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A PLACE OF NO REPUTATION

At one time, Moses had been held in high esteem, respected in high
government
places, great in reputation and prestige. He moved among the wealthy and
was
one of the best-known men of his time. But when God spoke to him out of
the
burning bush (see Exodus 3:5), Moses had decreased to zero point.

God couldn't use him until he tore him away from his worldly
attachments. Who
knew Moses now? Hidden away, out of sight—silenced and without
influence. He
had no outlet for his great energy.

But the very moment Moses reached zero point—when his reputation was
totally
lost and there was nothing left of the old, self-assured Moses—he was on
holy
ground!

How long did God wait by that bush, ready to break forth in a glorious
new
revelation? Only until that final, breaking moment when Moses truly no
longer
cared about his work or his reputation. When he gave up the last scraps
of
self-reliance, he found revelation.

The Lord Jesus stood on this same holy ground. The Scriptures say, "He
made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant..."
(Philippians 2:7).

Shunning reputation and becoming a servant was a willful choice. Thank
God for
those who once again are being called to such holy ground, seeking to
decrease
that he may increase, and prepared for servanthood.

One great man of God wrote, "The man of God who truly preaches the Word
will
finally give up the idea of being known. If he preaches Christ, his
reputation
will constantly decrease and Christ will increase. True prophets die
unknown.
God gives them their dues only after they die."

I believe that if we seek a larger, more widespread reputation,
something is
missing in our message. Self is too prominent. Christ should be gaining
and we
should be losing recognition. We should be less known as the years go by
until,
like Paul, we end up shut in with God.

May we all decrease! May he alone increase! God help us to get back to
this
holy ground.

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/devotions/2010/place-of-no-reputation

SHARING A VERY ENCOURAGING WORD FROM: DR.CHARLES STANLEY.
AND HOW VERY IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE YIELD TO THE HOLY SPIRIT,MOMENT BY MOMENT IN ORDER TO DO GOD'S WILL. I HOPE YOU'RE TRULY BLESSED BY THE READ
LOVE YOU

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Comment by Charles Burwell on May 26, 2010 at 11:03pm: Dear Pat

I must thank you for this wonderful reminder about who is servant and who is Master. He has taught me over these many years that I must get to where I depend solely on Him for everything. It has been a long hard journey which is , I am sure , long from over but there is such a calm assurance that what ever the day may bring, when it is over I will still be His child.

I have done many different jobs through this turbulent economy and sometimes wonder why the Lord doesn't just give me a good paying full time , permanent job, He has been revealing through these last few years that He is not ignoring my situation but is using my situation to teach me things that I would not have otherwise learned,

A quick example is the current temporary job I have with the U S Census Bureau. We are currently going door to door conducting questionere's with people who haven't mailed one in yet. I cannot believe that someone who is an introvert , for the most part, is actually going up to the doors of people I don't even know . And doing it 15 - 20 times a day. I never dreamed that I would be able to do it and to do it sucessfully.

It may sound strange but I still ask God each day , and some days at each house, to help me do what is required of me and to protect me from potential harm. In some of these rural areas of Florida, as in other states , you can come across some strange and potentially harmful people who have crazy ideas about what we (census people ) are trying to do. There have been some who were threatened and one who was supposed to have been shot at. You just don't know what may be behind any door you knock on.

But God , as always , has been faithful, and has kept me from encountering any of the real dangerous ones. Or maybe He's just been settling them down before I approach them. Whatever He's doing , He's doing it well.

Now tomorrow I'm going up to Ocala to take a test , with many other people, to see if we can be a crew 'leader' for the final phase of the census. After I was invited to take the test I began to question what I was thinking by agreeing to even take the test. I am a very good follower but have no leadership skills at all.

For the last couple days I was thinking that I may reconsider and just be on a crew for the next phase. And would have backed out if I hadn't agreed to go to the testing place with my daughter. I told her I would go with her because she afraid that her boyfriend would get jealous if she went up by herself to where she used to hang out and work before she met him. So I have to go up and take the test.

I just feel that God is really testing , or maybe training , me through a lot of things I've been going through lately. I promised Him a long time ago that I would do whatever work He saw fit to supply me with. He's really put me to the test on that one. I ask Him to give me work that I'm good at , or at least comfortable with. Then He provides work in the areas that I am the very least good at or comfortable with.

If He provides the job of ' crew leader' that will be a greater challenge than the one I'm doing now. I sincerely believe that through all of the the Lord is trying to teach me to trust in Him alone and let HIM make the decisions and for me to just follow His lead and trust Him . In other words, I just need to get my ideas about what will happen out of the way and let Him lead me into whatever He's got in mind. To let Him prove Himself to me. I think as I yield to His working and just trust in Him I will really begin to learn what it means to 'decrease' and allow Him to ' increase' in not only this part of my life , but in all phases of it.

Some times He has to take away even the smallest ' self' supports that we have so we will lean entirely on Him.

I am sorry that I have rambled on so. This post has just been another step, at least in my mind, to figuring out the ways God is wanting to work in my life. Even as I have been typing these words I'm getting the impression that the Lord sitting there with an exasperated smile saying " finally , he's beginning to understand ".

I say that because I am , at times , very 'spiritually thick - headed". And comprehension comes at a real price for me. Anyhow, I really appreciate you taking the time to post this . I believe that this , and a couple other posts I've read by others here lately, is beginning to really get my thoughts going in the right direction.

I'll close, I've rambled on way to long. God bless you , my friend.

Comment by Pat on May 26, 2010 at 4:19pm: Thanks for the comment,I'm so glad it was a blessing to you!!! Yes how true Linda we must decrease and let Jesus increase!!!
Luv ya

A PLACE OF NO REPUTATION

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