Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts

Monday, June 14, 2010

Weeds...


Have you ever felt insignificant, Like a weed? Perhaps even a bit resentful, at the thought of you're life being played out as a supporting role in someone else's

"big life"?

Perhaps your a frog who dreamed of being a prince...

Or maybe a plain old brick that wanted to become a great building!

The ugly duckling?

Many of us are inclined to see our ambitions as the problem. Reasoning that to act on the desire to rise above our apparent station in life is to choose to be openly discontented in our present circumstances. And the only "call" on our lives that we're aware of has to do with maintaining our status quo. Change is an uncertain thing and depending on the results of it, it can sometimes be looked upon by others as a vain manifestation of our selfcenteredness...and that's BAD!

Isn't it?

Blooming where we're planted is the key, if I'm just a brick then I must be the best brick possible!

If I'm a weed, I'll proudly and earnestly go about fulfilling Gods purpose for me!

That's the ticket, forget about being a flower and just get happy!

After all, wherever you go, there YOU are!

If you weren't happy as an ugly duckling then becoming a swan won't solve your problem!

will it?

I believe it to be a very true statement that there is nothing so common in this world as men with God given talent and intellect. That they literally walk the streets, sleeping under bridges and in alleys.


"Well that's crazy" you say, "how could that be, those people are bum's?"

I believe it's true because I've met them. It seems as though these men were at some point convinced that they were weeds, which is of course a lie. Everything in their lives beyond that point was merely living down to the expectations that were placed upon them. That's not to shift the responsibility off of them, how could they not eventually come to know the truth? What could be more painful for them than to live with a yearning in their soul's for the good and perfect will of the Father in their lives instead of their own profoundly misguided choices. Not to fret, our crafty enemy is ever ready to provide them with his "answer". And so with the lie of "I'm a weed" firmly implanted in their mind, and something to numb the pain, we can begin to understand the helplessness and hopelessness that's expressed through the circumstances of their lives.

As much of a believer in education as I am, I'm an even bigger fan of people with a vision that can inspire others to put aside their personal agenda's and start bailing the knee deep water out of the boat we're all in! This nation has jumped the track, they say that in order to get a train back on the tracks after it derails you have to reverse it until you get back to it's point of departure. How far back do you think that is? I'm not as impressed by how many diploma's you may have on your wall, or with the capital letters that follow after your name as much as I am in knowing...

"Do you know how to fix this and can you make this thing work?"

It's always more cost efficient to take care of what we have than it is to repair or replace it. The investment that's made through providing education and protection from harm to societies most vulnerable members is one that's made in everyone's best interest. The real payoff isn't immediate, it's a long term investment that societies make in their own future. It's an investment that we've failed to make because our short-sighted leadership stood by while our real collective wealth as a society was plundered. It's would've been cheap to fix at one point, especially if you give any credence to the sixteen to one exchange rate expressed in the phrase,

"an ounce of prevention is worth a whole pound of the cure"

Those who's destiny it was to be the much needed missing elements of today's society were thwarted through various means. The holocaust of abortion, our unchecked nationwide epidemic of drug/alcohol abuse, and the crown jewel of our undoing, the compromise of the American family! It's a fairly common thing for men to take an old rusty car and restore it, not just because they hope to turn a profit from it but because they love doing it. How much more important is doing "rehab" work with people? And rewarding, look at the return on that investment in terms of the number of added hands being put towards the successful outcome of our common cause.

They say that a weed is a plant man hasn't found a purpose or a use for yet, and that's probably the best reason I don't recommend looking to man for your validation! God made man in His own image, so that means your not a weed, and God does have a vitally important purpose for your life! So if you're not a weed, who were you supposed to be? What part of the solution were you intended to provide? When will you decide to do whatever you can from this point on to make that happen? Where do you belong? Why...why not?

You're not a weed, your significance is in the difference you can make in the lives of others who are perishing because of their need of what you have. That knawing feeling in your gut is from you holding back what God sent with you into this world. Have you had enough of Satan's lies, or are you going to let him continue to steal from you? Is the life you're living the life that God meant for you? How do you see the focus of your life and who's glorified by it? If it's not God, then friend you have a sin problem! And that's a very bad thing,

I'll tell you why...

Inside your heart,a still small voice, is calling out to you.

But it's very easy to ignore, and do the things you do.

Just don't ever wonder why Your life is filled with pain,

or why things never do work out as long as you remain

The one who's will is served by the living of your life.

This is not the purpose, it's the product of your strife.

He said that if we'd be His people, He would be our Lord.

And that the battle has been won,

we don't need to lift the sword.

A life that's lived to honor God really blesses you.

So just let go of all your sin

and thank the Lord it's true!


From my book of poetry, "Something To Read Besides The Walls"

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Exciting Work of Ministry!


Catchy title don't you think? okay, maybe not so much but I am starting to get really excited thinking about where all of this hard work is leading! For all of us that are involved in this venture it's the culmination of the dreams, prayers and purpose's in each of our lives. I believe that we've all been uniquely prepared to fulfill this aspect of the Lord's plan, and that it's not only for us but for many others as well!

It's been a very long journey for me, wandering through the desert for the last forty years. If you've ever been lost you know what I mean, you think your heading in the right direction but with very little confirmation it's cause for anxiety. When you see a sign that tells you how much further it is or you recognize something that you were told to watch out for a sense of peace replaces the panic. Ironically, in my current circumstances most of the things I've been told to watch out for are not good but I'm happy to see them because it means I must be on track!

More exciting ministry work!

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Speaking of being "on track", in the last week we've got a phone, designed and printed some brochures and cards, done some clean up work, and Lord willing we'll have electricity later this week! Tonight my partner Gerald told me that they're delivering some carpeting and a little bit of furniture which includes a desk, next I'm looking for about twenty or thirty chairs, enough to have meetings with. We're currently working on a newsletter, and I'm looking into various signage options for our front glass. I'm also starting to work with our website http://www.thevineyardministry.org/ So yeah, it is busy but it's fun and exciting!

Based on what I've just described I can already tell that this ministry is going to stretch my boundaries and allow me to wear many different hats, some that I've kind of worn before, like in the area of public relations. Others, like being involved with drug and alcohol cessation meetings and one on one counseling are more familiar to me.

Earlier I mentioned being lost in the desert for forty years which you may of taken as a metaphor but it's truer than you could know. I was saved at age nine and I'm forty nine now. To me it's an interesting similarity, so now am I ready to cross the Jordan into the promised land? I've stepped out in faith, and based on what the Lord's done for me in the last forty years I know that all of His promises to me are real and that He'll continue to abide in me as I abide in Him now even more than ever! He continues to give me a vision of what He wants to accomplish through this work and of how to go about it. For me thats as good as it gets, it really is exciting to be a part of !

Saturday, September 6, 2008

The Pearl

Matthew 13:45-46 again,the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls,who,when he had found one pearl of great price,went and sold all that he had and bought it. Is the kingdom of heaven a pearl?or simply a metaphor for something of great value?how might we be enriched from it,and do we have to die before benefiting in any way?A logical mind would need to know the answers to these questions,and be convinced of the truth of the answers before pursuing this "kingdom of heaven" What was Jesus really trying to convey to his listeners,and to us?If its so great of a thing,then why the sales job? philippians3:19 whose end is destruction,whose god is their belly,and whose glory is in their shame,who mind earthly things I think this verse is a partial explanation of the choices people make.The instant gratification of what we want.the illusion of fulfillment and the "easier way",the lies of satan we've accepted into our belief systems telling us that our desires are to be fulfilled in worldliness and that our constant struggle for "the goal"will bring this fulfillment.when you look at it from this perspective,it seems as phony as it is.Of course the ultimate goal of satan is to prevent us from having any sort of relationship with God or experience a conversion and receiving forgivness.(mark4:12)The amazing thing to me is that intelligent people with free will would go for it.Perhaps satans most familiar lie is to convince us that this is all we can hope for or all we deserve.Caught in a tail chasing,bottomless cup filling existence designed to keep us too busy to realize how only he is being served by it and that moments of perceived fulfillment are so fleeting as to make them worthless.Or as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes,all is vanity,and a chasing after the wind. Matthew 6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God,and his righteousness,and all these things shall be added unto you. When you subscribe to the ideology of this verse,a transformation in your life can occur.If you believe that we as a world of people were created to have fellowship with God and that there isn't a single one of us for whom he doesn't have a detailed plan ,in which we experience his abundant love and also find our meaning and true purpose.Seeking the kingdom means living in that purpose,having a sense of meaning in your life that is unshakable unto the end.We all face events and circumstances in our lives that can paralyze us with fear and hopelessness.Letting go and letting God is more that a quip people use.Like a child,who having a broken toy turned to God and said,"fix it" but after some time passed no repair was perceived asked God,"why" to which he replied,"my child,how can I fix it when you won't let go of it?"So many times in my life when I've faced difficulties,i've asked God to remind me of my purpose and where it is that I belong.Watching as people and situations find their own resolutions apart from me,just doing what i'm supposed to do and letting God do his job.