GOD CAN'T USE ME!

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember...

Noah was a drunk.
Abraham was too old.
Isaac was a daydreamer.
Jacob was a liar.
Leah was ugly.
Joseph was abused.
Moses had a stuttering problem.
Gideon was afraid.
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.
David had an affair and was a murderer.
Elijah was suicidal.
Isaiah preached naked.
Jonah ran from God.
Naomi was a widow.
Job went bankrupt.
John the Baptist ate bugs.
Peter denied Christ.
The Disciples fell asleep while praying.
Martha worried about everything.
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once.
Zaccheus was too small.
Paul was too religious.
Timothy had an ulcer.
Lazarus was dead!


No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

Thanks to Elaine O. for sending this my way!

Represent Well Today!

I love reading the Word of God…it makes me feel so alive…Jesus said that “Man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Paul tells us that the Word of God “ is alive, sharp and powerful…” Solomon relates to us that the words of God are “life to those that find them and health to all their flesh.” Every time I dive into His treasures I see something new and fresh!

I have a quote by Martin Luther, framed and hanging in my office that declares…

“The Bible is alive, It speaks to me.It has Hands, It lays hold on me.It has feet, It runs after me!”

I’d like to offer these words for you to ponder today from Paul’s writings to the Colossians.3:17 “Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus…”3:23 “ Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord…”

Instead of being a mind numbed robot running through life without purpose or meaning; running on the treadmill of life going nowhere fast, the Word tells us to understand our purpose for the day and even the moment of the day. Every moment brings with it…Divine Opportunity! You may be the only Jesus some one ever has a chance to see. What kind of a picture are you going to render today? Moaning, groaning, complaining and living under the circumstances? OR will you display the kind of CHARACTER that attracts people to the light?

Jesus told us that we should “let our lights shine, so that others will see our good works, and give glory to our Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 Deuteronomy 28:1-10 tells us that all the blessings of God are designed so that “…all the people of the earth will know that we are called by the Name of the Lord…” They will know that you are a “chip off the old block!” You are designed to radiate the Glory of God so that He will be found as attractive, in and through your life. When others see Him as your ROCK, REFUGE, FOUNDATION, STRENGTH, COMFORTER and PEACE in the midst of all hell breaking loose in today’s world…They too will call upon His Name to be saved! People are watching you! Today understand that everything you do, large or small, is a direct reflection of His Presence (Or Lack of it) in your life!

At the end of each day we must pause to ask His opinion… “Lord, How’d I do today?” Listen carefully…be honest with Him AND let Him be honest with you too!Finally in verse 23, he tells us to pursue Kingdom business every day, whether at work, home or play. Time is short…there is not one other prophecy needing to be fulfilled before the Rapture of the Church takes place…It may take place tomorrow or 30-40 years from now…BUT I do know it’s getting closer and the time for the Kingdom work will soon cease for us!

When Jesus said that we should “let our lights shine, so that others will see our good works…,” what are the good works He was talking about? Acts 10:38 defines those good works in these words. “How Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good (works), healing all who were oppressed of the devil.” In the Life of Jesus the good works were described as healing all who are oppressed by the devil.If they’re lost…they’re Oppressed! If they’re sick…they’re Oppressed! If they’re empty…They’re Oppressed! Lonely, Hurting, Lusting, Broken, Poor, Abandoned, Abused, Fearful, Broken Hearted, Crushed, Alone, Empty and the List goes on and on…

They’re Oppressed! Let’s get to work with the “good works” Church! Look around you…who is it today that needs to see Jesus in you? Today be a HARDWORKING, CHEERFUL, REPRESENTATIVE OF JESUS!

There is Peace in His Presence!

Ken Bombard

HAND IN HAND!

John 15:5-7 “…apart from me you can do nothing…IF you stay joined to me AND My words remain in you, you may ask any request you like and it will be granted to you!”NLT

There is built within the makeup of every person, a desire to be part of something productive, especially those who have been “born again” into the Family of God. In John 15:8 Jesus said “My disciples bear much fruit. This brings great glory to My Father.”

Whenever we are separated from a vital functioning relationship with Jesus and His Kingdom work, our lives tend to lack excitement, purpose and motivation. We begin to stagnate and stagnant water stinks. In our Scripture today, Jesus tells us how to be productive in His Kingdom work. We must stay joined (connected) to Him and His Words! Pretty simple principle, however so few Christians actually walk in this dual union.

Today, we’ll cover part one…

1) STAYING JOINED WITH HIM…In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus states “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

What you have probably never seen before is that we don’t just come to him to rest, but we are to come to Him to be YOKED with Him. When you come to Him and YOKE yourself to Him, you have to remain close, connected and joined with Him, then you will find “rest for your soul.”

A) The Church has been errant in not teaching us that this is our goal, “to abide in Him.” You did well to come to Him, but you do better to yoke yourself to Him. We never knew that the real calling of Jesus was not just to come, but to be YOKED! Even though we’ve heard the term “abide,” we have never really believed that an abiding life was possible.

B) Perhaps you’re one of the very few who did believe that it was possible to remain joined with Him, but you never discovered the secret to abiding. For the remainder, whenever Jesus would have kept us abiding, sadly to say, we were not ready to stay connected; not prepared to give up everything!

IT IS HIS CALL TO ABIDE IN HIM. IT IS POSSIBLE TO ABIDE OR REMAIN CONNECTED WITH HIM!

Here’s the secret:

a) Be Poor in Spirit…Matthew 5:3 If you want to walk in the Kingdom, you must first realize your desperate need for His ability in your life. You must realize that as often that you have attempted to abide…YOU have failed in your own abilities and strength.

b) Recognize that God desires to enable you with His Ability and Willpower to Abide. Phillipians 2:13 Your willpower and ability will never get it done! Tell Him that you give up and relinquish the responsibility for the willpower and strength necessary to abide in Him. Ask Him to give you His willpower and His ability.

c) Begin to admit your own inability and willpower are insufficient. Understand that in Your weaknesses, His Strength is made perfect. 2 Corinthians 12:9

d) Begin to be real and confess your inabilities and weaknesses. Something wonderful happens when you do! 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” The power of Jesus comes upon your inabilities and your confession begins to change to “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Phillipians 4:13

e) The secret is wrapped up here in Paul’s revelation in Romans 7:24-25 " O wretched man that I am! Who is able to deliver me from this body of death (Dependence upon My own abilities and wisdom)? I thank God! Jesus can and Jesus will!”

RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN INABILITY. CONFESS YOUR INABILITY. ASK HIM TO DO IT ALL INCLUDING WILLPOWER AND ABILITY!

Next issue: How to remain joined with His Word and receive your Kingdom requests!

Your Worth!

Revelation 1:5-6 “All praise to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us his kingdom and his priests who serve before God his Father. Give to him everlasting glory! He rules forever and ever! Amen!”

We need to come to the place where we are secure enough in who we are in Christ that we will not allow our sense of worth to be based on the opinions or actions of others.

Don't try to find your worth in how you look. Don't try to find your worth in what you do or what you’ve done in the past. Worth does not come from the amount of money you make, the performances you render, or the number of lovers you embrace. Don't try to find your worth in how other people treat you.

You are worth something because Jesus shed His blood for you.

You may have faults, and there may be things about you that need to be changed, but God is working on you the same as He is on everybody else. Don't let somebody else dump their problems off on you and allow them to re-entangle you in the web of worry, doubt, doom, gloom, shame & sin.

Don't allow someone else to make you feel worthless or useless just because they don't know how to treat you right and love you as you deserve to be loved… as a blood -bought child of God.

Don't spend all your life trying to win somebody else's acceptance or approval. Just do unto others as Jesus commands us to do and if that isn’t good enough…that’s HIS problem. Remember that you have already been accepted and approved by God. Make sure that your affirmation, your validation, your sense of self-worth come from Him and what He says about you in His Word.

• You are an heir of God…a Joint Heir with Jesus Christ.


• You are a Son OR Daughter of God.You are the Apple of God’s Eye.


• You are the Righteousness of God in Christ. (That means you stand in the presence of God as though sin has NEVER touched your life.)


• You are Made in the Image & Likeness of God.


• You possess a Soul which is greater than all the value the world has to offer.


• You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.


• Angels minister unto us , and rejoice in our obedience.


• Jesus is preparing a place for you to live with Him in Heaven forever.


• You can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens you!


• You are fearfully & wonderfully made.You have the favor of God & of man.


• You are Free to live in Christ.

Need I say More?

Peace in Jesus!

Ken Bombard

HIS NATURE WITHIN!

Colossians 1:13 Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.) (Greek: the Son of his love)

In recent writings, we demonstrated that the Bible says that we are New Creations, living in Eternal Life, filled with the Divine Nature of God. We discovered that there isn’t anything we can’t do as we remain connected with Jesus, because we are able to stand in God’s Presence as though sin has never touched our lives, and whatever we ask our Heavenly Father (according to His Will) in Jesus’ name, we receive. I could stop right there and have a party!

Jesus made an incredible statement in the Gospel of John. John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, He that believes on me, the works that I do will he also do; and greater works than these will he do; because I go unto my Father.” “Impossible,” You say! Because Jesus was God and He had access to Divine ability.

Read this Scripture very carefully! “Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men.” Phillipians 2:5-7 NLT

You’ve never seen that one before, have you? Everything Jesus did while He lived here on earth, is possible for, and available to, every intelligent child of God today. The difference is that Jesus knew what belonged to Him and Jesus exercised His rights. If you were left a million dollars by some distant relative and did not know it, or did not go to the bank and exercise your right to withdraw, that million dollars would never do you any good.

We, as Christians do not know what belongs to us. Not knowing what belongs to us, we are unable to use our rights:

1) God wasn’t any more His Father than He is ours! John 17:23 “…that the world may know that thou have sent me, and have loved them, as thou have loved me.”

2) He was the Son of God. You are a Son of God. John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God…”

3) He was Diety! You are partakers of the Divine Nature…THAT is Diety! 2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature.”

4) He had the Holy Spirit in Him! You have the Holy Spirit in you! 1Corinthians 6:19 “What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you…”

Jesus took advantage of the God-life within Him in a manner that we never have. He allowed the Holy Spirit right of way in a sense that we have never experienced. Just because we have never experienced it, does not mean that it is unavailable!

God is your Father.

You are Sons and Daughters of God.

You are full of His Divine Nature.

The Holy Spirit lives within you!

Is it any wonder that Jesus said in Mark 9:23 “… all things are possible to him that believes!”

Do something awesome and miraculous for Jesus today!

Loose the Spirit within!

EAGER TO LET HIM IN!

John 6 20-21 “…he called out to them, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” Then they were eager to let Him in, and immediately the boat arrived at their destination.”

Jesus had just healed a lame man who had been infirmed thirty eight years, proclaimed to the Jewish leaders that He was the Son of God, and fed five thousand men, plus women and children, from a few loaves and fishes. That evening Jesus’ disciples had gotten into a boat and began to sail to the other side of the lake without Jesus. Let me add right here. Don’t go anywhere without Jesus! You never know when you may encounter a storm!

These disciples had seen the healings, heard the proclamations and actually distributed the fish and bread to the multitudes. They knew from whence the power had flowed, yet they were determined to go it alone in the boat. In the very midst of gale force winds, (their troubles) Jesus approached them. They weren’t even calling out for His help, but He showed up on the scene with the end result that “immediately their boat arrived at their destination.”

1 Peter 5:7 says that “…He cares for you!” With Jesus on the scene and obedience to His command, nothing could stop that boat from reaching the other side in a hurry!

When all is hopeless and reliable means are failing you, you can trust in this fact: He cares for you and He will show up on the scene! There is however, a role for you to play!

You must place yourself in a position to hear His voice, His command. In this particular situation He commanded them “Don’t be afraid!” If the disciples had continued shouting and calling for help, they never would have heard His soothing and peaceful command. When you are in the middle of a stormy situation, you need to position yourself in a place where you can hear His call.

That means to calm down your fearful mind by reading His Word out loud, by singing praises or just shouting His Name. David called on his Deliverer while facing the giant. David “encouraged himself in the Lord” while everyone in Ziklag wanted to kill him. Paul and Silas shouted praise at midnight while stuck on prison. Then hear what He has to speak into your heart!

Do what He says. Apparently in this situation He told the disciples to let Him into the boat, because the Bible says “…they were eager to let Him in the boat." In John 15, Jesus tells us that, if we obey Him, we will remain connected with him, and that nothing will be impossible. Remember that there is always a way out, or through, or around, your situation or circumstance. 1Corinthians 10:13 “…God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (troubled) above that which you can handle; but will with the temptation (trouble) also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Sometimes He shows the way out, or around the trouble. Sometime He allows you to go through the fiery trail. Father knows best! Whatever way He chooses, even if it’s through it, He will be with you, speaking to you, encouraging you and empowering you. Daniel 3:27 says that the fire could not harm the three Hebrew young men and that even the smell of smoke was not allowed upon their garments. In Daniel 3:30 we are told that they received a “promotion” after having gone through their fire!

Are you eager to “let Him in” today? If He wants to come in your boat, let Him in. If He wishes to row, let Him row. If He wants to steer let Him steer. If He wants you to row or steer, row or steer. Your boat is soon to arrive at its destination, if you will hear and obey! Let HIM in the Boat!

THE POWER SOURCE

2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (discipline, self control)

Everyone knows that appliances work better when they’re plugged in. They may look like they can perform, but unless they are connected, they will not function as they were designed. Neither will we! The Bible tells us that we “..can do all things through Christ who strengthens…” us. Phillipians 4:13 But unless we stay connected with God through obedience, prayer, fellowship, worship and living righteous, we suffer a case of disconnection and must endure the consequences of voluntarily separating ourselves from Him and His Power! Jesus stated in John 15:5 “…apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

God has provided us with a threefold power source and in 2 Timothy 1:7 He identifies them as the Spirit of Power, the Spirit of Love, and the Spirit of a sound mind or “self control.”

1) Spirit of Power…Everyone has attempted to live life by our own abilities and strength, and we’ve failed to break the habits that consume us, and to live free from the hurts and the memories of our past. We need His power, His Divine Ability, in order to live the right way, and to make changes we know are essential. This power is from Almighty God and is available, if we remain connected with Him.

2) Spirit of Love…We want to be able to love others and to have them love us in return, like we’ve always dreamed of, but never achieved. We want to let go of the fear of being hurt by the people we love. As one author stated, “We want the ability to establish deep, meaningful, authentic relationships rather than superficial, hurtful, selfish relationships.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to love freely? The reality of this power is only available in and from the Spirit of Love, and by the way, He is available to live within you! Romans 5:5 declares that “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.”

3) Spirit of Sound Mind (Self Control)…The fact remains, that it is impossible for us to get it all together in this crazy world without Divine Intervention. You are not designed to operate on your own ability. You may wish to run your car on water instead of gasoline, but that’s not the way it was designed. In the same manner, you were created to run on His Divine Ability, not your own. When we give up playing God in our own little world, He will intervene and surge into our situations and circumstances and deliver us from evil, and all of its complications.

You can access this power Source as long as you choose to remain connected to Him, as your exclusive power source! What have you got to lose? Put Him first in all that you do, and He will take care of the rest! Matthew 6:33.