Stewards of God’s Grace

1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: (RSV)

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (NKJV)

Wesley expounds on this scripture in this way: As everyone hath received a gift - spiritual or temporal, ordinary or extraordinary, although the latter seems primarily intended. So minister it one to another. Employ it for the common good as good stewards of the manifold grace of God - the talents wherewith his free love has entrusted you.

While we were at a church service this morning the minister spoke these words. “Be good stewards of the Grace of God.” This led me to think about what grace was and how our Lord gives us His grace abundantly. To me Grace is the power to overcome sin, the power to remain in the truth, the power to speak to the unsaved, and the power to lay hands on the sick, the power to forgive those who have offended us. We can go on and on. It is His grace that empowers us!

I never thought of being a steward of that Grace! A steward is one who protects and directs. In this case we protect and direct God’s grace to others according to our gift or gifts. From experience I do know that if we do use that gift He has so freely given us, more will be added to us!

Today I will meditate on those empowering gifts He has bestowed upon me. Let us take a minute and thank Him for His grace. I know that I come short in being an excellent steward of His Grace. How about you? Will you meditate on those empowering gifts He has freely given you and become a more excellent steward of His Grace?

Today I pray He will give us the Grace to become better stewards of His grace. In that way we will be able to direct, protect and release God’s grace in the form of those gifts placed within us. That grace to be released in acts of love, mercy and healing--spiritually, physically and emotionally. Let us be flexible vessels to be used proclaiming His glory.

Short Meditation

To profess truth as we intellectually know it and to do good out of obligation is not enough. In words and in actions alone we fall short in our relationship with the Lord. Obedience in and of itself could be sin. We should check our motives.

Just professing the truth and doing good deeds does not mean we are in relationship with God. When our love to the Father is genuine, it will produce great testimonies and good deeds.

As I set myself before God today, I come imperfect and naked. Yet I go to adore Him. I go just to have the privilege to be near Him—wanting nothing except to give Him all. Out of that place in prayer, I cry Holy-Pure-Perfect is He. The entire world fades away and I am raptured into bliss.

Today let us go together and worship the King of Kings—the One who is above all. As believers we are privileged to enter in to the inner court of praise. Privileged to adore the One who first loved us.

Let us go together with the angels and sing. "Be magnified in me O Lord. Be magnified throughout the earth."

A Word for 2010

2010

A Time for Men

The heart cries when?

The Lord qualifies with MEN

I am sending men in 2010

When? 2010

Only then, will others mend

Only then, He will send His men.

Rendering of hearts,

Mending of parts!

When? 2010

The hemming will begin

Closer the walk

The Narrower the path

and

The Sending of men

Trusted men

Loyal men

Mature men

who will know when!

Tending the land of the free—

That is what it will be

The heart cries when?

2010

In 2010 there is no time for the wimpy-whinny men and women or wishy-washy thinkers! It is the time of the confident assurance to rise, for mature fire walkers to rule, and for the seasoned to be tried and true. That is whom the Lord will send.

As each year passes, I find myself pressing into the call of the next season. This year the means of pressing will be the quiet stillness I will afford myself to take. What do I see? I see much warfare for thee yet a greater freedom then ever before. I see longer retreats set aside by man to accomplish tremendous victories.

There will be a greater separation of the serious and the folly. A definition of character that stands tall and its illumination will overwhelm the darkness.

A ministry of presence and His glorified atmosphere will be revealed even to the ones walking in the darkness. Hark the darkness will flee and His presence brings about salvation—healing—deliverance throughout the land.

New life forms, new believers in Christ, will produce a greatness that the men in darkness will fear. Yet the humbled loved ones will prevail in outstanding generosity that will bewilder all!

May the Lord hold you and keep you close to his bosom so that you respond to the call!

In His mighty Love, Dianne

Closing Out 2009

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

The year is coming to a close. The excitement of Christmas is over and it is the lull until the speed of the New Year kicks in.

For me this is a time to collect my thoughts, review the year, and clear out my 2009 files and folders on my computer. I think of those 2009 folders I know will be carrying some over to 2010, other files may be referred to from time to time, and then transferred as well. Then there are those files that will never be opened or used again.

As I consider my thought processes, how easy I can relate these files to my life. Maybe you can relate as well. Reviewing my life's journey in 2009 I know there are places, events and words said that I will not revisit nor repeat in 2010. Then of course, there are those people that I hold dear that will become an even more intricate part of my life. We choose who and what is relevant to our present lives! Yes in some cases, I do have regrets over some words said or experiences had! I pray that my Father in heaven will steer me clear of those things, so that I will not revisit them again.

2010 is at hand. And I encourage you to take the time in the next few days to go through the process and allow the Holy Spirit to you to a grand entrance in 2010; removing those words said, wounds received—in both the natural and the spiritual. Allow the process of sorting through the good works and letting the Spirit show you those to continue, those to cast aside. Ah, even the possibility of new exciting opportunities to spring up. Let us be mindful and ever ready to fulfill the call He has for us in 2010.

Most of all I ask that the Holy One would put a fiery desire in us that would cause us to draw closer to Him. 

STAND FIRM

To be sure footed is to be able to stand without the risk of slipping and falling. To be sure footed in Christ is to stand on the rock of your salvation and clothe yourself with His armor.

If we skate by in life we are subject to losing our footing and finding ourselves diverted from our journey with Christ..

If we devote ourselves to Jesus and his teachings and are open to our Father's love and direction, and then those outward deeds will be from and carried out in His love. Hence, we shall acquire our prize in heaven.

It has been raining here the past couple of days and I have taken notice of my footing. I love my Crocs. They are so comfy with or without socks. On most terrains I feel secure walking. Matter of fact I am so secure I just trot along in all types of weather. That is until the rain came! Dick found, from experience, that when the cement is wet one can actually make a split! Yup, that he did--a gracious split in the garage as he came in from the wet grass. As you can imagine that split was not a welcomed diversion.

So when it rains, I am more couscous of my footing and take precautions so I do not slip and fall.

In all we do seek, first the Kingdom of God and all else will be added to you! Don't skate by in life for your footing could cause a diversion that takes you away from the obtainable substance of our Father's "Love". So listen to Mathew 6:33 and seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Romans 14:7 Tells us that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And you must know that you have the power spoken in 1 Corinthians 4:20: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Walking with the Son allows us to be sure footed here on earth. When the storms of life come we shall stay near our Lord's bosom so that we hear the instruction of safety.

There are many pathways in life to set our feet to. Make sure we are led by the Holy One. I pray we may all be sure-footed in Christ and not given to temptations or be blinded sided into a dark diversion!

1 Corinthians 15:58: Believers are exhorted to stand firm in the face of temptation and doubt, confident in what God has done for them.

I am a Tuffy too

It has been said that as a dog grows and matures one can see the resemblance with it and its master. I know I have commented on how Tuffy resembles Dick, with her wild eyebrows and white bearded face. Yes, Dick has referred to Tuffy as Junior, meaning her temperament is like mine, an independent dog that gets what she wants!

Another character of Tuffy is that she is neat and clean. She is continually cleaning herself by licking and rubbing her face in the rug, on the bed, or chair. When she comes in from the rain she even rolls over and wipes her back to try it.

Now that we are in Florida, she has to contend with these little briers that stick to her hair. They are a real pain, not only for her but for us also. When she manages to get free from those things they are transferred to us, the rug, the chairs and even on the blanket on our bed.

Tuffy loves the outside but is dismayed when she can not remove those "hitch hikers". You could say it is a trade off—like being outside so deal with the cleaning and chewing off those nasty things. Sometimes those little hitch hikers get so attached to Tuffy she cannot get them off herself. Therefore, it is mom to the rescue.

Tuffy knows I will be coming to help yet she runs to her defense. Here come the comb, the razor, and the scissors! Off she goes under the bed. So I need to catch her as she enters the house, snatch her up, and off to the garage we go with comb and the other tools in hand.

She wants to escape from the process. All the licking and biting would never get those things off her face and behind her legs. As I comb and cut she is patient then wants to jump off the table. Finally the process is just about over, I spray her with baby smelling cologne and set her down. She fluffs her hair, wags her tail and off she goes to retrieve a treat. Tuffy hates the process, yet loves the results.

During the last hitch hiker encounter I started to think how much I was like Tuffy. Maybe you can relate too. Like Tuffy I take joy and pride in caring for myself. Does that ring any bells? Proverbs 11:2 tells us that pride leads to disgrace, but with humility come wisdom. Proverbs 3:5 reminds us to trust in the Lord and with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Yet I go about doing all I know to do to get myself right with God. Or go about taking care of my body on my own knowledge.

Then when I get myself stuck and I need help, at times, I am willing to ask and even look for help from those I love and still forget the lover of my soul. Then the words come flooding into my being "Worry about Nothing" and I quickly look to Luke in all the verses where Jesus tells us not to worry. Luke 12:22 in particular tells us do not worry about your life, what you will eat or about your BODY.

I remember walking around with a headache sometimes for a couple of days before I ask for prayer. Of cause I prayed, took an aspirin, and prayed some more with no effect. Then my last resort was to turn to Dick for prayer. Just a little help from a believer then bam it was gone! Would you say I was somewhat thick headed? Well, how about you? Does the shoe fit you too? I want you to know that is pride! I do not want to admit it but that is the truth!

It is the same with Holy Spirit. He can nudge me and nudge me. And like Tuffy I will run and hide ignoring the prompting to sit still and allow Him to minister to me. I just do not want to discuss it! I have too many other things to do! Is this familiar to you too? I do not like the process yet my spirit longs for the result. And my treat is the freedom from what weighs me down and the freedom to carry out the Father's mission.

As for me, I am going to sit still for a while, listen to the Holy Spirit, and lean on the breast of the lover of my soul. How about you? Are you a bit like Tuffy too?

The Narrow Pathway

Distress and Stress and Pressure! In a day dream,I believe I saw a wide road become very narrow. There were many strait and narrow paths .I realized that the Lord is calling us to walk about in narrow places so we can go higher. We must watch that there are no cracks in our walls!. We must walk in faith and not in fear and grief. And just be aware of the narrow place and that God's goodness and GRACE that awaits us there!

I believe God is saying that a new arena is forming and I will narrow the way. You must narrow your desires. I am sanctifying desires and narrowing the arenas through which you will walk. You are entering into new alignments and assignments, and coming into a place that will bring you forth into a realm you have not known. You will come from a dark place into light, but the arena that you have been in is beginning to narrow—to push out and into the new advanced place.

It is the place of Gideon. It is urgent for the Gideon among us to hear and be heard. There is a call coming now into the earthly realm to separate the desires of My people. My people's desires have been muddled with their own desires. The light will begin to shine only on the Lord's plan and purpose for our lives. And the balm of Gideon will fall.

Now is the time to discern the warped ideals of the world and the warped understanding you have because of the environment in which you were schooled.

Today there is less leeway in our lifestyles and decisions. Listen! Listen carefully, for it will look like the days of Gideon. The anointing I will release will be a Gideon anointing that will fall upon your enemies and will cause you to harvest the best of crops! In the realms of work, ministry and personal family

Separate yourself from the world and overthrow the enemy by the words of your mouth and the testimonies of your life. Opportunities will arise in ways you have never experienced! Enter the narrow gate of salvation do not fear change to the extreme. 

Explore the new things of the Spirit. Be a "Raider of the Lost Ark" exploring those deep places within yourself. Expect a new exciting YOU! The passion that I have placed within you will ignite a fire to worship and praise me. Your genuine posture will cause a renascence in the land in which you live!