Taste And See!

Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Have you ever ate too much, just Pigged-Out on something that was so good you couldn’t stop eating. I think we all have at on time or another.  But once you started filling up, it gets less and less appetizing until you can barely swallow anymore.

One of my dear friends would always say “I don’t even like food” after a big meal.

Living for God is the opposite, the more you taste, the sweeter it gets, and the more you want!

God is Good, and I’m amazed at his mercy, but I’m afraid that sometimes I’m like an heir to a vast fortune. There’s a banquet table spread daily at my Fathers house, but so many times I choose to live under a bridge and eat out of a trash can.  I don’t believe that I’m alone under my bridge either.  I have to shake myself and remind myself that I am a child of THE KING!
And like the prodigal, scratch my way back to the Fathers house.  The good thing is the Father is watching and waiting for me to remember His Mercy and Goodness and realize where I could be. Where you could be.

Through valleys, my own failures and God’s amazing Grace I have learned that the closer I get to Jesus the more, I crave His presence. The more I tell of his mercies, the more I want to tell of them. The more I taste that He is Good, the more my appetite grows for Him. The more I dig into His Word, the deeper His Word takes root in me, and the more I want It, Need It.

The Devil’s tool is to convince us that we are not worthy. That’s probably the only true thing he’s ever said.  We are absolutely not worthy, but the beauty of This Salvation is that it’s not bound to our worth. It abounds in The Love of Jesus Christ. His Blood makes Worthy out of Unworthy, Makes Hope out of Hopeless and Found out of Lost.

God is reaching for the lost, the broken, the backslidden, the lukewarm, and the simply comfortable.  I truly believe that there is a Moving in the Spiritual Realm that is just beyond the fingertips of where we are now. One push toward the King and we’ll see things we’ve never seen before, revival like we’ve only heard about in the “good ol’ days.” I need More of God. We all need more of God.

Oh, Taste and See that the Lord is Good. And You will find a Deliciousness, a sweetness that you literally cannot Live without.

Have a Blessed and Wonderful Sunday in Jesus!
Greg
borrowedaxe@gmail.com

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Here Be Dragons

Back before the earth was fully explored, mapmakers had a habit of drawing sea monsters, dragons, and other terrifying creatures in the unexplored portions of the maps.  In a few instances, they even wrote the words “Here Be Dragons” along the divide of the known and unknown.  A few places on the earth did, in fact, have some scary creatures about, but none so fierce as the ones depicted around the edges of the unknown on the map. But regardless of the warnings, there were men willing to explore those regions and beyond. Along with the treasures of God’s creation, they also discovered that the only dragons were the ones in their heads and drawn on the map.

Like the apprehensiveness of the Mapmakers about uncharted territory, it is Human Nature to worry about the unknown, about change.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 says ….time and chance happeneth to them all.  I’d like to go a little further and say Change happens to us all as well.
A quote that I’ve used for a long time, “There are only two constants in the universe, God Almighty, and Change.”  You can count on God, period. And in this life, you can count on things changing.
Change makes us nervous as it is often associated with negative experiences. We are also prone to get the “Here Be Dragons” mentality about new stuff.  Fear of the unknown is common.  If I don’t know about it, it must be bad, right?

Have you ever thought that God will not take you backward, you may go through the valley but that’s necessary for forward movement?  But his beckoning is always drawing us forward and closer to Him.
When God has a plan for you that threatens your comfort you do have choices. You can either refuse to move or you can answer the call. If you refuse God may turn up the heat to make your comfort zone uncomfortable to coax you to move. Or He may find a more willing vessel and leave you to your failure.
You should also know that living for and following Jesus can be compared to flying an airplane. Airplanes can’t stop until they get where they are going, they can turn around, but can’t go backward.  There’s nowhere to stop for a break, so basically, if you Stop you Drop.
Refusing to answer God’s call will eventually remove you from your comfort zone anyway, only not in the right direction.

We should all endeavor to hear the voice of God and answer when He calls and be willing to follow him into the unknown. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
We trust Him with our eternity, why do we have so much trouble trusting Him in our day to day lives. If He is calling you to a new, deeper walk, he will also provide you with the tools to walk it and hold your hand the whole way through.
The word never said it’ll always be easy.  It’s gonna rain, storm, there’ll be floods, there are accidents, mess-ups, sicknesses, deaths, heartache, loneliness, weariness, slights, and wrongs along the way
But God promised to send the Comforter, to hold your hand, to never put more on you than you can bear. No, He never said it would be easy, just that it will be worth it.

The real dragons are fear, doubt, and unbelief. They cause us to miss opportunities and prevents us from going where God wants us to go.
And the only way they get you is if you stay where you are.

God Bless You
Greg

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The Wind Is Blowing

Recently while in prayer The Butterfly Effect theory came to mind and I started to think about that process.  It is a metaphorical example of the beginnings of a storm.
A butterfly flaps it’s wings next to a leaf. The wind of its wings causes the leaf to shake. The shaking leaf startles a bird which causes the flock to take flight and so on and on it goes. One cause leading to an effect, leading to a bigger cause and an even bigger effect. Eventually, maybe weeks from now there’s a tornado that all started with the flutter of a Butterflies wings. There is no proof in nature that this has or can happen, but the principle can be applied to the spiritual world.

Simple things happen all the time that seemly have no significance, but are orchestrated by The Master. He knows exactly the gentle nudge it will take to move a soul. A move that may seem so small, but over the course of time and many God orchestrated chain reactions later be the start of a great revival.  The Bible teaches us in 2 Timothy 4:2 to be instant in season and out of season. Some of the most powerful sermons I’ve ever preached and that I’ve had preached to me were not in a church house. Places like standing in line at a restaurant or in the produce aisle of the old Price Low store in Deridder. God puts us in front of people that need a word from him. As his children, we are supposed to be sensitive to him and answer his bidding.
God knows each of our limits and will not ask more of you than you are capable, but everyone should be able to smile and say hello and sometimes that’s enough.

Something as simple as blessing your meal in a restaurant can open doors. We have to have a boldness about serving God. About listening to and heeding his call, about sharing what he has done for us. Be ready, through prayer and fasting to share God’s Love with this world.

A minister recently told me that everything that has happened in my life has prepared me for right here, right now. If God is in control, which he is we must trust that he has a place and a plan for us in the right here and right now.  If you wait for life to get out of the way, you may end up like Felix, and may never find a convenient season.

The flutter of a butterflies wing may not really start a storm in the world, but the whisper of Angel’s wings dispatched from the Throne-Room on behalf of your obedience can spark a great move of the Holy Ghost.

 

Bid Me Come,

When asked who their favorite person in the Bible is, besides Jesus, a lot of people go with David. He was King after all and was a man after God’s own heart. And even though King David is very high on my list, it is Peter that I find interesting and would love to know more about.  Although there is a not really a lot of detailed information about him in the scripture, what is written is intriguing.

Peter was a lot more like folks that I might know, than David.  He wasn’t anointed king as a teenager, he never slew a lion or a bear, he never killed the giant.  Peter was a fisherman, quick to get into trouble and spoke often without much thought beforehand. I don’t believe you had to wait long to know what Peter was thinking. It was his disregard for the usual that got him into trouble, and I also feel put him in line to be the Voice of the new Church on the day of Pentecost.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Peter walked upon the water. The twelve were in the boat, in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves. The Bible says in the fourth watch, so between 3:00 and 6:00 am they saw Jesus walking on the water.  In the Book of Mark chapter 6, it says …he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed them by.
There’s a whole message in that.  They were in the storm, struggling to make forward progress, feeling like they may not make it when the Lord came walking by.  Not just walking by but walking upon the thing they were fighting.  And then there’s the “would have passed them by” part.  He didn’t get that close to toy with them, He got that close so they would see him and remember where their help comes from. Had they not cried out to him I believe he would have walked on by.  He made himself available to them but wasn’t going to interfere without being invited.  That’s the same way he deals with us today.  God is a gentleman, he will not force Himself on you. You’ll have to invite Him.

But Peter, the one who would cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant when they came to take Jesus. The one that would push past John and enter Jesus’ tomb.  The one that held the Keys to the Kingdom.  The one that would stand up and answer the call “Men and Brethren what must we do?” in the second chapter of Acts.
When Peter saw Jesus walking on the storm, he cried out “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” When Jesus said “come” he climbed down onto the sea. But as he walked on the water toward the Lord, he lost focus, the storm caught his attention, and he began to sink.

For some reason when I play this out in my head, I always see Peter slowly start to sink. But the reality of it is, while he was focused on Jesus he was operating in the supernatural. When Peter took his eyes off the Lord he reverted back to the natural, so did the water beneath him, and Woosh, down he went! He went from standing to swimming in a blink.

Peter is perceived as the failure in this story, but that’s not how I see it.  Remember Micah 7:8 …When I fall, I shall arise…  When you are doing, you will have setbacks.  If you are not moving, you may not stumble, but you’ll never get anywhere either.

Another part of this story, when played out in my head is that Peter looks like me.  I’m the one brave enough, close enough, spiritual enough, bold enough, or whatever enough to step out onto the water.  I want to be that person, but am I, am I really?

Peter no doubt felt like a failure, but to me, the failure was a missed opportunity by the Eleven, the ones that stayed in the boat. Those that were too caught up in the natural, affected by the storm to realize that Jesus was standing on it.  That the answer to, not just this storm, but to all their questions was walking on the storm before their eyes.

Imagine the Faith that could have been built had they all cried out Lord bid Us come to You.  Gotten out of the boat and walked with Jesus, possibly to the other side. What would have happened?  They didn’t, they stayed in the “safety” of the boat, where all of a sudden they felt comfortable, so we’ll never know what might have been.  There were probably at least a couple “I knew he couldn’t walk on water” and What was he thinking, who does he think he is” remarks and sideways looks when Peter was back in the boat.

They had the same fears and doubts then that we have now when God is moving and we see opportunity and feel the tug of the spirit to move.  Where do you see yourself, are you standing on the Storm or cowering in the bottom of the boat as one of the Eleven.  I probably would have played a better Thomas than Peter, had I even been there.

Peter made his share of mistakes, he denied the Lord three times in one night. But he also goes down in history as the Only Man that is known to have walked on the Sea, if only for a few steps. He was the voice of the early Church, he was the voice that God used to bring the Gospel to the Non-Jewish world.

Peter was not a Perfect Vessel, but he was a Willing Vessel.
And there’s the lesson, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”
Jump when God says Jump, run when He says run. Be Willing!

Lord help me to be a willing vessel, to keep my eyes fixed ever on You.

Lord Bless You Richly,
Greg

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Mother’s Love

A Mother’s Love
hard to explain
Her Love is true
Through Joy and Pain

She’ll sacrifice
because of love.
An Angel sent
from God above

A Mothers Love
our Heart does hold
Her Love is true
like precious Gold

Her toes were trampled
From the start
But later on
it is her heart

For when we think
We have outgrown
Our Mother’s Love
Again we’re Wrong

A Mother’s Love
From start to end
You’ll never have
A Dearer friend

So bend a Knee
to God above
and thank Him for
your Mother’s Love

I have been granted the most extraordinary Blessing that anyone could ever Hope for.
I truly believe that I have been surrounded by some of the Best Mothers if not the best anywhere on earth.
Happy Mother’s Day to my Momma. You brought me into this world and I’m pretty sure a few times you thought about taking me out of it. Honestly, you have always been an example to others. You were the perfect Momma for a weird little kid like me. You were flawless and beautiful and still are today.  You are my first Hero of the Faith.  I Love You, Momma!
Happy Mothers Day to my Precious, Beautiful Bride, words cannot express how much I Love and appreciate you and how grateful I am for the depth of your Love for our children.  I Love watching fuss and fret over our heritage.  I have no doubt that you would, without hesitation lay down your life for our kids and grandkids. And though you don’t think you are perfect I know you are perfect for me. I Love You with all my Heart!
Happy Mother’s Day to my Mother-in-Law, what can I say, you gave me my Bride, so I basically owe you my life. You are the only Mother-in-Law I’ve ever had, so as far as I’m concerned, you’re the best one in the world, and I guess I’ll keep you. I Love You
Happy Mother’s day to My Baby Girl, to my daughters-in-law, to my sisters, to my sisters-in-law, to my aunts and to a host of Mommas that I have acquired/adopted all around the world from Rockport to Shreveport to Australia. I love each of you very much!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s, Mommys, Mommas, Mothers, and all the other variations out there and May God Bless You Richly.
And if you are blessed to still have your Mom, let her know that you Love her and Care on this day set aside for Her.

 

 

Opportunity

I believe that as Christians we really only have two jobs in this world and everything I do fits, or should fit under the umbrella of one of those areas.
1. Loving God
2. Sharing that Love with the world

I realize that that may be a gross oversimplification of things, but Jesus also summed it up very close to that in Mark 12:29 – 31 when he was asked what the first commandment was.
29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

I wrote the poem below a long time ago when a man of some influence in my life died suddenly while at work. He had been a professed atheist when I knew him, and I was intrigued by that. Not that I thought he might be right, but by how can you not know that there’s a God.

When I heard of his death, I felt the scolding of the Spirit asking me “where is your light, why do you rob people of Heaven by not sharing the Love of God with them.”
It stings, but all I can do is do Better, and pray that God gives me the backbone to do his bidding.  The words below came to my mind and were written down, for the most part within 5 minutes of me hearing this news.

I do not profess to be a poet or a writer for that matter, so please look at the content of the message and forgive me for my continuous abuse of the English language.

A day like any other
it started out to be
but then I heard the news
It was so very sad to me

A man I thought a lot of
A man that taught me much
Was gone without a Savior
A heart that was untouched

It might have been much different
if only I’d have done
my duty to the Master
this soul I might have won

I may have been too bashful
or just a little scared
But Forever is a long time
to risk because of fear

So help me now Lord Jesus
to trust you and obey
To be your constant witness
by showing them the Way

 

God Bless You Richly,
Greg

Sickness

I have something I need to tell You. I have to inform you all that I have a sickness. An Incurable Disease actually and I’m confident I won’t survive it.  I have no idea when it will get me. It may be today, or it may be 50 years from now, but it will catch up to me.  The condition is called Mortality, and one day my eyes will close for the last time, and I’ll face whatever is on the other side of that curtain.  The truth is, we will all meet our end one day. We all will take that last breath, our heart will thump one final time, and the mystery will be no more.  It almost seems funny that for a thing called Life no one gets out it alive.

There seems to be this common thought today that there’s nothing after this. That when we die, we are dead. That God doesn’t exist, that Heaven is a myth and Hell is only something of your nightmares. That every natural thing you see around you sprang forth from nothing. That, of Chaos all the Order that surrounds us formed.  The scariest part is that people are willing to bet their eternity on it.  They are willing to face eternity with only the idea that there’s nothing beyond this life.  Trusting their own thoughts and ideas about whats next or not next. Betting forever on their ability to reason God out of the equation. How much Blind Faith does that take?  To think that all we see around us just popped into existence without help or outside assistance.  Now that’s Faith! I don’t have that kind of faith in me, I don’t have that kind of faith in any human thinking.

Knowing God, Studying God, Worshipping God, Serving God, is an honor and a privilege. It brings Peace and Joy to my life that is beyond words. My life is fulfilled when I am truly serving Him.  I’ve tried it on my own, and I am happiest, most content, and at peace when I’m under His wing.

So then, what if I’m wrong and there is nothing after this? My Life in Christ is peace and joy.  Of that, I can assure you.  So I live out my days, happy and content then I die and there nothing…..I won’t know the difference.  So I’ve lived out my days in peace to die in peace and rest in peace.   I can Live with that….or not Live with I guess!

Now think about this, I lived out my days without God and counted on death being final. I’ve thought it through and feel sure that there is no afterlife, it’s all just stories and superstition.  It’s been a good life, I did what I wanted, I lived like I wanted, I don’t have any regrets.  It comes my time, and I slip through the vail and to my shock I’m met with the realization that I’ve been wrong.  I’m faced with the torment of Hell as my reward, what then? Along with the intense suffering of Hell, I’ll have eternity to lament my decisions, to be reminded of every prayer that Grandmaw prayed, every time the preacher reached for me, every unspoken prayer request that was made for me, every time I was invited to church, every time I laughed at those foolish Christians.
That’s not a gamble I’m willing to make, not a chance I’m willing to take.

If I live for Jesus, I win. If I happily go through life living for Him to find that there’s nothing after this, I win. If I serve Him always and then get to spend eternity with Him, I win.

Take this whole world, Just give me Jesus!

and that is my ramble for today
God Bless You Richly
Greg

Commodity Cheese

Do you remember Commodity Cheese? It was part of a program where the government bought up and stockpiled dairy products all over the U.S.  In the 80’s Ronald Reagan released it to be distributed to welfare recipients, food stamp recipients and the elderly.  It came in an approximately one-foot block of yellow/gold, artery-clogging goodness. It had a plain brown package that said Processed Cheese Food, and in smaller print was written something like “slices and melts well.”
People would brave the elements, get to the distribution point early, and line up to get their monthly ration of this generic dairy-ish product. The ones not entitled to the little block of heaven would look on with jealous eyes wishing we could have a share.
People were so excited about getting something free, a gift from our benevolent leaders in Washington D.C. A gift that in reality, the American people were paying for many time over in taxes.  A gift that was actually worse for our bodies than doing without.  But it was Free!

Most people like Free Stuff.  People will wait in line for a chance to get free stuff.  Most of us are like me in that if you offer us something free we’d fight a Bear with a switch to get it. Hungry people will stand in Line for a block of cheese.

Where are the hungry? Why are they not lined up to receive the Best Gift in the Universe?  The best thing that the God of Creation has to offer, His Saving Grace.  It’s not reserved for the pure, or the holy, it is offered freely to Whosoever Will!
The God of Heaven robed himself in flesh, became the only sacrifice that could pay for your sins.  Endured the agony of being beaten, suffered the pain and shame to die on that cruel cross, All to purchase your Freedom. Words cannot do express or explain the depth and breadth of His Love for You. So where are the lines?

Have we kept it such a secret that the world doesn’t know it’s real? In some cases, I think maybe we have, but then we hear of the great outpouring taking place all over the world.  Hear testimonies and see photos of services with hundreds being born into the Kingdom. So Where are the Lines?

Do we make it look so hard and unappealing that no one wants it? And again, I think in certain circumstances, yes.  So let’s find out if we are part of the problem, so here’s your assignment for this week.
Make a conscious effort to check yourself when you’re in public. Are you scowling or smiling? Do you look people in the eye and say something positive? Or, do you look at the floor and hope to just get out without having to interact.  If that’s the case why would anybody want what you have?

Are have we gotten so comfortable in this world that we’re in no hurry to leave and therefore not that worried about taking anybody with us?  Have we become soft and weak Christians? I hope not, we are called to be soldiers.
2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
I was never in the military, but I have worked closely enough with the ground forces both in war zones and in training situations that I can say they are rarely comfortable.  We need to get a clear picture of the world we live in and where it’s headed. We need to get a little uncomfortable, and hopefully, that will help us to “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in.”

The Politically Correct world tries to convince the church that no one wants this anymore.  That if you stand for right that you are any number of nasty sounding names. The devil and the world on his behalf have been saying that since there was a message for him to try and stop.  If we listen to them, we become a defeated army working and walking quietly as not to bother anyone.  Don’t be persuaded by the enemy.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” It’s time to be the squeaky wheel, we must take this Message to the world. God commands it.
It may look bleak but remember, some of the worst times in history for the church were also some of the best times in history for the growth of the church.  Keep praising his name, Keep telling of his goodness. There are hungry souls just waiting to hear the message.

I’m afraid we have a lot of ground…I have a lot of ground to make up. I’ve wasted so much time. Now I pray daily for God to help me make up the lost opportunities and missed chances.  We must stop waiting for the perfect time, there will always be a reason to wait for a more convenient season.  The Perfect time is Now.

Do you remember Commodity Cheese? Well, it turns out that the only thing it has in common with this Holy Ghost is that its Free.
And it got you to read this!

 

 

 

 

Manna

Good Sunday Morning.

Psalms 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  I hope everyone has a blessed and wonder-filled day in the Holy Ghost!

This Morning as I dwelt on the blessings of Our Lord. I began to think on Manna from above and how God continued to bless His People evening while exiled in the wilderness.  Twice daily He sent a food source, Manna early, quail late.  There’s another message right there.

But focusing on Manna, Exodus 16:15 says “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”

Manna literally translates to a whatness, so it basically means “what is it?”
What is it? You ask. It’s God’s goodness.

God laid down the ground rules for it. Think about these three conditions that God placed on His people regarding Manna.

  • Its there for you in the morning
  • Gather all you want for today
  • You can’t stock it up, it has no shelf life

Its there for you in the morning, but you have to go get it
Psalms 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

God delights in being your First thought of the day. Seek Him early, Seek him throughout the day. He is the Alpha and Omega, He wants to be your first and last. He wants to be in communion with us early and help us get our minds right for the day ahead.

Early I will seek Thee. It takes an effort on our part.

Gather all you wish for today, there’s plenty to go around
Psalms 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
There’s plenty of God. He does not run out of blessings. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts. But he also wants the desires of our hearts to align with his will.  Seek Him in His Word and in Prayer to become filled afresh every day and get your heart in tune with His.

The Blessings are yours for the taking.

You can’t stock up, it has no shelf life
As with Manna, there is plenty of His Spirit to fill you for today. And there’ll be plenty to fill you again tomorrow. But there is no shelf life on a prayer-life, you need to refill every day.
When manna was left over to the next day, the bible says it bred worms and stank.
Don’t try to make it on yesterday’s manna. Your attitude will be the testimony of your devotional life. Let God refill you every day anew. Or you spirit might be what’s stinking.

Gather your manna early today, gather plenty, gather more tomorrow.

Have a Blessed Day
Greg

 

Reality, part 2

Reality, as I said before is that there are those among us that are hurting, hungry, sick, mourning, destitute, afraid, and/or alone.  Usually without looking very far, usually under the shadow of the same steeple you worship under you can find those that are in need, both spiritually and naturally.

What is my responsibility to those? How can I help those that I don’t even know need help?
By developing a sensitive eye, an attentive ear, and a decerning spirit.  Part of God’s plan for His Church is for the Church to look after Her own.
PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Pray that God will help you to be sensitive to his beckoning.  To be sensitive to the subtle cry of a broken heart, to the longings of a lost and dying soul.

Pray the prayer Solomon prayed, that you’d have wisdom, God’s wisdom to lead.  For wise is he that winneth souls.

Comfort can be a trap! When you’re comfortable it’s easy to forget that others are not.
God blesses us for a reason. Not so we can have more, have bigger, have better, so we can be envied or looked up to.  I’m not saying a beautiful house is wrong or a nice car or money in the bank.  I’m saying that God blesses that we can bless.
God is in control of our eternity, shouldn’t we trust him with our Here and Now.  Let the Author and Finisher take control, the Story will have a much better ending if you do.

Very soon after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Acts, the Apostles realized something that I think we sometimes forget. They realized that people have needs, both heavenly and earthly. And that both need to be attended to.  The Apostles chose 7 men, “full of the Holy Ghost” to look after the physical aspect of the ministry.  And this is a ministry.  Reaching the Souls of men is often accomplished by being attentive to their natural needs first.
It’s Hard for a Mom to consider feeding her spirit when she can’t feed her kids.
It’s difficult for a man to focus on the Love of God when the Love of his life just crushed on his heart.
It’s hard to Look for the Light of God when the lights at home are about to be turned off.
How can one think about a New Life while they are mourning a life lost?

We have to be sensitive to the spirit, follow the leading of the Holy Ghost and Minister to the needs of others.
 
James 2 14-17
14. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Faith without works is dead, essentially faith without works is not really faith at all.
And without faith, it is impossible to please God!

An essential aspect of our calling, our faith is Works. Reaching people in their pain, in their mire, and muck. Hearing the cries of their heart, being the shoulder to lean on, the ear to listen. 
Faith is the evidence of things not seen, sometimes it’s the Reality that I am the answer to someone’s Prayer.

You are the answer to someone’s prayer.

God Bless You Richly
Greg