SERVING SIX ONE

Did you ever think about Moses’ rod? You know the one he held up when the Red Sea parted.  The one that he struck the rock with and water came forth, the one he threw down and it became  a serpent. The one that he touched the Nile with causing it to turn to blood. That rod. Did you  ever really think about it. It was just a rod. Just an ordinary stick that Moses used to poke, prod,  direct, and protect a bunch of sheep. It was just an ordinary rod, and would have remained an  ordinary rod if he had not obeyed the voice of God and let it go.

God asked Moses “What is that in your hand?” (Ex.4:2) to which Moses replied “A rod.” Now of  course God knew what it was, he just wanted to make sure Moses knew. But what happened  next is what is so profound. God told Moses to throw the rod down. To let it go. To give it to  Him. When Moses did the rod became a serpent and then of course that rod accompanied him  as he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. A simple man, with a simple rod, doing miraculous things because of a willingness to let go and let God!

You know, there are things right now that you are holding that God wants to use. Little things that could be great when touched by God’s power. So, what do you have that the Almighty could use? Are you willing to let it go? Are you willing to trust Him with it?

Just as there are things you are holding that God can use if you give them to Him, there are also things you are holding onto that God wants you to let go of . Things that are keeping you from following after God. Things that are keeping you from hearing Him, trusting Him, and knowing His will for your life. Are you holding on to something that is affecting your relationship with God? Something that is keeping you from the blessings God has for your life? Is it a relationship, a hurt, a fear, a grudge? What is that you may be refusing to let go of because it is familiar to you, something that you are used to carrying around with you for so long that you have become attached to it?

God is saying “Let it Go”. Let go of the past so the past will let go of you. Then and only then will you be able to live and enjoy the fullness of what God has for your life.

So, what are you holding on to? Do you have talents, ideas, dreams, abilities, thoughts, or desires that God could be using for His glory? Or do you have bitterness, unforgiveness, secrets, broken dreams, or spiritual ties with people that you know needs to be severed? God says Let it Go! The choice is yours, and so are the repercussions.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
—2 Timothy 4:6-8.

Paul actually wrote this verse right before he was carried out to be executed.  In fact, it was one of the very last things he ever wrote.  To me, this verse demonstrates “selflessness”.  Paul didn’t live for Jesus at the beginning of his life,; however, he made up for it at the end.  Growing up, Paul (then known as Saul), lived a very selfish life.  He only looked after himself and everything he did was in the sole interest of him and him alone.  As a adult, Paul helped to seek out and kill many innocent people.  Paul was a selfish, bitter man- that is, until he met Jesus.

When Jesus came into Paul’s life, Paul was completely transformed.  He was a new man.  And immediatley people began to see a change in him.  When Jesus became Paul’s main focus, Paul became self-less.  No longer was he concerned about the well-being of himself.  Instead, he was concerned about the welfare of others.

Paul knew that in doing so, he could lose everything, including his life, but it didn’t matter.  Paul had discovered the true meaning of love and had embraced the true meaning of life itself which is ”selflessness”.

Paul poured his whole life into serving Jesus and serving others.  He fought the good fight.

Now, if we judged Paul’s fight in the eyes of men, it would seem as if Paul lost everything.  He lost his status among high officials, he had no money, he was a wanted man, and eventually caught and put in prison.  All of these things are enough to make any man break down and give up, but not Paul.  Even while in prison, Paul wrote letters of encouragement to many people offering hope and encouraging them to stay the course and follow Jesus no matter what the cost.

Eventually, Paul was tried and sentenced to death.

Paul continued to write and encourage even though he knew his days were numbered.

As the day came for him to be executed, crowds of people begin to gather outside.  They hated what this man stood for and couldn’t wait to watch him die.

Inside his cell, Paul could hear the crowds getting louder and louder…

Paul knew it was almost time, so he wrote.

He wrote to his friends telling them not to worry and to continue where he had left off.

As he wrote, Paul could hear footsteps, distant at first, and then getting louder and louder.  They stopped at his cell door.

Suddenly, the door to his cell opened and Paul looked up to see the guards.  The end had come.

As the guards led Paul out of his cell and through the prison, Paul prayed for them.

They approached the door to the outside. The door was opened and Paul was led into the jeering crowd.

No one really knows what went on in Paul’s mind the minute he was led to the chopping block or the brief seconds in which the executor raised his axe.  But we do know this: Paul fought the good fight.  He gave his ALL for Jesus.

I’m pretty sure that the jeering crowd, the guards, and the executioner thought that Paul was a miserable failure that day.  Paul had fought hard to share the gospel with the world and he ended up losing his life.  However, Paul was a victor and he knew it.  During his final moments, Paul knew that he was about to come face to face with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and receive his eternal award – the crown of righteousness.

Paul fought the good fight and today, his writings(which were inspired by God) and his legacy lives on and reaches millions of people all around the world.

This verse, though short and simple, is so profound.  It means that we should never give up, never tired of being a light for HIM.  And even when we don’t feel like being kind to others or letting “the peace of God rule” we should. We should strive to become, self-less individuals who think more of others than we do of ourseleves.  Life is a constant battle.  So let’s fight the good fight

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and the Christmas season is officially in full swing. We found this to be quite evident on what is now called “Black Friday”, the ultimate shopping day of the year. And yes, we (my daughter, Mom and I) are a few of those crazy  people that get out early (4 AM) to take advantage of the “early bird” bargains. And we do find bargains! But it’s more than that, it’s a tradition we started over 10 years ago and the memories we have of the three of us girls being together far outweighs the traffic, the long lines, and the sleep deprivation that we experience. The gifts we buy will eventually be outgrown, broken or thrown away, but those precious moments spent together full of love and laughter will linger in our hearts and minds for the rest of our lives. Read the rest of this entry »

Luke 5:37
And no one pours new wine into old wine skins.  If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out, and the wine skins will be ruined.

Centuries ago, people used goatskin to store wine instead of bottles.  They’d take a whole goatskin dry it and cure it, and then shape it into little bottle-like containers to hold wine.  When the wine was poured into the goatskin, they’d tie the top of the goatskin to seal the wine inside.
During Jesus’ time, these goatskins were known as wine skins. Read the rest of this entry »

Wow! It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving will be here in a couple of weeks. This year has totally flown by, especially the last few months. The Christmas season is upon upon us! Has time always gone by this fast???

When we were younger, we used to think Christmas would never get here. Now, it seems that we’ve no sooner put away the stockings and taken down the lights, than we’re carving the turkey and getting ready to put up the tree all over again. Read the rest of this entry »