Sacrifice | The Ballestero Blog

Archive for the ‘Sacrifice’ Category

You Ain’t Got Time!!

with 6 comments

You Ain’t Got Time!!

I Understand!

I Don’t Know How You Can Do What You Do!

You’re Busy! Very Busy!

I’m Even A Bit Sorry To Say Anything And Interrupt You!

Studies Show The Average American Works 47 Hours A Week. Or, 8.8 Hours A Day.

The Gallop Poll: https://news.gallup.com/poll/175286/hour-workweek-actually-longer-seven-hours.aspx

The Average American

Sleeps About 8 Hours A Day
Eats About 67 Minutes A Day
Drives About 101 Minutes A Day
Watches 2.8 Hours Of TV A Day

https://www.tempo.io/blog/7-time-consuming-things-an-average-joe-spends-in-a-lifetime

The Average American Spends 12 Hours And 9 Minutes A Day On Media.

https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-time-spent-with-media-2019

The Average American Spends 24 Hours A Week On-Line

https://www.technologyreview.com/f/610045/the-average-american-spends-24-hours-a-week-online/

Teens Spend Nine Hours A Day In Front Of Screens.

Plus, They Go To School For About Six Hours A Day.

Children 8-12 Spend Six Hours A Day With Screens.

Teens Spend ‘Astounding’ Nine Hours a Day in Front of Screens: – BY MAGGIE FOX AND ERIKA EDWARDS

Besides All This… There’s:

House Cleaning
Laundry
Shopping
Lawn Care
Home Maintenance
Gym Work Outs
Meal Preparations
Caring For Your Children
School/College Classes
Homework
Cramming For Exams
Your Job

There Are Not Enough Hours in Your Day. I Get That.

You’re Overwhelmed With Your Schedule. Absolutely.

Your Plate Is Too Full To Add Anything Else. I See That.

I Understand That You Aren’t Able To Be Involved Much At Church Because Of Your Schedule.

So, I Won’t Ask Why You Weren’t At Church Sunday Night, Or At The Midweek Service.

I Also Noticed You Don’t Have Time To Help:

Drive The Sunday School Bus
Work The Bus Route
Teach Sunday School
Help In The Nursery

Be Involved In Ladies / Men’s Groups
Do Visitor Follow Up
Be In The Choir
Play In The Orchestra

Do Bible Quizzing
Be At Prayer Meeting
Make It To Pre-Service Prayer
Be Part Of The Youth Department

Teach Home Bible Studies
Do Outreach
Help In The Easter Pageant
Help With Children’s Church

Serve After Church
Be At Men’s Work Day
Clean The Church
Join Usher / Greeter Department

Cleaning Up After Meals / Washing Dishes
Decorating
Fund Raising
Working In The Fireworks Stand

Mow The Church Yard
Plant Flowers
Pull Weeds
Help In The Media Room

Being Used In Intercessory Prayer
Pray Around The Altar
Visit The Sick
Care For The Widows

You’re Very Busy! Yet, You Find Time To…

Keep Up With All The Sports Teams And Their Stats.
Know All About Politics And Politicians
Hang Out With Your Friends Regularly
Take Selfies At Starbucks And Nice Restaurants

Take Weekend Get-A-Way Trips
Go Hunting And Fishing
Enjoy Your Hobbies
Visit Friends And Relatives

And, You’ve Got Time To…

Gossip on The Phone
Go Out To McDonald’s After Church
Stay Out Past Midnight
Play War Games On Your Computer
Baby Sit
Play Ball With The Church Group
Take Your Dog Jogging

You MAKE Time To Do What You Want To Do!

Let’s Talk About Who You May Not Want To Confront You In The Judgment!

Jonah – He was too busy and filled with excuses to obey God’s Call. He ran from his duty. God sent a storm to get his attention.

James And John – Left their nets and their livelihood and followed Jesus.

Matthew – Walked away from his Tax Collecting table and followed Jesus.

Doctor Luke – Closed his Clinic and sent his patients away and followed Jesus.

Martha – Too busy to sit at the feet of Jesus.

Elisha – Was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. He killed his oxen and made a sacrifice of them and followed Elijah, not even taking the time to tell his family goodbye.

Woman At The Well – Left her water pot at the well to go tell everyone about Jesus.

Ruth – Walked away from her family, her people and her gods, to follow after Naomi and her God.

Noah – Put his life on hold to obey God’s command to build an Ark.

Phebe – “A servant of the church.”

God Even Used Teenagers In The Bible

Mary – Mother of Jesus
Joseph – Was 17
Daniel – Teen when captured. Became Prime Minister
David – 17 when he killed Goliath
Jeremiah – 14 when he started Prophesying and said “Ask for the old paths”
Esther – When she stood before the king.
James and John – teens when Jesus called them.
Timothy – A teen when he began to work with Paul

The Inhabitants Of Meroz Were Too Busy Taking Care Of Their Flocks And Herds To Help The Rest Of Israel Fight The Enemy.

Judges 5:23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

This Society Wants Everything Given To Them.

They Think Life Is Just About Them.

As In The Bible Days… They Follow Jesus For The Loaves And The Fishes.

They Want Heavenly Rain To Fall On Their Lives, Yet Refuse To Send Up Any Vapor.

Today I Make A Plea For Your Involvement In The Work Of The Lord

Your Lack Of Involvement Is

Hindering Revival In Your Church.
Causing Apathy To Spread.
Cursing Your Soul.
Killing Your Pastor By Making Him Take Up The Slack.

How Can You Say You Live For God When Your Life Is All About You?

You Are Not Living For God, You’re Living For You.

Actually… It’s Not YOUR Life At All. You’ve Been Bought With A Price.

Deut. 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Does The Following Scripture Describe You?

Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

If So, Repent And Live For God With All Your Heart.

Written by Martyn Ballestero

December 9, 2019 at 7:48 am

Posted in Acts Of Service, Blessings, Christian Living, God's House, Ministry, Obedience, Overcoming, Personal Growth, Sacrifice, Sunday School Teachers

Your Performance Interview With God Is Coming!

The Downspout In A Bucket Church

with 5 comments

The Downspout In A Bucket Church

Eleven people sat quietly in the dank, poorly lit basement room. There was enough seating for about 30 people, but no one could remember it being full.

It had a bit of an odor too. The bare concrete block walls were unpainted and unprotected light bulbs hung from the ceiling by two bare strands of wire. The benches appeared to have not been professionally constructed and the flooring was an unpainted concrete slab. There were no windows in the room either.

This room took up less than one-fourth of the unfinished church basement area. The upstairs, where the main sanctuary was to be, was not completed. Actually, there had never been enough money to even get it started.

Work had stopped on the building many years ago. About 4 or 5 rows high of concrete blocks were all that had been laid for the walls and they sadly showed where the work had stopped. There was no roof. The unprotected flooring was exposed to the elements and left the basement completely to the mercies of what Mother Nature decided to do for the day. There was also bad plumbing, because the contractors that were going to do the plumbing service didn’t show, so they found another plumbers in http://plumberranchocucamonga.us .

When it rained or when the snow melted, most of the water seemed to just sit in puddles on the flat floor that served as a roof and also as a ceiling for the basement. The basement had leaks everywhere.

It was not advisable to even walk through the other parts of the basement in the rainy season. Only the small area where the services were held had even basic protection overhead from the elements.

The blueprints showed a beautiful church building on this location that would seat several hundred people. Up to now, only the pastor had that vision and no one had any money. All of the saints were poor, they were very poor.

The pastor’s wife was a saint. She sweetly did whatever she could to help make ends meet. There was never enough money coming in from the church to support them, so the burden of being a foster parent in her later years was added to her duties. She played the organ, worked in the garden out back, and kept the old two-story house looking pretty. Every preacher’s wife loved her. She was working and worrying herself into an early grave.

The pastor had grandiose ideas and plans for the church. He would spread out stacks of blueprints to every visitor that came into his home. He was very personable, but his gifts of envisioning and dreaming never put a lot of bread and butter on the table. There was never enough money to go around.

He had come from a big church as a young saint. Before he pastored he had even been on the trustee staff in another big church in another state.

Somehow, nothing was coming together for him here. The city was big enough to support several churches. Others seemed to be able to grow here, but he somehow just struggled. In the 25 years or so of being here, he couldn’t get passed the feeling he was just spinning his wheels.

The sad-looking building was nearly an eyesore to some in the neighborhood. The neighbors no longer spoke kindly to the pastor who lived next door. Behind his back they made comments. Petitions had been circulated. Inspectors had come.

The cold winters always ate up most of the church budget just for heating. There was minimal insulation at this point.

But the pastor and small flock were faithful.

No one had ever shouted in this church the whole time he had been there. Joy was not a word that was often heard in a testimony service. Victory was just a word in the dictionary. The services were not exciting. Visitors seldom ever came. If they did, more often than not, they rarely came back.

A lady in the church watched the foster children for the pastor’s wife while she played the organ. The pastor’s children were grown and had already moved away.

No new choruses ever made it into their worship here. The worn songbooks had always served wonderfully for 25 years and always would.

Tonight, was a special service. A guest minister was going to preach. (There was never enough money to invite special speakers. This one had already said he wasn’t going to take an offering.) The people were very excited he had come.

It was raining very hard outside and the stairwell that led into the basement’s side door entrance was gathering a fair amount of water. Some of the water began to stream into the small auditorium. No one seemed overly bothered. This had happened before and was taken in stride.

The song service and testimonies had gone well. It was now time for the guest preacher to be introduced.

He stood and came to the small pulpit and made his opening remarks. As he talked he could hear the fast drip-drip-drip-drip of water into the 5-gallon bucket in the middle of the small aisle. It sat at the base of a metal post that ran from the ceiling to the floor.

Fastened to the post was a downspout that emptied the water into the 5-gallon bucket. The bucket filled up several times during every service when it rained. Replacement buckets were always handy.

The downspout was connected to a 10-foot piece of gutter that hung down about a foot from the ceiling. Someone had used old coat hangers to wire it into place. It had been strategically located to catch to the largest amount of drips in the sanctuary area, and it did.

Despite the resounding drip-drip-drip-drip-drip, the anointing came and the preacher preached great! The saints all gathered around the front for the altar call and ignored the dripping of the water into the bucket. God’s will was once again accomplished despite the distractions.

This Too Is Home Missions.

Written by Martyn Ballestero

December 9, 2017 at 8:33 am

Posted in Christian Living, Church Planting, God's House, Sacrifice

Faithfulness

with 3 comments

Written by Martyn Ballestero

January 22, 2015 at 1:17 pm

Posted in Christian Living, Doctrine, Life, Loyality, Personal Growth, Praise, Prayer, Sacrifice, Salvation, Service, Tithes, Truth, Unity, War, Worldliness, Worship

Tagged with faithfulness

The Form Of A Servant

with 3 comments

The Form Of A Servant

Jesus Christ could have entered into our world in whatever form or fashion He chose. What He did choose is puzzlement to our carnal thinking. He came as a servant.

Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Phil 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Phil 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Why Would He Come To Earth In That Form?

We are not entirely comfortable with this idea. We have been taught that we are Kings and Priests. We expect others to bow down and recognize our high position. The egos of God-fearing creatures suffer quiet a shock when we read that Godly and esteemed men in the New Testament did not think of themselves as someone of high degree or importance.

These Men Plainly Said They Were Servants.

James 1:1, James a servant
2 Pet. 1:1, Simon Peter a servant
Jude 1, Jude a servant
Rev. 1:1, His servant John
Psa. 36:0, David the servant of the Lord
Job 1:8, My servant Job
Deut. 34:5, Moses the servant of the Lord
1 Cor. 9:19, Paul – I made myself a servant

The Attitude Of A Servant Is Everything, Don’t Serve The Master Begrudgingly, Or It Will Show.

Psalm 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness:

How Will We Be Remembered As A Servant?

A. In The Bible There Are Faithful Servants

Elisha – Known for pouring water on Elijah’s hands
Naaman’s Maid – Known for being a faithful witness in captivity.
Phebe – Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

B. In The Bible There Are Also Unfaithful Servants

Gehazi – The greedy servant
The ‘slothful servant’

The whole idea of being a servant goes against every goal and dream of our flesh. We desire to be served and waited on, not the other way around.

There’s A Difference Between Wearing A Bib Or Wearing An Apron.

A baby wears a bib. The wearing of the bib says, serve me, I can’t serve myself. Only mature people wear aprons. An apron signifies that its wearer is ready and competent to serve. God is looking for us to mature into apron wearers, not stay a bib wearer all our life.

What Do We Have On?

Our Servant-Hood

As servants, we are not allowed to sit on the sidelines and watch. There is ALWAYS work to do, and we must do what He asks.

Being A Servant Is All About:

Submission
Obedience
Service

The Language Of Servant-hood

“Not my will, but thine be done.”
“Yes Lord.”
“I must decrease, so that He might increase.”

As Servants, We Must:

Never expect riches
Never expect to be bragged on.
Never expect earthly rewards
Work so that only the Master receives the Glory

Bible Servants Who Are Never Mentioned By Name.

They gave themselves to the master and worked without any recognition or applause.

Building Solomon’s Temple, There Were:

Laborers And Lumberjacks

70,000 that just carried burdens
80,000 that chopped down trees and hauled them to Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 2:18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain…

Potters

They slept in the bushes will doing work for the King. They never got to eat or drink from the vessels they produced. They were servants.

1 Chronicles 4:23 These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

Calkers

In the lower deck or hold of the ships worked men who spent their time at sea below deck. Theirs was the worst job at sea. They were the caulkers. Their job was to stop any leak in the ship.

If water began to seep in anywhere, it was the job of the caulker to soak hemp or rope in pitch and wedge it into the crack to stop the leak. Pitch or tar is sticky and discoloring at best.

The caulkers didn’t have solvents to clean their hand or clothes.
No doubt their hands were constantly stained or sticky.
The caulkers didn’t know how to read a sextant and pilot the ship.
Their job was to keep the boat afloat while the Captain received all the praise.
Yet, if it wasn’t for their faithful labor, they boat might well sink.

Ezekiel 27:9 The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.

The Master Always Has A Problem When His Servant Become…

Puffed Up
Arrogant
Rebellious
Un-teachable
Un-responsive
Unproductive

Servants Never Stop

Servants Never Retire

Servants Work Till They Die

Servants Work Where The Master Tells Them

Servants Work When The Master Tells Them

Servants Are Not Their Own

Servants Don’t Wait To Be Told Twice

Some Servants Are:

Kings
Prophets
Apostles
In Leadership – Moses
Pastors
Evangelists
Saints
Old
Young
No Exemptions From His Service Are Allowed Because Of Our ‘Importance or Position.”

Servants Are Expected To Serve Willingly

Jesus simply said, “Follow Me.”

The Most Wonderful Words A Servant Will Ever Hear.

Mt 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Written by Martyn Ballestero

February 7, 2013 at 10:03 pm

Posted in Sacrifice, Service

Tagged with Servants, Serving the Lord

He Gambled With His Life

with 3 comments

He Gambled With His Life.

He was born into a world of slavery, so his name was a common slave’s name of the day. They named him Epaphroditus after the Greek god, Aphrodite. His name, among other things, meant lovely, beautiful or charming.

No Christian would ever give their child such a name. But it didn’t matter now. He was a first generation follower of Christ.

His Background

He was born and raised in Philippi. He had received the Holy Ghost and was baptized in Jesus Name in the church that was started after the imprisonment and then the deliverance of Paul and Silas. His church just happened to be in the very city that Nero lived.

Nero was a most perverted emperor who crucified Christians regularly and killed them just for sport. Yet, somehow he could not stop the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians could even be found in his own household. https://martynballestero.com/2011/04/03/the-church-in-the-torture-chamber/

It is thought that Epaphroditus was a man of means and respected by those in the congregation. It is known, however, that he was a delegate of the church and was their personal representative to the Apostle Paul.

Paul Got Arrested

About A.D. 61 word had been received in Philippi, that Paul was unjustly imprisoned in Rome, some 800 miles away. (According to Roman custom, if he were not actually in prison, at least he would be placed under some kind of house arrest, and chained to a Roman Soldier. Phil 1:13)

As a prisoner, Paul now had no opportunity to make tents and sell them. He certainly desperately needed help on many levels. He needed money, he was writing letters (Epistles) to churches, and there was no one to minister to his personal health needs.

The church family of Philippi took up a love offering for Paul, and commissioned Epaphroditus to deliver the money and minister to whatever needs Paul may have.

Epaphroditus readily took that commission to heart, and carried it out the best of his ability.

Whatever Paul needed, Epaphroditus obtained for him. Serving Paul was the honor of his life. This was the man who had brought the Gospel to his city and was greatly punished for it. This man was his hero, so he served him willingly.

If the Apostle Paul had never visited Philippi, Epaphroditus most likely would still be living in sin. That thought could not be erased from his mind.

Epaphroditus knew well the meaning of living outside of his life. His background now came to the foreground. He was a slave by birth, now he was a voluntary love slave unto the work of the Lord. He had the heart of a servant, and it showed.

He served Paul diligently day and night without even stopping to take care of himself. He never looked at his work as sacrifice. He willingly served. He burned the candle of his life at both ends.

Here Is What Paul Wrote To The Church At Philippi:

Phil 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

Phil 2:26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

Phil 2:27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Phil 2:28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

Phil 2:29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

Phil 2:30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

Paul Called Epaphroditus His:

Brother
Companion
Fellow Soldier

It is commonly believed that Epaphroditus was retired after serving the mandatory twenty-five years in the Roman Army.

He was the kind of man who would rather burn out, than rust out. He didn’t just retire. He refocused and threw himself into the work of the Lord. His local church had seen that willingness in him and chose him to represent them, to Paul. He did not let them down.

His Name

Now let’s look again at the name Epaphroditus. Remember I told you that it meant that he was named after the goddess Aphrodite? Aphrodite was the goddess of luck; actually, she was the goddess of luck and the goddess of beauty as well.

And when the Greeks rolled the dice in their games of chance, they would say “Epaphroditus” as they rolled the dice. His name not only meant Beautiful, but Luck.

A Servant Doesn’t Quit

A servant doesn’t quit just because the task is hard.
A servant doesn’t quit just because he is tired.
A servant just doesn’t quit.

Epaphroditus Gave All

All Epaphroditus knew to do was to give himself to the work of God, no matter how lowly the service. He gave his all and his health as well. He almost died. A man called Beautiful risked his life for the work of the Lord. A man called Luck risked everything for the work of the Lord. He did it without thinking twice about it.

What If Epaphroditus Attended Our Church? Would He…

Show up for the Epaphroditus workday at the church?
Show up for Visitation?
Teach Home Bible Studies?
Make sure the Church was clean and ready for service?
Volunteer, or have to be recruited?
Freely minister to the needs of his Man of God?
Ask if there was anything else he could do?

Lord, Give Us Another Epaphroditus!

Lord, If You Need Another Epaphroditus, Send Me!

Written by Martyn Ballestero

November 17, 2012 at 10:49 pm

Posted in Christian Living, God's House, Ministry, Sacrifice

Tagged with Sacrifice, Serving the Lord

Give God What He Can Bless!

with 6 comments

Give God What He Can Bless!

(Give God What He Likes, Give God What He Can Use.)

The song service had been sort of ‘average’. No one shouted. No one cried. We all just sang the songs and then waited for the prayer requests to be received. This Bible Study night was not going to be remembered for its worship service. I had done my best to lead the worship, but I just didn’t flow with the Spirit like I should.

On the way home, Dad said, “Son, have you ever noticed that God never blesses that last chorus you sang tonight?”

“No Sir,” was all I could say.

“If you lead long service in my church, then you need to be aware of what kind of songs God blesses.

“He doesn’t bless songs about ‘us’, He only blesses songs about ‘Him’. His Name, His Power, His Blood, His Love, His Mercy, His Grace. Sing about Him next time and He will bless it.”

“Thanks Dad.” I mumbled apologetically.

That, my gentle reader, is a lesson I never forgot. My Father was teaching me to give God what He could bless.

1. Cain

Cain never caught on to the concept. God was willing to bless a ‘lamb’ sacrifice. But, since Cain was not a sheepherder, but rather a tiller of the soil, he gave God fresh vegetables. God couldn’t bless a radish, an onion or a rutabaga. Blood had to be shed. God was only willing to bless a sacrificed lamb.

Because God ignored Cain’s sacrifice, and accepted Abel’s lamb sacrifice, Cain got mad and killed his brother.

Gen. 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Gen. 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Gen. 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

There are some Sacrifices God can’t bless.
You will be disappointed when God doesn’t bless your sacrifice.
He can’t bless that which is against His Word or His Will

Some want the Blessings of God regardless of how they have lived. Blessings never come when you starting thinking outside “God’s Box”.

2. Saul

In a spirit of disobedience and arrogance, Saul kept the spoils of war, spared King Agag and offered up a sacrifice. Samuel pronounced the curse of God upon him.

Saul admitted he had sinned; yet he wanted to be blessed in spite on his disobedience. He never understood that obedience was better than sacrifice. Not learning that lesson cost him his kingdom and the blessings of God.

1Sam. 15:30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

Give God a life that He can bless.

Give him a heart that He can bless.

Give God an attitude He can bless.

If Your Life Is Filled With These, God Can’t Bless It!

Disobedience
Bitterness
Unbelief
Rebellion
Unconcern
Disrespect
Un-involvement
Addictions
Worldliness
Carnal Lusts
Sinner Boy Friend or Girl Friend
Immorality
Love of the World
Jealousy
Hatred

___________________________________________________________

Our idea of what God will bless, may be different than His.

Samuel – at Jesse’s House. Samuel was willing to anoint Jesse’s older sons to be the next king. God did not like what He saw in their hearts. The lad David was anointed King.

David’s heart was what God was looking at.
David had a love for Worship. No one made him praise the Lord.
David was always quick to repent.
God can bless that.

Give God What He Can Bless. He will always Bless:

Submission
Tenderness
Obedience
Faith
Trust
Mercy
Honor
Sacrifice
Repentance
Worship
Praise
Brokenness
Humility
Modesty
Holiness
Willingness
Hunger
Prayer Life
Faithfulness
Consecration

If you will Humble yourself, pray, seek His face in worship, and quit your sinning, God will hear your prayer, forgive you, and even bless your finances.

2Chr. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

How bad do you want to be blessed?

Jacob told the Angel that wrestled with him: “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

When God blesses, He really blesses. He will bless you like this and more besides, if you just give him a life that can be blessed!

Deut. 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Deut. 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deut. 28:3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Deut. 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Deut. 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Deut. 28:6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

Deut. 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Deut. 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deut. 28:9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

Deut. 28:10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.

Deut. 28:11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Deut. 28:12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Deut. 28:13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

You’ll never be blessed living for God ‘Your Way.” God only blesses us when we do things “His Way”! Are you giving God what He can bless?

Written by Martyn Ballestero

February 4, 2011 at 5:41 pm

Posted in Christian Living, Holiness, Obedience, Personal Growth, Prayer, Pride, Sacrifice, Trust

Tagged with Attitude, Holiness, Humlity, Mercy, Modesty, Repentence, Tenderness

The “Somewhere” Church

with one comment

In an email today I discover an article by a beloved Missionary friend of mine, Brother Brad Lambeth. He has spent his life laboring untiringly in Brazil and has done an amazing work for God. I was moved by his email and pray you are too.

MJB

The “Somewhere” Church
I just received the attached picture of a new Apostolic church… somewhere. You see, somehow the text was deleted from the picture and I don´t know where this church is at!

The picture mesmerized my imagination! Where is this church located? What Brazilian state? What is the name of the town? Who is the pastor? How many saints attend there?
Look at the picture. What do you see? Are you seeing what I see?

I see a lonely building… standing for Jesus somewhere in this vast Brazil. Notice the empty background. Does that mean the building is in the country side? Probably so, especially when considering the fence on the right side. The sticks show to be discarded sugarcane stalks. Poor… very poor.
Can you “smell” the cheap paint? Yet, the thin coat of fresh paint shows so much love… and maybe a lot of sacrifice!

Notice that there are no electric wires feeding the building. Does that mean that their lights were cut off because they did not have the money to pay the token light bill, thus having services in the dark? Or, who knows, because of the poverty, they are having (only) afternoon services? Better yet, perhaps, the pastor chose to install the light box… BY FAITH, waiting for electrical power to reach their village!
The doors are open. The building is empty. Does that mean they just started outreach and are awaiting the first convert… or does that mean the pastor (WHO IS HE?!?) sent the picture asking for HELP!
Look inside… can you see the homemade pulpit? While small (and seemingly frail), it speaks of Pentecostal authority! Within a few hours (perhaps RIGHT NOW)… there will be an Apostolic preacher behind it, preaching with PASSION!

What about the mismatching chair on the left hand side, an afterthought? Or surge of faith that says “I am believing God can fill more than the white chairs… let´s go for the stars!”?

WHO IS THIS MAN OF GOD? I don´t know his name… I wish I did! Meanwhile, I am compelled to pray for this church “Somewhere”. Can you join me? You see, I can´t even ask you for an offering on his behalf… I DON´T KNOW WHO HE IS! But we can pray! Is your faith big enough to pray for someone you never have met… and don´t even know his name… do you have sufficient faith to pray VICTORY on his behalf?

If you have enough faith, please pray… there is a church SOMEWHERE that needs your prayers!

http://www.jblambeth.com/

Written by Martyn Ballestero

October 1, 2010 at 11:37 am

Posted in Church Planting, Missions, Sacrifice