Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Building People of Substance for Works of Power
We are in a joint effort with God, Friend.
Last week I had the privilege of attending the Faith Christian Fellowship Regional Gathering in Henderson Nevada. It was a great time of fellowship with other ministers, and of refreshing from the Holy Ghost. I know everyone there received something from the Lord. When I go to such meetings, I like to review my personal take-aways: what did God talk to me about? There were several:
· We need time to reflect: All Christians need to be intentional about making time to get away, get quiet, and get honest with God. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of daily life squeezes out the holy silence we all need to allow the Lord to make the fine-tuning adjustments to keep us on course. “It’s important to have times of personal reflection on what God called you to do, to reflect on your assignment.” Fred Brothers
· My life is not my own: When I came to Christ, He purchased all of me. My life no longer is my own to run. In Kingdom matters, I am obligated to think of the will of God first, the Kingdom of God second, and my personal interests and preferences last. Even when I know the will of God, I must consider others in how I implement it. I am part of a much bigger operation, the Kingdom of God, and what I do impacts others. “"May the ceiling of my life become the runway for a new generation" Fred Brothers
· As a minister, I must protect my time with God: I have living in me the Creator of the universe. He has a specific and personal plan for my life. He wants to guide me, speak with me, and empower me. It is Him who will change the lives of others. I cannot sacrifice my time of recharging on the altar of people pleasing or busy-ness. It is the key to powerful ministry. “There’s something in you, there’s something in me that changes lives.” Terry Matthews
· We must contend for the supernatural: The forces of the world around us push against the flow of the Spirit of God. We at Faith Christian Fellowship are part of an organization that has freedom in the Spirit as part of its DNA. If we don’t proclaim it, practice it, and celebrate it, who will? His gifts may be lost to a generation. It has happened before. I can’t let it happen again.
· Prayer is foundational to the Christian endeavor: Everything begins and ends with prayer. If I have a vision that I can accomplish without God, it probably didn’t come from God. If I have a task that doesn’t drive me to my knees, it is probably not large enough. Prayer is the indicator of my inadequacy and my acknowledgment that He is more than able. “Some things you just can’t walk out until you pray ’em out." Terry Matthews
Scripture Reading: Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. (1 Corinthians 14:26 NLT)
Somebody Said: “Put it all together and if it makes sense, WooHoo!!!!" Cookie Brothers
God certainly “put it all together” for this conference. It simply confirmed again what I already knew: each of us has a piece of the puzzle. When we all bring our part and offer it up, the whole is so much greater than the sum of the parts. I urge you to take part in something bigger than yourself. Be a part. Let God use others to speak into your life, to hold up your arms, and to allow you the privilege of serving them.
Pastor Virgil Stokes
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