“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Rom. 11:29 ESV)

I read recently that many pastors give up and quit because they have made mistakes, failed somehow in their ministries, gotten discouraged by a lack of success, given into some sin, and/or simply felt that God had removed His gifting and calling from them. But, I heard someone correctly say recently, “If God can’t use imperfect people, He’d have nobody to work with!” And that’s certainly true. But it’s also important to understand the passage at the top that promises that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Therefore, if you failed somehow, repent (turn around) and get back to work! Just like a GPS device, when you make a wrong turn, God recalculates for you to get you back onto the right course.

No one does good, not a single one

“As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them.They don’t know where to find peace.” “They have no fear of God at all.” (Rom. 3:10-18 NLT)

God can use anyone 

The Bible is filled with examples of people who were imperfect, made mistakes, yet God used them.

·      Noah was a drunk.

·      Cyrus didn’t know who God was.

·      Sarah was too old.

·      Abraham told people he was of that his wife was his sister.

·      Isaac was a daydreamer.

·      Jacob was a liar.

·      Leah was ugly.

·      Joseph was abused.

·      Moses had a stuttering problem.

·      Gideon was afraid.

·      Samson had long hair and was a womanizer.

·      Rahab was a prostitute.

·      Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.

·      David was an adulterer and a murderer.

·      Elijah was suicidal.

·      Isaiah preached naked.

·      Jonah ran from God.

·      Naomi was a widow.

·      Job went bankrupt.

·      John the Baptist dressed weird and ate bugs.

·      Peter denied Christ.

·      The disciples fell asleep while praying.

·      Martha worried about everything.

·      The Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once).  Zacchaeus was too small.

·      Paul was too religious.

·      Timothy had an ulcer.

·      Lazarus was dead!

 Therefore

 “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9 NLT)

 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Pet. 4:10 NIV)

God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called

It’s not about our ability, It’s about our availability!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 NKJV) 

“In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets – some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.” (2 Tim. 2:20-21 MSG)

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 KJV)

Yes, God can use YOU!

If you make a mistake, do what you can to fix it. If you’ve sinned, repent quickly. But don’t quit! God can use all things for good, you just need to be available.

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:20 ESV)

This verse has at top has two parts

·      The first part of the passage at top  proclaims that we “are ambassadors for Christ.”

·      The second part of the verse tells us what our message is to those we come in contact with, which is “to implore them to be reconciled to God.”

What is an ambassador?

According to Webster’s dictionary, the meaning of AMBASSADOR is an official envoy; especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.  

As Christ’s ambassador in this world you are His…

Envoy, representative, delegate, minister, diplomat, agent, consul, emissary, legate, deputy, attaché, spokesperson, missionary, proxy, foreign minister, messenger, procurator, evangelist, chargé d'affaires, deputation, mouthpiece, courier, detachment.

“Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:6 ESV)

 Your ambassadorial assignment

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:17-21 ESV)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV))

Therefore

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” (Col. 3:12 ESV

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim. 4.2 ESV)

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV)

 Don’t forget

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Phil. 3:20 ESV)

“He is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words.” (1 Tim. 6:4 CSB)

The unhealthy arguments over words

When I was a kid, a popular saying was, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me!” Children were taught to say this if anyone called them something. It was to show that the words being thrown at them are harmless and should simply be ignored. Not any more! Today, words are very powerful, and you must watch how you use them carefully to keep from being accused of hate speech. And you never can be sure what that is. If you refer to someone with a pronoun they don’t like, such as he or she, rather than they or them (now one of hundreds of possibilities), they can accuse you of hate speech. Teachers have been fired and entire restaurant chains have been blacklisted over this stuff. Comedians, and their tv shows, have been “cancelled,” as in “erased” (as in “cancel culture”), and/or they can no longer tell jokes in their standup routines for fear of using words now regarded as hate speech. Old movies and TV shows with wrong words in them are now removed. You must scrub any conversation you use on a YouTube video or on social media platforms because search engines will spot them and your programs will be banned. The list of examples is endless, and free speech is gone!

Why is this happening?

The answer is that ungodliness is becoming more prominent in the land as we continue along the path of removing God from everywhere in our lives. From our schools, from our government agencies and courts, from our homes, and even from churches (most progressive churches have become “woke”). The verse at the top says that anyone who doesn’t agree with the sound teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ “understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words.”

Read it in its entirety

“If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth,” (1 Tim. 6:3-5 CSB)

What to do

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim. 4:16 ESV)

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Tim. 4:2-4 ESV)

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9 ESV)

“And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere” …. “for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it,” (1 Thess. 1:8 NLT)

What Jesus did for me

Over fifty years ago, I found a gospel tract in a friend’s glove box while out drinking with some friends, and I quickly thumbed through it and was presented with the story of what Christ did on the cross to bring redemption to those who would respond through repentance and personal acceptance. The next day, while driving along a busy road, I remembered the booklet’s message and prayed, asking Jesus to save me. And He did! My life was instantly and dramatically transformed.  

I told my story to everyone I met!

I knew nothing about the Bible, about church, or about theology. All I knew was my story of finding new life by turning from sin and receiving Jesus, and how He changed my life. And yes, I had a lot to learn about what I didn’t know yet. And as I shared what had happened to me to others, many of them believed, and trusted Christ to save them, too.

It’s hard for someone to argue about what God has done in your life

You just tell what happened to you. An example of this is found in the Bible in John 9:25, where Jesus heals a blind man and the religious leaders are unhappy about it. They asked him many questions, even if he knew that Jesus was a sinner (in their opinion). He said, “I don’t know whether he is a sinner.” The man replied: “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” This was his powerful testimony of what Jesus had done personally for him and was impossible to refute.

What God has done in your life is uniquely yours to share

No one else has your unique story of what God has done in your life. It’s yours to freely share, and you must! It’s been more than 50 years since I first shared my story, and I still share it today. And it works just the same.

Be willing and ready to share

It isn’t complicated. Each time you say, “Here’s how Jesus changed my life,” you are giving your personal salvation testimony. Whenever you say, “This is what God is doing in my life,” you are communicating from your life what God is doing now. Every time you say, “I was praying about this, and here’s what happened,” you’re sending a message that will impact people’s lives. Every time you say, “I’ve got this problem I’m struggling with, but God is helping me,” you are voicing your life message. Basically, you’re continually telling how God is alive and is presently working in your life. You will find that others will want this, too, and your can help them.

Therefore

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Pet. 3:15 NIV)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” (Eph. 1:3 ESV)

I have a friend that, whenever I ask her how she is, she replies, “I am blessed!” And she always says it with a smile on her face. And she is right! The verse above proclaims that we are “blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” That is amazing to think about!

God is able to bless you abundantly

The following verse says God’s blessing is so abundant that you will abound in every good work!

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8)

All God’s blessings shall come upon you and overtake you

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.” (Deut. 28:1-6 ESV)

God says to test him on this promise

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Mal. 3:10 ESV)

Therefore

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Num. 6:24-26 ESV)

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13 ESV)

Plotting courses

Susan and I love to travel in our RV, and we especially love exploring the back roads of the USA. In the old days, we depended on road maps to plot our courses. Sometimes we would get totally lost and have to pull over to the side of the road and pour over our maps to get our bearings. Not any more! Now we depend on technology to constantly keep us informed as to where we are. And if we ever miss a turn, our GPS quickly recalculates and instructs us how to get back on the correct course.

The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our teacher, and our guide

Similar to how our GPS system keeps us on track as we drive across unknown roads in our vehicle, as Christians the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14 ESV)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8 ESV) 

The Holy Spirit helps us understand the things freely given to us by God

“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Cor. 2:10-13 ESV)

The Holy Spirit helps us as we pray

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Rom. 8:26 ESV)

Therefore

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

“Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thess. 5:19)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

Stuff happens to everybody

Have you ever found yourself with an unexpected problem, or maybe you’ve simply gotten over-your-head in some situation and not been sure what to do? This is a description of what it means to lead a normal life in the world we live in. Stuff just happens from time to time to everybody. As a frequent traveler, for instance, it seems to happen to me all the time in one way or another. I have found myself stuck at airports, had my luggage lost, and arrived at a hotel at midnight only to find that they had given away my room (and were sold out). And as always, these things usually come out of the blue and are disruptive. And always, I need wisdom to figure them out.

God promises generous wisdom

The good news is that wisdom is generously available! But you must understand some important requirements.

In order to get wisdom from God you must do the following

·      You must ask! The verse at top tells you what to do when you need wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.” Another verse reminds us what happens when you fail to ask: “You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2)

·      You must believe and not doubt! The rest of the passage at top explains further what to do: “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:6-8)

Therefore

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10 ESV)

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

Both “Yes” and “No”

Throughout the years, I’ve heard lots of people say this verse above is their favorite Bible promise and is the key to getting the desires of your heart sent directly to you by God, Himself. To them, you only have to do what it says: “delight yourself in the LORD,” and, voilà, that thing that you “desire with all your heart” will be on its way.

My answer to someone saying this is both “Yes” and “No.” Let me explain. This promise isn’t a magic formula to get you that new “whatever thing,” such as a new car, boat, or beautiful person, that you desire. Instead, it’s a call to action to make God the delight of your heart, and the very act of doing that will change your heart’s desires so that you want things that are in line with God’s best for you. The more you delight yourself in God, the more you will desire what He wants for you! Yes, you will in fact end up with “the desires of your heart,” but they will be different desires that God created in you as a result of your delighting yourself in Him.

How to delight yourself in God

Delight defined:

·      Websters Dictionary: Joy, a source of great satisfaction.

·      The Bible Dictionary: Hebrew term for delight is hepes, which means “to bend towards, to be inclined towards [an object or person].”

Therefore, according to the above definition, to delight yourself in God means you would find joy in Him. He would be your source of great satisfaction. You would “bend towards Him”, and you would “be inclined towards Him.”  

So, how do you do that?

·      Work to know Him better

The better you know someone the better you know what delights them. It’s the same with God. Search the Bible to to know His likes and dislikes, His preferences, His habits, His character, His nature.

“‘Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD” (Jer. 9:24).

·      Seek Him First

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (2 Chron. 16:11 ESV)

·      Spend quality time with Him

The more time you spend with someone, the better you get to know them. To spend quality time with God is to get to know Him more intimately, and to know Him that way is to enjoy Him.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (Jam. 4:8 ESV)

·      Think about Him:

“When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalms 63:6-8 ESV)

·      Talk to Him

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matt. 6:6 ESV)

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 ESV)

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” (Prov. 3:27-28)

Help immediately when you are able

When I was a young man, brand new in ministry, with a wife and small children, and living from hand-to-mouth, we often seemed to have a lot of month at the end of our money. One time, because of some kind of emergency, we had a shortfall of $500, and I didn’t know how we could possibly come up with such a huge amount. I did have some prayer warriors, a small group of older church ladies who were always ready and willing to pray about things, so I decided to call them. The first one I spoke to said she and her husband would immediately pray about our need. About twenty minutes later, there was a knock on our door. It was that lady with a check for $500! I told her that I certainly didn’t call her to give money, only to pray. And she said she and her husband, a retired businessman, did pray. And then it occurred to them that they were asking God to do what they were already able to do, which was to write a check themselves to take care of the need. It was because they knew the Bible verse, “If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, ‘Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you’.” And they were obedient to it.

 God wants to use you to help others

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6-17-19 ESV)

Proverb with a warning and a promise

“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Prov. 11:24 ESV)

Therefore

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Heb. 13:16 ESV)