As a believer in the Work of the Cross, you have probably learned by now there are many ways to “preach” the redemption gospel. Selling handmade crosses was the approach these boys used to tell their story of coming to Christ.
For those of you who haven’t come to accept Jesus, you can rewrite your history right now.God’s gift of salvation favor (grace) is free, all you have to do is receive it by faith.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)
Today if you put your trust in Christ; He promises to forgive and forget the past that you desperately want to leave behind.You can do it by saying this prayer sentence by sentence.
Friends, God won't always tell you to go feed the people who are selling things on the street, but if and when He does, do it. By helping someone else's ministry your faith will grow, and God will cause man to show favor in your calling.
Remember, when God gives you the opportunity to share the message of the cross in witnessing (and He will) always …
Pray with others.
Sow favor and blessings.
Reap favor and blessings.
Until next time, “Cross” favor is always on God’s menu!
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Unless noted, scripture reference in series was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway. Image credit: Creative Common License if not specified. Image
News from Fay, Favored1, Daily Favor Blog, Where Faith and Favor Meet, Witnessing, Cross Favor, Salvation, Billy Graham, The Cross, Easter, Resurrection, Jesus Crucified.
My
conversation with the four Texans had taken a turn, mainly on my part because
it was after lunch time and we hadn’t eaten.
Wanting to go get a bite was why we didn’t finish our shopping in the
first place, which caused us to run into the men anyway.
Blu
didn’t have much to say except that they would be eating at some point in the
day, but Tris remained adamant that they were fine. I couldn’t leave it at that based on what Dan
had said just a few moments before the lady with the shopping cart interrupted
us.
Dan
had mentioned that he hadn’t eaten since the previous day and it was going for
two o’clock in the afternoon.Trying to
convince Tris that they should get some lunch, once again he insisted they
would get something inside the store soon.
I don’t know why I couldn’t let up about this … it’s probably my
mother’s fault.No matter who it was –
family, friends or foe, she always insisted on feeding you. First you meet, then you eat. "Dems da rules!"
We know that as believers Christ has given us instructions on how
to treat others, but He also made it clear as to what actions we are to take
when it comes to the brethren of like faith.
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with
brotherly love,
in honor giving preference to one another; not
lagging in diligence,
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing
in hope, patient (preserving) in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in
prayer;
distributing to the needs of the saints, given (pursuing) to
hospitality.”
(Romans
12:10-13NKJV)
This is how it reads in the New Living Translation:
“Love each other with genuine affection (with
brotherly love),
and take delight in honoring each other.Never be lazy, but work
hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically (with a zealous spirit, excited to
serve). Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in
trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to
help them.
Always be eager to practice hospitality.” (Romans
12:10-13NLT)
My husband and I knew how God would have us care for these boys to
men disciples in new ministry.
"...
that there should be no schism (division) in the body (of Christ),
but that the
members (believers) should have the same care for one another." (1
Corinthians 12:25 NKJV)
What
Do Texans Like?
We
learned that the money from what they sold bought their meals while they were
away from home. At that point we offered to buy them lunch; whatever they
wanted.
A
few resisted at first until I asked this question. “Do you know what the favor of God is?” Toby said yes, but Tris just looked at me strangely.Toby insisted … “Let her bless
us!”
Deciding
on where they wanted their food from we wrote down the orders and headed to
Burger King.Upon giving the order we
were informed that they didn’t have what the boys wanted.
About
then the cashier/checker asked, “What do
Texans like to eat?
Hubby
and I looked at each other then I responded to the girl. "I don't know, we just feed them."
It
was decided that he would go back across the street to get a re-order from the
boys while I remained in BK out of the heat.I felt a bit selfish but didn’t put up a fuss since I was so hungry,
plus it was nice to be out of the hot weather.
Supplies for the Road
Waiting
for my order I found a booth near the window so I could see my husband when he
returned.With nothing to do my mind
began thinking about the situation.
At
first I was a bit angry but then the Holy Spirit reminded me of something. Jesus
sent out His disciples in the beginning of their ministry without money as a
test of their faith. He wasn’t trying to be cheap nor was there a
shortage of funds to provide, but instead Jesus was measuring what was lacking
in their faith in Him.
"Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith." (from 1 Thessalonians 3:10)
Christ
wanted them to know that He would cause man to show them favor because of their
stewardship to the call of winning souls.
“And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag,
knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.” (Luke 22:35)
By
the time they were seasoned in their training (after Jesus ascended to
Heaven), people were selling land, businesses and homes in order to bring the
money to the disciples so they could continue in their callings.
"Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold (to the disciples)." (Acts 4:34)
They
didn't ask people to do this, but the Holy Spirit led them to do so because the
work of the cross was so important. They weren't jealous of the disciples
but took part in the work by giving. Their call was to help send the
disciples.
See
as part of the body of Christ not everyone is called to "go" in the
physical sense as in actually travelling. However, all are sent to
"go ye" in being a part of getting the good news out to the
world.
Some
individuals are blessed with wealth to give or distribute, while others are
called to the laboring aspect as in actually traveling. There are times
when the role is reversed and that's the way God planned it.
The
point is, we all have to grow in faith in order to grow in favor with God and
man.When we get this past our brain and
down deep into our souls Jesus will give us the supplies we need to carry out
the message of the cross – whatever way that may be. Receive the Blessing of Favor
"I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity." (Philippians 4:10 NKJV)
In
this letter to the Church, Paul realized the people of that particular
congregation (all Saints in Christ Jesus) in Philippi didn't give into his
ministry because they lacked the opportunity. When that changed, they
sowed into his work.Lacking opportunity
is quite different than plain lacking in something.
That
Saturday in July God presented the opportunity for us to sow, and it provided a
way for those young men to see God's faithfulness through His children. These
individuals ranging from ages 16-40 were at different levels in the program, but
all experienced the favor of God from man.
Each
one handled being blessed with favor quite differently. One didn't want
to accept it. Another stood silently not knowing what to do, while another
was excited and ordered a big meal. Only one really embraced the concept
of what was happening and let us bless him.
The
young man with understanding encouraged the others to receive the blessing.
Not allowing us to bless him, he would actually be stealing our blessing
because God can't bless those who don't bless others.
Growing
in Faith and Favor
The
disciples learned to trust God by faith in meeting their needs. When they
did, they grew in favor with God and man lacking nothing.If we trust the Lord to provide and follow in
His footsteps, He promises to bless the work we do for the sake of the cross.
When
Jesus is the reason for our work His favor will always be with and on us.Our steps are blessed and He will make sure we
lack nothing.
“For the Lord your God has blessed (favored) you
in all the work of
your hand. He knows your trudging (goings)
through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you;
you have lacked nothing.” (Deuteronomy 2:7 NKJV)
The
Message of the Cross
As
a believer in the Work of the Cross, you have probably learned by now there are
many ways to “preach” the redemption gospel. Selling handmade crosses was the approach these
boys used to tell their story of coming to Christ.
For
those of you who haven’t come to accept Jesus, you can rewrite your history
right now.God’s gift of salvation favor
(grace) is free, all you have to do is receive it by faith.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him will not perish but
have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)
Today
if you put your trust in Christ; He promises to forgive and forget the past
that you desperately want to leave behind.You can do it by saying this prayer sentence by sentence.
Friends,
God won't always tell you to go feed the people who are selling things on the
street, but if and when He does, do it. By helping someone else's
ministry your faith will grow, and God will cause man to show favor in your
calling.
Remember,
when God gives you the opportunity to share the message of the cross in
witnessing (and He will) always …
Pray with others.
Sow favor and blessings.
Reap favor and
blessings.
As
Time Goes By ...
It
had been several weeks since we visited Burger King and met the four young
disciples for Christ.They’re still receiving
“Cross Favor” while out selling crosses across America, but something new has
changed around here.
Texans
were among the first to decide whether or not the new Burger King selections
were tasty enough to give them a try throughout the worldwide fast food chain
of restaurants.
Evidently what Texans like
to eat matters … the spicy hot Jalapeño Burger is now on our Burger King
menu!
Until next time, “Cross” favor is always on God’s menu!
Maybe
you don’t know the Living God that I know but would like to have this kind of
favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on
becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
News from Fay, Favored1, Daily Favor Blog,
Where Faith and Favor Meet, Witnessing, Cross Favor, Salvation, Billy Graham,
Disciples of Jesus, The Cross, Texas
It had been hours and I was still sitting at the
computer in a zombie mode with bubbles from the screensaver floating on my
desktop.
This was the third day I tried to get some major writing
done, but hadn’t been able to conquer the task.There was a perfectly valid reason though; my cat needed some lap time
and I was prepared to indulge him.
Actually, it was a good opportunity to get a much needed“catnap”
myself.With kitty draped over my
shoulder I tilted back in position to rest my head on the back of the chair.It didn’t take long before we were both out
like a light!
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Chile; Gabon; Cheddington, England, United Kingdom; Bosnia
& Herzegovina.
I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back
each week to participate in the weekly challenges.God has been faithful and we expect His favor
to abound in the lives of those who chose to Journey with Jesus on Daily Favor
Blog.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.All are private. I would love to hear from
you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.Contact me by leaving a message in the box at
the bottom of this week’s post.
I'm not kidding ... this was me! Minus the cat on my shoulder.
Several times my husband made his way back and forth into
the room to see if I was awake. He stared at me as my head lay back in a full tilt with mouth wide open like a seal waiting to receive fish.
Easily he could have dropped treats down my throat but the dear heart refrained; unlike me who in some way probably would have taken full advantage of the situation!
I finally woke from his giggling and my snoring (which was
more like a snort) when he began the nightly inquisition over our evening menu.
“What do you want
for dinner?” my husband asked calling out from the kitchen.
Barely holding my
head up, without hesitation I said: “A nap.”
Chuckling he
asked, “How do you want it cooked?”
“Very slowly!” I
quipped.
I reciprocated
the question: “What do you want for dinner?
“I don’t know.”
Building off his
comedy I asked: “How do you want that cooked?”
“Usually well
done.”
You can tell that not much brain work went on in this
conversation.The fact was, we were both
too tired to say or do much of anything except laugh.We never tire of that.
All week long I’ve been having difficulty staying awake.
If you remember at the beginning of the year I shared how I would be taking on
new things by faith.Well, for the past
month I’ve been doing exactly that in the way of research.
It’s back to school for this gal with educational classes
… again!
Remembering Gregg
Attending high school was merely a place to socialize and
to say that much education occurred on my part would be a stretch. My grades
were okay, but not great following the A,B,C rule – any one of those were
acceptable as long as there were more of the top two!Funny how that rule changed once I had to pay
for college!
I never wanted to miss my classes. It’s rather ironic
when you think about it now that I am an instructor, but nonetheless, I am.
Getting through classes at times was difficult being
dyslexic, but knowing how to take dictation by shorthand really pulled me out
of some tight spots especially in Biology class.On the other hand, it also got me into
trouble when in college.
Sample Gregg Shorthand Letter
Why I took shorthand still baffles me since I never
wanted to become a secretary or work in the business field. (No, I'm not that old, and yes they still taught it up to the late 80's in some states! It was required for court reporting, business school and being a Notary Public, which I was.)
Less than 25%
of schools in America had computers in 1986 and still used typewriters. It wasn’t
until the mid 90’s that teacher’s (like me) had access to one in their
classroom.
I grew up with parents in business and saw
how hard they worked with little time to spare. When I tried my hand at it I wasn’t that convincing
of a salesman. My gift was in the socializing end of marketing.Can you tell?Hubby calls me the social butterfly!
Conversely, Gregg Shorthand was about the only thing my
mother and I had in common then; I suppose it somehow played a role in taking the
class for two years.I can’t recall ever
bringing schoolwork home except for that class, which did result in better
grades.
Mom was a wiz at dictation and we would compare
notes.The bad thing was that it really
messed up my spelling … you know … leaving out most of the letters to write in
code using a bunch of squiggly lines!
That brings me back to how shorthand got me in trouble
during my first years in college.
Secrets in Psychology
Stationed in the front row is where I like to sit when in
class.I had heard that professors never
called on the people directly under their noses, because they are usually
standing in front of them when lecturing.Through the years I’ve found this to be
mostly true in my own teaching.However,
it backfired on me in my first psychology class.
Due to my shorthand skills I took loads of notes,
practically everything the professors said I wrote down. You might say I took
too many notes, which made it hard to study correctly.It wasn’t until I taught Journalism that I
really learned the art of note taking that cured me of that habit.
With notebook opened and pen in hand I was busy writing down
everything my professor Dr. Visce was teaching.The way he taught intrigued the entire class, but there were two secrets
few people knew and I was privy to them.
My beloved prof favored the ladies. No, he didn’t do
anything out of line, but he had daughters and it was almost natural to prefer
the lassies over the laddies.Check one
off in my favor!
Second it was rumored that whatever you received as a
mark on your first test was the grade you got for the course.Score! It was mid-term and I had received an
A on my first exam, so I presumed I was in good standing for the semester.
An Open Book
One day as the professor was speaking he made his way to
the front of my seat.My head was buried
in taking notes (of course) and I wasn’t watching him.
As he was talking, rather than walk back to his desk the Professor
leaned over and picked up my textbook hoping to point out specific
details in our reading assignments.While
instructing the class to turn to a particular passage we all heard this sound -
“crack”.It was the binding of the book
… my brand new book!
The class was in a roar laughing and I could tell my
teacher was trying to compose himself. Looking
up at him literally peering over me Dr. V. said in an intimidating voice, “You haven’t even opened the book have
you?How have you done so well in this
class without even reading one chapter?”
If I could have slithered down my chair and out the door
I would have.How embarrassing, yet
totally correct!
I didn’t know how to respond but announced in a reluctant
sort of way,
“… I take good notes?!”
Practically dropping my book in my lap he
said, “We’ll see.” My study habits became an open book to my
classmates, the professor and myself.
Yes, my shorthand helped but it also hindered me from
getting into the book to study like I should have.After that I started reading the required
textbook and was certain my instructor became aware of it.
My study habits changed, because I wanted to show myself
approved before my instructor and not be ashamed in front of my classmates.Graciously, I was favored with an A for the
course despite my lack of wisdom in the beginning sessions of the class.
Jesus 101 – Discipleship Classes
As an instructor you can be sure that one of the first
things I check is if my students have cracked the binding on their books. I want them to make full use of the materials
provided as they study for their lifelong journey.
This subject is something the Lord brought to my
attention as I researched the Master Teacher.
Did you know that Jesus taught on over 570 subjects
or topics?
If you take into consideration that the disciples only
spent three and a half years on their “physical” journey with Jesus, that’s a
whole lot of teaching!Somehow I don’t
picture the boys taking notes or asking Jesus, “Could you repeat that Teacher, I didn’t get it all down on my
parchment?”
It’s not until after Jesus was resurrected that we learn
of the Disciples and first followers of the church in the “act of studying” the
Word of God.As modern day disciples we
too are to practice the act of studying the scriptures. (See Acts 6)
That means folks we have to crack the bindings on our
Bibles to find out what the Master was saying to the first disciples in His 101
courses. There’s no shorthand script or
shortcut to learning when it comes to being well versed in the Word of God.
How can we follow or share what is contained in God’s
Word if we don’t know what Christ taught? It is not possible to walk with Jesus if we
aren’t aware of His teachings.This is
why taking discipleship classes online or in a classroom with a
teacher/professor is still needed no matter how long we’ve been born again.
Why Study the Bible?
When I ask the question “Do you study the Bible?” I get all sorts of answers, but this is
the one most given.People say they only
stick to the King James Version, but fail to study because they don’t understand
it.
If that’s the excuse you’re using it
is easily remedied – use the KJV if you wish as your base but incorporate other
translations, concordances, study guides or books to assist you on your journey
through the scriptures.
The main reason why I admonish people to study the Word of
God is because He told us to do it.With
obedience also comes God’s favor on our lives; certainly that would be a good
enough reason for anyone.Take a look at
a few verses that indicate how studying the Word of God changes your journey to
success.
“Study this Book of Instruction continually.Meditate on it day and night so you will be
sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed
in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8 NLT)
Apparently obeying the Word of God determines prosperity
and success.
“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away
by night to (minister at) Berea.When
they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more
fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word
(teachings of Jesus) with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to
find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:10-11 NKJV)
Searching scriptures daily helps us recognize true and
false teachings.Here are a few more
reasons to meditate on and study the Bible.
-To proclaim God’s work
and deeds. Psalm 77:12
-To contemplate God’s
ways of how He does things. Psalm 119:15
-To understand God’s
ways.Psalm 119:27
-To help settle decisions
in the heart to give right answers. Luke 21:14
-To keep from listening
to things that would squash faith. Philippians 4:8
-To measure progress on our
journey with Jesus for “Whoever finds Me finds life and obtains favor from the
Lord.” Proverbs 8:35 and 1 Timothy 4:15
Perhaps this is the main reason we should study the Bible
… to keep us from sinning.
“I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not
sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11 NLT)
Tired but not Weary
Learning anything new takes research, study and
time.Those things combined can cause a
body to get tired, but not necessarily weary.These past weeks I have been in targeted study for improving areas that
the Lord has directed me into for this leg of my journey.
Something I’ve taught my classes for over twenty years is
that you cannot teach what you don’t know (especially to kids).People can tell if you know what you are talking
about in all sincerity or if you’re blowing smoke.
Every follower (disciple) of Christ is responsible for
having correct answers when people ask us questions about our faith.We need to be in the Word of God adding to or
“increasing” what we know on a regular basis in order to achieve this.
I want the words that I speak or write to be full of
wisdom, as well-driven nails that hold faith together in the hearts of all I
come in contact with on this journey with Jesus.
Until I see Jesus face-to-face, I’ll crack a few more
bindings and continue studying His Word, so that I may show myself approved
before God and man.If that means
falling asleep at the computer at times, open mouth snores and cuddling kitties
… I’m all for it.How about you?
“The Preacher (King Solomon) sought to find acceptable
words; and what was written was upright – words of truth.The words of the wise are like goads, and the
words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. And
further, my son, be admonished by these.Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the
flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10-12 NKJV)
This Week’s Challenge:Approval Study
What was true for the patriarchs, priests, prophets and disciples
still holds so for us … the most basic fundamental way to learn about God is
through His Word.
When I first studied 2 Timothy 2:15, the focus was on
“not wanting to be ashamed” of doing anything that went against God.With more studying I learned that this was a
loaded verse!
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”
The last part of the verse is what stood out in my
biblical classes: “rightly dividing.”Wow, if God’s Word can be divided rightly then it can also be divided
wrongly!Studying is the only way to
know the difference and that takes us to our challenge.
Paul the Apostle and disciple of Christ shed light on five parts in the act of studying God’s
Word, so that we can be effective faith walkers along our journey here on
earth.
1 – We are to be diligent as we prepare to see Jesus.
2 – Our goal is
to be approved as knowledgeable in
the Word.
3 – We are to be fruitful workers as Ambassadors for
Christ.
4 – Our desire is
to be presented worthy of the call
and not be ashamed of slacking off
when on duty.
5 – We are to know what God deems as Truth and separate it from what is
false.
I urge you to get involved by continuing your education
through some type of biblical study this week. It can be through books,
listening to messages on topical teachings, or watching programs that take you
beyond what you know on a subject.
With your Bible as your main source, gain understanding
and insight by using other resources that will increase favor for your faith
walk.
You may want to study with others or research a topic on
your own. Select something that you need to learn rather than repeating things
you’ve already studied.Those things are
good for refreshing and reinforcement, but this challenge is about stepping out
in topics you really haven’t studied in the past.
“It’s time to put the fun back in fundamentalism!”
Pastor Joe Nelms
Whatever way you choose to go about your “Approval Study”
keep in mind the five points of Paul from 2 Timothy.Jesus wants this time in His Word to be a
good one laced with faith, favor, fulfillment and fun!
If this article has encouraged or helped you please
consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this
post.
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
