Author Archives: Robin Shirreffs

Spring time is a time when everything seems fresh and new.  Spring cleaning is always a chore I look forward to as I remove things I have used in the house or cleaned a corner I haven’t noticed in months.  Spring time is full of life and sounds of birds singing, trees swaying in the breeze as if to say, “Hear me Praise!”  It is a wonderful time to take a walk and reflect on the goodness of God.  As I begin to see life spring up in my flower gardens, I am reminded of the life that Jesus gave me.  As I dig in the dirt, I am reminded of the sows and tears of the harvest and the souls yet to be reached for Christ.  As I walk in my yard to pick up the fallen sticks, I think of the parable of Jesus as He spoke of pruning and cutting off the dead things in our lives.  As I see the rushing water of a stream from the runoff from winter’s snow, I am reminded of God’s justice as it rolls over the streams and His righteousness is never ending.  As I feed the birds, I think of God’s love for the smallest of creatures… even the sparrows (I confess, I feed the little bunny under my shed).

Sheila’s earlier posting spoke about tuning into the Holy Spirit and that posting spoke to my spirit.  I am reminded to stop and be silent.  Slow down and be observant to the people around me.  The Lord tells us, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” (II Chron. 7:14)  I believe humbling, praying, seeking and repenting is a part of the tuning in process.  We must listen, stop talking, listen, and then listen some more.  When God is trying to tell us something, we must discipline our thoughts to be silent and meditate on His Word.  I am the first to admit this is an area I must die to daily.  It is not easy to be still but when I am, I am sooooo BLESSED.

God is looking for a people to be silent and tune into His voice.  To humble themselves, pray and seek His Kingdom.  Spring time brings new life and the joy of staying in tune with our heavenly Father; it renews a right spirit (spring cleaning) within us all!  Time for some spring cleaning!

I am no carpenter but my husband is. I’ve watched him frame many homes in his younger years.  It required a blueprint and specific specifications which he had to follow according to the master plan.  If he was off even by an inch the entire frame would not be level.  He needed an exact measurement.  If the foundation was not level, the frame work could not even begin.  If his framework was not precise, the other carpenters and workers would not be successful in its design.  God is all about the frame work.  His very breath spoke each one of us into existence.  He designed our frame.  The body of Christ’s framework needs one another to sharpen, encourage, restore and in order to build God’s church.  Without a teacher, how will they learn; Without a pastor who will shepherd and love the people; without a prophet who can see our frame intimately through the Holy Spirit; without an apostle who will bring order and establish churches; without an evangelist who will invite them to the most marvelous wedding they will ever witness.  God needs his framework to work together.  It is His design and master plan.

As a church, it is critical that we know we cannot form a church by standing alone.  It requires the Body of Christ, the framework of God to build His church.  He created each one of us before the foundation of the world to be a part of this frame.  Churches around the world are imploding because they do not have the right framework.  They may begin with a solid basis of foundational principles.  They may even recite God’s Word but they do not have the complete understanding or the proper framework to be sustained.  They meet socially, sing songs, reach the communities and dine at each other’s table while secretly many are hurting.  A true relationship of trust and obedience was never established with Christ.  Compromising the framework of God’s church will ultimately lead to collapse of the structure.  It may start with a splinter which snags you as you walk by. If that splinter snag is not dealt with… it will fester and become a problem.  A frame who has been split from an offense soon finds itself carrying jealousy, anger or resentment.  A frame that has faced a life changing event but refuses to lighten its burden will soon find the load becoming unbearable.  A frame which is out of place can prevent someone from moving forward and may take others with them.  A frame which is warped by an offense may need to be removed if there is no repentance.  They may need to come face to face with the woodpile before it can find its way back to God’s house.  A frame out of place, out of their calling, brings misalignment to the Body of Christ.  This church will not stand.

As an individual, we each bring our own frame to the Body of Christ, and we each have a part in His design.  Where I am weak He is strong.  Working together under God’s structure and design will strengthen and repair bridges if we will allow each other to operate in our gifting (our framework).  For example, as a Christian, one may visit someone in their home who is in need.  While another who hears of this visit may see a hurt before it is revealed through the power of the Holy Spirit. Another may know how to encourage this person and yet another may know how to provide tools to make these corrections.  This is the Body of Christ working together.  Never to condemn or place judgment but to repair the broken places, restore them to right standing and to send them back to their rightful place in God.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Psalm 139: 14-17

The good news is that if we are inside the framework which God has made us for we will not only grow in His church but there will be an overflow of His presence to spread to others.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.  Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will rise up the age-old foundations; you will be called “Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”

REMEMBER, there is always and “IF” God wants you to freely choose).

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on My holy day,

If you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and

If you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words.

**YOUR REWARD for those who follow His framework: “Then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 58: 9-14

I awoke this morning to the words, “My strength.”  We all learned the scripture as a child that says, “When I am weak You are strong.”  (NKJ II Cor. 12:10) We relied on our parents to help us in areas we could not possibly achieve; opening a locked door, lifting a heavy object, protecting us from danger, defending us when we are falsely accused, or comforting us in time of need.  Their very presence was strength and security to us.  As an adult, many of us search for strength but can not find it.  We lift weights, read books, exercise daily, eat right, ask a friend for help and/or even pray for strength without understanding what the Word of God is telling us.  God wants us to completely surrender.  He is not looking for our help. He is looking for our obedience to surrender our self to Him.

As my husband, Steve and I, continue the process of moving from Minnesota back to Georgia, I realize my strength is not enough.  If any of you have ever made a huge move, you know what I am talking about.  It requires extensive hours of planning, packing, moving, renovating, researching… the list goes on.  It is mentally and physically demanding.  I have had my share of chiropractor visits, massages, Aleve, and heating pads on my back.  I find myself tired at the end of the day and my body grows weak from doing.  Endurance and perseverance does not win.  My emotions sometimes get the best of me when I am tired.  I speak out of turn or maybe say hurtful things, only to go back later to apologize.  My strength was not enough. When God places His Word on something He will give you His strength to accomplish that which he has called you to do.   His strength does not mean some of Robin and a lot of God equals His strength.  It means none of Robin and all of God. 

I ask myself, “How can I do this God?”  Don’t you need my help?  I must do something? Right?  The Holy Spirit gently leads me to His Word.  One of the first people in the Bible I think of who has great strength was Samson. However; have you considered the handmaiden Hannah?  Hannah was barren and bitter that God did not give her a child.  She wept and her anguish overwhelmed her.  She had no strength left but to cry out to God.  It was Hannah’s prayer (I Sam. 2:1-10) that touched the heart of God.  It was her complete surrender and trust which gave her strength and turned her situation around.   Hannah had nothing to offer but God heard her prayer.  She gave birth to one of the strongest men in history – Samson. 

God doesn’t need your help… He needs your obedience. God doesn’t need you to do something… He needs you to stand for something.  God is searching for a people who will surrender themselves completely to Him.  While our move requires great planning, it is God who will be directing our steps.  While our move requires decisions to rent or sell our home, it is the Holy Spirit who will give us direction to make the right decision.  While our move requires help to move heavy furniture, it will be God to bring the people to help us.  While our move requires Steve to drive cross country not once but twice, it is God who will keep him safe and direct his path.  While each day takes great effort to accomplish the task, it is God who will bring us the creative ideas to accomplish it.  When our physical bodies grow tired, it is God who restores and renews us each morning.  Psalm 84:5-7, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca (Valley of Weeping), they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

We all have ways we learn as a person.  For me as an artist, I am visual.  I have to see something or picture something in my mind to help me learn but did you know there are different ways we love one another and like to receive love?  Gary Chapman, Christian author of “Five Love Languages”, observed many people and how they respond to love.  His findings of the five love languages have changed our marriage and can change yours too.  I challenge you to read the five love languages below and take a quick assessment to see where your love language is the strongest.  If you need a little help, Gary Chapman has created a quick assessment which takes about 5-10 minutes.  Simply provide your name and email address.  You might be surprised.  This assessment isn’t just for couples; he also designed this assessment for children, parents of teenagers, and singles too.  You might be surprised when you thought your love language was receiving gifts but in actuality you love to receive acts of service. 

What if you could say or do just the right thing guaranteed to make that special someone feel loved? The secret is learning the right love language! Millions of couples have learned the simple way to express their feelings and bring joy back into marriage: The 5 Love Languages, Dr. Gary Chapman’s New York Times bestseller!

Words of Affirmation

Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important—hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

Quality Time

In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

Receiving Gifts

Don’t mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.

Acts of Service

Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an “Acts of Service” person will speak volumes. The words he or she most want to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.

Physical Touch

This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive.

 ** Link to Assessment – http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/

I woke this morning with a song by Jesus Culture entitled “Come Away /Let Me in.” As the Holy Spirit woke me with the lyrics, “I have a plan for you, I have a plan for you, it’s going to be wild, it’s going to be grand, it’s going to be full of Me.” Everyday should be great expectations of where God is leading us.  It is a joy to serve Him!  However; the devil’s job is to create obstacles for you to prevent you from accomplishing all that God has intended for you. Many ask themselves, “How do I know what God wants me to do?” Sometimes we convince ourselves this plan is too big for me.  The greatest danger is knowing the plan but not going where God is directing you.  The Word of God says the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8:18, 19 NKJ).  In other words, the plans may require sacrifice, money, sweat and tears but it pales in comparison to the glory which will be revealed in you. 

How do I know what God wants me to do?  This is a question everyone ask themselves at one time or other whether you are a believer or not.  We were all created for purpose before the foundation of this world.  Our steps are ordered but we must pray daily for His leading and if you don’t know – pause, be silent, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you.  I had a friend tell me years ago she wouldn’t get out of her bed before praying God to order her steps and hearing her marching orders for the day.  Know God’s plan for each of us comes in different packages but we are equipped with the same armor; we cannot compare packages.  The Holy Spirit may ask you what is in your hands.  For some hands it may be the vision to see the BIG picture and for others it may come in forms of service or possibly financially.  All are important.  We recently had a neighbor who lost a family member. They had to make a week long trip which would cause a financial strain to their household.  I believe I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to give to this family’s need. I asked for confirmation through my husband (my covering) who agreed and  I was obedient. I believe God used me to give financially to this family – it may not have been a whole lot but what if God placed that in many believers’ hearts.  What a blessing to this family. 

“It’s too big for me; I don’t know where to start,” you may think.  First, let me say if it wasn’t bigger than you, God wouldn’t be in it.   Jeremiah 29:11 declares, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  My husband Steve, and I are about to embark on a big project to move back to Georgia.  We didn’t just decide one day to pack up our family and move. We heard from the Holy Spirit, we fasted and prayed, we received confirmation prophetically and then we prayed some more – daily.  Moving requires many details which in the natural can be overwhelming.  However; when God tells you to move, He will order your steps.  My husband, Steve, has a gift to take on large projects as he listens to the Holy Spirit who gives him the details step by step.  It might be your big idea requires others to assist you.  My job is to sort and pack while Steve’s job is the bigger picture of co-ordinating the process and helping me as well.  Both are important but one without the other will not get the job done.  Sometimes you must pray and ask God to place people in your path to help you. 

The greatest danger is knowing the plan God has for you but not obeying.  What will you do when the Holy Spirit is whispering,”who are you going to serve today?”  We must be prepared for a response.  Are you going to serve the Father or are you going to be self-serving?  The answer is up to you.  We all have been born with a will to do good or evil.  God in His mighty power gave us the power to choose.  When the people crossed over to the promise land it was God speaking through Joshua prophetically saying.  “I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with sword or with your bow.” God didn’t require their help just their obedience.  The Word goes onto say, “I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”  God did this for His people!  Joshua continues to place the questions before the people, “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt, Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, (Choice) choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, to whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:12-15 NKJ).   God blessed His people but still gave them a choice to serve. 

God is equipping His saints through the help of the Holy Spirit and the strength of His son Jesus Christ.  These plans may come in various packages but the same armor to equip each one of us.  All plans should come through asking, praying and fasting, and confirmation.  He orchestrates the universe in its splendor and every living thing He has created.  He has purpose for you and me.  I know they are grand beyond measure!

Have you ever stopped to consider if you are in God’s providential care? You better.  Providence is the protective care of God.  You and I need God’s protection! 

A Child may ask: “Who protects me from bad guys?”

A New Christian may ask:  “When do I see the results of God’s destiny for my life?”

An unbeliever may ask:  “How can I find this safety people speak about?”

A Business man may ask: “What does it take to receive a benefit package?”

An Atheist may ask:  “Why do I need God’s protection?”

Everyone at some point in their life says, “Who is going to protect me?”  As children we turned to our parents in hopes of security or protection.  However, you see broken homes every day whose parents or caregiver can not or will not be this protection for their children. As a caregiver to the elderly it is the number one question on their minds as they see all their friends dying and their children busy with their own lives.  They don’t want to be a bother but they desperately want to know who is going to care for them as they grow older.

As a new Christian, I recognized I had to give up “the world” inside of me.  I stopped going to places where I knew would dishonor God.  I desperately wanted to save my friends but many weren’t interested.  I soon discovered change was occurring and at times it was an uphill battle.  While I understood Jesus forgave me of my sins, it took time for me to forgive myself and others.  I needed God’s providential caregiver – The Holy Spirit.  As a new believer I was hungry for things of the Lord but my number one question was, “When will God reveal my destiny or purpose?”  How do I know He is protecting me as I make these changes in my life? 

A popular song which leads many unbelievers to the altar is “I Need Thee Every Hour”.  We need God’s providential care.  Our spirit longs for providential care every hour on the hour.  It is not to just save us from hell but for a greater purpose.  To know we were not created to just breathe in and breathe out but we have a purpose in this world.  An unbeliever will turn to drugs, sex, hoarding, false religions, computer websites,Hollywoodidols, sports, etc., the list grows each day, where one is longing for security or identity for their life.

We all have worked in some capacity or another whether it is in the marketplace or home.  I can hear a mother’s cry with her hands lifted high saying, “What does it take for me to find protection and security for my family!  A Business man whose business is failing finds himself doubting, asking himself, “What does it take to succeed?”   The economy and governments today are scrambling, brainstorming and meeting asking, “What changes need to happen for people to find security?!”

The atheist may tell himself/herself that he/she doesn’t believe in God.  I don’t need anyone’s protection.  I can take care of myself.  This self deception is from the pit of hell.  While many are fighting to remove God from classrooms, monuments, government, and even churches, they are still seeking for acceptance.  It is built within their spirit man whether they acknowledge it or not.  We all want to be loved and protected.

As I consider the above dilemmas, I must ask myself what the world would look like if I did not have God’s providence working in my life. Isaiah warns us in 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (KJV)  This is the world we live in today. Without God’s providential caregiver (The Holy Spirit), how would I have spiritual discernment?  Knowing God is ordering my steps is an act of faith which will produce great fruit for your life.  According to Proverbs 20:24, a man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?  I take courage when I pray knowing the Holy Spirit will direct me, if I listen.  I count it all joy when I raise my hands to worship to know my Heavenly Father is watching over me. The World today grows darker in every aspect of life.  You and I need God’s protection!  The good news is God’s providential care is to all those who thirst and hunger after Him.  We are in the world but not of this world.  God’s protection began before we were even born. 

Psalms 91: 1-4 (NKJ) He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress: My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.  He shall cover you with His feathers. And under His wings you shall take refuge;…if you are looking for answers of how much God loves you and how he will protect you,  keep reading this chapter; it will confirm there is safety of abiding in the presence of God.

Psalms 139: 1-18 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up.  You understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.  You have hedged me behind and before.  And laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.  Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, An Your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “surely the darkness shall fall on me.”  Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You.  But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.  For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, An that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You.  When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  An in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.  How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

Christmas time is meant to be a time when family and friends come together to celebrate the birth of Christ. However, many find themselves angry, depressed, lonely and weary. All are marks of the enemy.  I guess it should not surprise us as Christians that the enemy wants to raid us with the material things or thoughts of this world to take our eyes off the purpose of Christmas. However; when these emotions come we need to learn to stop them and prevent them from growing.

Anger is an emotion that leads to self destruction which can be thwarted.  Where does anger come from? It comes from an offense, a remark, a photograph, a memory. How do you rid yourself of it?  Repentance and forgiveness is the way to get rid of anger.  What if I forgive and the hurt is still there? Repent and forgive again.  What if I’ve forgotten the offense and weeks later it is brought back to my memory?  Repent and forgive again.  What if the other person doesn’t forgive me?  Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.  How does it go away for good? Stand on God’s Word, pray and forgive again.  The Word of God is clear on forgiveness.  It is not a maybe you should or won’t you try to….it is a command by the Father through His son.  Matthew 6:14-15  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV)

Anger unchecked may cause a bruise.  In the natural, a bruise may cause internal bleeding and is normally caused by blunt trauma.  You hit your arm against a shelf, you hit your head on the ground, or my favorite is you cut a corner too short and you run into a sofa or chair.  While we all have received a bruise at one time or the other in the natural, your spirit can also be bruised.  Each time you touch it a twinge of pain comes to the surface. Many people live with past hurts and unforgiveness in their heart which can cripple and bruise.  It can settle in so fast that the internal bleeding of your spirit man may bring you to a complete halt in your spiritual walk. 

Luke 17: 3-5 So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”  The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  (NIV)

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

Christians should know and practice this foundational principle of forgiveness every day.  During this Christmas season, give the greatest gift of all… love and forgiveness.  Love is for the person but forgiveness is for you.  Jesus said tribulation will come.   An offense may come at any moment.  It might even sneak up on you.  The Word of God tells us to increase our faith!  As forgiveness becomes second nature to us, the gift of the Holy Spirit will become more powerful in our lives.  This gift includes love, peace, faithfulness, joy, goodness, gentleness, patience, self control and kindness.    It is His Word which will lead you to the answers you are seeking.  It is your praise which will give you the release from your depression.  It is your prayer which will give you the peace beyond your understanding.  It is giving and loving others which will remove your loneliness.  It is repentance, love and forgiveness which will remove the anger.  Increasing your faith requires stepping into areas you didn’t know were possible and forgiveness is God’s command that we love one another.  So let’s step into the realm of possibilities as we learn to walk in love and forgiveness.

What if God told you to do something but you never saw the fruit of it?  Was it God? This happened over and over again in the Bible.  We see it throughout the Bible where great men of God were given assignments from God but did not see the fruits of their labor.  Today, pastors diligently seek God and sometimes pour their heart out in front of faceless congregations only to learn later that many did hear and are walking out the message today.  Men and women of God who walk silently behind the scenes who are faithful to plant seeds for God’s Kingdom may produce the greatest harvest.  The fruit of our labor is not measured in who you are. It is measured in your obedience.  The benefits are not always instantaneous but may be held in eternity for the moment in time God decides to release it.  

Think of all the prophets in the Old and New Testament who walked in obedience yet they were not alive to see the fruit of their labors. Abraham was called the Father of many Nations which is still growing with believers today.  We are still walking in his inheritance.  Moses led the people out of the wilderness but was not able to enjoy the fruits of His labor in the Promise land.   Ruth chose to stay with Naomi which we know today was God releasing her fruit… which was a part of the heritage of the coming Messiah.  Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah. Isaiah never saw but had a knowing a Messiah would be born.  John the Baptist spent years in the wilderness proclaiming the Kingdom is at hand. He only saw a glimpse of the Christ upon baptism.  AND…John didn’t see all the miracles Jesus would later perform. 

Pastors who shepherd people day in an out may not always see the fruit of their labor.  He or she may prepare and give a message to what he/she thinks is a deaf congregation only to find out this message changed the world.  Billy Graham saw thousands come to the Lord but it is impossible to see or know all the fruits of this labor.  Reverend Martin Luther King gave his heartfelt sermon which lives on today…. “I have a dream”…and it is still being recited every year in his honor.   Many pastors are proclaiming and spreading seeds of God’s Kingdom in small and large churches who may never learn that hundreds were won for the Lord because one sermon touched their life.   

I have watched many people who are faithful cleaning churches, teaching children, praying for people or attending a parking lot  who work behind the scenes. They may never see the fruits of their labor, but God does.  I am 48 years old and sometimes look back on my life and think how simple it is.  I worked in the market place for over 30 years but now I am a caregiver to a precious saintly woman of God who is 82 years old and legally blind.  I am honored to serve her but I wonder at times how God is using me?  I don’t touch thousands or hundreds of people each day but I am planting seeds where I walk.  I am serving my mother-in-law during her last years of life.  My heart is to please the Lord  and to walk in obedience.  I may not see all the fruit of my labors but I pray God does.  

A harvest is not produced with one seed but many.  Some seeds will never make it because they were planted out of season and some because it was not watered.  Some seed will fall on rocky soil and not hear; however, some seeds I believe are held in the heavens for God to release in His time. So, I would have to say YES, God does send people to serve where they might never see the fruit of their labor on earth.  Let’s keep planting!

Jesus said, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.”   Matthew 13:3-9 (NIV)

I am currently attending a women’s Bible Study where we are learning how Solomon built his temple – as God had instructed David and as David instructed Solomon.  One of the reasons David could not fulfill the building of the tabernacle was there was too much bloodshed in the camp. He had too many “skeletons in his closet” which could take away from the presence of God.   I am reminded of great men of God who for various reasons walked whole heartedly with the Lord and later turned to the skeletons in their closets.  I then wonder about my own skeletons in my closet.   We all have them but how do we view them? If people looked deep in my closet, what would they see?  Would they see someone who has arranged bones on a back shelf in attempt to hide them?  Would they see that I am keeping old bones alive?  Or would they see that I have taken these skeletons and laid them at the cross? 

 How many of us have past sins in our lives that we have not surrendered to the Lord?  Maybe it is a hidden sin we don’t wish to let go of and have never told a soul.  Sins don’t have to be deep dark scary things. Sins are anything that would prevent you from moving forward in your walk with God.  There was a time years ago I kept sins of my childhood hidden for years concealing them from friends, family and even myself.  I discovered they were dragging me deeper and deeper in my closet.  I had to come to the realization that these sins were covered under the blood of Jesus Christ when I gave my life to Him. 

Have you ever had a piece of clothing stuck in your closet where you forgot about it until it was time to clean your closet?  Some of these skeletons which you thought dead are sins that might live on a high shelf which are simply forgotten.  If we don’t renew our minds, these bones can creep back into our thought process building new offenses and walls. These old bones (sins) can be triggered by some sort of event or memory and suddenly you are brought back to that moment in time. 

My sister was telling me the other day she saw an old friend from our past in the hair salon. I hadn’t thought about this person in years. However; the moment she described this person to me there was a terrible memory from over 30 years ago that came back in a matter of seconds.  As a mature Christian, I am now prepared.  I immediately stopped my thought process from dragging out an old garment (sin) and prayed for this person.  The enemy had no power over this sin because I had placed it under the blood.  I learned later this person was now a Christian. Aren’t you glad Jesus is no respecter of persons? Romans 12:2 do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.    It is important to renew our minds each day by Meditating and Standing on the Word of God.

Nurturing a sin (i.e., unforgiveness, addictions, and offenses) is oftentimes more damaging than a hidden one we forgot all about.  If we hold onto a sin and play with it like a piece of clothing by trying it on and taking it off, you will soon find this sin becomes a part of you and it is more difficult to rid yourself of it.  The key to removing your skeletons sometimes require deliverance.  It is not like the movies some might think of on television but quite the opposite.  Deliverance is very much like a spiritual check-up.  We all need one.  This check-up could include a series of questions… much like a doctor’s appointment.  The answers could be as quick as a yes or no or it could lead to a sin which you have held onto or forgotten all about which needs to be called out and removed.  Jesus gives believers instructions in His Word.  He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18.  It is vital that once you have recognized the issue, you ask God to forgive you and don’t re-supply your closet.  It is important to surrender this and allow the Lord to deliver you from this sin.  Repentance and obedience is the best piece of clothing to wear when replenishing your wardrobe.  If this skeleton tries to raise its head after you have been delivered.  You repeat out loud, “Thank you God for delivering me from _______.”  Yes, it is that simple. 

We all have skeletons in our closets… areas of our lives we have not surrendered; secrets we have hidden from others or ourselves; events we have chosen to forget and not forgive; sins we have played with in the dark.  Jesus also warned us against looking down on others who have “Skeletons” in their Closet.  God knew we would all fall short of His glory, so He sent his Son Jesus Christ who is our advocate to the Father.  He gave his Holy Word to give us instructions on how these skeletons must be removed.  Jesus saw our skeletons before we confessed them but He didn’t pick them up. He became a living sacrifice so He could cast these skeletons into the pits of hell.  It is not our job to go back into those pits to resurrect them but to thank God for delivering you from the pit.

As a child, my mother used to always say, “Robin, there will always be someone taller than you, smaller than you, fatter than you, skinnier than you, smarter than you, and less fortunate than you.  You need to be happy with the way God created you.”  I have learned to see the gifts God has deposited inside of me are all tightly fit to a bigger picture.  God has created a tapestry of people weaving in and out of our lives bringing their insights of His design through varied places, gifting and callings.

 God places each one of us all around the world, in various skills and talents to minister to the hurting, the poor and the lost.  We are not placed here randomly but by design; we are not placed as a last resort in God’s mind; we are not placed in a place to punish us from past sins.  No a thousand times no!  God placed each one of us in a specific place and time for such a time as this.  We all have a mission and that is to demonstrate and proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand!  The Glory of God will fill the earth, and we are the threads which are joined and knitted together in Christ!  God can speak to someone in India or Africa who cries out to Him just as God can speak to you or me in the United States.  The places are quite different but it is the same God.  Culturally we see through different eyes, socially we are taught by different backgrounds, environmentally we learn with different resources, circumstantially we grow by different means but if we are united in Christ, the results are all the same. 

 God generously endowed us with various gifts which is quite different than a calling.  The Holy Spirit speaks of fruits of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:23).  After the ascension of Christ, Jesus gave gifts for some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ., that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (NKJ Eph. 4:11-16) .  Just as threads are woven in and out to form a beautiful tapestry so also are the gifts within each person joined and knitted together for the work of the Lord.  A baker, farmer, pastor, mechanic, artisan, surgeon, pilot, teacher, administrator, janitor and endless others are gifted in various ways, and God uses them all to accomplish His purpose in the earth.  While each gift is different it produces the same result – a thread joined and knitted together to create a demonstration of God’s glory.

 When one is called it could be to various areas such as the church, the marketplace, the nations, or the home.    While many think that a calling to the church is a glamorous role, it is far from it.  I will never forget when Steve was called into the ministry, I wept not for the position but for the responsibility that God would hold us to.  It was frightening.  For a man or women to be called to ministry is to surrender their lives completely and serve the people. Not for the people to surrender and serve them.   The marketplace is another area of calling.  It is equally as important to see believers in the marketplace to bring Godly counsel and influence to draw those to the Christ.  To be called into the marketplace is as a strong thread going into places that are far different than the church.  The marketplace does not always operate under God’s laws but those who are called into it are to be a shining light which illuminates Godly principles.  The marketplace might give you tools to do your job but the Holy Spirit provides the gifts, wisdom and power to do it the right way.  Some are called to the nations as missionaries, apostles or evangelists.  A call to the nations is like a strong thread knitted and joined as an extension of Christ to the world.  The call to the nations will include various designs of culture, foods and doctrines which are quite different to what some people are accustom to.  You do not walk into a country without first understanding people’s customs or laws, which side of the road to drive on, what foods they eat, or beliefs you may face.  It is a call, not a vacation or survivor experience.  To be called to the home does not mean you are limited to the four walls you reside in.  It is a thread with great purpose to your family, neighbors, homeless, jobless, or elderly.  All callings while extremely different are threads which make up a tapestry of God’s specific design.

 God’s tapestry may come with different threads of life depending on your place, gifting or calling but the end result is to demonstrate and proclaim the glory of God to the world.  I am thankful for my mother who reminded me we are all different but Jesus loves us all the same.  It is in this intricate design woven with various colors of people, various cultures, various occupations, various talents and gifts which create a beautiful tapestry called God’s creation.