Do You See Your Calling?

“Separated unto the Gospel.” — Romans 1:1

Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God. The one thing that is all important is that the Gospel of God should be realized as the abiding Reality. Reality is not human goodness, nor holiness, nor heaven, nor hell; but Redemption; and the need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker to-day. As workers we have to get used to the revelation that Redemption is the only Reality. Personal holiness is an effect, not a cause, and if we place our faith in human goodness, in the effect of Redemption, we shall go under when the test comes.

Paul did not say he separated himself, but – “when it pleased God who separated me. . .” Paul had not a hypersensitive interest in his own character. As long as our eyes are upon our own personal whiteness we shall never get near the reality of Redemption. Workers break down because their desire is for their own whiteness, and not for God. “Don’t ask me to come into contact with the rugged reality of Redemption on behalf of the filth of human life as it is; wbat I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes.” To talk in that way is a sign that the reality of the Gospel of God has not begun to touch me; there is no reckless abandon to God. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul is unconscious of himself, he is recklessly abandoned, separated by God for one purpose – to proclaim the Gospel of God (cf. Rom. 9:3.)

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Max Lucado – Trust Him—Not Stuff

All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. Psalm 104:27-28

If there were no God—“stuff” trusting would be the appropriate response to an uncertain future.  But there IS a God!

And God does not want us to trust money.  Jesus said, “Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, or have an anxious mind.”

Scrooge didn’t create the world.  God did!

Psalm 104 celebrates this lavish creation with 23-verses of itemized blessings; the heavens and the earth, the waters and streams and trees and birds and goats, and wine and oil and bread, and people and lions.  God is the source of living things both small and great!

God is the great giver.  The great provider.  The fount of every blessing.

Absolutely generous and utterly dependable.

The resounding and recurring message of Scripture is clear:

God owns it all.

God shares it all.

Trust Him—not “stuff!”

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Finding the Right Time and Place for a Quiet Time

by Rick Warren

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 NIV)

Over the past few days we’ve been talking about your quiet times. The time you spend with God is the most important part of your day. That’s why when and where you meet him is so crucial. Consistency matters in both cases.

Meet God at the same time every day. Mark 1:35 says that “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (NIV). Just because Jesus got up early to pray doesn’t mean you have to. The key is this: Give God the best part of your day. Give God whatever time of day you’re the freshest. For some of you, that’s the morning. You jump out of bed and hit the ground running. Others of you don’t believe in God until 11 a.m.! But you’re still rolling at midnight.

Most importantly, give God the best part of your day and schedule your quiet time into your day like you would any appointment.

Start slowly. If you’ve never had a quiet time before, start with five minutes. Start small and let it grow gradually. If you start out trying to have an hour-long quiet time each day, you won’t do it consistently. Eventually, shoot for no less than 15 minutes each day. Who doesn’t have 15 minutes?

Find a special place to meet with God. Jesus had a special place to meet with the Father. Luke 22:39 says, “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him” (NIV). It was Jesus’ usual habit to go to the Mount of Olives. He had a regular place where he went and prayed. What kind of place should you look for as your “regular place”? It should be:

Secluded: Look for a kind of place where you can be alone, where it’s quiet, and where you won’t be interrupted. It should be a place where you can pray aloud.
Consistent: Make it the same place every day.

Talk About It

Take time now to identify your “when” and “where” for your quiet time. You can even share it with a close friend who will hold you accountable.

What are the parts of your day to which you give great attention, are never late, and look forward the most? Put your quiet time at the top of that list.

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Get Up With God

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
(Philippians 4:8)

This is a great verse to keep in mind. Literally.

Fill your head with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. If a thought doesn’t fit one of those categories, don’t think it.

Last night, I made the mistake of turning the TV on right before I went to bed. All it took was about 5 short minutes of random channel surfing to empty my head of anything true, noble, right, pure, etc. and replace it with a heaping load of crappy crud.

Don’t let that happen to you. God knows what’s best. Dump the crud, open up your Bible and ask God to fill your mind with good thoughts.

Want a good place to start? Think about Jesus.
THINK GOOD THOUGHTS