Are You Ready For God To Use You?

I think we all know the story of the two brothers that owned a bicycle shop that decided mankind really needed to fly.  What?!  They were just a couple of bike riders, that's all they ever did.  Oh yes, they even fixed a few of them.  But really, there was a gnawing in their minds that wouldn't go away.  This was the vision of air travel which to that point had never been done...at least when accompanied with a surviveable landing.  Yes, every landing you walk away from is a good landing.  But Orville and Wilbur didnt have such nifty little sayings.  They risked their lives to do what others failed to do.  Fly. 

Isnt it amazing how we translate the need for experience and the precedence of success to the mission of the gospel message?  How much of this mindset has grown to become the numero uno immobilizer of the Church today?  Where has the adventurous spirit of the Church gone?  Are we not called to take risks to follow the Lord in His call and destiny for our lives?  Have we become far to addicted to the comfort of familiarity??  Yes, to all the above.  The good news is that we can change this by starting with us.  First, let us rid ourselves of the need for experience before we start something (ludicrous thought it seems). My first pastor had this crazy habit of calling on people out of the congregation to pray over the offering.  He loved to do that.  One bright and wonderful Sunday morning the Lord gave me the heads-up that he was going to call me.  Gulp.  Vicki and I were so young and experienced in the Lord in those days.  We had been saved maybe 2 months when pastor May called on me.  With an adventurous attempt I hopped on the opportunity.  How did it go?  Well, to my complete surprise there weren't many lined up after the service to get my endorsement on their praying ability or for my autograph.  But neither was I kicked out of the church which was really more in line with my expectations.  Instead, I learned a very comforting and revealing lesson that day....that as a prophetic person in the making, it is the Lord whom will prepare me and He doesnt need a great deal of time to warn me.  In fact, He likes it that way.  Gulp, again. 

Over the years I have seen so many that have needed to recapture the raw feeling of adventure.  The Abundant Life that Jesus promised us is in conflict with our need for the comfort of experience.  This is the first sign of a lack in faith.  Faith does not remove all need of preparing for a mission or a work but it sure does help in uncomfortable times where we want to rely on past experience and success.  Just remember that Peter really did walk on the water.  I'm wondering if he ever did that again.  And do remember that Peter stepped out when the waves threatened to sink the boat in the middle of the night.  Not ideal conditions for your first water-walking.  Faith is manifest best when everything depends on God for success.  Keep your eyes on Jesus.

So, are you ready for God to use you? Do you think that you need more experience? Or that you need to have your life even more in order than it is? If this is so.....you are not ready. 

Aren't you glad the Wright Bros didnt wait to perfect the airplane before they attempted the first flight?  If they had we would still be taking the train. 

No, I Will Not Shut-Up

Are you ready to offend people?  Sometimes all you have to do is get out of bed and walk out of the house to offend someone.  The problem lies with our desire to be liked (no reference to facebook, thank you) even in the light of scriptural warnings that it is far better to be a God pleaser than a man-pleaser.  Two scriptures from Paul ring the bell in my heart this morning, the first being Gal 1:10, "Am I now trying to win the approval ofmen, or of God?  Or am I trying to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ".  Not much later Paul had himself a first rate prison ministry...in chains. Secondly, Paul wrote to Timothy saying, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto Salvation to them that believe..." Rom 1:16.  Dont be ashamed.  Speak up.

Let's get over it, we are going to offend people for the sake of Christ.  Jesus is called "the Rock of Offense".  If we are in Him and He is in us, can it be any other way?  How hard do we try to keep from offending people?  Now, I'm not talking about being a total loudmouth with all the rudeness we can manufacture.  But dont miss the important point, many are afraid of offending others that somehow it will have a negative effect that  will cause that person to turn away from God later on.  Let's face it, they are already turned away from God and that is why God wants you to "arrest" their attention with a simple word of righteousness.  Jesus said the world will hate us because it hated Him first.  Factor it in. 

There is a philosophy of the world that has flooded the minds of believers that stands in conflict to the scriptures.  It is this "dont judge me" mindset.  Some will say that we as disciples should not judge others.  I will go along with that....however, it is the Holy Scriptures that judge.  Sometimes all we have to do is point out what God thinks about something for someone to say we are judging them.  It is the Lord who judges and we can certainly use the Word of God to do so......but dont stop there.  Be sure to offer hope of salvation in the forgiveness of sin through Jesus shed blood.  Remember, the only difference between us and the vilest of sinners is the Cross.  We cant brag, really. 

So, get out there and preach.  Oh wait, you arent a preacher right?  Wrong.  Dont mistake preaching for something accomplished by a preacher in the pulpit on sunday.  Preaching simply means "proclaiming".  Noah is said by Peter that he was a preacher of righteousness.  Noah was a simple man living a focused life.  No seminary degrees hung on his wall.  It was said of the disciples that they were unlearned, unschooled men but when they moved in the same power in doing miracles as Jesus did they took note that they had been with Him.  Preach righteousness.  How else will this world know what is right and what is wrong?  You dont need to lecture or fix up a sermon or invite someone to church hoping the pastor preaches real good.  Preach. 

So what if people dont like you?  They were not the ones hanging on the cross for you.

Are You Uncomfortable With Life Right Now?

It was back in the summer of 2000 while Vicki and I were pastoring a vibrant little church in Clarkston, a place where the Lord decided to "mess up" that comfy suburban church for about 6yrs.  One day while digging through my files in the office I heard the Spirit of God saying, "I am repositioning my servants in this day".  That was one of those mixed feeling kind of messages where you know that God is going before you to prepare the way and on the other hand a great big groan is coming.  I hate moving.  But I do love moving in Him.  We are now living in a day where the Lord is going to be repositioning His servants for a Last Days mission.  You are a big part of His plans for this mission.  It's time for the fulfillment of all He has spoken over your life through prophets, dreams and visions.

About 10min ago I saw a picture of what God is doing.  I saw a great, majestic bald eagle (the symbol of our nation) and biblical picture of authority, strength and position.  This eagle was stirring her nest, she was plucking up the luxurious, comforting padding of feathers that line the nest for the rearing of her offspring.  The purpose is to expose the construction materials of the nest, to remove the comfortable place for the purpose of driving the offspring OUT.  You see, there are some that would not leave that nest otherwise.  The translating of this is no great accomplishment though the playing out of details in individual lives will take courage and diligence to understand that the removal of comfort from your life is not a curse, nor is it of the devil.  Usually when such things occur in the believer's life they will begin to quote the promises of prosperity...not that God has removed prosperity from His own....and when no answer of comfort comes to them they will begin to rebuke the devourer quoting Malachi 3:11, reminding God of their tithing (we should not pat ourselves on the back for doing what we ought to do).  The trouble is, this removal of comfort is of the Lord.  God Himself is removing just enough to get you to move out of the nest of nurture and begin to fly into His destiny for you.  You see, it's really part of the plan if you can accept it.  And let's all admit, though we think we would step out in faith and do things for Him, it's the really big stuff that cause us to question, analyze and halt until we get a more sure word.  In fact, if it weren't for the stirring of the nest we just wouldn't move otherwise.

The Lord is speaking to His people, "FLY!!".

Why Me, God??

Ever ask yourself that question?  Then have someone retort, "why not??".  Hmmm.  One part of this question I would like to settle first and foremost, we need to get rid of that "D" word.  People say they dont deserve this (fill in the blank) from God.  Understand first that when people say that they are caught up in "performance theology" and/or comparing themselves with others.  Really, what all of us deserve is DEATH. It was by God's wonderful and sovereign Grace we have been saved through faith in Him.  So let's keep in mind that we are working out of a grave-like basis every breath we take.  Sort of kills the complaints, doesnt it? 

Back in '99 the Lord put me in a most adventurous part-time job to supplement my church salary. I was a shuttle van driver hired by Sentek out of Pontiac, Michigan.  Each shift I would drive people to and from their factory jobs, most of them ex-cons and addicts in recovery.  One day I had a van load of complainers on their way to the job.  Most of them were female and man, could they complain.  When the complaining reached a crescendo I looked in the van mirror and shouted, "I dont care how bad life gets here on this earth because I have Heaven coming!!".  The complaining turned to shouts of joy and "amens" louder than any church service.  I learned something that day.  The Apostle Paul said, "However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1Cor2:9.

Amazing what can happen when scripture has simple application in everyday, moment by moment life.