Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

I know many times we go through life and wonder what is God’s will for us. What is God’s will for me. Am I living in God’s will? Earlier this evening I had what I believe to be an awakening from God, through a TV show.  I felt an urgency, a burden like I’ve never felt before. a burden for missions.  Missions isn’t just for that country that is way across the world, in the middle of the jungle, with cannibals. Missions can be anywhere, anytime, any place.  Your grocery store can be a mission field for you. Your church youth group is another mission field. Mexico, China, and the United States are a mission field. Your family is one as well. We, as Christians are commanded to Go! “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel….” We need more people though, that are willing to heed to the commandment. We need more people to go, like in Isaiah, “Here am I send me” God’s pleading for people to go and He can’t find anyone. Will you go? Will you obey? I understand that not everyone is called to another country but we are all called to preach the gospel. How can we sit and tell other’s what to do when we ourselves can’t even obey God’s commandment? All I’m asking of you is to ask God where He wants you to be.

“Lead me Lord, I’ll follow”

Value: Spiritual Gifts


“Who needs him, he’s such a loser.” Roger responded to his friend Steven when the subject of Danny came up.


“That’s a pretty harsh thing to say about your brother.” Steven responded. Roger knew it was harsh. He thought back when he and Danny were kids. Danny, the older by a year and a half, was always the guy who could ‘fix anything’. Oh, how mom and dad bragged on Danny when he fixed the washing machine or the lawnmower or unclogged a drain in the kitchen. At first, Roger tried to learn to do what Danny did but it never worked out.


Finally, in high school, Roger found his gift and like his own dad, it was the gift of gab. He won competition after competition in speech, debate and other forms of speech giving. He seemed to have a natural ability to talk to people, give speeches or just get people to see things his way or rally to his cause. It served him well as he moved into a sales career whereas Danny built a very successful auto mechanics business around his skill.


But sadly, for all the success the brothers had their dislike of each other kept them apart. Danny never understood why talking was a good skill and Roger thought being able to tinker with machines or pipes or wires was a geeky way to be. They fought about it endlessly until Danny moved out. Holidays were always tense except when they went to see Grandma. Everything stopped at Grandma’s house because she saw them as her sweet baby boys and for a while when they visited her, they were sweet and children again, innocent and always ready to play.


Steven left his friend Roger in his office thinking about his brother. Roger wondered if there ever be a way to make things ok between them. He didn’t know that over in his garage, while fixing a car, Danny was wondering the same thing. Roger’s thoughts were broken by the phone ringing. He answered it. The sound of urgency in the voice was frightening.


“Roger, the floods have hit Pilger.” Steven informed him. Pilger was not far from the large city where his family grew up. “The water is rising there and people are becoming trapped in their second floors. The Red Cross is going in to try to get people out.”


At first, Roger didn’t get too alarmed but then he remembered, Pilger was where Grandma lived. He picked up the phones and called her but no answer. He knew she lived alone in that big house and probably could not get to the phone. The thought of her alone facing that terror was more than he could stand. Moving almost on instinct, Roger got moving. He organized a rescue mission for the town of Pilger using his huge network of contacts at church, work, his clubs and his business contacts. Within hours, Roger had an army of men and machinery gathered in the parking lot of the Church. They were ready to invade Pilger and save those people.


“Folks,” he announced to the crowd of rescuers from his bullhorn. “We need to pray. My grandma is down there and you all have relatives there too. Let’s pray that God help them until we can get there.” And then he bowed his head and led them in prayer.


“Roger we have another area to pray about.” Steve shouted out. “Lots of these boats are broken. We need mechanical help or getting all of us down there will be no good. We need someone who can fix anything.” Roger felt his face go hot with emotion because it was like God was telling him, “Get Danny.” He had no time to wallow in self-pity or resentment at Danny. He picked up his cell phone and called his brother’s number.


All he had to say to Danny was “Danny, its Roger, grandma’s in danger. Get down here.” And he knew Danny would fly to the scene. And that is what happened. Danny brought his tools and workers and in no time, they had the machines in tiptop shape. Side by side, the brothers loaded the boats and together they got to Pilger and got every citizen out. As the brothers sat side by side on the boat heading to grandma’s house they both suddenly knew why they were so different. Danny knew that he could have never gotten such a huge response and organized the rescue so beautifully. And Roger knew that Danny’s gift for fixing things was crucial to their success.


As they got grandma into the boat, she hugged them both and kissed them and then she said what they both were thinking. “God has given each of you boys a wonderful spiritual gift. Working together you are a powerful tool for him.” They knew it was right because that is how God blesses the church. By giving everyone unique and wonderful gifts, we all can work together to do what God has for us to do.
Separate we are incomplete but together we are powerful tools for God to use for good.

Sometimes we sit and wonder if this is all there is? If this is all we are here to do? I catch myself thinking this at times and I don’t see what is going on or how it will end and just wondering why am i here? Why am I going through this? Why is it always me? I know if we were really honest with ourselves a lot of us would say we have been there. But there are reasons and answers to the why’s of this life.  Where you are at in your life at this moment is shaping who you are to help that one person that is sitting on the edge of suicide, that one person that is struggling with God, that one person that may need you to be strong for them in that one moment that they need someone the most. You will be that person at that time. I know right now it doesn’t seem that way. I know right now, you may just want to give up and throw the towel in.  As soon as you do throw that towel in, think about that person that will need you down the road. Will you let that person down because it’s too hard for you? In times where we are asking why this or why that are the times that we need to be clingling to God in prayer and meditation. In those moments of weakness, we trust God and when we trust God, He becomes our strength to get through those times. When you look back and see where you came from you can thank God and see that there was a reason for me to go through that situation.  Whether it be faith dwindling, cancer, countless hospital stays, and so on.  There are people that depend on you to count on God through the tough times.

Sometimes when we look behind at the past
Instead of our future ahead
We regret some of the choices we made
We regret some things that we said

We regret many opportunities missed
We regret the path we chose
What we need to do, each day , instead
Is remember that Jesus KNOWS

He’s aware we stumbled along the way
He knew which path we’d choose
But His love is sufficient to give us strength
His mercy can still heal the wounds

We still have a chance with what’s left of our years
To follow Him and choose to obey
We can’t change decisions we made in the past
But we can change our choices today

True peace and joy can still be found
If we allow Him to rule in our heart
It isn’t too late to turn things around
By pledging to make a new start

So don’t let the past be what you dwell on
Instead look at what can still be
Trust in Him and then watch
As He molds a new you..
And new chances are all that you see….