For all women who have been kicked in ministry

For all women who've been kicked for being in ministry:
By Michelle James freely given by the Holy Spirit

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought

things that are:" 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 Check this out!

The Lord has used MANY women to fulfill His purposes, but one instance in particular excites me personally! On the third day after Jesus was crucified for men's sin and buried in a borrowed tomb, these women went to care for Jesus body. When they arrived they found the tomb empty and spoke with two angels.

"And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not." Luke 25:9-11

The men refused to hear or accept it!!! During this timeframe, women were to be "seen and not heard". Very unfitting for women to speak before being spoken to. Sadly, many still have this unfortunate mindset.

The men spoke among themselves in disbelief! Not remembering the words of the Master. Can you imagine having this amazing news to tell and being completely disregarded because you're a woman? Shortly after Jesus appeared unto them and confronted their foolishness! Their response was this... "Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:" (vs 22-25)

Whooppish!!! Can you feel the corrective tone in Jesus voice here!?! Incredible rebuke!

Ladies, as long as we are earnestly seeking the Lord in all we say and do, in all humility and inline with the Word of God, there is NO reason the Lord cannot and would not use us for His Kingdom & glory! As Ruth said, "for such a time as this..." We are placed here and now, created by the Lord, called and chosen to serve in Love our amazing Living God! Let us then continue and not grow weary in well doing, nor let the enemy hinder our walk, work nor testimonies unto the Lord!

Prayer:
Gracious & Mighty Abba Father, we humbly and joyfully come into Your presence full of hope, joy and praise for using the base things of this world to confound the wise! We ask that You continue to open doors and prepare the hearts of those whom You will send across every God-fearing daughter of Yours! We ask and give all, seeking Your face and Will for our lives, in Jesus Christ mighty & precious Holy name, amen!

The Perfect Sacrifice

"And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD,nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD." Leviticus 22:21-22

Look at the requirements here and relate it to us broken feeble people... We are/were blind, broken, maimed...everything the LORD said an acceptable sacrifice cannot be! Even the animal had to meet these requirements! But One came, perfect & complete to lay His life, a perfect Sacrifice for you and me.
"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Hebrews 9:13-15

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Romans 5:10-12
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:7-8

By His blood we are set free, a life given for you and me, that through Him we can be granted all eternity with our King! An undeserved gift for all who accept and believe.

Thank You Jesus for taking my place, undeserved by You yet Your Love saw You through, the pain and cruelty to bare that I am washed and made new, but the blood that You shed! You laid down Your life so I can be set free, You met the demands and fulfilled the law, an order for me that was way too tall. So I humbly accept Your Love & grace as You so generously took my place! I love You Lord! As You gave Your life for me, so I give mine unto You, help me be a living sacrifice as You will and please, use me to let others know they too can be free!

Pit of Despair

At some point in our lives we dig ourselves into a pit, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually &/or financially. These are all interrelated! Compromise & sin go hand in hand. Soon, this pit becomes our "comfort zone", fear of the unknown keeps us quietly tucked in and the beat down has us so weak many give up! This is the pit of despair. There is hope! Hope in Christ! He is the One who pulls us out. Surrendering to His call & Will, laying down our powerless power trips, selfish ambitions and trading it for His beautiful cross. It's by His strength we can climb out! The Word says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:12 The *KEY* is remaining in Him! See, there are others around you who enjoy your company in this pit! Often they will come against you with fierce discouragement to try to keep you focused on the pit, the depth, the width and not on Christ! However, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 He IS for us. He bids us come! "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,..." 2 Corinthians 6:17 We are called, chosen by Him, a peculiar people and not of this world! In Him, we have every need met. This pit you may be in is a choice here and now, you've had enough wallowing, its time to take the hand of Christ who has ever so patiently had His hand outstretched to you, trust Him, rely on Him! This my friend is your turning point! Remember, "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27 What will you choose in this moment of opportunity?

"why so much sorrow, why so much pain?"

Why so much sorrow, why so much pain?

By Michelle James

Given by the Holy Spirit

Some ask..."why so much sorrow, why so much pain?"...

I tell you friend, it comes with being a daughter of the King. 

You see, I have this peace, this hope, and love I want to share, but it seems so little rarely even care.

They can be set free from this world and all it cares, but when I invite them to the cross seldom few meet me there.

The Master has brought me through valleys deep and places I thought were beyond reach.

He's taken me up to mountain highs and valley lows to streams far too beautiful for my eyes.

I want to share this journey too...see, it’s why Jesus died for me & you. 

Some say, the cost is too high and the road is too steep, the journey is long and my flesh is weak.

They fail to see, we are not alone, as He provides every need from His gracious Throne.

There's no burden to great for His tender care, He's near to all who will meet Him there.

This place is not far, it’s right where you are.

It's hard to see people reject perfect peace, when all He does is set you free.

Free from burdens, cares & sin, this man, my friend, wants you to belong to Him.

This pain and sorrow I bear, this pain deep within my eyes, is just because I care.

I hate the thought of your demise when at the end to your surprise; you will not be welcomed in, all because of your sin.

Those precious arms He spread so wide, the day upon the cross He died,

Was His welcoming in to all who want a journey with Him.

Eternal joy, eternal peace, forgiveness and grace, mercy beyond measure are all gifts to treasure.

So I ask this personal to you, will you walk the narrow road?

Will you share this journey untold?

Will you try to hide the pain inside or will you come to Him and confide?

There is no condemnation to bear as you will find forgiveness there.

Will you trade your burdens deep for His Love you thought to be beyond reach?

Will you take the Master's hand and trust Him with His God given plan?

The Whirlwind of WORDS

I’ve prayed and searched much about this topic over several weeks. Our words can build one up or tear them down. They can create peace or painful chaos. I pray He speaks to you as He has me. The Word of God says much about the use of our tongues; it gives many examples of defamation and slander as well as warnings against such things. I pray your heart and mind are open to correction, conviction and repentance.

 “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.” James 4:11 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21

This is a serious topic that can have deep long lasting effects on a person and possibly those around them. It is the topic of slander, defamation of character and backbiting. Just a few simple words can do so much damage. Let’s break down the phrase “speak evil”, in the Greek it is kakologeó; which means speak evil of, curse, revile, abuse. There are major repercussions for doing such things, not only within the world’s judicial system, but also according to God’s. Yes, I said the world’s legal system. Did you know someone can take such accusations before a worldly judge? Even the world knows it’s wrong to painfully hurt and maliciously slander another’s character. So, if the world knows it’s wrong, how much more does the Heavenly Father hate it? TREMENDOUSLY!

Just what is slander? The greek word for “slander” is diábolos (from 1225 /diabállō, "to slander, accuse, defame") – properly, a slanderer; a false accuser; unjustly criticizing to hurt (malign) and condemn to sever a relationship. [1228 (diábolos) is the root of the English word, "Devil". 1228 (diabolos) in secular Greek means "backbiter," i.e. an accuser, calumniator (slanderer). 1228 (diábolos) is literally someone who "casts through," i.e. making charges that bring down (destroy) - concordances.org

Safe to say slander, unjust criticism, condemnation to sever a relationship, backbiting, false accusations, all lies, etc. is satanic! Those who practice such things on a regular basis; yet call themselves Christians may want to consider whose character they truly do reveal. Remember the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Those who follow him will do as he does! Steal your joy, kill your friendships & relationships and destroy the life Christ wants you to have in Him!

Here are three examples of such slanderous division I want to share from the Word. There are many more, but I’ve found these three to be the most distinct in their destruction!

First, let’s look at Eve’s conversation with the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:1-6

This still affects us! Why? The serpent made Eve question God, His motives, His character and integrity! He twisted God’s words and made Him seem selfish in desiring to keep knowledge to Himself! Eve played right into Satan’s hands and fell right into his trap! The serpent made the forbidden fruit seem harmless and beneficial. Not only did she eat, but she gave it to her husband Adam! This was a sly conniving conversation filled with twisted words and inevitably caused the fall of man! There was an agenda behind it. He not only wanted them to be disobedient to God, but also to sever their relationship. Satan has always been jealous of God and he has the ultimate wicked heart.

Let’s look at another example: Let’s look at 2 Samuel 10

“And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” (v1-3)

 King David wanted to bring comfort & show kindness to the family for their loss. So he sent 2 of his servants to deliver the message. However, the princes of the children of Ammon, misconstrued the message, twisted David’s intentions and said he sent spies! So these servants of David were defamed, stripped of their dignity and clothing ½ in the middle to their buttocks and ½ their beards were shaved off (v4), their beards showed stature; plus they were embarrassed! He sent his servants away to be cared for in Jericho until their beards grew again (v5). So, not only was King David defamed, but his humble servants as well! Since the princes of the children of Ammon refused to believe this was good sentiment they hired they Syrians. They were dressed for battle! All this devastation, for what? All David wanted to do was send his condolences but in return due to destructive defamation and slander they’re in an out and out WAR! The remaining of the chapter lists the armies involved, but in the end David’s army, all of Israel (v17) sleighed nearly 50,000 people! This is craziness!

 Do you see how destructive the tongue can be? This is one of the most deadly cases in the Old Testament! “All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.” Psalm 41:7 So, we’ve seen the fall of man, a spiritual death, and now a tremendous catastrophic case of physical death.

Finally, let’s look at what Satan, the father of lies has done to our Beloved Savior. Satan used the religious leaders of His time to ultimately take Jesus life. They had nothing on Him, but lies! “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” Acts 2:23 They inevitably took His life!

We understand the devastation of an uncontrolled tongue. Where does it all stem from? It stems from a wicked heart. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:45 A wicked heart is self-serving, proud, jealous and envious. All of which Satan possess and impresses these things upon those who are unarmed in Christ! This was exactly James point when he said, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren…” James 4:11 A true born again, Sprirt filled believer should not have a lifestyle full of constant Hippocratic lies! For those in the flesh, it’s comfortable for them to spread gossip, defame others character and tear others down for their own personal gain. I strongly believe a slanderous disposition reveals an evil heart. Which are obviously distinct characteristics of the world! “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matt 7:20

What are we to do when we are the one wronged? “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”2 Corinthians 5:20 Being His ambassador means we are to be His example to the world. “And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:” 1 Corinthians 4:12-13 We are to follow the example He gave us! “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:” 1 Peter 2:22-23  Pray for them, bless them! “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” Matt 5:11 “Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.” 1 Corinthians 4:13

Let them do as they do, we do not retaliate. Vengeance is not our place. It belongs to the Lord. There are great warnings to those who choose to hurt one of His children in any form.

“Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.” Proverbs 20:17 Things may go your way for a time, but the Lord wins everytime. Don't be fooled that you'll get away with the deceptive destruction you've caused. It will come back upon you!

“I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.” Psalm 39:1  Let us be diligent in seeking the Lord’s will over our own and ask that He bridle our tongues so He is glorified in all thing. Watch your mouth and what spews forth from it. It reveals your true character and who you are really following. This is something to seriously think and pray about.

A WARNING TO THOSE WHO HEED NOT!

“Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” Psalm 52:1-7

The Embraced deception called SERVICE- Revised

^“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

There is much talk today from countless pulpits across the country and around the globe that greatly grieve the work of the Holy Spirit; the talk of “spiritual gifts” and it’s relation to “SERVICE”.

“In the well-defined purpose-centered atmosphere of the postmodern church, discovery and development depend more on human plans and management formulas than on faith in God and the silent work of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps that's why Pastor Warren suggests,

"Begin by assessing your gifts and abilities. Take a long, honest look at what you are good at and what you're not good at. Ask other people. Paul advised, 'Try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities.' [Romans 12:3b, The Message]  Make a list. Ask other people for their candid opinion.... Spiritual gifts and natural abilities are always confirmed by others."

They are? What if your spiritual gift has nothing to do with your natural talents or personal preferences? What if God gave you gifts that would show His exceeding greatness, not yours? In stark contrast to Pastor Warren's view of spiritual gifts, the apostle Paul said,

"I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Did you hear that? God uses weak but faithful believers who will demonstrate His power, not their own talents. In fact, our own talents are often the opposite of our spiritual gifts. History shows us how some of God's most powerful messengers served in total weakness, all the more demonstrating the amazing power of the Holy Spirit.  Now as then, many of His servants come to Him as quiet, shy introverts who would fear speaking their name in a group and would shudder at the improbable thought of ever speaking in front of a group.”  Excerpt from- ‘Spiritual Gifts and Community Service’ By Berit Kjos - July 2004

Berit Kjos nailed it biblically! Since when did Christ command us to do the work ourselves or rely upon our own strength to accomplish anything He’s required? Since when did our “spiritual gifts” have anything to do with serving those around us and being responsible in ourselves for the work of the Lord? Is it not by HIS POWER AND MIGHT? It’s ALWAYS been about JESUS; to compromise for the sake of “church growth” is wrong! Service or not there is little to no emphasis on Salvation in Christ alone for fear of scaring away the crowd. This talk of SERVICE is nothing more than a glorified rally for the Antichrist false global religion volunteers. Remember Jesus said, “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” Matthew 10:21 Precisely what’s being FORMED!
Those who practice such guile are doing just as the word says. “…deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ…” Sadly, very few within these church walls care enough to seek the Lord actually know that this is the exact opposite of Christ. The Word continues- “no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness…” Jesus Himself knew when Satan was trying to tempt Him, lie or deceive Him. He wants us to be aware also, and it’s only possible through His Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”John 14:16-17
To the born again, spirit filled - Christ follower, who has and does daily die to self:
Service is about our Love to Christ and His Spirit grants us a desire to do that which is pleasing before God. If He is not our first Love; we have strayed too far, and thus resulting in selfish ambitions that don’t necessarily regard Him as our initial reason in doing.  
“Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ," wrote Oswald Chambers. "The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him.... “Are we being more devoted to service than to Jesus Christ?" If so, we have lost our first love...” Berit Kjos
Below is an excerpt from”Walking with God” The Andrew Murray Trilogy on Sanctification

                “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; ...” Revelation 2:2-5

“In His work for us Christ gave us before and above everything His love, the personal tender affection of His heart in our work for Him and He asks us nothing less. There is such a danger of work being carried on, and our even bearing much for Christ’s sake, while the freshness of our love has passed away. And that is what Christ seeks. And that is what gives power. And that is what nothing can compensate for. Christ looks for the warm loving heart, the personal affection which ever keeps Him the center of our love and joy. Christian workers, see that all your work be the work of love, of tender personal devotion to Christ Jesus.”-Andrew Murray

“We love him, because he first loved us.”1 John 4:19 Just as Christ first loved us; it is purely by His love IN us that we are able to serve others.

Is it not the foolish things in this world that God uses? Is it not the weak He chooses to be glorified in and through? “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:” 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 If we rely on what we think we do well then we are far from relying upon His strength, and instead placing focus upon self once again. Aren’t we commanded consistently throughout the Word to rely not upon ourselves, but rather to let go of the world and white knuckle grip the Living Word of God; faithfully carrying our cross! Let the Word of God be the foundation to which all things are compared to! All things else will lead you away from the straight and narrow and permit you to place the spotlight upon self. Jesus deliberately told us what was required to be His.“…If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

SELF or THE CROSS – It’s a choice we all must make. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of this service? Am I being used in a way that screams GOD IS WORKING THROUGH me for HIS GLORY or am I relying upon my own strength for my gain? All the more reason to seek the Lord’s face in prayer and His Word! If we don’t know the Truth we cannot know nor recognize the false counterfeit which is so blatantly horrific within the church today!

It’s time to get back to the basics… BACK TO OUR FIRST LOVE- JESUS! In Him all intentions are pure as well as all glory is rightly His! AMEN!

“If we give God service it must be because He gives us grace. We work for Him because He works in us.” C.H. Spurgeon

The Embraced Deception called SERVICE

^“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

There is much talk today from countless pulpits across the country and around the globe that greatly grieve the work of the Holy Spirit; the talk of “spiritual gifts” and it’s relation to “SERVICE”.

“In the well-defined purpose-centered atmosphere of the postmodern church, discovery and development depend more on human plans and management formulas than on faith in God and the silent work of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps that's why Pastor Warren suggests,

"Begin by assessing your gifts and abilities. Take a long, honest look at what you are good at and what you're not good at. Ask other people. Paul advised, 'Try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities.' [Romans 12:3b, The Message]  Make a list. Ask other people for their candid opinion.... Spiritual gifts and natural abilities are always confirmed by others."

They are? What if your spiritual gift has nothing to do with your natural talents or personal preferences? What if God gave you gifts that would show His exceeding greatness, not yours? In stark contrast to Pastor Warren's view of spiritual gifts, the apostle Paul said,

"I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Did you hear that? God uses weak but faithful believers who will demonstrate His power, not their own talents. In fact, our own talents are often the opposite of our spiritual gifts. History shows us how some of God's most powerful messengers served in total weakness, all the more demonstrating the amazing power of the Holy Spirit.  Now as then, many of His servants come to Him as quiet, shy introverts who would fear speaking their name in a group and would shudder at the improbable thought of ever speaking in front of a group.”  Excerpt from- ‘Spiritual Gifts and Community Service’ By Berit Kjos - July 2004

Berit Kjos nailed it biblically! Since when did Christ command us to do the work ourselves or rely upon our own strength to accomplish anything He’s required? Since when did our “spiritual gifts” have anything to do with serving those around us and being responsible in ourselves for the work of the Lord? Is it not by HIS POWER AND MIGHT? It’s ALWAYS been about JESUS; to compromise for the sake of “church growth” is wrong! Service or not there is little to no emphasis on Salvation in Christ alone for fear of scaring away the crowd. This talk of SERVICE is nothing more than a glorified rally for the Antichrist false global religion volunteers. Remember Jesus said, “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” Matthew 10:21 Precisely what’s being FORMED! Those who practice such guile are doing just as the word says. “…deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ…” Sadly, very few within these church walls care enough to seek the Lord actually know that this is the exact opposite of Christ. The Word continues- “no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness…” Jesus Himself knew when Satan was trying to tempt Him, lie or deceive Him. He wants us to be aware also, and it’s only possible through His Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”John 14:16-17


To the born again, spirit filled - Christ follower, who has and does daily die to self:
Service is about our Love to Christ and His Spirit grants us a desire to do that which is pleasing before God. If He is not our first Love; we have strayed too far, and thus resulting in selfish ambitions that don’t necessarily regard Him as our initial reason in doing.  “Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ," wrote Oswald Chambers. "The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him.... “Are we being more devoted to service than to Jesus Christ?" If so, we have lost our first love...” Berit Kjos


Below is an excerpt from”Walking with God” The Andrew Murray Trilogy on Sanctification

                “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; ...” Revelation 2:2-5

“In His work for us Christ gave us before and above everything His love, the personal tender affection of His heart in our work for Him and He asks us nothing less. There is such a danger of work being carried on, and our even bearing much for Christ’s sake, while the freshness of our love has passed away. And that is what Christ seeks. And that is what gives power. And that is what nothing can compensate for. Christ looks for the warm loving heart, the personal affection which ever keeps Him the center of our love and joy. Christian workers, see that all your work be the work of love, of tender personal devotion to Christ Jesus.”-Andrew Murray

“We love him, because he first loved us.”1 John 4:19 Just as Christ first loved us; it is purely by His love IN us that we are able to serve others. Is it not the foolish things in this world that God uses? Is it not the weak He chooses to be glorified in and through? “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:” 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 If we rely on what we think we do well then we are far from relying upon His strength, and instead placing focus upon self once again. Aren’t we commanded consistently throughout the Word to rely not upon ourselves, but rather to let go of the world and white knuckle grip the Living Word of God; faithfully carrying our cross! Let the Word of God be the foundation to which all things are compared to! All things else will lead you away from the straight and narrow and permit you to place the spotlight upon self. Jesus deliberately told us what was required to be His.“…If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

SELF or THE CROSS – It’s a choice we all must make. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of this service? Am I being used in a way that screams GOD IS WORKING THROUGH me for HIS GLORY or am I relying upon my own strength & talents? All the more reason to seek the Lord’s face in prayer and His Word! If we don’t know the Truth we cannot know nor recognize the false counterfeit which is so blatantly horrific within the church today!

It’s time to get back to the basics… BACK TO OUR FIRST LOVE- JESUS! In Him all intentions are pure as well as all glory is rightly His! AMEN!

“If we give God service it must be because He gives us grace. We work for Him because He works in us.” C.H. Spurgeon

For the full article quoted from above by Berit Kjos go to:
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/5-purpose-gifts.htm