YOUR 3 T'S AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

8/17/2019

EARLIER THIS WEEK I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND A PROGRAM SPONSORED BY AN INCREDIBLE MINISTRY CALLED MINISTRY ARCHITECTURE , INC. THE FOUNDERS ARE A HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM THAT TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TO HELP REMOTE AREA MISSIONARIES BUILD SCHOOLS, ORPHAN HOMES, HOSPITALS, AND MANY OTHER DESPERATELY NEEDED FACILITIES TO SHARE THE GOSPEL MESSAGE AND BRING THE HOPE AND LOVE OF CHRIST TO PEOPLE IN TREMENDOUS NEED. THE ROSENBERG FAMILY IS INDEED SPECIAL, AND THEIR SON, JOEL, A GIFTED NOVELIST AND EVANGELIST WAS SPEAKING ABOUT A VARIETY OF ISSUES IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE CURRENT SITUATION BETWEEN IRAN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE REST OF THE REGIONAL AND WORLDLY PLAYERS AS THINGS UNFOLD. WHILE THE EVENING WAS A FASCINATING HISTORICAL VS, MODERN DAY PERSPECTIVE ON THE TOPIC, I WAS MOST CAPTIVATED BY A SIMPLE STATEMENT THAT JOEL MADE REGARDING A DEEPER LOOK AT OUR OWN LIVES. IT WAS AN INTROSPECTIVE QUESTION THAT IS OH SO IMPORTANT TO GOD, AND TO ALL WHO SEEK HIS KINGDOM AND GRACE. “WHERE ARE YOU FOCUSED IN TERMS OF YOUR TIME, YOUR TALENT, AND YOUR TREASURE ?”. WOW, THAT IS INDEED A QUESTION THAT EVERY ONE OF US SHOULD BE CONTEMPLATING QUITE OFTEN AS WE MOVE THROUGH OUR LIVES. WHAT MAKES IT TRULY UNIQUE IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF YOUR LIFE IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE. MANY OF US THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY SOLID GRIP ON THESE QUESTIONS, WHILE SOME MAY NOT FEEL SO CONFIDENT. ONE THING THAT I AM SURE OF HOWEVER, ALL OF US COULD USE A LOT MORE FOCUS ON TAKING THESE THREE AREAS OF OUR LIFE OUT OF A ME CENTERED ANALYSIS INTO A GOD CENTERED EFFORT. WHEN WE FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON SELF, WE FALL SHORT OF THE AMAZING THINGS THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH FOR OURSELVES, OTHERS, AND ESPECIALLY FOR GOD AND HIS KINGDOM.

FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND SO THAT WE WOULD WALK IN THEM. Ephesians 2:10

THEREFORE THEY SAID TO HIM, “WHAT SHALL WE DO , SO THAT WE MAY WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?” John 6:28

WHEN YOU REALLY BEGIN TO CONTEMPLATE THESE THREE T’S, THERE IS A VERY DISTINCT DIFFERENCE IN ONE MAJOR AREA THAT WILL GIVE YOU A TRUE ANSWER IN WHERE YOUR LIFE AND EFFORTS ARE TAKING YOU. ARE YOU MANAGING THESE YOURSELF, OR HAVE YOU INVITED GOD IN TO GUIDE YOU AND HELP YOU ? IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND TIMEFRAME ON YOU, OR TODAY AND YOUR EARTHLY LIFE, OR IS IT ON OTHERS, GOD, AND AN ETERNAL FOCUS ? PARAPHRASING WHAT JOEL ROSENBERG SAID, “ I WOULD HATE TO LIVE MY ENTIRE LIFE AND FACE THE LORD KNOWING I AM SAVED, BUT ASHAMED THAT I SPENT MY TIME ON ME AND MY NEEDS INSTEAD OF SHARING HIM, AND USING ALL HE HAD BLESSED ME WITH TO HELP OTHERS AND SERVE HIS KINGDOM.” “I WANT TO STAND IN FRONT OF HIM AND HEAR HIM SAY, WELCOME GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. ENTER MY KINGDOM AND BE BLESSED FOR YOU ARE MINE.”

BECAUSE OF THE HOPE LAID UP FOR YOU IN HEAVEN, OF WHICH YOU PREVIOUSLY HEARD IN THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL WHICH HAS COME TO YOU, JUST AS IN ALL THE WORLD ALSO IT IS CONSTANTLY BEARING FRUIT AND INCREASING, EVEN AS IT HAS BEEN DOING IN YOU ALSO SINCE THE DAY YOU HEARD OF IT AND UNDERSTOOD THE GRACE OF GOD IN TRUTH; Colossians 1: 5-6

THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FOUND FOR US IF WE TRULY SEEK IT AND ASK GOD TO HELP US HAVE EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR. WHAT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO PLACE OUR HEART AND MIND AND EFFORTS INTO THE RIGHT THINGS, AND THE THINGS THAT MATTER:

TIME: SEEK TO SPEND YOUR TIME SEEKING GOD, AND ASKING HIM TO SHOW YOU AND GUIDE YOU INTO THINGS THAT MATTER. SPEND YOUR TIME IN GODS WORD SO THAT YOU MAY HEAR HIS WISDOM. SPEND YOUR TIME WITH OTHERS WHO ARE OF LIKE MIND AND HEART FOR GOD. THEY WILL HELP YOU LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY AND PROVIDE STRENGTH IN YOUR FAITH AND BELIEF. USE YOUR TIME FOR THE PURPOSES AND PEOPLE THAT GOD HAS PUT IN YOUR LIFE AND HEART.

TALENT: SPEND TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE MANY TALENTS THAT GOD HAS BLESSED YOU WITH AS A PERSON. YOUR STRENGTHS, YOUR ACTIVITIES, YOUR SKILLS. THEY COME NOT ONLY IN WHO YOU ARE AS A PHYSICAL PERSON, BUT ALSO ARE DEEP WITHIN YOUR SPIRIT. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS PUT THINGS INSIDE YOU IN AN INDIVIDUAL WAY THAT MAKE YOU VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL IN GODS KINGDOM. ENCOURAGEMENT, GENEROSITY, MERCY, DISCERNMENT, HEALING, AND SO MANY OTHERS. FIND OUT JUST WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, AND USE THEM TO BLESS OTHERS AND TO SHARE GOD AND HIS LOVE.

TREASURE: ONCE YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN BLESSED, TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND ALWAYS BE SEEKING TO USE IT FOR THE GOOD OF THE KINGDOM AND TO HELP THOSE IN NEED. WHEN GOD GIVES YOU ABUNDANCE, THE LAST THING HE WANTS YOU TO DO IS HIDE IT, BURY IT, OR WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND IT. THERE IS NO GREATER JOY THAN TO HELP A BROTHER OR SISTER IN NEED, BE IT FINANCIALLY, IN WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, OR IN SHARING LOVE. BE FOCUSED ON GIVING YOUR TREASURES TO ALL WHO ARE IN NEED. YOU WILL BE SO GLAD WHEN YOU DO !

THANKS TO JOEL ROSENBERG FOR BEING A MAN OF GOD, AND FOR SHARING FROM HIS HEART HIS LOVE FOR GOD AND THE GIFT OF HIS SON JESUS. MAY WE ALL TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK AT OUR OWN 3 T’S AND TRULY GIVE THEM OVER TO GOD TO LEAD US IN. TRUST IN GOD, AND LET HIM BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY ! WORSHIP AND PRAISING WITH JOY/JA

AND WHATSOEVER YOU DO, DO IT HEARTILY, AS TO THE LORD, AND NOT UNTO MEN. Colossians 3:23

AND THAT HE DIED FOR ALL, THAT THEY WHICH LIVE SHOULD NOT HENCEFORTH LIVE UNTO THEMSELVES, BUT UNTO HIM,WHICH DIED FOR THEM AND ROSE AGAIN. 2 Corinthians 5:15