JAR OF HEARTS........♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts which Anglicans, Catholics, and Lutherans believe the Holy Spirit gives to people to further their sanctification and help "complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."The seven gifts are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3, and conforms to the Latin Vulgate[1], which takes the list from the Septuagint.
Here are the names of the seven gifts, as given[2] in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, along with a description of each gift, as defined[3] by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica:
Wisdom - With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the whole image of God. Lastly being able to see God in everyone and everything everywhere.
Understanding - With the gift of understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known, Aquinas writes.[4]
Counsel (right judgment) - With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus. The gift of truth that allows the person to respond prudently, and happily to believe our Christ the Lord
Fortitude (Courage) - With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil, especially with regard to goods or evils that are difficult.
Knowledge - With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God's Revelation, especially as expressed in the life and words of Jesus Christ. A person with knowledge is always learning more about the scriptures and tradition. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts.
Piety (Reverence) - With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, Aquinas writes.
Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe) - With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Also known as knowing God is all powerful. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it puts our mindset in its correct location with respect to God: we are the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator.
Now I will number and highlight each one of these 9 gifts so you can have all of them right at the top of this article at a very quick glance:
1.The Word of Knowledge
2.The Word of Wisdom
3.The Gift of Prophecy
4.The Gift of Faith
5.The Gifts of Healings
6.The Working of Miracles
7.The Discerning of Spirits
8.Different Kinds of Tongues
9.The Interpretation of Tongues
Not only does the Bible tell us that these 9 gifts are available to all believers, but then it takes it one step further and tells us that we can actually try and stir up these 9 gifts with the Lord. Here are 5 very good verses telling us to not only desire spiritual gifts, but to also not be afraid to try and stir these gifts up with the Lord:
1. “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:39)
2. “… and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)
3. “Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecies.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
4. “Do not neglect the gift that is in you … Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” (1 Timothy 4:14)
5. “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6)
Worship: Offering Yourself to God
Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about.
This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit.
What matters is that you do it, not what you call it. God wants your life. All of it -- 95% is not enough.
Our total surrender to God is blocked by several things, including -
Our ignorance of God - not knowing what he's really like.
Our sinful nature - the desire to be God ourselves, and
Our misunderstanding of surrender and the trust that it requires.
Can We Trust God?
Trust is an essential ingredient to surrender. We won't surrender to God unless we trust Him, but we can't trust Him until we know Him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrender becomes.
How do I know God loves me? He gives us many evidences:
God says he loves you (Psalm 145:9);
You're never out of his sight (Ps. 139:3);
He cares about every detail of your life (Matt. 10:30);
He gave you the capacity to enjoy all kinds of pleasure (1 Tim. 6:17b);
He has good plans for your life (Jer. 29:11);
He forgives you (Ps. 86:5);
He's patient with you (Ps. 145:8);
He sacrificed his Son for you (Rom. 5:8).
God loves you infinitely more than you can imagine -
Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, HCSB)
If you want to know how much you matter to God, look at Christ with his arms outstretched on the cross saying, "I love you this much! I'd rather die than live without you."
God is not a cruel slave driver, or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn't try to break our will, but woos us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. God is a Lover and a Liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage.
When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.
Trust God by learning to be content
"So God chooses to use finances as the acid test of how much you trust Him. He wants us to come to him and ask when we have a need and learn to be content ..."
What is contentment? Contentment means my happiness is not dependent upon circumstances. Most people get caught in "when" thinking -- "When I get such and such, then I'll be happy." "When I get to a certain level economically... When I get a certain job ... When I can retire ... then I'll be happy. When I get the house paid off... When I get the bills paid off... then!"
God says "No, once you get there, you'll always want something else. You'll always want more." Somebody once asked the billionaire Howard Hughes, "How much does it take to make a man happy?" He said, "Just a little more."
God says, "I want you to learn contentment." It's not about not having goals. It's saying "My happiness is dependant upon the Lord not on my circumstances in life."
Paul learned contentment. He says in Philippians 4:12, "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I've learned the secret of contentment in every situation." (LB) Contentment is something you have to learn. It's not something that comes naturally. I, by my nature, am naturally discontent. And so are you.
How do you learn to be content? Stop comparing. God says it's stupid to compare yourself to others. You compare houses, clothes, cars. I bought a computer a couple of weeks ago and I was so excited about it. Then I opened a magazine and there's a newer model!
We're constantly comparing -- and comparing causes discontent. And because of discontent God says, "You can't handle what I want to give you because you're putting too much priority on things in your life." Can God trust you with wealth? Have you learned to be content?
I don't know why but God has chosen money to be the acid test of our faith. We spend our entire lives trying to make it, earn it, save it, spend it, and use it. So God chooses to use finances as the acid test of how much you trust Him. He wants us to come to him and ask when we have a need and learn to be content, that our happiness isn't dependent on how much or how little we've got. If you don't learn contentment, you'll never be happy. You'll always want more
Self-promotion and servanthood don't mix
"Real servants don't serve for the approval or applause of others."
Real servants maintain a low profile. Servants don't promote or call attention to themselves. Instead of acting to impress and dressing for success, they "put on the apron of humility, to serve one another" (1 Peter 5:5 TEV).
If recognized for their service, they humbly accept it but don't allow notoriety to distract them from their work. Paul exposed a kind of service that appears to be spiritual but is really just a put-on, a show, an act to get attention. He called it "eyeservice," serving in order to impress people with how spiritual we are (Ephesians 6:6 KJV; Colossians 3:22 KJV).
This was a sin of the Pharisees. They turned helping others, giving, and even prayer into a performance for others. Jesus hated this attitude and warned, "When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:1 CEV).
Self-promotion and servanthood don't mix. Real servants don't serve for the approval or applause of others. They live for an audience of One. As Paul said, "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10 NIV).
You won't find many real servants in the limelight; in fact, they avoid it whenever possible. They are content with quietly serving in the shadows.
Joseph is a great example. He didn't draw attention to himself, but quietly served Potiphar, then his jailer, then Pharaoh's baker and wine taster, and God blessed that attitude. When Pharaoh promoted him to prominence, Joseph still maintained a servant's heart, even with his brothers, who had betrayed him.
Unfortunately, many leaders today start off as servants but end up as celebrities. They become addicted to attention, unaware that always being in the spotlight blinds you.
You may be serving in obscurity in some small place, feeling unknown and unappreciated. Listen: God put you where you are for a purpose! He has every hair on your head numbered, and he knows your address.
There is a Cost to Procrastination
"Procrastination takes a problem and makes it a crisis. The longer you wait to start, the harder it becomes to begin."
When you procrastinate you're saying one of two things to yourself, "It's easier to avoid this than to face it" and that's wrong. The other one is "It will be easier to handle this tomorrow (or later)" and that's wrong too.
The Bible tells us that there is a cost to procrastination.
Procrastination causes problems -- The Good News translation of today's verse says, "If you're lazy you'll meet difficulty everywhere."
There was a time when I would frequently run out of gas. I'd watch the gas gauge going down, but I'd keep thinking, It's not convenient to fill up right now. I'll get to it later. And I always paid for it! It was always worse than if I had just stopped to take the time to fill up with gas.
How many home repairs have you been putting off? You know they're getting worse. One day you may go home to find something like the roof has fallen in! Because you let it get worse. Procrastination takes a problem and makes it a crisis. The longer you wait to start, the harder it becomes to begin.
Procrastination wastes opportunities -- "If you won't plow in the cold, you won' eat at harvest." (Proverbs 20:4 LB) When opportunity knocks, open the door! Take the advantage while you've got it. If you don't, you'll miss it.
Procrastination hurts people -- Laziness prevents us from being loving. Love requires commitment, energy, and work. A lot of people just don't want to work at being loving; it's easier to be lazy. Many marriages break up because the root cause is laziness. Both partners knew exactly what needed to be done to make the marriage work but one spouse -- perhaps both spouses - are unwilling to make the effort necessary to save the marriage.
Procrastination causes problems with our children too. Lazy parents produce problem kids. How many times do we know the kids need to be disciplined but, because we're tired, we don't do it? For instance, we ask our kids to do something or clean something up and they resist. Rather than making an issue of it, we say, "Forget it! I'll do it myself." It's easier to give in than to discipline.
Prayerfully consider the price you may be paying for procrastination?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
You can't please everybody
"Even God can't please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even God can't do."
Have you realized that there are some people you can't please? No matter what you do or what you try or how nice you are to them. You just can't please everybody.
But the Bible tells says you don't need to please everybody. "It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you." (Proverbs 29:25 LB) It's an emotional trap when you start worrying about what other people think. We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't even like -- all because we think we must be liked by everyone in order to be happy. That's foolish!
Jesus said, "I only seek to please Him who sent me." (John 5:30 LB) Even Jesus didn't try to please everybody. One person wants it to rain; another doesn't want it to rain. I was one in Texas talking to oil people. They want oil prices to go up; the rest of us are hoping they'll go down. Even God can't please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even God can't do.
In Luke 6:26 Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you." (NIV) That's probably because the only time everybody's going to speak well of you is at your funeral!
I meet Christians all the time who must live with someone who makes life crazy. Every day they face someone who is an EGR (extra grace required). They say, "I try and try to make peace with this person, but I fail and I feel so guilty." The fact is, it may not be your fault. It may be the person you're trying to make peace with is just flat out difficult.
Give that person to God and focus on pleasing Him.
Lessons Learned on the Job
God uses our work as one of His tools to mold us into who He wants us to be. Stress comes when we view our job as our main life mission instead of seeing our work as an opportunity to provide the tools we need to accomplish our life mission. The apostle Paul writes, "Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love" (Acts 20:24 LB). Paul worked as a tentmaker, a church planter, an author. His purpose never changed, but his work certainly did. Many of us do not need a different job. We simply need a different attitude and a new point of view about the job we have. Begin by envisioning Jesus standing in the midst of your work place as your real boss. Then look for the life lessons God provides through your work.
God uses my work to teach me responsibility. Meeting deadlines, completing assigned tasks with excellence, showing respect for co-workers (even the abrasive ones) and working without supervision are all valuable life lessons learned on the job. When we try to cut corners, stress steps in and wreaks havoc in our attitude about work.
God uses people at work to teach me about relationships. Cooperation, fairness, flexibility, humility and patience are relationship skills of a successful worker. Stress comes when we stray from the guidelines God gives us for serving others. Our workplace is not only one of our God-ordained mission fields; it is a classroom for learning to love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable and, in short, be "God with skin on." You may very well be the only sermon your co-workers ever hear.
God uses my work to teach me how to serve. The way we serve God is by serving others. God wants us to grow spiritually at work by becoming a servant to those with whom we work. It is easy to serve those who sit beside us on a pew each Sunday, but a real servant serves on the job. God asks us to accept others unconditionally, encourage other continually, forgive others freely and help others willingly.
Attitudes never sit still. They constantly move and change. An attitude is a pattern of thinking, a filter through which we view life. We can choose to be honest about our attitude at work and we can choose to change our attitude about work, but most importantly, we can choose to pray for God's attitude about work. When we can't change our attitude, the One who lives in us can give us His attitude. Exchanging our attitude for His always eliminates stress.
Let's Pray
Lord, thank You for Your provision through my job. I praise You for the opportunity to serve You and others through my work. Help me to see those in need and reach out to them in Your name.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now it's your Turn
Consider the ways God uses your job to teach you the valuable life lessons listed below. List specific work circumstances and the lessons you learned in each one. Examine your attitude about your work for any changes that need to be made. Record those changes below.
God uses my work to teach me responsibility. _________________________________
God uses people at work to teach me about relationships. _______________________
God uses my work to teach me how to serve. _________________________________
Consider the following questions:
Do the people I work with see Christ in me?
Do they even know I am a Christian?
What changes do I need to make in order to point my co-workers to Christ?
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Can you be counted on by others?
"Can you be counted on by others? Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill, or commitments you need to honor? "
Real servants are faithful to their ministry. Servants finish their tasks, fulfill their responsibilities, keep their promises, and complete their commitments. They don't leave a job half undone, and they don't quit when they get discouraged. They are trustworthy and dependable.
Faithfulness has always been a rare quality (Psalm 12:1; Proverbs 20:6; Philippians 2:19-22).
Most people don't know the meaning of commitment. They make commitments casually, then break them for the slightest reason without any hesitation, remorse, or regret. Every week, churches and other organizations must improvise because volunteers didn't prepare, didn't show up, or didn't even call to say they weren't coming.
Can you be counted on by others? Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill, or commitments you need to honor?
This is a test. God is testing your faithfulness. If you pass the test, you're in good company: Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Daniel, Timothy, and Paul were all called faithful servants of God.
Even better, God has promised to reward your faithfulness in eternity. Imagine what it will feel like one day to have God say to you, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!" (Matthew 25:23 NLT).
By the way, faithful servants never retire. They serve faithfully as long as they're alive. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God.
Friday, August 13, 2010
God will never exempt you from the mundane
"You will never arrive at the state in life where you're too important to help with menial tasks. It's a vital part of your character curriculum."
Servants do every task with equal dedication. Whatever they do, servants "do it with all their heart" (Colossians 3:23 NIV).
The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is, does it need to be done?
You will never arrive at the state in life where you're too important to help with menial tasks. God will never exempt you from the mundane. It's a vital part of your character curriculum. The Bible says, "If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody" (Galatians 6:3 NLT).
It is in these small services that we grow like Christ.
Jesus specialized in menial tasks that everyone else tried to avoid: washing feet, helping children, fixing breakfast, and serving lepers. Nothing was beneath him, because he came to serve. It wasn't in spite of his greatness that he did these things, but because of it, and he expects us to follow his example (John 13:15).
Small tasks often show a big heart. Your servant's heart is revealed in little acts that others don't think of doing, as when Paul gathered brushwood for a fire to warm everyone after a shipwreck (Acts 28:3).
He was just as exhausted as everyone else, but he did what everyone needed. No task is beneath you when you have a servant's heart.
Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. Don't look for great tasks to do for God. Just do the not-so-great stuff, and God will assign you whatever he wants you to do.
There will always be more people willing to do "great" things for God than there are people willing to do the little things. The race to be a leader is crowded, but the field is wide open for those willing to be servants.
Sometimes you serve upward to those in authority, and sometimes you serve downward to those in need. Either way, you develop a servant's heart when you're willing to do anything needed.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Servants serve with what they have
"God expects you to do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are."
Real servants do their best with what they have. Servants don't make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for better circumstances. Servants never say, "One of these days" or "When the time is right." They just do what needs to be done.
The Bible says, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done" (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT).
God expects you to do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are. Less-than-perfect service is always better than the best intention.
One reason many people never serve is that they fear they are not good enough to serve. They have believed the lie that serving God is only for superstars. Some churches have fostered this myth by making "excellence" an idol, which makes people of average talent hesitant to get involved.
You may have heard it said, "If it can't be done with excellence, don't do it." Well, Jesus never said that! The truth is, almost everything we do is done poorly when we first start doing it — that's how we learn.
At Saddleback Church, we practice the "good enough" principle: It doesn't have to be perfect for God to use and bless it. We would rather involve thousands of regular folks in ministry than have a perfect church run by a few elites.
Trust God and maintain your integrity
"Sometimes the pressure to keep up is so overwhelming that we, even as believers, are often tempted to compromise our ethics."
God doesn't bless dishonesty. Proverbs 16:11 says, "The Lord demands fairness in every business deal." (LB) That includes wages, sales, and taxes. If you want God's blessing on your finances, you've got to be honest. You can't rip people off.
Why? Because Jesus said, "What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
"The blessing of the Lord brings wealth and He adds no trouble to it." (Proverbs 10:22 NIV) Have you ever known someone who made money, but it just brought them trouble? Profit made dishonestly always brings trouble. Always.
If you are dishonest with others, it will be returned to you. If you think you haven't got caught, the clock is still ticking. The game is still playing; the judgment is still out. You cannot mock God and get away with it. Whatever you sow, you will inevitably reap.
Sometimes the pressure to get ahead -- or just the pressure to keep up -- is so overwhelming that we, even as believers, are often tempted to compromise our ethics. Maybe we do a little shading of the truth in order to make a buck. Maybe we overvalue something or maybe we just don't tell somebody what's wrong with it when we're selling it to them.
Maybe we take a deduction on our taxes that really isn't there. Or maybe we just don't tell the truth in a situation. Why? Because the draw to make a buck is so intense in our lives that many times we forget.
The decision to do what is right and trust God is not a once-for-all decision. It is a daily moment-by-moment decision. But God has said that he will meet your needs if you maintain your integrity.
Your security is not in your bank account
"Your security is not in your bank account; your security is in the Lord. If God turns off one faucet, he can turn on another."
Many of us act like spiritual orphans. We forget that we have a heavenly Father who already knows what we need. He's just waiting for us to ask. He will provide. Does God take care of little birds? They don't worry. Human beings are the only things in all creation that worry. Everything else trusts the heavenly Father and creator to care for their needs.
"He gives food to those who trust Him. He never forgets His promises." (Psalm 111:5 LB) How much do you trust God? Worry is really just a form of atheism. Every time you worry, you're saying, "It all depends on me." That's just not in the Bible.
You must trust God with your life. Today's verse says, "If you give him first place." Why? Because as long as you love anything more than God that thing or person or item will become a source of anxiety.
"Don't put your hope in wealth which is so uncertain. But put your hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17) You must always remember -- your security is not in your bank account; your security is in the Lord. If God turns off one faucet, he can turn on another. If he turns off one job, he can turn on another. You must seek the Lord.
The book of Romans says God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you to pay for your salvation. If God loves you enough to send His own son to die for you, don't you think He loves you enough to take care of your bills? Don't you realize that any other problem is minor by comparison? He solved your biggest problem when he saved you. The bottom line is this: Are you going to believe God to do what He says He will do? And are you going to believe him enough to do what he tells you to do?
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