Archive for February, 2008
You are currently browsing the Philip K Stone blog archives for February, 2008.
27
Feb
2008
Your Platform
Have you ever had the opportunity to watch a show at a theatre, pantomime or maybe a school play. You get to watch a performance of a person/group of people as they shine in a role that highlights their true giftings and abilities.
If I were to get up on that stage and try to fit myself into the performance I would stick out like a sore thumb, first because I can’t act, and more importantly second because its not my gifting or ability. This Particular platform is not for me.
But God has given me a platform in other areas, One thing I’ve always loved doing is encouraging people, to aspire to be the person God has called them to be, there are other platforms that God will allow me to fill when the time is right or when I am ready, but the fact is God has given us all gifts, talents and abilities, all we need is a platform to use them, or a platform to let them ooze out of us.
I have limited abilities with computers and so a platform that I have is to be on the PowerPoint rota for church, Other platforms in this area of computers would be websites I’ve made or online businesses I run, I like talking to people on a one to one level, a platform God has given me in this is a Sales Job that gives me hundreds of opportunities every week to talk on a one to one level with people I know and don’t know, which at times can start long lasting friendships, which could lead to seeing them won for Christ!
Sometimes we fail to recognise many of our giftings because they are such a big part of us, don’t think you need to be a Billy Graham or a David Beckham to reach your platform, You can mount your platform possibly on a daily basis with little effort, recognise every opportunity to fulfil your calling in life and to exercise your abilities, its only when we exercise or use our abilities that they will develop and grow.
25
Feb
2008
Expectations
I’m sure you like me have expectations. In Life, Work, Marriage, Kids, and God of Course. Our expectations often seem to be a step above humanity and reality. A Husband can expect a wife to have dinner on the table on his return from work not to mention the ironing done, house cleaned and hovered, while a wife expects the husband to well I’ll not go into that, the blog entry may not take the list. (JOKE)
When it comes to Church I hear the word expectation mentioned all the time, much to my frustration until this weekend. When we come to Church sometimes we want something to happen that will change us and make us better people. I gave a little thought time to this over the weekend, realising for me to not expect God to show up and do His work in Church is putting God in a box – Not a good thing for anyone to do.
When God is in the House things happen, but if those in the Church don’t have any expectation of God moving then maybe we could be part of the blockage to God releasing His Wonder and Glory into His House and Body – the Church.
When we expect God to turn up and move He Will, What are we expecting? Are we limiting God?
Now I know that I am expecting the mighty hand of God to move in our World, Country, City, Town and Home… Sorry God for taking so Long to wake up on this one!
15
Feb
2008
15th Feb
Today has always had special meaning for me, 26 years ago my parents welcomed me into the world, I used to laugh off ‘older people’ when they said how fast time goes, whenever I was a child play times seemed endless, life wasn’t busy and full of responsibility. Now having three great kids of my own I realise how much I want to spend quality time with them, cause the fact of life is they will grow up quick, Ben is already 4, this year amy and myself will God willing have our 6th Anniversary – time flies!
Age is a funny thing, it qualifies us for different things, but don’t let it restict you to become someone you are not, they say those who enjoy life the most are those who remain young at heart, so don’t grow up inside to quick!
I Have a day off today so I better turn this computer off!
10
Feb
2008
Raising the Bar
I have come to learn over the years that the more you learn about God, the Harder life can get. Just when you think you’ve reached a peak the fog clears away and you realise your no-where near the place you desire to be, I was thinking today about the response of Jesus to the Rich young ruler…
Luke 18:18-23 (New American Standard Bible)
18 A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
20 “You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’”
21And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
22When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
Obviously the guy had come to Jesus confident that everything in his life was right and there could not possibly be any obstacles in him obtaining eternal life. His Question did not get the response he had wished for, As we get closer to God I feel we need to take our responsibilites in serving and following Him more seriously, I currently find myself trying to learn a deeper fear of God, I already Fear God, but don’t know that I truely, deeply understand what the Fear of God is and should be (this will be my personal study over the next while).
Today I’ve been thinking of How i need to stop looking for the finish line and instead look to Jesus in everything, getting all strength and help from Him, and to stop looking in the mirror and thinking that its reflection is who has accomplished something, as we get closer to God the Bar and expectation will be raised, we need to rely more on God to get through life, As God Raises the Bar, let him raise you.
3
Feb
2008
Waiting on the Lord…
We have all heard this phrase, whether it be from a passage of scripture, a sermon, worship song, poem, we have heard these words ring in our ears and mind at least once. I nearly think sometimes we put to much emphasis on our waiting than our preparing. If God is going to turn up in our situations, and I know He always does although not in ways we expect or in a time frame that suits our agendas, but lets face the truth, always in his perfect eternal schedule.
In life we trip, sometimes we fail and fall in our efforts to obey God, Phil Emerson in my years of knowing Him always reminds me that God will not let us go on from our last act of disobedience, God can only use clean and pure vessels, and so we must be prepared for God turning up. When we go to a church meeting, cell group, what is our expectation? Are we ready for God to move, and maybe even use us as He moves?
The Secret is waiting on the Lord in the still quiet closet on a daily basis, living a life of encounters with God, in prayer, word and life!, so that we are prepared for His turning up, lets not become busy with analyzing fulfillment of signs of the Lords soon return, we know its going to happen, lets focus our hearts on being ready, Ready for His Spirit, Ready for His Reviving Power, Ready for His Return.
Is God waiting for you? Or are you waiting for the Lord?
