Seizing The Opportunities In Life

This post is a message summary* from Dr. Decker H.Tapscott, Sr. He is the Senior Pastor of Faith Christian Church International Outreach Center, in Warrenton, VA. He is a frequent speaker to God's people in both Denominational, Non-denominational, and International church bodies, and is a guest speaker for Women's Aglow. He is the author of "So Run" and "Let Us Make Man", two powerful kingdom initiatives on Biblical Manhood and The Life of Faith. His vision is to see men and women, young and old, impacted by the life-changing power of the Word of God, so that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit can bring the transformation necessary for Kingdom service. For more information visit www.gotfaithnow.com.

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Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. Ephesians  5:14-15

We must make the most of our time because the days are evil. We must seize every opportunity.
We don't have time to waste time. You must consider your ways. You can't spend time in front of the TV watching valueless things. The scripture tells us to not be vain or thoughtless.

As the old saying goes, "An empty mind is the devil's workshop." We must understand and grasp what the mind of the Lord is. It is impossible to live a life on purpose without knowing His will.

As we run life's race, we will come across one opportunity after another. There will be ostacles along the way. We must gain the greatest value from the opportnites while avoiding and overcoming obstacles. Life is not a bed of thornless roses! There are things that want to undermine our walk and our integrity, to undermine and keep you from reaping the rewards.

Obstacles like: "It doesn't take all that."
                          " You think you're more spiritual than us?"

Many things come to question the validity of your ordination by God. Even church folk can't seem to grasp the grace on your life. God is the one who validates! God brings recognition to us! In this hour, in the shaking of our Nation (USA), there will be some shaking off and some shaking together. It will cause you to be stronger and be apt to fulfill what God has called you to.

Take a look at this verse:

1 Corinthians 16:9

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁹For a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries.

This verse has to do with the timing of God. You may long to be elsewhere, but where you are now, there is a great door of opportunity, an open door there for you! There may be adversaries that you are facing that want you to underfunction, but God will give open doors. You must be willing not to miss it!

You cannot be intimidated!

God will open the door, and someone who has vision  and can see what you can't see will be there. God sees the worth and value in you! God sees promise in you! He sees growth and increase! Be careful of people trying to talk you out of where you are. Walk through every door of opportunity that God opens to you! Don't worry about the Sanballats and Tobias and Gershoms that say what you build won't last. Understand God's will. He will complete the work he begun in you and perform it until the day of Jesus Christ's return! (Phil. 1:6)

There may be those like those in Nehemiah's day that seek to destroy or discredit you but let God turn your mess into ministry! We have the opportnity to do two things:

1. We can EMPATHIZE or

2. We can ENERGIZE

Take a look at this passage:

Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

To empathize means to place yourself in the position of another, to identify with what they think or feel.

This man went down from Jerusalem (peace) to Jericho (curse). He fell among robbers ( a types of the law) who stripped him of his clothes and beat  him.

Anytime we try to keep the mandates of the law, we will fail. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

He was passed over by the Priest (minister) and the Levite (worshipper). He was ignored by the religious. Those who it was their assignment to minister to the injured. They refused their opportunity. Instead he was looked on with pity and sympathy by the Samaritan (outsider).

The Samaritan, the least likely, was moved with compassion. And he reacted to it. He did something about it. Like Jesus, he was touched with the feeling of the man's infirmity. You too, in this season will encounter those going through and suffering.

This year, in the next 18 months, you'll see people living in tents, boxes, parks, losing their homes. You will see disasters as things worsen. These are Promising Opportunities to show empathy! The Samaritan, an Outcast to society felt the suffering and ministered.

Be careful when God brings you into a "Can't Miss It", "Roadside" Opportunity.

The Priest and the Levite chose to miss the opportunity. To cross over the street. To go around the corner. To avoid the encounter with the broken and wounded. To act like you don't see them. Empathy has an action attatched to it!

Many say, "I feel you." What are you going to do with the feeling?

The Samaritan poured in oil and wine. He took him to the Inn (a type of the church). Do what you can do! Make yourself available! Not all you come into contact with will be your assignment, but you must hear God and act when he instructs and how he instructs. Not every good thing is a God thing, but God will bless every God thing.

When we know our seasons of opportunity, we know how to posture ourselves.

To engergize we begin to respond proactively to affect another person's life.

Hear this prayer: ¹⁶May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

¹⁷May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love. Ephesians 3:16-17 AMP

God wants us to be reinforced with mighty power, making a permanent home in our hearts!

We are not called to beat a man or kick a man when he's down, but to lift him up! We can help others get back on their feet. Maybe God is calling you to be a resource, give of your resources, or preach and proclaim resurrection life. Do what the will of God is requiring of you.

You may be like the beggar, the one standing in need, crying out for mercy. Jesus is right there, feeling you. he will respond. Remember the more determined the beggar became, the more he was told to shut up! You must be willing to cry louder. When you recognize Jesus is here, nothing should stop you! The beggar's plea stopped the the King's parade. Jesus came with not only compassion, but the power to bring results!

If you have to pray, worship, fast, cry, whatever you have to do, SEIZE your opportunities in life!

*minor adjustments have been made grammatically to the text.

No Room In The Inn: A Holiday Message

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

Lk 2:7

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The end of the year is fastly approaching and a new year  is soon to be upon us. As the song goes, "It's beginning to look alot like Christmas. But let's take a moment to think about what Christmas looked like through Mary and Joseph's eyes.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ (most believe the date to be in the Spring), I want you to think about this: Jesus was homeless on the day of his birth. Yep. Homeless. That thought hit me hard. Not only, because I too have been homeless, but also that at a time when people should have welcomed the King they instead overlooked Him. The package wasn't what they were expecting. The parents were not prominent members of the community. There were few to witness the birth of Christ, indeed more animals than humans may have gazed on the event.

 

So, what are we doing with Christ this Holiday Season? Are we making room for Him in our festivities, in our home, in our hearts? Is this just the most wonderful time of the year if we get everything WE want? What about those who are grieving the loss of loved ones who were here last year, but not this year? What about those with financial decisions weighing heavily upon them? Or, what of those who are homeless like Christ was? His parents had the wherewithal to secure lodging; there was simply none available.

Will you make room for the Son of God? After all, Jesus, God with Us, is the reason for the celebration. Want to have Outrageous Church? Invite Jesus into your heart. Make room for him, and watch what gifts will unfold in your life because of Him!

 

Blessings!