Don't Hurt Yourself

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God, not of good works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" Ephesians 2: 8-10.

Ever get caught up thinking you haven't done enough. That God expects you to always be doing something, helping, praying, witnessing, giving, etc? Do ever you think you have to be moving, always striving for positive results?

If yes, you're on a futile treadmill.

Get off before you fall off!

Take a deep breath. Step to the side (metaphorically) and do an inventory of your service.

Ask yourself:

• Am I perspiring without satisfactory pleasure?
• Am I easily hurt by anything anyone says about 'my' ministry?
• Does my ministry for God captivate me?
• At the end of the day, am I happily tired from working, or just plain tired?

It can be scary but an honest assessment can help improve your service.

If your serving has turned into drudgery on a Treadmill you can only do harm to yourself physically and spiritually. The physical harm is burnout, overwork, and exhaustion. Spiritual harm is when you no longer let God empower the ministry. That is what God criticized in the Ephesian church of Revelation 2.

Anything done in Jesus name needs to be empowered by Him.

After an enthusiastic witnessing episode, Jesus told His disciples to come away and rest awhile. (Mark 6:31) So if those men needed to get away from the work once in awhile, who are we to think we don't need to step off and rest?

You need to enjoy ministry--Don't hurt yourself.

Besides, God can handle it while you're not there.

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Thank You 

When God Says No

We give thanks to You, O GOD, we give thanks! 

For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. 

Psalm 75:1

God has answered my prayers. In fact, I have just received an answer. It was not the one I was hoping for, but God did answer me. 

Though I am disappointed, the fact I RECEIVED an answer is so awesome as to take away all disappointment in the denial of my request.

How many times has God answered a prayer with Yes, No, or Wait and it's taken for granted because you received an answer?  A bit cheeky isn't it? The Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, the Mighty Redeemer, Savior, Holy God gave YOU an answer. The reply shouldn't be treated as an average daily occurrence, should it?

Ask yourself this, "Who am I that Almighty God should take note of me? What did I do to deserve such condescension from such a One as GOD?"

Although what I was hoping heartily for received a No, Wait, Trust Me answer, I am in awe that my God truly cares enough for me to speak so gently and kindly to me even while saying No to my request. I am His child and He knows what is best for me.

The next time you receive an answer to prayer Thank God no matter what the reply to your request. 

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4 Lessons From Paul

"For you will be a witness for him to tell all men what you have seen and heard" (Acts 22: 15 Good News for the Modern Man).

Paul is a good example of a changed life.  Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He knew his religion and kept the rules down to the last one. When this man met Jesus he went from being zealous for formal religious rituals to a man zealous for the peaceful and life-changing love of God. 

This is the foundation of Christianity. God loves us all-sinners everyone, yet all can be saved by the love of God--in Jesus.

Paul says, "This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of them, but it was for this very reason that God was merciful to me, in order that Christ Jesus might show his full patience with me, the worst of sinners, as an example for all those who would later believe in him and receive eternal life" (1 Timothy 1: 15, 16 Good News for the Modern Man).

Here are four things we can learn from the Apostle Paul's life.

1. Humility.

The hard part of true love is humility. Do you find it hard to be humble? It goes against our natural self-preservation. Paul had to learn how to be humble but he says he learned it. "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little" Philippians 4:12. (NLT) This man, who at one time was so proud of his social stature, had to be let out of a window in a basket to save his life. Paul, the law-keeper, would have most likely stood up to his persecutors, but Paul the evangelist took to his heels for the sake of the little church just being born in Damascus. (2 Corinthians 11:33) That takes humility.

2. God-Dependent

Paul's life made a 180 degree turn after he learned Jesus truly is God. Before his conversion he was faithful to everything he could do in keeping the law and all the Pharisaical rules. After he was talked to by Jesus, he went from self-sufficiency to God-sufficiency. "For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God's approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ" Galatians 2:19. (NLT)

3. Be Encouraging

Today's times are hard for God's church. All around the world persecutions are arising more and more, and even more in America, the church is now being turned on vigorously by those in political power. In the 1st century church, when Emperor Nero was running amok and killing Christians, Paul sent letter after letter encouraging his small churches. We know Paul sent many encouraging letters from prison cells. If this man could comfort others while being so debased and socially degraded, today's Christians need to be sending encouraging letters, email's, texts, tweeting, phone calls, any way possible to all those in their sphere of social activities. 

4. A Student of God's Word

By God's power and grace, Paul's letters are now a part of our Holy Bible. One familiar passage God had Paul record is "All Scripture inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do" 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. (NLT). If it is that important for God to record, then it should be vitally important for all Christians to read and study it.

Historically, and in Scriptures, we could name Paul as a very great man, yet he made himself every man's friend, brother, and co-laborer for the sake of the Gospel. Paul understood that all his work only made sense if he told others about the Free Salvation offered by Jesus' death on the cross.

Whatever our background, let us also be good examples of a changed life. Show Jesus in all we do. Give Him the glory and honor and praise for all things whether alone or publicly. Because of the mercy God has shown us sinners, He deserves all praise.

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Thank you.