October 19, 2014

Do You Lead, Move, Stand, or Ignore?

 Acts 10: 1 - 8  

 Luke

In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.  He was devout man who feared the God of Israel, as did his entire household.  He gave generously to charity and was a man who regularly prayed to God.  One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him.  "Cornelius!" the angel said.  Cornelius stared at him in terror.  "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel.

And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God!  Now send some men down to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter.  He is staying with Simon, a leatherworker who lives near the shore.  Ask him to come and visit you."

As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.  He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.

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Thoughts....

Today will be a day to reflect as questions are offered for consideration.  Some may cause you to really reach as you search within, others may be commonplace, an everyday occurrence, a given.  The outcome of all will help you ascertain what your position is in the Kingdom of God right now.  Do you lead, move, stand, or ignore....God?  The answers should also help to clarify what your position should be in the Kingdom of God right now and what steps you might have missed that you need to take to get where you need to be....where God needs you to be for him, yourself, and others.

'In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.'

Are you where God wants you to be, doing what he wants you to do?   

'He was a devout man who feared the God of Israel, as did his entire household.'

Are you devout?

Do you fear - love, honor, revere, respect, worship God?

Is your household devout?

Do they fear - love, honor, revere, respect, worship God?

'He gave generously to charity and was a man who regularly prayed to God.'

Do you give generously to charity?

Do you regularly pray to God?

'One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.'

Three o'clock was a daily prayer time.  Do you have a regular prayer time about 3 o'clock each day? 

Have you ever had a vision of an angel?  Have you ever seen God's angels?

When was the last time - was there ever a time - you took time to listen to God or his angels?  Look for them? 

Note the exclamation point - perhaps the angel had to yell to get Cornelius' attention?  Would an angel need to yell to get your attention? 

'Cornelius stared at him in terror.  "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel.

Would you be terrified of, or welcoming to, an angel of the Lord?

Would you listen to an angel of God?

Would you speak to an angel of the Lord?

Who are God's angels?

'And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God!"  [Note the exclamation point.]

Have you prayed for the poor?

Have you given gifts to the poor?

Have you done enough that God would notice with exclamation?!

"Now send some men down to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter.  He is staying with Simon, a leatherworker who lives near the shore.  Ask him to come and visit you."

Would you take seriously a directive from an angel of God?

Would you go where angels sent you?

Would you invite strangers into your home to visit you?  Note: 'visit' implies short term.  'Strangers' implies not family. 

Would you trust your vision was from God, enough to believe you were indeed hearing from an angel, and, in trusting and believing, act on what you were told to do? 

'As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.  He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.'

Can you, would you, give directives to others?

Would you believe God knew what he was doing and accept the outcome?

Have you enough people around you who believe you, and believe in you as a member in the Kingdom of God?

Would these people listen to you?

Would these people take seriously a directive from you based on what an angel of the Lord told you?

Would you share your story with others so others might believe?

Would others 'go forth' for and with the Lord as a result of believing?

Perhaps I could have entitled this 'Blind Faith' for Cornelius' level of trust.  Or 'Visual Faith' because he had seen the angel in a vision, and saw the workings of his faith.  But it seemed appropriate to remind all that we may not be walking the walk that we talk.  May we all 'go forth' in the name and will of God, seeing and believing, as we walk the walk, while we talk the talk.

Bottom line(s): 

Where are you now?

Where do you and God want AND need you to be?

Are you ready AND willing to make the changes to LEAD, rather than just move (forward, backward, or sideways)?

Are you ready AND willing to stand better FOR God and cease standing still?

Are you ready AND willing to no longer ignore God....at any time? 

It's time.  The time is now.  What will you decide?  Are you ready to ACT on your decisions....implement them?

Would God notice the changes your are about to make in your life as positive changes based on your new decisions?

Will you LEAD for and with God?

Will others find God through you?

Will they worship, adore, and obey God because you led them, or came along beside them to lift them to him?

Will you worship, adore, and obey God better because of whom you've become in the Kingdom of God?

If so, then AMEN!

***

  Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, please forgive me of my sins.  Please lead me, guide me, direct me, envelope me, and be in me, while you raise me to new heights of love for and with you.  Help me to be all I can be for you as a leader, so that others may see you in me and want, love, adore, worship and obey you as much as I do....maybe even more.  May I, and others, journey with heart and purpose, as we manifest hope, while believing ALL the promises you give.  Thank you!  I praise you!  May all others praise you and thank you!  May we all obey you and worship you!  I love you and adore you!  And I am grateful to you....for everything you've been, and all you've done, for me.  Amen.

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More love.... 

  Benediction....Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

'All who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.  For you are all Christians - you are ONE in Christ Jesus.'  Galatians 3: 27

  It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!

Teach tolerance....reach in acceptance....worship as one!

Embrace....Respect....Encourage!

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It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, animals, the earth, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart.  

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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  ***  

 I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, besides just reading straight out of the Bible and sharing what God puts on your heart, please feel free to share any or all of what I've written, if it will help you, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know.  You are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen!

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