Tony Findora

God is the master storyteller. He loves you. He wrote you in on purpose. He wants you in the story. But He won't make you play. He gives you that choice. God's story will proceed, with or without you. In seasons past of my life, I've tried to do things my own way, to write my own story. And I've given my life to Jesus, and done things His way. There is no comparison. I implore you, give your life to Jesus. Step into the story that God is telling. It's so much better. In every way.

This is to you Jesus followers who are also in ministry from your big sister who has seen a lot, read a lot, heard a lot and experienced a lot. I don’t believe people surrender to a calling with impure motives. They may not know what they’re getting themselves into but it’s not the kind of thing most people imagine at that point making them rich or powerful and able to manipulate and exploit and perform. But Satan uses every possible scheme to lead us “astray from [our] sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Cor 11:3) I can’t say this strongly enough. Be relentless in your protection of your own relationship with Jesus. Let no one—and I do mean no one—get between you and Jesus. This is not only for your benefit. It is for theirs. Do not let your own time of prayer and Bible reading turn into preparation for messages. If you do not have regular times of prayer and Bible reading, Saint, you are already cooperating with the enemy’s scheme to lead you astray. Return to the spiritual disciplines. Nothing replaces them and you are not the exception. Do not let what you are pouring out exceed what you have invited Jesus to pour in. In the powerful words of the apostle Paul, “having begun in the Spirit, will we now finish in the flesh??” Do not hand over your prayer life to intercessors. Let your thorn in the flesh which you no doubt have and I certainly have continue to pop the balloon of an inflated ego. That’s what it’s for. Serve with humility. One word. Jesus. Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus. This ONE is all that will matter at the end of the day. At the end of our lives. Every single one of us has the capacity to lose our way and exploit the work and the gifts God has given us to make a show of our flesh. We are quick to talk about people who fall into scandalous sins but there is something much more sinister that can go on for years and everyone see it in us…but us. There is simply falling away from sincere devotion and somewhere along the way replacing our first love. We can do this, Saints. But we will not do it by accident.