Published by admin on 21 Jul 2001 at 05:23 pm
GOT GOD?
It seems like these days it’s all about making the dollar. The whole world revolves around money and goods. People spend endless hours and money trying to fill that “hole” in their lives with “things”. And things aren’t bad, unless they are taking the place of God in their lives. God doesn’t care if you have things, as long as things don’t have you. He’s a jealous God, you see. I have a real strong word here for some of you reading this. But we need meat if we’re going to have any strength to do anything for God. Too many are satisfied with “milk”, and skim milk, at that. And then they wonder why God isn’t doing anything in their life.
I’m not lazy, and I’m not against hard work. I’ve worked 2 and 3 jobs all my life. For what? I have to ask myself that. Things? But my wife and I know God has called us into His full-time service. So we want to put all our labors into preparing you to take your place in God’s kingdom. I seem to remember Jesus saying to his disciples, “Follow me.” That was their full-time job. They left their jobs and depended on God to take care of them. One said, Let me first bury my father, which meant, let me stay at home and work until he dies. Then I’ll follow you. Jesus said let the dead bury their dead. You follow me. The one who calls you is responsible to provide for your needs, right?
Well, I’m following Jesus full-time, and many ministers and pastors around me are telling me a job is more important than ministry. They say, work a job until God opens a door for you. Do you know that many Pastors have at least a part time job, and many have a full time job, plus being pastor? And they aren’t doing justice to either job. You can’t serve two masters, Jesus said.
You see, if you’re working full time and God says “Go…” , and He opens a door for you, you can’t go because you have a job. You don’t belong to God, you belong to your employer. Think I’m lying to you? Then let me ask you this; if God got you up in the morning and told you to go out on the road and minister, would you call your boss and say, I won’t be in anymore, God has given me an assignment to go? I think not. Why? I think you know. Strong meat? Yes, and if it has shown you your heart, then good, very good. God already knows your heart. Now it’s time you do.
I had to deal with this very issue, and some of you will too. Fortunately for me, I passed the test. Many don’t. Many will hear in that last day, “I never knew you. Depart from me.” I want to prepare your heart to say “Here am I, send me” when God says, Whom shall we send?
Yes, I know I have a family to provide for. I worked 100 hours a week and had lots of “things” but didn’t have much of a relationship with Jesus. Many of you know what I mean. Be honest with yourself and God. It’s really a time thing. How much time are you willing to give God? Just enough to “skin by” and fulfill the minimum required for salvation? Or would you be able to say “Yes” if someone said to you, “Got God?” Now I have Jesus doing miracles in my life, and others want miracles working in their lives, but aren’t willing to give up their comforts and pursuit of “things” to follow Him. I’m finding that the extra time I’m spending with the Lord has strengthened me to the point that the overflow is here to strengthen others. And that’s my heart’s desire, to see others seeking God with all their heart.
I know from personal experience that if you’re a pastor, that your flock should have your full time attention. You don’t have time for an outside job if you’re properly tending your flock. A good shepherd doesn’t just walk into the sheepfold once or twice a week and stay for an hour or two and go away. If he did that, pretty soon, his sheep would starve to death, or be picked off by wolves or stolen. And they wouldn’t be able to recognize the shepherd’s voice. Yet, some pastors have no clue what’s happening with their flock, why the church doesn’t grow, nor have they seen any great move of God, or know why their people get discouraged and leave.
Why? because they’ve been busy at work, and the flock has been getting their spare time instead of their prime time. So their starving sheep come to us. We know their needs and how to pray for and minister to them because we take time with them. The church gets the tithes, and we get the work of taking care of them. But that’s ok, we’re here to serve, not be served. Often we’re in a hospital praying for someone, when that person’s pastor should be there instead of us. But Pastor’s too busy to come. Pastor, if I’m stepping on your toes, it’s better me, than God. He has much bigger feet!
We have been pastors before, and know how to do the job and the sacrifice it is. And maybe God will have us pastor again. Actually, all these people we pray for continually on the internet are our “sheep”, and we wish we could meet with them all in one place and just love on them and let them know how precious they are to us. So many have fallen through the cracks at their local churches, because pastors are too busy to take care of their flocks. It seems there are so many programs, committees, and meetings going on that the sheep just get left out of the picture.
And the sheep are the reason for the sheepfold and the shepherd in the first place!
I think they’re missing it. Yes, it takes money to operate, but like I’ve said before, When do the needs of the people finally become more important than raising the money needed to minister? Ministry is becoming a money machine instead of a care machine that Jesus meant it to be. People are being led to seek prosperity instead of the One who prospers them. More importance is placed on the miracles than on the Maker of the miracles. People are coming to church to be entertained, instead of being changed into people who desire God more than life itself. The focus has gotten off of personal repentance, and turning to God. Somehow, we have missed it, haven’t we?
If I can cause even a few people to seek God with their whole heart, then good. And if many, better! I may not have any more answers than any other ministers do. But I hope my desire to help others know God intimately will cause me to succeed where others have failed. Many are satisfied with their own salvation, and they don’t really care if anyone else gets saved or not. But not me. I want everyone to know the wonderful God that I know, and fall head over heels in love with Him.
And I’m so thankful for our precious partners who want to help us do that. If you get a chance, have a look at the articles on our website, surely something there will stir up a hunger in you for God. Some articles will challenge you, some will make you laugh. Some will make your heart cry out for more of God. I love it when I get to write new articles. It’s so neat just to sit down and listen to the Lord speak to me. Many say they don’t hear from God. It’s easy…..just get real quiet and listen, and don’t get up till you’ve heard.
Do you know you can actually hear God for yourself, and not have to run to someone else to hear for you, including me? Sometimes it takes 5 minutes, sometimes 5 hours. The phone will ring, or you will remember a dozen things that require your immediate attention, you may begin to itch all over, or want something to eat or drink. The devil will do anything to get your attention off God. But the fun is the “chase”. Like when you were dating your sweetie, when time meant nothing, and the only important thing in life was just to be in her presence, whether you were doing anything or not. just “soaking” in the presence. The world could end, and you wouldn’t even notice. That’s the joy of seeking God. You get there and never want to leave.
I’ve found it and I want to help you find it too. Got God?