Pondering the Point

God clearly and convincingly called me out of my career to serve in ministry full time. To whom am I to minister?

1. God."My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to minister to Him and to be His ministers and make offerings to Him." 2 Chronicles 29:11 (ESV)Before any other ministry, my foremost responsibility is to dedicate my life and praise to Him. From Him I receive my priorities and power. It is only through Him that I may perform anything that benefits the kingdom eternally. My first responsibility in ministry is to nurture and develop my relationship to my King.

2. My family."But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1 Timothy 5:8 (NASB)Second to God is my family. If I serve others before my own, if I serve myself before my own, I have not been faithful to that which has been entrusted to me. My family is a more than a gift from God; it is a trust. No one can fill my role as wife, mother, daughter and sister.

3. My assignment."For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)My other assignments must be determined in prayer, by the direction of the Holy Spirit. We are all called to the Great Commission, to go into the world to make disciples. But God assigns us to different parts of the world, different neighborhoods, different workplaces. Also, we are all called to encourage and build up one another within the family of God, so that the body of Christ may continue to be fruitful. My personal assignments will be made known through my personal communion with God and obedience to His Word.

I fear many of us in ministry are in danger of Satan's entrapment via technology. As we tweet, post, read and discuss our faith for hours online under the heading of ministry, are there works God has prepared beforehand for us to do that we are neglecting? This is where abiding kicks in. Jesus said to abide in Him. Why? So that we may live 24/7 in cooperation with His Spirit for His glory. Surely God is using technology to provide support systems for the body and communication tools for His people. But Satan can also use it to distract us from God's work, deceiving us into thinking we are fruitful when we are not. Satan can use technology to cause us to fall in love with ourselves and our own glory, rather than falling more in love with Jesus.

Questions: Why do we tweet, post, read and discuss our faith online? Are we driven by the power of the Spirit while we are online, or the power of self? Are we communicating outside the community of faith, or just within it? Is our time online to make God look good, or ourselves?

Prayer: Lord, help us remember your heavenly order for our personal ministries. Lead us to those with whom you would have us fellowship, both believers and unbelievers, for your name's sake. Convict us when our efforts for ministry become more about ourselves than about you. Show us how you want us to use technology for your glory. Search our hearts, oh God, and lead us in the everlasting way. Amen.

Chicken Spaghetti

4 T. butter
1/2 to 1 onion, minced

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 c. chopped celery
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 c. milk
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
3-4 c. cooked chicken, cubed
7 oz. vermicelli or spaghetti, cooked
salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste

Saute onion, celery and green pepper in butter until soft. Add mushrooms. Mix soup with milk and add to vegetables. Stir in cheese until melted. Add chicken, pasta, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 min. Great served with a green salad and bread.

Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe

At the request of a Tweep on Twitter, here's my Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe. Enjoy!

Six chicken breasts or equivalent, cooked and torn/cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
8 oz. sour cream

Mix and place in casserole dish. Top with the following two ingredients mixed together:
1 roll Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick melted butter (yes, real)

Bake at 350 for about 35 min or until bubbly.

A New Name!

I have a new name for all my various ministry efforts in writing, teaching and speaking. After much prayer, God led me to realize that my ministry is all about encouraging others to walk a Brighter Walk. That's what He has led me on. My life has just gotten better and better the closer I walk with Him.

Proverbs 4:18 says, "“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.”

First of all, the only reason I'm "righteous" is because of Jesus. His sacrifice for my stupidity and sinfulness robed me in His righteousness for eternity. Talk about grace! But while I'm here on earth, the Bible teaches that we are to work out our salvation. This doesn't mean we have to do something to add to it in order to obtain it. We have salvation once we've trusted in Him as our Savior. BUT...we don't automatically WALK in the righteousness He has provided us. That's what takes WORK! It has taken me years of work to rid myself of old habits and natural ways. And frankly, I have much more work to go. More than anything, it's taken the work of prayer.

I pray you are finding yourself walking a brighter path today than yesterday. If I can be of help to you on your journey, please email me or comment to this blog entry below. Christians, you were born to be a blessing! Keep your eyes on Jesus and your feet on His Brighter Walk!

Karyn
http://brighterwalk.com