Unwrap Your Gift

                                         The Deception
Unfortunately the body of Christ has been deceived into thinking that only "special" people have gifts. We never think of ourselves as having gifts of the Spirit. Any person, preacher, or pastor that makes you feel like you don't have a gift has a lack of knowledge. The body of Christ seems to buy into the lie that you have to have some sort of position/title in order to manifest the gifts. Dear hearts, that is a lie and a trick of the adversary to suppress the knowledge of God. God gave you the Holy Spirit just like He gave it to the preacher. It is time to unwrap your gift! Stop this false humility that you aren't worthy of a gift. You may not be worthy, but isn't Christ? Stop thinking this is about you. Christ is worthy and died to give you the gifts so he could confirm his word (Mark 16:20). That false humility is actually pride, you are focusing more on yourself than on the purpose of the cross.

You are saying that God slighted you and only committed part of His word in your life. When He gave you the Holy Spirit, He didn't give you half or by measure. He gave you the fullness of His Spirit. Thinking that you don't have any gift, when you have the Holy Spirit, is exalting yourself against God. That's like saying the Holy Spirit is empty. It has nothing to offer you or the people around you. We know that's not true. Put some logic and Word behind this masked teaching. It doesn't add up. Read God's Word for yourself and stand on it.
                                           The Acceptance
I guarantee you, once you begin to accept that you have gifts in you, waiting to manifest, they will begin to flow through you. The only reason you do not see them flow is because you don't allow them to due to your own doubts. God isn't going to work his gifts through you against your will. If you don't want Him to work He won't. But as soon as you say, "Yes, I am a prophet. I am a preacher. I am an evangelist. I am a teacher. I am a healer. I am a dreamer. I am an encourager."  then God will confirm His word in you and through you. Until you accept it, it can't flow. Accept your identity and you'll begin to walk like Jesus...ministering the Word.

I have been dreaming dreams since a child, but traditional teaching made me feel like I was inadequate, uncertain if God was really talking to me, taught to allow the people with the title/position to go forth. Or even made me think if the preacher didn't see it then it must not be real. All lies from satan. Once I embraced my identity, the fact that I dream and can interpret dreams, I started having dreams more frequently about the people around me...and 100% right each time. I keep running into people who are having dreams and need interpretation. This is only the beginning. Let God's Word be true and every man a liar! If God's Word said it, that is it! You are gifted. As you go forth it will be confirmed. You will learn to utilize your gifts more effectively (what to say, what not to say, when to wait etc) as you mature, but start somewhere.  

*When you received the Holy Spirit you received the ultimate package. All the gifts are a result of the Spirit. So if you have the Holy Spirit you have all the gifts. * PICK ONE!

If you notice that you are drawn to a certain gift...begin a study on that gift. How did Jesus operate in that gift? Find a reliable source to read up on. Ask for guidance in the Spirit. While you get understanding begin exercising your gift. Don't bury your light.

You are a vital part of the body of Christ. We need each other to manifest God's power so the world will know of Him. Don't buy into the lie as if you are too humble to accept this gift. I am thankful for my Savior and for that reason I will allow His gifts to flow through me as a sign of my love for Him. 

What sense would it make for God to have a calling on your life and not give you the tools to get the job done? CEO's, managers, and supervisors have more sense than that. You have all the equipment you need to complete this mission dwelling on the inside of you. Unwrap your gift!

Swallowed by a Whale

Most people will teach Jonah as a bad guy who disobeyed God's command to take a message to people. Well if he is "bad" then what does that make us? I digress, I am not talking about those aspects of Jonah that we may already be familiar with.

I think we have all, one time or another, been able to relate to Jonah. We get fearful to tell our coworker the message God has given us for them. That is just an individual and we let the whale of fear swallow us and keep us captive. Just imagine...Tarshish was a city comparable to New York. God tells you "I want you to go to New York City, a place where there are many gods, they have no standards/morals, and tell them to turn from their ways to be restored to God, or else..."

Our first reaction would be to act like we didn't hear anything or wait for 5 different confirmations to make sure it was God. We'd be very hesitant to obey. We'd consider the reaction of the people just like Jonah. Not saying it is right,but we are modern day Jonahs. Jonah's story gives us a lot more insight. There is a lot of good things to be learned from Jonah.

                                              Positive Lessons From Jonah

• Most other bible stories describe the main person  as being upright before the Lord, or gives some sort of qualification of faith. For Jonah we don't see where he would have been "qualified" for this job. There was no description other than he was the son of Amittai.

• Jonah's instructions were vague. (Jonah 1:2) You may not get the full picture of what you need to say or do. The instructions from the Holy Spirit may seem vague or to you unimportant. Act on the simple things God has instructed,  the results will amaze you every time. He knows what He is asking you to do :) The whole city turned back to God from Jonah's simple instructions.

• God didn't leave him just because Jonah feared delivering the message. God stayed with him, and worked with him till Jonah delivered the message. God will work with you when you make yourself available to Him. I would assume that this was Jonah's first time, evangelizing and prophesying all in one. God works with us to develop the gifts in us. What good would it be if he left us as soon as we were apprehensive? His message would never get around.

• The Message is greater than the messenger. Focus on the message, not yourself. You are carrying a priceless, beyond valuable, message. When God gives you a message to tell someone, it is no longer about you. The Message/The WORD needs to be esteemed higher than yourself. You can be unqualified carrying a vital message. Your decision to give the message is a life or death situation. The Message always brings life.

Warfare: Fear of Ministering

It sounds kind of intimidating when you think of talking to total strangers. Satan has petrified the people of God by having us think that if we present the gospel we will be horribly rejected. Our imaginations and prideful emotions deceive us out of speaking.

I went to the bank to cash a check and then went to the library. I saw a man and I felt like I should give him some money. He didn't look completely homeless but he wasn't all that well put together either. So of course my imagination/satan starts to talk and lists off reasons I shouldn't:

• You only have twenties in your pocket. You don't want to give him a $20. That is way too much.
• He may be insulted if I give this to him in front of all these people. (He wasn't sitting alone)
• What if he will use it on drugs. Go look in his face to see if he is a drug user first then make your decision.
• You should find someone that you KNOW (from appearance) is homeless and give it to them.
• and finally...don't do it. Just leave.

So as I am in the library I am having this war in my mind as to what to do. I made the decision in my mind to give him $20, but still not sure what to say/how to say it. Just before I leave, he gets up and walks over to some books (where no one is) PERFECT! I walk over to him and asked him does he believe in God. He said "Well, I'm not an Atheist" I tried to create a small talk. I told him "When I looked at you I felt that God wanted me to give you this." I pulled out the twenty and he looked at me and said " I can't take that, no" I was quite shocked. Because even if he weren't homeless he could've still used it for something. I walked away still a little in shock that I went through all of that warfare just to be rejected.

First thing I learned is A) Be obedient even if the outcome isn't in your favor. B) God could be unctioning you to do something but it doesn't mean people will receive. C) Sometimes giving is all you need to do. I may not need to strike small talk each time...just give and shut up.

I could have completely ignored that unction went on with my day, but I know me. I will have dreamed about giving that money to the gentleman because it would've bothered me so much. When you are in search for the manifestation of God avoiding the call to duty will begin to bother your spirit/heart.

By avoiding the our call to duty we are saying:

• I don't want to be like my master and suffer any rejection. That may hurt my pride.
• I will disobey the command he has given me because my fear is bigger. 
• His death on the cross is not worthy enough for me to share.
• The Holy Spirit is incapable of ministering effectively through me.
• I don't trust that the Holy Spirit will provide me with the power to do what is necessary.

Ministering to anyone is a battle in the mind. Even if God unctions you to not say a word and just give, most of us still have the opposing fear.

If you are just starting to minister here are some thing to help you get started:

• Build your confidence in God through His word. Declare scripture daily that speaks of your authority/identity as a believer.
• Get information and surround yourself with other Christians who are like minded in ministering.
• Discover the gift that you take an interest in the most and begin a study on it.
• Study Jesus. We are to do the things he did and greater. What did he do and how?
• Think of Loving the person more than loving yourself. The self-love wants us to protect ourselves from the embarrassment and rejection. If you love the other person the way you'd want to be loved, you'd do it.

If you have already started this and there is still warfare:

• Be obedient
• Love. This is the MOST important. Love will blind you of that fear. God has not given us the spirit of fear but of POWER and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND. 2 Tim 1:7
• Be confident in the power within
• Don't look at the outer man. It is the inner man who needs the help.

Of course this is not an exhaustive list. There are several tactics to defeating satan when he presents fear.

Let's Do This!

You defeat your purpose as a Christian when you limit your service to just going or doing things at church alone. If you are looking for more from God...get busy and more will come! What happens when you eat and eat and don't exercise? You get unhealthy right? Same with us. All we want to do is eat more word, eat more word. Without exercising the word, you have created an unhealthy and imbalanced spiritual lifestyle. You become a spiritual couch potato...wanting to just eat and eat and never exercise.

Exercise what? Glad you asked. :)
Your authority as a believer. Your faith to pray/heal the sick. Your gifts to manifest God's power in someone's life.

You will absolutely show how much faith you have according to how much of the word you act upon. Let me say that again...if you don't act upon what you say you believe you don't really believe it. I show you that I believe by doing that very thing I have faith in. In much simpler terms: I'll show you my faith by my works. Because faith without works is dead. A dead faith ____________(flat line)

Many say they believe the word of God, right? So why is it we don't believe the Holy Spirit is in us ALWAYS. We make statements as if God comes and goes. Like he chooses today he's with you and tomorrow he is not. God made a decision on Calvary that he would equip you wholly. He gave you His all powerful Holy Spirit to be able to minister and manifest His power to others. Why don't you believe it? You say you do but are you exercising it? Are you in the habit of practicing and utilizing your equipment (Holy Spirit). How can you tell if you are not believing? You're not doing. Most of us Christians take the easy road and claim we are "introverted" or "that's just not me." I understand that there are diversities of gifts and a variety of how to administer those gifts. But if you believed you could raise somebody from the dead. I mean you truly  believed it, what would be your reaction when someone told you a loved one just died?  If you believed you had the resurrected power of Jesus Christ dwelling in you. How would you respond to someone who has a fever?

God is an on the job trainer. You may not get 100% results the first few times, but continue in it. You will learn as you go. Consider this your training. Lay hands (be obedient to the word), seek for more understanding, and the Holy Spirit will open it up to you. Let's jump in! Instead of being on the side lines afraid like the rest of the world. Let's act like the Sons and Daughters that we are. Take advantage of this awesome power we have waiting to be made known to the world. Praise and Worship isn't limited to a song...it's lifestyle. Your worship is in your commitment to walk into the calling He has.

Everyone wants God to come from Heaven (AGAIN) appear to them and tell them when to evangelize and who to talk to, and when to say it...

We can hardly be obedient to the Word he has already written/commanded yet we want more? Let's handle the word he has given us. Let us be good soldiers and obey our commanding officer. If you are fearful that means you simply need more knowledge. I too need more knowledge! Knowledge brings the faith and faith eliminates the fear. Faith and fear cannot co-exist. I may not have it all, but I have begun my journey.

Please join me!

Lifestyle Evangelism

A friend of mine came to stay the weekend. We were doing some catching up. On Sunday morning we decided to go to IHOP. Just to eat, chat and enjoy one another's company. I wore my shirt that says GLORY The New Beauty. Our waitress comes and says, "I like your shirt" I responded "Thank you. It stands for Gods Love Openly Receives You." She stood there and immediately plunged into a conversation about church God, and issues in her marriage. She talked about leaving her husband because he goes to church but he is legalistic in how he treats his wife. He tells her if she's not going to be a Christian/go to church than he's divorcing her. Not realizing the word tells the husband to treat his wife like Christ treats the church, he demeans her because she doesn't attend services with him. She says the reason she can't attend church is because she is busy working for their family of 6. Her husband is misrepresenting the heart of God towards her and is using God as an excuse to push her further away.

Each time she came to our table to "check on us" she told us more details about her life. It was obvious she was searching for hope. My friend gave her a scripture the Lord placed on her heart. We exchanged our information. When we came back home, we got right to praying for this woman and rebuking the enemy from her thoughts/life.

It was no coincidence we were sitting at the table that she waitressed, on that day, at that time. Everyone around you needs a word of hope. Making it a lifestyle allows more of those opportunities to present themselves. Think about it. Do you have to focus on brushing your teeth everyday? Do you have to focus on getting dressed? Do you have constantly remind yourself to eat? These things are apart of your daily routine. So should be our daily communion with God. We should be in a routine habit of hearing and DOING the word of God. This is not to condemn anyone if they aren't doing this everyday. I want to encourage you to share the Light and the Life God has given you with others around you. The world needs you!