|
What's Love Got To Do With It? |
 |
 |
 |
|
Written by Pastor James HIggins, Bishop James Higgins, Pastor Jimi Higgins
|
|
Friday, 11 June 2010 03:31 |
What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Blog by Pastor Jimi Higgins
What is the greatest commandment? Eternity held its’ breathe to hear what the Son of God would declare to be the heart and thoughts of His Father. Would it be a commandment that was so difficult to follow that it would make you just want to give up because it’s to big, to demanding? Would it be that Jesus would uphold the traditions of men and try to please the crowds with a picture of a angry Heavenly Father who was ready to damn the world because of their unrighteousness? Would it be something so deep that it would take centuries for the religious world to extrapolate the hidden significance and symbolic meanings? Jesus said if you want to see the Father then look at Him. Jesus was the window into the heart of God to see how God thought and felt about the creation that He made for Christ to be the head of. Really now, come on, what is the greatest commandment? Jesus said this is so important that the entire law and the teachings of the prophets hinged on this commandment. Is it really so difficult to comprehend the basic God given gut level need in all of us? God put it in us and we still don’t understand it, the internal eternal craving in our spirit to love and be loved. Jesus said it pure and simple; God just wants you to love Him with everything that is in you. And the other commandment that is linked to it so closely that they are like identical twins but yet they are distinct and that is to love one another.
Here is the command in my opinion. God loved me so much that He proved His love to me by demanding that somebody should pay for all of my sins. Not “just” pay for them but then in that payment should have them erased, as if they had never happened. A place was made for me to sit at the table of God as a son who would be joint-heir with His Son. Adoption papers were drawn up for me because God wanted me in His family. As a lost son of eternity, God wanted me to have a place of treasured love in His family. To further establish this love for me, the counsel of the heavens decided that I could have someone to take my place, that would suffer punishment that was due me and could take my place as a substitute. The full payment for my sin was that the substitute had to die for me, in my place. Then God would be satisfied that justice had been served and the slate washed clean and I could be bought like a slave from the kingdom of darkness. Redeemed from the hold and control of the enemy, so that I could be released to freedom as a son of God. When heaven searched for someone to take my place, there was no one who stepped forward to die for me. The search went through out all of creation and there was no one whose life had enough value to God that in laying it down would satisfy God that the substitute was a worthy one. Heaven wept that a plan had been drawn up but no one was worthy to pay that price. The cry went up from the angels and the elders as they cried out, “There is no one worthy”. In the midst of the anguish that finally, a way had been devised, a plan made that could once again unite the Kingdom of God, but it seemed that it wasn’t going to happen. The heaven’s seemed to come to a screeching halt from the whirlwind of despair when they looked and saw one who stood before the throne of God to offer Himself as the sacrifice. It was a man but He took the form of a lamb. It was Jesus, standing before the throne of God, the elders and all of heaven. He volunteered to be the sacrifice, the lamb that would be slain to pay for my redemption. Heaven stopped to fall on it’s face in worship to declare that this is the only one whose life is worthy to exchange for the cost of opening a door to the lost sons of eternity, a door to come into the family of God. The elders got off of their thrones and took off their crowns and cast them at His feet and cried out, “Worthy, worthy, worthy is the lamb that was slain.” God looked at that lamb, His only son who was willing to give His life to bring God’s family, God’s creation back into line with the heart of God, and smiled with a tear in His eye that truly a worthy substitute had been found. Then all of heavens emotions were directed towards the Almighty God who sits on the throne in all of His glory. Would this God be willing to give His only son in exchange for those whom He longed for and loved, even though they were in sin? Could the only God of the universe allow His son to suffer what He would have to suffer? Did this God love His lost sons, his orphaned sons enough to allow His son to die for them? As the lamb bowed in humility and willingness to be surrendered to the demands of the justice of God, the Father acknowledge to those attending the throne that He loved this lamb, His Son to such a degree of love that no angel had ever experienced it. To the angelic beings that attended Him night and day to cry Holy, Holy, He declared that there were sons coming into His Kingdom that He loved to the same degree that He loved His own Son. This great sacrifice would prove to the orphaned of humanity that God loved them. He sent His Love in the form of His Son to die in my place, to make the orphaned a place in the family of God, a joint-heir with the Son of God.
Heaven went into a whir of mixed emotions of excitement. Preparations began being made for the whole thing to unfold. You know the rest of the story. The gift of God came wrapped in the clothe of a common man and born through the vehicle of a simple virgin girl. They named Him Jesus. The Angels announced His arrival by declaring that He was bringing Peace on earth, goodwill to men. He was to be known as the Prince of Peace, bringing peace between God and the orphaned sons. He grew up and the time came for Him to lay down His life on the cross of Calvary. He was mocked, beaten, tortured and had every opportunity to resend His offer to lay down His life. But He didn’t! He was my substitute. He took my sin and my shame and all of my disappointments upon Himself and made my sins, His sins. He paid for my adoption when there was no payment that could be afforded. He purchased me with His own blood on the cross of Calvary. God proved His love to me. God loved me through the giving of His Son for me. Jesus loved me by laying down His life so that I could stand before God clothed with the robe of Christ, to be recognized as one of the sons. Adopted with full rights of an heir of God’s Kingdom. Jesus proved His love by allowing His blood to wipe my slate clean. What’s Love got to do with it? I’ll tell you!
All I had to do to make this exchange complete was to believe that I could not satisfy the demands of God’s justice. I could not die to gain the acceptance of God. There was nothing I could do to sit at the table of God’s sons of grace except to believe that Jesus was the only one worthy to pay the price of substitution for me. That’s the faith that God gives you to believe in Jesus. Faith to believe that Jesus paid the price for your adoption and that there is no other payment needed. It’s not an installment plan where Jesus makes the down payment but you have to make the weekly installments. No, that is what religion teaches. Faith declares that I was hopelessly and helplessly lost to the family of God. Without hope except that through Christ I have access to the throne of God. All I have to do is accept this payment of love for my own sins. I have to believe the payment has been made and I have to believe that through Christ I have received the forgiveness of my sins. I have to believe that the slate is clean. I have to believe that I can stand before God as His son and that God does not see me in my sin but He sees me in His Sons robe of righteousness, the family robe. We all get one! It’s to remind us that it’s not what we have done that has gained us the favor of God; it is what His Son, Christ the Lamb of God has done on our behalf. Now, if that isn’t love, then I don’t know what love is. It’s all about love!
Now Master, tell us what is the greatest commandment? It’s real simple just love Him back. That’s all that God has required of us. Simply to just love him back. Then the other one is to love one another because we are all sons of God. Some have accepted the payment for their entrance into the family and there are still others who are orphans looking for a real family of love. I can love you because you and I are in the family and I can love those who are spiritual orphans because their adoption has already been paid for all they have to do is accept the payment as their own.
How could you not love Him back? How could you think that there was some other great legal law to abide by? I love Him because He first loved me! The commandment of the Kingdom of God’s Son is the commandment of Love. Love one another, this is my commandment is what Jesus declared. As I have loved you, you should love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. What’s love got to do with it? It is all about love! The craving of your soul, to love and be loved is mirrored from the heart of God. He has loved us and He just wants us to love Him back.
Today my prayer is that the love of the Father, who displayed His love through the giving of His Son and the love of the son who displayed His love by the laying down His life, would become such a fresh revelation in our lives that we would love Him back. Today I pray that the Love of God will over flow in our hearts and love Him back and that His love would flow through us and touch the world around us.
I John 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. 8 The one who does not love has not known God. For God is love. 9 In this the love of God was revealed in us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation concerning our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
What’s love got to do with it?..............EVERYTHING!
Pastor Jimi Higgins |
|
Epiphany - I See The Light |
|
|
|
|
Written by Pastor Jimi Higgins, Bishop James Higgins
|
|
Thursday, 03 June 2010 13:55 |
Epiphany
I See The Light
Blog by Pastor Jimi Higgins
I just had one, an epiphany! It’s a moment of revelation, insight or truth. You’ve had them you know what I mean. The light came on today! Like Jake saw the light in the movie “The Blues Brothers” concerning the band. “It’s the band, it’s the band” Jake yelled in excitement as a light from heaven shown down on him. The Blues Brothers were from that point on, “On A Mission From God”! It empowered them to do the impossible, to face dangers, to come up with a plan to raise the money for the back taxes of the Catholic school they attended in their youth. The school was being shut down unless someone paid their back taxes owed. The Blues Brothers Band was reunited for the purpose of a fund raising concert to benefit the Catholic School. They were “On A Mission From God.” I know this sounds crazy but if you’ll reserve passing judgment on this article until after you’ve read it, I think you’ll understand my epiphany.
Even though Jake and Elwood were broke and penniless, they ignored their own personal needs to use their giftedness to help someone else. There it is! That’s the epiphany! You can’t wait until everything is going great in your life to reach out to help someone else who is hurting or in need. I know it doesn’t sound like it makes much sense, but it will in a few minutes.
Most of the Apostle Paul’s writings were penned in the most difficult of conditions and situations. The majority of his writings were written when he was in a prison that was really a hole in the ground. Damp, rodent infested, cold, lonely, void of outside fellowship and dim with the hopeless possibility of release. Out of these conditions Paul could tell someone else to “REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE.” Paul’s revelation of Christ “IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY” shown brighter than the dimly lit prison his outward conditions screamed. The condition of Paul’s inner man determined his own state of being. In spite of what was happening around him he could reach out to the need of another and find a word of comfort or direction for someone else when he was in need of one himself. So many times we wait until all conditions are perfect so that we feel we are able to minister to someone else. We at times see our own shortcomings or failures and we disqualify ourselves from ministry when those are the qualifications that would open the door to help someone else. If you are waiting for the perfect you to show up so you can be superman or superwoman who is sinless and faultless before you can reach someone for Christ, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life. You don’t have to be healed to reach out to someone who is suffering. You may be in the darkest hole that you have ever faced, but don’t let that stop you from telling someone else that “He is a way maker” that “He can make a way out of no way”!
It is my opinion that the enemy’s job is to keep the focus of our attention on our dilemma’s, our hurts and our failures until everything in our life becomes “all about me” and ourselves. Toby Keith sang a song that basically said, “What About Me”! He was tired of hearing about his girlfriend’s problems, and her bad hair day and her broken fingernail and the problem with her boss and her best friend. Toby screamed, “WHAT ABOUT ME? I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ME, MY, MINE, I. LET’S TALK ABOUT ME?” It’s a humorous song, but it has a ring of truth that there are so many times when life becomes all about our own problems, our own self.
We get robbed of our own deliverance by not seeing it’s disguised by helping someone else out of the hole they are in. By Moses focusing on the deliverance of God’s people, he found his own deliverance. Try this little spiritual exercise sometime! When you are really discouraged, find someone who needs to be encouraged and try to lift the burden off of his or her life with a kind word, a positive scripture, a word of hope, even if you’re feeling almost hopeless. I promise you, if you take the focus off of yourself, and focus on being a blessing instead of trying to get a blessing, that you’ll find yourself swimming in blessings.
I know this is a little weird and radical blog, but I think it can revolutionize your life. You see, we have missed the whole point of the scripture that says, “It is more blessed to give than it is to receive.” Yes you should give in tithe and offering, but I think it’s much deeper than that. There is a blessing wrapped up in the package of you being a blessing to someone else. You are seeding the fields of your future harvest by your actions toward others today! You better write that one down, that was a good one. Don’t just live life to see what you can get out of it! Live life to see what you can put into it!
Today you may be like Paul, in a dark hole and it doesn’t look real good. Don’t let that stop you from telling someone of the goodness of God. Don’t stop rejoicing, even if things don’t look good! Remember when Paul and Silas were in the prison and they began to pray and sing hymns unto God, AND THE OTHER PRISONERS HEARD IT! No complaining, no murmuring, no last rites, just prayer and praise! The deliverance of the prisoners who were also bound in the same prison was dependent on Paul and Silas’s actions in their midnight hour. Sing a little louder today! Praise a little crazier today! Somebody may be watching and you might be the key to his or her freedom. Come on, get up and dance!
Never forget that the great men and women in the Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews chapter eleven were never listed there because of their great strength. They are commended for their faith in God in spite of their weakness, because out of their weakness they were made strong. Stop waiting to be strong before you try to accomplish anything for God. It could be that your condition of weakness might just qualify you to see some incredible things accomplished by faith in God’s word! Stop waiting for an abundance to march forward. Gideon was reduced to almost nothing so that God would get the glory for the victory!
You have enough faith today to move mountains! I don’t care how you feel! You are a mountain mover! You are an earth shaker! You are a land possessor! Come on get up, God says the promise is ours, we’re gonna go for it! Get up on your feet! The worst is over and the best is yet to come! I can see the dawning of a new day!
Sometimes our weakness qualifies us for strong things in God. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the tricks of the enemy.
Standing because of Him,
Pastor Jimi Higgins |
|
|
Little Is Much When God Is In It |
|
|
|
|
Written by Bishop James Higgins, Pastor James Higgins, Pastor Jimi Higgins
|
|
Thursday, 27 May 2010 20:14 |
Little Is Much
When God Is In It
Blog by Pastor Jimi Higgins
Have you ever felt like you didn’t have much to offer people when it comes to helping in a spiritual way? To be honest with you I don’t think the question I just asked is possible to answer correctly. We make things so spiritual or spooky or even goofy concerning ministry that people close their self off from being the blessing God intended for us to be. Let me take you on a quick journey. It won’t take long. Sit back, relax, take your shoes off, rest a little while, and make yourself at home. We’re going to go back in time to the year 1960. Times were a little slower, a lot simpler and helping others was just a way of life.
I was raised in a wonderful home with Godly parents. My momma was a preachers kid and she was a very accomplished pianist. She worked full time as a secretary for a printing company and she taught piano to 85 students in our home. My father worked full time for the VA hospital, was my personal coach for all sports, plus he was the full time music director/worship leader/choir master for our little church. My grandfather was my pastor. I was immersed in music, sports and church. That was my world. I had so many people who made a difference in my life that helped mentor, shape and fashion my young life. Too all who made a big difference I salute you today and thank God for your influence in my life. I call attention to those who didn’t get any recognition for their contribution to the ministry they provided and didn’t know it.
I believe that we are the biggest blessing to people when we don’t try to be. Since we are spiritual beings then any type of help we give to one another is spiritual in nature. We think ministry is standing behind a podium or teaching a class or maybe buying a tent and holding a revival. Some don’t think they’ve accomplished much until they receive their degree in ministry and have a license or are ordained by a group or denomination. Mr. Green was not a licensed minister nor was he even a great singer nor musician and I don’t recall that he ever got recognized for anything he did in the little church I was raised. But oh what a blessing he was to those that he blessed every Sunday morning.
To a six-year-old boy there wasn’t a lot to look forward to when I was dragged to church three times a week not counting choir practice night or the revivals that we had. But Mr. Green was one person I looked for after every church service. I didn’t care if the preacher was there or who was in the choir, I was six years old what do you expect? If Mr. Green was there that’s all I cared about. He was the blessing that I looked for.
Mr. Green had to be in his 70’s when I was first introduced to him. I’m not sure what nationality he was. He was very dark skinned, darker than most, he had silky salt and pepper hair that was always combed straight back with a Brylcreem look. He always wore a dark suit and never talked much. He didn’t have to talk much; it wasn’t what he said that meant so much it was his actions. After every church service Mr. Green would be in the altar area of the church waiting for the few of us that knew of his special ministry. He had the ministry of demonstrating the love of God. His blessing was distributed to us in the form of a half piece of “Double-Mint Chewing Gum”. Without fail, every Sunday morning, Mr. Green would be there waiting at the altar with a piece of Double-Mint for each of us kids in the church. If there were more kids than usual he would tear one piece of gum into three or four pieces so that everyone got something even if it was just a little. We loved Mr. Green, because we knew he loved us. Mr. Green lived to see the smile on our faces and the light in our eyes get brighter when he passed out that gum in the altar. It was Mr. Green who taught me how to say “thank you.” It was Mr. Green that showed me the Kingdom truth that it was more of a blessing to give than it was to receive. I can remember the expression on his face knowing that he lived just to give and in his giving we were his reward. He didn’t ask for anything in return, he didn’t need to. Our smiles and laughter was enough for him to keep showing up week after week and to keep giving and giving his gifts to us kids, a small piece of double-mint chewing gum.
This little trip back in time is probably insignificant in your thinking but it needs to be told. Its not so much the big things that we do that spiritually impacts people, it’s the small things. It’s when the lights are off and the cameras have been put away that the real time for ministry begins. We get so twisted in our thinking when we think that our ministry is what is done on a stage or platform. It’s when we step off the platform that we get a chance to impact others. Mrs. Steward was one of those people who did small things that made such a difference. She was my third grade and sixth grade teacher. I was a live wire in school. I was the class clown that loved to entertain. She would have to catch herself to keep from laughing at me and at times she would fake being upset with me. She was the teacher that pulled my desk next to hers and made me read the bible to her. She would take time to stop me and say, “Don’t read like that, read like its part of your conversation, let it flow.” All she did was show me a little extra time and push me towards the word of God. I wish I could go back and tell Mrs. Stewart that her simple, seemingly insignificant actions was pushing me in the direction of my life’s destiny. Thank you Mr. Green for showing me that there is a place in life where it brings more joy to a person to see someone else smile. Give and it shall be given back to you! Thank you Mrs. Stewart for shaping me and not slapping me! Thank you for using the Word of God as a textbook in a public elementary school setting! These wonderful people shaped my life by simple acts of caring and sharing the love of God in their everyday actions of living.
You may think that you can’t make a difference in anyone’s life. Maybe you feel like you don’t have any great gift to offer. Yes you do! You are the gift that God wants to use to bless other people. Sometimes it might be a smile or a kind word to someone going through a struggle. It might be that God would place you in the path of someone today that needs an encouraging word. “Hold on, help is on the way!” “I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed out begging bread!” “I know the Lord will make a way, somehow!” Maybe just a phone call to someone that just crossed your mind. Don’t worry about what to say when you call them. Just say, “I was thinking about you and wanted to call and let you know you are loved.” How about a simple email to somebody? Don’t just forward positive emails to people. Write something even if it’s just to say, I’m praying for you.” Do something random today. Random kindness! Pay for the person behind you at Starbucks. You never know how big a small action can be! A small act of kindness will reap you an enormous harvest of blessing. See how many people you can cause to smile today. Keep count and let me know! Really now, just you and me! I am going to make more people smile than you today! I challenge you! Let’s make a difference in our world, one piece of gum at a time!
Little Is Much When God Is In It
By Kittie Suffield (1924)
In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! The voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you.
Refrain
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.
In the mad rush of the broad way,
In the hurry and the strife,
Tell of Jesus’ love and mercy,
Give to them the Word of Life.
Refrain
Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.
Refrain
Are you laid aside from service,
Body worn from toil and care?
You can still be in the battle,
In the sacred place of prayer.
Refrain
When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, My child—well done!”
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.
Blessings,
Pastor Jimi Higgins
|
|
Last Updated on Friday, 28 May 2010 07:26 |
|
God's Not Through With You |
|
|
|
|
Written by Pastor Jimi, Pastor Jimi Higgins, Bishop James Higgins
|
|
Thursday, 20 May 2010 19:24 |
God’s Not Through With You
Blog by Pastor Jimi Higgins
I thought He was. God that is. Through with me. I made to many screw ups. Blown too many opportunities. Never lived up to my potential. Only did enough just to get by. Everything always seemed to come so easy for me. Could sing publicly since I was fives years old. It just came naturally. I was raised in a family where any thing I did in the area of music or sports was celebrated. While other parents were bragging about their kid’s brains, my parents were bragging about my voice and my batting average. I breezed through the first seven years of school without a hitch! Teachers adored me, girls ran from me and I could make the whole school laugh. Not really the class clown, I didn’t mean the teachers any harm, but I loved to hear the class snicker. I gravitated to the things that came natural and I ran from the things that didn’t. It seemed like I never came alive until I was in front of a group. It didn’t matter if it was the class at school, the Sunday school room or the church. When I stood up something would happen in me. Call it what you want, but I believe to do what you’re called to do shows up way before you actually realize what is going on. I have a vivid memory of sitting on the front pew at our church when I was about five years old. We had a guest preacher that day by the name of Ray Hughes. I don’t remember what he was preaching about, but I remember how he made me feel. When Rev. Hughes preached it felt like somebody had turned on the air-conditioner on a really hot and sweaty day. It just brought a smile to my face. Kind of like sitting on the front of my cousin’s ski-boat on Lake Cumberland and watching them try to teach my father to water-ski. They could never get my dad up on his skis. They just dragged him through the water like a huge tidal wave. I didn’t know why, but that made me laugh. When Rev. Hughes would preach I just wanted to stand up and pretend I was on that boat or in front of that air conditioner and just hold my arms out wide and laugh. No cares in the world. Nobody was sick. Nobody was dying. When that preacher preached I forgot about my troubles, my fears and just wanted to laugh. It was so awesome, so refreshing. In just a split second while Rev. Hughes was preaching, I remember sitting there and saying to myself, “I would like to make people feel the way this preacher is making me feel.” I didn’t know anything about the anointing, or the calling of God. There was no bible school training or anybody teaching me about the voice of God. All I know is I wanted to make people feel better! I had no idea that that seed would grow and develop and one day take over my life. But it did! Little did I know it was the seedlings of God’s design for my life. As I grew in life, that desire grew with me. I just wanted to make people feel better!
I had this idea that God could only use you if you were perfect. I was in trouble with that kind of philosophy, because God began to use me to help people feel better, but I wasn’t perfect. There were times when I was the farthest from perfect that He would use me the greatest. This great conflict with my imperfection would cause such turmoil inside of my soul. If people only knew that I was an imperfect vessel preaching about a perfect spotless Lamb of God, they would walk away from me. I never was able to help someone based on my perfection. It was always in spite of me and not because of me that God helped people, through me. I spent my early days of destiny hiding from the people who I was called to help because I was afraid they would see through me and find out I was not perfect, nor was I qualified to speak on the behalf of God. Somehow through all of this madness and conflict of soul and spirit, the Lord would graciously give me a word that would was intended to help someone. Out of nowhere, like the words that I heard and felt as a five year old sitting on the front pew, listening to Rev. Hughes. It was only God that gave me the strength to stand up and deliver the song or the message to help someone. When they were helped, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that their help was not from me, but it was from a source much greater than my own intellect. But after the greatest times of encouraging folk and making them feel better, I would go home, close the blinds, turn off the lights and pull the sheets up over my head and weep. I would weep because of the awareness of my own unworthiness. The Lord would bless people and lift them up above the sorrows of life, through me, and yet in spite of me.
It seemed like there were times that I had taken a deep drink from the bottomless well of God’s grace and I couldn’t explain it. At my weakest times, God would pick me up and through the weakness He would make me strong. It seemed like I identified with Jacob in such a way that I couldn’t even adequately teach it. I, like Jacob had wrestled with the Angel of the Lord and I refused to let go until He blessed me. I received the blessing but I have eternally walked with a limp because of it. Not a visible limp, but one in my soul.
It wasn’t until years had passed that I began to understand that this conflict of soul and spirit was not just mine alone, but one that so many others have wrestled with. Unworthy is the only cry that I could muster. Unworthy of such a love. Unworthy of such mercy. Unworthy of a grace. Unworthy of any ministry. That is forever a truth. I do not deserve or am worthy of such a love that Christ has shown to me. I feel like John in the book of Revelation when he saw the Lamb of God in the midst of the thrones of the elders and before God’s throne. The cry rang out through heaven that there was NO ONE WORTHY TO OPEN THE SEALS OF GOD’S PLAN FOR HUMANITY! But behold there was only ONE WHO WAS WORTHY and that is the Lamb of God, the lover of my soul. He is worthy! Think about that for a second. Of all of the angels and saints who had gone on to be with the Lord, none was found worthy except the Lamb! It seems like there were thousands and thousands upon tens of thousands just like me, unworthy!
I have grown a little bit over the past 30 years of ministry. I wish I could have grown a little more and a lot faster, but I have learned a few things. I have learned that I have been chosen to possess within me the greatest treasure of eternity. We have this treasure BUT CONTAINED IN EARTHEN VESSELS.
2 Cor. 4:5 "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
He has made you worthy of His love. He has deemed you forgiven and holy. If He has called you Holy and His possession, then it has nothing to do with your feelings, but it is based on His word and His good pleasure.
Have I changed over the years? Yes, in so many areas. Am I perfect? By no means! But I have discovered that He loves me no matter what! That little seed planted in my heart to make people feel better has never died. It has grown, taken root and has blossomed over the years. Has it ever been based on my perfection? Never! Does His love make me perfect? In His eyes I think it does. He sees me clothed in His perfection! His love has made me hunger to find out how to please Him and obey Him. Yes, I have changed in many areas ,but I’m still not perfect. I still fall down! I still find myself doing that which I said I didn’t want to do. What I said I wanted to do, I sometimes find myself not accomplishing it. Does it ever get better? Yes! When I began to realize that God doesn’t use people based on their perfection, but just based on their willingness to be like clay in the potters hands.
It was after a very disappointing time in my life that I heard the opening statement of this blog. “God’s not through with you”! I was walking through the house, a little down, a lot discouraged and I heard Mike Murdoch on the television talking about the lowest point of his life. Mike had lost his ministry, his marriage, his reputation and everything that he thought held the keys to his happiness and success. Mike said he heard the Lord whisper to him, “Mike, I’m not through blessing you.” I stopped in my tracks, turned around and ran to the TV. Mike looked at me through that television screen, pointed at me and said, “I’m talking to you Pastor! God told me to tell you that He’s not through blessing you. God’s not through with you.”
The greatest disappointment in life is when you have disappointed your own self. I limped to the bedroom mirror, I made myself look into my own eyes and I pointed at me in the mirror. I had just enough strength to mouth the words that I had just heard. I said to me, “God’s not through blessing you! God’s not through with you.” I stood there and repeated that over and over and over. Something broke open for me that day.
Never let your last battle dictate to you that the war is over and lost. The battle is not over! Even though you and I have experienced a lost battle, it doesn’t mean that we have lost the war. I have heard this said in many different settings. If you are a baseball player, this is for you. ONE STRIKE OUT DOES NOT DETERMINE A CAREER! If you are a boxer, ONE BAD ROUND DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE FIGHT IS OVER. If you are a golfer, one bad hole does not end the tournament. In other words, get back up! It ain’t over! Forget the set back and step up! God’s not through with you yet!
To Summarize it all, you will never feel worthy because your not. He’s made you worthy and that’s why you are worthy. It’s never been based on your earning power or ability to convince God that you are good enough to be used by Him. Talk about self-centered and full of self, that would be the case. You will always be aware of your inability to measure up to the calling! You will never feel qualified! That’s not what it’s based on! HE CALLS THE FOOLISH TO CONFOUND THE WISE! HE CALLS THE WEAK TO BAFFLE THE STRONG. HE ALWAYS CALLS PEOPLE WHO CAN’T DO IT! DIDN’T HE REDUCE GIDEON FROM 32,000 MEN DOWN TO 300? WHY? SO WHEN THE VICTORY WAS PRODUCED, EVERYONE WOULD KNOW THAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT GOD AND NOT ABOUT GIDEON.
If you were sitting here with me in my office, I would look you in the eye and shout at you, “GOD IS NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET! GOD IS NOT THROUGH BLESSING YOU!” I don’t care how you got to where you are. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that there is still a better day ahead of you! I know it! And it’s not based on your perfection; it’s based on His.
Surrendered to His will,
Pastor Jimi Higgins |
|
