"It's All Worth It"

Merry Christmas to everyone! This month for Cyberspace Bread I am going to bring you some thoughts for the season we are in. "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is truly that when we reflect on the "reason for the season." In our services here at First Assembly we are taking a different approach to Christmas. We are striving to slow down and do somethings differently reflecting on the real reason for Christmas...JESUS! So as you walk with me each week may God bless you with His Spirit.

Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.
1 Cor 15:58 (MSG)


Bah! Humbug! You may not have voiced those exact words, but perhaps you have felt that way regarding the Christmas season.

Perhaps it was the thought of having to buy presents. Perhaps having to deal with a difficult relative that you have a hard time being with. Perhaps it is the hectic schedule of shopping, work, programs, and parties. What's a child of God supposed to do during the Christmas season? Let's pause for a moment and allow God to answer the question:

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.
1 Cor 15:58 (MSG)


Camp for just a moment on that phrase "nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort." The KJV uses the word "vain." It means "empty" or "waste." It's interesting that the Apostle Paul uses the same word when He speaks of Christ Himself in a great Christmas passage:

[Christ] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Phil 2:7 (NIV)


This does not mean that Christ or His work was useless, but it means that Christ chose to set aside the use of His glory and power for His own advantage and submit Himself to the humiliation of becoming one of us--a human being. And when He was here, He followed the very pattern the Scriptures are challenging us with today. He threw Himself into the work of His Father confident that it was not useless or empty.

So what are we to do this Christmas? Continue to serve the Father the way that Christ did. Serve Him in the same spirit and strength that Christ did--the Holy Spirit. Know that while you are doing that NOTHING we do as we are being led by the Spirit is a waste and empty. God's hand is upon it and He will use it for His glory.

"Recipients of Favor"

2 Kings 13:22-23

You and I have inherited the glorious blessings of God in part by those who have gone before us. Whether it is material blessings that have been passed on by our parents or grandparents, or it is the spiritual blessings of those who have blazed the trail of God’s Word before us, we are blessed today by the way others have lived before us.

I have a guitar that has been passed down to me from my father who received it from my grandfather. It was actually handcrafted by him. He made 5 or 6 of them in his lifetime so one can only imagine how precious it is to me. As I learn to play the instrument, the investment of my grandfather becomes an even further blessing to me.

In the times of the kings in which we read today, we see this powerful statement come forth boldly:

And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23But the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.
2 Kings 13:22-23 (NIV)

God demonstrated favor for His people Israel even though Israel was not living like it should have been before God. In three distinct ways, God demonstrated this favor:

• His grace.
• His compassion.
• His regard.

They did not earn this favor of God; rather, they were receiving it because of those who had gone before them—namely, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God still functions this way today. Even for those who are not living for the Lord, but perhaps come from a family that has invested much in this world for the Kingdom of God. No, heaven is not their guarantee, but they have received God’s blessings because of those who have gone before them. May their eyes be opened to the spiritual blessing God has brought because of godly people before them. And for those who are living for the Lord, how much more a blessing it is to be a recipient of God’s favor from your ancestry who have blazed a strong spiritual trail for you.

This leads us into a challenge for our own lives. What type of spiritual heritage will we leave behind for those who are following us? For my son, I will more than likely pass on my grandfather’s guitar to him. He is learning to play guitar and so this will be an even greater blessing. He doesn’t have to do anything to earn it, but it will be a gift from my life to his. In the same sense, he doesn’t have to do anything spiritually but my living for the Lord can be a blessing for Him. It won’t save his soul, but he will receive certain spiritual blessings because of what I have allowed the Lord to do through my life. He will be shown the example of Christ. He will learn right from wrong. Solomon received these blessings of David. You and I have received blessing from spiritual giants before us. And today it has come down to us. Our decisions today will have an effect on those who live tomorrow. And may we not only live in such a way that we allow them to be recipients of God’s favor, but may we teach them to live for the Lord under this same principle. May we teach them to be a blessing to those who will come after them.

God's Search

“God’s Search

So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’”
--1 Kings 11:37-39


We must realize that God is on a search. He has a mission of taking the message of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. He is also looking for humanity that is willing to accept His offer of adoption. Adoption into the most amazing family on the planet—the family of God. God is looking to take His children and bless them. He is looking to flow blessings into them and blessings out of them.

Someone reading this may say, “I want to be a part of this, but what must I do.” God speaks to us in His Word:

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (AMP)

In a period of time when Solomon was falling from God’s favor, God was looking for a man in which would be willing to serve Him. And God directed the prophet Ahijah to a man by the name of Jeroboam. This demonstrates that God was as He is today looking for men and women who are willing to yield to God and be used of Him. This principle speaks to us clearly just who God is looking for:

God is not looking for social status, He is looking for surrender.

A servant of the king was outranking all of the kings sons in selection. Hadassah outranked all of the beautiful women of Persia. Why? Because man looks on the outward appearance but God is looking today at our hearts. In His search, among other things, God is looking for a heart that is willing to yield. And not just willing when we are asked to do something great, but even when we are willing to do something small.

God is not looking for ability, He is looking for obedience.

Yes, obedience is better than sacrifice. In fact, it is better than a lot of other things in the eyes of God—including ability. One may not be naturally gifted, or one may not be as talented as others, but our God has the ability to take the common one and raise them up. But not just anyone will be able to enjoy this. God displays this toward those who are obedient to His will for their life. Their obedience opens their life up to His power and His ability. And when God gets a hold of a life, Saul becomes Paul; Joshua becomes conqueror; and Jereboam becomes king.

God is not looking for slaves to command, He is looking for children to bless.

I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]
John 15:15 (AMP)

The heart of our Father is to bring us the best life out there. God is love. It’s His nature. And in that love, God is looking to pour out His blessing upon those He loves.

We can be assured today that no matter where we may stand in this life, God can use us if we set ourselves to be used by Him. God is searching, and now the choice is up to us whether or not we are useable.

"Whatever you do...do well."

1 Kings 8:51-9:15

“Whatever You Do...Do Well”

Ford Motor Company, over the years, has made the boast that “Quality is job one.” Now whether one is a Ford fan or
not they still look for Ford to maintain that quality (whether they do or not). Everyone looks for quality in what they purchase.

The question this morning for us is: “Do we look for quality in what we do like we look for quality in what we buy.” No one wants to waste their money on a “lemon.” Everyone wants the most bang for their buck. The same should hold true in what we do. We should desire to serve the Lord and please Him in everything we do. This is part of becoming that “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) that God calls us be. We should strive to make quality a high priority on our list of living. Solomon teaches us that in his actions today. Here are some examples of how we can live:

• Whenever we dedicate ourselves to the Lord, dedicate well. Don’t give Him a half-baked, half-surrendered life. Whatever you do…do well.

When Solomon dedicated this temple, he sacrificed greatly to the Lord. He gave of his best. The Lord deserved his best, 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. And even greater than outside sacrifices of dedication should be inward sacrifices of dedication. May we bring ourselves to Him wholeheartedly to Him.

"Unnecessary Trials"

1 Samuel 8

“Unnecessary Trials”

Trials are a part of life. We face trials many times because they serve as tools at the hand of the Lord to strengthen and improve our lives. Just like exercise to the physical muscles, trials are the resistance that strengthens our faith.

Some trials can be avoided though. These could be called the unnecessary ones. These are the ones that are self-inflicted. When these come, they have a tendency to reek havoc and devastation. These trials come as a result of turning aside from the ways of the Lord.

Israel, in our text, wanted a king. However, their motivation for wanting one came for some unrighteous reasons. Their decisions if left unchanged clearly were going to spell out trials they would face that were unnecessary. But what was it that was leading them down this path. As God’s children today, we can learn from their decisions and avoid “unnecessary trials” in our lives today:

• Israel began by rejecting the Lord as their King.

This is usually the beginning of the slippery slope. In their hearts, before it was evident in their actions, they were choosing to remove their commitment of heart to the Lord and was placing it on other things to lead them. This is where many invite unnecessary trials into their lives. However, pause for a moment and understand why this decision was so dangerous: turning our hearts to other kings removes us out from under the care, the leadership, and the protection of the Almighty. In the spiritual world, that is a dangerous place to be.

Much can be avoided in life by keeping ourselves “true in heart” to our King of kings. Restlessness of heart occurs when we begin to doubt His ability to care for us and lead us. Doubt is usually behind this restlessness. By keeping our faith in the Lord, and not allowing this temptation of doubt to take residence in us we can overcome the tactic of the enemy to look for other kings in our lives.

• Israel continued by rejecting the Word of the Lord.

God gave them clear warning what was going to happen if they went down this path. In His love, God wanted them to understand their actions. In doing so, God’s Word also was to expose the motivation of their hearts so they could see them.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Heb 4:12 (NIV)

And what was their motivation? Verses 19-20 show us that their motivation was so they could be like every other nation. Why was this dangerous? God hadn’t called them to be like every other nation. He had called them to lead the way for every other nation by their example of living for the Lord.

As God’s children, we are not called to live the normal life that our world and culture is living around us. We weren’t redeemed so we could live like everyone else. The Lord calls us to lead the way in the Christian way of life. He asks us to set the example of real living in Christ. Serving our King is going to be different than the way others serve theirs. And doing so can avoid many of the trials that others bring on themselves because Christ is not leading their way.

Stubbornness and pride can keep one from choosing the clear path just as the Israelites allowed or our hearts can be humbled and we can thank our King for protecting us from unnecessary trials. No, God is not in our life to try to make it miserable as some suppose. Instead, He is trying to lead us in a path that benefits us the most and help us to avoid “unnecessary trials.”

The Heart of the Call

1 Samuel 9:7-10:10

“The Heart of the Call”

We see that Saul was looking for donkeys, but God was looking for a man to lead His people. From the unfolding of the events we see these things at the heart of the call of God for our own lives.

1. Humility.

In verse 21, Saul listed himself as the least among his family and among his tribe. This was a genuine humility: a key ingredient that God looks for in calling us for His purposes. We must be empty of ourselves so we can become full of Him.

2. Anointing.

In chapter 2 verse 1, we see God placing His anointing upon Saul for the task at hand. This is because the task is always too great for us on our own. However, this is also a sign that the Lord is with us and is calling us for His purposes.

3. Another heart.

Verse 9 shows us of a God-given transition that happens in the heart of Saul. God gives Him a heart for the call. This speaks of all the elements that are needed to successfully carry out the call God places on our life: the burden for the people, the courage to step forth, the faith, and the direction. God gave him His heart for the kingship. God does the same for His people.

4. The demonstration of the Spirit.

Saul prophesied. This was nothing short of the Spirit of God flowing through his life. The same is true for us in regards to the Holy Spirit flowing through us. We will operate in the Gifts of the Spirit. This is God’s assurance that He is with us.