Things Burned & Things That Endure by: Frances M. McCrory-Meservy
Every way of a man is right in his own
eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
Proverbs 21:2
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Excerpt from I've Seen & heard of Jesus
At 4 PM I went back to Dillon’s and picked up my prescription. I decided to get
a few groceries for Al’s Mom and myself while I was there. Suddenly I felt like
I was drunk. My face and lips went numb. At that point, I realized I was having
a stroke.
I began arguing with Jesus about having a stroke. I said, "Lord, you know I have
too much to do to have a stroke or get sick." Then I began to list all the
things I felt like I needed to do. Jesus said, "You don’t have to do anything."
I stopped in my tracks. "I don’t have to do anything?" That was news to me. No
one ever told me that. Wow. I felt as though the weight of the world lifted off
me & felt totally free. I quit shopping, paid for my prescription and got in the
car.
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Since that moment in time, my way of thinking changed. I knew that if I did
things because I had to, it did not count in eternity. The only things that
counted were the things I did because I wanted to.
Since God causes us to will and want His good pleasure, I realized that my want
to was one of the ways he guides me. I now trust Him to cause me to want
what He wants me to do. I also found that if I don't have to do things, I
want to do some of the things I hated doing before and the things I loved
to do remained.
Take Cain and Able for example. Abel gave an offering to the Lord because he loved Him and wanted to. Cain gave an offering to the Lord because he felt like he had too and resented doing it. Abel's offering was acceptable but Cain's was not. Why? Because Abel wanted to do what he did and Cain did not want to do what he did. God knows our hearts and our thoughts.
When we do something because we have to, we resent having to do it. Resentment starts to fester in our hearts and turns to anger, jealousy and hate. That's why Cain killed his brother, Abel.
So if we don't have to do anything, what should we do? Now we know that "you should do" is not from the Lord. Therefore we do not have to listen to that. Here are some examples.
1. Cleaning the house should be a priority because cleanliness is next to godliness.
It's not in the Bible. If someone loves to clean, they probably have the gift of helps. Pay them to clean your house.
2. You should be out telling everyone about Jesus.
That is the gift of evangelism speaking and he is gift projecting. A Christian is automatically a witness by how they live their lives in love. Christians don't usually recognize love but the world does.
3. Everyone should donate to the building fund.
That's the gift of giving talking. God also gave the person with the gift of giving a lot of money so they could give a lot.
4. Everyone should give 10% of their total income (tithe) to the church.
Again a law and not the truth. We are not under the law and therefore should give as the Lord leads us. When we give because we want to, we usually give more than 10%. If you resent giving, don't give because it will cause you to sin.
5. You should find the job where you can make enough money to have a huge home, perfect family, multiple cars, etc because that is the mark of success.
If you are fortunate enough to make a living (support your family and have a little left over to give) doing something you love to do, you are a success. God gives us gifts and talents to do what he wants us to do and that mix is one of the ways He guides us. Trust your heart's desires because if they are honorable, God put then there.
There are too many things in our lives to list each one. Make your list of what you do and think about whether you have to do it or want to do it. Release everything, one by one to God. You will find a lot of things you can quit doing and a lot of things you want to keep doing. I call it de-cluttering your life. What remains is what God wants you to do. You will be free of the weight of the world. You will be bubbling over with joy. Don't allow the would-a, should-a, could-as in life take that away.
In the end what we do will go through the fire. What we did that we did not want to do is burned up like wood and straw. What we did because we wanted to (usually generated by love) will endure like silver and gold. Even if what we did burns up, we will be spared. Remember that God is your judge. No man will judge you in the end.
Gen 4:3-8 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Luke 10:38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Luke 11:39-41 Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. "Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? "But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
Mat 15:16-20 So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
Eph 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
Eph 1:7-10 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; in Him.
Heb 10:7-9 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O God.'" Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
Mat 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Rom 13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Mat 10:8-10 .... Freely you have received, freely give. ....
Mat 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Mat 25:37-40 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
Luke 6:38 "Give,
and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and
running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you
use, it will be measured back to you."
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