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Thursday, May 31, 2012
I slept right through the Morning Prayer call this morning. I didn't even hear the ring. I might be that I really needed the extra rest? I was on the roof until almost 9:00pm yesterday, then realized that I had not even gone to Church, the Wednesday evening Life Group.
It is important that when the Lord blesses me, I not allow that blessing to consume me, nor to compromise that which had lined me up to receive that blessing. What I mean is, I knew that the Lord would bless me abundantly more than I had imaged... and that's a LOT...
The blessings began to pile up to overflowing, in the form of work. I had made a commitment to God that I will align my life to be able to live from 10% of my income and donate the entire remaining 90% to ministry. Not directly into my own assignment, but that it goes to the Church so that it may be added to the ministry treasury.
This abundant living is NOT to be esteemed as a burden. If I see it that way, I am askew in my outlook toward it... my heart needs saturated with the Spirit of God. This abundant living can never supercede the structure, or plans that are already in place. It cannot replace church, Morning Prayer, Face Time or any other source for strength, knowledge, fellowship, or any appointed hours assigned by the Pastor... it cannot be compromised. This is known as "being faithful with the little things, so that the Lord will make me to rule the many."
When the "many things" begin to develope in my Abundant Life, they will often appear as overwhelming and simply too much to accomplish, or that it overcomes the schedule and causes me to re-schedule some things. This thing ought not to be so. He hasn't put more on me than what I am able to bear.
It isn't even true that I could but more on myself than what I am able to bear, because the Lord refines me, and He skims the dredge, to separate the impurities. What this means in practical application is that if its not producing, it needs improved or refined, or simply eliminated. Thats the "Cursed Fig".
Today, I am not the Cursed Fig. Today I am the fruit of the Lord. My branches stretch forth to receive the light that gives life. My roots search deeper for the source of my strength, the Living Water. I am joyous in the Lord. I go forward in Jesus' name!
by G. Neil Armstrong
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