I was given a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book. What a great story of sharing the love of God with those in need. Rugby boys is a testimony of a missionary who ended up on an extended stay in the Philippines. There she met several “Rugby Boys” who are named after the glue (rugby) that they inhale. An honest telling, she includes her mistakes, her bad days, and the failures. I can recommend for pre-teens on up. A great book for anyone who has a heart for missions. I give it 5 stars.
Matthew 24:14-30 (NIV), “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Every job interview I have ever had they asked me my strong points and I always said, “I am a fast learner.” But, I am sure that God would disagree. I am reading through the bible in chronological order and am now in the New Testament. So I read this parable in a few different versions, and in a few different books. The wording wasn’t exactly the same, but in all of them the “wicked servant” didn’t use his talent. He hid it, or as in this version in Matthew he buried it. As I was fasting and praying this week, one of the petitions I lifted up to the lord was that my published books would sell. I had seen little or no sells month after month even though my books were going pretty steady for quite some time. I rebuked delay, I commanded them to sell, I thanked God for the finances, and that the books would be a blessing to those who read them. When I got around to thanking Him for my talent…this verse popped in my head and God spoke into my heart, “don’t bury your treasure.”
You would think the light would have come on then. In my defense I hadn’t eaten any food for some days and my mind was a little foggy. I did think that that would make good teaching on my blog so I stopped by the table in my prayer walk and wrote down “DON’T BURY YOUR TREASURE,” and continued to pray. It wasn’t until two days later as I was pondering my lesson for Ladies Bible study that the light came on. So maybe I am not always a fast learner but thank God He has patience with us.
My books pretty much stopped selling when I stopped writing on a consistent basis. I even ran into a parent of one of my past students and she asked me how the writing was going. I was honest and said I hadn’t done much and pointed to my beautiful nine month old grandson who I have been watching every day while his parents are at work. Finally I see that all my prayers, begging, frustrations were for nothing. My books weren’t selling not because Satan was withholding, or because God wasn’t blessing, it wasn’t because I was self published and I wasn’t doing enough marketing, it was because I had buried my talent.
It is so important that we use what God has given us, for His Glory!
II Timothy 1:6 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), “Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
Paul had to remind Timothy to “stir up” the gift that God had placed in Timothy’s life. He didn’t say, “Ask God to fan the flames and get you going again.” It is something each one of us has to do for ourselves. We have already been given the talents, the gifts, the character traits that God needed in us so that we could do what He has asked us to do. He put them there. Now it is our job to use them and when things seem to settle on the bottom we have to stir up the pot. He chose what He placed in us. It’s amazing that our simple mortal bodies can contain such wonderful gifts. When we see someone who can really sing or play an instrument we can’t help but acknowledge that they got that gift from a loving Father, even if they aren’t using the gift for Him, He is still the one who put it there.
II Corinthians 4:7 (NIV), “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Even some of the most wicked, worldly entertainers us the words, “I give God the glory” when accepting their awards and we know they are not in relationship with Him. How much more should we be using our gifts and talents to honor and glorify Him. If we are using them to glorify ourselves, we have stolen His glory. Those that I mentioned above may be doing lip service, but they haven’t truly glorified God, their messed up lives have a louder messages. Their pride and arrogant lifestyle negate the few words they speak at awards night. A vessel of honor doesn’t allow its contents to be used for dishonorable things.
It doesn’t matter if we’ve been given one, two, or many talents, what matters is what we do with what we have.
Charles H. Spurgeon in one of his sermons on the subject had this to say,
“You say, when such a man dies, who stood in the midst of the church, a triumphant for the truth, the angels will crowd to heaven’s gates to see him, for he has been a mighty hero, and done much for his Master. A Calvin or a Luther, with what plaudits shall they be received! — men with talents, who have been faithful to their trust. Yes, but know ye not, that there is many a humble village pastor whose flock scarcely numbers fifty, who toils for them as for his life, who spends hours in praying for their welfare, who uses all the little ability he has in his endeavor to win them to Christ; and do ye imagine that his entry into heaven shall be less triumphant than the entry of such a man as Luther? If so, ye know not how God dealeth with his people. He giveth them rewards, not according to the greatness of the goods with which they were entrusted, but according to their fidelity thereunto, and he that hath been faithful to the least, shall be as much rewarded, as he that hath been faithful in much … Ah! if there be degrees in glory, they will not be distributed according to our talents, but according to our faithfulness in using them.”
Having talents and gifts and not using them at all is like burying your treasure. It isn’t benefiting you and it certainly isn’t brining glory to God. How foolish would we think the next Publisher’s Clearinghouse winner, if they took their winnings and just buried it somewhere to rot away. Or think of those people who “hoard” things. If you’ve ever watched the show you know what happens…it spoils, it smells, it ruins, and rots.
Maybe you don’t see any talent in yourself. Sometimes, like my writing, it just needs to be developed. Other times you may be overlooking your talent or gift because it isn’t as obvious as musical ability or artistic ability. A good example is my husband. He is mechanically inclined and can fix just about anything. He has not only used this talent (just one of his many) to keep our own cars and appliances in working order, he has helped countless others with similar issues. He has used this talent to bless others. Or think of someone you know who loves children, maybe they aren’t great at teaching, but they sure know how to hug, and rock, and play with the little ones. Often you find them volunteering in nursery or working at a daycare. Then there are those who use their talents to provide for their families, or to earn a lot of money and distribute to the poor, or give into the Church. There are many ways to use our talents that glorify the Lord. One is not better than another. My husband’s mechanical talent isn’t less than Aaron Roger’s talent in sports, or Adam Levin’s singing talent. They are all supposed to be used for good, and they are all important to God’s plan.
Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV), “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Romans 14:11 (International Standard Version), “For it is written, “As certainly as I live, declares the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praise God.””
Isaiah 45:23 (NIV), “By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.”
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, God will be praised, by every tongue, saved or unsaved, angels and demons, humans and animals, all will praise Him.
Jesus is King of Kings. Nothing we can do or think, say or do can change that. However just like everything else in our lives we have a choice, not if we will name Him as Lord and King, but when. We can submit to Him as King now, or we can be forced to bend the knee later. It’s totally up to us.
I love reading books on Arthurian legend. One of the reasons is because of the depiction of Arthur as “High King”. I am in fact reading the best version yet, by Stephen R. Lawhead. This one is my favorite due to the fact that Arthur and even Merlin are portrayed as followers of Jehu (Jesus). The story still has battles and those evil characters that try to manipulate, or strike terror in the people. Each of those wicked Lords or lesser kings all faced a choice, to submit to Arthur as High King and support the defense of their land, or be conquered in battle and be forced, literally to bow the knee and swear fealty to their king.
Such a good lesson for us, Jesus will be our King, by choice or by force.
You choose.
The good part is that Jesus is not a man like Arthur (if he was even real), with flaws and faults. Jesus is deity. He is God and He is good. You could never submit to anyone who would care for and love you more, or better. He always has your best interest at heart. Just like the kings of old, He went first into battle. He not only goes before you, He encompasses you.
Here is a passage taken from Lawhead’s “Arthur” spoken over Arthur at his crowning: “Jesu with him, before him, behind him;
Jesu in him, beneath him, above him;
Jesu on his right, Jesu on his left’
Jesu when he sleeps, Jesu when he wakes;
Jesu in the heart of everyone who thinks of him;
Jesu in the mouth of everyone who speak of him;
Jesu in the eye of everyone who sees him.”
Let’s truly make Him our King. Not just in word, but in deed, so that all who see us, think of us, or speaks of us will be glorifying God.
If you have confessed Him as Lord, let this be a reminder of what that really means. If you haven’t think about what it would be like to have a loving King to go out for you in battle. One who has already won the victory and has all the spoils of war to give into your hands.
JESUS IS KING.
Revelation 5:13 (Douay-Rheims Bible), “And every creature, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them: I heard all saying: To him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, benediction, and honour, and glory, and power, for ever and ever.”
In your walk with the Lord, have you ever felt like you were in a dry place? You know the great Sahara desert of the spirit when you feel like you just chewed up a whole box of saltines and now someone asked you to whistle Dixie? A fish out of water and not a rain drop in sight?
I have. Many times in fact. Sometimes I am not surprised because I am the one who drained the pool and hauled in all the sand. Other times it comes on me unawares and I wake up one day, or go to bed and realize that I haven’t felt the presence of the Lord, or that my heart is just sort of numb. I have learned that my human nature during these times is to back away (in fact that may have been what started the dry season to begin with), to stop reading my bible, to just go through the motions and do my bare bones religious duty. The problem with that is God doesn’t want religion, He wants a relationship.
So, whatever the cause of the wilderness walk, we have to keep on walking and we have to press in. That’s the most important time to read The Word, and to pay attention in Church, to sing some worship songs, and praise the Lord. Sometimes it’s a “sacrifice”. We are doing something we don’t feel like doing, because we love Him, and He deserves it no matter what we feel like.
Hebrews 13:15 (KJB), “By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Parenthesis added.
Whenever I am in that dry place, I often think of the passage in Ezekiel, when the Spirit takes the prophet to the valley of dry bones. Many battles had taken place there and there were many whitewashed bones that had been food for wild beasts and left drying in the weather. God asks Ezekiel if those bones could live. He, being the smart man that he was realizes this is a trick question. In the natural, of course they couldn’t live again. There wasn’t a live cell left in these bones. However, he also knew that all things were possible with God. So he turns it back to the Lord. Let’s take a look at this passage.
Ezekiel 37:1-10 (NIV), “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”
How did those bones come to life?
God told the prophet to prophesy to the bones. We are all called to prophecy. Paul was very clear about that. (I Corinthians 14:5). When we are feeling like bare bones, speak life back into those dry bones. Call on the breath of God. Spend time in your heavenly prayer language (tongues) and allow the Spirit to build you up, and recharge your battery. We all get dry, it isn’t a sin, and it doesn’t surprise God.
Just don’t back away. Don’t allow yourself to think that your desert experience is forever. Don’t allow rebellion, grumbling and complaining, or complacency to come into your life, take a look at those that died in the dessert in Exodus if you want to see how that pans out. We all have to go through some wilderness experiences, we just don’t have to set up camp, don’t build your house there. Pass through in the strength of the Lord. Ask God to send you rain, to give you an oasis in the middle of the desert. To make the dry places a spring of life. Seek Him.
God can raise an army out of dry bones. What can He do with a live one?!
I was given a copy of “Walk Like A Warrior” by Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review. This is a true, inspirational story that reads a lot like a devotional. The author and her husband travel with their two horses and minister full time with music, riding, and just plain helping out and shining the light of Jesus. I love how honest this book is! She talks about her lack of faith, getting tired and even about “poop” which is part of the life of cowboys and cowgirls. I was very touched by many of the stories and found myself with Kleenex box in hand. As an added blessing there are tons of pictures of their travels and some wonderful scenery. I give it five stars and highly recommend it to Christians and Cowfolk alike. Good for teens and up.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (NASB), “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
When we get saved God doesn’t snatch us out of here and bring us straight to Heaven. Why? Because we are here to set an example, to imitate Him. Jesus is in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God, so now we are the only “Jesus” they will ever see. He came to show the Father. (John 14:9). Now that is our job.
We are supposed to live from Heaven, walk in our authority as believers, and accept all the good things God has given us so that we can make others want what we have. They may shy away from our boldness, or want to hide in the darkness because of the brightness of our life, but like a stray dog who finds a dish of food and some clean water, they will come out of the shadows to take what we have to offer. God explained that to His people when He was telling them that they would return out of captivity and go back to Jeruselem.
Ezekiel 20:41 (AMP), “I will accept you [graciously] as a pleasant odor when I lead you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered, and I will manifest My holiness among you in the sight of the nations [who will seek Me because of My power displayed in you].”
Romans 2:4 clearly tells us that God’s kindness, His goodness leads hearts to repent. How else will they see the goodness of God if not through us? We don’t have to plan some huge outreach, though God may ask us to, Andrew Murray makes it clear in his book “Working for God”, that it is in the smallest things that we consistently show God’s love, holding the door for someone, a kind word or a friendly smile, an offer to babysit, a plate of cookies for an invalid, all of these things are big in God’s Kingdom. Yes, we have to speak, pray, and encourage others, we can’t leave these things undone, but we have to be led by His Spirit. He will tell us when to preach with words, or when to just give a hug and a smile. His way wins souls, not our great plans and our way with words.
We can’t be barely scraping by, worried and anxious, crabby and depressed, and show God’s goodness. We have to freely receive so that we can freely give. This isn’t just about money! It’s about God’s provision. Depending on Him and expecting Him to come through for us. We will get a raise, He will give us favor with the bill collectors, He will rebuke the devourer. We have to read His word, find those promises, and stand in them. Set your face like flint! Keep your eyes on Him. When we consistently show that no matter what comes our way, we will praise and honor Him, we are setting an example.
The Bible is full of examples. Some good and others not so good. We can read through the books of Chronicles and Kings and see what we are not supposed to do. Or take a look at the children as the wondered in the wilderness. Not examples of great faith. Even some of our hero’s made mistakes along the way. God has added their shortcomings to their witness so that we can have hope. We know that even if we mess up, God can turn it around for our good. Our witness isn’t ruined. If we admit our wrong, if we repent. Otherwise, how are we representing Heaven? We are ambassadors for Christ. We need to live from Heaven, not conform to this world, and love on people. Loving someone doesn’t mean accepting their sin. God loved us while we were in our sin, but He didn’t leave us there, He compelled us by His love, and goodness, to let the Blood of Jesus cleanse us of all our wrongdoings.
There are a lot of people out there who haven’t come to the saving knowledge of His grace, more of those than the ones who know Him. This ought not to be!
Revelations 12:11 (Weymouth New Testament), “But they have gained the victory over him because of the blood of the Lamb and of the testimony which they have borne, and because they held their lives cheap and did not shrink even from death.”
It is clear in Revelations that two of our weapons against the enemy are the blood of the lamb and our testimony. The blood washes away our sin, protects us from evil, and made us as right as God, so now we can boldly come into the throne of Grace and we have authority over every power of the evil one.
Why would our testimony be a weapon?
Romans 2:4 (NIV) “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
When we share all the good things that God has done for us, what He has brought us through, we are showing His kindness, some translations say “goodness.” This leads hearts to repent, taking them out of the enemy’s camp and bringing them home to the Father.
Psalm 8:2 (Darby Bible Translation), “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established praise because of thine adversaries, to still the enemy and the avenger.”
Other versions say “silence”, “destroy”, and “put an end” to the enemy and the avenger. Our testimony is praise to God. Our only form of praise isn’t song. Whenever we share God’s goodness, we are glorifying and praising who He is.
Satan is trying to keep people ignorant of WHO God is.
Hosea 4:6 (ISV), “My people are destroyed because they lack knowledge of me. Because you rejected that knowledge, I will reject you as a priest for me. Since you forget the Law of your God, I will also forget your children.”
Our testimony tells people who God is! They may have heard that God is vengeful, that He makes us sick, that He sends disaster to judge people, but our testimonies of His mercy, His healing power, of His forgiveness shows who He really is.
We all have a testimony. If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, you have something to say.
We just need to remind ourselves of all He has done for us, for all that He is going to do, in fact He already did it all, we just have to accept it and stand on His promise.
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