Thursday, August 28, 2008

The Best!!!

I've been mulling over for a few days how to start this post. I had an awesome opportunity this past weekend to take a group of ladies from my church, our community and even as far away as Fort Worth to a Beth Moore-Living Proof Live conference in San Antonio, Texas. I have been to 2 other of her events like this and I have done several of her Bible Studies, so I was familiar with how wonderful a teacher she is and how powerful the Holy Spirit works through her and the worship team (led by Travis Cottrell). But, WOW!!! I just don't know how to describe this weekend's conference any better - just WOW!!! The funny thing is that the entire time Beth kept telling us what a wreck she was and how she really didn't have it together. That was so OK, because, God always has it together! This was by far THE BEST conference I have ever been to and it seemed more "together" than either of the others I've attended. The entire theme was the INHERITANCE that GOD gives to us when we become His child! What is so amazing is that just like the thread of salvation through the gospel is sewn throughout the Bible - Old Testament to New Testament - inheritance is there throughout, too!!! Christ did not just redeem us FROM the pit - to get us out of something - but to give us something - HIS INHERITANCE!!! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we are COHEIRS with Him!!!

Our Scriptural text for the entire weekend was Psalm 16 (A Psalm of Confidence!) verses 5 & 6: "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed,I have a beautiful inheritance." There were so many points made and principles of truth that I wish I could share them all, but what I would like to share is what spoke to me most and hear it is. If our faith is in Christ, then we are His Heirs and we don't have to live our lives in insecurity and doubt!!! In fact, it is our responsibility to this lost world, to live our lives in this confidence as SALT and LIGHT-as His conscience in standing for Righteousness and as His Light of Hope to all who are despairing! "He holds my lot", the NIV says, "He has made my lot secure!" There is no doubt that my life and the life of every believer in Christ is set in ETERNITY and we have a purpose! God's CHOICE for our lives is that we LIVE for Him in CONFIDENCE, not in ourselves, but in the TRUTH of His Word. Sometimes our life circumstances may seem like CHANCE or FATE have dealt us a bad hand, but this is a lie from the pit of Hell. FATE has NO POWER over me! Because He has made our lot secure, and because we can CHOOSE to LIVE OUT what we BELIEVE (God's Word) rather than CHOOSING to listen to and act on the messages hurled at us from this culture we live in and from others from whom we so desperately seek approval and even from Satan himself, the father of lies, we can live our lives with CONFIDENCE and SECURITY that tells everyone who comes in contact with us that WE ARE HIS and HE IS OURS - REGARDLESS OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES! Romans 8:28 tells us He works all things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to HIS PURPOSE! He has called us to BELIEVE HIM (not just in Him, but believe him - TRUST HIS WORD); He has called us to BE CHANGED (choose to dump the "junk" we've inherited in this life and choose to LIVE in the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - Who is our guaranteed down payment of our inheritance); He has called us to be POWERFUL - to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! Whether it is a public ministry through our church, community, country, world or whether is is a more intimate ministry in our home to our spouse and/or children we are called/CHOSEN to CONFIDENTLY, DELIBERATELY,POWERFULLY LIVE OUT OUR INHERITANCE BEFORE THIS WORLD AND ALLOW CHRIST, THE LIFE-CHANGER, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THROUGH US FOR HIS GLORY AND FOR THE CAUSE OF HIS KINGDOM! God is at work all around us and we can either ignore Him and stay caught up in the entanglement of our daily lives and circumstances (which is what Satan would love us to do) or we can join Him!!!

This was the challenge I received! I have a BEUTIFUL INHERITANCE!!! Do I really live like I really believe it! My prayer is simple - Lord, Please never let me forget. Burn it on the tablet of my heart that I may be obedient to Your Holy Call on my life!! In Jesus' Name, AMEN!

2 comments:

The Hall's said...

Preach it sister! Wonderful!

Rebecca said...

You definitely preached it! Wow! Beautifully put.... Someone set Shannon loose!

Amen to your sermon! :)