Relationship Deal Breaker

I must admit I was triggered to do this message and but not in an angry sort of way but in a concerning sort of way especially in these end time days. I have had just a few people ask that I no longer send them my podcast messages. Two requests came out of the blue and were loaded with a strange type of offense. But in this message I am responding to the 3rd request which was kind and had manners associated with it. In other words the person was polite. All three were believers and two of the three are in current leadership positions within the church. 

The reason that the person made the request is that he stated I was sending too many and he just didn’t have the time to dial in. 

Boom, yes I believe that peoples lives are structured for time loss in these days, meaning that it seems that we do not consider our time as a limited commodity. 

John 10:10 - 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

So we have a time thief actively working to bring about things and activities that simply waste our time. 

Gal 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

https://appliedstrengthsministry.org/

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hello, this is Kenya Podcast Preacher. Welcome back to my podcast, Deep Waters. This podcast is brought to you by Applied Strengths Ministry, where we believe working together on our strengths is the effect of working out the will and calling of God and into our lives. Thanks for joining me. Let's open up in prayer. Blessed be the God and Father of your Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose you and him before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined you to adoption as your son or daughter by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, which he purposed in himself, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made you accepted into beloved. In him ye have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace which he made to abound towards you in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to you the mystery of his will, 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. I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of the mystery of him, and to the deepest knowledge of him that you are willing and able to receive, that the eyes of your understanding would be open wider, and that you would be enlightened to who he is, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in you, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards you who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, that he would grant that you would be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man, enter to your spirit and heart, consistently walking in the spirit, so that you would be able to stand against the appetites of your flesh, the corrupted spirit of this world, the devil and his demons, and any and all fleshly desires and temptations. I pray that your love may abound more and more in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be real about your Christianity, and unoffendable until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which are by Jesus Christ to the Holy Spirit to the glory and praise of God. I ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, strengthen with all might, according to his glorious power. I ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, strengthen with all might, according to his glorious power, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints, who walk by the Spirit and in the light. I pray that your hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and unity, and that you would attain to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which has been given to each of my listeners by Christ Jesus, that you are enriched in everything by him, in all utterance and all knowledge, so that you do not come short in obtaining or operating in your calling and purpose, nor in using any spiritual gifts or talents to perform mighty miracle signs and wonders, and that we would do the greater works of Jesus yet to be accomplished. That we would be found eagerly waiting for the continued revelation of our Lord Jesus, who will confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the near coming of the day of our Lord. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus. Okay, so now therefore, my sisters and brothers in Christ, when things hit tough, think about whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and whatever things are of a good report. If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things alone. I pray that in these very end of end time days that you would let your love be without hypocrisy. Show people your faith by your works and service and love. Hate and loath what is evil, cling to what is good and righteous, be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent and fully engulfed in spiritual fire, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, walking in the peace of God, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, that is each other, and that you would be given hospitality. May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like minded towards one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we learn to be of one mind in one accord, striving to get along no matter what disagreements we may encounter, operating completely and fully in love, always striving for the working out of God's specific will for each of our lives, while working in partnership with each other within the church and the Holy Spirit, as He manifests His miracle signs of wonders through the daily activities of our ministry and kingdom work, and while we also go out preaching the gospel in the word indeed. Let us love and serve one another, our enemy, and those who wouldn't expect us to do so, considering each person better than ourselves. Bind up any words or thoughts that are contrary to the love of God, or which would set you back in your Christian walk. Guard your hearts from anything that would hinder the growth of your character. Never forget that you can do all things in Christ, and never forget this means all things. Step out in faith today and walk with God, and with each other being assured that nothing will separate you from Him as long as you abide in Him. Call those things that don't exist as though they do. Remember the faith of God of which we have, created the universe by the Rama and Logos Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. All that you need for this life is invisible until you apply your faith to receive it, but make sure you make your requests known to God, without fear, doubting, or unbelief. Always remember that he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. Be more than a conqueror today, submitting to the will of God in everything. Never forget that you can do all things through Christ who will strengthen you this very today. Let each of us express uncompromising love towards one another in humility, while maintaining a teachable spirit, seeking to grow no matter how much it challenges our current thinking. I pray that God will give you the revelation within this message that he intends you to receive with the understanding. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to our God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. In Jesus' name we pray amen. The title of this message is Relationship Deal Breaker. I must admit I was triggered to do this message, but not in an angry sort of way, but in a concerning sort of way, especially in these end time days. I have had just a few people ask that I no longer send them my podcast messages. Two requests came out of the blue and were loaded with a strange type of offense. But in this message, I'm going to respond to the third request, which was kind and had manners associated with it. In other words, the person was polite. All three were believers, and two of the three are in current leadership positions within the church. The reason that the person made the request is that he stated I was sending too many, and he just didn't have the time to dial in. So essentially he's saying he doesn't have an hour and a half per week to give attention to some good Bible teaching. Ah, I'm not picking on him. Let's go. I believe that people's lives are structured for time loss in these very days, meaning that it seems that we do not consider our time as a limited commodity. John ten. The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. So we have a time thief actively working to bring about things and activities that simply waste our time. Galatians two twenty. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I ask Google AI, what are some of the scriptures that talk about what we believers should be focused on now that we are saved? I got the following responses. The Bible makes it clear that while we are saved by grace through faith alone, we are saved for the purpose of living a transformed, active life. Once we receive salvation, our focus shifts from trying to earn God's favor to expressing our gratitude through obedience, growth, and service. Here are the key areas that Scripture tells believers to focus on now that they are saved. Doing good works. We do not do good works to get saved, but we do do them because we are saved. Good works are the natural fruit of a living faith. Ephesians two ten for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. two renewing the mind and spiritual growth. Believers are called to stop copying the behavior of the world and instead let God transform their thoughts, a process often referred to as sanctification. Romans twelve one through two. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Philippians two, twelve through thirteen. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do for his good pleasure. This means to live out or express the salvation already inside of you, not to earn it. three, sharing a gospel and making disciples. Jesus gave all believers a direct mission to spread the good news and to help others grow in their faith. Matthew twenty eight, nineteen through twenty. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Mark sixteen fifteen, and he said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. four. Loving and serving others. Our faith should practically impact how we treat the people around us, especially fellow believers and those in need. Galatians thirteen for you were called to freedom, brothers, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Hebrews ten twenty four and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. James one twenty seven. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. five. Seeking things above, believers are encouraged to shift their daily priorities from temporary earthly anxieties to eternal heavenly realities. Colossians three. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. If you have been saved for a minute, your life should be encompassing these elements as well as others. I also asked the question, what are some scriptures in the Bible that discuss the value of time? I got the following response, and but we will get to what I believe God showed me when I got my third request to discontinue sending out my messages. I think I just needed to establish these things up front so that you understand the trigger that ignited the gunpowder. So some key scriptures on the value and use of time. Psalm ninety twelve. So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. The meaning is Moses asked God to help people realize how short life is, which helps them to make wise choices instead of wasting their days. Ephesians five fifteen sixteen Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as the wise, making the best use of time, because the days are evil. The meaning Paul tells believers to act with care and buy back or make the most of every opportunity that they are given. Ecclesiastes three for everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. Meaning King Solomon notes that life moves in distinct phases, and honoring time means recognizing the proper moment for each activity. Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. The meaning believers are encouraged to interact thoughtfully with the world by treating everyday moments as valuable chances to show kindness and truth. James four fourteen. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Meaning, James reminds people that human life on earth is very brief, so no one should act as if they have unlimited time. I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. The meaning Jesus highlights urgency, showing that active purpose should fill the hours we have before life's window closes. There are more scriptures saying things like we are in the last hour and that Jesus is coming soon. A couple of those are John two eighteen. Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming. So now many Antichrists have come, therefore we know that it is the last hour. John uses this phrase directly to describe the era of the early church facing spiritual deception. The end of all things is at hand, therefore be self controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers. Peter urged believers to treat their time as exceptionally short. Jesus and the apostles frequently emphasize that while the exact timing is unknown, people must live ready for a sudden arrival, comparing it to an unexpected hour Matthew twenty four, thirty six and forty two. But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Therefore stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Thessalonians for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Paul stresses that people will be caught off guard. Revelation three three. Remember then what you received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. As we consider these things it will make more sense as to why I titled this message and its contents as things we do that intentionally or unintentionally break off a relationship. It will be a comparative analysis of which I hope you will see the correlation. I believe we could even say that it is a type of a parable. And but just in case you do not listen to the end, please do not think that you cannot ask me to discontinue sending you my messages. I'm not here to be obnoxious or offensive or burying your phone with my content. You can always ask that I stop, and I will without question. Okay, let's kick it. What if we compare the time that we spend with the Lord, that is reading His Word, doing what it says, practicing righteousness in our spiritual and natural lives, allowing God and His Word to develop our character, just to sit and meditate and think upon Him, and praying or communicating with Him. And so in doing these things, what if we measure the time that we do, do these things? If we do these things and compare the time we spend with God overlaid by those habits in our marriage, family, time with our church family, and if you are inclined to believe in the practice of dating, time spent with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Now I see right there that may have triggered some of you. I will try to answer some of these questions and to present some insight throughout the rest of this message. So I will enter into what I know to be dangerous ground, and that some may think that I am boasting or that I am comparing myself to whoever, but this would be further from the truth because in truth, I have squandered much time doing things that I could have better spent writing, reading, and reading and studying the Bible, praying, and a plethora of other things. I also want to say that I am not saying that we cannot have recreational time or enjoy the things that God has given us, such as this planet. I believe we can do both without compromise. For me, my time kryptonite was smoking marijuana, cigars, drinking, participating in unfruitful social media activities, and watching TV. So in that structure of activities, again what I am not saying is that you have to throw away your TVs, computers, tablets, laptops, or cell phones. Those other things like drinking, smoking cigars and marijuana can and should be thrown out. If you need help, then maybe I recommend a person who can help you. Oh, thanks for that confirmation. He is the Holy Spirit. I was addicted to those things as well as many others. But as time has marched on, God has broke the chains of addictions in my life so that I could throw out what needed to be thrown out and minimize things such as my TV use and unfruitful works of social media. No, he didn't minimize the unhealthy activities, he broke those activities off of my life, such as eating sugar. You can decide what is healthy and unhealthy, so don't think that my process has to be your process. God will speak to your heart, and you can hear him if you are willing. So that portion was necessary so that you understand that even though I am not a prime example of a time guy, I have made some adjustments, of which have helped me to refocus some of the wasted time on the God habits. I decided to share a snapshot of the things that I do and practice so that you have a point of reference. This is not your to-do list but mine. The point is to gauge where I spend my time and what I spend it on in these very days, and consider I am retired, but I was doing a lot of these same things while I was working. For each message prepared for a podcast, I spend as much as six hours typing the message out. That time frame can also be as low as a couple of hours. Once it is completed, I record it verbatim, adding anything or taking away anything that I feel that the Holy Spirit is leading me to do. Once the message is recorded, I listen back and edit all of the errors and noises that do not belong. I record in the mountain, so sometimes I just leave the noises in. Also, because I'm not a professional editor, nor do I feel like I want to invest the time seeking perfection over the time that I should be releasing the message. However, if you have heard me coughing or sneezing, please send me an email so I can pay more attention to the editing process. Once the editing is complete, I then add my music and begin downloading to some of my platforms. I then convert the audio file into a video file so that I can download it on some of my other platforms, of which there's about thirty-two. So it's about fifteen hours per message on the longer messages. I live and die for this activity and wouldn't trade it for the world. In the last twenty four months, I have done two hundred and forty messages, just like that, using the same technique for each of them. Because I need podcast food other than just what I hear from people's experiences and what I see or hear on social media or TV, I read. I have been reading for thirty years as God gave me an appetite to do this almost immediately after I was saved. I know it was God because prior to that event, I was not a reader. In the last twenty four months I have read six hundred and seventy plus books and booklets, and within that count, I have read the Bible six times, of which I will finish my seventh time before the end of this year. Please allow me to establish this one fact, which is that I am not a super Christian, but rather a very normal Christian, and sometimes I could even be defined as a barely Christian. We are all called and should be daily stretching to be a normal Christian, a Peter, James, John, or Paul type of Christian. You say what? I say listen, John fourteen, twelve. Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, that is Jesus, the works that I do and have done, he will do also, and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. Yes, I added to that scripture, but it didn't change it. The same works that Jesus did, period. Yes, it also says greater, but I knew you already heard that. Romans eight thirty seven, yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. To be a conqueror would be sufficient as a human, but God says that we as Christians are more than that. We go beyond that label. In fact, a more than a conqueror does not exist in the demonic world or in the natural world. It is a label given to you as a child of God. So if you didn't know that something very special has happened to you upon your getting born again, think about what Jesus is asking of us, and you better know that without him we can do nothing. Matthew ten eight, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Yep, that's a command for every Christian that breathes and eats on this planet. Now you may not start there, but you should eventually get there. So yes, we can do these things. Yes, and in our own walk with God, as we spiritually mature and as our character is being developed, not perfect, but being actively developed. We can and should be doing these things. It isn't just written to apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. This is written to everyone who is more than a conqueror. Mark sixteen, fifteen through eighteen. And he said to them, or us, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned, and these signs will follow those who believe. In my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. We can do these things as well? Yes, the word preacher is not relegated to a special few, which, by the way, is not how this title has been used in our history. All we is is preachers, no matter what level of skill we have in communications. We have an example regarding Moses and how we can make excuses as to why we shouldn't be doing the will of God as it relates to communication. Exodus four ten. Then Moses said to the Lord, O my Lord, I am not elegant, neither before nor since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. And but do we have the right information that maybe Moses just might have been hiding from something else that may have been bothering him? Maybe, and we can only guess as to what that might have been. Acts seven twenty two and Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in word and deeds. Now it is possible that after Moses saw the burning bush and was sent on his mission, that God anointed him to be mighty in word and deeds, considering he may have forgot in the forty years of the Years after he crossed the desert. But then if God did it for Moses, why wouldn't he do it for you? Are there any other people who think that they struggle in their communication? Second Corinthians eleven six. Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. Now Paul's position is different than Moses, isn't it? He was stating that even though I was untrained in speech, I still had the beans to say what I say to you, and to do what I did in front of you. Paul was untrained in speech, and yet look at what Peter said about some of the things Paul had written about Second Peter three, fifteen through sixteen, and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all of his epistles, speaking in them of things in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the scriptures. I would say sometimes it's hard to understand Peter too. So Peter didn't mean that Paul lacked clarity in his communication, but was in fact acknowledging the fact that Paul was helped by the Holy Spirit to say such things. Okay, so I thought it a good idea to hit communication well, because the fear of public speaking is epidemically out of order, and we need to know that God called you in spite of it. We were not given a spirit of fear, nor do we fear what man thinks, as these things were removed from us upon our conversion. Second Timothy one seven. Let's see what the Bible has to say about this stuff. Hebrews thirteen six declares that believers have the Lord as their helper, making human threats powerless. Matthew ten twenty seven. Jesus tells his disciples, Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Luke twelve four five. Jesus repeats the warning not to be afraid of people who can only harm the physical body. Acts five twenty nine. Peter and the apostles replied to the religious authorities, we must obey God rather than men. And you want to read that scripture in context. Proverbs twenty nine twenty five. Though in the New Testament, this famous verse is frequently paired with New Testament teachings. The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Look, this fear is real. Between seventy percent and seventy seven percent of people experience some level of fear or anxiety when it comes to public speaking. That means about twenty five people out of every hundred are okay with speaking. Yet a hundred percent of all Christians are called to be speakers at some level or another. Most studies and surveys show that roughly 75% of the population has glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, or experiences nervous symptoms before presenting. And by the way, that's not a bad thing. Severity levels. This percentage ranges from mild everyday discomfort to severe panic. Only about ten to twenty five percent of people feel completely confident or love speaking in front of an audience. The age differences younger individuals report higher anxiety. Only twenty five percent of sixteen to twenty four year olds feel confident speaking to a crowd compared to nearly seventy percent of people age forty five and older. I would say in high school there's a lot of peer pressure and a bunch of other things going on, and kids are really afraid of judgment, so that can contribute to the high percentage of fear. Satan wants you to keep silent. Why? How can you do the work of God in silence? Look at some of the things you and the church is to do while we are here on earth Matthew twenty eight, nineteen through twenty. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, amen. Teaching them, this task is not just reserved for those who are called into the office of a teacher. Ephesians four, eleven through sixteen, and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, that could also say to a complete man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in a cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth and love may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, that means everybody is working in ministry, according to the effect of working by which every part, that's everybody, does its share. Everybody has a share in ministry while living on this planet, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. There's a work to do, and if we are squandering our time as if we had all day or something, then we may not complete our race. Second Timothy four seven. This is the most famous declaration of completing the race. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Those are big declarations, and you want to be able to make those same declarations before you go home. Hebrews twelve one. This passage exhorts believers to persevere. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Now when you run for God, it's going to make a lot of people who walk for God very nervous, and they have a habit of quoting, hey, you can't earn salvation. It is by grace, and grace alone. Of course you can't earn salvation with works, but works follows after your salvation. The two go hand in hand. Acts twenty twenty four. Paul shares his personal mission statement so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I receive from the Lord Jesus. You have received a ministry which you receive from the Lord Jesus, and if you don't know what it is, you need to find out what it is and begin to head in that direction so you can finish your race. Paul uses the athletic analogy to encourage purpose. Do you not know that in a race all the runners race, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Again we see the word run, not walk or jog. Too many of us may be walking expecting to finish our race. You can and should reset your race pace so that you receive a crown. You don't want to cast air at the feet of Jesus when you finally get to see him. Revelation four ten through eleven and second Timothy four seven. Now we go on to Romans twelve three through eight. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. Let us use them. If prophecy, let us use prophecy in proportion to our faith, or ministry, let us use it in our ministering, he who teaches in teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, and he who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Of course that's not a complete list, but it's a pretty good one. Each one has a measure of faith. Are you saving it up for a rainy day or are you emptying the jar as often as you can? Corinthians twelve four through eleven. There are diversity of gifts but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord, and there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one. That means everyone, for the profit of all. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge, through the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same spirit works all these things, that is the Holy Spirit, distributing to each one, that is everyone, individually as He wills. We have been given supernatural tools to use. Are we doing what Peter asks of us through the Holy Spirit? As each one has received a gift. That means everyone, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak of the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever, amen. Ah, maybe Peter was just being radical. Second Timothy one six. This is Paul saying this. Therefore, I remind you, he's talking to Timothy, to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. If you believe you need someone to lay hands on you to stir up that gift, then go find somebody who has a proven track record that when they do lay their hands, the gifts are stirred up. So depending on our calling and purpose, we have a pretty extensive to do list, and no doubt you fit somewhere in those things that the Holy Spirit has listed for us to do. Why should we spend our time focused on God things? Colossians three two. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. Maybe we have another issue standing in the way, and but my prayer is that it affects none of my listeners. fifteen do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So as stated in the beginning of this message, it is possible that we are too distracted with our technology, which initially was designed for us to get more done using the same eight hour workday prior to having it. Is Satan using it to steal your time? If so, it is intentional, and the good news is after you identify the time leak, you can repair it by going to God and asking him to help you repair the leak. Technology and software, i. e. social media, was initially never marketed to be all consuming. Oh yes, it was the plan of Satan to use that technology to perpetuate his evil plans and purposes. Positive in, positive out, negative in, negative out. What you look at is going to leak from you. Screen what you put into your mind when you're using technology. But now in these days we are moving without restraint, and it is wreaking havoc in and on our souls. It is my belief that technology misuse is the greatest time thief in the world. Add to that TV and we can now look upon the Christian earth and see why we are where we are at. Isaiah sixty one one through two. The Spirit of the Lord of God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor, he has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. Pray this over yourself daily if you can, as it is not only talking about Jesus, but it is also talking about us. It is declaring to you what a big part of your primary purpose is on this earth. How can we do the greater works of Jesus unless we invest the proper amount of time studying those works? If you want your relationship with God to flourish, then treat it with a good dose of your time, just like you would if you wanted a really good relationship. When a boy finds a girl that he really loves, he spends about twenty four hours a day thinking about her. I know, maybe it's just me. And we are the bride of Christ, so you can imagine. Jesus thinks about us. Now we've got to think about him. Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also, and greater works and deeds he will do because I go to my Father. In finishing, it will help you to do a week long time study, and yes, it won't be fun, as I have done them with groups who express the pain that it causes, but it can surely show you what you do hour by hour, and therefore present to you the truth and the leaks within your life. Humans are always inclined to overestimate and underestimate to our advantage, but the study eliminates those estimation errors. When you do this study, make sure that you continue doing what you have always been doing. Don't adjust your time for the study. You want to capture real data so then you can move and make any corrections if they're necessary. In other words, do not adjust what you do to avoid measuring what you actually do. All leaks are repairable, and God will redeem your time. Let's put on our plumber's pants and get to work. Let's close in prayer. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before your God and Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Now may the God of peace, the one in whom we call wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. May He Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. To our Lord of Lords and our King of Kings, to our high and lifted up great high priest, who has, once and for all, paid the price, that you might see and hear God, may he hear and respond to our prayers. To our God we stand in praise, he too always lives to make intercession for you while seated at the right hand of the Father. May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask for or think, according to the power that works in us. To him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus to all generations. Forever and ever, amen. Well that's it for today. Remember, it's not what you find wrong or disagree with regarding these messages, but what you can take away from it. Together we can do more to impact the kingdom than if we work alone. Let's flip the script and still kill and destroy the works of the enemy and create space for the light of light to shine through into people's lives. Plant a seed and click on the like and subscribe button. Repost on your social media platforms and help us make disciples. Link this message out or teach from it in your Bible study, your Life for Sale group, and yes, even in your church. You can be assured it comes from one called to teach, and though imperfect, you have the Word of God to use to test everything I say. Let's build this ministry together. Thanks and see you next time at Deep Waters.