In challenging times, you might identify with David’s words:
Psalms 142:3-4 “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk...Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul.”
At all times, life presents joys and challenges. David faced all manner of difficulties and pain, but he learned to stay close to the Lord, and he wrote Psalms (or songs) to help carry his heart to God. Those among us who are called to serve can easily become commodities, fixtures, and tools for others. There are times when it looks like, "no one cares for my soul." People often ask, or tell you, what you can do for them. Few ask, "How are you? How may I serve you?" This is, in part, the cost we must count to be a servant. This is why the Apostle Paul told Timothy, "Take heed to yourself..." (1 Timothy 4:16) You are always responsible for your own health and rest.
Our strength is found in the words and grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
John 10:9-10, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The same principles that apply to "sheep" apply to leaders and servants. I listened to a teaching by Bishop T.D. Jakes who said, "The enemy is always trying to destroy what is within you" The point he made was this: While we focus on present circumstances, the "thief" (satan) is working to undermine your purpose, your future, and the things God intends to bring through your life for coming generations. Part of that comes from demands not related to your purpose.
Remember that only God through Christ has the grace and power to cause you to experience "life, and that more abundantly.”
Go that way.
Multimedia In Focus Mini-Camp for Youth on September 14! Workshop Topic is Digital Music Production
This will be a golden opportunity to learn digital music production from an expert in the field, Mr. Tyrone Bigbee!
You will use Apple Logic Pro X to create your tunes and beats. Listen to samples at: https://soundcloud.com/visionmultimedia/sets/best-beats
The class is limited! Register at www.VisionMultimedia.org
(Tune “Mama’s Kitchen“ by Tyrone Bigbee)
Listen to the latest teaching on the Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson podcast, "The Power of Perception"
Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light."
Jesus said that that the eye is the lamp of the body.
Using the word “lamp” is very strong because he is saying that we literally cast our own light or perception on things around us. We are not only taking in what we see, we are also shaping our perception of the reality of what we see.
So we can say, if your perception are healthy, your life will be full of light.
To survive and thrive in life, you sometimes have to focus on things that cannot be seen. This is where knowing the Lord, knowing the Bible, and having the power of the Holy Spirit in your life makes all the difference.
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Listen to the latest teaching on the Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson podcast, "The Grace of Becoming"
Michelangelo had the ability to see the form inside the block of stone. The Grace of Becoming involves seeing form inside yourself and your circumstances.
Colossians 2:10, And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
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Romans 11:1, I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
During the lifetime of the Apostle Paul, there were some believers who wrongly believed God was finished with the Jewish people because of their rejection of Christ. In other words, it looked like all the Jews had turned away from God. In this chapter of Romans, Paul explains God's larger purposes in His dealing with the Jewish people, but I would like to highlight something important for you today.
To counter the argument or false perception that all the Jews had turned away from God, Paul used the example of Elijah, who at one time in his life said out of distress and frustration, “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” Look at God's response to his perception, “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Paul makes his point, "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace." He said this to those who thought God was finished with the Jews: God is always doing more than you can see.
This is also what I want to say to you. God is doing more than you can see, so do not draw conclusions from what you see, think, or feel. Part of my calling in life is to research, learn, teach, and do creative work. Almost everyday, I am learning things I did not know and discovering things that were always there, just not visible to me. These discoveries from Scripture and from life continue to shape my understanding, help me grow, and even change my thinking. Most of all, like Paul, I've come to appreciate there are always people who have not "bowed the knee" to false things.
As a pastor, one of my great disappointments has been observing the poor behavior of too many people who call themselves "Christians." As with Elijah and believers in Paul's day, it's not difficult to conclude that the state of how too many of us actually live is below God's standard, even when we show up to church services in the thousands or in the ten's. I've also had occasion to be disappointed in myself.
The most important truth to take away today is this: God's grace is bigger than people's failure, including your own failure. His "election of grace" is strong, meaning that what God has purposed to do in your life is present with you. Grace is not irresistible, as some teach, but it is VERY strong! We need to settle that truth in our hearts and give ourselves to God--spirit, soul, and body.
The key is to follow Jesus. Don't try to be a "Christian." Pursue Jesus as you would a meaningful relationship, be a doer of the Word of God, and let grace work in you.
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