Man of God...: Skills for Service

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Skills for Service

"and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you:" -Exodus 31.6b

As God finishes giving Moses the instructions for the tabernacle we see this important note. All those who are skillful have been given that skill by God. The skills they have are to be used for His service. He has listed two here by name, Bezalel and Oholiab, two men who are skilled to do the work needed for the tabernacle's completion. They have been given skills, and the time has come to offer them in service to the One who gave them.

Men, each of us has skills, how are you using yours? Are you focused on getting ahead with your gifts and talents, or advancing the Kingdom? Are you using your mind to promote your ideas, or to instruct and disciple others? Are you using your skills selflessly or selfishly?

Back in Genesis we saw that God told Abraham and his descendants that through them all the families of the world would be blessed. We are blessed to be a blessing. And in the the same way we are skilled to serve. God does not equip us to live for ourselves, but for Him. He empowers us so that we can fulfill the work that He has called us to do. Each of us is called, and each of us is equipped.

Will you use your skills for service?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

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"Strength and honor." -Gladiator
"Brothers, what we do in life, echos in eternity." -Gladiator
"Ultimately, we're all dead men. Sadly we cannot choose how but we can decide how we meet that end, in order that we are remembered as men." -Gladiator
"Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back." -Gladiator
"Any man who wants to give his last, follow me." -The Hobbit, The Battle of the Five Armies
"Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it." -Braveheart
"I am William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight? ... Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live, at least for a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom" -Braveheart
"Every man dies. Not every man really lives." -Braveheart
"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions." -Robin Hood
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." -Robert Frost
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there premanetly if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. that's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!" -Rocky Balboa
"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth, always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath." -Kingdom of Heaven
"What man is a man who does not make the world better?" -Kingdom of Heaven
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." -Teddy Roosevelt
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke
"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you ... I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!" -Dwight D. Eisenhower, D-Day Message

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." -Proverbs 27.17
"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." -1 Corinthians 16.13-14
"But flee form these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." -1 Timothy 6.11-12
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." -2 Timothy 3.16-17
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing." -2 Timothy 4.7-8
"Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1.6-9