Highlights from the Book of proverbs,,,

Stay within your calling.

"And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.

 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.

And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him."

                                     (2 Chronicles 26:18-20)

                        The word for today is find your calling and stay in it. We, all, have a calling and assignment in our lives. As we study 2 Chronicles 26:18-20, we see an example of entering into the wrong calling. King Uzziah was a great king who was used of God in a mighty way. His calling was to be a King and use his leadership skills to bless Israel but something happened along the way. He, got sidetracked. I, personally, believe that he, probably, observed the Aaronic priesthood and their ways of worship. 

                             This, most likely, fascinated him. He, probably, felt like he should bring the censer to burn incense unto the Lord. His intentions might have been good but he forgot that this privilege was given to the descendents of Aaron, who were called to the priesthood. After a while, he took upon himself the duties of the priesthood. The priests, observing this, stood in his way. They tried to prevent the King from making the greatest mistake of his life.  Seeing this, pride rose up in King Uzziah's heart and he become angry. Suddenly, something happened---leprosy started to form in his forehead. 

                            How does that applies to us? Brethren, if you feel a calling for ministry, do not, just, jump in and do it. Our feelings can trick us much like King Uzziah. Our soul (Mind, will and emotions) need to fall in line with the word. (Heb 4:12) Hebrews 4:12 clearly tells us that God's word is like a sword and it separates soul and spirit. In other words, it is the final authority. 

                                 Next, confirm your calling with the church leadership. Finding a good church and Pastor is important because it keeps us from error. The word says that in the multitude of counsellors, there is safety. Do not take it upon yourself to start a ministry without taking the time to wait and confirming your calling. Take heed of what happened to King Uzziah. 

                                 Another way to confirm your calling is through the gifts that God has given you. Whether it be natural,spiritual or both, you have been endowed with special gifts,talents and skills to fulfill your calling. Once you enter into your calling and domain, you cannot help but excel.  Some people are like a fish out of water. They think because they have a desire to sing, they should sing in the choir but upon hearing them, it is plain that they do not have the gift to sing. Where he leads, he provides. 

                            God wants us to offer the best that we have in us to him. So, in this day, if you do not know your calling and assignment, find out. If you do know your calling but you feel led to enter another field of ministry, take heed. Talk to God about it and avoid a costly mistake. 

Bible reference provided by www.biblegateway.com

Lord or Savior?

 

            Seeking his hand or seeking his face? 

 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. "
                (Matt 7:21-23)
             
            My friends, in this  short devotional, you need to ask yourself ---Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Yes, Salvation is free and available to all but is Jesus your Lord? Paul said that he travailed  in birth again until Christ be formed in you. (Gal 4:19) This letter was written to Christians then and it speaks to us now. Paul had a Pastor’s heart. He was concerned over the state of their souls. He wanted to see Christ formed in them.
       There is a molding process of Christ being formed in us. Some will yield different levels of growth but in order to grow, we need to get past Salvation and unto Lordship. Don’t look at God like a magic genie or just seek his hand. Yes, God is merciful and he does answer prayers but what are you doing to grow? 
           What are you doing to have Christ formed in you? Remember Matt 7:21-23--These people were saved and had a right to his power but never made him Lord over their lives. As you read the end of this account, you find out where they ended up. I am not trying to put fear or a guilt trip on anyone but what I am saying is scripture. The apostle Paul with all his great works and miracles said that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. 
          So, in this day, put aside your wants and needs in second place. Ask--What is my calling for my life and my assignment? That is the starting point of putting Jesus Lord of your life. Seek his face and not his hand only and you will enter a dimension in prayer that will be second to none. God bless you.


If you are not saved and would like a fresh start, go to ....http://bit.ly/1XK7vXO

Visit our facebook page under Word and Grace.(The one that has the world on it)

A special Guest....

From my good friend and Pastor Jim Blanchard. If you like his teachings, check out his website...http://www.riversvb.org/

Pastor's post---03/04/2015

                               

                     
                                 Picture courtesy of "Communion Baptist" by Alanscottwalker - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Communion_Baptist.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Communion_Baptist.jpg
                             

                                     A look at the communion elements.

                     What comes to your mind when celebrating communion. A cracker and some grape juice? A quotation from scripture? Communion is a most sacred and solemn event. It is the renewal of a covenant. A covenant that the Lord made with the church. Not understanding the covenant can have serious consequences in our lives.
                   Jesus brought this up with his disciples for the first time in John 6:25-52. I, sometimes, get amused when I hear some preachers saying we believe in the literal meaning of the Bible. Please do not misunderstand me, we should take every word of the Bible literally but at the same time, understand that some of its meanings involves symbolism or analogies. PS 17:8 says to hide me under the shadows of thy wings. When we think of wings, we think of a bird. Is God a bird? No. It is symbolic of his protection.
                      When Jesus brought up the communion elements for the first time, he compared it to his flesh and blood. The Jews forbade cannibalism and for them to hear this teaching really shook their traditions and laws to the core. When we think of Jesus and his disciples, we see 12 of them in the back of our minds. Truth of the matter is that Jesus had 70 disciples in total.(Luke 10:1, 10:17), plus those that went with him because of the loaves and fishes.
                           It was sad to see many of the disciples and others leave because of a simple misunderstanding of communion. They lost what could have been the greatest blessing of their lives, Brethren, please forgive me for being repetitious with this one point. It is,of extreme importance, especially in these last days that the believers pray the Ephesians prayers. Not doing so can cost you what could be the greatest blessing of your life. In this day, let us ask God to dig out our ears and learn how to understand the word of God through the revelation of the Holy Ghost. In my future post, I will share some deep thoughts about communion and how it can open doors in your life. I have,also, enclosed the Prayer of Ephesians so that you can use it for your prayers for you and others. God bless,

Ephesian prayers---http://bit.ly/1Bqholl