“Use me Lord, but only if it suits me, Lord!”

Susan Fillhart on Wed, Jan 18, 1:10 PM (3 days ago) to me:

“Use me Lord, but only if it suits me, Lord!”

In part 1 several points were brought forth about the different sentiments and reactions that God's people can have or experience when the Lord calls them to work for his kingdom.

This is when for many that the excuses begin to be found and related as to why they can’t or won’t do what the Lord has asked them to do.

The Holy Spirit knows what a person’s capabilities are or are not. He will not ask you to do anything that you are just not capable of performing or doing.

That would be like asking a person to go into hand-to-hand combat and not preparing them to defend themselves. The Spirit will not do that. Why would he?

God will never set you up for defeat or failure except for the instance of a lesson to be learned for some reason.

Don’t you think that it would go easier on you if you would simply just accept what the Lord has called you to do? How much emotional and spiritual energy could we save ourselves? We end up wasting a whole lot of God and our time but fighting his will.

His will is perfect ours has a tendency of getting in his way much too often.

Can we learn to be like Isaiah when God was looking for someone to send to be a witness and Isaiah not hesitating and saying? “Her I am Lord, sent me!”

I understand the human aspect of this. Doubt, fears, disbelief, carnality, ego, but these are only excuses and distrust in God.

Why me Lord? Isn’t anyone else more appealing to you?

I’m Scared. Well, who isn’t at times?

I’m too old” Ok, show me in scripture where God notes that there is a retirement age on discipleship!

I’m too young? That may be, but what if you shut off your cell phone a couple of hours a day and learn God's word to help prepare you for God's call?

I don’t have time. Hmmm. Ok; Could you cut back on social media; do you have the real need to talk to a friend for 3 hours on your phone every evening?

I might not have enough finances to do it—funny thing about in some cases. People always seem to have the money to get their cigarettes, snuff, beer, and 25 cable choices, but just seem to not have any for God.

All these possibilities of excuses are going to most likely cost you something! Of mind, body, and spirit. Listen, God supplies all of your needs, God will supply everything you need if you will just take that first step of faith of obedience.

I know I’ve been there. I’ve doubted, I’ve feared, I’ve doubted my abilities, not God's mine. I’ve had to give up things to free up more time, and I’ve had to tighten up the buckle financially for the Lord. I only say these things to you to prove that it can be done, and you can do it whatever it is.

When we become Believers, the Holy Spirit begins to prepare us for work in and for God's kingdom. By giving gifts and talents which we are to use, not place them on a shelf and forget about them or refuse to use them.

He gives to every Christian to bring glory to God and his holy name.

So now, let’s look at what God could or would give you as a spiritual gift or talent to use for his kingdom and for the continuing proclamation of the plan of Redemption.

Talents are not the same as Spiritual gifts.

Natural talent is exactly that. It’s a natural ability to excel in something. Talent may be a hereditary ability that is passed down genetically from a parent or grandparent.

It could be a simple matter of a personal liking for something in which an individual puts time and develops into becoming talented in it.

I believe the Holy Spirit does certainly place a desire into one’s heart and mind, and then that he gives the strength for that natural talent to be honed and the skill to be sharpened.

He is the force behind the natural talent’s development, and we then tho are the responsible party for their development.

Our natural talents can be used in many areas of life. How we use them, where we use them and when we use them are important, especially to the Lord. Do we use them for self-indulgence, for personal gain, for our personal glory, or do we use them for God, for his gain, for his glory? That choice is entirely mine and yours.

What are some personal natural talents that we may have and use for the Lord?

Can you sing?

Can you play an instrument?

Can you cook or bake?

Can you clean?

Can you read?

Can you speak in a group?

Are you able to work with children?

Can u visit shut is?

Can you Drive?

These are some natural talents you can easily use for God are you using them? If you are job well done. If you are not, then you probably can guess what question is coming. Why aren’t you? Is anything from earlier in the message stopping you? Listen, The more you use them the more talented you’ll become, and the more talented you become, the great gain for God's glory. And the more you give and get the glory for him the more blessings that you will be blessed by him.

Natural talents are possessed by both the saved and the unsaved. Talents can be used both for the good or for selfish reasons, but spiritual gifts are solely first for God. They are given to us to give back to him for the common good of building the family of believers, the building up the body of Christ, and for the revelation of the plan of redemption to the unsaved of our families, friends, community, nation, and this sorry world.

Spiritual gifts are exactly that, gifted to us and given to us by the Holy Spirit to the Believer as he deems that they should be given and distributed amongst us.

1st Corinthians 12:11

“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

1st Corinthians 12:8-10

Romans 12:3-8

The gift of wisdom: The gift of making choices and giving leadership that is according to God's will.

The Gift of knowledge: The gift to comprehensively understand a spiritual issue or circumstance.

The gift of Faith: The gift to trust God and inspire others to trust him, no matter the situation.

The Gift of Healing: The gift to use God's healing power to cure a person who is ill, wounded, or suffering.

The gift of Miracles: The gift to display signs and miracles that give credibility to God's word and the Gospel message.

The gift of Prophecy: The gift to declare God's word.

The gift of Discerning Spirits: The gift to recognize whether or not something is truly from God or in accordance with righteousness.

The Gift of Tongues: The gift of communicating in a foreign or angelic tongue.

The Gift of Interpreting tongues: The gift to interpret the speech of a different or angelic language and interpret it back to others.

The Gift of Administration: The gift of keeping things in order and in agreement with God's principles.

The gift of Helps: The gift of desire and ability in helping others and see it through to a conclusion.