Following the leading of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we were going door to door and offering to pray for people. Only one said no and shut the door on us. Most were very pleasantly surprised and responded positively to the offer, made with no strings attached. We knocked on the next door and a man answered. He seemed rather distracted, but invited us in and asked us to sit down. We made the offer to pray and he accepted, but had some questions he wanted to asked first.
At the end of our impromptu interview, he allowed us to pray for him and his family. He asked where we gathered on Sunday and we told him along with a welcome to join us anytime he chose.
His children began attending regularly and became part of the church family. Several times when they were not working he and his wife joined us as well.
As we are a traveling ministry, the time came for us to move on. Joyfully we bid farewell to our new friends and followed the Lords leading once more to parts unknown. Several months later we received a phone call from the pastor of that church we'd worked with while in that area. He asked if we remembered the gentleman on who's door we had knocked who subsequently visited the church. We said we did. Then he shared a story that reminded us and encouraged us in the work God has called us to.
Pastor began "Jim (not his real name) called me out of the blue the other day. He wanted to share a story for me to pass on to you. He said that day we came to his door and offered to pray for him, he had at that very moment been sitting in his office. His marriage was falling apart and his business was a mess. He cried out to God and asked for help. Right then is when we knocked on his door!"
Since then, with open hearts to the Lord this family has received much healing and deliverance. If Jim hadn't called Pastor to share with him, we never would have known the impact our little insignificant act of obedience had harvested for the Glory of God Almighty! We don't always see the result, but God always knows the end He is moving us toward. Always, it is for not only our good but the good of others as well.
What a mighty, awesome, loving, kind and infinitely creative God we serve! This story and so many others like it are the reason we have forsaken all to travel where the Holy Spirit leads and share the glorious Gospel of Salvation through Christ Jesus with any and all that we come in contact with. We don't count souls harvested, we just obey our God and trust in Him with all our hearts, leaving things in His ultra capable hands!
What a joy, what a privilege to serve the Lord and fulfill His purposes in our lives. Whatever the Lord has called you to in YOUR life, be encouraged that He is there working all things together for good even when you don't see or know the result of it. Every insignificant act of obedience He turns to SIGNIFICANT GLORY TO HIS WONDERFUL NAME.
(Enjoy this weeks sermon in video format if you prefer)
People are in a constant state of SHOW ME, MAKE ME FEEL IT, PROVE IT TO ME !
When the Lord prepared to deliver Israel at Israels request (Exodus 2: 23-24) He showed the people great signs and wonders through Moses, whom He had chosen to be their deliverer. (Exodus 7-13). The Passover feast was established for Israel at this time and they were delivered from the oppression of the Egyptians. They came to the Red Sea and fear caused them to tremble and cry out against God and He parted the waters and brought them across in safety (Exodus 14: 12-). After seeing and experiencing such great deliverance at the hand of God they swore to obey and serve Him. (Exodus 14:30 - 15:22)
Almost immediately after praising the Lord for His deliverance they begin berating Moses with complaints. They're hungry, they're thirsty. We would like to think that thankfulness has a long lasting deep effect but the truth is the moment to moment need and desire of our flesh is what has the greatest influence over what drives us! It's hard in the routine of daily life.
When there is deep sadness, discouragement and sorrow in our lives, remaining steadfast and faithful in matters concerning the Lord God are particularly difficult. The truth is that even when everything in our lives is going GREAT it can be hard to sustain faith. Our fleshly sin nature is constantly waiting to erupt and we have an adversary who is only too gleeful to assist those eruptions or indeed, be the catalyst for them occurring in the first place.
Why is faith so difficult even after we witness great miracles? Did the Apostles have some secret to sustaining their faith even in the face of torture and death? Is there a method to sustaining faith?
Yes, there is, but it isn't long term, one time, one size fits all.
Let's take a quick look at one of the Apostles, Peter, who denied that he knew Jesus at all, and how Jesus restored him after that awful situation. John 21:15-19 Jesus gently, firmly reminds Peter that it ISN'T ABOUT PETER IT IS ABOUT JESUS! Do you LOVE Jesus? Then serve Him. Don't waste time dwelling on yourself, spending time berating yourself, beating yourself up or fashioning for yourself methods and agendas and unkeepable promises - JUST LOVE JESUS. He'll provide the grace you need to move forward! (Unkeepable may not be in the dictionary, but we all know those kinds of promises, made and just as quickly broken, don't we?)
The Apostle Paul confessed his weakness and need to "die daily" in ICorinthians 15:31. In Philippians 3:12 he makes known his need to LET GO of things in order to obtain the better things of God. It is the same for all of us. We desperately need the constant, daily and ongoing reminder, the continual "cheerleading from God that He is on our side" in order to bolster our HOPE and sustain our FAITH.
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God is glad to provide it for the simple reason that He loves us. The relationship between the Israel people and the Lord is a physical picture of the spiritual relationship we now have the opportunity to experience since Christs sacrificial death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin, now and FOR ALL TIME ! Just as with Peter on the shore that morning Jesus offers us restoration based on His grace which is immediate, not on any works of our flesh! Even if our own hearts condemn us, the Apostle John reveals in IJohn 3:20 For if our heart condemns us God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
We are no surprise to the Lord. Our actions, just as Peters actions after Jesus' arrest, are no surprise to God. He loves us NOT because we get things right, for while we were still SINNERS He loves us. He loves us because HE CHOOSES TO.
Faith is not a method, not a program, not a series of steps you take to attain some goal. Faith is sustained by the grace of God which works in us according to HIS, GODS PLEASURE. It really is all about HIM and not about us. And it pleases Him to show us His love over and over every day in every way JUST BECAUSE HE CHOOSES TO. Need more proof? Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Oh there's so much more to fellowship with the Lord! We start right where we are, but He does not leave us there! Subscribe to our updates and continue to grow and learn about this "walk" with a Lord God who loves you! Questions? Comments? Please leave them below and we will respond. Prayer requests? Send them to us, we will pray for you! Need to talk? Email a number, we'll call you! Changing lives one at a time.....TURN THE TIDE MINISTRIES
Prayer and faith
go hand in hand. Whether you have great
faith or little faith, prayer will increase your faith as you exercise it. You may start out tentatively calling out in
doubt and even fear to the Lord, uncertain of being heard, and find yourself
ending in strength of conviction that you are not only heard but will be
answered. Many of the Psalms David the
King of Israel wrote express themselves in like manner. You can hear David struggling with faith,
crying out “why do my enemies appear to be prospering while I who worship God am
suffering?” As David relates the events
occurring as he is experiencing them, another concept becomes obvious to the
astute observer.
In relating through
prayer his experience of these events as he sees them through his own eyes, his
vision begins to change so mightily that by the end of the prayer, though
nothing has occurred in the physical world to warrant it, David’s prayer has dramatically changed from
his narrow perspective focused on himself to a broader sense of these events
causing him to give glory and praise to God, who he can now recognize as
working in the situations he has been praying about! This is so beautifully illustrated in Psalm
78 that I often go there when I am in need of reminder that how I see things
and how God sees things are very different.
I have learned to trust His viewpoint far more than my limited one.
Have you ever shared
a memory with a sibling or friend and found your memories do not even appear
related? What you remember and what they
remember sound like two completely separate memories entirely. It is the same as when two people give their
account of an accident. Each heard and
saw the same thing but may relate what they experienced so differently it doesn’t
seem like they witnessed the same event at all.
Many have dismissed the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ ministry recorded in
the four gospels precisely for the reason that they appear to contradict one
another at certain points. When in fact,
those differences in the accounts actually prove that the events were witnessed
by real people and are not simply stories being recited by memory.
Perception is
our reality, and how we perceive things to be will dictate our actions and our
reactions to circumstances. On our own,
we haven’t really the capacity for TRUTH, since everything is filtered through
our personal belief systems which are based on our history, our experiences and
largely what we've been taught. Through
prayer we are brought into agreement with truth that is larger than our understanding
which then changes our perspective, taking us out of our narrow viewpoint and
opening our hearts to Gods viewpoint which is perfect and Eternal and all
encompassing.
With that changed perspective
achieved it then changes our perception of all that surrounds and concerns
us. That change now has the power
through the Holy Spirit to change our belief system. What we believe is the catalyst to changing
our hearts and out of the heart come the issues of LIFE. In this manner God accomplishes great changes
in our lives, now leading us by His spirit into TRUTH, guiding us out of narrow
thinking that is focused on ourselves and leading us into His perspective of
love and grace which we now by the power of that Spirit have the ability to
bestow upon others, building up the Body of Christ in LOVE.
Practical
application of biblical truth in action, which has the power of God to change
our world!
Thank you for joining Tide Turning Tales! Each week, we bring you stories of our travels as we share the Gospel of salvation through Christ Jesus, application of principles from the Bible we know will bless your life or just words of encouragement, which we all need on a regular basis to navigate the rough waters of this world.
Accolades. We all seek them whether we
acknowledge it or not and do you know what?
We all need them. That’s
right. We need them. We as human beings need a pat on the back
and once in a while someone to come along side of us and assure us that we are on the right
path and we are doing the right things.
A father figure if you will that not only gives us encouragement but wise counsel.
However there is
a unhealthy attainment of accolades that some endeavor to get through
manipulation and coercion, putting others down, even stepping on them in order
that they might get ahead of them to receive a promotion, a title of
importance, a place of authority that they might be the one in charge and
giving the orders.
Those with an unhealthy attitude often find themselves constantly covering their tracks, having told lie upon lie in
order that they may sound important or even terribly spiritual, but always unequivocally in
charge and therefore worthy to be approached only with reverence. The image that they are creating is hard to
live up to even for themselves which usually encourages more lies and hypocritical actions
in order that they seem super human; a real live super hero having no faults, shortcomings or weaknesses of any kind.
Are you looking
for accolades? Do you need a pat on the back?
We all do. We need to know that
our existence on this planet means something; we want to exit stage right and
leave behind some kind of lasting impression.
May I suggest
that we find solace in our Heavenly Father and that we find importance in the
fact that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. Steal away from your routines, go to your
mountaintop, your prayer closet or just go for a walk. Your Heavenly Father wants to put His arm
around you, encourage you and give you all the accolades you need and deserve
and you just simply have to be yourself. Be who He has made you to be. You don’t have to be a super hero or have
super human strength. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Let me tell you: it is a great feeling to come before Him naked, arms open, heart expectant,
ready to receive from him the accolades we need and deserve and to obtain them
honestly. It also enables you to give them freely and honestly to others who are struggling in their lives. A word in due season brought to you in love by those who know what it is to struggle in the flesh, and how wonderful the release when we rest in the Heavenly Father. Are you struggling? We'd love to hear from you. You may comment publicly by clicking on "COMMENT" below, or send a private prayer request to turnthetideministry@live.comOur gracious Lord called us to a family that none of us need stand alone. United we are a strong Body in Christ!
Come Sunday morning a lot of people will gather in buildings big and small, fancy and plain. They'll greet one another, hug each other, smile and tell each other they are just fine and then they'll sit down in pews or individual seats, in some places the lights will dim to create "ambiance", in other places they won't. In some places all attention will be riveted to a stage area where concert style lighting will create a mood, and music will begin to play. Other places, just a few voices will be raised while in still others some canned music with or without accompanying video and or words will take place. For a few moments. Fifteen, twenty and in a few of these buildings up to 45 minutes or more of music and voices raised and hands waving and some will work up an emotional fever they'll call "the spirit" and then everyone will quiet down and listen to one person, a Pastor, deliver a sermon about the word of God, around the Word of God, concerning the Word of God and then every one will smile, and hug and go home. Some version of this with a few minor variations and maybe an altar call directing folks to pray a certain prayer to ask Jesus into their hearts will take place this morning. Because it is The Lords Day. The day of Worship. And we will be doing what everyone else is doing and has done for hundreds of years now, and then most will go home, have a nice dinner, get up on Monday morning and start the same cycle again.
As God stirred this message in my heart over the last several weeks and I began to try to put it in writing, I thought about how I might soften it, make it easier on others to read, and how putting the TRUTH out there in such a harsh manner would cause many to stop reading. The truth can be very hard to swallow, but if we want to please God, it must be truth we swallow. If you don't want to please God, more than likely you aren't reading this anyway.
Being convinced that we are indeed living in the "end time" Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24, we are DETERMINED to preach the Gospel without compromise, equip the saints and build the Body of Christ in love. We sense Gods hand moving mightily in us in this direction. Music, drama and preaching to share His glorious words of LIFE! We see the "gathering together of saints" as being necessary, we just think the current method and style is wasteful! We've been asking God to share with us a BETTER way - His way! In reading Corinthians Apostle Paul is so clear that the gathering of believers is to specifically EQUIP THEM for ministry TO THE LOST AND UNSAVED, not to each other! In the church, it seems believers serve each other and call that ministry. As you dig deeper into the things of God a certain restlessness ought to accompany the acquisition of knowledge - a restlessness to GET OUT AND DO!
Apostle Paul said it well - WE ARE TO GROW UP AND MATURE IN CHRIST AND THEN DIE TO OURSELVES AND BRING THE TRUTH TO THE LOST AND UNSAVED. I cannot find in Paul's teachings where we just close our doors and serve ourselves with feel good Ladies meetings and "pound our chests" Mens meetings! We are to go out into the highways and byways and COMPEL others to JOIN US FOR THE FEAST TO COME! To compel implies a certain forcefulness being applied. Here's the deal (that was for you Gary) - we who claim to be Christian are to be a peculiar people, separated unto God in HOLINESS for His purpose. We are different from the world and they NEED to see that. We don't "reach" them by acting like them and sounding like them. We reach them with the TRUTH by practicing that truth in our own hearts and lives. By preaching that TRUTH unvarnished and uncompromised. We are ALL sinners who have fallen short of Gods glory - but we don't remain there. We change and grow. My own testimony is one of a grave sinner God never gave up on. His grace was sufficient for me and it is sufficient for you - but not to the end that He turns His head and ignores our continuing in sin because He is gracious. We must repent of sin and begin to walk in HIS LIGHT. We must preach His truth, understanding that in this life, we will suffer and be persecuted for His Names sake. It is in ETERNITY that we will have everlasting Joy. The Power of the Holy Spirit is manifest in order to show the UNBELIEVERS the truth of God, not to put on a show for those who profess Christ so they can get the willies and feel good about themselves.
The Power of the Holy Spirit is manifest in order to lead others to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, not to serve the selfish desire of a few privileged saints so they can pat themselves on their backs for their mighty spiritual prowess. We, the saints of the Living God are His mighty warriors, equipped by Him to do battle in the Spirit in order that others who are lost and wandering aimlessly would come to a knowledge of THE TRUTH, Jesus, the only way, the truth and the life and to know the power of His resurrection in order that God would be glorified through us. Saints, it is not for our selfish aims and desires but for the increase of Gods Kingdom and the building of His Body that He has given us the Holy Spirit as comforter, guide, counselor and deliverer. As you gather with the Body this Lords Day, listen for, strive to understand and consider well His call concerning you personally, with all the talent and ability He has gifted you with to SERVE GODS PURPOSE AS HIS AMBASSADOR ON THIS EARTH. Whatever you do; MAKE IT COUNT FOR CHRIST!
