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" Reaching The Harvest One Person At A Time "
International Ministries of Last Call, Inc
8311 N E Zac Lentz Parkway Unit
Victoria, TX 77904
ph: 601 324 1240
This year as I began to embark on this new journey with much prayer and reflection, I had to stop and take a moment to journey back in time.....I don't think I'll say how long, but believe me when I say quite a long time ago...I remember it was a time in my life when I felt so empty, and even though I had my family, a husband and two small children...and was very much involved in ministry, It seemed like I had it all but still it was never enough...I always felt like I needed to do something on a greater and grander scale.
Now, I'm not here to embark on any issues of my past, but what I need to say in this message today I need to tell you this part of my story.
It was a time in my life when being a wife and a mom wasn't enough for me, I had a passion for ministry and I do believe that there was a time that I gave it my all, but eventually even that wasn't enough, so I started a career.
Over a period of years I excelled in a retail career, which brought me much success, and in 2009 as a retail store manager for a major retail chain I recieved many awards, including Store Of The Year for my district.
Also, in that same year I launched a non-profit corporation called The Last Call Ministries International...which this website is the product of that dream, and I've had many ups and downs, many successes and failures over the past 20 years and even struggled to the point where there have been many times I have truly just wanted to quit.
But can I tell you today that as I sit here, I have truly made many mistakes and have many regrets and most of time I have wished I had made better choices in my life....but most of all........If I had the chance to do life all over again....I wish I had focused more of my time in life on the one thing that I know today has always been there, and always been faithful, and has never, ever let me down...even though I failed Him many times, My sweet Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ has been my rock.
Truly He has been the best decision in my life, and the most faithful.
The greatest thing about the love of Christ is that even in our failures, He is still so very faithful. Let's look at this passage of scripture that tells the story of Peter....and how after following so close to the Lord, in the time Christ needed Him the most, He rejected the Lord.
John 18
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.
18 And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.
and then again in verse 25:
25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
As we can see Peter denied Christ 3 times and then the cock crew....
Selah!
Now I want to ask you.....how many times have we made our choices by doing what's best for us or for our own benefit. Isn't that what Peter did?
Actually it was kind of a life or death situation, Peter knowing that his life could be in danger simply by association with this man called Jesus....and even though he had walked side by side with Him and saw all the miracles, heard all of His profound words of teaching, still when it came time to choose between Self and Service....He chose Self.
In today's times, all over the world, many are having to make this same choice, and many are sacrificing their life to choose Jesus Christ.
Many of our Pastors and Affiliates on foreign soil are truly risking their life to win souls for the cause of Christ, and there is a shift happening in the body of Christ as we near closer and closer to the time of His coming.
But I truly have to ask myself today, how much am I truly willing to sacrifice of me for the One who has truly given me everything.
Today I feel like Peter, I feel like I have failed Him in on so many levels.
But even in rejection Jesus still came back to minister to Peter as we see in this next scripture context.
John 21
21 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.
2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
Selah!
So here we see that Peter had basically given up and went back to the same lifestyle he had before Jesus called him to be his disciple, but even though Peter had lost hope and felt defeated in the death of Christ, Jesus the faithful friend, came along on the shores of Galilee looking for Simon Peter.
John 21
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Selah!
As we read this passage, I want you to notice the one question that Jesus continually asked of Peter....Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
And His instructions to Peter each time was,FEED MY SHEEP.......
This is the question I feel so strongly rolling in my spirit, and with my spiritual eye I can see Jesus with His arms outstretched to the world and saying.....
DO YOU LOVE ME????
FEED MY SHEEP.....................
And most of us, including myself, are answering the same way Peter did, by choosing to serve self rather than answering the call.
Here is where I feel we are as a church, not a building but the body of Christ...
The Holy Spirit is sending out a call in these last days for the true church of the Living God to again enter into the upper room, for there is a great need for Spiritual renewal and an outpouring of the Holy Ghost in this hour.
Truly in order for the body of Christ to serve in the capacity that Christ is calling us to, we must first have that upper room experience again, for you see Peter really did have great love for the Lord, but what he did not have was the power to serve Christ BOLDLY and WITHOUT LIMITATION. THIS IS TRULY MY PRAYER ON A DAILY BASIS....I TRULY BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FOR GOD, we must turn away from entertainment and get back to worship...seeking God for HIS VOICE In This hour.
Jesus, take the limits off!!! Let us once again seek you until we are baptized in the Spirit of Your Power!!!
Acts 2
2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
And beginning in verse 37
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Selah!
As you can see, Peter's limitations certainly were broken as he spoke with boldness, authority and power.......His faith soared as the birth of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ was thrust forth on that day.
I feel we are entering a time of re-birth for God's church......Truly we cannot miss it....but even now as I am writing this message my heart is heavy because I realize that if we don't overcome our desire to serve only self, and become a servant seeking to serve Christ, many of us will fail to reach the harvest God has purposed in our destiny.
As I look back now over the years I can see where every day I made a decision about my life that would either serve my own purpose and desires, or it would serve God's purpose and destiny for me.
Can I just tell you today that my greatest regrets are that I waisted so much precious time doing the things that made me happy instead of seeking God's direction as to how He truly wanted me to serve.
I have truly found that the more I relinquish of myself and my desires to Him and all that He is calling me to, I truly have found the greatest peace I have ever known....
Has it been easy??? Not at all....Do I ever feel like giving up??? Sure I do....Have I had setbacks, hurt and rejection??? More than I can say......but still all in all, My Jesus, My Hope, My Strength and My Joy has always come through for me.
My message to you today is make up your mind to sit down and take inventory as to how you are living life.....Is it more about you than it is about Christ???
Ask yourself some hard questions about where your loyalties truly are.
Are you prepared to move into a new dispensation where The Holy Spirit is calling His church to make a broader stand for Christ, and to move into a greater demonstration of His power in these last days.
What are the sins that you have hidden away, thinking you'll get by, but on the contrary, is the one thing Jesus is asking you to lay down???
What are the lengths we are willing to go in order to serve to the uttermost for the cause of Christ???
For truly we must contend with ourselves, and seek Christ to draw out all that is unlike Him and make us useable in this hour. I have been asking myself these really hard questions as of late, and I must say that I have fallen so short of where I need and long to be...I am hearing my sweet Jesus ask me just like He did Peter...How much do you love me? It is so hard to admit how far I have fallen and how much I have failed to do, that is in my heart to do...I know He can help me and strengthen my heart and my hands to do more.
Isn't that what He did for Peter???
When Peter had all but given up, went back to fishing on the seas, Jesus loved him enough to come find him, and prod his heart with these simple questions.
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Let Every Heart Answer Yes Lord
" All I've Ever Needed "
" Lord Is You "
International Ministries of Last Call, Inc
8311 N E Zac Lentz Parkway Unit
Victoria, TX 77904
ph: 601 324 1240