This section is dedicated to anyone who has ever felt deserted by God . . . to every Christian who has ever felt 'shelved.' This section is dedicated to any Christian who has said of God, "I will not make mention of him, or speak any more in his name." (Jeremiah 20:9) This is for every Christian who has said, "You are the God of my strength, why do you cast me off?" (Psalm 43:2)

The apostle Paul, himself, was frightened of this possibility: ". . . lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I, myself, should be a castaway!"

We have all met people who feel as though they have been put aside, as though they had no purpose . . . no meaning to life.

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust him!"
-- Job

These are Christian believers who think they are misfits. Who feel they have nothing to offer, nothing to give -- or who do have something to give, but nobody is taking!!!

Christians who may feel sorry for themselves, yet are honest with God about their feelings.

Who feel disabled.

Incapable of loving.

Like Neil Diamond's man who was 'out of touch.'

I knew a man who was out of touch
he'd hide in his house
and wouldn't say much.
Like a man with a tiger outside his gate,
He couldn't relax
He couldn't relate.

Christians who think they have failed to keep the religious rules, and are not free to be themselves.

How sad it should end this way.

---

SONG OF THE CASTAWAY

Here I sit on the outside
Throwing pebbles in the ocean
Hoping one will
Cause a tidal wave
And wash me out to sea.

Here I sit on the outside
Wondering what to do next
Wondering how to get someone
Or even God
To notice me.

And my gifts
Which I will gladly give
for the price of bread
For me and mine

Here I sit on the outside
Wondering what part
Of the Body of Christ
I am.
A little toe? Am eye? An Ear?
I feel most like the buttocks

Something for
The rest of the Church
To sit on
And wipe

Here I sit on the outside
On the shelf
Gathering dust
Waiting to be opened and read.

Helping to hold up the other
Forgotten books
Perhaps someday
The shelf will be cleaned
And there will be a book burning.

That shouldn't be so bad
After all
Smoke flies upward.

-- PDM

---

BUT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A THERAPEUTIC PRESENTATION!

What can be done to turn this thing around?

• READ YOUR BIBLE AND PRAY?
  . . . you've probably tried that
• BECOME MORE ACTIVE IN CHURCH?
  . . . what will that accomplish?
• BECOME MORE RELIGIOUS?
  . . . you're grasping at straws now.
• BECOME A BETTER WITNESS?
  . . . to what? To Christ in your life? Where's the evidence?

If you were being prosecuted in court for being a Christian, you would be aquitted for lack of evidence.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT MAY HELP

1. Get control of your destructive emotions.

Guilt
Anxiety
Depression
Loneliness
Fear
Timidity

And start LOVING YOU!

"JESUS, OTHERS AND YOU" is a sweet, humble sentiment, but it is bad theology. However benevolent we think it is, we should NEVER allow anything or anyone to come between us and Jesus. We MUST maintain close, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, or we will have nothing to give to others.

Did Jesus say, "Love your neighbor as you love God?"

No! He said "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Which is precisely the problem for most of us. We criticize, throw verbal rocks and think evil of one another precisely because that is how it reflects on how we think about outselves!

BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT JESUS HAD IN MIND.

YOU CAN'T EVEN LOVE GOD WITHOUT A SENSE OF DEEP APPRECIATION FOR YOURSELF. A man cries out to God from a deep sense of survival and the need to be loved.

YOU AND I WERE CREATED BECAUSE GOD LOVED HIMSELF! And he wanted someone to love him out of their freedom to choose to love him.

2. Tell God, "Okay, Lord, it apppears as though you want me to do something with the gifts that you have given me, instead of waiting for you to do it for me."

God knows that you will never respect yourself until you accomplish something with the brains and abilities he has already given you.

3. Attempt something so big -- bigger than yourself -- that unless God intervenes, it will fail of its own weight.

This is not an appeal to wild, crazy, irresponsible ideas, which, if attempted, would be a form of tempting God, which Jesus forbids.

4. God is only going to take you so far. He is not going to do the whole thing for you.

-- He has given you a good mind. He expects you to train it and use it.

-- He has given you a good body. He expects you to keep it fit and use it effectively.

-- He has give you an expansive spirit. He expects you to keep pushing back its horizons and explore your imagination. Have you ever stopped to realize that nothing you see that was made with human hands would exist without imagination?

5. FEEL THE FIRE IN YOUR BONES! We started out by quoting the prophet Jeremiah, who said, "I will not make mention of him, or speak any more in his name."

We close with the rest of the story. Jeremiah continued by saying, "But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I became weary with holding it back, and I could not stay silent."

6. In time, most of us will get tired of playing the religious games that we run on ourselves and others. This is the moment when we come to the place where we are ready to be genuine, authentic, and express ourselves as God meant us to do.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS:

God still loves you. I know. Amazing isn't it?

God will put you where you want to be (Psalm 37:4) and use you in a way you never imagined he could.

So don't stop moving.

Don't stop giving of yourself.

Always make yourself available.

Don't sign off!

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass.

Though you have lain among the pots, yet shall you be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and feathers with yellow gold. Psalm 68:13

Empower Factor VIII: Concept of God #1

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