Chapter 32
Ragamuffin Crew!
(Luke 10:21-24)
My greatest joy comes from seeing my natural and spiritual family grow and develop. That is why Christmas is such a wonderful celebration. It is so nice to see family come together both at home and at church. Some you don't see except during this time of year, so many changes take place, like marriage, having babies, children growing up, etc., it is a delight!
We see here in Luke 10:21 Jesus filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit as He acknowledges His Father for the wisdom He has bestowed on these childlike ones. I look at the ones God has placed around me, very few scholars, great athletes, or super-talented, popular individuals, yet such amazing growth is taking place. God loves using the despised of the world, the least likeliest to accomplish His will.
Have you ever tried to teach something to someone who thinks they know it all? Those who have had it easier than most usually are prideful and arrogant and are not teachable. It takes being broken to usually be willing to be taught.
I love my ragamuffin crew, the down and outers, those whom the world has rejected, those whom have been hurt so bad that it seems nothing good will come out of them. These are the ones God is shining on, saving, healing, delivering, restoring, and rebuilding into His beautiful bride. They may feel far from being anything good but I see through and I know God is at work, transforming them from the inside out. They might not even seem that they listen, but I know they do, they are much more special than what they yet realize, but in time they will see what only God can do.
Most would be frustrated for they are short-sighted and cannot see the end product from the beginning. Yet God bestows spiritual eyes to those whom pray. So I thank God for His grace that allows me to see my natural and spiritual kids not as they are but as they shall be in Christ Jesus.
The things these ones will hear, see, and do are beyond what anyone could ever dream of. As it says in Luke 10:24 "I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but they didn't see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it."
I am so filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit right now because of the great things that are in store for you who God has divinely brought into my life.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
SENT ONES (LUKE 10:1-20)
Why today in the American church are there so few souls being added to the kingdom?
We see here in Luke 10:1-2, that the Lord had disciples willing to be sent out in two's. The Lord said the Harvest is great the problem is the workers are few because the lack of prayer. The harvest is a bi-product of our personal growth. As we bear fruit (grow in character), harvest follows, the unsaved around us see the witness of Christ and are drawn to Him.
The Devil's device to prevent Harvest is to hinder our spiritual growth, he does this by causing us to turn against one another. To gossip and backbite rather than to pray and build each other up. We are part of a body and only when each member supports one another through prayer does the body develop and mature.If we took the same amount of time to pray for others as much as we talk about them positive change rather than continual negative results would follow.
A child doesn't naturally desire to work, they want to play, and just simply have fun. One works as they grow up and naturally desire to be self-sufficient and be a help to others. The American church is still in childhood behavior because of the lack of prayer for one another.
Living sacrificially is the ingredient for successful adulthood. It is necessary in order to be a good parent, spouse, employee, etc. So few American Christians are willing to sacrifice because they haven't spiritually grown up.
The Lord reveals in Luke 10:3-20 the sacrifices of being a sent one. No longer will they be safe, they are going into dangerous ground, the enemies territory. They must completely trust in God and not in material things. They will experience both acceptance and rejection and pronounce blessings or curses accordingly. Great demonic opposition will they encounter, but yet great authority and power over the enemy will be upon them.
Only those mature can handle such sacrifices and again maturity comes as we pray for one another, then and only then will sent ones be released into the fields, and the harvest follow. So let's make this our prayer, Lord let me talk about nobody or nothing but pray about everyone and everything.
We see here in Luke 10:1-2, that the Lord had disciples willing to be sent out in two's. The Lord said the Harvest is great the problem is the workers are few because the lack of prayer. The harvest is a bi-product of our personal growth. As we bear fruit (grow in character), harvest follows, the unsaved around us see the witness of Christ and are drawn to Him.
The Devil's device to prevent Harvest is to hinder our spiritual growth, he does this by causing us to turn against one another. To gossip and backbite rather than to pray and build each other up. We are part of a body and only when each member supports one another through prayer does the body develop and mature.If we took the same amount of time to pray for others as much as we talk about them positive change rather than continual negative results would follow.
A child doesn't naturally desire to work, they want to play, and just simply have fun. One works as they grow up and naturally desire to be self-sufficient and be a help to others. The American church is still in childhood behavior because of the lack of prayer for one another.
Living sacrificially is the ingredient for successful adulthood. It is necessary in order to be a good parent, spouse, employee, etc. So few American Christians are willing to sacrifice because they haven't spiritually grown up.
The Lord reveals in Luke 10:3-20 the sacrifices of being a sent one. No longer will they be safe, they are going into dangerous ground, the enemies territory. They must completely trust in God and not in material things. They will experience both acceptance and rejection and pronounce blessings or curses accordingly. Great demonic opposition will they encounter, but yet great authority and power over the enemy will be upon them.
Only those mature can handle such sacrifices and again maturity comes as we pray for one another, then and only then will sent ones be released into the fields, and the harvest follow. So let's make this our prayer, Lord let me talk about nobody or nothing but pray about everyone and everything.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Cost of Commitment (Luke 9:57-62)
Chapter 30
THE COST OF COMMITMENT
(Luke 9:57-62)
We have all made commitments verbally that we quickly abandoned. Our emotions speak louder than our reasoning sometimes. Meaning we get lost in the moment, not thinking through what we are doing. Time and time again I see people make commitments to God with their tongue but their actions never follow suit.
As leaders it is our responsibility to break down what it means to make a commitment to God. We all love to say salvation is free, but it is not, it costs our entire life, our money, relationships, talents. gifts, possessions, everything.
Jesus drew huge crowds but only a few followed Him. When He was ministering healing and deliverance people responded, but when He declared the sacrifice it was to be a disciple, people withdrew themselves. We live in a culture that celebrates those that draw crowds, and reject those that lose the crowd. Jesus in America today would and is being rejected, for we live in a comfortable, compromising culture, which is at total conflict with the Kingdom of God.
In Luke 9:57-62 we see someone saying to Jesus "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus now breaks down what sacrifices therefore this person will have to make. It will mean he won't always have somewhere comfortable to sleep, his families demands are no longer his first priority, and he was to leave all his family who were spiritually dead behind and go preach the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is hardcore, his message is hard to swallow, his ways are difficult to follow, that is why many are called but few are chosen. Many are those who are following an American version of Jesus and not the real thing. The bible was meant to be literal, taken as is, not something to be interpreted along with the culture and times we are in that fits with our present day lifestyle. Jesus is radical and so are those that truly follow Him, they stand out as awkward in the world, for they are different, the world hates them, few friends do they have, and much suffering do they experience.
Jesus knew the ears of most wanted to be tickled, so He stopped speaking in simple terminology but in parables, for only those who had the heart to seek Him would discover the understanding of what He truly said. He reveals His mysteries to His friends for they are those whom He entrusts for they know Him and can easily relate to what He is saying.
So the questions we must ask ourselves are we following the real Jesus or a phony?
Are we a true friend of God or a fake, one who is just using God for their own sake, rather than giving oneself to God for His sake?
Relationship takes commitment which costs everything, how committed to God are we really?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Effect of Uncertainty! (Luke 9:46-56)
Chapter 29
THE EFFECT OF UNCERTAINTY!
Luke 9:46-56
I would love to understand everything, always knowing what to expect ahead, fully prepared for whatever comes before me. Life is just not that way, hearing God's voice is not always clear, life is full of uncertainty. How each one responds to uncertainty determines the degree of adversity one has to face.
In Luke 9:44-45 Jesus tell the disciples that He will be betrayed and placed in the hands of his enemies. The disciples couldn't handle this prophecy. For they could not imagine life without Jesus. You ever hear something that you would rather wish you hadn't, so you try pretending you didn't or that what you heard must be a misunderstanding.
In Luke 9:46-48 we see the disciples arguing. The fear of what they heard of the uncertainty ahead caused strife amongst them. They were fighting over who is the greatest, probably with this in mind, if Jesus is no longer around who will replace Him? When we are uncertain we rationalize things, using our limited mind to try to figure out what to do if things don't work out as expected. Jesus responds to their argument telling them whoever is the least among you is the greatest with the example of a child. A child is not caught up in uncertainties but simply trusts their parents that they have everything under control. Many of our inconsistencies are because of our uncertainties. We simply don't trust God as we should and our indecisiveness is proof of it.
Whenever we become indecisive we become divisive, meaning we become uncertain of everyone and everything that challenges us. We see this in Luke 9:49-50, John says to Jesus, "Someone was using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn't in our group," in which Jesus responded, Anyone who is not against you is for you." Uncertainty limits our perspective to that which we are certain. A child expands their perspective through new experiences, he is like a sponge, which can be either good or bad. We are to be wise and not just accept everything we see and hear as from God, but we should not respond critical, until we seek counsel from God, just like a child asks would why about everything, so should we.
With all our uncertainties let's spend less time reasoning everything out and rather spend more time praying for God's will. Then we will no longer be like the wind tossed to and fro, but rather walking with confidence down the narrow path no matter how far ahead we see, trusting God each step of the way.
God please restore our innocence, release a grace of childlikeness to come into our hearts, help us in our uncertainties know your will in everything so we are not working against you but with you to establish your kingdom on earth.
In Luke 9:44-45 Jesus tell the disciples that He will be betrayed and placed in the hands of his enemies. The disciples couldn't handle this prophecy. For they could not imagine life without Jesus. You ever hear something that you would rather wish you hadn't, so you try pretending you didn't or that what you heard must be a misunderstanding.
In Luke 9:46-48 we see the disciples arguing. The fear of what they heard of the uncertainty ahead caused strife amongst them. They were fighting over who is the greatest, probably with this in mind, if Jesus is no longer around who will replace Him? When we are uncertain we rationalize things, using our limited mind to try to figure out what to do if things don't work out as expected. Jesus responds to their argument telling them whoever is the least among you is the greatest with the example of a child. A child is not caught up in uncertainties but simply trusts their parents that they have everything under control. Many of our inconsistencies are because of our uncertainties. We simply don't trust God as we should and our indecisiveness is proof of it.
Whenever we become indecisive we become divisive, meaning we become uncertain of everyone and everything that challenges us. We see this in Luke 9:49-50, John says to Jesus, "Someone was using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn't in our group," in which Jesus responded, Anyone who is not against you is for you." Uncertainty limits our perspective to that which we are certain. A child expands their perspective through new experiences, he is like a sponge, which can be either good or bad. We are to be wise and not just accept everything we see and hear as from God, but we should not respond critical, until we seek counsel from God, just like a child asks would why about everything, so should we.
With all our uncertainties let's spend less time reasoning everything out and rather spend more time praying for God's will. Then we will no longer be like the wind tossed to and fro, but rather walking with confidence down the narrow path no matter how far ahead we see, trusting God each step of the way.
God please restore our innocence, release a grace of childlikeness to come into our hearts, help us in our uncertainties know your will in everything so we are not working against you but with you to establish your kingdom on earth.
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