The God of the Famine

The Lord put something on my heart that I believe is very important. Sometimes, as Christians, we get the idea that if we can believe, we can overcome any circumstance or situation. While there's definitely much truth in that statement, we ought to preface it by saying, "If it be the Lord's will."

The reason why I make such a distinction is because as Christians, we understand the awesome and wonderful blessings we have in Christ. We believe that the prayer of faith can heal the sick (or at least we should). We believe that we can cast out devils in Jesus' name. We believe that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can say to our mountains, "Be removed!" and they will be cast into the sea. But what happens when God ordains a particular mountain to stand in our way?

Is that always some sort of test of our faith? Are we to believe God at His Word and command such an obstacle to be removed? If that's the case, what do we do with the scripture reference dealing with Paul's thorn in his flesh? Certainly, the apostle Paul (of all people) had enough faith to believe that the Lord could remove it. However, we find that the Lord had a speacial plan and a purpose for that thorn. And even once the apostle understood what the reason for it, God still allowed it to remain!

In some aspects I believe Christians have grown too accustomed to deliverance. We often look forward to the day whenever God will give us victory in certain areas of our lives. When that day finally comes, we testify as to the goodness and grace of our Lord. But what happens in the meantime? How do we magnify the Lord while we actually going through our storm? Do we act like the disciples did whenever they were crossing the sea of Galilee? Do we cry out to Jesus, asking Him whether or not He cares that we're in danger?

I've come to realize that the same God who rebukes the storm and the wind, is the same God who often allows such to take place to begin with. Therefore, just like we praise the Lord whenever, he calms the waves of life, we ought to similarly praise Him whenever our ship looks like it's about to be lost at sea. The same God who blesses us abundantly in the season of increase is the same God of the famine!

I've recently been studying the life of Joseph and have been blown away by the soveriegnty of God! Here we find a young man who was chosen by his father yet hated by his brothers! He was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery. He ended up in Egypt where he remained for many years experiencing even more injustice. He worked diligently for his master only to be lied on by his master's wife. As a result, he was thrown into prison and ultimately forgot about by someone whom he had encouraged. After going thru all that, he finally received the breakthrough he had been waiting for. Pharoah made him second in command of all Egypt!

I know it makes for some God preaching to hear about how he finally got delivered! But what about the events that led up to him needing deliverance in the first place? What about the troubles he experienced for YEARS? Oftentimes, we believe that our problems only last a short season. But the life of Joseph is a good example of how our situations and circumstances can actually grow from bad to worse, even though we do nothing to exasperate them.

I believe Joseph begged and pleaded with the Lord day in and day out, as did Paul. I wouldn't be surprised if there were times he thought he would never get out of his situation. We know that he was somewhat traumatized over all the events by the name he gave his firstborn son - Manaseh. He said that the Lord caused him to forget all his pain and trouble. Praise the Lord for that! But I believe there's an even greater lesson to be learned from Joseph's struggle.

Think about it... Joseph never would have ended up a prominent leader in Egypt had he not interpreted Pharoah's dream. He never would have interpreted Pharoah's dream if he didn't first interpret the chief cupbearer's dream. And he never would have had the opportunity of meeting the chief cupbearer had he not been thrown into prison. But he wouldn't have found himself in prison without first being lied on by Potiphar's wife! Similarly, without coming to Egypt, he never would have came in contact with Potiphar or his wife. And he never would have even gone to Egypt had his brothers not thrown him into a pit and sold him as a slave!

So we see that, regardless of how painful each step was, God had a plan and purpose for every event in which Joseph found himself. At each stage Joseph felt more and more violated and wronged. In each instance, he felt as though he was moving further and further into despair. But in actuality, he was moving closer and closer to the throne! Even though his circumstances kept growing dimmer and dimmer in the natural, God used each and every one of them for His glory!
The bible says that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. This means that nomatter what situation we go thru as believers, God has allowed it to happen for a reason. As long as we remain blameless in our actions, we can remain confident that the Lord is using our negative circumstance to bless us in the end. The same God who delivers us is the same God of the famine!

Before Job ended up with twice as many possessions in the end, he had to first experience to pain of losing everything in the beginning. He had to learn to trust in the soveriegnty of God. He had to accept the grace of God in light of his troubles and afflictions. He had to come to the realization that the same God who blessed him in the end, is the same God who orchestrated his steps in the beginning.

The bible says that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Therefore, we as men must never try to play the part of God. We have to trust that the Lord loves us and only wants what's best for us. We have to understand that many times, out trials are for our brother's comfort. We must die to self, realizing that always God works things out according to His own purpose. There may be a coming famine that the Lord is putting us in a position to overcome!

Things may be hard for us now but the future may be even harder for our brothers. They may need a special grace that only we can provide. They may have even contributed to some of our pain in the past. But what better way for them to come to know the love of Christ? What better means is there to prove that Christians really do forgive and forget?

Maybe you're experiencing some difficult and unjust times. Perhaps you don't understand why God has allowed you to go thru the things you have. Don't try to figure it out on your own. The bible says that we're to live by faith and not by sight. Just trust that the Lord is working everything together for good, regardless of what the enemy had in mind. Remember that the same God who blessed you on countless other times is the same God of your famine!

Strangers and Pilgrims

Every now and then I tune into secular radio or television to find what's going on in the world of music. Oftentimes I'm interested in discovering what the current trends are as well as what message is being brought forth. Lately, I've heard a number of people talking about their cars. Many speak about how much money they've invested into their custom candy paint job, wood grain interior, stereo sound system or twenty-inch plus rims. I was amazed by how these secular rappers appear to all be in one accord concerning such materialism. I pondered over why things are the way they are.

Then, the Lord brought me back to before I was saved. He reminded me of how I focused on some of those very same things and the reasons behind my actions. You see I didn't want and desire that solely for my own benefit. Rather, alot of that was for show. Being the player I was, I soon learned that those types of things attracted a certain kind of attention that I enjoyed. There were girls out there who wanted to be associated with the owner of such things. Therefore, my aquiring them allowed me to also come in contact with people who were impressed by them. It's been over 10 years now, but the same holds true today!

The average person wants to be recognized. They want to be noticed and stand out in a crowd. They want to attract different kinds of people so they can use those things to get what they want. The devil has allowed people's eyes to be opened so they can learn similar ways of the world and catch glimpses of how the world's system operates. The same holds true for believers. The Lord gives people spiritual eyes to see and comprehend spiritual truths which are hidden from everybody else. Jesus often exhorted "those who have an ear to hear, let him hear".

The problem is that many people don't have an ear to hear the Lord. They haven't been born again. Therefore, they can't hear what the Spirit is saying. Their carnal minds can't download spiritual truths. They can only hear the voice of the devil and believe me, he's not a mute! He's preaching entire sermons to his congregation and their swallowing every word! He's teaching people how to satisfy the lusts of their flesh. He's instructing them in the art of the pride of life. I know this because I used to be one of his pupils...

I didn't become a player by coincidence or thru trial and error. Satan schooled me, similar to how he schooled Eve in the garden of Eden. The Lord told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before they ate it they were ignorant of the fact they were naked. They had no knowlegde of that at all. However, the bible says that after they ate of it, their eyes were opened. All of sudden they could see what they couldn't see before. They now recognized they lacked cloths and found fig leaves to cover themselves. The same is true today!

Satan has allowed childrens eyes to be opened up to things they should not see or experience. Nowadays, young girls "know" about having premarital sex, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and abortion. Today, our sons "know" all about getting high, sellings drugs, stealing and killing. Instead of being ignorant to the things of the world, they have been exposed to them and in many cases have become experts! The enemy has caused their natural eyes to be open and their spiritual eyes to remain shut. Therefore, they have learned to trust in their new found wisdom and advance in iniquity.

This is not the way God intended people to be. The apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers to as children when it came to malice but to be like men whenever it came to understanding. This means that the Lord wants us to grow in the knowledge of the things of God while being ignorant of the things of the world. This doesn't mean that Christians should not be aware of what's going on around them. On the contrary, Jesus said that even though He was sending His disciples in the midst of wolves, they should be wise as serpents yet harmless as doves. This means that, as Christians, we should definately have a cursory knowledge of the things of the world, but not an intimate knowledge. The bible says that we are to be in the world but not of it.

Whenever I think of Christians becoming mixed the world, I can't help but think about Lot. Now the thing you have to understand is that Abraham and rest of the patriarchs were nomadic. Whenever God called Abram out of Ur, He told him to go to a land that He would show him. Then whenever Abram finally made it to Canaan, God told him to walk around the length and breadth of it. You see God wanted Abraham to experience the blessings associated with the promised land. But He didn't want him to become too familar with any of it because at that time, the Canannites were still living in the land. Therefore, Abraham travelled around from place to place, pitching his tent as the Lord led him. Hebrews 11 goes on to say that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived as foriegners in the land of promise, confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth.

However, whenever the bible speaks of Lot, it says that he pitched his tent toward Sodom and Gomorrah. Sure, the land was fertile, well watered and all of that. But the problem is Lot never left! The tent represents the lifestyle of one who isn't attached to any given location. At the drop of a dime, a tent can be broken down and moved to another area with ease. However, Lot basically transformed his tent into a single family home on a slab! The bible says that whenever the two angels came to Sodom, Lot was sitting in the city gate. This suggests that Lot had been there a while and had become a prominent person in the city, because only officials were allowed to sit at the gate.

So we see that Lot became comfortable in that city. Nevermind the fact that we get the word "sodomy" from that city! Nevermind the city had become so wicked that God Himself had to come down to see if things were really as bad as they seemed! In all of the filth and degradation of Sodom, Lot relaxed, kicked up his feet and made himself at home! Where was the Holy Ghost conviction? Why wasn't Lot disturbed by the environment that he was in? Why didn't he decide to break down his tent and move before he heard that the Lord was going to destroy the city?

I guess the pleasures and benefits of Sodom outweighed the moral and spiritual consequences. I assume that fertility of the land overshadowed the barreness of his spiritual life. No, Lot probably didn't participate in all the sin. But he did allow himself to become attached to the city which housed all of that demonic activity! In fact, his family became inflenced by it as well. For instance, his wife was so attached to the city that whenever they were fleeing the destruction, she looked back as if she was sorry to have to leave! Then, whenever he and his daughters had found refuge, they devised a plan to where they would get their father drunk and lay with him so they could have children by him! Where did they get that from? It wasn't Lot. They certainly didn't learn that from Abraham! No! They doubtlessly gained that evil and wicked knowledge from their Sodomite neighbors!

That's why I get nervous whenever I see Christians become too attached to the world. Slowly but surely, they will lose sight of the voice of the Lord and begin to follow another sheperd! Satan offers to give them whatever it is they desire, just like he offered to give Christ all the kingdoms of the world with their glory. Instead of walking the length and breadth of the land, Satan encourages them to sit in the city gate. Just like a spider catches its victims in its web, the enemy catches people in the world. He even allows them to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. That's why, like Lot's wife, they regret leaving when it's time to go!

But it's my prayer today, that in Jesus' name, the Lord would break any of those strongholds the enemy has placed in your life. I pray that you wouldn't get consumed with the things of the world and that you maintain the spiritual freedom of pitching your tent from place to place. It's my prayer that you would become wise enough to recognize the wiles of the devil without becoming too familar with them. I pray that you would be as strangers and pilgrims in this world, knowing that your true citizenship lies in heaven!

So you wanna be used by God?

I remember years ago when I used to pray and ask the Lord use me in a mighty way. I felt the call of God on my life concerning ministry and wanted to be a vessel and instrument for His glory. I witnessed firsthand the awesome moving of the Holy Spirit in other people's ministries and longed for the day when I would experience the Spirit operating in mine.

I believe every God-called minister has had similar aspirations at one time or another. Even the disciples, after they had been sent out, returned to Jesus and were enthusiastic over all power they experienced in their brief ministry tour . In Mark 9, Jesus informed them of His imminent death but they were too preoccupied with who would be greatest among them. On another occasion, James and John sought to sit at Jesus' right hand and left.

It's interesting how Jesus answered them. He told them they knew not what they asked. Then He inquired whether they were able to drink of the same cup that He drank and be baptized with the same baptism. When they answered yes, Jesus assured them that they would drink the same cup and be baptized with the same baptism.

Many times ministry looks like it's the place to be. We see pastors riding around in mercedes and sheperds pampered by their flocks. We see the large buildings and congregations. Oftentimes, we become intoxicated with the larger-than-life superstar status of many television preachers. As a result, we yearn for the day when the Lord "blesses" us in like fashion.

Soon actual ministry becomes second to numbers, statistics and growth. We aspire for more and more in the name of more and more. We get lost in all the hype associated with today's mega-churches. Instead of remaining enthusiastic about the ministry the Lord has given us, we become competitive. Instead of running our race, we race to see if we can become the next Peter or Paul. But let's not forget what our Lord told James and John...

The bible says they knew not what they asked. I'm sure they prayed the same prayer many of us have. I bet they sincerely wanted God to use them in a mighty way. But in the midst of their ambition, they failed to realize what was really at stake...

Today, it's not uncommon to hear people talk about wanting to be an apostle or prophet. Nowadays the church world greatly esteems such and holds these offices in high regard. But what does the Word of God say? In 1 Corinthians 4, the Apostle Paul said he and the apostles lived like they were actually last and appointed to death. He said they were reviled, persecuted, made a spectacle of, regarded as fools, weak, hungry, thirsty, naked and homeless. Many times they were beaten and imprisoned because of their ministry! Prophets often met a similar fate. Elijah ran for his life. Jeremiah often wept and John the baptist was beheaded.

However, as we travel thru the pages of holy writ, these are same individuals we consider to be "bible greats". These same men who experienced such hardships were the same men God used in a mighty way. That's why Jesus told James and John that they knew not what they asked. In their desire to be "great", they basically enlisted themselves into the army of the Lord. Now granted, the victory has already been won due to what Jesus accomplished on the cross. But that doesn't mean we won't have to fight some philistines during our tour of duty.

The Lord may very well decide to use you in a mighty way. But I wonder what battles you're gonna have to face along the way? You say you wanna be a mighty prophet like Elijah? Be prepared to face Jezebel! Wanna be a great Apostle like Peter? Get ready to be crucified upside down! But don't necessarily expect your nemesis to be some political or judicial anti-christ. Jesus said that often a man's enemies will be those of his own household. Having problems with nasty spouse or boss of yours? Congratulations! He or she may be your Herod or Ahab!

The point I'm trying to make is that all these "negative" situations are the kinds of circumstances you can expect whenever you wanna to be used of God. Glory doesn't come without a price! So you see, it's time to put up or shut up! You asked the Lord to use you like Paul. That's why you're feeling like you're shipwrecked right now!

God gave Jesus a name greater than every other name. But don't forget about how Jesus paid a price that was infinitely higher than any other person. Philippians 2 says He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. You want to be used like Christ? Well, pick up your cross and follow after Him! Be willing to drink the same cup of suffering He drank in the garden of Gethsemene. Allow your body to be baptized with the same death He experienced on Calvary!

Now don't get me wrong. Ministry is the greatest "profession" on earth! I've heard people say that a minister of the gospel would actually have to take a step down to become President! But over the years I've stopped asking the Lord to use me in a mighty fashion. I've stopped seeking to be numbered amoung the many "bible greats" in the book of hebrews hall of faith. I only desire to be used in whatever manner the Lord would have me.

I understand that the higher the calling, the higher the responsibility. I understand that the greater the anointing, the greater the trial. I'm aware that the most dangerous to the kingdom of darkness is the one the enemy will attack the most. Therefore, I'm not so quick to brag about being willing to die for Christ as Peter did, because one day it might actually become a reality! I humbly pray that the Lord use me however He sees fit and that His will be done for my life and ministry. I exhort each of you to do the same because you never know what the Lord may ask you to endure in the process.

Have you heard from the Lord lately?

Lately, I've been really enjoying my bible study. I've been in the book of Acts for the past week or so. I believe the Lord has been showing me many things in His Word. The bible truly is living and breathing. However, i've noticed that if I move outside of the will of God for my study, it's not as profitable.

As Christians we're supposed to be led by the Spirit in all of our actions. The Lord wants us to rely on Him for our leading and guidance. The Holy Spirit wants to controll our thoughts, attitudes, actions and speech. But the Holy Spirit also wants to direct our bible study.

Many times, I find myself studying various topics in the bible. It's rare that I ever stay in the same book or study for more than a week. Anything longer than that and the study no longer seems "fresh". That's not to say the Holy Spirit will necessarily deal with everybody in this fashion. However, this is how He has been dealing with me personally.

The Holy Spirit hasn't always dealt with me in this manner. A couple of years ago I found myself studying the longer books of the OT and NT. I would start at the beginning and meticulously labor until I finished the entire book. Around the same time, I used to fellowship with a friend who happened to be a prophet. We got together regularly and discussed the Word of God. He exhorted me to be sensitive to the Spirit of God in regard to my bible study. He admonished me to not be afraid to "jump around" from book to book in the Old and New Testaments. At first, I disregarded it. But later I found this new technique to be even more profitable, as the entirety of scripture lines up with itself.

As time went by, I started letting go of the "religion" associated with reading and studying the Word of God. Many times, I would study the bible because that's what "good Christians" did. Later I became more interested in finding the Lord's will concerning my study. I didn't just want to study because I was supposed to. I wanted to find what particualar book the Lord wanted me to study at any given time.

This has really blessed my soul because God wants to deal with me about different issues at different times. He has a "fresh" rhema word for me daily. Therefore, whenever I read something in His Word, He can reveal different things to me. However, it makes it more difficult whenever I fail to put myself in an environment where He can speak to me.

Sometimes, I finish my studies and have to pray for new direction. Other times, the Lord puts the brakes on a current study and leads me in a different direction. Occasionally, the Holy Spirit will bring me back to a former topic after a couple of days, weeks, months or possibly even years. But regardless, it is a tremendous blessing being in the right place at the right time. The bible is living and breathing as long as the Holy Spirit directs our reading and studying. Anything short of that and bible study can become nothing more than a boring religious activity.

Please understand. God doesn't give out browny points for reading His Word. He doesn't bless us because we spend 30 minutes studying when we could have been doing something else. The Lord blesses us by opening up the scriptures that we read and giving us understanding. He blesses us by showing a new revelation of Jesus Christ and using a particular bible figure or circumstance to give us wisdom. God wants our bible study to be more than a chore. He wants us to actually enjoy spending time in His Word. The Lord wants to reveal things to us thru His Word. Have you heard from the Lord lately?

Ministry isn't what we do...

Ministry is who we as believers are in Christ. For the longest, I had the mindset that ministry involves consciously "doing" things in an effort to minister to others. For example, I used to go out and "do" street witnessing on Friday nights. Every Friday night I would team up with members of my bible college, go to a local university and hand out tracks. It was definately a good work and I'm glad I was able to participate. However, I can remember feeling kinda fake because it was almost like whenever Friday rolled around, I would flip my Christian ministry switch and hit the streets.

I later learned that God wasn't calling me to be a good Christian and only minister on a certain day. The Lord wanted my entire life to be dedicated to Him and His work. God expected me to be a witness, with or without a track in my hand. Many times we allow good works to be crutches in our walk and service to Christ. We get so caught up in "doing" whatever traditional ministry tasks have been given to us.

Lately there hasn't been a whole lot going on with Bread 'N Water Ministries, at least as far as releasing new music is concerned. The Lord's been giving me ideas for future volumes but there hasn't been a lot of "activity". Does this mean that I haven't been ministering lately? Does the lack of recording and distributing new music mean that I haven't been involved in ministry? After all, Bread 'N Water is the "ministry" the Lord has entrusted me with.

I kinda felt that way for the past several weeks. Life didn't feel like anything special because there wasn't a lot of "doing" going on. However, the Lord showed me that ministry isn't what we "do". It's who we are. We aren't ministers because of what we do. We're true ministers because of who we are. I heard it said many times and rightly so, that people aren't sinners because they sin. They sin because they're sinners. You aren't a liar because you might lie. You lie because in your heart, you're a liar. The same thing can be said of ministers.

However, issues come in whenever we allow ourselves and/or others to catergorize and shape our ideas concerning ministry. We have the mindset that our ministries only include certain boundaries. We believe that God only called us to perform certain tasks when in reality, the Lord has called us to present our entire beings as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto Him.

Yes, the Lord has given me a music ministry. Yes, I understand that music played a significant role in prophesying. However, I err if I believe that I'm not involved with ministry whenever I'm not "doing" something related to music. Sure the Lord has given each of us certain responsibilities. However, we should never allow those individual callings and responsibilities to place God in a box.

If we examine the life of Christ, we find Jesus doing and performing many different tasks. He is the Great Physician but He did more than heal the sick. He is Our Heavenly Moses but He did more than just deliver God's people. He is the Great Teacher but He did more than just teach concerning the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus did whatever He saw His Heavenly Father doing. Out of His personal relationship with The Father, He did whatever was required of Him at any given time. That's why the same Jesus who hung naked on a cross also washed His disciples' feet.

This shows us that while there may be different priorities concerning our ministry, there is never a limit. There is never a point where we as believers fail to perform a certain task because "that isn't our calling". Jesus said that if anybody gives a person a drink of water in His name, they shall in no way lose their reward. Therefore, we as ministers must understand that there are many different areas of ministry that aren't "traditional" in nature.

When was the last time you saw a handing out water ministry? When was the last time you saw a minister spending countless hours perfecting the craft of washing disciples' feet? The point is that there are many things that need to be done in the name of Jesus. However, we've allowed this "activity mindset" to replace our true relationship with Christ.

Many times we allow things to become "idols" in our lives. Often times they can be very good things. Jesus told the church at Ephesus that He knew about all their works and labor, but He warned them that they had left their first love. In all of their activity, they forgot the One they were doing all the work for! I pray that we never get so involved in our "ministry" that we forget the Person we're working for. It may sound crazy but it isn't hard to do.

I've come to realize there's more to "ministry" than just Bread 'N Water. Even though I've been called to "minister" thru gospel rap, the Lord also expects me to "minister" in other ways. A couple of months ago, the Lord put it on my heart to "minister" to people online. There's many different Christian forums that I'm associated with in one aspect or another. It's amazing how many people have prayer requests that seemingly go unnoticed by other believers.

I can sense the presence of God whenever I began to intercede on behalf of saints I've never even met. I may not know them personally, but the Lord does. This has absolutely nothing to do with Bread 'N Water. Nevertheless, it's still "ministry". These are the type of things that often go unnoticed by men, but Our Heavenly Father sees all.

Therefore, I make it a point to lift up and encourage the saints of God however I can, whenever I can. I don't limit myself to just the "calling" that God has placed on my life. I realize that if I'm truly a minister of God, then it shouldn't really matter to me in what aspect I serve. A servant does whatever his or her master tells them to do. Certain activities may become common but that doesn't preclude their master from assigning new tasks.

I said all of that to say this: We as believers need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in our lives. If the Lord shows us things that need to be done, we should make it our job to satisfy them, nomatter how "trivial" they may seem. We have been bought with a price. We are children of God only because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. We now have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within us. Therefore, because of our relationship with Christ, we should be seeing many different kinds of service. We should recognize that we aren't this or that because of what we "do". We understand that we only "do" certain things because Christ in living inside us.

Be the Best YOU

Every now and then it's good for the Lord to bring you back to your roots. Often times if we aren't careful and watchful, we can allow our eyes to lose focus of what's really important in our lives or our ministries. I'm sure Peter could attest to this, as he got out of the boat and started walking on the sea. As long as his eyes were on Jesus, he was walking on the water. But as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink.

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm sinking. No, I haven't been sinking into the despairing waves of life or the ravages of outward sin. I've been sinking into the waters of doubt and self-pity. I've been sinking into the waves of comparison. Instead of keeping my eyes focused on Christ and His plan for my life, I've found myself focusing on the plan and mission of others. I've allowed jealousy and envy to creep into my heart, making myself vunerable to the lies of the devil.

There's no doubt that God has called many of us according to His purpose and will. It's evident that God has His hand on folks, using them mightily in these last days. But it's also appearent that God has His own plan and design for each of us. Not everyone has been called to be prominant in the world's eyes or the church's for that matter. Nevertheless, the flesh always desires such status.

Jesus taught that they who desired to be first, would be last. Just like the disciples, I've found myself murmuring about who would be the greatest. Instead of having the mind of a servant, I've worried about being exalted. Foolishly, in an attempt to size myself up, I've compared myself and ministry to others. Instead of being content with the office and function that God has blessed me with, I've often desired the "attention" that others receive. After all, I've been saved just as long or longer, that should be me up there!

One of the 10 commandments is thou shalt not covet. While I haven't been "coveting" material possessions, in my heart I've been coveting status and recognition. In a sense, I've been coveting another man's ministry. Like James and John, I've desired to sit at the right or left hand of Jesus' Glory, instead of drinking the cup of His baptism.

Jesus taught how He didn't come to be served, but to be a servant. He didn't come to earth to receive a name above all other names. He came to be a sacrifice. He LIVED His entire life just so He could DIE. While they'll never be another sacrifice needed for sin, there will always remain an example to be followed. Christ said that if any man would follow after Him, he must first deny himself and then carry his cross. We were bought with a price. That's why the bible goes on to teach that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.

All of this means that we are to die to self. We are to die to our own wants and desires and live for God. In the garden of Gethesemene, Jesus said let not My will be done but Yours be done. We have to trust in the sovereignty of God. We have to believe that God knows the beginning from the end. We have to be confident that God has orchestrated our entire lives and only wants the best for us.

The bible says that Jesus ascended into Heaven and gave gifts to men. Some were apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and some teachers. He provided these gifts to the Body of Christ so that we all could be strengthened and edified. Later in Revelation, He taught how He had the stars in His right hand, meaning He led and directed His ministers as He saw fit.

Therefore, since we are the body of Christ, we each have a special function and purpose in God's economy. None of us should look down on another member of the body. Likewise, none of our members should look down on themselves. If I'm a foot, I shouldn't look down on myself for being a foot. If I'm a foot, I also shouldn't desire to be a hand. What sense would that make?The body already has two hands. It doesn't need another one. What it needs are two good feet that it can stand on. Even though feet are the ones that step into mud at times and get dirty, they're still needed. They may not be the most attractive part of the body but they nevertheless serve their purpose. Obviously, they're important to the Head, otherwise they wouldn't be there. Not everybody appreciates feet, but we all need them. Not everybody likes feet, but there are those who do have a foot fetish. So while I'm fretting over not being a hand, there's a spleen somewhere wishing they could be a foot.

I said all of that to say this: instead of trying to be something I'm not, something that God never called me to be, it's better for me to just be myself. Instead of trying to be like someone else's ministry, I should be content with my own. Truth be told, I won't make a good anybody else. But if I allow the Holy Spirit to shape and mold me, I can be a very good ME. There's no need to desire being something God never intended for me to be. It would be fruitless for the clay to try to mold itself. The clay has to understand its position and submit itself to the potter's authority. Therefore, just like that clay, it's better to strive to be the best ME that I can be in Christ.

So I'd like to encourage you today. Perhaps, you've been feeling inadequate or feeling like you just don't measure up. Maybe you lack some of the qualities that others have. Maybe you don't get the recognition you think you deserve. If that's the case, I'd exhort you to take your eyes off of yourself and get em focused back on Christ. Don't sink into that mind state because that's not God's plan for your life.

Maybe you wouldn't make a good this or that. Maybe you really don't have what it takes to be such and such. But regardless of all that, you do have what it takes to be YOU. God said that you were fearfully and wonderfully made. Why settle being a mediocre somebody else when you can be a great YOU? Keep your eyes focused on Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you. Allow the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead to live and operate inside of you. At the end of the day, you may not be just like the next man, but you'll be the best YOU!

24

One of the biggest challenges for me is finding time to get everything done that I need to do during the course of a day. I only have 24 hours to work with so I have to be a good steward of my time. I have to have time to sleep so that's part of my day gone from jump. I wake up at around 6:30 each morning and lie in bed thinking about the Lord for 30 minutes. That usually sets the stage for the rest of my day.

I have to be at work bright and early at 8 am, Monday thru Friday. I get off at 5 or a little after each day. That's another 9 hours gone. I can usually find time during the day for christian message boards and internet searches. Occasionally, I get in the word at different times during the day. When I get off, I usually watch King of the Hill and 2 episodes of The Jamie Fox Show. By this time it's 7 pm and i've had at least an hour or so to unwind.

This is when it's time for me to really be sensitive to the Spirit of God. Because up to this point, I haven't had the opportunity to truly fellowship with the Lord. He's been on my mind and in my heart all day. I've had an opportunity to read a few passages and throw up a couple of prayers, but I haven't given Him the opportunity to have His way with me just yet. That's why it's so important to use the remainder of my evening wisely.

I thank God I don't have cable, so I'm not inclined to channel surf all night long. Many times when I go home and visit my mom on weekends, I spend a lot of my time in front of the big screen. That's how I know I'm not disciplined enough to have cable at the crib.

However, the Lord has blessed me with my own studio. I have the ability to go into The Soup Kitchen and work on music all night. But this isn't always the best use of my time. Sure I can always go and bang out another beat. But that's not always God's will. I can always justify it by claiming that I'm doing the Lord's work, but many times, the Lord hasn't given me any work like that to do. Many times when I'm working on a new volume, I have a desire to get in there and grind. I have a clear focus and direction. I know exactly what needs to be done. But other times, I find myself wasting precious time that should have been spent doing other things.

Jesus told the Church at Ephesus in Rev. 2 that He knew their work. He was aware of all their labor and toil for His name's sake. He knew how much they were hustling trying to be the best Christians they could be. Yet and still, Jesus warned them that they had left their first love, which was Him. Yeah, they were busy doing the work of the ministry. But in all that, they forgot Who they were actually working for. They allowed themselves to lose the close, intimate and personal relationship they once had with Christ.

Because of this, I try to be sensitive to the Spirit of God in my life. There's only 24 hours in a day so I have to use it wisely. I try and make it a point to spend time with Jesus before I seek doing His work. That's the same way Jesus was in His earthly ministry. He made sure He was fed by His Heavenly Father before it was time for Him to feed the multitudes. Therefore, I seek His face daily in prayer. I set aside quality time to spend in His Word. I listen to praise and worship constantly. I don't always feel like doing so, but I've come to the point to where I know it's necessary. I refuse to allow my flesh to ruin my spiritual well being and growth.

God has ordained that there be only 24 hours in each day. He could have given us more time but He didn't. Therefore, we have to make the most out of the little time we have. One day our 24s are gonna run out. We never know when, but we know it's gonna happen one day. Many of us work full time jobs outside of ministry. Many of us have families that demand our attention and time. But in light of all these things, how well do we manage the limited time we have each day? In all of our responsibilities and interests, do we set apart time for Jesus? Do we give Him amply time to have His way in our hearts and lives? Do we set apart time for His work or do we allow "His work" to consume our lives?

God has so much in store for us. He has so many great and wonderful plans for our lives. But He expects us to be faithful with what He's given us. He hasn't blessed us with a ministry so that we can neglect our Him. He hasn't blessed us with a ministry so we can neglect our family. He hasn't blessed us with a family so we can neglect Him or our ministry. We have to find a healthy balance between every aspect of our lives. But Christ has to be the center for there to be a happy median. Christ has to be the wheel inside of the wheel (Ezek 1:16).

Is Christ at the center of your 24s. Do you find time to pencil Him in each day? When you go to sleep each night, can you honestly attest that you've glorified God in your time management? Is He the Lord of your life or the Lord of a couple minutes out of your day? Are you making good use of this 24? If you knew it was your last, would you do anything differently?