Ephesians 5:8-10,15-17 NIV For you were once(P) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(Q) 9 (for the fruit(R) of the light consists in all goodness,(S)righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
15-17 So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil.Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Colossians 4:5-6 NIV Behave wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of your time. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace,(I) seasoned with salt,(J) so that you may know how to answer everyone.
2 Timothy 2:15 TLB Work hard so God can say to you, “Well done.” Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word says and means
The Lord, expects us to be good stewards of our time. To study the scriptures, to show thyself approved. So we can and are ready for circumstances, as they arise. So each day as God reveals His will for us, we are ready to act and to take advantage of His generosity and favor, to bring about the abundant life He has promised to us and to those around us. ( associated blessings, like we talked a couple of weeks ago with the story of Joseph.
Illus. LOOKING FOR ANSWERS by Leland Patrick
Sometimes we look in the wrong places to find answers. The story is told of a drunk who was seen by a police officer looking for something. The drunk was down on his hands and knees and explained in slurred speech to the police officer that he was looking for his wallet.
The police officer inquired, "Well, where did you lose it?"
The drunk motioned with his hand as he replied, "About two blocks that way."
The confused and amused policeman asked, "Well, why are you searching here then?"
The drunk replied, "There is no street light down there!"
We sometimes look for answers in all the wrong places, rather then where we should, all the abundant fulfillment we will ever need, is found in the pursuit of our relationship we have, with the author and creator of our lives.
Is it just me, or have you noticed how little time there is now a days.
I’m sure you’ve heard more than one person say, boy, where has this year gone?
And that’s the truth of it , isn’t it?
Where has the time gone, so much to do, so little time to do it in.
Technology has gone totally crazy, new gadgets come on the market before we have even figured out the stuff, the old ones can do. With the new smart phones, we want unlimited data. But sadly with Unlimited data, comes more theft of our time.
Everywhere you look, and you don't have to go far, everyone is on their communication device, just standing there staring at their phone, only their not actually communicating.
Did you know, God has the original Unlimited data plan? Anytime, any place, anyway you want to communicate with Him, He is accessible 24/7.
With God, we have unlimited access, but choose to limit the time we give and spend with Him,
We come to church, or maybe give God 1-2 hrs. out of a 168 hr. week, but yet expect amazing results and blessings (as if we had spent all our time with Him) for the minimal time we do spend.
If there ever was a minimum investment, with maximum results, our relationship with God, would be it! God gives so much to us, and in comparison we give so little in return!
Makes you think twice, about the saying, the more you put into a relationship, the more you get out of a relationship!
As we think about what lies ahead for us, the trials, testing, and tasks we face, both in our church and personal lives, often we become enamored with the daily things, and that’s just what they are, things!
There time stealers! They come and they go and sooner or later, everyone comes to the realization that, this to shall soon pass.
Call it what you want, I call it drama and Gods people, really shouldn’t have so much drama, but you see…..
The accuser will use whatever he can, to keep you occupied with life, so you will forget what matters the most, your time with God!
Do you notice the key word here, you become occupied, you will this, you can do that, you, you, you. Most times the blame really shouldn't be put on the accuser, it should be put on (ouch) us!
We like to think our capabilities can deliver the grand life, we're looking to live, but if that were the truth, more people would walk around saying, “it’s a Wonderful Life”
Have you ever noticed how many unhappy people there are in the world, how they think everyone and everything owes them what they Want!
They don’t like the way they look, or the clothes they have, or the car they drive, etc. etc. etc. Everytime they begin to describe happiness, their description begins with if only this, or this only that.
Happiness, sadly and I hate to be the one to break the news to you, is not found in things.
We become disheartened, because sometimes we feel we have little to offer and what lies ahead is too great.
But God will use what we have, in a great way if we will let Him. After all, if God can move a mountain with only a mustard size portion of our faith, how much more can He do for us, if we will willingly, give Him what we have to work with!
If we are willing to put our little into Gods hands, what we have is not limited to our capabilities anymore,
Our portion, is not limited at all, when we place what we have into the hands of the one who doesn’t even have the word impossible, in His vocabulary!
Did you ever notice what the word impossible starts with, that’s right you guessed it, I!
If we want to get to all that God has possible for us, we have to realize it doesn't begin with I, but with I'm. I'm possible?
All things are possible, when God is in charge and trusted, with the results!
2 Kings 4:1&2 Msg.
1. One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves."
2. Elisha said, "I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?"
"Nothing," she said. "Well, I do have a little oil."
How is it, when she was asked, if she had anything, at first she said that, she had nothing, then she realized who she was talking to.
Human nature may not always be willing to admit the truth, but the truth is we always have something to give!
The self reliance mentality, hangs on even right down to the bitter end, (as if making the justification, for decision to blatantly lie to the prophet....if I can't do anything with what's left, what makes you think you can) like the little bit she had left, would make a difference.
First of all, wether we have plenty or lack, that kind of attitude towards giving, is toxic!
TBS. with that kind of thinking, nothing will ever come of it!
"with man, nothing is possible! With God, all things are possible!!"
God doesn’t need what we have to produce more for us, what He is looking for, is for us to trust Him, with the little that we do have and the faith that He is able to do what He says He is able to do!!
Mark 4:30-32 NKJ
30.. Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
31. It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
32. but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
The mustard seed, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
God wants us to realize, when we put what we have in the mix with His capabilities, the end result becomes enormous. Praise God!
I believe this doesn't just include the physical things we have, this request from God, is all inclusive. Our time, our resources, our abilities, our talents, Our Everything....mixed together with God's abilities, is an awesome, unlimited, abundant life, waiting to be lived and enjoyed!
The widow, knew what she didn’t have, but she also knew what she did have.
Some of you probably think that you have nothing at all but in actuality, everyone has something of value,
And its that something, when were willing to let God get a hold of it, has the potential for supernatural growth.
After she realized, she was willing to admit as to what she had
and was willing to invest what she had
and sow that seed into what she had need of,
the Lord began to reveal His plan to her, it was at that moment, that her situation started to go from hopeless, to hopeful and happening! Amen?
3-4. "Here's what you do," said Elisha. "Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside."
Sometimes, the plan that God has to bless us, doesn’t always make perfect sense to us, Guess what? It doesn’t have to! You know why? Because it's God's Plan and not your plan!
It's like when you go to the movie,
and you think you've got the plot all figured out,
and then out of the blue a different ending comes along that you were even thinking about, and you absolutely love the way it turned out.
And you say to yourself, boy I didn't see that one coming!! Amen?
TBS.(the bible says)
He will use the foolish things to confound the wise.
*He made a fish into an ATM. Machine one time, to pay taxes with. (wouldn’t you like to find that fish and keep him in your aquarium.
*He ask Nahum to go and bath in a muddy river, not once, but seven times to receive his healing. He did it and guess what? He was healed of leprosy. Praise God!!
TBS. his flesh was restored to that, like a little child’s flesh
Learn, to not limit God, to your understanding!
Gods ways, are not our ways and they don’t have to be, He’s God,
He doesn’t need our help, figuring out the plan, only to be a part of the plan and believe the results will not only come, but will amaze us
and all those who know us, when they hear them.
God has the hard part, we have the easy part, but we always think it’s the other way around for some reason!
Now we get to the good part, to the most important part of story, the part to where it all becomes possible!
She trusted in Gods capabilities instead of her own, she made it about Him and not about self reliance
She took a huge step, over to the wild side of possibilities of growing her faith in the Garden of God's endless abilities,
5-6. She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, "Another jug, please."
He said, "That's it. There are no more jugs."
Then the oil stopped.
We determine, the amount of our blessing, sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
We are the decider, that's how much God loves us, enough to let us decide the amount of blessing we want to receive!
If she would have had a 100 more, or even a 1,000 more vessels that day, God could have and would have filled them!
He is a God of Abundance, Praise God!
The prophet told her, go and find some vessels and not a few.
Her faith was the thing that determined the outcome that day!
There was no time limit applied to the task, she and her sons, determined the amount of their blessing that day.
Our faith determines the outcome of our measure of blessing we receive from God!
God hasn’t changed, the accuser has tried to change the way man thinks, but God is the same, TBS. He changes not!
When you invest in anything, the greater the investment, the greater the risk, but also the greater the reward!
7. She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, "Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what's left."
She truly found out the meaning of giving out of your need, when God is in it, that day;
She went from rags to riches, not because of what she was capable of, but because of the God of endless capabilities!
God didn’t make her march around the mountain she was facing, He carved a Super Highway right through the mountain,
The bible said; She went and told the story to the man of God,
I imagine she went and told the story to everyone she knew, for the rest of her life!
Not what she would be able to do for them, but what God was capable of doing for them and in their own life.
The entitlement mentality today, seems to want what everyone else can give them.
Why in the world, would anyone want to limit themselves to what someone else could give them, Instead of what the Creator of the universe and all that’s in it, could give them.
We don’t have to settle for a sliver of pie, God wants you to know, you can have a whole pie.
What do you need from God today? You might say, I have a big need!
What ever the need is, its not to much for God, to deliver!
*When you have faith in the world, you get what the world is capable of.
*When you have faith in Money, you get what money is capable of.
*When you have faith in self, you get what self is capable of.
*But when you have faith in God, you get what God is capable of,
There's not one single solitary thing, God cannot do...if you can only believe!
Only believe, only believe, all things are possible only believe!
The only thing that matters in this life that we have been given,
and I say that, because the life we have, is a gift!
The only thing that matters, is what we do for the Kingdom of God with our life.
Maybe, God has been speaking to you, wanting you to do more for His Kingdom,
And you keep telling yourself, you want to do more and that someday you will, but another time...
maybe someone else is here, and God has been speaking to you, to share your testimony and witness more to others, and you think one day I will, but not today...
Perhaps another is here, and God has been speaking to you, to increase your giving and you say you want to, but you don't think you can, God wants you to know you can trust Him with what you have...
If any of those descriptions, describe you today, I challenge you to do as the widow did with the prophet and start by, being honest with what you have.
If that’s you and God is speaking to you today, today is your someday,
God wants you to know, that there are great blessings that are awaiting you,
When you step out from where your at.
Someone might say, but you don’t know where I’m at, that’s right, I don’t know,
But God does, and He wants you to know, when you step out in faith, He can take you from the ordinary, to the extraordinary!
Don’t let what you think you have, keep you from what God has for you, trust Him completely today and realize, the abundant life that awaits your enjoyment!
