What are youbringing to the table today?
Is itSpirit, and life or
is it deathand the flesh!
If you worked in arestaurant and someoneordered a fruit salad, what would you think the chef might put onthe plate?
Dirt, sand,fish guts, spoiled cabbage, or maybe rotten
potatoes.
- No, the chef would put in some choppedapples, mangos,bananas, some pears, peaches, plums,maybe a dragonfruit, lychee, or mangosteen, and maybe throw in a little bitof nuts and a spoonful or two of mayonnaise.
Galatians 5:22
"The fruit ofthe Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such
there is no law."
If we liveby the spirit then let us walk by the spirit. Going back
to verse 16it says, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify
the desiresof the flesh. For the desires of theflesh are against
the Spirit, and thedesires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for those are opposed toeach other, to keep you from doing the things you want todo. But, if you are led by the Spirit,you are not under
the law.
2Timothy2:15
"Do your bestto present yourself to God as one approved, a
worker whohas no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the
word oftruth…vs…19 The Lord knows who are his, and, “Let
everyone whonames the name of the Lord depart from
iniquity.”
Vs 20 Now ina great house there are not only vessels of gold
and silverbut also of wood and clay, some for honorable use,
some fordishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyonecleanses
himself fromwhat is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for
honorableuse, set apart as holy, useful for the Master of the
house, readyfor every good work.
So fleeyouthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love
and peace,along with those who call on the Lord from a pure
heart!"
If you werethe waiter in the restaurant and you had nasty
fingernailsand while coming to the table to serve the soup, you
accidentallystuck your finger in the soup bowl would you
expect thecustomer to be willing to eat what you brought to
thetable?
- What about your uniform, it’sdirty and wrinkled, stainedwhite socks and your shoes were nasty and the pants you have onare barely up and your boxers are hanging out.
What kind ofa tip do you think you would receive? NOT
MUCH, If youwere waiting on me!
- Now let’sjust imagine you were serving Jesus and you knew Him!
- Youknew He was coming to the store and your manager wasexpecting you to do your best as the King of Kings and the Lord ofLords was going to buy some Chicken and rice from off your menu.
- Do you thinkyou would pull out the paper plates and the plasticforks, or would the boss make sure the crystal was used and thesilverware was shining, the napkin would be perfectlyfolded and the tablecloth would be as clean as it could possibly be?
- As theMaster entered the establishment, everyone who knew Him would beon their best behavior.
- You gotta knowHe sees exactly howyou serve those around you all the time. He sees when youthink no one is watching.
- He sees youpick on that guy or girl,or when you make fun of the foreigner with the locker nextto yours.
- Of course he hears you, and so does God our Fatheras you smart off to the substitute teacher, the new coach ormaybe the new kid who just moved here from out of town.
- What are yougoing to do when it is time to make a decision to do what isright, when everyone you hang with is making the wrongchoices?
- Will you continue to wear those clothes thatare stained by sin?
- Are you not at all concerned with the stenchof smoke that is coming fromthe pit of hell as you just keep on doing what you’redoing?
- Who will you bring to the tablein Heaven?
- Will those youtouch and the ones who live with you be seated at the table inHeaven with you?
- Imagine the table whereyou are setting.
- Isit empty, except for you, sitting all alone at God’s table?
Will youbring obedience, or shame as you sit at His table will
you be proudof your actions and of your willingness to
immediatelyobey your parents, your teachers, your pastor?
- Will youobey as He is calling you to live a righteous life or will you changeback into the chameleon that you sometimes are…justblending in with the crowd or, will youset a table of righteousnessfor the Master with a life of obedience, trust, and service tothose who God brings across your path each and every day?
- Will you go when He tells you to go to Africa,India, China, Korea,or to the people who sleep on the streets in Thailand?
- Will you goto St. Louis, Chicago, Destin, or Virginia Beach?
- Will you goacross the street to your neighbor and share the truth of theknowledge of the Love of Jesus with an unbeliever?
Will youallow God to use you, as you bloom in the pot where
you areplanted today?
- Be who Godcreated you to be!
- A willing vessel thatbrings honor toGod, and to those He allows to glimpse into your life.
May you bethe invitation to the party as you bring many to the
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