The Disciple……

Have you ever felt left out or ignored? Have you ever felt like you like you are good for nothing? Who has ever felt abandoned by God? What would you do if you were never noticed? What would you do if you were always left out? Well, there was a man who felt like that. The only difference is, he chose to hang around. He was patient. His story is quite amazing.
His name is Matthias. Who was he?

For it is written in the book of Psalms, May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it; 
and let another take his office. 
So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when, He was taken up from us, a witness to His resurrection. (read Acts 1:20-26)

He was the thirteenth disciple! His story is amazing because for the duration of Jesus three year ministry we never hear about a Matthias. Never! What did he go through? What were some of the things he faced? Did he ever want to give up like some of the other people that followed him? I don’t know but this is what stood out for me about Matthias:                                                                                                                                                          He was faithful to Jesus. There must of being challenging times, there must of being confusing times but he stayed faithful. People left but he didn’t.

John 6:60-66 says:

 60 Jesus’ disciples heard this. Many of them said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining about his teaching. So he said to them, “Does this upset you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man go up to where he was before? 63 The Holy Spirit gives life. The body means nothing at all. The words I have spoken to you are from the Spirit. They give life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe. And he had known who was going to hand him over to his enemies. 65 So he continued speaking. He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father helps him.” 66 From this time on, many of his disciples turned back. They no longer followed him.

What can we learn from this man? You may feel like God has overlooked you but He hasn’t. You may feel like you are not important, but you are. You may feel like God doesn’t see you but He does. We need to remain faithful in the place God has called us. You may not get any recognition for it, you may not get a pat on the back but know this, God is watching. He is the One who rewards, He knows where you at. Your role in this story called life is so important. You are a vital to God’s big picture! People may brush you off but God doesn’t. People may fail to see your value but that is there loss. It is not your fault if people don’t see your true potential and value. It is their problem. Just continue on the path God has laid out for you and just like Matthias your time will come. It is God that promotes a man. As I end, please note you are important. God knows exactly where you are. He cares and He is the one who rewards…..And that is the lesson we learn from Matthias.

Rolain

Finding The Root Of Negative Words……

But I tell you, on the day of judgement men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, non-working) word they speak.
For by your words you will be justified acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.
Matt 12:36,37

This scripture is very heavy I must say. On judgement day we will be asked to account for EVERY idle word we have spoken!!! That is hectic because I can’t even remember all the words I spoke last week till now! How much more for an entire life???
We can’t just ignore the gravity of this verse. What does that mean for us?
It means we have got to start changing the way we speak. But that is harder than it sounds!!! How can one change the way he speaks? How does one change from speaking negatively to positively.?
I guess the real question to ask is, what influences the words that come out of our mouths?? Where do the words that we speak come from?
The answer is further up in that verse.

You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.
The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.
Matthew 12:34,35

We can see our words are greatly affected by what is in our hearts!! But what is in our hearts? How did the evil man get a “storehouse of evil things” and how did the good man get a ” storehouse of good things”?
The answer is easy, the good man fills his life with good things. He deposits good things and that is why he can speak well. Good things range from reading the word, to speaking right, to listening to the right things, to reading the right books, hanging around people who build you up and so on.
The evil man on the other hand has been making bad deposits!!! He lies, and watches anything. He doesn’t read the word or anything of worth. There are a whole host of other things the evil man gets into that I will not mention but the point is this, he has been making bad deposits and because of that he will bring forth evil. That is what is in his heart  and because of that it has affected the way he speaks.

What kind of deposits are you making because that will affect how you speak. Guard your heart.

But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
Matt 15:18

Rolain