What gifts do you use

2Timothy 1:5-7

5           I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6         For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7           for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ^[1]

I ran across this scripture passage this morning as I was reading my email.  It started me to thinking (I know ‘m working with tools here) that the reason some followers of Christ faith begins to wane; is we forget or don’t know the gifting God has given us. We then spend huge amounts of energy trying to do things we are not gifted or equipped to do. We do these things many times because someone told us we should do them or we see some ministry that is doing well and we fall into the trap of trying to minister or serve like _________. When what we really need to do if STOP and ask God to fan into a FLAME the gifts he has given us. We also need not be ashamed of the gifts that God has given us. Because God does not give needless gifts to his people, if each one of us will ask God to stir up the gift he has given us then faithfully use that gift the entire body of Christ will be blessed and strengthen. We also need remember that some of the greatest ministry takes place when no one is looking or it seems like it not that important.

One more thing that stood out to me in this passage is the fact Paul tells us what God DID NOT give us, The spirit of fear. But he gave us the gift of Power (to live daily for him) love( the ability to love him, ourselves and our fellow man) and self-control ( the ability to control our life.)  When we realize the ability to control our own desire weather they are good or bad rest within us, that’s when real victory comes. When we buy in to the lie that our desires cannot be controlled, the enemy keeps us bound in sick bodies, sick relationships, and sick habits, each of these things were created by satan to fool us in to destroying ourselves.  So I invite you to take a hold of this truth from God’s Word and begin to break free of those things that the enemy tells you have no control over in your own body.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 2 Ti 1:5–7.

When life Goes Down

I was reading this morning  and thinking about some of the difficulties that Brenda and I have been facing lately when I read the following "When a life goes down on the eternal rock, Jesus Christ, then the structure will come up and will stand in the power of God." John G. Lake March 1,1914  the more I thought about that statement the more I realized that the enemy tries to drive us down to a point that we give up and he wins.
Then I realized that at times in our life we need to get back to what we know and what God has gifted us to do, (go back to the foundation Jesus Christ and him crucified) it is then we will find real peace, strength and power to pull down the strong holds of the enemy. We will never change our life, our family, our community, or our  nation till we return to the basics of our faith. we need to learn we can not program change or reform. It must come from a God breathed revival like the one describe in Acts chapter 2. 120 people turned their known world upside down in their generation without a telephone, telegraph, television, internet , Facebook, twitter or even one smartphone.  That generation also while facing percussion stated some of the first hospitals, orphanages and places to care for the elderly.  so I wonder what's our excuse? I know for me I realized that I have "learned" how to have church. I don't want church any more I want God to show wreck or programs and show us old fashion life changing encounters with the living son of God.

Thanks for letting me get this off my Chest
Have Blessed Day.

I must be less

       Today I was reading in John's Gospel John 3:30 where John the Baptist tells his followers that He (Jesus) must become greater and I (John) must become less. This got me to thinking that many of the issue I face are not because the enemy of my soul is so strong. It is because I try to be more than I should. I am just wondering how many believers could have a better walk with Christ if we could learn to stop wanting to have our way and die to self. Placing Christ completely at the forefront of our life and lived a life that said I want to please Jesus and not myself. I know as I did some soul searching, praying and talking to the Lord I found that I am guilty of want some things my way and not his. So starting today I want to change;  I want Christ to be first in all I do. I want my actions to reflect the love of Christ for my fellow man. I hope that is your prayer also.

Chaplain Steve