John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
In order to understand how truth sets us free, we must first look at how not knowing the truth keeps us bound.
What people perceive to be the truth is truth to them. Whether or not it’s really truth has nothing to do with what they believe. Their perception - about themselves, others, any situation – is truth to them. For example, when a woman looks in the mirror and tells herself, “You’re fat, you’re disgusting, no one can love you if you look like this,” that is truth to her, even if she weighs 100 pounds and is 5’ 6”. Because she believes what she says, it is truth to her.
Another example is the person who tells themselves that God doesn’t love him/her. “I know He loves others, but not me. I’ve done too many bad things for Him to love me.” Until this person comes to believe that God truly does love them, they will believe that He doesn’t love them and that will be their truth.
Where do we find the truth? The same place we find all of the answers to our questions and challenges. We find truth in the Bible. As we search the Scriptures, God reveals the truth in the answers we seek. When we pray and listen to God, He will speak to us, providing us with the answers we need. And as we sit in His presence, He will pour out His love into our hearts and lives, showing us how much He cares for us and how highly He thinks of us. God will also reveal Himself and His truth in the sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We “celebrate the Eucharist” or as some denominations call it “take communion.” Whatever your denomination calls it, it is a time of remembrance and reflection, and listening to God as He may speak to you during this time.
My prayer for each of you today is that “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!”
Father God, I ask in the name of Jesus that You reveal the truth to each one who is searching today. Whether they are searching for truth about themselves, others or a situation they find themselves in, I pray that You will reveal the truth to them. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.
MARANATHA!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Gift of Service
I Corinthians 12:4-5 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
Dictionary.com defines service as “an act of helpful activity; help; aid: to do someone a service.” Another definition listed is “the serving of God by obedience, piety, etc.: voluntary service.” If we combine these two definitions to develop a “spiritual” definition, it might look something like this: Serving God by obeying His command to serve others.
Matthew 35:25-40 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
As it says in I Corinthians 12, there are different kinds of service. Many people have been given the serving gift of hospitality. Not only can these people whip up a gourmet meal to take to someone who’s just gotten home from the hospital, they will also open their home for indefinite periods of time to host missionaries, evangelists and those who are displaced. When it comes to hospitality, unexpected guests for dinner, or guests who stay for months, do not rattle them. There is nothing related to hospitality this group of people can’t do. It is a special gift and calling with which God has blessed them.
There is also the serving gift of helps. By “helps” I mean helping in ways that those being helped cannot do. For example, repairs to items in the home, or the house itself, or car repairs. Some people help by running errands, driving those who can’t drive to the doctor or grocery store. The serving gift of helps is an extremely important one, especially to those in need.
Many people have the serving gift of visitation. Most people probably don’t look at visitation as a gift. Have you ever known anyone who is comfortable in any situation? They can go into a stranger’s home and immediately put everyone at ease. They can visit those that mourn and know exactly what to say to bring comfort to the mourner. They can call on those in the hospital and bring cheer by their very presence. That is the serving gift of visitation.
I don’t know if counseling would be considered a gift of service. But I do love to counsel people. More often than not, I get as much or more out of counseling sessions than they do! I am blessed by seeing God work in their lives as He helps them discover areas in their lives they need to surrender to Him, as He heals them of emotional wounds they have carried far too long. Counseling is not easy. There are times when I wonder whatever possessed me to get a degree in counseling and begin counseling people. God always reminds me it is up to Him – not me – to reveal to them what He wants them to know and to heal them. God never fails. He always shows up and ministers to the person, in spite of me. It is an awesome thing to see and I am forever grateful to God for these opportunities to watch Him work in other peoples’ lives.
Dictionary.com defines service as “an act of helpful activity; help; aid: to do someone a service.” Another definition listed is “the serving of God by obedience, piety, etc.: voluntary service.” If we combine these two definitions to develop a “spiritual” definition, it might look something like this: Serving God by obeying His command to serve others.
Matthew 35:25-40 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
As it says in I Corinthians 12, there are different kinds of service. Many people have been given the serving gift of hospitality. Not only can these people whip up a gourmet meal to take to someone who’s just gotten home from the hospital, they will also open their home for indefinite periods of time to host missionaries, evangelists and those who are displaced. When it comes to hospitality, unexpected guests for dinner, or guests who stay for months, do not rattle them. There is nothing related to hospitality this group of people can’t do. It is a special gift and calling with which God has blessed them.
There is also the serving gift of helps. By “helps” I mean helping in ways that those being helped cannot do. For example, repairs to items in the home, or the house itself, or car repairs. Some people help by running errands, driving those who can’t drive to the doctor or grocery store. The serving gift of helps is an extremely important one, especially to those in need.
Many people have the serving gift of visitation. Most people probably don’t look at visitation as a gift. Have you ever known anyone who is comfortable in any situation? They can go into a stranger’s home and immediately put everyone at ease. They can visit those that mourn and know exactly what to say to bring comfort to the mourner. They can call on those in the hospital and bring cheer by their very presence. That is the serving gift of visitation.
I don’t know if counseling would be considered a gift of service. But I do love to counsel people. More often than not, I get as much or more out of counseling sessions than they do! I am blessed by seeing God work in their lives as He helps them discover areas in their lives they need to surrender to Him, as He heals them of emotional wounds they have carried far too long. Counseling is not easy. There are times when I wonder whatever possessed me to get a degree in counseling and begin counseling people. God always reminds me it is up to Him – not me – to reveal to them what He wants them to know and to heal them. God never fails. He always shows up and ministers to the person, in spite of me. It is an awesome thing to see and I am forever grateful to God for these opportunities to watch Him work in other peoples’ lives.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Gift of Administration
1 Corinthians 12:28
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
Years ago, I wondered why God created the gift of administration. I considered it one of the “lesser” gifts – not that there is such a thing. I asked God one day why He created the gift of administration and He quickly showed me that He is a God of Order. When He created the world and all that is within, He did it in an orderly fashion. On the first day, He created light and dark. On the second day, He created the sky, separating the water from the sky. On the third day, He created the land. He didn’t create light one day and go back three or four days later and create dark. There was organization and order to what He did. Okay – I got it – and once I got it, He showed me that what I had assumed I had learned over the years of being in the administration field, wasn’t the case at all. He had given me the gift of administration. To the extreme. I write that, not to brag at all, but to say that I can drive people nuts (and have done so) because I am so organized. I make lists for everything. I sometimes jokingly say I need a list of the current running lists I have!
This gift has been and is truly a blessing. It has opened doors for promotion in my career that I probably would not have gotten without this gift. It has saved my job countless times as various bosses run out the door, yelling, “where’s the…..” and I find the requested item and hand it to him/her before apoplexy starts. And the gift has helped keep me on track personally. Just don’t come to my house and look in my closets – the gift of administration stops at all my closet doors and refuses to go in!! :)
How has the gift of administration helped me spiritually? I have served in numerous volunteer positions in churches over the years and I have used this gift in many of those positions, especially in teaching and in committee work.
I have served as a Church Business Administrator for over fourteen years at two different churches. Many people do not want to think of the church as a “business” and I totally agree with their viewpoint. A church is a ministry, but there is a business aspect to it. After all, if there is not someone to make sure the power bill gets paid, the ministry will cease to function very quickly. But the gift is also used in other aspects of the church office. Countless numbers of times I have been used to talk to people who are in need of encouragement, who need prayer, who need someone to listen. I have been humbled and honored to be the one to talk and pray with them. How does administration play into that? It allows me to adjust my schedule to help these people, which is what I love to do.
I am also a Christian counselor and have had the opportunity to counsel a number of people on being organized and time management. If a person’s lack of organization prevents them, for whatever reason, from doing what God has called them to do, then that is an aspect of their life that they should work on improving so they can do the things God has for them to do.
So the gift I thought of as a “lesser” gift has and continues to play an important role in my life. I love every aspect of administration and I am grateful to God for blessing me with this gift.
Father God, Your gifts are beyond measure! How awesome it is that You know the very gifts we need and You bestow those gifts upon us! Thank you Father. May we never take any gift for granted, but use them to bring You honor and glory! AMEN!!
MARANATHA!!
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
Years ago, I wondered why God created the gift of administration. I considered it one of the “lesser” gifts – not that there is such a thing. I asked God one day why He created the gift of administration and He quickly showed me that He is a God of Order. When He created the world and all that is within, He did it in an orderly fashion. On the first day, He created light and dark. On the second day, He created the sky, separating the water from the sky. On the third day, He created the land. He didn’t create light one day and go back three or four days later and create dark. There was organization and order to what He did. Okay – I got it – and once I got it, He showed me that what I had assumed I had learned over the years of being in the administration field, wasn’t the case at all. He had given me the gift of administration. To the extreme. I write that, not to brag at all, but to say that I can drive people nuts (and have done so) because I am so organized. I make lists for everything. I sometimes jokingly say I need a list of the current running lists I have!
This gift has been and is truly a blessing. It has opened doors for promotion in my career that I probably would not have gotten without this gift. It has saved my job countless times as various bosses run out the door, yelling, “where’s the…..” and I find the requested item and hand it to him/her before apoplexy starts. And the gift has helped keep me on track personally. Just don’t come to my house and look in my closets – the gift of administration stops at all my closet doors and refuses to go in!! :)
How has the gift of administration helped me spiritually? I have served in numerous volunteer positions in churches over the years and I have used this gift in many of those positions, especially in teaching and in committee work.
I have served as a Church Business Administrator for over fourteen years at two different churches. Many people do not want to think of the church as a “business” and I totally agree with their viewpoint. A church is a ministry, but there is a business aspect to it. After all, if there is not someone to make sure the power bill gets paid, the ministry will cease to function very quickly. But the gift is also used in other aspects of the church office. Countless numbers of times I have been used to talk to people who are in need of encouragement, who need prayer, who need someone to listen. I have been humbled and honored to be the one to talk and pray with them. How does administration play into that? It allows me to adjust my schedule to help these people, which is what I love to do.
I am also a Christian counselor and have had the opportunity to counsel a number of people on being organized and time management. If a person’s lack of organization prevents them, for whatever reason, from doing what God has called them to do, then that is an aspect of their life that they should work on improving so they can do the things God has for them to do.
So the gift I thought of as a “lesser” gift has and continues to play an important role in my life. I love every aspect of administration and I am grateful to God for blessing me with this gift.
Father God, Your gifts are beyond measure! How awesome it is that You know the very gifts we need and You bestow those gifts upon us! Thank you Father. May we never take any gift for granted, but use them to bring You honor and glory! AMEN!!
MARANATHA!!
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