"Unfettered" -2

"I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people." (Psalms 116:14)

 As far as getting busy goes towards getting better, better has nothing to with righteousness, it has everything to do with confidence and effectiveness in the ministry of reconciliation. Whether you believe it or not, you are not anymore saved today than you were the hour you first believed, no matter how hard you work and serve for the Lord. It is not what we do that saves us, but what Jesus has done for us; we don't get to take the credit for anything, but we do get to share in the blame. Isn't that what makes us the more relevant? Anyone who might think they are above anyone else, even if they have several different ministries, they are missing the bigger picture. It is not about them, it is about others and how God can use them to minister to others. If we make it about us, then we are slipping back into bondage of the flesh; self sacrifice is something that puts self below others, not above others. This is the second part of this message, that of sacrifice, and what that might actually look like when it is put into practice. "Now" is a word that speaks to the present, meaning that it is not when I feel like it, but it is when I am called or prompted to move. "All" is a word that means everyone, regardless of who I might want to minister to or how I might feel about someone. "Unfettered" is what we are when we give ourselves for the service of others; there is nothing holding us back or taking priority over what God is calling us to do. The more you free yourself up to serve Him, the more free you become to serve Him more...

""I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. But I offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.""
(Jonah 2:5-9) NLT