I Choose Divergent - Determining Your Spiritual Gifts

So, I’m on Spring Break and I've been catching up on my favorite pastime, going to the movies. I just saw Divergent and loved it.  I was warned not to read the book first so I could go in with an open mind. The movie inspired me to:

1) read the books and

2) write!

I love when a movie does that.  Now I could write a whole post on the political messages in this movie; the dangers of government stripping individuals of their rights in the name of the better good BUT I won’t.  You can watch your local news channel for that. What I was inspired to write on was the Good News that we are all called to be Divergents! 

So here’s a brief synopsis of the film. The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic version of Chicago where society is divided into 5 different factions (groups) based on human virtues: honesty, selflessness, bravery, peaceful, and intelligence. When a person turns 16, they are given a test to determine which group in society they should join based on their propensity for a particular virtue. Once they join their particular group, they are not allowed to change their mind or interact with any other group. Basically, the government is trying to control people’s free will, limit their individuality, and people who don’t conform (the “Divergents”) are eliminated.

At first, this testing seems like a good idea. Wouldn't it be cool if we could all get tested to tell us exactly what we should do with our lives? No guess work. No chance for failure. No risk taking. While watching the testing of this young girl named Tris Prior, I remembered early in my Christian walk people taking “Spiritual Gift” assessment tests. These tests would ask you a series of questions and it would help you determine which gift God had given you. I remember wanting to take this test because I thought, “If I can just figure out what my spiritual gift is, then I will know what I’m supposed to do to serve God. Until I figure it out, I guess I’m not supposed to do anything.” So I proceeded to not do much of anything. I felt kind of guilty about it so I would try and do things on my own, like ministry work and I always felt out of my element, exhausted, discouraged. Usually my pride tripped me up from really being a blessing or even receiving a blessing.

When I got baptized in the Spirit in December 2012, one of the encouragements I received was that God is not stingy when giving His children gifts. This scripture verse explains God’s attitude on this matter and what ours should be:

For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened. Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?  If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him! Matthew 7:8-11 (AMP)

God wants us to “keep asking”. It’s like the Parable of the Talents that Jesus taught the disciples in Matthew 25:14-30.  This parable basically says that the more we invest and use our talents for God’s Kingdom purposes, the more talents we will receive.  The following verses describe the gifts God gives us through His Holy Spirit.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them…  To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV)

I used to think, just like the citizens in the movie, that everyone received just one gift based on their personality or character strengths.  And that if we were weak in a particular area, then that was not our gift so we were off the hook.  For example, the faction for bravery is called “Dauntless”; those who chose to be Dauntless are the protectors of society. While watching the film, I thought to myself, “Well that would definitely not be me. They have to run, jump off trains, and beat people up! There is sweating involved so no thanks.” I think a lot of us get stuck in this same thinking. We limit ourselves. I teach Sunday school so that’s my group. I’m on the Worship Team so that’s my group. I write devotions so that’s my group. When God is saying, “Do not limit the power of the Holy Spirit in you. I don’t want you stuck in a group. Break free and be a divergent.”    

You see the word divergent means different, diverse, separate, or conflicting. That means as Believers in Jesus Christ we are all Divergents. We are not meant to conform to this world because our true eternal citizenship is not on Earth but Heaven. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord in Savior, God adopts us into His family and we become His children. We are now citizens of Heaven. So just as being a citizen of a particular country gives us certain rights, being a citizen of Heaven and a co-heir with Christ gives us all the rights and authority of Heaven.  That’s why the Lord’s prayer says, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” God wants us to manifest His will here on earth.  What’s God’s will you ask?  He wants us to be filled with His Spirit who will equip us with every gift necessary to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.   

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ…I will know that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news. Philippians 1:27 (NLT and CEV)

Just think—you don’t need a thing, you've got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.  1 Corinthians 1:7-9 (MSG)

There is a great line in the movie spoken by Four, the Dauntless trainer. He tells Tris, “Fear does not shut you down – It wakes you up.”  That is what God is wanting for us – His church.  He wants to wake us up! God is pouring out His Holy Spirit on the church and you can either stay in your box of conformity or you can be dauntless, fearless, bold and break the chains of fear that are holding you back from God’s calling in your life. 

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NLT)

My favorite scene in the movie is where Four shows his tattoos to Tris (and no it’s not because the actor removes his shirt – please, does that sound like me?) It’s because of what Four says when Tris asks him why he has all 5 tattoos from the different factions. Four says, “I don’t want to be just one thing. I want to be brave and selfless and intelligent and honest and kind”.  That’s how I feel about God’s spiritual gifts. I want them all; not so I can hoard them or boast but so I can use them when God provides an opportunity to serve. If I am asked to pray for someone who is sick, I want to pray for healing with the authority given to me by Jesus as a citizen of Heaven. If I come across a person who is hungry, I want the gift of compassion to provide for their needs. If I am called upon to share my faith, I want the gift of evangelism. If someone asks for my advice, I want the gift of wisdom to give Godly counsel. If I don’t know how to pray, I want the gift of tongues to pray in the Spirit.  I don’t want to be forced into a box of conformity. I want to be more than just one thing. I want to be marked by the Holy Spirit. Just like Four’s tattoo declares who he wants to be. I want Jesus’ stamp of approval that says, “Yolanda has the right and authority to perform miracles in My Name!”

So it’s time to fan the flames of the Spirit that we received when we accepted Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior. How do we fan the flame?

• Pray and ask for the manifestation of the gifts. And then keep asking. That is my prayer every morning.
• Read God's word for wisdom and direction. It's food for the soul.
• Do not neglect going to church. In these difficult days, we need to be uplifted and encouraged.
• Listen to worship music. It's powerful. It speaks directly to our Spirit and wakes it up.
• Give thanks in all things. God's word says, "Enter my gates with thanksgiving." (Psalm 100:4) Giving thanks ushers us into God's presence.
• Step out in faith. Just like exercise gets us physically in shape. Exercising our spiritual gifts builds our confidence and faith.
• And when we stumble and fall or get knocked down, we must remember that Jesus is closer than ever, ready to give us a hand up. He is cheering us on. 

So, your test is over. The results are inconclusive. You don’t fit into any one group. You are a divergent! Now don’t let fear shut you down because the Enemy loves it when Christians act powerless. Let the Holy Spirit WAKE YOU UP! If “one choice can transform you”, why not choose Holy Spirit transformation.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Love,

Yolanda, A Fellow Divergent

Who is Jesus and Why Does Easter Matter? - Easter Devotion

This week in preschool, we share the Easter message using anything and everything you can possibly imagine. We use different crafts to represent the cross. We use jellybeans to represent the message of salvation. We use plastic eggs and fill them with different items representing the crucifixion and resurrection.  Today we are making my personal favorite, an edible empty tomb with chocolate donuts! We sing a simple song everyday that the children love, “God’s not dead. He is alive…God’s not dead. He is alive.”

And you know what is really cool? Three and four year olds get it. They don’t need elaborate sermons or a debate in theology. They grasp the simple message of Jesus. Their hearts willingly receive the love story of Easter. Because that’s what Easter really celebrates, God’s love story for us.  So I thought, “What if I use mostly scripture to explain what Easter means to me? Will people who read it feel God’s love for them?" I pray you do. Because God’s Word is alive! It will speak directly to your heart if you let it.  Just pray, “God, I want to know You. Reveal Yourself to me through Your scriptures.” And He will. 

In the beginning, God created mankind in His image; He loved Adam and Eve. He walked and talked with them in the garden. God surveyed His creation and declared that all was good. But when sin separated man from the holiness of God, God provided a way to restore that intimate relationship He designed for mankind.

JESUS IS THE WAY

For God so greatly loved the world that He gave up His only begotten and unique Son, so that whoever believes, trusts, clings to and relies in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler.
His names will be: Wonderful Advisor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.
His power will never end; Peace will last forever.
He will rule David’s kingdom and make it grow strong.
He will always rule with honesty and justice.
The Lord All-Powerful will make certain that all of this is done.  Isaiah 9:6-7

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized, and while He was still praying, the visible heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, saying, “You are My Son, My Beloved! In You I am well pleased and find delight!” Luke 3:21-22

JESUS HEALS, SAVES, AND REDEEMS

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free…” Luke 4:18-19

So for three years, Jesus ministered to the people with compassion and grace. He opened the scriptures and taught. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead, fed the hungry, and loved the lost. He showed us how to love and serve God. HE was GOD with us – Immanuel (Matthew 1:23).

YET

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.  Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:3-6

But God shows and clearly proves His own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ the Messiah died for us. Romans 5:8

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:14

THE GRAVE COULD NOT CONTAIN HIM

But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ.  Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us.  But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

He was buried, and three days later he was raised to life, as the Scriptures say. Christ appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After this, he appeared to more than five hundred other followers. Corinthians 15:4-9

So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:19

Where He is preparing a place for us to spend eternity with Him. John 14:3

JESUS’ SPIRIT LIVES IN US

Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you. John 14:16-17

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18

JESUS IS COMING BACK

With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life.  Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and MY reward is with ME, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Revelation 22:12-13

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelations 22:16

JESUS IS OUR HOPE

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… For whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:9, 13

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up His permanent post as high priest for us...Hebrews 6:18-20

So, that is God's love story for you. He wants to fill your heart, mind, and soul with His love. He wants to take away your pain. He wants to carry your burdens. He wants to walk and talk with you daily. He is offering you eternity in His Glorious Presence. Is He knocking on the door of your heart? If He is, let Him in. You'll never regret it!

And that is why Easter matters.
Happy Easter.
Love,
Yolanda

  

Symptoms of the Spiritually Dead

Ezekiel 36:26 I will remove your heart of stone

Today was my turn to share a devotion at work. For the past two weeks, I've been trying to “pass the buck” to someone else. I had a feeling that my poor coworkers needed a fresh voice since this was going to be their third time hearing mine. So I asked two friends who had not had an opportunity to share and prayed, “Please Lord, for my coworkers sake, let someone else do it.” No luck. I guess God’s answer was, “Nice try.”

So, here’s the question I posed: Do you think it’s every Christian’s job to share the gospel? Or should that job be left to the “professionals”; those that have studied the scriptures, who can read Greek, who have gone to Bible college, or maybe missionaries who are devoting their entire lives to the service to others?  How about an ordinary Believer whose life is a mess and who’s barely spiritually hanging in there? Does God want to use someone like me to share the gospel? Or do I just cause more damage if people look at my life and don’t see perfection? Will they call me a hypocrite?

These are the questions that I had to ask myself recently. You see, last week I got into a Biblical conversation with a friend. No big deal, right? This friend questioned me (not harshly) about a particular Bible point I’d made. I didn't have the answers for her. Now for a normal, non-paranoid, confident person, this would have been no big deal. But unbeknownst to her, I’m not normal. And her question, even though innocently asked, threw me off balance because it instantly touched on my biggest fear and the Enemy knew it. So he went on full attack mode that night and by the next morning I had a bit of a panic attack. 

You see, originally, I started my blog as a way to reach those close to me who didn't know Jesus. I found that if I was honest about my struggles, my friends were more receptive to the message of God’s grace and forgiveness. But my biggest fear has always been that I will make a mistake in my ignorance of the Bible and I will lead people astray. I fear that I will misquote or misinterpret something and that I will cause someone to stumble. I’m not a Bible Scholar nor do I have any formal training so I don’t feel qualified. That is why these devotions are so hard for me. That is why I pray about them so intensely because I want God to prevent me from doing anything to spiritual harm someone.

So in my full on panic attack, these thoughts kept plaguing me:

Who do I think I am?

I don’t know anything?

What if I make a mistake?

How can God use someone who keeps messing up?

That morning, I wrote a poem of distress and redemption that ended with this prayer:

Cause me to hunger for Your Word

Give me a passion for the lost

Hold my hand and lead the way

I will trust in You, Lord

I will follow You all my days

With my last breath

I will praise Your name

When I read my Bible that morning, these scriptures leaped off the page:

Luke 9:60-62 (NLT)He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.
Another said, “Yes Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Just last week, I heard a pastor on the radio speaking about symptoms of Christians who are "spiritually dead". He quoted from a message by Ray Stedman on Romans 8:5-13 called Why Not Live. (http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/romans/why-not-live)

The main scripture in the message is:

The thinking of the flesh is death, but the thinking of the Spirit is life and peace…(Romans 8:6 RCS Version)

Ray Stedman’s message reads, “Death is not something waiting for you at the end of your life; it is something that you experience right now, whenever you live according to the flesh.”

These are the symptoms he gives for spiritual death:

·         Fear, which can appear as worry, anxiety, dread, or timidity

·         Guilt, which can appear as shame, self-hatred, self-righteousness, or perfectionism

·         Hostility, which can appear as hate, resentment, bitterness, revenge, or cruelty

·         Emptiness, which can appear as loneliness, depression, discouragement, despair, and meaninglessness

As soon as I heard these symptoms, I thought to myself, “That’s what happened to me a few years ago!”  You see even though I’d been a Christian for 20 years, I had started to focus on things of the flesh; I was distracted by all the things of the world, temporary entertainment and pleasure. I no longer read my Bible, hardly ever prayed, and had difficulty concentrating at church. And before long, I had become what I like to call a “Christian Zombie”. Not completely dead but close too it.

Luke 9:60-62 makes so much sense to me now. You see both men desired to follow Jesus but they were too focused on the temporary things of this world. That’s why Jesus says that the “spiritually dead” are not fit for the Kingdom of God.  It’s not that He stops loving us. He can’t stop loving us because His very nature is Love, but He loves us too much to see us walk around like Christian Zombies.  He wants to set a fire in our hearts so that it’s burning with His love. When we are spiritually alive, then we can set the world on fire for Christ.

So how do we know if we are spiritually alive? We need to focus on the things of the Spirit. We have to be filled with the Holy Spirit, engaging Him in every aspect of our lives. Life doesn't get duller when we focus on the things of the Spirit but richer, fuller, freer, more passionate. 

In Ray Stedman’s message it says,

“If death is fear, then life is trust, hope, and confidence. If death is guilt, then life is a feeling of acceptance, security, and assurance. If death is hostility, then life is love, friendliness, kindness, and reaching out to others. If death is emptiness, then life is a sense of well-being, fulfillment, excitement, vitality, and fullness of life. With life comes peace, which, of course, is inner calm, a quiet spirit, a remarkable sense of being able to cope and to handle life.”

So, if God says in His word that it is our duty to go and preach the Kingdom of God, we had better be ALIVE with the Holy Spirit because we can’t to it on our own. You see, people tend to run and hide from Christian Zombies.  Trust me, I know.

I love the following quote by J.S. Baxter because it takes the pressure off sharing the gospel:

“What God chooses, He cleanses. What God cleanses, He molds. What God molds, He fills. What God fills, He uses.”

So just like God said, “Nice try, Yolanda” about passing the buck on this devotion, He is saying, “Nice try” to making excuses for not sharing the gospel. Here is my job description given to me by God:

1.  Yolanda, don’t worry about being a Bible expert or if you are gifted in evangelism. Your job is to pray for My Spirit’s wisdom and to share your story of what Jesus has done for you personally. I have promised to speak through you if you’ll let ME.

2.  Yolanda, don’t worry about whom to approach. Your job is to pray and be available. It’s MY job as God to set up your divine appointments.

3. Yolanda, don’t worry about making mistakes and being perfect. It’s actually better if you don’t act perfect because perfectionism turns people off and your mistakes are kind of endearing (God loves me just the way I am). Your job is to pray and be transparent. It’s My job to mold you into My Son’s image. People will be drawn to Jesus who shines in you. 

4. Lastly, don’t worry about the results, success or failure. The results are not in your job description. 

And just because I still wanted reassurance from God about my job description, He led me to this great motivational video from Francis Chan called "We Grossly Underestimate God." Please take 5 minutes out of your life to watch this amazing video below.

So now that you've watched the video with me, there is no “passing the buck” from God’s calling in our lives. In a few days, Christians will celebrate the biggest event in history. On Good Friday, Jesus shed his blood on the cross, paying the debt for our sins.  On Easter Sunday, He conquered death so that we could have eternal life with Him. So get ready, be willing, get excited, because God’s about to put you to work as Jesus’ personal spokesperson.

May The Lord bless you this Easter season.

Love,

Yolanda

This devotion is dedicated to my sister, Sylvia, who got saved first, shared the Good News of Jesus, and invited me to join her on the best journey of my life.

Romans 3:25(CEV) God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life’s blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. 

I love the following music video to the worship song, "Dead Come to Life". It plays like a modern day parable depicting the gift of salvation offered freely to those willing to receive. Click on link to watch video: "Dead Come To Life" by Jonathan Thulin.

Francis Chan "We Grossly Underestimate God"

Who Am I, Lord? - Poem

Anxiety grips my heart

Restlessness flows through my veins

Doubt clouds my mind

Wondering...
Who am I, Lord?

What do I know?

Nothing, Lord!

Nothing!
I feel like quitting, Lord

Before I do damage

Before I lead astray

My heart cries out

Pained with condemnation
Hear my prayers, Lord

Wipe away my tears

My arms reach out

My spirit longs for Yours

Fill my heart with Your infinite Love

Help me feel Your Presence through out my day

Give me Your Wisdom in all I do and say

Bring Peace to my soul

Consume me

Incinerate my doubt

Cause me to hunger for Your Word

Give me a passion for the lost

Hold my hand and lead the way

I will trust in You, Lord

I will follow You all my days

With my last breath

I will praise Your Name

JESUS

My prayer this morning.

Love,

Yolanda

Psalm 73:26 My health my fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.

Dedicated to my friend, Donna.