quick observations

Hello! I just returned from Cuba last night, and I want to make just a few observations about life, freedom and our calling from God.

You and I have a few things in common. God is still God. No matter where we are or what is going on we have God who loves us and has a plan for our lives. His plan includes us in His plan. And His plan includes our influence on the people around us.

How is that? We must listen. We must watch. We must get involved.

Ephesians 4:11-15 NLT

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

You have a gift from God. It might not be the same gift God has given me or given someone else, but you are gifted from God. And we have to do something with that gift after we discover what it is.

Your gift involves people. God loves people. He made the church, the world and us for people That is His greatest love. There is nothing more important than using what we have and who we are to serve others.

Make sure you are focusing on taking care of yourself. Make sure you also take care of the people around you in love.

As Henry Blackaby said years ago in his book Experiencing God, “watch to see where God is working and join Him.” He is working in the lives of the people around us. That is the place where we are to plug in and make a difference. Realize that being with Jesus will leave us and others changed. If we are not changed, we haven’t been with Jesus.

Hope that makes sense.

Spend some time today with God. Hear His voice. Watch what He does, and do what He leads you to do. He is going to use your gift and His church to change the world around you.

Keep growing up in the Lord. Let’s influence others as God has influenced us!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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