STIR UP THOSE GIFTS!
Pastor
Larry Gatlin, So Oregon
Here we are, another fall. Here in beautiful
Southern Oregon the weather is fabulous. We are seeing temperatures in the mid
to high 80s. Pretty much a non - typical autumn. But when the wind blows it
really "Stirs Things Up".
That's
what I want to share with you this month. It seems that the Lord is starting to
stir things up. I have had the experience lately of His moving on my heart to stir
up the gifting that is with in me. I also feel than He is stirring up the Body
of Christ to move forward for the Kingdom of God.
The
Lord has spoke to my heart of the need for His Church to search their hearts
and repent of any sins that they may be harboring. Whether they be, sins of
commission or omission.
In
the history of the Church there has never been a move of God that didn't start
with the Church first getting in right position for Him to use them.
Next
I believe that He is stirring up the Church to come into a deeper understanding
of just how much we need to walk in Faith. Faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1) What is the substance of something? It is
what it is made up of. If it is a house, it is the lumber; electrical wiring,
sheet rock, and all of the other materials thank goes into making it look like
a real house. If it is a cake it is flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and all of the
other ingredients that make it taste so good. (By the way, my wife makes
this chocolate cake that is so good I would even have it for breakfast!)
When
you start building a house or baking a cake do you see the cake? No, you see
the ingredients; but you still know that you are going to get a cake – or a
house. You expect it. That is exactly what faith does.
Let
me give you a couple of examples. In John chapter two Jesus performs His first
public miracle.
On
the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus
was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have
no wine."
4
Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My
hour has not yet come."
5
His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do
it."
6
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of
purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus
said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them
up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to
the master of the feast." And they took it. 9 When the master of the
feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came
from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast
called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning
sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.
You have kept the good wine until now!" NKJV
Did His mother or the others no that when they poured in the water wine would
be the result? No, but they did as the Master instructed them. When we learn to
obey the Master we will always reap positive results.
Now
look at another scripture with me.
Now
Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the
Lord."
So
he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and
put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I
will not believe."
26
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them.
Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace
to you!" 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here,
and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not
be unbelieving, but believing."
28
And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" NKJV
I know that we often refer to Thomas as, "Doubting Thomas" but
something happened that I believe changed that.
Jesus
instructed him to touch and feel and see for himself that indeed He was there
with them and that He had risen from the dead. Suddenly Thomas believed
and cried out that indeed Jesus was, (IS) alive.
What
happened in both of these situations? Jesus, the Living Word of God gave
substance to their faith and they believed. All of it hinged on obedience, but
they all believed. Even Thomas. This one encounter so changed Thomas that He
finished his life as a martyr in India.
You see in Hebrews 11 the word hope should be
translated, expect. When we learn to trust Jesus as the Living Word of God and
we stand upon the promises of the written Word of God. We are receiving
substance that brings the results of our expectations.
I
say. Lord stir up faith in us. Let us receive substance from our trusting in
You as the Living Word of God. And let us continually dwell in the written Word
of God.
I Love
you all a bunch. Remember the saying from the sixties and seventies, "KEEP
ON TRUCKIN"? Well I say "Keep on Believing."
Increase
your expectations of what the Lord wants to do for you.
