Where Do You Spend Your Time?

It might be of interest to you to grab a pencil and write out where you have spent the last l168 hours given to you by God, this week. How much time was spent in prayer? How much time was spent in front of the Television? How much time was spent reading the Bible? How much time did you spend reading the newspaper and magazines? How much time did you spend witnessing or ministering to those in need? How much time did you spend in front of the mirror pampering yourself each morning? Pretty convicting? Well, here is a breakdown of where others spend their time over the span of their life.

20 Years Sleeping 20 years Working
6 Years Eating 7 Years Playing
5 Years Getting Dressed 1 Year on the Telephone
5 Years Watching TV 5 Months Tying Your Shoes
2 ½ Years Miscellaneous 3 Years Waiting for Someone
1 ½ Years in Church

Time is one of the most precious commodities given to man by God. It cannot be purchased, stored, or put on pause. Once this day is gone, it will never return. Let us never have to regret the hours that we might have devoted to Him and His service. Let us not squander the precious gift of time on our own selfish interests.

The Gift

The holidays are behind us and the New Year awaits us all. If you are like most people, you received some gifts on Christmas from loved ones and friends. These gifts vary in size and value but will only be beneficial to you if you put them to use. You will receive over 1200 gifts during your lifetime, most of them you will forget about. But the the special gifts God has for you are priceless and will last a life time. The cool thing about these gifts is that you can open them every morning and use them in your daily life.

Over the last five weeks, Pastor Frank Damazio and myself conducted a series that talks about these special gifts, which are the gift of love, peace, grace, joy and hope. I would like to invite you to tune into the podcasts and listen to these timeless messages at The Gift Messages . You never know, you just might get an extra gift for this New Year.

Let me know your thoughts as you listen.

Marc

Be Grateful!

We live in a time where gratefulness has become rare. Let this simple story remind you once again to be grateful! A harried waitress approached the table where a young girl was sitting by herself. She quickly asked the girl what she wanted. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” the little girl inquired. The waitress snapped, “A dollar seventy-five.” The girl looked at her fistful of change and then asked, “How much is a dish of just plain ice cream?” “One-fifty,” retorted the waitress. “Then I’ll take the plain ice cream, please,” said the young customer. The waitress returned with the bowl of ice cream but delivered it in rude silence. After the little girl finished her ice cream and left, the waitress went to clean off the table. To her shame, she found two dimes and five pennies. Her tip was the exact amount the little girl needed to get a sundae rather than just plain ice cream. In each of our lives, others have made sacrifices for our well being. May we be grateful for even the smallest gesture of kindness we receive.

What are you doing with your Potential?

The Dead Sea is appropriately named. Nothing grows or lives in it. The consistency of the water is like none other in the world. Its only outlet is evaporation, so heavily-concentrated compounds remain after the water is lifted to the sky. The potential of such a lake seems limited. To the contrary, engineers estimate that if the potash around the Dead Sea could be mixed and distributed, there would be enough fertilizer created to supply the whole surface of the earth for at least five years. Some people or situations feel like dead ends. Allow God to help you see the potential that your eyes may be missing.

You Were Designed to Succeed

One of the main comments I hear from people is that they feel inadequate. Don’t feel alone; even the great leader Moses faced this when God called him to lead Israel.
Moses felt inadequate; the Lord reminded him that he had everything he needed to fulfill his purpose. “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say’” (Exod. 4:10–12, TNIV). Who’d have thought that the guy who wrote the first five books of the Bible, who met God on the mountaintop, who parted the Red Sea would be a guy who felt inadequate?
In one sense, I guess the feeling of being inadequate can be a blessing in disguise, as we do need to totally depend on and trust in God for our strength, not becoming too confident in ourselves. But on the other hand, we must recognize that what God has called us to, He has also equipped us to do and expects us to fulfill. The Bible says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10, TNIV). We were created, given a purpose, and equipped with everything we need—in advance—to accomplish it.

Passing your God-Deposits Forward

How will you be remembered? If your body, ravaged and debilitated, gave up your spirit, would there be anything that remains of your efforts on earth? Could you be accurately portrayed by simple observation of your fruit? How many would stand at your memorial service and attribute their spiritual condition to the time and effort you poured into them? Have you laid a spiritual foundation for ministry that will endure long after your body fades away? Will history reflect your private prayer?

 
Last week in church my son, Kyle, was sitting next to me during worship. He was using a twisted paper clip to pick out pebbles from the tread of his shoe, and the Holy Spirit quickly reminded me of this book. I paused and looked around to see the spiritual posture of those surrounding me. Who was hungry? Who was bored? What was the spiritual climate of the service?
 

One row behind me stood a young blond-haired woman with both hands stretched out like she was grasping desperately for a life preserver, a river of mascara streaming down both cheeks. Something told me she had business to deal with God.
 

Looking back to Kyle, with the paper clip now lodged in his mouth, it occurred to me how many lives have been left fallow while others make the most of every moment. You can be sure the next time I see this young lady, I’ll encourage her to continue pursuing God.
 

I came to the realization that, in the end, when we look back over our lives, whatever we behold is completely of our own making. Finding your purpose and getting involved isn’t enough. Getting involved and even giving it all you’ve got isn’t enough. We have to realize the history with which we’ve been entrusted. So many still need to hear the good news, both during and after our lifetime. Our generation cannot be held responsible for what past generations have accomplished or neglected, but we will be held accountable with what we do today and in the generations to come.

 

This is why Jesus was so bent on pounding the “reproduction gene” into the lives of His people. He knew how critical it would be for every believer to leave a legacy long after they’re gone. In His great discourse about being on the vine (John 15), Jesus shared some of His most intimate thoughts regarding life’s purpose and the importance of using your purpose to extend His kingdom through the lives of others. He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16, TNIV). The entire chapter addresses the point that Christians are called to be fruitful, to find our purpose and fulfill it. Jesus made it clear that a tree (your life) is meant to be fruitful, bearing good fruit. In addition, He warned His disciples that non-fruit-bearing trees would be cut off. But His final point was that we should bear fruit “that will last.” It is vital that we understand that whatever Jesus invests into us, we are meant to pass on to others.

 

Make it your priority today to pass whatever God has deposited into you into the life of others.

Make Your Life Count!

How will you be remembered? If your body, ravaged and debilitated, gave up your spirit, would there be anything that remains of your efforts on earth? Could you be accurately portrayed by simple observation of your fruit? How many would stand at your memorial service and attribute their spiritual condition to the time and effort you poured into them? Have you laid a spiritual foundation for ministry that will endure long after your body fades away? Will history reflect your private prayer?
Last week in church my son, Kyle, was sitting next to me during worship. He was using a twisted paper clip to pick out pebbles from the tread of his shoe, and the Holy Spirit quickly reminded me of this book. I paused and looked around to see the spiritual posture of those surrounding me. Who was hungry? Who was bored? What was the spiritual climate of the service?
One row behind me stood a young blond-haired woman with both hands stretched out like she was grasping desperately for a life preserver, a river of mascara streaming down both cheeks. Something told me she had business to deal with God.
Looking back to Kyle, with the paper clip now lodged in his mouth, it occurred to me how many lives have been left fallow while others make the most of every moment. You can be sure the next time I see this young lady, I’ll encourage her to continue pursuing God.
I came to the realization that, in the end, when we look back over our lives, whatever we behold is completely of our own making. Finding your purpose and getting involved isn’t enough. Getting involved and even giving it all you’ve got isn’t enough. We have to realize the history with which we’ve been entrusted. So many still need to hear the good news, both during and after our lifetime. Our generation cannot be held responsible for what past generations have accomplished or neglected, but we will be held accountable with what we do today and in the generations to come.
This is why Jesus was so bent on pounding the “reproduction gene” into the lives of His people. He knew how critical it would be for every believer to leave a legacy long after they’re gone. In His great discourse about being on the vine (John 15), Jesus shared some of His most intimate thoughts regarding life’s purpose and the importance of using your purpose to extend His kingdom through the lives of others. He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16, TNIV). The entire chapter addresses the point that Christians are called to be fruitful, to find our purpose and fulfill it. Jesus made it clear that a tree (your life) is meant to be fruitful, bearing good fruit. In addition, He warned His disciples that non-fruit-bearing trees would be cut off. But His final point was that we should bear fruit “that will last.” It is vital that we understand that whatever Jesus invests into us, we are meant to pass on to others.  Make it your aim to make life count!

Are you Making Your Life Count for Something?

How will you be remembered? If your body, ravaged and debilitated, gave up your spirit, would there be anything that remains of your efforts on earth? Could you be accurately portrayed by simple observation of your fruit? How many would stand at your memorial service and attribute their spiritual condition to the time and effort you poured into them? Have you laid a spiritual foundation for ministry that will endure long after your body fades away? Will history reflect your private prayer?

 
Last week in church my son, Kyle, was sitting next to me during worship. He was using a twisted paper clip to pick out pebbles from the tread of his shoe, and the Holy Spirit quickly reminded me of this book. I paused and looked around to see the spiritual posture of those surrounding me. Who was hungry? Who was bored? What was the spiritual climate of the service?

 
One row behind me stood a young blond-haired woman with both hands stretched out like she was grasping desperately for a life preserver, a river of mascara streaming down both cheeks. Something told me she had business to deal with God.

 
Looking back to Kyle, with the paper clip now lodged in his mouth, it occurred to me how many lives have been left fallow while others make the most of every moment. You can be sure the next time I see this young lady, I’ll encourage her to continue pursuing God.

 
I came to the realization that, in the end, when we look back over our lives, whatever we behold is completely of our own making. Finding your purpose and getting involved isn’t enough. Getting involved and even giving it all you’ve got isn’t enough. We have to realize the history with which we’ve been entrusted. So many still need to hear the good news, both during and after our lifetime. Our generation cannot be held responsible for what past generations have accomplished or neglected, but we will be held accountable with what we do today and in the generations to come.

 
This is why Jesus was so bent on pounding the “reproduction gene” into the lives of His people. He knew how critical it would be for every believer to leave a legacy long after they’re gone. In His great discourse about being on the vine (John 15), Jesus shared some of His most intimate thoughts regarding life’s purpose and the importance of using your purpose to extend His kingdom through the lives of others. He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16, TNIV). The entire chapter addresses the point that Christians are called to be fruitful, to find our purpose and fulfill it. Jesus made it clear that a tree (your life) is meant to be fruitful, bearing good fruit. In addition, He warned His disciples that non-fruit-bearing trees would be cut off. But His final point was that we should bear fruit “that will last.” It is vital that we understand that whatever Jesus invests into us, we are meant to pass on to others.

 

Make it your aim today to make your life count for something. Find someone, and pour yourself into them. You won’t be disappointed.

Why Does Stuff Happen?

There is purpose to our lives, greater purpose than happiness alone. Throughout our lifetime, God will allow or divinely place circumstances along our journey that will put us face to face with certain issues we are to resolve. How we respond to these trials is of the utmost importance. Charles Swindoll says, “I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.”

 

The Bible substantiates this point in 1 Peter 4:12: “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner” (MSG).
 

 

Not all life experiences are meant to be bad. There are times (hopefully many) when God allows us to experience His goodness through His favor and blessings. Maybe you were mentored by a great man or woman of God, and that experience played a role in shaping you. Or you might have attended a great college or university, and that experience helped shape you into who you are today. Maybe you were raised in a wonderful family environment, founded upon a solid foundation of biblical morals and values. These are some of life’s most positive experiences. The bottom line is that God intends to use every life experience, whether good or bad, to shape you into a person that is fully able and prepared to fulfill their purpose. Over the years, I’ve developed a working definition life experiences: certain events or seasons that God directs or allows for you to acquire knowledge, character, and understanding that can be used to benefit you and others in future situations and ministry opportunities.
 

 

Day after day, we will face trials, tragedies, and triumphs that we can’t control. We can allow these circumstances to bury us or choose to step up and shake it off. The choice is ours for the taking.  I suggest we allow these life experiences to help us make sense of who we are and where we’re going.

 

These life experiences are only a part of our entire design and are intended to be the refining and strengthening agent of our other components. The previous four chapters have defined the four major components that are placed in our lives by our Creator. Passions, spiritual gifts, talent and abilities, and personal makeup are woven into the fabric of our lives. Life experiences are different in the sense that they are external factors that are placed in our lives by God to refine us. This refining process works to develop godly character in our lives as well as to place us in certain experiences that further shape us into a God-shaped vessel, perfectly crafted for our purpose. After a while, we begin to see that easy isn’t necessarily synonymous with good and difficult isn’t necessarily synonymous with bad. Sometimes the tough experiences have the greatest refining effect in our lives.

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You Have All You Need – Spiritual Gifts

I recently heard a tragic story about a man that had everything he needed, yet failed to realize it was within his reach. Sadly,  many Christians live their lives this way, missing the entire reason for the existence.

 

There was a man named Edgar who lived most of his life on the streets of Brooklyn. Poor old Edgar spent his days rummaging through trash cans behind restaurants, hoping to score a few scraps for a meal. He gathered aluminum cans and plastic bottles to recycle for a few cents and panhandled for strangers’ compassion as a way to make ends meet. Sometimes he’d use the day’s “proceeds” to buy a can of dog food … a cheaper meal than other items on grocery store shelves. At night Edgar would make his way back to the basement of a condemned building where there was no running water or electricity, just a few gutter rats that had become his only friends. This was the place he called home, where he would lay his head on the cold concrete floor and fall asleep, only to begin the hopeless process again the next day.

 

One cold winter night, Edgar froze to death in his lonely abode. After a few days, city workers found his body and, after digging through his personal belongings, located the addresses of his two grown children who lived in upstate New York.

 

The funeral was short and simple. Few people attended, few tears were shed. Afterward, the man’s children stopped by to pick up Edgar’s his few belongings: some clothes, a pocketknife, a hat, one glove … and a box containing a large rock, given as a gift by an anonymous person, that Edgar has used to prop the door open to his cold, urban cavern. So intrigued with the uniqueness of this rock, his children took it to a geologist friend, who pointed out to their utter amazement that this was one of the largest uncut diamonds ever discovered … worth a staggering $12 million!

 

Edgar lived a hard life struggling to survive out on the streets; then one day he disappeared without ever knowing that the rock he kicked up against the door every day was the key to changing his life forever. Within his reach was a special gift that would have changed everything. Imagine how his life might have changed if he had recognized his doorstop for what it truly was and discovered its worth.

 

One of the most important truths we can seek to understand is the value and proper use of some very special gifts given to us by God to accompish extraordinary exploits. These are know as spiritual gifts which are instrumental in directing us toward fulfilling our purpose and becoming who God created us to be. A spiritual gift is a divine attribute given to someone by the Holy Spirit at conversion according to God’s grace, which is to be used for building up the body of Christ and ministering to others.

 

In other words, the moment you decided to give your life to Christ, He placed within you specific gifts with the intention that you would use them to make your life count … serving others, building up the local church, and reaching your world for Christ, specifically. He wants you to use your spiritual gifts all the time! Ignoring them may result in constant frustration, lack of spiritual fulfillment, and a crippled destiny.

 

Let’s make it our aim to use all that God has given us to be all He intended us to be. Don’t become a “spiritual Edgar.” In closing, if you are wanting to better understand what your spiritual gifts are, click here to take your spritual gifts test now.

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