Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Life's Failures

Our Heart set Apart

set-apart

My friend Gloria and I have traveled many, many miles together, some in a vehicle and some in the Spirit, growing in the grace of our Lord who we share as Father. Yesterday was one of those days. We spent several hours celebrating Jesus in the form of chatter, laughter, tears and food. Pretty much in that order and of equal importance to our spiritual health.

As we shared what scriptures we’d read and the significance to our day, Gloria shared the Nazarite vow and this morning it’s still fresh on my mind. The Nazarite vow comes from the Hebrew word “nazir” meaning consecrated or separated. It was a vow to abstain from specific things, for example wine, grapes, cutting of hair or to come into contact with a dead body, and much more. It was a set time and at the end of that time a sacrifice was made in great detail. None of the event was taken lightly. It was serious business. Oh, to have a Nazarite heart…

One set apart for the service of God. David said in Psalm 4:3

But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

I want to be used by God and I want Him to hear my pleas. But I know I’m not nearly serious enough. I’m not referring to abstaining from wine (which I don’t drink anyway) or grapes or not cutting my hair. For me it’s a heart matter. I need a time of prayer, a time set aside and exclusively His each day.

Life goes on… I realize that. We have dishes to wash and work to do. But there needs to be a consecrated effort when we love on God, spending time one to One, in His presence; if we have any expectation of God doing a mighty work in our lives. And just like it was an outward appearance of the Nazarite that he was set apart, our friends and family should know that we’re setting ourselves apart from the world for a time. It’s not for a show, it’s for them to know that God is so important in my life that I’ve set this time apart for Him away from the things of the world.

For me its mornings, for you perhaps its another time of day. But more than the timeslot, it’s the consecrated effort that God sees we’re desiring Him to know that He is key in our lives.

Yes, the world needs to see Jesus, but Jesus needs to see us. Spend some time in His presence today, He alone is worthy

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church attendance, Faith, Life Inspiration, Uncategorized

Fig Tree Faith

fig-treeI am so very human so very often, and the times that I am most aware of it is when I get in the flesh over spiritual matters. It seems like an oxymoron but its truth none the less. So this morning as I read the scripture in Mark of Jesus’ frustration with the money changers my mind drifted to empty seats and lackadaisical attitudes toward church attendance and Christian service. I had to wonder why this story was in the middle of the story of the fig tree?  I get Jesus’ frustrations with fruitless lives, and I can more than understand His frustrations with thievery in the church house, but what does one have to do with the other? Pew sitters seems a far cry from what the money changers were doing that caused Jesus to throw tables over and drive people out for using God’s house for their own gain rather than the soul saving station and to edify the church. But then I began to think of the cost of an apathetic attitude toward the work of God, and the number of them who attend church, I understood why God could pair those two stories together.

Unfruitful servants of God are like that tree and the money changers in the fact that they rob God of the fruit He so desires. I’d also have to include myself in that category, because I could certainly do more fruit baring. Jesus’ closing words Peter, when asked why the tree died, was “Have faith in God.”

It was a kick in the pants to me, as if to say, “Let God handle everyone else Shari, you worry about your fruit.”

Mark 11:12-22

And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

 

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Faith, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Life's Failures

Fight On Weary Soldier

johsua-3

A quick leadership thought, as I read through Joshua, gave me strength for the day that I thought I’d share. It’s amazing the difference a few days makes in outlook. I attribute it first to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, and the vitamins I take… Don’t scoff… they do make a difference in my clarity of thought. But that’s not why I am here. I’m here to share this thought on leadership.

I love the story of Joshua! Such a mighty leader and one to look to for an example. The scripture that first caught my attention was Joshua 11:5 which said he left nothing undone. I can assure you that last week leaving things undone crossed my mind. I felt like a failure and my multi-tasking ways were crashing in around me. There’s much to do and leaving it undone, would be letting the Lord down. And as it says in Joshua 11:8, Joshua made war a long time. Why did I think that my success would be sooner than later? If Joshua, mighty man of valor and chosen of God fought long and hard for his success; I should expect no less. And it’s really not that I expect less, but I have fear and trepidation that I’m going to mess this thing up that the Lord has called me to do. And then I read And the Lord said unto Joshua, be not afraid because of them. And I realize that Joshua’s them may have not been the same of mine but God controls them all!

Those who are “them” may be people in my world, or self. I’m easily my worst critic and enemy. And so today I draw strength from God’s man Joshua and the Word that God left for such a time as we are in. Nobody said to me every day would be easy in the ministry. They told me it would be tough… I just prefer easy and thought God might make an exception. He did not. God like’s fighters. Those who feel the cause is worthy…

Fight on weary soldier! God’s got wonders to show us today.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Life Inspiration

Don’t Take Grace For Granted

holy-ground

When we read the bible, we often times read it as if it’s a homework assignment from the Lord and we really want to go outside and play, but we have to get this done first. We treat attending church much the same way. Rather than, understanding that it’s the very Word of God, the One Whom we long to see and hear, but we’d rather it be in person than through the means He’s given us… which is His book. Like the children of Israel, we forget how Holy God is.

And while I totally get that Jesus came from Heaven and walked as a man, and made a way through His death, resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit for us to have constant communion with Him in a much less formal way than that of the Jewish religion, it still does not take away how Holy He is. But we forget.

This came to my attention in a recent teen class on one of those nights where I just couldn’t get a handle on their attention. I had brought in instruments in hopes of worshiping the Lord in song but their attention strayed more toward Led Zepplin and The Eagles. And while I’ve been known croon a tune or two of some old favs of my past, I wanted their focus on worship. So, tonight as I prepare for my midweek teen class, my heart is heavy. It’s broken for God because not only the children but we too have forgotten how Holy God is and that His house is a special place. I hope that in teaching this lesson about the Song of Moses, my kids will understand why I love praise and worship music, and why our time together in His word and in His house isn’t just another Wednesday night. But it’s special to God and it’s special to me.

I hate going into one of those nostalgic “back in the olden days” modes, but there’s something different in the church today than there was when I was a kid, and it’s not for the better. While we’ve contemporized many things that make services more “user friendly” (which I agree with) we also draw a fine line between play time and understanding Who’s presence we’re in if we’re not careful. We want kids and adults alike to enjoy their time in God’s house, but we shouldn’t forget that it’s God’s house.

I was in a service many years ago where the Holy Spirit was so heavy during a communion service that someone kicked their shoes off before approaching the altar because it felt like such holy ground. Those times have been rare. I don’t expect it every service because I think we’d take those times for granted if they were there all the time. But I do expect to feel the Holy Spirit moving in me every service, or something is wrong and it’s usually with me. I want the youth in my department to feel that Presence in the church. I want them to understand that the God we serve, the One that loves to laugh and play is also the Creator of the earth and the same God that in Old Testament times would wipe people off the face of the earth for the behavior that we show towards Him today.

Grace shouldn’t be taken for granted.

I think by the time Moses had lead the children of Israel through the wilderness forty years he had just about had enough. They’d whined and murmured, turned their back on God to worship a cow and drove Moses into a fit of anger that kept him out of the Promised Land. Can I get a witness that if he were here today he’d sing that song in Deuteronomy 32 again.

1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.

5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

6 Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not He thy father that hath bought thee?http://www.fggam.org/wp-admin/ Hath He not made thee, and established thee?

7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of my generation: ask they father, and will he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.

Moses went all nostalgic on them as well! He began his song as many contemporary worshipers do today with the song “How Great is Our God!”

And oh my goodness, how great is He! We sing the words and the Holy Spirit moves through us but no sooner is the last word sung, and we’re back into the flesh again. Or is it just me?

By the time Moses had gotten to the fifth line of the song, it was no longer a happy little tune, it was more like “You Ain’t nothing but a Hounddog.” And that theme continued throughout the song until He closes it with the promise of Grace in verse 43

Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto His land, and to His people.

O we love that verse! That’s when the rubber meets the road for the enemies of God’s people! But we’re not too far from the behavior of the enemies of God today, be it we’re covered by grace and they are not. We love grace! But we forget that the mirror of grace is the holiness of God.

So what am I trying to point out?

God is Holy… don’t make light of Him.

God’s house is sacred… walk in like it’s a big deal.

God’s Word being taught is divinely inspired… listen like its God… because it is.

Don’t take grace for granted.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church Unity, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

A Conversation For The Church

onward-christian-solider

Since the day I stepped into the ministry I’ve looked to define who I am, where I should be and where I should go. That changes most every day, and truthfully many days I’ve been directionless. My fear is, that is truth in regards to many churches.

I’m always seeking leadership ideas. It drives me and excites, and it’s why I believe God has placed that purpose in my heart and placed me in the positions in life for which He has. But… that’s not to say that I don’t fail… really often. So as I approach a leadership event this weekend my mind is in hyper-drive for ways to encourage church staff, but I don’t want it to be about fluff (i.e. lutheran church programming, church events, etc.) I want a meeting that charges an ongoing conversation among the people who attend.

Ha! That should be what church should be, right?

So three questions I ask myself this morning about my ministry direction:

  1. Does my conversations bear witness of Christ and His cross?
  2. Is my conversation bold?
  3. Does my conversation bring a battle?

John 10:25

Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

Bearing Witness

Christ and the cross should be first and foremost in anything I do in ministry work. And yet it’s often down the list. It’s very easy to get programs started that are to entertain but if they don’t sustain a conversation once the program has ended then they likely didn’t serve the purpose we intended, which was to draw folks to Christ.

As an example that likely most in the ministry can relate to; how many pizza parties have you had that netted members? Owch…

Acts 9:29

And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.

Being Bold

Speaking boldly is speaking in confidence. How confident am I? I for certain am confident in the message I want to relay but my methodology is not always so sure. If I want to relay a message that is a conversation starter I have to exude courage and confidence in a way that causes the listener to want to pick up the cross as well! And that takes preparation, which takes time and commitment, and that my dear fear is a church wide failure. People are not committed to anything past 12 o’clock noon on Sunday.

1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

The Battle Plan

You better believe if you are a bold, witness bearing child of God starting conversations for Christ, you are in for a battle. And not just from other people! You yourself will be your most vicious opponent.

ry to study the word and see how many other notions come into mind, try to speak boldly and watch timidity rear its ugly head, try to share an idea and watch fear enter your heart as to the reaction of people. Creating change in the church always brings apprehension but it doesn’t have to bring division. If the purpose is for Christ’s glory and you’ve earnestly sought God’s plan, God’s people will more than likely get on board… even if you have to nudge them from behind.

I’ll leave you to talk amongst yourself…

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church attendance, Evangelism, Life Inspiration

Because We Ought To

ambassadorThe closer to Jesus’ return the harder it’s become to speak boldly for the cause Christ. When I signed on with God to be “The Jesus Chick,” my issue with speaking was not so much with the world as it was with me. My confidence level was nil and my skill was mediocre at best; so why would anyone want to hear from me. That was my attitude. I soon learned that if I relied on God to deliver the message He would deliver me from the spirit of fear that Satan is so good at casting on us.  Several years into speaking and, although I still struggle with confidence, it’s easier and more exciting than ever! But the world is not accommodating. Tolerance for Christianity is at an all-time low in America and it saddens my heart, but I’m still the Jesus Chick. God didn’t un-call me. And if you are a child of Christ, you too have been called to be an ambassador for the Lord, and that’s exciting!

So what are you going to do with that tidbit of information this fine day?

Paul said to the church of Ephesus in Ephesians 6:19-20 “ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

I take that as my own personal charge from the Lord when those words convict my soul that I should be telling the world about Jesus, because He could call us home today!

The Unction of Utterance

Paul said that the utterance would be given, which means it wasn’t of me. Unction is an oil that can be applied such as the anointing of God through the Holy Spirit. That’s what it is when we’re given utterance. The times that I step out of the way and just allow God to speak through me have always been the most blessed of times. And at the end of those events someone would say to me, “how did you know?” or “that’s just what I needed.” And I didn’t know but the Holy Spirit who provided the words to my soul knew right well! So don’t stress God’s call on you to tell someone of Jesus, just pray and open your mouth and God will be faithful.

Bold in our Bonds

While Paul was in literal Prison as he wrote the Church of Ephesus, we sometimes feel as if we’re in a figurative prison, one step away from the real McCoy, the way our country treats us at this point in time. Bold ain’t easy baby. But it’s necessary to get over the noise of the world when witnessing for Christ. People want to fill that God sized hole in their hearts with something, and the world is more than happy to dish it out with material and self-gratifying gain. But that won’t fill it. Because God is huge! And more powerful than anyone or anything in America that thinks they came over shadow Him, including the demonic political realm that has tried to eek Him out of America. So long as there are Christians in America, God is in America!

Ought to Obedience

God’s not going to make you share the gospel, but you ought to. God’s not going to make you go to church, but you ought to. God’s not going to make you read His word, but you ought to. When you accepted His salvation, you ask His Holy Spirit to reside in your heart, and the Holy Spirit want to show you the power of God through His spoken and written word. And not just from the preacher, although we definitely need that too!

Serving God is the most fun you’ll have this side of Glory! It’s not always easy, but it’s never failed to give me a blessing! I’d love to encourage you where you are, if you’re in need of a speaker for a ladies event, give me a shout on Facebook, email or on the contact form of my site.

Contact information

  • (304)377-6036
  • Talk2shari@gmail.com
Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church Unity, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Uncategorized

Join the Journey

church unity

If you know me at all, you likely know that I have a burden for church unity. I think it partly comes from being a middle child, or a center child as I like to refer to it; that way it’s all about me. Center children are more often than not, mediators. My sister Shelia is an honest to goodness mediator for the courts, I’m sure she’s very good at it, because she like me is a center child; there are five siblings in our family. I’m sure that doesn’t always hold true but for me it does. Now to what brought me to this place this morning… This place is Heaven, and the biblical fact that we are already there, although the view isn’t quite what it’s going to be. So what does that have to do with church unity? There is no mention of a Baptist Street in Heaven, or a Methodist Avenue, or a Pentecostal Lane. And it doesn’t say anywhere in scripture that God stepped into another room so He could speak to a “certain group.” Nope. When God speaks He speaks in the presence of all. I believe there are two types of conversations with God. Personal and Congregational, and both are relational.

A Personal God

Philippians 3:20

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

“Our Conversation is in Heaven…” that’ll make you squirm if you think about a few road rage episodes or closet conversations between the Mister and Mrs. when you were in the heat of an argument. What part of the Holy Spirit living within us do we tend to forget, and the fact that the Holy Spirit is a part of a triune God and the other two are in Heaven? This puts our conversation in Heaven.

We serve a very personal God Who is all up in our business regardless of where we are. And  although there are times we wish God hadn’t heard what He did, how awesome is it that when we need Him to hear, we know He does.

A Congregational God

Hebrews 12:23

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

A general assembly, a convention of sorts, under no denominational name other than Christian. That’s who we are in Heaven. We forget that down here. And while I understand the doctrinal differences and many man made differences that will not allow us to be together as a unified body, I still don’t understand the lack of unity. I’m not going to go to the Methodist church and try to persuade them they should be Baptist. Nor will they enter our church for the purpose of persuading us to be Methodist. But what about outside the walls of our congregations where the world gets a view of the inside, what do they see? And what does our conversation in Heaven look like to God? We’re not arguing about Christ. We all agree that He is way, the truth and the life and that no man enters Heaven without Him. So what are we arguing over? That idea should make a few church folks squirm too!

A Relational God

Ephesians 2:6

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Being a member of the body of Christ is not only about our relationship with the Lord Jesus, which should be first and foremost, but it’s also about our relationship with each other who He has raised together.

When my girls were little it would break my heart when they argued. I wanted to them to love one another and to know that they had each other’s back when it was needed. I’m pretty sure God feels the same way about us. Praise God my girls grew up and they do love each other, and if you mess with one you’re in a heap of trouble with the other. That’s how the church should feel.

On Saturday morning, myself and five other ladies met in town to start a journey toward Heaven together and yet separate. We’re from difference churches, but we want to impact our community for Christ together. I’m so in love with this concept… I think Jesus approves. Our next meeting is at the First Baptist Church in Grantsville on September 26th at 6:30 p.m. If you’re in our area, please join the journey!

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church Unity, Evangelism, Life Inspiration

Hometown Boots on the Ground

boots on the ground

Ephesians 6:15

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

On Wednesday I traveled back from my Minnesota journey for fifteen hours in the car. Other than the necessitated pit stops I drove with purpose and without music or preaching which is usually what I occupy my mind with when traveling. But I wanted to hear from God, which was still difficult when my mind has trouble shutting up, it’s such a chatty Cathy! But what I discovered on my journey to my friend Dewey’s Hometown was that Windom, Minnesota and Grantsville, West Virginia have the same common thread running through their tapestry. It’s a raveling. It’s a thread that’s gotten disconnected from its garment. It’s still attached but it yet it’ loose. It’s not holding anything together, it’s just there. I think that’s a very good analogy of the church.

So as I’m driving… and driving… and driving. God keeps putting that hometown thought into my mind.

We’ve become disconnected from our communities. It’s very easy to say that the community is not our concern. It’s our job to be a light for Jesus! Yes, yes it is. And yet when Jesus was His own light in the towns that He was going to, He wasn’t just in the church house.

He was at the well

  • … at a wedding
  • … at the fishing hole
  • … meeting Nicodemus outside of business hours
  • … in people’s homes
  • … in the grain field
  • … in the cemetery

Every place He went was viewed as an opportunity to serve; and I think that’s where the disconnect comes into place in the church. We’ve bought the lie of Satan that church has no place in the secular world, and yet that’s the very place we’re told to take the gospel of Christ. We forget that the church is not a building, it’s a person. A person with a story and a purpose exclusively belonging to Christ, no matter where you are.

I’m fully aware that we cannot preach the gospel in a classroom. However, we can train our children to walk in the light of Christ and share Him with their friends. Most jobs forbid evangelism in the work place, but they usually don’t mind one iota if you live like Christ on the job. They call it ethics, we call it faith. Nursing homes, prisons and hospitals love our kind and usually welcome us with open arms, and yet we seldom go.

That’s the talk God had with me on my way home. “Shari, you’re going back to your hometown, what are you going to do there to make a difference? How are you going to motivate people and reconnect with your community?” And in my earthly wisdom I said to Him, “But God, they’ll not want to hear what I have to say.”

Oh, He fully understood.

Luke 4:24

And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

“Now what your excuse?” I ask myself.  I didn’t have one. But I do have a hometown,, and so do you. And we are without excuse in evangelizing it, starting at the house and working way out.

So I’m working on a way to reconnect the raveling that’s been hanging from my church skirt. I want to prepare the way for Christ’s return like John the Baptist did for his arrival in town the first time. My first step is look for resources… and then I want to get this party started.

Posted in Christian Service, Church Unity, Leadership, Life Inspiration

A Tale of the Heart of Two Cities

Pastor, Dewey Moede, Pastor Richard Gordon, Shari Johnson-The Jesus Chick
Pastor, Dewey Moede, Pastor Richard Gordon, Shari Johnson-The Jesus Chick

Yeah, I know that title’s been used before, but this isn’t a movie, it’s a tale of how Grantsville met Windom. A town you may or may not have heard of. But for those who follow my blog I thought I’d share a little about my journey there last week. I’ve yet to make it home, I’m currently still in Iowa, and truthfully, I’m pretty sure I left a little piece of my heart there anyway. I’ve doncke that everywhere I’ve ever been invited to speak or sing; so you may wonder how I have any heart left? Apostle Paul explained it like this in 2 Corinthians 6:11

O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

Apostle Paul felt free to speak what was on his heart with the Corinthians because he’d fallen in love with those people. No doubt from his words, his heart had been broken for the folks of Corinth which was expressed in his letters. It’s an odd thing about a part of the body that’s been hurt, the scar often causes an enlarged place on the skin. That’s kind of how I imagine Paul’s enlarged heart. Each time it was broken it grew larger and more burdened for the people he served. And each time I go to a new town or new church, my heart becomes broken and burdened for God’s people.

My arrival in Windom last week was amazing. The people who had prayed for me, provided funding for my travels, prepared for my stay, who I’d never met before were like old friends before I’d hit the city limits. When I arrived at Miss Loretta’s door on 5th Avenue, she said hello and three hours later we took a breath. That’s God! Miss Darlene, who funded my trip, was a friend in Christ who trusted God enough to send money ahead of the trip to pay my way to Windom and was such a sweet treat to come to know during my brief stay. I met Miss Diane and fell instantly in love with her soul which encouraged mine. Rodney and Debbie Byam were jewels in the crown of Christ whose hospitality and kindness were as shiny as diamonds in the sun for Jesus. Oh what a journey! Pastor Ricky touched my heart with his servants heart and Pastor Dewey Moede… well, that’s a whole blog post on its own. And as amazing as that story is, that’s not the most amazing part.

What’s amazing about a trip like this is how the power of God moved through people in Windom who lived there, people who moved from there and returned, and some who had never been there before in their life; working together for the same cause, with the same broken heart for the city.

What it did in my life was set my soul on fire for my own hometown. I’m ready to make something happen. I have plans. BIG PLANS. Look out Grantsville, I’m headed home. But today I’ll spend a few more hours with three rowdy boys in Marshalltown, Iowa. I plan to leave here early, early in the a.m. to head back down the road through five states listening to preaching and singing along the way. Please pray for me… & pray for my ministry. Want to get some religious art for your home? Visit sites like https://www.houseofjoppa.com/collections/catholic-art and check out their offerings.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church attendance, Eternity, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

That Good thing that’s a God thing

good thing

I’m so happy I have the Holy Spirit within me, else, there is no doubt that the flesh would rise up in me and I’d say and do things that would not glorify Christ and could possibly get me arrested. If you’re a servant of God, you either fully understand, or you’re way better at dealing with the things of life than I, and it’s really not the craziness in the world that can drive me to the point of frustration. I expect them to be crazy. It’s the craziness in the church that can push me over the edge.

So I’ve had this illustration in my mind for a few days, I drew it yesterday, and had intended to blog about it. But alas, the Holy Spirit said “Chill, Shari. You’re going to hurt someone.” And so I put it atop my art box and waited for the Holy Spirit to tell me what to write. And this morning as I prepare for church, the words flow freely and the Spirit has said to me, “Encourage them.” I wanted to hurt them three days ago. Who are them? They who sit in church pews. That’s all they do. They just sit in church pews. At least from my perspective as someone in charge of the Sunday School and Youth program. Because when a teacher is needed, it’s like pulling hens teeth to get people to move. And our church is one that is relatively good at stepping up. When I go into other churches and see the frustration in the leader’s eyes as they beg and plead for help my heart breaks for Jesus. He didn’t die for us to sit in the pew.

He died for us to serve. And so this word this morning is for those serving, not sitting. Please, keep serving!

Apostle Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:13-14

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

Hold Fast

That good thing is a God thing. Those sound words that Paul spoke was the inspired Word of God and he encourages Timothy and us to hold on to them. Keep holding on to the Word of God and using it to inspire others through your service. You are rare. I can’t get Matthew 9:37 out of my head that says the “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.”  We are a rarity, those who desire to teach and train disciples. We are few, but the field is full of people who need us. And while I get frustrated at those who sit, I’m learning that it will do no good to speak to the masses, I need to encourage the few. Because those are the days that we’re in. So if you’re serving God in any way… “hold on friend.”

Hold Firm

That good thing is a God thing that He’s given to you for safe keeping. Hold firm! Don’t let anyone or anything, including the frustrations of feeling unappreciated, un-noticed, unworthy, or any other “un” words that Satan throws at you to get you distracted from what you’ve been called to do. That little girl in my sketch… she’s no one in particular… she’s one in thousands that I’ve seen in the field and she need Jesus. She or he as the case may be needs you. If we don’t keep on teaching the word of God and telling others about that “good thing” that God has entrusted us with, then who will. There’s nobody beating down the door to get our job. Our job is secure. So please, if you’re in service to the King of kings, keep serving and living as an example to those around you. Tell everyone how awesome it is and encourage others walking in the field beside you. There’s not that many… it won’t take you long. I love you, and so does Jesus… and our reward is on it’s way!