Be a Tugboat for the Lord!

I'm a very visual learner in all areas of my life. I have to see it to understand it more completely. And God has been faithful to give me mental images that help impress ideas upon my heart. Last evening I was praying that God would make me stronger so that he could use me as a tool to lead others to him. As I prayed I had an image come to mind very similar to the one above, a small tugboat pulling a very large barge.

Throughout the next few hours I thought about this image and realized that size is not a measure of strength. In comparison to barges, tugboats are often much, much smaller than the load they carry. They can pull or push objects that can't move themselves. They even can be used to break ice clearing pathways for safe travel of other vessels. Tugboats can be equipped with firefighting capabilities and used to assist in firefighting. Tugboats are mighty in power.

GFF's we don't have to be stellar scholars, memorize every scripture, sing with an angelic voice, or wow others with our knowledge to be used by God. What God wants is for us to simply be a tugboat. He wants us to help move along those who can't move on their own and to clear a pathway for others to find Him amid the frozen cold-hearted places on this earth. He wants us to equip ourselves with His power through prayer so that we can fight the fires of our flesh and the enemy around us. We are all called to be tugboats for the Lord!

Matthew 28:19

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and the Holy Spirit,

                 

Share The Good News

And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.  

Mark 16:15

I am reading a short book that my GFF loaned me and it is called "The Believer's Authority" by Kenneth E. Hagin.  I haven't gotten past the third chapter but I am intrigued and can't wait to get back to it today.  What caught my attention yesterday was what it said about sharing the gosepel.  Jesus told us to spread the Good News but so often we aren't sharing good things, instead, we tell people how bad they are being.  We count up their wrong doing and we condemn them for it.  That isn't Good News!  The Good News is this: For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them.  And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)  

God has already cancelled out sin through Jesus Christ.  This world and the people in it........there is no sin problem, Jesus already took care of that.  There is a sinner problem.  But it only includes us getting the sinner to Jesus and the problem is solved.  We don't have to remind them what they've done wrong.  We don't have to make them feel bad for the sins they commit, because let's face it, we all have done wrong, we all sin, we all need Jesus.  Friends we just need to share God's Good News of forgiveness and power and love and encourage people to get to know Him.  We are responsible to leading people to a relationship with Jesus.  No where does the Good News include condemning people for their sins.  It isn't our job to judge non believers and tell them how to act.  It is only our job to lead them to the One who will change their hearts from the inside.  

I hope we can all think on this today and see where we may have gone wrong in the past or where we are currently seeing things differently.  Jesus already wiped away sin but it takes us knowing Him and believing in Him for us to claim that victory.  Won't you lead others to Christ by sharing the Good News instead of the dreary, condemning, guilty news?  Love others and lead them to Christ by your example of living and trusting.  Love everyone and start sharing today!

* Information obtained from The Believers Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin pages 5-6

Lament

Lament is a word used throughout scripture. It's been a word on my heart a lot as I study the book of Job. The word lament means to weep, wail, cry out, sob, and mourn. It is a word that means intense sorrow.

Job had lost more than one can imagine enduring. Sons, daughters, livestock, friends, his reputation, and his own physical health were all taken from him. He was in great emotional and spiritual pain. Job's heart was broken, and he was lamenting. Job was crying out to God for answers and relief.

As I attended a funeral last evening I was once again reminded of the word 'lament'  in a conversation I'd had with a loved one just after the death of a sibling. The statement was made, "I'm just so upset that God would allow this, but I can't say that because I'm supposed to trust that he knows best."

I disagree. God wants us to cry out. To wail. To mourn. To be real and honest with him. Anger and fear are human reactions to pain, and it is ok to voice such things to God. However, we must allow God to walk us through the stages of grieving so that we do not become bitter and hard hearted toward him. Ultimately we must stand on faith that he is God and we are not. He doesn't owe us answers. He's under no obligation to our questions,  but he does want us to lament. To seek him and turn to him in our pain so that he can bring healing to our hearts and a deeper intimacy with him.

Dear Lord,
This life is hard and in our suffering we must go through stages of grieve and mourning. We thank you that you are a God who hears. A God who wants us to be real with you. Keep our hearts soft as we work through our sufferings. Tender our hearts so that our pain draws us into deeper relationship with you.
Amen

Lay Out Your Case

I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me.  Would he use his great power to argue with me?  No, he would give me a fair hearing.

Job 23:4-6

By this time Job was being ridiculed and beaten up with words by three men who claimed to be his best friends.  Job was tired of being accused of sin.  He was grieving a loss so hard to imagine, and he was broken.  Although he was ready to die, to find rest from his suffering, He was sure that God had not given up on him.  He knew that God would answer his plea whether in his life on earth or after death.  He never gave up on God.  I love this scripture above because Job knew God's character.  He knew God and had confidence in what a discussion with him would look like.  He wasn't willing to settle with the advice of his friends and have to believe if he had google back then he would not have been satisfied with an internet answer either.  He was looking for God's wisdom and knowledge and Job would not be happy until he heard directly from Him.  He was confident he could lay out his case in front of God.......the disappointment, the hurt, the anger, the sadness, the suffering.......he would not leave a thing out, and God would hear him til the end.  Job was patient and willing to hear His answer.  He would only be sattisfied with what God said to him and then he would understand.  He trusted that God would give him a fair trial and he knew that whatever came of it was just and fair.  Job had ridiculous faith and confidence in God.

Friend, what burdens are you carrying?  Does something seem unfair in your life?  Are you going through hard circumstances?  Is your hurt so deep you don't know where to turn?  Turn to God.  Tell him your anger, fear, disappointment and all the things that are bottled inside.  Present your case to God and seek His peace and His answers.  Be confident, like Job, to trust that God has never and will never give up on you regardless of your past and present and the hurt you are dealing with.  He does have you in mind.  He holds you in His hands and has plans far greater than you can imagine.  Hold onto your trust even when everything worldly says to give up and turn away from God.  You will be blown away by the way He can help you.  God will give you a fair hearing and He has answers waiting for you if you would be open to sharing with Him.  Lay out your case in front of God and lay down your hurt.  Wait for His answers and trust in His timing.        

Sunday Scripture

“If only they would always feel this way! If only they would always honor me and obey all my commands, so that everything would go well with them and their descendants forever.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭5:29‬ ‭GNT‬‬

Sing-along-Saturday

There are so many beautiful new songs today. Songs that reach into the most intimate places of our hearts. Songs that shout His praises. Songs that bring hope and healing. Songs that tell His story. Today I want you to enjoy an older song that just brings a smile to my face overtime I hear it!

It's a simple song about the reason we can smile and laugh through every day, even through the days that don't go our way... WE ARE SAVED!

If for no other reason, today is a good day because salvation is ours!

Click Here to hear "It's a Good Day!" by FFH

Faith

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, 

to be certain of the things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 GNT

We all need this reminder from time to time.  This scripture describes our faith in one simple sentence.  It tells us to stop worrying about things, says believe even when you cannot see or understand, encourages us that those things we hope for will come to be.  It is a single sentence with amazing power to encourage someone.  What is it you hope for?  A new job, a loved one to find healing, a friend to know Jesus, your child to stay safe in a crazy world.........the list is endless!  We all have things we hope for and with faith we can be sure that those things will happen in God's time. That's it!  We hope for something, we wait it out, and we are sure it will happen.  We can leave it with God once and for all!  We don't have to keep picking it up worrying about it or trying to manipulate it in some way.  No, we just hand it over and have faith, sure that it will come.  And even when we cannot possibly see how it will happen or when.......faith says we are certain that it will still come.  Faith is a small word with a big punch.  A punch in satan's face when we refuse to worry about things.  He can't get us to fall or cause others to fall when we are full of faith.  Work on your faith today!  Strengthen your faith today!  Call on your faith today!