|Read Last Week's
Sunday Message|
|
The
Pastor's Corner
|
August/September
DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE
Luke 10:25-34 “And a lawyer
stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 And He
(Jesus) said to him, "What is written in the Law?
How does it read to you?" 27 And he answered,
"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR
HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR
STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF." 28 And He said to him, "You have
answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE." 29
But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied and
said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him
and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31
"And by chance a priest was going down on that road,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32
"Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place
and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 "But a
Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when
he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and
bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and
he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn
and took care of him.” NASU
In the story of the Good Samaritan, 3 people were given
an opportunity to help a dying man lying by the side of
the road. Only one took it—the other 2 were too busy
and missed it.
We tend to think if God is going to use us, it’ll be
after we have formal training, fasted and prayed,
analyzed every angle, weighed the pros and cons, and have
all of our ducks in a row! Usually by that time, we have
past the opportunity. We are coming by opportunities
every day. The question is, will we act on them, or pass
them by?
The priest and the Levite were in the “helping”
profession, yet neither stopped to help. So often we
pray, “Lord give me an opportunity to
minister,” yet when He does, we miss it because
either we’re too preoccupied, or we’re looking
for something “big.” The danger in
“passing by” is that after a while you
don’t see the need anymore!
Keep your heart open this week, you might have the
opportunity to “pour in oil and wine,” and make
a difference in somebody’s life. You are already
equipped for the opportunity. The Good Samaritan was on a
journey just like you and me. We are all headed somewhere
to do something! What you may be struggling with right
now, is probably part of your preparation for what God
wants to lead you beside tomorrow.
Remember Joseph’s problems as God was preparing him?
Remember how his brothers were a little nervous about
standing before him? In Genesis 50:19-21, “Joseph
said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's
place? 20 "As for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good in order to bring about this
present result, to preserve many people alive. 21
"So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for
you and your little ones." So he comforted them and
spoke kindly to them.” NASU
God had prepared Joseph and gifted him with what he
needed to meet the need. God had prepared and gifted the
Samaritan with everything he needed to help! He was
responsible to use the gifts God had given him.
When God brought David to the palace it seemed that he
was nothing more than a simple shepherd boy. But God
said, “You’re about to be promoted. I saw you
kill the bear and the lion; I was watching you when you
didn’t even realize it.”
Solomon said in Proverbs 18:16, “that
a man’s gift makes room for him.”
David’s gift may only have been a sling, but it
opened the door to his future as Israel’s greatest
king. He also used his gift to kill Goliath! Any time you
fight the enemy, use only what you’re gifted in!
Don’t try wearing someone else’s armor; it
won’t fit.
Even if what you’ve got to work with doesn’t
seem like much, if God’s behind it it’ll be
more than enough to do the job. When God spoke to Moses
in Exodus 4:2 He asked him, “What
is that in your hand?” He
answered, “A rod.”
Imagine a regular old walking stick! But God--there it is
again, BUT GOD, used it to part the Red Sea.
Again, I believe that God’s already equipped you to
do the job! Just realize what God has given you and start
using it. All God wants is a teachable spirit, a yielded
heart, and somebody who’ll pray, “Lord, if
you’ll make me able, I’m more than
willing.”
When we give back to God what He has given to us, and He
adds to it His power, that makes us unbeatable for His
kingdom!
See
you in service!
Pastor
Mike
|
