You Are An Important Part of the Team!

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
I Cor 12:15-19

I had read this passage in my devotions a few days ago. I was mulling it over in my mind and when I was worshipping on Sunday with my worship team I thought of it in a different light. I was thinking during practice that I was sure glad that Churba was back this Sunday. Churba plays the percussion. He had been sick the Sunday before. His instruments are the "pretty parts" of our team. When He is gone we still function but it really leaves "holes" in our worship. It is the same when one of our singers are gone or when the guitar is gone or the drums...we are a team! When one of us is gone there is a hole, plain and simple.

It is the same with the body of Christ. We all play an important part! When one of us is missing we can still function but it isn't the same! Something important is missing! God gave us each special gifting that complements each other. Do not let the enemy convince you otherwise! You have an important place in the Kingdom of God. When you let the enemy place bitterness or offense or anything that keeps you from fellowship you are cheating yourself and others. You count!

So today I am here to affirm your ministry. Whether it is serving in the kitchen or cleaning the church or praying or giving a comforting word or preaching the sermon you have an important part to play. Please be a team player for God! We count on you!

Let me end with this example of ministry.

Hannah ran up to a friend of mine who has only come a few times and hugged her and told her that she missed her! My friend later told me how much that meant to her and made her feel so loved. Hannah is five and she ministered that day in a very important way! If Hannah can minister to someone so can you and you might not even know how important something you might not even consider to be ministry can effect others!

I'm Back!

I'm Back! I have been out of the loop for the past few days because my friends came to stay with us. I have to tell you that we had a great time together. We laughed and laughed. We shared things of our lives that we might have missed. We laughed some more. We prayed and shared things that the Lord had been doing...we laughed some more.

It is so great to have good friends that you can pick up right where you left off the last time that you were together. Good friends that you can laugh or cry with...friends that you can call night or day to have them agree in prayer with you.

So today I am thankful for great fellowship with friends. Really they are more like family!

Open My Eyes....

Open my eyes, Lord. I want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that I love You. Open my ears Lord and help me to listen, open my eyes, Lord I want to see Jesus.

That is an old song that I haven't thought of in a long time. I was looking up all of the passages in the bible that had something to do with eyes. Jesus touched many eyes so that people could see with their physical eyes. He healed many people with spiritual blindness too. There is one passage that said that if they would only open their eyes and listen with their ears that He would heal them.

That made me think....Lord Jesus, open my eyes, and my ears so I can see and hear and be healed. Help me not miss out on one thing that You are doing! Adjust my vision. I want to see everything! Jesus help me to not miss out on any opportunity of ministry. Help me to see ministry opportunities. Help me to enjoy Your beauty. I want to see You and to see what You are doing...I want to see Your hand move. I want more of You.

In All I Do Let Me Honor You!

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. I Cor. 10:31-33

Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God! This pretty much sums it up. If everything we did, we did to glorify God how much better life would be! If I made sure that whatever I did glorified God, and I worked at not offending people so that nothing would stand in their way of receiving salvation how much more could I accomplish? I know that I have offended others...sometimes I have used the excuse of God's grace to excuse my behaivor, especially when I was younger.

I hope that I have never offended someone and stood in their way of Jesus. Lord forgive me if I have ever done that, and if I have been at fault for keeping someone from seeking You then please redeem what I have done. Lord Jesus, please help me not to be on the "lookout for me" but to seek Your will at all times. Help me to keep the long term goal in focus and help me to be a good example for You! I want many to be saved for Your glory! In all I do let me honor You, amen.

Love Is...

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.5 Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. 6 Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. 7 Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. I Cor 13:4-7 NCV

What the world views as love and what the Word says is love is vastly different. In the world you can fall in and out of love so easily...if you "aren't happy" then bail. Here it says that love is not selfish. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done, ouch that one hurts! There have been times when I have been guilty of this...not proud of it but it is the truth.

I am thankful that God loves this way instead of the world's way. I am so thankful that Jesus loves me and doesn't keep track of when I mess us...I am so glad that He doesn't want our relationship to be "even and fair." He loves me right where I am.

Jesus please help me to love the way You love. Help me to see people through Your eyes. Give me compassion, help me to be righteous. Thanks God!

We Are Family

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 NKJ


It sounds kind of corny but I am so excited that it is Sunday tommorrow and that means church! I love my church. We are a family. God has so blessed us.

What better thing is there than to worship God with people that you love? You don't have to be in church to spend time in the presence of God but I love to worship with my church family. There is just something special about "dwelling together in unity." It truly is a blessing. It really is good and pleasant!

One of the really great things is that I know if I am having a hard time, or if I am having a bad week, I can call any one of my church family and they will pray for me. If I needed them to come over they would be there. And likewise for them. We have each other's back! We can laugh together or cry together. We like hanging out!

Thank You Lord for a great church family. Thank You that we can come together to worship You.

A Sword for the Lord!

Last Wednesday night I taught on Gideon to the kids. It was great fun! I talked about God calling Gideon, "oh mighty man of valor" while he was working at night to hide from the Midianites. I then told them how Gideon later gathered the army and God told him how to choose the men and when it was said and done there was only
300 men. I told them how they went and followed God's instructions on how to conquer the Midianites.

Then we got to the part where they smashed the pitchers and yelled "A sword for the Lord and of Gideon!" We practiced this in class. I even smashed a pitcher (by accident but it had great effect!)It was so much fun. We did our craft and went home.

On Monday night my grandkids were in the back yard playing and I hear a voice yell "A sword for the Lord and one for Gideon!" I had to laugh. It wasn't quite right but it still stuck. I knew if I was laughing that God took great joy in it also. So today that is my story..... "A SWORD FOR THE LORD AND OF GIDEON!"

Have a great day!