Fired Up!

Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth? (Galatians 4:15-16 NLT)

Are you joyful? Is your spirit grateful? Are you still on fire for the Lord? Do your actions match your words? 

After years of following Christ, I see so many Christians become stale, worn, and lethargic about their faith. It's so sad! How can you live with the God  of the Universe every day of your life and have a bad  attitude? If you are connected with God, you can't hide his power without sharing. God will supply you with the enthusiasm the focus and the specific ways you can represent him with Joy!

We need to be a soul on fire for the Lord. I know this to be true: The more I serve the more "on fire" I get. I have been blessed to serve with My CMA family these past 5 years. The more I commit to serve the more results I see. The more results I see the more it stirs the fire in me. Staleness is caused by "passivity". It is caused by becoming a Sunday Christian, just wanting to receive and not serve. When I see the working hand of God in my life, I can't help but get FIRED up for Jesus! When I see what he is doing through me I am shocked and humbled. 

Lord, I praise you for YOUR fire that stirs in me. I praise you for the joy of serving and the results I see before my eyes. I ask you Lord to continue to use me to reach others for you and to serve and be open to your leading. I ask you to help me continue to build relationships with the lost. Let them see Jesus in me. Amen!

I could get used to this!

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. (Romans 14:12 NIV)

What did you do this weekend? How much time was devoted to God?

I had such a wonderful weekend and it just came to me why. I'm not being boastful or prideful. I'm not trying to say how great I am. I'm trying to point how great God is. I really should use this weekend as a framework for my life. I don't devote as much time as I should to Gods work. If you want to know the real truth, I had a great time while serving. Yes, you heard it, you can have fun while serving The Lord.

I ministered with my CMA chapter nearly all day Saturday, visited with my mother, visited and prayed with a biker in the hospital, shared the ministry of CMA at a Church on Sunday, and had dinner and officers meeting with my wonderful officers team. It's not necessarily what I did that got my attention, it's that I really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit along every step of the way. Here's a perfect example. Saturday we attended a HOG chapter pancake breakfast and ride. We randomly sat beside a couple and started a conversation. We shared our ministry, talked bikes, and did what we do as Christian Motorcyclist Association members, we love on bikers. Sunday we arrived at the church we were visiting, set up our information and in walks this couple. Yes, the exact same couple we met the day before. Unbeknownst to us, he was an elder at the church we were visiting. God brought us together. 

All through the weekend I felt I was where a God wanted me to be. I kind of like the feeling. I should do it more often instead of going where I want to go, doing what I want to do, I should follow Gods leading a lot more. 

Praise God he cares enough to guide and direct my life even though I fight and ignore him. Praise God for the blessings I receive when I serve. They are not my goal but they always happen. Praise God for a life lived in his service. Please Lord, help me to make service for you a regular not a rare occasion!

Living In-Step

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NIV)

I love watching a precision military march. The sound of every member of the unit marching 

In-step is powerful. I also love sharing time with people who are In-step with the Holy Spirit. I'm not an expert by any means, but being In-step with the Holy Spirit means listening and acting. 

Using the words "in step with the spirit" give the sense of movement and action. We need to live a life of action. We need to act on healing the sick, serving the poor, protecting the widows, and taking care of the orphans. I'm NOT talking about turning this over to some government program to do for us. I'm talking about US, as Christians, taking these causes and acting on them with our own hands and feet. You can't pass your calling to the government or your church. It's not good enough to give financial support. It isn't enough to pay your taxes to support welfare or health care. The poor, the lost, and the broken need to see our face. They need to see our hands and feet working for them without reward or judgment. 

Each of us is called into service by the Holy Spirit to serve. You don't have to do ALL these things, but you must do something. Too many of my brothers and sisters sit not he sidelines and don't step out to serve. Lord help us to serve each other in love. Help us to use our bodies as living testament to your love. Praise God for those who DO serve his kingdom.