drunken fool in another. I ask myself how someone could just so easily play one part to another. I remember once in an interview with Charles Manson hearing him say, "I'll be the devil if you want me to, or I'll be Jesus Christ." How could this be? How can someone swap roles so easily? Because of just that, it's just a role to them.

Judas had every opportunity to be a child of God but instead he played the role. Pharaoh had a chance at repentance but chose to play the part. Cain, Esau, King Saul, all had the opportunity at becoming a true follower of God but did nothing more than play a role. Some roles were evil in life while some chose to play the good guy. It wasn't until the closing chapters of their lives that their roles were revealed for who they actually were.

Are you blending in with your role? Service after service you attend the house of God but only on a professional acting basis. It's simple to fit in and no one will ever know. But can I tell you that when you stand before Him, your role will be revealed. Don't play the part of a fool. Don't play the part of a Christian. No, understand that we aren't actors, we are children of God.