The ultimate act of obediance

Are you growing in the Lord, but wondering what He has in store for you? Do you think that only Pastor's and church leaders are used by God to bring people to Jesus? You would be surprised at how the Lord can use you.

Acts 9:8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.

There is a place of obedience for all of us. For Paul, it was being struck blind on the Damascus road. God literally knocked him off his horse with a blinding light. A voice from Heaven asked Paul why he was persecuting Him (Jesus). When Paul got up, he couldn't see. Jesus told him to go to Damascus and meet a man named Ananias. There, Jesus gave Paul his sight back through Ananias.

Each of us has a place of obedience. For some, it only needs a nudge of pressure to gently lead us toward God. For others of us, a lightning bolt is necessary to get our undivided attention. Many who are hard-hearted rebel against God. But God's love for these individuals is so great that He takes extreme measures to get their attention, and their hearts. When you come in contact with people like this, don't fear their arrogance. Instead, see them as God sees them as people who need the Savior and who could be a powerful force in the Kingdom if God saved them. It is a sign to begin praying for them.

We've all heard the saying, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." In many cases this is true. God has called many hard cases into His Kingdom through amazing circumstances in order to save their lives from the pit of hell and transform them into a sweet-smelling flower. Don't let the hard exterior fool you. These are needy people who are crying out for help in their own prideful way.

When my God was alcohol, I had two sorts of people in my life. Those who said I could never change, and the other side (Christians) who had faith enough to know that nothing was impossible for God. I praise the Lord constantly for the people in my life who prayed for me without ceasing. They loved me, and saw something in me I couldn't, and now, Jesus is using me to reach those who were once where I was. Who would have thought?

Whenever God starts this process in the life of a sinner, He has others standing by to help Him in this lie-changing transformation. Ananias was that person in Paul's life. He found it unbelievable that Paul really could have been saved. An angel had to convince him. Has God placed such an individual in your path? Perhaps God wants to use you to be an "Ananias" in the life of one of His wayward children. To do so requires a willingness to stand beside that one who needs your help. Who knows, that person could be the next apostle Paul.

Praying that Jesus uses us all to change someone's life
Pastor Mike













Taking A Poll

A pollster was taking opinions outside the United Nations building in New York City. He approached four men waiting to cross the street: a Saudi, a Russian, a North Korean and a resident New Yorker.

He asked, "Excuse me, I would like to ask you your opinion on the current meat shortage?"

The Saudi replied, "Excuse me, but what is a shortage?"

The Russian said, "Excuse me, but what is meat?"

The North Korean replied, "Excuse me, but what is an opinion?"

The New Yorker replied, "What is 'excuse me'?"