4th Watch Wednesday (January 19th)

4th Watch Wednesday (January 19th)

Today’s Bible Insight Is:

It’s Not Too Much

The following is an excerpt from The TENTH: All You Need Is All You Have

…One of the most influential songs I learned as a youth was, “LORD, I’m Available To You.” When I was a teenager, I was taken under the wings of a missionary soul, the honorable, late, Mother (Dr.) Martha C. Walker, the then State Supervisor of Women for the Kansas Southwest District of the Churches of God In Christ (shout out to KSW!). Something she was known for saying is: “I’d rather see a sermon lived [than preached] any day.” I later learned the words attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi who said to have phrased the same concept in this way, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.” (Some disagree that it was actually St. Francis who said this first, but he did live by those words. He was an avid proclaimer of the Gospel. He even “preached” to the animals.)

What I want to share with you today is this: GOD calls for the life you live to be a message, as much as and more than the words you say. He does not say that the world will know you are HIS disciples by the blogs you write (or I write). The WORD says that they will know us by the love that we show (John 13:35). There is this issue though: the ability to show love is like a cistern with oil. When we give love, it takes something out of us. That cistern needs to be re-filled in order for us to keep giving it out afresh. I believe that you are loving. But are you running on fumes?…

If I asked their opinion (which I don’t), some people would say that “It does not take all that…” concerning your uncommon commitment to praise, prayer, worship, and a lifestyle that they would say is just too strict. And they are right to some degree. Maybe God does not require everyone to get up at 1:45 AM and get ready for 4th Watch service at 3AM everyday or even a couple of times a week. Maybe He does not require everyone to kneel at the East window three times a day to pray.

Maybe not everyone has to fast all 31 days of December to enter a new year, or the first 21 days of a new year, every year. Maybe not everyone has to sing in a church choir, or play in a worship band. OK. So, maybe God does not require everyone to pass up a million dollars to perform in what would probably be a blockbuster movie (which (I don’t have to say any names) a good actor (Chris T.) actually did recently) because the script does not reflect your Christian faith in a good light. He may not require everything you do to show your devotion to Him.

But let me tell you… If the world thinks nobody is doing all that, it’s mistaken. Maybe the masses are being sustained because the missionaries (not just the ones wearing the title) ARE doing all of that, standing in the gap. God is not looking for everyone to do everything. He is looking for someone to do something in uncomon obedience; uncommon service; uncommon ministry; uncommon faith. So why can’t someone be you?

If you are stressed out and fed up to – yep, right there, because things are not going the way you imagined and you feel disconnected from your faith or your family or your future does not look so bright… can I present to you that your struggle might be because something else IS required – something that you thought was just too much. It could be that the switch from fumes to fuel in your life is just a decision away. Maybe it’s not the enemy, but the LORD is holding you in a place of unrest until you make the change He is waiting on. Maybe He has an uncommon blessing for you that needs an uncommon expression of faith to the God who keeps His uncommon promises.

And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the Lord. So he finished the house. I Kings 9:25

• Promises // (feat. Joe L Barnes & Naomi Raine) | Maverick City Music | TRIBL [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5m09rqOoxE

Thank you JESUS! Hallelujah!

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