Let God Use You

I pray daily that God makes me a blessing to someone. I supply the willingness and obedience; God supplies everything else. Last week I flew from Tulsa to Dallas. As I entered the plane I had a sense to sit in a certain seat. After a temporary hesitancy on my part I sat down in the seat, moments before others filled seats around me. I was sitting by a window.

Middle seats are the last to fill on most flights. With my flight being completely full, I waited to see who would sit beside me. Eventually a young lady sat down and began to listen to something through her headphones.

Even our one-hour flight allowed me time to read from my New Testament which I did, reading from the Book of Ephesians. After several minutes I laid my New Testament down. Pointing to it the young lady next to me asked if she could look at my New Testament. Sensing an opportunity to be a blessing, I agreed.

This person was studying, of all books, the Book of Ephesians. She had a question about a particular verse that she was looking for, but had been unable to find. I immediately pointed this young lady to the exact verse she needed. Not because I'm so smart, but because I had just been reading that verse as part of my reading time in Ephesians. My fellow passenger was grateful for my help.

God's smarter than any of us realize. He knew that that young lady needed an answer. The answer came through God, by His Holy Spirit, directing her to be seated beside someone who would read from the very place she needed help from.

I'm so glad I obeyed the "nudging" of the Holy Spirit and sat where He was directing, to meet this person's need. That's not bragging on me; that's me bragging on God's direction in blessing one person through another. God will do the same for anyone who'll purpose to be used of Him, then allow God to have His way in that person's life. Including where to sit on a plane.

If this has encouraged you in letting God use you, I'd like to know about it. What's shared by one often encourages someone else.

Deep and Wide

"Deep and wide, deep and wide; there's a fountain flowing deep and wide. Deep and wide, deep and wide; there's a fountain flowing deep and wide." As a camp counselor many summers  ago, I helped sing this traditional chorus-complete with hand gestures. Fortunately or otherwise,  today's post comes with no hand gestures. Deep and wide-that's how your life's foundation should be. Deep enough to support a strong, vibrant life; wide enough to withstand the pressures of life common to all.  Deep and narrow is just as pointless as shallow and wide: both are recipes for disaster.

God doesn't determine how deep and/or wide your life's foundation should be-you do. You decide how deep you want God's Word to be planted in you, how deep your spiritual "roots" will be. You decide how wide you want God's influence and direction to be in your life. The choice is always yours.

One great thing about living for Christ is that, unlike a natural foundation, you can add to your spiritual foundation. It's never to late to review your life to ensure that you're "built' on a solid foundation of knowing who you are and what you have in Christ. It's never too late to make "construction" adjustments.

Deep and wide; deep and wide. More than words of a chorus, it's a description of how strong our foundation should be, in this life. How deep and wide is your foundation? How would you deepen/widen it?

Some of today's post was taken from LifeChange episode 64, also on our website.

Is All Faith The Same?

Faith. It's one of the most misunderstood words to people today, including Christians as a whole. With so many talking about it, it's surprising just how few people really understand what faith is. To meet this need, why haven't more people made things simple by explaining, in simple language, what faith is?  Hopefully today's post helps bring simplification to faith. Faith is faith. Faith for salvation, faith for healing, faith for prosperity, a new/better job-it's still faith.

How does faith come? By hearing the Word (Romans 10:17) in the area you need faith. Need faith for salvation? Romans 10:9,10, 13 works just fine, a practical application of John 3:16 itself. What about healing? Psalm 103:3, Isaiah 53:4,5, Matthew 8:17, Acts 10:38, I Peter 2:24, and 3 John 2 are but a few good healing scriptures to produce faith in your heart. For prosperity, hear these faith-building scriptures: Deuteronomy 8:18, Psalm 1:1-3, Proverbs 35:27, Isaiah 48:17, Matthew 6:33, Luke 6:33, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, and 3 John 2, among others.

The same gasoline that runs a car's engine will also power a generator, lawnmower, or a motorcycle. Cookie dough at Christmas becomes a star, tree, snowman, or a reindeer. As with faith, the application determines the end result.

Regardless of application, how we get faith remains the same: by hearing what the Bible-God's Word-has to say on a given subject. We do the hearing, God does the providing (of faith).

Is all faith the same? Yes, in that faith is faith, gasoline is gasoline, and cookie dough is, well, cookie dough. No, in that the application of faith will produce salvation, healing, prosperity, or a job, to name a few results. The same faith, applied through different verses, will produce different results.

What other illustrations can you add to make faith simpler to understand?

Thermometer or Thermostat?

Many homes have thermometers, both inside and out.  Outside thermometers are usually in the shade, whereas  central heat/air conditioning units have an indoor thermometers with their thermostats.  Both indoor and outdoor thermometers serve the same function: to measure actual temperature at any given moment.  Thermostats, however, allow occupants to change the surrounding temperature from what is to what is desired-either higher or lower. I have never seen an outside thermostat. If it's 90 degrees in the shade where you live it will remain that way, until weather changes raise or lower the temperature.  As I write this, the outside temperature is 69 degrees at noon, which is great for the middle of May.  For an Oklahoma July or August? Just wishful thinking.

Inside, however, we can change the existing temperature to be either warmer or cooler, depending upon personal preference. We do this by setting our thermostat to the desired temperature, up or down. Thermostats direct the air conditioner or heater to come on, thereby producing a change in temperature-either warmer or cooler. Thank God for working thermostats!

Our tongues can be either a thermometer or a thermostat, telling the way things are (thermometer) or declaring the desired result (thermostat). Telling things the way they are results in things remaining the same, or changing without your permission. Calling for change in your situation demands making a change in your words. From what is to what you desire. From the way things are to the way you want them to be based, of course, on the promises of God's Word.

Perhaps  you're in a situation that needs changing. Whether it's your health, finances, job situation, relationships, or your walk with God, it can change. But as long as you talk about just what is things won't change. Like that thermometer, your words will be an indicator of what is. On the other hand, beginning to speak what God's Word says about your situation will initiate change in your life. Your tongue will be like that thermostat, demanding your circumstances change from what is to what's promised to you by God, in His Word.

Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? Are your words declaring what is or what's desired? What are you doing to see your circumstance change? How has reading this post helped? Who can you share this post with, to see change in someone else's life?

"Catch and Release" Christianity

Fishing regulations vary from state to state-even from one lake or river to another. Some fishing spots allow a limit of how many fish can be taken, while others enforce a regulation known as "catch and release." This means that whatever fish one catches must be released back into the water; none can be taken and eaten. I'm concerned that this practice of catch and release has carried over into the church world. New converts-new followers of Christ-are too often tossed back into the world, without much, if any, followup. Little or no followup leaves churches and other well-intended ministries with, often, many converts but few disciples.

Jesus never commanded us believers to make converts; He commissioned us to make disciples. There's a difference.

Why isn't more emphasis placed upon biblical, grace-based, discipleship? Perhaps because it's time consuming. Along with having a plan, it requires people and patience.

Over the last 45 years millions have been converted to Christ. I was one of them. Some were celebrities-at least in public. Actors, singers, well-known public figures-at least to some; these were reported to have made professions of Christ. Thank God for all who come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, those in the public eye who come to Christ are all-to-often released back into the environment from which they sought refuge. Rather than given a foundation of God's Word, many celebrity converts were paraded as trophies for Christ, as part of a particular church or other ministry.

Classic "catch and release" Christianity.

Sadly, many of those caught and released converts have grown cold towards God and Christianity. On the other hand those who received a biblical foundation are, for the most part, serving Christ today. Chuck Colson, aide to former President Nixon and well-known Watergate figure, is one example of converts becoming disciples.

We can do more to turn converts into disciples for our Lord Jesus Christ. One way this ministry is addressing this need is by offering brief presentations of foundational truth, called LifeChange. These free episodes are available on our website, at hubertgardner.org. I invite you to check them out for yourself, then share them with someone else needing the basics.

What are some things you are doing to strengthen new believers, turning them from converts to disciples?

Choosing the Right Foundation

The world's system of living offers numerous ways to build a life that's "just right for you," one devoid of restraints. Unfortunately, all of these "options" are based on a foundation of selfishness:"what's in it for me?" or "what's best for me?" People spend their entire lives changing lives; discarding one empty life in pursuit of another-each without a proper foundation. A life without restraints is like a house without an enduring foundation. In many countries a dirt foundation is all that's available. Here in America, concrete foundations anchor the majority of homes. The purpose of the foundation is to give solid footing for the rest of the structure to rest on. Restraints of size, weight, and scope of the dwelling are determined by the depth, strength, and other enduring qualities of its foundation.

Are you wanting something that lasts? Make sure the foundation of your life is well able to overcome constant pressure, outside influences, and long-term wear and tear from daily use. The only foundation that can withstand such rigors of life is God's Word. Building a foundation of what God says to and about you, as a follower of Jesus Christ, is paramount to the success God has for you in this life. The enduring foundation of God's written Word, acted upon in your own life, provides the basis for withstanding every wind of doctrine, every storm of persecution, and every temptation, test, and trial the devil throws your way.

What's the foundation of your life? What's the basis for your believing? Is it money, who your parents are, your pastor's sermons, or best friend's beliefs? Only what God's Word says can you afford to be the foundation of your life, for life. Only God's Word can be trusted, regardless of what may come and/or who says what.

God is a perfect Gentleman; He never makes you do anything. The choice of foundation for your life is always yours: the world's ways, your way, or God's way-His Word. What's your choice? How is your choice of foundation working in your life? What challenges have you faced with building your life's foundation?

For more on this, view our Life Change podcasts on building a strong foundation.

Fathom This Mystery

Every woman is a mystery. No matter how old you are, how long you guys have been married, or how wise you think you are, there will always be an element of mystery to women. Having been married to my wife for over 35 years, I know this to be a fact. In another 35 years Pamela will still have an element of mystery about her. Ladies, that doesn't mean that you've figured out the male species; I'm simply acknowledging a fact about women. The Bible is also a mystery-specifically the Epistles, letters written to the churches. What's the big mystery? One mystery is how God is able to actually live inside of us, as Christians. How does God do this? Through the Person of the Holy Spirit. You can see that from reading the books such as Ephesians, and Colossians. For instance, in Colossians 1:27 Paul, the writer of this letter to the church at Colosse, clearly states that this mystery is "Christ in you...." Christ in you. Okay, how? By the Holy Spirit. Ah, now that's the mysterious part: Christ is in me, through the Holy Spirit.

Ponder that truth for a moment: Christ is in YOU. An astounding statement, but not too good to be true. It's true, because God said it. It's up to us to believe it and act like it's so, even when we don't fully understand it.

Don't try to figure out how this is done. It's always somewhat of a mystery how God does what He does. Instead of hurting your mind by trying to figure this all out, just accept it by faith. Remember, you don't have to understand something to have it working for your benefit. I don't understand how a bumblebee flies, do you? The fact that its wings are too short for its body  doesn't stop the bumblebee from flying, or pollinating my wife's flowers.

In secular mystery books the mysteries are hidden FROM us. With the Bible, the mystery is hidden TO us. It's there for us to receive, believe, and achieve in our individual lives.

I love reading about this mystery that God has revealed to us in His Word,  something for our hearts to meditate on and put into practice.

Don't you love it when you're part of a mystery that's in your favor? How has this post changed how you see yourself as a Christian?

Run, Run, Run

The 1951 World Series featured competing rookies, such as Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees and Willie Mays of the New York Giants. Veteran Joe DiMaggio was finishing his illustrious career with the Yankees. Along with his powerful bat, Joe possessed a great throwing arm. Unknown to players and fans alike, however, Joe's once mighty right arm was mighty no more. Early in the Series an opposing runner was considering advancing on a fly ball hit to DiMaggio. Joe made a strong throw to his teammate, preventing the runner from advancing. In doing so Joe threw his arm out, rendering his once-powerful arm useless. Opposing players, not knowing this, failed to take advantage of DiMaggio's weakened condition the rest of the Series. Seeing one great throw reinforced runners' perception of Joe having a great arm.

Too many people, including Christians, perceive the devil to have power (authority) he no longer has. Like the once-mighty Joe DiMaggio, the devil has hoodwinked folks into thinking he can do something he is now powerless to do.

Had opposing runners known the truth about Joe DiMaggio's arm, they would have fearlessly run at will against their adversary. Satan, our once-feared adversary, was completely defeated by Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago. Jesus's victory was then credited to us, as though we had won, which we have, in God's eyes. Now we can fearlessly advance against the devil, with the knowledge that he can't stop us from winning every game, so to speak, in life.

The next time the devil roars at you, run towards him. Run at the fear, the doubt, and the unbelief that comes from satan. He can't stop you from winning in life any more than Joe DiMaggio could stop even the slowest opponent from advancing.

What is it that the devil is trying to keep you from achieving? Salvation? Healing? Financial needs being met? Wholesome relationships? You can learn more about what Jesus has done for you through our book, Born To Win, available through Kindle or iBooks.

© Hubert Gardner Ministries 2013-2024