Shamgar?
“What’s a Shamgar?” You might ask. “Who is Shamgar?” is actually a better question. Let’s look at the one scripture this guy is mentioned:
Judges 3:31 (English Standard Version)
31After him was(A) Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines(B) with an oxgoad, and he also(C) saved Israel.
“…..and by the way, he saved Israel.” The first time I read this, I laughed. You would think that someone who saved the nation of Israel could get a little more Bible space! A few more props!There’s like no other record of this guy in the rest of the bible! I think there is something to be learned by this passage of scripture.
As much as we would love every good thing we do proclaimed from the housetops, it does not always happen that way. The hours spent in the nursery, the time spent cleaning the toilets before Sunday services, the practice and preparation that goes into making each service spectacular, are things that are so important and vital to the success of the church. They are not always recognized as much as the pastor’s sermon or the worship service. We have to remember that what we do for Him may not always be recognized by others, but God keeps record of every act of obedience and service. He sees the sweat of your brow, the puked on shirt from the babies in the nursery, he sees the gag from the unexpected “present” left for you in the toilet as you were getting ready to clean. God sees it all! We must remain diligent and strive for excellence in the things that don’t get noted by others. God sees and He will reward you for your faithfulness. So next time you think that you aren’t making a difference or getting the props you think you should get, remember Shamgar.
Notes from “What chu Talkin About God?!” Part 1
Here are the notes from our source group Friday. Hope they bless and challenge you.
What Chu Talkin About God?!! Part 1
Our series “Now What?” that we just finished has brought us here to this point. We have gone from people that are either new Christians just starting on their journey or long time Christians who are looking for more in their walk with God. We now understand and believe that God wants to be a part of our daily lives and not just a thought in the back of our minds. He has brought us together from different places in life, different backgrounds, different ages, different life experiences, to do something for the kingdom of God.
Read Judges 6:1-11
This brings us to Gideon. A guy who has been beat down in life and religion, that he finds himself threshing wheat inside of a winepress, trying to hold onto what he has left, so he doesn’t have what’s left taken from him. It’s a lot like us. We hold on to things that make us comfortable and safe, even though we know that they are the very things that hold us back form moving forward in God. Sometimes we have been so beaten down by life and our failures that we are afraid to stand up and try again. In “Now What” we came to an understanding that there is more to life and more to being a Christian than just going to church. We have come to an understanding that we need to seek Him to find out His will for our lives.
12-13
In Gideon, we find a perfect picture of the modern day Christian. We are bloodied and beaten down by the world, even some other Christians, by our failures, and by our own self-pity. Why did my life turn out like this? God doesn’t care about me! He’s left me all alone in this world! God could never use me because of ____________. You fill in the blank. Everyone has used one or more of these lines in the past. Woe is me! God has called us His children, His chosen and we sit and give Him excuses why we can’t do anything for Him.
14
Let’s take note of this scripture. Apparently, at some previous point in time, God had called Him to free His people from the oppression they were under. Where was Gideon? In a winepress. Hiding like a girly man! There may be people in this room tonight that God has told you things that He wants you to do for Him but you have been hiding and telling yourself that there is just no way. You may even say “I will do what I need to to get to heaven but don’t ask me to ________
You cannot hide form your destiny. You cannot hide from God. There are things that will come and distract you from your destiny. He will pursue you till you do what He wants you to do. Jonah got on a ship heading in the opposite direction of where God wanted him to go and God said” We’ll see about that!” and brought him to the place he needed to be to do what God wanted him to do. I understand this by first hand experience. God told me a long time that I would be in ministry one day. I was hurt very badly by people very close to me. They said I would never be able to do it. I wasn’t good enough. I had others say I didn’t have the official education or project the “perfect pastoral image” that I would need to. So I was always at conflict with what God was telling me since I was 17 years old and what other people said. In the midst of the people telling me I couldn’t do it, I had others every so often. mainly just enough to annoy me, tell me they see leadership and a calling on my life. I was always like “can you please tell all these other people that?”. I would get excited about it and share it with those “special” people in my life and get the excitement in me beat down and obliterated. I have had to come to a place in my life where I don’t care what the nay sayers said. God eventually removed those people out of my life and has put people that see me the way God see me and sees you.. So I can related to Gideon. He was frozen by fear to step out and fulfill his destiny. Can you imagine what his family told him the first time God called him? They didn’t even believe in God, they worshiped Baal, another god. Sometimes you will have to drown out the voices of others to do what God is calling you to do.
Mark 5:35-43
Jairus and Jesus had a crowd of people telling them why waste your time? The child is dead! It’s over! Both of them probably could’ve said “your right, she’s dead, she’s gone.” Jesus said “DO NOT FEAR! ONLY BELIEVE!”. Not everyone is going to support your spiritual awakening. Not everyone is going to encourage you to live for Him. You have to make the decision and drive your way through noise. Keep your eyes straight ahead. You may ask “how do I do this? How do I focus on Him when I have so many things against me?
I really want to stress getting baptized for those who have not or who are making a commitment to go after Him. It is an outward profession of your faith before God and man. Baptism is a symbol of death of the old life and a resurrection into the new life in Christ. As Jesus came up from the water He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. I believe there is a relationship between His baptism and His empowerment. I believe that something special happens when a believer is baptized. God will not empower someone whose heart is not His.
Notes To Come!
I will be posting the notes from the first part of our source group series “What You Talkin About God?!” tomorrow! I hope your weekend was full of God’s blessings!
One Of His
You Never Know
1 Corinthians 3:6 (New American Standard Bible) 6)I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
I want to encourage everyone that has been sharing their faith with loved ones, friends, coworkers, to continue to do so. You may not be the person to lead them to Christ, but you may be the one to plant the seed.
Don’t Back Down!
I would like to tell you if you are facing difficulty, don’t back down. Don’t give up. Do not accept failure. If you do fail, get up and get going again. Do not let the opinion of others, or even sometimes yourself, hold you back from what God has for you! Today is another day to thumb your nose at the devil and let him know that you’re still alive and kicking! You can do it! You will make it! Don’t back down!
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or(B) fainthearted. Hebrews 12:3 (English Standard Version)
Hi Everyone
Hello to everyone out there that has been checking my blog last week hoping for a nugget. I have been really into the study I am doing for my next source group series called “What Chu Talkin About God?” that I haven’t had a lot of time to post. I don’t want to spoil things for the people coming to my source group so I will posting the notes and thoughts from this series on my blog as I share them to my group.
Let me ask you while you are here; have YOU been in the Word this week? Are you getting into your Bible to see what God wants to say to you personally? Church is not enough, source group is not enough, Wednesday night church(if your church still does it) is not enough. You need to have your own personal time with Him. What are you missing that because you are too busy, God hasn’t been able to share with you? Get in His Word, spend time talking and listening to Him. You must make your relationship with him personal. It is the only way it’s going to mean something to you. You make time for the things that are important. Don’t forget to make time for the One who laid it all on the line for you. He loves you and so do I.
OneofHis
Friday Feb 22nd
Man! If you missed our series called “Now What?”, you will not want to miss our next up and coming series “What Chu Talkin Bout God?” We talked about what we should be doing as a new believer or a long time church-goer who has a desire to find the purpose that God has called them to in the “Now What?” series. We will start confronting the reasons why we don’t pursue the destiny God has for us in “What Chu Talkin Bout God?”. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THIS SERIES! I believe these principles we will look at will challenge you (and me) to break down the fears and excuses we have erected inside our minds and spirits to truly go after and discover the purpose for your life in Christ! If you need info on our source group, please shoot me an email at: niceguyreally1973@yahoo.com.
God Bless You
Emotion Will Only Get You So Far
A trap that is so easy to fall into as a Christian is the pitfall of emotion. Now don’t get me wrong, when God touches us and we soak up half a box of tissues, there’s nothing better! However, God does not usually allow those moments for but a brief period of time. The waves of His glory that we felt fade and we are left to ourselves once again. He is with us, but the presence we felt is not. I have known Christians throughout my whole life that chase after these experiences like a junkie looks for their next fix. They will go from church, to church, to church, to find that experience again. They will not commit to a local church because finding their next experience is what they feel “led” to do. If the pastor doesn’t invoke an emotional response during the sermon, then “the glory has departed”.
Some of you may not take things to this extreme but let me ask you: When your pastor tries to speak into your life things that push you out of your comfort zone, do you think about leaving the church? When you are asked to clean toilets instead of standing behind the pulpit, do you have a bad attitude? When the worship team doesn’t play your favorite song, do you say the worship “wasn’t that good today”.
Not everything in the Christian life is going to ‘wow’ you out of your socks. Every moment is not going to fill you with exhilaration. When you don’t “feel” His presence, it doesn’t mean the Lord has moved on. He is still right there, holding you in His arms. Loving you just as much as the day your life was created. Hang in there, even when you are not excited or being pumped up by someone else. Walk in character like the whole world can watch what you are doing. Love and worship Him like it is your last chance. Pray like someone’s life depends on it. Commit to serving your local church like you commit to seeking the experience. In these things, you will find the joy, fulfillment, and presence you seek, it is here you will find Him.
Is it Workin for Ya?
This is a question I have been asking myself a lot. As a parent, as an employee, as minister, is the way I do things getting me the results I am looking for? Am I being the best parent I can be? If not, what are areas I am lacking in? How am I going to change to make the vision I have come to pass? Same with my job, how can I do my job better, more efficient, more productive to be a stellar example of Christ in the workplace? Are the things I am doing in my Source Group the things that are going to help those God has given charge of to grow and to impact people for the kingdom of God? If not, then what are those things? How can I be a more effective communicator and what style is going to make it easier for folks to grab the principles and concepts I am trying to get across?
Change is inevitable, but do we want to be proactive to change the things that we can or, do we simply want to react to everything and change where we have to? Don’t shy away from the challenge cause your afraid of what you will have to face. God is greater than any situation or obstacle you face. Trust Him, and you never know what you can accomplish!
