We've all heard it said that everyone is equal in their need for JESUS.
I often reflect on that point in my life where the light bulb came on. That moment when I knew I needed Jesus. As a Christian you must have a similar story. Think about it for a moment. Where were you? What were you doing? Did something spark this thought or was it simply the love of God flooding you? Did it take seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, or years for you to respond to this epiphany?
We all have a love story.
As my relationship with Jesus grew I learned that it wasn't just a need for Jesus, I desired Him. I wanted Jesus. I wanted Him to be apart of my life. I wanted Him and I want Him. I love Him.
As the circle of life goes there are often times that He has to remind me, Jessika, you need me.
I want to make a small side note at that. I discussed with someone the other day that I can't think of one person who just naturally calls me Jessika. Most people call me jess, j. tate, or some variation of my name. When the Lord speaks to me He always calls me by name. That being said last night someone asked me what my name meant and i realized I didn't even remember. So today I looked up what my name meant... my name means "He sees". I dont find it coincidence that God calls me by name and I surely don't find it coincidence that my name means "He sees". Sidebar over :)
To be a Christian we all must have this epiphany, light bulb, whatever you want to call it, when we realize wow, I need Jesus. As relationship goes we'll develop into I want you Jesus. My prayer is that I never forget what first brought me to Him, "I need you Jesus"
No one has a greater need for Jesus. Not me who has been living faithfully for God for years, not my pastor who has been serving God for over 30 years, not the teenager in the midst of their sin, not the prostitute, the destitute, the drug addict. All of us are equal in our need for Jesus Christ.
So life continues on. My need for Jesus never changing, but my desire growing for Him. I want Him, I need Him, I've got to have Him and the love story will go on too.
Be Blessed,
J. Tate
JESSIKA "He sees"
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Testimony and a lesson about money
I want to talk about something that most people my age try to avoid... financial responsibility. Before you stop reading at the anxiety of those two words, hear me out, I really believe I have a message for us.
A few years ago while I was in college the Lord laid it on my heart to build a new area into my budget, "ministry". I already paid tithes, gave offerings, and had a missions savings account. So with the small amount of money I was making in college I didn't just have tons of extra cash lying around, but I was obedient and started out with $25 a month in my "ministry" budget.
This extra category was money only used for different types of ministry God laid on my heart to do. Perhaps I'd buy a friend's dinner, pay for the car behind me at a fast food restaurant, give it to a ministry that was on my heart, pay for someone's stuff at wal-mart etc.
I look back on college now and it is remarkable that I was able to do all that I did throughout college all the coffee and meals with friends, bowling, movies, etc. I never lacked. God always took care of me. Malachi 3 says that if we bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouses then he will fill our barns to overflowing. I was always overflowing. I was full of peace, joy, friendship, love, food, shelter, etc.
I've been on several mission trips and have always gotten what I needed to go and I believe it is because I let God be the director of my finances. He is my financial advisor.
This year I was taught a lesson by my Pastor's wife. She showed me that the Bible says God gives seed to the sower. So, I needed to be praying for seed. So I began to pray for seed.
First it started simple. Someone gave me $20 and I said okay God then I will plant this $20 and I gave it away. Then someone gave me $50 and I gave it away. Then someone gave me $100 and I gave it away. You get the point. Over the last 6 months I have been given and given away more money than I've kept up with. What a testimony!
The truth is that I think our generation needs to be taught that when we give ourselves to the Lord, we give away everything. Let's learn from the rich young ruler's mistake. Not only do we give our time but we need to give our money, all of it, to Him. Does this mean every dime must be given away? or that we can't buy things for ourselves? No. What this means is that we give God free reign to tell us what to do with the money.
If He asks us to give it away, give it away, to support a missionary, to buy lunch for someone. Never forget the Bible says it is much better to give than to receive.
I have found that every dime I earn is not my own. It's all His. He is Jehovah Jireh my Provider, and we will never be more blessed financially, emotionally, spiritually, than when we give Him everything we think is ours.
Be Blessed,
J. Tate
A few years ago while I was in college the Lord laid it on my heart to build a new area into my budget, "ministry". I already paid tithes, gave offerings, and had a missions savings account. So with the small amount of money I was making in college I didn't just have tons of extra cash lying around, but I was obedient and started out with $25 a month in my "ministry" budget.
This extra category was money only used for different types of ministry God laid on my heart to do. Perhaps I'd buy a friend's dinner, pay for the car behind me at a fast food restaurant, give it to a ministry that was on my heart, pay for someone's stuff at wal-mart etc.
I look back on college now and it is remarkable that I was able to do all that I did throughout college all the coffee and meals with friends, bowling, movies, etc. I never lacked. God always took care of me. Malachi 3 says that if we bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouses then he will fill our barns to overflowing. I was always overflowing. I was full of peace, joy, friendship, love, food, shelter, etc.
I've been on several mission trips and have always gotten what I needed to go and I believe it is because I let God be the director of my finances. He is my financial advisor.
This year I was taught a lesson by my Pastor's wife. She showed me that the Bible says God gives seed to the sower. So, I needed to be praying for seed. So I began to pray for seed.
First it started simple. Someone gave me $20 and I said okay God then I will plant this $20 and I gave it away. Then someone gave me $50 and I gave it away. Then someone gave me $100 and I gave it away. You get the point. Over the last 6 months I have been given and given away more money than I've kept up with. What a testimony!
The truth is that I think our generation needs to be taught that when we give ourselves to the Lord, we give away everything. Let's learn from the rich young ruler's mistake. Not only do we give our time but we need to give our money, all of it, to Him. Does this mean every dime must be given away? or that we can't buy things for ourselves? No. What this means is that we give God free reign to tell us what to do with the money.
If He asks us to give it away, give it away, to support a missionary, to buy lunch for someone. Never forget the Bible says it is much better to give than to receive.
I have found that every dime I earn is not my own. It's all His. He is Jehovah Jireh my Provider, and we will never be more blessed financially, emotionally, spiritually, than when we give Him everything we think is ours.
Be Blessed,
J. Tate
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A reality check with DL MOODY
Read this short passage:
The first two or three years that I attempted to talk in the meetings, I saw that the older people did not like it. I had sense enough to know that I was a bore to them. "Well, I went out upon the street and I got eighteen little children to follow me the first Sunday, and I led them into the Sunday-school. I found that I had something to do. I was encouraged, and I kept at that work. And if I am worth anything to the Christian church to-day, it is as much due to that work as anything else. I could not explain these Scriptural passages to them, for I did not then comprehend them, but I could tell them stories; I could tell them that Christ loved them, and that He died for them. I did the best I could. I used the little talent I had, and God kept giving me more talents, and so, let me say, find some work. See if you can get a Sabbath-school to teach. If you cannot get that, go down into the dark lanes and byways of the city and talk to them and sing some gospel hymns; or, if you cannot sing, take some one with you that can sing some of these songs of praise. Sing or read the twenty-third psalm, or pray, and you can get a blessing in that way. When you have won one soul to Christ, you will want to win two, and when you get into the luxury of winning souls it will be a new world to you, and you will not think of going back to the world at all.
This passage is written by DL MOODY. Moody was a well known evangelist back in the 1800's.
I find it interesting that even then we had ministers trying to provoke the church to action. Not the church as an organization and a ministry, but THE church, THE bride of Christ. YOU, ME, US, AS INDIVIDUALS.
We must find something to do to win souls to Jesus Christ. Perhaps walk down to your local park and strike up conversation with strangers, start a Bible study, take some food to the local homeless, find ways to give of the talents that God has given to you, to use for HIS KINGDOM.
Alas once you feel you have done all you can in the natural to win the lost, then sacrifice of your heart and time interceding as if every prayer meant heaven or hell for them.
I have come to the conclusion that the enemy has convinced us that we "do all we can", but yet my pillow is not stained with tears for mourning the lost and my knees are yet bruised from hours of intercession.
I pray that my eyes would be opened to the reality that every person who does not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives will spend eternity in hell. I believe that when this really becomes reality we would no longer hesitate in evangelism. The hours dedicated to winning the lost would no longer be an inconvenience.
God help us.
J. Tate
The first two or three years that I attempted to talk in the meetings, I saw that the older people did not like it. I had sense enough to know that I was a bore to them. "Well, I went out upon the street and I got eighteen little children to follow me the first Sunday, and I led them into the Sunday-school. I found that I had something to do. I was encouraged, and I kept at that work. And if I am worth anything to the Christian church to-day, it is as much due to that work as anything else. I could not explain these Scriptural passages to them, for I did not then comprehend them, but I could tell them stories; I could tell them that Christ loved them, and that He died for them. I did the best I could. I used the little talent I had, and God kept giving me more talents, and so, let me say, find some work. See if you can get a Sabbath-school to teach. If you cannot get that, go down into the dark lanes and byways of the city and talk to them and sing some gospel hymns; or, if you cannot sing, take some one with you that can sing some of these songs of praise. Sing or read the twenty-third psalm, or pray, and you can get a blessing in that way. When you have won one soul to Christ, you will want to win two, and when you get into the luxury of winning souls it will be a new world to you, and you will not think of going back to the world at all.
This passage is written by DL MOODY. Moody was a well known evangelist back in the 1800's.
I find it interesting that even then we had ministers trying to provoke the church to action. Not the church as an organization and a ministry, but THE church, THE bride of Christ. YOU, ME, US, AS INDIVIDUALS.
We must find something to do to win souls to Jesus Christ. Perhaps walk down to your local park and strike up conversation with strangers, start a Bible study, take some food to the local homeless, find ways to give of the talents that God has given to you, to use for HIS KINGDOM.
Alas once you feel you have done all you can in the natural to win the lost, then sacrifice of your heart and time interceding as if every prayer meant heaven or hell for them.
I have come to the conclusion that the enemy has convinced us that we "do all we can", but yet my pillow is not stained with tears for mourning the lost and my knees are yet bruised from hours of intercession.
I pray that my eyes would be opened to the reality that every person who does not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives will spend eternity in hell. I believe that when this really becomes reality we would no longer hesitate in evangelism. The hours dedicated to winning the lost would no longer be an inconvenience.
God help us.
J. Tate
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