Obedience-Based Decisions

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman



"We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." - Acts 5:32

So often we as a society equate numbers with success. The larger the conference, the more successful we deem it. The larger a church, the more we believe that God is blessing. And so on. I recall planning a conference one time. Registrations were not where I felt they needed to be a few weeks before the date of the event. It wasn't long before I began to get "under the pile" about the level of attendance. My friend, who was organizing this conference with me, called and asked how I was doing. I had to confess where I was. He immediately reminded me of my own teaching in this area. We are all called to be led by the Spirit, not by outcomes. "If God called us to put on this conference, then the outcome is up to Him if we have done our part." He went on to explain how he learned this lesson in a similar way a few years earlier.

He and a friend were led to host a Bible study group. His friend was to speak. It was nine o'clock and they were the only two people there. His friend was discouraged and was ready to leave.


"No," said my friend. "We have done what the Holy Spirit directed." He then stood up and began to welcome people as though there were many in the room. (No one was in the room.) He introduced his friend and they began the meeting. A few minutes later, people began to straggle in. By the time the meeting was over, ten had shown up, and one man in particular was impacted by the meeting.

Being led by the Spirit often means we must not use the world's standard for success as our measuring stick. You never know what an act of obedience will yield at the time. We must leave results to God. Our role is to obey. His role is to bring results from our obedience.

Do you make decisions based on the potential outcome or by the direction of the Holy Spirit in your life? Do you overly evaluate the pros and cons without consideration to what the Holy Spirit might be saying deep inside? We are all prone to make decisions based on reasoning alone. Ask God to give you a willingness and ability to hear the Holy Spirit and to obey His promptings.

On our main page www.kaleidoscopebutterfly.org there is a tab for TGIF daily devotions.  You can go to that and get the link to Os Hillmans site.  It is wonderful encouragement for christians in the work place.

My prayers cover each of you today as you live by faith and not by sight and lean on His understanding.  I thank God that His ways are not our ways.

Love,
Candace

Poetry and Praise

Silent Whispers

Silent whispers fill the air

a listening ear will always hear

the voice is clear,

it speaks with intent

to lift their eyes,

to see his ways,

to meet their need

at the appropriate time

 

Answers they seek

for hours…. days

for months they speak,

their years slip away

their hope cast down,

their heart begins to freeze

their lives become cold ….

empty isolation… seems real

yet they are never alone…

no matter how it feels

 

He hears them ask

He sees them seek

for hours, day..

they listen and speak

they turn their ways,

to follow the voice

to see this wisdom,

to seek this truth

 

They struggle and cry

they demand and denounce

their months become years,

their passions ignite

their voices they lift

their eyes start to glare

their hands once raised in praise

are now contorted in fear

 

A stranger walks past

with no agenda or need

Just the person of Christ

Walking throughout  His days

He would never disturb

this lonely troubled soul

Yet He is pulled by a pain

to stop silently and ask

Why does he cry?

He seems writhed in toil.

I remember that life

How I plead for release

You came to my rescue

You delivered my soul

You love this man

as much as you love me

Please have your hearts desire

I will stand for his cause

I know your cause is love….

for true beauty to reign

For zoe life to be given

and for the gift to be received

 

Prepare my heart in your presence

prepare the course and way

He is the child of your creation

wield your power and might

You created his freedom

respectfully help him to yield

You know all of these moments

you have seen throughout the years

You knew we both would be here

and I know your choices are divine

So have all that you hope for

live here in my stead

Use my feet to go to him

reach him in his need

Use your heart within me

to obtain your righteous intent

My trust is in your mercy

My strength held firmly within your grace

My courage from the peace you offer

My freedom through what I believe

 

In stillness I wait to hear you

in faith I listen to receive

Quietly..whispers enter our chamber

truth and justice fill the air

The tone is loving and caring

the voice convicting and sure

My voice now clearly speaking..

I lift my eye to see!

In view is this great cloud of witnesses

charging to be at his side

Singing: My God your words are righteous

holy, lovely and pure

They are a lamp unto them

a blanket to cover their chill

We ask today that he hear you

to see you as we also see

To be broken free from deception

To live lifted above all and freed

For all things there is a season

Let his season finally thaw

Let him walk into your presence

receiving his room with a view

Never again to be lonely

and to have rest for his weary soul.

By Candace Huffmaster

2010 © all rights reserved

Starting Over - by Os Hillman

TGIF (http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/tgif/)

The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. – James 1:9

Do you find yourself in humble circumstances? If so, James tells us that we are to take pride in this “high” position. These two things would seem to be an oxymoron. Most of us would not consider humble circumstances a high position. Successful business tells us that being on top means being wealthy, attaining favor and status, or having power to influence. However, Jesus influenced not from power, but from weakness.

J.C. Penney is a name synonymous with department store. He first launched his chain of “The Golden Rule” stores in 1907. In 1910 his first wife died. Three years later, he incorporated as the J.C. Penney company. In 1923 his second wife died giving birth to his son. In 1929 the stock market crashed and he lost $40 million.

By 1932, he had to sell out to satisfy…creditors. This left [Penney] virtually broke. …Crushed in spirit from his loss and his health suddenly failing, Penney wound up in a Battle Creek, Michigan sanitarium. One morning he heard the distant singing of employees who gathered to start the day with God: Be not dismayed, whate’er betide, God will take care of you…. Penney followed the music to its source and slipped into a back row. He left a short time later a changed man, his health and spirit renewed, and ready to start the long climb back at age fifty-six.
By 1951 there was a J.C. Penney store in every state, and for the first time sales surpassed $1 billion a year. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 340-343.]

The success of J.C. Penney can be traced to God’s mercy in his life to bring him out of his humble circumstance. Do you find yourself in a humble circumstance? God is the only one who can help you see your humble circumstance from His viewpoint-a high position. It is a high position because of what God is going to teach you in this place. He does not intend you to stay there; it is merely a stopping place to learn some important things you would not learn otherwise. Press into God and trust Him for the outcome to your circumstances.

It is very difficult at times to pass through our own vision of something to achieve God's perfect will.  There have been MANY moments when my head and hopes dropped during the past 5 years of getting this organization off and running.  I pray that each time I get through that moment I am better prepared to hit the next disillusion with out giving up my hope and peace.  I am positive that is the pivotal transformation that places us in "Battle Creek" verses "Every State".  It is after all our "state of mind" that allows us to truly see God's perfect will.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.

I thank God that his word is truth and trustworthy, that we can ask, know and be healed - today...believe!
In Christ,
Candace

What Should I do?

I really liked Os Hillmans devotional this morning on Worldly Planning.
If you would like to share some of your growth in this process please do.  We can all gain insight from each other.

With Love,
Candace