What Will You Be Doing?

 

Years ago I would get so sleepy on Sunday afternoons it seemed. I would eventually just drift off to sleep. I knew that was not what I should be doing, but it was like I couldn’t even stop it, and, I didn’t always try. I would just give in, and be asleep. Around this time, I heard a statement. It was a statement that was something to the effect of, “What will you be doing when Jesus comes back?” It scared me!! What would I be doing… sleeping?! What, would I, be doing?

1 Thessalonians:17 tells us what we are to do:
 

17 Pray without ceasing.

Well, I set my will to believe wherever I was at. I went to the one person who could help me, Jesus. I said, “Jesus, I need some help.”

Every time that sleepiness would come up, every time that giving in to how I felt wanted to happen, I encouraged myself with the words Jesus spoke.  

Matthew 25: 1 - 13

1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2] And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5] While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6] And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7] Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8] And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9] But the wise answered, saying, Not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11] Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13] Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

You know what, Jesus came! Jesus came and helped me! I don’t know when, or how long it took, but I know one day I was delivered of it. One day it stopped! But, I had to believe! I had to believe what the word of God said, I had to believe on the name Jesus, that he would come, and could help me; and I had to believe the gospel that I tell you about each time we talk! That gospel is, the power of God. It is all we are to know, why? Because everything we have need of, we will find, in that gospel!

The Apostle Paul said:

 

1 Corinthians 2: 2

For I have determined not to know any thing among you, except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Paul determined to know nothing except the gospel.

And you know what, we talk about that same gospel each week, and that we are to know nothing, but it!!

That gospel is preached to you, it is what you receive, it is what we stand in, it is what we are saved by, IF we keep it in memory….

1 Corinthians 15: 3-4

How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Whatever you need, remember, you will only find it in Jesus, and in, the gospel.

God Bless!
Misty

Giving Thanks

Psalm 144:15

.... happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.....

 

 

 

Click on picture to hear audio,

" Giving Thanks "

Click on picture to hear audio



 

While It is Called Today

 

Each week when I come to you, speaking about the Lord Jesus, and preaching to you the gospel;  I am always reminding us all of how we are to keep the gospel in memory; to trust in it, to stand in it. That gospel that is preached to you is defined in 1 Corinthians 15: 3 - 4.

3: How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Well, keeping it in memory for every aspect of our lives is work! Trusting in the gospel and nothing else is work!

As I have been working through things in my own life these last few weeks, the Lord began ministering to me some scriptures and reminding me of some things from years ago.

There was a time a few years back when I was speaking to a person, and as I listened to what they had to say, they soon began ministering faith to my heart. As we drove home and I considered the day and some of what I had spoken, I was not happy. I had not heard faith out of my mouth, I had not heard things out of my heart that would benefit anyone. I wasn’t condemned, but rather encouraged. Encouraged because God was ministering to me the verse out of Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying ( build up, instruct ) that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

The Psalm 50: 22 - 23 states;

22: Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

You know when we forget God, when we get our eyes on everything else, it is the most miserable place. It can feel like there is none to help, none to deliver us; you can feel as if everything is sinking fast.

But Look at 23:

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Part of ordering our conversation aright will be calling on the name of Jesus! Not murmuring and complaining, but putting our faith in that name, Jesus. Part of ordering our conversation aright will be preaching to ourselves the gospel, and keeping our conversation upright on the things of God.

Just appreciated being reminded of some of the things the Lord has encouraged me with, and am continuing to encourage myself in the things of the Lord.  

Hebrews 3:13 tells us to exhort one another daily, while it is called to day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

The Gospel is Power

Mark 1: 14 - 15

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying,

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:

repent ye, and believe the gospel.

 

Click on picture to hear audio,

" The Gospel is Power "

Click on picture to hear audio

Consider Jesus

 

Years ago I was setting with a group of people. Someone said, "Everything you ever need to know about anything, you will find the answers in the bible. " I had never heard anyone ever say that before, but as I came more to walking in the kingdom of God and with the Lord Jesus; I came to see that, that was, and still is, a true statement.

 

 

You may click on the picture to hear the audio

" Consider Jesus "

Click on picture to hear audio

Pressing On to the Things That Are Before Me

 

 

Philippians 3: 7- 8

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them dung, that I may win Christ…...

I had been teaching for 13 years, and I knew God was directing me to make a move in my career. There were a couple or so  job openings in the education field that would not be in a classroom, and were positions that directly involved something I greatly enjoyed…. reading and writing. I wanted that position! I began making moves to check into it. I went to a person of whom I had worked for at one time. They were someone who was well known and highly respected within the district. I talked with them and asked them what they thought about me applying for such a position. They shared how there was training, and it could be beneficial, but they believed I could do the job without it. I trusted this person and their expertise, so I believed I could do it as well based off of our conversation without the training.

But, I wasn’t settled. I couldn’t get settled. I knew after a short time in my spirit, it was not God. My head, my thinking was, I sure wanted it; but in my spirit, I knew it wasn’t right. I even said to the Lord, “ You know I want that position, and if you want me to, I’ll take it, you just got to tell me.” But I knew he wasn’t going to tell me that.

I went on to apply for a different position that I believed was God, and quickly got the job. During the course of reporting however from summer vacation, the position I had wanted originally opened up in my new building!! How perfect is that!!?

I had come to the place though over the years, of learning when I wanted to do something, and when the Spirit of God was directing me to do something, and I couldn’t in all honesty go after that job knowing it would be in disobedience. Within 2 or 3 months the position opened up again in my building when that person was promoted to another position.

It still was not the will of God.

But I was enjoying what I was doing. I was still doing something I loved in the reading and writing field. I was in a beautiful building, a beautiful campus. I was carrying 64 kids in a building that carried somewhere over 2, 000 middle schoolers. I was even teaching some for the third year which was such a blessing. I found myself having much success, excelling in my field, and working closely with my administration on ideas and committees they asked me to be a part of.  I was pleased where I was professionally and had a drive in me to do more, but, I also had a knowing in my spirit once again, that God was only going to let me go so far.

I made a comment once when I began to see those changes happening, that God would stop it, he wouldn’t let me get too far.

I had shared a lot of the same ideas and direction in education that my principal did; and with that, I was set to move into the seventh grade with my kids the next year and lead in the reading and writing field in that grade level.

Our department had also received X amount of dollars, and I had just spent my allotment of  somewhere over $2,200 dollars on books for the upcoming school year. It was an exciting time.

Soon after that however; nearing the end of March, God began changing my direction. I have shared how I could feel something in me turning, as if God had a big finger in my whole being, stirring stuff around in my heart, I wasn’t sure what was happening, but something, I knew, clearly was.

Within two to three months later, by the end of May, I had given away all my teaching materials, I believe there were only 2 small items I sold for 5.00 each. I was a person who studied, and, I had studied and strategized my own accumulation of books and book sets over the 14 years. It had become a perfect collection for the work I was now doing, and something I’m sure I had taken much pride in. The day I gave the last of it all away, I cried.

Philippians 3: 12 - 14

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I thank God for those years, countless things the Lord did, and continues to do in my life. Today I now minister the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and share about the power of God and how it has worked in my life, even in my teaching career. Thank God we can be servants of the most high God in all we do. Today, still is an exciting time in my life; remember, it is always exciting no matter where you are, when you are serving the Lord Jesus and the Father in heaven.

The scriptures say, He knows the times and bounds of our habitations. I encourage you to seek the Lord, seek his way, his will, for your life, you won’t be sorry!!

God Bless!!