Forsaking All To Follow Jesus

By Kathy Clark

I believe that the body of Christ is about to enter at time of returning to our first love. The things of this dying world will lose their hold upon us, and we will forsake all, and follow Him wherever He leads. We will not choose our own way, but whole-heartedly follow His way. It will be a return to living the sermon on the the mount, and beatitudes. To the original pattern of living. They won't just be nice words, but a way of life, because it will be so necessary just to survive, and because Jesus left us with a clear pattern. I would suggest two books to you. "The Sermon on the Mount", by Clarence Jordon, and "The Cost of Discipleship", by Deitrich Bonhoeffer. Take time to read the sermon on the mount in Matthew chapters 5 to 7. When we stand before the Lord and the books are opened it will not be the things we expected that will open the doors of heaven, but the things Jesus said will give us entrance. Know that Jesus said:

Matthew 25: 31-46

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy^[c] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.

 ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they also will answer Him,^[d] saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

It is time we realize, fellow believers, that we will not be accepted by how much gifting we have, or how much we contributed to evangelism, or preaching, etc. but by the above criteria. Pretty scary stuff hey? We better ask the Lord to give us new eyes to see those in need around us before it is too late. So many of us are real busy about lots of things, but ignore this commandment.

This is even spoken of in the Old Testament, I chose the message bible for this portion of scripture because it adds a bit of clarity:

Isaiah 58:6-14
^6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

^9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.
^13-14"If you watch your step on the Sabbath
and don't use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
God's holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing 'business as usual,'
making money, running here and there—
Then you'll be free to enjoy God!
Oh, I'll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob."
Yes! God says so!
You see God has not changed from the Old to the New Testament.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Malachi 3:6
“For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

If you will search throughout the scriptures you will find that the same heart is revealed in all of scripture, we are our brothers keeper. Just like the story of the good Samaritan:

Luke 10:25-37
²⁵ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

²⁷ So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’^[a] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”<sup>[b]

28</sup> And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed,^[c] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
³⁷ And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

It is very clear by Jesus' own words what we are called to. Why do we ignore them so easily, thinking He can't really mean that seriously , can He? He changes not. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What He has spoken will be fulfilled in a people that is emerging from the ranks. Will you heed the call today. Will you forsake all and follow Him, will I? I pray we will not miss Jesus in the begger on street corner. Will we toss him a few coins, or take him home to a real meal, a warm bed, and salvation in Jesus? Now is the time to be alert. His coming is at hand. Will He find us doing His will when He comes? We have choices to make.


Matthew 25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

In the Strongs we get these definitions in this verse:

good =

1) of good constitution or nature

2) useful, salutary

3) good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy

4) excellent, distinguished

5) upright, honourable

faithful =

1) trusty, faithful

a) of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties

b) one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust

c) that can be relied on

2) easily persuaded

a) believing, confiding, trusting

b) in the NT one who trusts in God's promises

1) one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead

2) one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation

 

And especially this one

servant =

1) a slave, bondman, man of servile condition

a) a slave

b) metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

c) devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests

2) a servant, attendant

As you can see our life is not our own. We have been bought with a price, we are called to do God's will, not our own. Will we be found faithful when He comes? That is the question. I am fully aware that this is not an easy life to live. We are not called to an easy life, but a poured out life, a crucified life. We are not above our Master. Will we pay the price, or will we suffer loss? The choice is ours.

I have had all kinds of trouble with the formatting in this blog, but could not correct the background. I have a lot to learn here. I hope you will still be inspired by the message to follow hard after our Jesus and His ways. Amen.

Check out this great site:

Sermonindex



Father Forgive Them

Father Forgive Them

by Kathy Clark

For several months months the Lord has been speaking to me about forgiveness. It has been brought to my heart just how important it really is. It is not an option on our part, but our very life depends on it. This is the first and most important verse that He brought to my mind: 

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Jesus was not only forgiving those that handed him over for crucifixion, or the Roman soldiers that crucified him, but all mankind as well, and basically he is telling us to do the same thing.


 John 20:23

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Jesus himself is saying here that we have the power to forgive or retain the sins that our fellow man have sinned against us, just like he did, and he did that as a man, not God.  This is a pretty heavy responsibility, and it is not an option either. These are the next verses that the Lord quickened to me:

Matthew 18:35

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

 Matthew 6:12

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 Matthew 6:14

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: ( do you see that if there )

Matthew 6:15

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 Mark 11:25

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

 Mark 11:26

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

 Luke 5:24

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

 Luke 6:37

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

 2Corinthians 2:10

To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

I would think these verses would be sufficient to see how important it is to forgive everyone that has sinned against us even if they never repent for that sin. Our being forgiven ourselves hinges on us forgiving others. Here is what the martyr Stephen said when he was dying: 

 Act 7:60

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Here is what Paul had to say: 

 2Ti 4:16

At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

I just felt to share these verses here because they are so crucial to our own forgiveness. We say we forgive, but do we really. What does God's forgiveness look like?  

Heb 8:12

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

 Heb 10:17

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

We need to have that kind of love and forgiveness because our lives depend on it. How grateful we are that we are forgiven, how blessed we are that God remembers our sins no more. We are to give in the measure we are given. Freely we have received, freely we must give. Love hardly notices when others do it wrong. 

By way of a little testimony I want to share something that has helped me to forgive, although I surely am not perfect at it yet. I saw that my children could say or do anything, still can, and it might hurt my feelings, but immediately afterwards I forgave them, and truly forgot it, but I had trouble doing this for everyone else. We need to keep short accounts. We need to forgive and forget just like we do for our children. Everybody needs that because they know not what the do. Forgive folks so that you can be forgiven.  

  

Returning To Our First Love

Returning To Our First Love

I was pondering this bible verse in Revelation 2:4-5, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

I began to think about the fact that we say we want a move of God in our lives like we had in the beginning of our walk with God, or even greater, like maybe Azusa Street, or the Isle of Lewis Revival, but do we really? What did our first love look like. When I thought about this I became greatly convicted.

What did my first love look like? I sought God will all my heart, read the bible through in a year. I cried out to God with everything within me for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I shared my testimony with anybody who would listen. I would stay up all night in any place to share the gospel and try to bring somebody into a saving knowledge of the one I loved. I would spend untold hours trying to bring light and understanding to a lost soul. I would weep over the lost state of those very souls and groan before God for their salvation. I was consumed with a zeal for my Father’s house. I was love sick for my Jesus. What about now? We say we want more of God, but do we really?

If we are to return to our first love, and do greater works than Jesus did, what will we have to do to get there? Will we not have to return to our first works, will we not have to inconvenience ourselves, interrupt our precious me time, our my space, our TV shows, our no access compartments that we feel we need for us? Will we not have to come back to the place where we prefer others as greater than ourselves?

I am all messed up because I watched a DVD called “Compelled By Love” about Rolland & Heidi Baker. As I watched that I saw what real love looked like. It was a love that took no thought about themselves but a laid down life love that went to any lengths to love others into Kingdom of Love. Heidi had kids crawling all over her, nothing of material possessions to worry about, all was given for the love of others. I have never seen anything like it, I have never seen love in action like that before, and that is really a sad thing. I am not like that, but I want to be.

I believe God is calling His people to a place we have never been before, a place where the lost are won by Revelation 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Pastor Judy gave me a DVD by Billye Brim in which she shared a little testimony of a lady that has really impacted my thought for several years. This old lady who was a fireball for God was asked why she had so much energy and her son was so worn out all the time, and she said “ he holds too much of himself for himself”. That is so amazing. When we lose our lives we gain them, when we preserve our lives we lose them. It is lives that are poured out that are always filled. The more we pour out  the more we receive.

So if we really want to see the fire fall, lets be burned up for Christ. If we really want to see the love poured out, let’s pour ourselves out that we might be filled again. We say we want His fullness and a power, but He only fills what is empty. We need to pour our lives out and waste them, like the alabaster box of perfume, on those around us with no respect of persons, because God loves them and poured His life out for every one. I hope you will get that DVD, Compelled By Love, and allow it to mess you up too. God is calling for such a people. Will we answer the call? Or are we to comfortable on our couches of ease,  and isolation enjoying our me time. God forbid.

Hot or Cold - Not Lukewarm

Lukewarm - Not Hot Or Cold

This morning I was thinking about the state of lukewarmness as the verse in Revelation 3:16 warns about. I thought what really is lukewarmness? Here is the verse:

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Lukewarm in the Strong's Concordance means in the original Greek - 1. tepid, lukewarm 2. metaph. of the condition of the soul wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervour of love.

torpor means 1. a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility 2.  a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals 3.  apathy, dullness, these are the Synonyms = apathy, casualness, complacence, disinterestedness, disregard, incuriosity, incuriousness, insouciance, nonchalance, indifference, unconcern

Jesus state that He would spue us out of Him mouth if we were lukewarm.

This is what the Vine's dictionary has to say about Revelation 3:16 -

Lukewarm:
"tepid, warm" (akin to chlio, "to become warm," is used metaphorically in Rev 3:16, of the state of the Laodicean church, which afforded no refreshment to the Lord, such as is ministered naturally by either cold or hot water.

I got to thinking about what cold water means, it means refreshing, quenching to the thirst, fresh, delicious, healing, life giving, exhilerating, and much more.

Hot water washes clean, makes coffee and tea taste great, sterilizes bacteria and germs, soothes the aching bones and muscles, and also much more.

I was just thinking nobody wants to drink tepid topor lukewarm water, it tastes flat lousy and we would spit it out. That is the way the Lord feels about what we offer to Him when it is neither hot nor cold. It is time to check ourselves and see what we are really made of, what we are really like. Time to get off our indifferences and jump into the fire. There is a fire burning in the heart of God just waiting to ignite His people with flames of Himself. Are we willing to wait in His presence until we are aflame as the church in Acts was? Are we willing to, or do we have the desire to turn the world upside down? We are being offered just this in these closing hours of this age. Do we really want Jesus and His kingdom more than the things of this world. We better find out because God is raising up a remnant, and we have a choice in the matter. Choose you this day who you will serve and how you will serve Him. I am hearing this in my spirit for myself and all those who call themselves by His name. Let us all go out with a bang.

The Parable of the Wound by Kathy Clark

April 11,2015

The Parable of the Wound - by Kathy Clark

This morning I was pondering the fact that some people are discouraged because they are not used in the same way that God uses others to touch lives. God began to show me how each of us are unique and His perfect craftsmanship. I believe He gave me a picture parable about this very thing to encourage those who have trouble seeing God at work using them in the way He chooses.

I saw a wound that was the result of someone falling on the ground and getting dirt and stones packed into their wound. I saw each of us as part of the process that has to take place to heal the wound. First you have to convince them that the wound needs to be tended, then the dirt and stones have to be carefully picked out, then the wound must be washed, next disinfectant must be applied, then salve, then a bandage, some tears might need to be wiped away. That is not the end of it, next the wound must be kept clean and the more salve and bandages applied periodically until the wound is healed.

God showed me that when somebody comes in the church, usually very wounded, they are there most of the time because somebody spent agonizing time on their knees pleading for their salvation. Next the ministers, either through preaching or prophetic ministry speak words that touch their hearts, they go to the altar and people gather around them to show love and support. The minister speaks into their brokenness, then maybe somebody else has a word to encourage them, somebody else lays hands on their shoulders and prays in the spirit, or weeps with them, etc. etc. etc. Each person ministers from what God has placed within them and each part is important to God and important to the person receiving ministry. No one part is more important than the other, each part is valuable and life giving. Even a hug makes a big difference to somebody who needs one, which we all do, taking them into our lives for fellowship is essential, some are called to hospitality, love looks like something.

It is time we stop wanting to be something other than what God created us to be. We need to know our calling. What is that you have in your hand? Use it to the fullest. The bible says the parts that we give the least honor to are the most honorable. In other words the person that groaned and wept over that person just might be the most significant part in the process and they don’t even know it. There should be no competitive spirit in the Body of Christ. No jockeying for position. We need to see that God has put what He wants us to use right within our grasp. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the glory might go to the Lord. We need to use our one, two, or three talents wisely and not count them as worthless. We each have our part to play. Let’s start presenting ourselves to God to use in any way He may choose. The bible does say desire the best gifts, but the best gift is love.

I felt to encourage those who get discouraged because they don’t think they are being used to keep your eyes on Jesus, stay in the Word, worship with all your heart and then rivers of living water will flow out to refresh and free all those around you. Jesus just walked through life and ministered as He went, so must we. The fields are white unto harvest everywhere we go. Let us all thank God for what He has placed within us and know that the Master-builder does all things well. 

Ears to Hear

April 8, 2015

Ears to Hear - By Kathy Clark

Today I was reading a book by Art Katz titled “Apostolic Foundations”, one of my favorite books. I began to think about what is meant in the bible verse spoken by Jesus,

—————————————————————————————————————————————

Matthew 11:15

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

I looked it up in the Strongs Concordance and this is what it means.

He that hath =

to have, i.e. to hold

to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as, to have i.e. own, possess external things such as pertain to property or riches or furniture or utensils or goods or food etc.,

used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc, of attendance or companionship, to hold one's self or find one's self so and so, to be in such or such a condition to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to, to be closely joined to a person or a thing

Ears =

the ear, metaph. the faculty of perceiving with the mind, the faculty of understanding and knowing

Ears to hear, let him hear =

to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf, to hear,

to attend to, consider what is or has been said to understand, perceive the sense of what is said, to hear something,

to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence to get by hearing, learn, a thing comes to one's ears, to find out, learn to give ear to a teaching or a teacher, to comprehend, to understand

—————————————————————————————————————————————

I felt like God was saying we need to take heed how we hear. The word spoken by the Spirit of God through His servants requires us to take action in some way if it is from the heart of God. I know some preaching is the pet peeve or soap box of the speaker, but what if it is a message birthed in the heart of God? What do we do with that message? Do we nod our head and agree and then go away unchanged. We have a responsibility to meditate on that word, to search the scriptures to see if those things be true, and if they are, we are to take them to heart and be changed by them. If we allow ourselves to walk away and forget what we have heard we will miss the very things God sent to transform and  impact our lives. We need to take the message going forth very seriously. If God sent the message, we better have ears to hear what the Spirit would speak to the churches. In the days ahead our life just might depend on it.

What Is That You Have In Your Hand?

What Is That You Have In Your Hand

This has been running through my heart and thoughts for some time and I felt to put my thoughts on paper so others might be benefited by it, empowered by it.

Many people in the church today can be discouraged because they are not pastors, song leaders, or maybe teachers, or what ever else they have in their sights. But God has shown me that the most important thing we can do is to find out what we have in our hands, and how we are to be good stewards of those very things.

Early on as a Christian I grumbled because my husband didn’t go to church and that put limits on how much I could participate in many things that others had great freedom in. One day I was listening to a sermon on the radio and the speaker spoke about being put in a box. I don’t know what else he spoke, but at that moment I got a revelation about the box I found myself in. God showed me that if I would use every bit of space that was allotted to me fully, He would kick out the walls. I saw that when you put something in a box there is much unused space in there all around the object, all the way out to the furthest corners. That space could be utilized to the fullest, and nothing had to be wasted. What is that you have in your hand? That is the question. Sure you can’t do exactly what you want, but can you find the hidden treasure that lays right at your side. Stop grumbling over what you don’t have, and get a vision for what you do have. All these things flooded my heart by way of revelation. This was a very liberating thing for me. Since then I have learned to be at peace with my boundaries, but also know God will broaden my horizons in His time if I will just be thankful where I am. Hallelujah!

I have found that within my box I have great opportunities for the Kingdom of God. The number one thing I have, that nothing can limit but me, is prayer, intercession, standing in the gap. I can proclaim and declare God’s word over people, churches, cities, nations, and the earth. I can take God’s word and speak it out of my mouth and see changes effected almost immediately at times. Nothing happens without prayer. I can weep over what God weeps over, and rejoice over what He rejoices. I now know that I have my part in the next great move of God in this earth, and it is not an insignificant part, it is a powerful part. Is that prideful, no, it is just a reality. There are countless little trickles of water, like me, that are making up the great river of God that people can swim in. I am privileged to have my part in it. God has shown me that the most important thing that any believer can do is pray, it isn’t a side note, but a framework that under-girds everything that is built for God’s glory and kingdom. This is filling in corners of my box. 

The next thing that God showed me I could do was encourage people. There are people that have nobody to talk to, or those who think they have been forgotten, or forsaken, and God wants us to let them know that He, and we, care about them. I can just say hi to somebody, pray for them, tell them they are going to make it, or that God has a plan for their lives. Only eternity will reveal how far touching someone else's life can reach. The internet, or even Facebook, gives us opportunities to encourage one another without even leaving our homes. Just recently I contacted a friend I had not talked to in a while, she was going through some real rough places, with just a few moments time of letting her know I cared about her she was better. I won’t mention her name, she knows who she is. She is a person who has poured her life out in acts of love to others, sharing her home, food, faith, time, etc. But she was in need of encouragement, and God wanted to give her that, even though she was a long distance away, even using Facebook. Encouragement is not an insignificant thing, it saves lives. Some people are sinking in despair and a word spoken in a timely  manner can turn that person around and give them hope. This is another thing I can do to fill up those empty spaces in my box. 

Hey a blog to share the things God had been teaching me on a daily basis is another great opportunity to fill up those empty spaces.  Maybe something I share will make a difference in a someone's life, be the answer to one of their questions, who knows!

I still have a number of limitations because of my life, but I have found that I am not useless. God can use me to significantly impact people and things around me in just these two ways, and there are many more ways if I keep my eyes open to the possibilities. I know that as I fully use the space allotted to me I will see more vistas open before me. I am keeping my eye upon the Master. I find life so fulfilling. I find myself telling God I must be the most blessed person on the face of the planet because I am so fulfilled. I walk in peace and rest because I know I am in His will. I am not striving for any position. I am just walking and seeing what each new day brings. The steps of a righteous man or woman are ordered of the Lord.

Do not grumble at your lot in life my friends. Paul learned to be content in all situations, why, because he was walking in His light. He knew that his steps were ordered. He used all that he found in his hand to the fullest.

If you are lonely, remember there are those even more lonely. God sets the solitary in families. You can reach out and find treasure in the most walled up places. You don’t have to be alone, be a friend to someone else. Forget you, and you will find you.There are those just waiting for a hug that says they have value, and that they are going to make it. You have this treasure in an earthen vessel, all the glory goes to God, but you and He, and me, are a team.

What is that you have in your hand? Use it to the fullest.