Greater Works

John 14:12
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
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Every time I pick up the book Entrepreneurial Faith, I literally cry. As long as I can remember, I’ve had a desire to do something GREAT for Jesus. I just couldn’t find anyone else who felt the same way—until now.

In the words of the authors, “The Spirit of God lives in you, the power of God flows through you, the promises of God are prepared for you, the voice of God guides you, the angels of God protect you, the armor of God equips you. Do you really think God does all that so we can live mediocre lives, doing mediocre things , with mediocre results? Of course you don’t. So be faithful to unleash the success that God has ordained for you before the foundation of the world.” (Entrepreneurial Faith, by Kirbyjon Caldwell and Walt Kallestad, p. 139)

Finding God’s vision means becoming “spiritual entrepreneurs”—people who SEE what God wants them to see, BELIEVE what they see, and then DO it.

We are all entrepreneurs at one time or another when we come up with a new, untried solution to a challenge or need. Spiritual entrepreneurs do the same thing under the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

So, are you ready for that vision? Here’s how to find it:

1) ASK GOD what He wants to accomplish in your community and the world, and what role you can play in His plans. Read Matthew 25:31-46 and Isaiah 61:1-3. Then focus on what CAN be, not what IS.

2) Don’t scale down God’s vision to fit your abilities. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” If it’s safe and manageable, it’s probably a “good idea,” not a “God idea.”

3) Be willing and ready to give up the life you know. FIVE TIMES the gospels record Jesus’ words that whoever desires to find or save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it.

Jesus said we would do “greater works” than He did. That’s because He only had three short years to minister. He didn’t have time to build medical clinics, shelters for the abused and homeless, low-income housing, or businesses that create jobs that pay a livable wage. He didn’t, but you do.

But you don’t have to do it alone. Jesus turned the world completely upside down with just 11 uneducated, uncouth, unknown followers. What could he do through you and a handful of Christian brothers and sisters? (Hey, count me in!)

Cathleen

Got Vision?

Proverbs 19:18
Without a vision, the people perish.

What is a vision? Simply put, a vision is “A mental picture of your future state.” The only problem is, we want to create that vision ourselves, much like a business leader creates a vision to define what his company will accomplish.

According to the Hebrew Lexicon, the word “vision” in Proverbs 19:18 refers to a divine vision or dream, especially a prophetic vision from God respecting future events. It’s the same word used in I Chronicles 17. In verses 3-14, Nathan the prophet tells David the prophecy of what God is going to do for him and his descendants. The next verse says, “According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.”

So, the “missing ingredient” that can transform us into powerful servants of God is a prophetic vision of what God wants to accomplish through us.

Why do you need a vision? Even if the Lord doesn’t return for another hundred years, OUR time is running out. We need to get BUSY saving souls before it’s too late. The most effective way to do that is to love people the way Jesus did, by showing them we care about their problems as well as their souls.

When we stand face to face with Jesus, we will be rewarded and punished based on what we did for Him in this life. Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-29? It says the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who gives five talents to one servant, two to another servant, and one to a third servant. When he returns, he discovers that the first two servants had used his money to gain more money and he rewards them . But when the third servant admits he buried his master’s money in the ground, what he has is taken away and he is cast into “outer darkness” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Not clear enough? In the very next verses (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus tells what happens at the judgment seat:

Those who served God by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, taking in the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting those who were sick or in prison REALLY DID IT FOR JESUS, and they will inherit the kingdom prepared for them.

Those who did NOT help the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and prisoners will be sent away into everlasting punishment, because they DIDN’T DO IT FOR JESUS.

That makes it pretty clear. The single most important thing we can do is to find and fulfill God’s vision for our lives.

Cathleen

You’re In the Army Now

Ezekiel 37:9-11
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
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It was October 18, 2005. I was sitting in a Tuesday night Bible study, not really interested in what the teacher was saying and wondering why I was there, when I heard the Lord’s voice saying, “RAISE UP MY ARMY.” It didn’t make any sense at the time, but I knew it was Him speaking, so I wrote it down and dated it. As I returned to that phrase over the following months, the Lord led me to Ezekiel 37:9-11, the vision of God breathing life into His people Israel, transforming them from lifeless bones into a powerful, united army. But what could that possibly have to do with me, I wondered.

Several months later, I was talking with Pastor Helen, head of the women’s ministry at my church. Pastor Helen had just found out that the company she had worked at for 28 years was going out of business. Although she would receive a year’s severance pay, she had no idea how to start a new career at the age of 62. “Pastor Helen,” I told her, “this is a great opportunity! This is your chance to find GOD’S vision for your life!”

She looked at me for a moment and then asked, “How would you like to speak to our women’s ministry? I have an opening in a couple of months.” I said yes, but I really didn’t know what I would speak about.

A couple of weeks before I was scheduled to speak, I decided to spend my lunch hour at a local Christian bookstore. Naturally, I went right to the “sale” table. That’s when I found “Entrepreneurial Faith”--the book that would change my life and hopefully the lives of the women at my church. Maybe it will change yours, too.

Do you remember the story of Gulliver’s Travels? Gulliver washes up on the shore of Lilliput. While asleep, he is tied to the ground by the 6-inch-tall inhabitants. When he awakens, he easily breaks free of their tiny ropes.

As I prepared my message for the women’s ministry, the Lord showed me a picture of the church as a “sleeping giant.” The average Christian is just like Gulliver. We’ve been lulled into a sleep-like trance. We’re tied down by the cares and pursuits of this world. We’re convinced that, once we’re saved, all we have to worry about is “damage control”—avoiding too many sins and too many trials, always striving for a low-stress, “successful” life. If that’s how you see your life, then it’s time to break free of the ropes and wake up to a far more exciting and more fulfilling reality. You’re in God’s Army now. Just like Ezekiel’s vision, God wants to raise YOU up from “dry bones” to a living, breathing, powerful, elite member of “an exceedingly great army.”

Cathleen

Good News

Philippians 4:18-19
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
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The day before I ministered to that young homeless couple, I checked my bank balance and realized I didn’t have enough money to cover the rent check that I had mailed two days earlier. Desperate, I called my 18-year-old daughter and asked if I could borrow $80 from her. As I drove the 20 minutes to her house, I cried all the way. “Lord,” I said, “You promised to supply all my needs. Why am I reduced to borrowing from my daughter?” I know what you’re thinking. You’re right—I completely failed in the faith department.

The good news is, that didn’t prevent God from blessing me anyway. When I got home that night, there was an unexpected check for $250 from my parents, another check for $135 in child support (which I thought I wasn't going to get anymore since my ex-husband lost his job) and $25 from a Christian sister "just because."

Isn’t that just like the Lord? Only He could know that I would need extra money to help that homeless couple the next day. But that wasn’t all He knew.

After I helped the homeless couple, I left the office to deposit the $80 back in my daughter’s bank account. The bad news is, got a flat tire on the way. The good news is, I was parked right across the street from a tire store and the owner himself came over and put my spare tire on for free.

The bad news is, after that my car wouldn't start, so I had to call the auto club to tow my car across the street to the tire store. The good news is, that gave me the chance to minister to the tow truck driver and another customer at the tire store.

The bad news is, it cost me $124 for one new tire plus a vacuum hose. The good news is, God had already supplied the money I needed for the extra expense.

When the Philippians sent gifts to help Paul, he promised that God would supply all their needs in return. When God opens a door of ministry to you, He will also supply money for that ministry, plus your other needs as well. That’s the REALLY good news!

Your in Christ,

Cathleen

What’s it Worth?

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

As I walked from my office to the bank one morning, I saw a girl crouched down on the sidewalk by the liquor store with her face hidden in her hands. She looked dirty, so I figured she was homeless. As I passed by her I thought, "I'll get an extra $20 from the bank and give it to her when I come back." But I heard the Lord very distinctly saying, "Turn around now--she won't be there when you come back."

Feeling kind of silly, I walked back to the liquor store, crouched down in front of her and asked, "Are you OK?" She lifted her head and began pouring out her heart with tears streaming down her face. She and her boyfriend (both 21) had been living in the park for several weeks. She hadn't had a period in a long time and she was gaining weight, so she was pretty sure she was pregnant. They had no family or friends to turn to. They both had misdemeanor charges against them and were thinking about running away to Florida to start over.

Then her boyfriend came out of the liquor store. After talking with both of them for a few more minutes, I took their hands and led them in a prayer to receive Christ and ask God for guidance. Then I spent the next hour as a substitute mom, helping them talk through all their issues. In the end, the Lord put it on my heart to give them my business card and $100 for bus passes and a marriage license.

I wish I could say I solved all of their problems, but I didn’t. All I did was put them in touch with Jesus, the only One who really could solve their problems.

Jesus commands us to give—not just our money, but also our time, our attention, and our love. He also promises we will receive back whatever we have given—money, time, attention, and love. Because I reached out to that young couple in Jeus’s name, I know that when one of MY children gets in trouble and I’m not there, God will send someone to help them.

What’s that worth? Priceless.

Love in Christ,

Cathleen