Our Personal Journal
The gifts of ministry
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THE GIFTS AND CALLING OF GOD ARE IRREVOCABLE (ROMANS 11:29). GOD NEVER CHANGES HIS MIND! HE NEVER MAKES MISTAKES.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION ANY OF US IN THE BODY OF CHRIST ENTERTAINS IS, 'WHERE DO I FIND MY PLACE?' AND "WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO?' ON A MONDAY AFTERNOON IN FEBRUARY OF 1979 I SAT UP IN MY CHAIR READING THE BIBLE WHEN I HEARD THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD SPEAK TO ME AND SAY, 'THERE IS YOUR FIRST MESSAGE'...I LOOKED AROUND AND REALIZED I WAS ALONE..AGAIN THE SAME WORD CAME TO ME...AND AGAIN. I WAS READING EZEKIEL 14:13 WHICH SPOKE TO ME OF INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE TIME OF GOD'S JUDGMENT ON A LAND. 'EVEN IF NOAH AND DANIEL AND JOB WERE THERE I WOULD NOT SPARE BUT ONLY THEY WOULD SURVIVE THE PESTILENCE AND JUDGMENTS SAYS THE LORD...I CALLED MY PASTOR AND HE DID'T WANT THE MESSAGE AND LAUGHED AT ME SO I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT FATHER GOD HAD SPOKEN TO ME AND CALLED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL. I HAD ONLY BEEN A BELIEVER FOR TWO MONTHS. FROM THAT DAY TO THIS, 36 YEARS LATER I HAVE ALWAYS FELt THE FINGER OF GOD IN MY BACK COMPELLING ME TO PREACH AND SHARE MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF SALVATION AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY EVERY TIME A DOOR OPENED. I FEEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY SOUL I ENCOUNTER TO BE FAITHFUL TO OBEY AND SHARE. AFTER ALL, CHRIST DIED FOR ME AND SENT A MAN TO SHARE WITH ME ABOUT A 'HEAVEN TO GAIN AND A HELL TO SHUN'. I AM CALLED. I HAVE A MESSAGE. I AM A MESSAGE OF PERSONAL SALVATION. I AM ALWAYS RESPONDING TO A CALL FROM HOLY SPIRIT TO USE THE TOOLS HE HAS GIVEN ME TO PRESENT THE REALITY OF HEAVEN AND THE NEED TO ESCAPE THE JUDGMENT OF UNBELIEF. MINISTRY; THIS SEEMINGLY INTANGIBLE WORD SIMPLY MEANS TO SERVE. IT IS NOT ABOUT MY NAME OR MY PRESTIGE OR GREAT ABILITY. MY MINISTRY, SIMPLY PUT, IS TO FEEL DEEPLY A NEED IN SOCIETY THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS TO BE MET AND TAKING ON THE ASSIGNMENT OF MEETING THAT NEED. THIS COMES ABOUT AS I HUMBLE MYSELF BEFORE GOD AND PRESENT MY BODY A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE TO TO GOD WHICH IS MY REASONABLE ACT OF WORSHIP (ROMANS 12:1-2) ASK. SEEK. KNOCK. (MATTHEW 7:7) THE WAYMAKER JESUS OPENS THE DOORS THAT NO ONE CAN SHUT AND SHUTS THE DOOR THAT NO ONE CAN OPEN (REVELATION 3:7-8, ISAIAH 22:22). ASK HOLY SPIRIT RIGHT NOW, 'HOW DO I FIT INTO THE LOCAL BODY OF CHRIST TO HELP ME STIR UP MY PERSONAL GIFTS AND GROW IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU?' FOR BECAUSE OF HIM THE WHOLE BODY (THE CHURCH) IN ALL IT'S VARIOUS PARTS, CLOSELY JOINED TOGETHER BY THE JOINTS AND LIGAMENTS WITH WHICH IT IS SUPPLIED, WHEN EACH PART [WITH POWER ADAPTED TO IT'S NEED] IS WORKING PROPERLY [IN ALL IT'S FUNCTIONS], GROWS TO FULL MATURITY, BUILDING ITSELF UP IN LOVE. (EPHESIANS 4:16) THE ANOINTING OF GOD GIVES US THE IMPETUS TO OPERATE IN OUR GIFT. THIS SMEARING WITH GOD EBS AND FLOWS AS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HOLY SPIRIT THRIVES. MY ACTIVITY LEVEL WILL DEPEND UPON THE ACTIVITY WITHIN MY SPHERE OF INFLUENCE. WE ARE PART OF A BODY. ALL PARTS OF THIS BODY ARE NOT IN USE EVERY MOMENT. VISION; IN THE GLORY I SAW MYSELF BEFORE A REVOLVING DOOR. AS I STEPPED THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF THREADS SPIRALLED OUT IN EVERY DIRECTION FROM THERE. GOD SAID, 'THIS IS THE BODY OF CHRIST'. ' I AM SENDING YOU OUT'. '..YOU WONT MAKE A MISTAKE BECAUSE I HAVE YOUR HAND. I CAN ADJUST YOUR PATH. DON'T BE AFRAID. ' THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED OF THE LORD AND HES DELIGHTS IN HIS WAY. (PSALMS 37:23). ALL OF HIS COURSE OF LIFE IS GRACIOUSLY ORDAINED, AND IN LOVINGKINDNESS ALL IS FIXED, SETTLED, AND MAINTAINED. NO RECKLESS FATE, NO FICKLE CHANCE RULES US. OUR EVERY STEP IS THE SUBJECT OF DIVINE DECREE . ' STEP THROUGH THE DOOR, UNLESS YOU STEP OUT YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU.' HER I AM LORD, SEND ME. 'Believe 1-19-19' is the inscription scratched into the fresh cement driveway as you walk up to the front door of our Paradise home at 528 Midway Lane in Tarpon Springs , Florida. Believe is displayed on the wall inside the front door . My wife and I call this special place 'the house that faith built'. In the Bible we read in Hebrews 11:6, ' But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must BELIEVE that He is and a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.' In verse 1 it states, 'Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen'. One translation says 'Faith is the title deed'. We came to understand that in order to receive the good things of God we must press in and 'call the things that be not as though they are' [Romans 4:17]. This reality we are living in began 10 years ago on a 7 mile bike ride when we found this blessing. We had been asking God for a place to call our own here. We were taking a step of Faith. This very piece of property was to become a part of our destiny in God. Here is a place of fulfillment, healing, celebration of dreams come true..... |
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