Don't ever say "No" to God

[ReginaForbes]

Well, Monday night I had a pastoral council meeting. I don't know whoever nominated me to join the pastoral council and I kept thinking to myself how I just wanted to stay home. But it seems like after every single meeting I'm glad I went. Especially this one. As you know I can be a little outspoken and I'm always worried they'll kick me off for not being "kind". Well I am kind, just not their kind. HA! Well anyways, one of the pastoral council members took note of me and after the meeting Monday asked if I would be part of an outreach team he was putting together- now this is the stuff I'm dreaming of doing! He said his team needs someone who is an encourager and well, that's straight up my alley. I feel like God is doing a great work in me- and it all started with me saying "YES" to something I thought may not go anywhere.
So if God calls on any one of you today, hopefully my story will encourage you to say "Yes" to Him. He wants to do a great work in all of us, we just need to be willing to take a gamble.

 

[Deborah13]

This is awesome, Regina. Congrats, so happy for you.

Eeyore says, "It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine." Jesus is the light of the world.

 

[th1b.taylor]

That sounds great Regina. I took the Henry Blackaby course about watching for God working and go over and join in and my life changed so, very, much it was amazing. I have since advised every youth I taught and every young person, from early teen to, to just be still, watch, and to join in every time they see God at work, always remembering that the tools God uses are people.

When Silver Springs needed a new Pastor I was on the Selection Committee and after about two months we had narrowed the Applicants to just two men. One was in his late fifties and admitted he was following his Industrial Lawyer wife on her was up the ladder to California and a local School Teaching Graduate of Seminary that he and his Seminary Graduated wife had grown up here and had no desire to leave here except that God move them.

The only issue, the single issue, the other six members had with him was the he had three children in school and was a Foster Parent. All gathered under the ruse, we do not want to teach him how to be a paster. I had, in my notes nineteen red flags on the old man and not one, one possible, but not one on Brother Scott Zbylott.

The one possible red was the same for all seven of us and like myself the other six tended to write it off because he was so honest and up front with it. Without so much as a question about it he, at the beginning of the first interview, admitted he had just began recovery from Internet Porn addiction and had just been, fully, forgiven of it by his, drop dead gorgeous, wife.

The Team Leader, Head Deacon, asked for my notes and on my giving them to him the other six became a unit opposed to Bill Taylor and sworn not to let "him" win. I was sick, sick, sick, when it was time to hear the preach and at the next meeting, after I had prayed several times for God to tell me if I were out of His will, the vote went 7 to 0.

They had heard both preach at other Churches, had been snubbed by the older man and warmly greeted by Scott. God changed their minds and after the vote they all slapped my back and told me the rest of the story.

But, Congrats on the new work and you stick with God, okay?

 

[Tony Hyman]

You are spot on there Bill.Like firemen one does not get to choose which fires are more to our liking or not.Its a daily struggle of offering oneself in terms of Rom 12:1 which of cause has already been initiated by Chopper in the 12:1 thread , but God continuously tests our attitude towards His Will .The human comfort zone thing always has a way of creeping in though. Fortunately Christ is patient as long as we admit these tendencies and work on them "all fall short" Rom 3:23.Even though choosing a person into leadership position in the Body of Christ should be done in terms of I Tim 3,still the old lobbying worldly thing manifests itself as far as voting goes, from what Ive experienced.

 

[th1b.taylor]

You are spot on there Bill.Like firemen one does not get to choose which fires are more to our liking or not.Its a daily struggle of offering oneself in terms of Rom 12:1 which of cause has already been initiated by Chopper in the 12:1 thread , but God continuously tests our attitude towards His Will .The human comfort zone thing always has a way of creeping in though. Fortunately Christ is patient as long as we admit these tendencies and work on them "all fall short" Rom 3:23.Even though choosing a person into leadership position in the Body of Christ should be done in terms of I Tim 3,still the old lobbying worldly thing manifests itself as far as voting goes, from what Ive experienced.

Great comment Tony, people hate submission and they despise having their sin made public.

 

[JoJoe]

Good stuff thanks for sharing Regina!

I know the feeling of God encouraging you to follow his will all to well and not acting on it. I agree with the above regarding our self-sacrafice because as a follower in Christ we signed up to die. (Romans 6:1-11)

In short once we were bapatized by the Holy Ghost we became slaves to God instead of our flesh desires and fears. So to deny what God has prepared for us is to deny the very cross in which we are to carry everyday. (Matthew 10:38, 1 Corinthians 15:31)

Oh God forgive me for all the times I held my lip when his wisdom came, planted my foot when he wanted me to follow, and most of all the selfishness in which my cowardice kept me from ministering to others for there sake and his

Bless you Regina, I hope to soon be as obedient as the example you have shown.