Abide in Your Calling

It is important to stand firm - don't be wishy washy in your faith and your beliefs. Don't be a slave to sin! Romans 6 talks about how sin can rule your life if you let it. Hell is a real place, but it wasn't ever meant for people. Hell was created for the Devil and his Angels. Heaven was made for us - each and every one that calls upon the Lord will find salvation and be able to call Heaven their eternal home. Salvation is a reality that is found all throughout the book of John. It is even offered in the Book of Genesis, but it is found with the offering of sacrifice. We no longer need to offer sacrifice, because Jesus did it for us.

Isaiah 45:22 Make sure you are looking in the right place. You wouldn't go to a gas station for clothes, or to a restaurant for gas. You go to the source - to the right place. To be saved you go to God through Jesus Christ. God said, "Look unto Me" and that is exactly what we must do!

 

Isaiah 55 - Incline your ears and look to Him! Romans 10:17 - Find faith by hearing!

 

Know you are lost and what it is that the Lord saved you from! We are saved FOR eternal life and were saved FROM Hell and God's wrath. Turn to God and take the right path. 1 Corinthians 15:1 You get saved eternally. No one can take your salvation from you - not even the Devil! The Gospel is Good News that was written for believers, the family of God.

 

Baptism isn't required for salvation, but it is required for church service, and is an obedient act that pleases the Lord. Jesus walked 25 miles to be baptized, thus setting the example for us.

 

Think back to people you respect, leaders that you look up to. Those leaders all have one thing in common... humility. A good leader would never ask their team to do something they wouldn't do. And, indicative of a good leader, Jesus never asks us to do something that he himself wouldn't do.

 

Church membership is precious, it is something to find comfort in and is what God has asked us to seek out. First you must be saved - Acts 8 - to be saved you must profess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he died for your sins. Matthew 16 After salvation you are to seek church membership and for that you must be baptized.

 

Some people say - I know Jesus - I am saved, why go to church? Sure, you can fellowship with the Lord anywhere, but church is where you grow in your knowledge and love for the Lord. Think about what Jesus has done for you - think of what he endured so that your sins may be forgiven. He doesn't ask a lot in return, serving him as a church member is a small offering. Jesus shed his blood for the church, that is how important it is to Him.

 

Salvation => Baptism => Service  

 

Once you have accepted the Lord as your Savior then it is up to you to continue being obedient to the Lord. It is easy to fall into the patterns of this world and stop praying, stop going to church - but that isn't what God intended for us. He wants us to be saved then continue growing in our knowledge of Him, continue to worship Him and show our gratitude for all He has done. After all our time here is preparation for Heaven@

 

We are to abide and occupy here on Earth. Luke 19:12-13 In this passage Jesus is dealing with the subject of stewardship. Occupy means to make good use of the time and to increase and magnify the kingdom of Heaven. Be busy about the Father's business.

 

This is they key reason as to why we have fellowship and service - it is all to magnify God. When we are face to face with Jesus what do we want him to say? Do we want him to admonish us, or to reward us and think of us as a good and faithful servant? Of course it is the latter!

 

In the end believing in Jesus is the most important thing we must do here on this Earth. But that is just the beginning - follow the path of service and find the ultimate rewards!

 

 

Promises

Don't make promises that you can't keep. All men fall short of perfection and any human can let you down. God, however, never fails to keep his promises... he can not lie!
Titus 1:2    2 Peter 1:4

You can count on God, always and in all ways. In the King James version Bible you see the word "Alway" in the text many times. In newer translations they have changed that word, in many cases, to always and that isn't the intent or meaning of that word. Instead, it truly means what it sounds like. While the word always means now and forever the word in Biblical text alway means now and forever and also in every way. So when the Lord promises to be with us alway - it means he is with us in all ways.

There is nothing too small for God to handle or to care about. If it is important to you, it is important to God. God has promised to be with us and while we may fail him - he won't fail us. Unlike friends you would find upon this Earth, God is an unconditional friend. He doesn't hold grudges or shut you out because of your sin. He wants what is best for all of us and He is there for us through the good and the bad.

The Lord is our helper and he never fails to hear our prayers. He hears the prayers that are cried out, those that are spoken softly, and those that are but silent pleas. He knows your needs and He knows how to get your attention when he needs to.  

                                  Hebrews 2:16    1 Timothy 2:5   Psalms 34:15-17

God is there for us all the time. 1 Peter 5:6-7 Be humble and let God lift you up. Let your triumph over troubles be to His glory and in turn let Him exalt you and make you strong enough to succeed. Take your troubles to the Lord and trust that He will make it work out. When you trust in the Lord you have to totally give it over to Him - you can't always have it your way...but you have to trust that He knows what is best and He will take care of you through it all.

God is there for us all the time - taking care of the big things and the small. It is easy to remember Him when he has just saved us from something horrible, or brought us amazing blessings, but it is important to remember Him all the time - just like he remembers us all the time. Thank God for the protection that he provides, for the daily supplication.

John 14:27 Peace be with you. Get your mind on God and stay focused and you will find perfect peace - that is what he has promised us. Don't stop reading your bible, saying prayers, keeping your eyes fixed on God. If we are a member of his army he has promised us rest from our labor.
Matthew 11:28-30 / Psalms 37:3-7

How to Live for Christ

2 Corinthians 5:13

The purpose of our existence is to LIVE, it is not to simply exist. In God's eyes it isn't about the quantity, but the quality. As humans, we do now know how many days we have on this earth... we may have years left, we may have only days - but in the end it is about what we do with the time we do have. The purpose of life is to prepare for Heaven, to live a life that is pleasing to God. If you live your life with Jesus in your heart, then you will not experience spiritual death and you will life on eternally even after this life passes.

Galatians 2:20 - God gave his Son for us... he sent Jesus to die on the cross so that we wouldn't have to suffer the weight of our own sin. God gave such a large sacrifice that it is a small request to ask us to live a life that is pleasing to him.

We are a small speck - a small piece of a much bigger puzzle. God created man to fellowship with him. We were created to be God's friend, how awesome is that?!? It is important that we always remember the sacrifice that He gave - what if we were asked to sacrifice our own child - what would you do?

I read this story a long time ago and it really hit home for me - I would like to share it with you all in hopes it puts things into perspective:

     One day there is a story on the news that there is a new disease, a horrible strain of the flu that is killing people by the hundreds. The disease gets so out of control that the CDC calls a national state of emergency and requires that every US citizen be blood tested to try to find someone who was immune to the disease....someone who offered a cure, a clue, something.

     For weeks people were tested and awaited to hear their fate. They awaited to hear that they found a cure, all the while they watched helplessly as they lost family members, neighbors, friends... the disease was seemingly going to wipe out the entire nation if not the world.

     A father is sitting in front of his television, watching the devastation and death all around. He prays every night for a cure to be found, for this horrible disease to spare his young son. Every night the two pray together, for the Lord to have mercy and to spare the human race.

     The next day there was a knock on their door - it was someone from the CDC. He told them they had to come with them... they had found something interesting in their son's blood. They said not to be alarmed, that it was good, his son was believed to be immune.

     The father fell to his knees and praised God. He was so thankful that their prayers had been answered. The father and his son followed the man from the CDC and got into his van. They were rushed to the nearest test center where his son's blood was drawn again to confirm their suspicions. Hours later a doctor walked in and nodded, indeed his son's blood offered a clue. Not only did it offer a clue, but it offered a cure.

     The scientists had anticipated that they would find someone who was immune and had made a plan on how they could take that person's blood and turn it into an antidote. They shared that plan with the father and shared how amazing this opportunity was that his son could save all of mankind.

     The father was so happy. They were saved, this nightmare was over. All they needed was a signature giving consent to take the blood that was needed for the procedure. Before the father signed the paper the doctor got very graven and said, "There is one thing I need to tell you.". The father eagerly awaited what the doctor had to say, after all every minute that passed people died - what could be so important to hold this process up?

     The doctor said, "I am afraid that in all of our planning we had hoped that there would be more than one donor. We had anticipated that there may only be one and we have the procedure set to where we can use a single adult donor and they can survive... we simply didn't anticipate the donor would be a young boy of only 8. We can make the procedure work, but we will need a larger percentage of the donor's blood than if it was an adult."

     The father hesitated, realizing that this was going to be a risk to his son. He asked the doctor, exactly how much of his son's blood they would need? In response the doctor answered solemnly, "All of it. Your son will not survive, but he will save many in the process."

     Tears welled up in the father's eyes as he looked to his son. How could he give up his son's life, even to save millions? He couldn't, he simply couldn't. Before he could refuse, his son grabbed his hand and said, "It's okay Daddy... they need me to do this, God answered our prayers with me. Let them have my blood, Daddy - God needs me."

     Trying to fight the tears back the father realized what he had to do. He signed the paper and he held his son's hand until he felt his little arm go limp. He hugged his boy one last time, then he walked out into the crowd of people...

 That story depicts what God must have felt watching Jesus die on the cross. He made that ultimate sacrifice and saved mankind. What if you were that father and you gave up your son and saved the world. Then what if those very people that you saved simply wasted their lives - weren't grateful and even blasphemed you and your son's name? How would that make you feel?

Hebrews 12:1-2 You must lay aside your burdens - the weight of your sin so that you can "run the race" of life. Everyone has sin that holds them back, but our focus needs to be on the finish line, not on the weights that we are carrying along the way. You can't worry about those around you or what they are carrying with them either. If you look to Jesus - you are looking to the finish line. He is standing there waving that checkered flag.

It is important that we follow his example and life for Him. The best way to know how to live is to read his Word and to go to church. Church is simply practice for Heaven...sure you can get in without it, but it helps you be prepared for when you get there.

Acts 20:28   No one knows or loves you like Jesus - he is there to take care of you and to fellowship with. Micah 7:7Rely on Jesus - get help from him. He already knows your needs... all you need is to reach out and ask for his help - he hears your prayers.

Colossians 3:16 - The Bible is a teaching book. The Word is inspiring and we are to enjoy it and let it dwell in us. Smile in your heart for that makes the Lord smile. Feed your soul with the Word, spend time in your Bible daily for it nourishes your spirit.

Revelations 22 - Lean on Jesus. You can't do it alone - you simply can't make it through life's trials and tribulations without Him. He is your crutch, lean on Him so that the devil can not trip you!

Let Christ Live in You

The law was given by Christ as a guide. We are taught how to live our lives by the outline that the law gives. Galatians 2:16-20 - the idea is that we must live our lives for Christ.

          Galatians 2:20 includes four parts:

1. Being crucified with Christ. Of course this isn't meant in the literal sense - but it means that we are redeemed in Christ, through his sacrifice.
2. It is no longer I who lives, it is Christ - Again not literal but meaning that Christ dwells inside of you once you ask him into your heart. It is God's purpose that we live a happy and fruitful life - he fills us with the Holy Spirit and helps us accomplish that.
3. Live by the faith of God - It is only through his grace that we live and have the lives that we have. It is because of his love and grace that we have life rather than mere existence.
4. Given by the Son of God who died for me - We are given hope through Christ who gave himself for each of us. Through the knowledge of what happened, by reading and believing in the gospels, we have hope.

Through Jesus we can survive the trials and tragedies that we each have to face. So often life throws harrowing problems at us and it is hard not to feel alone at times. The beauty of God's grace is that we are never alone - he is with us always. He supports us emotionally and also gives us what we need to LIVE.

 

Matthew 6:25-33 Are we not more valuable than animals? God knows our needs and he takes care of the faithful. He knows the things that we are needful of and he supplies.

We don't fix our own problems by worrying about them - we fix them by turning it over to God. He asks us to focus on what is really important - Matthew 6:34 We must not worry about tomorrow because God already has tomorrow taken care of. We must do, today, what he wants us to do. Please him and be faithful and worry not.

Things work out for those who follow and seek the Lord. Romans 8:28 verifies that very fact. Again in John 6 we see that Jesus met the needs of 5,000 with mere rations that would leave a small family hungry in normal circumstances.

"This is the day that the Lord hath made, We will rejoice and be glad in it!"                                                                                     Psalms  118:24

There is a big difference between living and surviving. Because He lives, I can face life and death... Because of Christ we each have eternal life, we have an eternal friend, and because of Him we have hope! In turn we must do our best to live lives that are pleasing to Him, lives that give Him glory. Make it matter how you live your life - God cares, you should too! Live each day of your life like it is your last. Don't be in a hurry to get to Heaven, but be ready for when you are called.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 If you are listening for God's voice and truly believe in Jesus you are included in His people. There is no waiting period to be saved - it is instant! Look at the thieves on the cross with Jesus. One was ready while the other still did not believe. Luke 23:39-43 The thief that believed in Christ was saved - he secured his salvation at the end of his earthly life, just in time!

1 John 5:10 You can know where you are going and be assured in your salvation. Trust in Jesus and leave your worries of eternity behind. Jesus is the only way to salvation - John 14:6 - believe in him and you shall have everlasting life. John 6:44

You CAN face life - you CAN have a happy and successful life - and to do that you MUST have Jesus Christ in your life. With Jesus you can make it through sickness, age, financial issues, unemployment, and even death. All of that is taken care of through Jesus. Trust in him and live every day for the Lord.

If you haven't asked the Lord into your heart take the time to do it now. Secure your future - you are the only one that can. Pray to the Lord from your heart, confess that you believe that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for your sins and ask for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you. Ask those things and today you can know where you will spend eternity!

Be Spirit Filled

One of the most important things to look for when you are seeking a new church is one that is filled with the Holy Spirit. A Spirit filled church is a blessed church - and one that will help you grow in your knowledge and love for the Lord.
 
           A Spirit filled church is one that is:

• Steadfast in God's Word
• Growing
• Has consistent attendance by its members
• Full of fellowship
• Celebratory with breaking of bread
• A praying church

Many places have social activities, services, but if you don't find inspiration in the pulpit then you won't find it in the pews. If there is no Holy Spirit in the church then who is there to teach and guide us?

Acts 2:38 shows that we were given the Holy Spirit as a gift. When you use the Bible as a guide the Spirit is active with you and the Lord blesses that. It is important to conduct your church in a way that is patterned after the church in Jerusalem. That church was devout in their worship - spending time daily in the temple.

Conviction is so important - you must make the commitment to be devout in your worship. People are often taunted for being devout in their worship - sometimes their actions being called ritualistic. It is all a matter of how you look at things. Do you go to your job everyday? Do you eat dinner everyday? Do you consider those actions ritualistic...and if so, is that a bad thing? Some rituals are good - make a habit of talking to God and doing things that please Him.

Acts 2:45 Talks of how the church members sold their possessions and made sure each one had what they needed. They operated as a family, as a group where everyone supported one another in every way. That model worked in its time, but for many reasons has to be altered to fit modern day. Face it, if we all went to church on Sunday and the pastor said "Clear out your bank accounts, sell your cars and homes, and put the proceeds in the collection plate next Sunday" I think that would be our last time attending that church. But that model should be applied in that we need to take care of one another. If we have extra of something share it - seek out someone who needs what you have to give.

We often look to men for approval for our thoughts and actions - that is not the approval that we need to be seeking. In Acts 5:29 Peter makes a valid point, we should be obeying God rather than Man. Peter and the apostles knew that they were sinners saved by grace, and that they could not be saved by mere men.

Romans 1: The Word and God's love is for everyone. There is no one out there that doesn't need Jesus - that was true back when the Bible was written and it is true now. Share the Word, spread the joy that it has brought your life. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel and neither should we be. Paul was threatened with prison - bodily harm - and much more...yet he continued to spread the word. Don't fear mere words from people... be strong in your faith and share it with the world. Mark 16:15

Be thankful for the many blessings you have - be content and happy for things can always be worse. Philippians 4:11 tells us to be content, in whatever state we are in. Don't let any situation or sadness stop you from  spreading the Word!

Acts 11:26 - Christians were first recognized as such. Christian meaning Christ like - use Him as a model. Be the beacon of God's love - 2 Timothy 1 - show it to the world! Do not apologize for preaching the truth - follow the Word and be non-judgmental yourself yet honest in God's desires of us.

Psalms 126 - Be thankful to the Lord for all he does for you. Give thanks to Him without ceasing. Sometimes it isn't just our words that make the difference it is our actions and the light that our lives shine. Be the Lord's beacon of light!

 

The Sufficiency of God's Grace

 

 

We can do nothing without Christ. It is with his help that we are able to be successful in our endeavors and we must always remember where that strength and those abilities come from which bring about success. It is when we start to feel that our success is achieved through our own works that we find trouble.

 

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."                                                        2 Corinthians 12:9

 

Paul boasted and the Bible tells us of afflictions he suffered because of that boasting. While it doesn't go into detail as to what his afflictions were, it is assumed that they were likely more spiritual than physical as demons were allowed to further torment that affliction.

Many wonder - how can a loving and caring God allow us, his children, to suffer? But we must remember that God knows what is best and he gives us the grace of Jesus so that we may bear those afflictions that we are given. Sometimes, when we ask for our afflictions to be lifted we are met with a stern "No" from God. We must understand that he knows best, and it is in those times that we must pray for grace. God knows our needs and he addresses them in his way, it is through his grace that we are able to come out the other side better than when we first faced our affliction(s).

 

 Titus 2 - Be a model for others. God helps us to make it through our trials and tribulations, we should use that experience to show others God's grace and mercy. Follow God and his examples and through your life exemplify what a true Christian is.

 

God takes care of everything in the end...sometimes the outcome isn't exactly what we desired, or what we had planned, but it is always God's will and it is always accompanied by Jesus' grace which allows us to make it through whatever we are up against. Go to God with every need - anything that is important to you is important to God. There is nothing you can pray about or ask of him that would be a shock, because he already knows your thoughts and your needs.

Don't ever quit God - Mark 4:35-40 In these verses we see that even the men riding on the ship with Jesus doubted. How must they have felt when they woke him out of a sound sleep, shaking with fear, and he calmly walked out, waved his hand and calmed the sea. How clear would the awesome power of God be if we were to see that miracle? How could you ever give up on someone who could do such amazing things once you saw such wonders? The key is faith. The Bible tells us of the wonders Jesus did so that we can have that as testimony to his awesome power. It also testifies that he will be there for us just as he was there for the men on the ship which we read about in Mark chapter 4.

 

Jesus' grace is sufficient now as it was then. There is not a situation that will arise which God can't get you through. Nothing can happen to you that God wouldn't care about, he is there for us through it all. 

 

Have you been talking to God lately? Have you asked for His grace? When you find yourself in trouble - don't whimper, don't whine - go to God. As for his grace. Trust in his time to send the help you WANT and while you wait trust in him to give you the grace you NEED. Don't hold anything back from Jesus....

 

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

                                                                                            Galatians 2:20

 

" do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

                                                                                            Galatians 2:21 

Standing Strong in the Lord

God has blessed each one of us with different traits and has called us each accordingly. It is up to us to be happy in whatever our calling is!

    "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." 1 Corinthians 7:20

Abide means to dwell in or reside and a calling is like a profession or occupation. You will notice that everyone here on Earth is different. Some are handy with building things, others are intelligent with words and others with numbers. The key is to remember that each of us is special and we have all been blessed with gifts that the Lord intends us to use for the greater good, His greater good.

1 Corinthians 7:22 - Choose your master wisely... a servant of man is a slave while a servant of the Lord is free. When you serve the Lord you are treated justly and if you do well at your calling then you can grow within that. God loves to promote people in their ministry!

Isaiah 45:22 - Look to the Lord and his ways and come to him through Jesus.
Isaiah 55:3 - In this verse we are told to "Incline our ears" - what that phrase means is quite simple... LISTEN! God wants us to listen to the Word and not only hear but obey!

If those on Earth knew the exact date that Jesus was set to return what would a majority of them do? They would live their lives however they wanted to until right before Jesus' return... they would enjoy the sins of the earth until they knew it was almost too late. That is the nature of sin. When you follow the pleasures of this world you fall to sin - but if you act on the direction you find in God's Word then you shall prevail.

Above we learned that if you serve the Lord then you in turn earn your freedom in a sense. You can see in both Romans 10:13 and Matthew 11:28 that God promises to give us rest. How great is it that the all powerful God will come to our aid and give US rest? He is a kind master that rewards those that do His work and serve Him. It is definitely not a one sided relationship.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 outlines that we were given instructions directly from God. They come in the form of the gospel found in the Holy Bible.  We are to abide (or live) in the Word and to share it with others. Be steadfast in our faith and let our lives and how we serve in our calling be an outward demonstration of his amazing grace. You may be the model that makes someone desire a Christian life - you may be confident in your salvation but what about your friends and family?

Acts 8:26
Romans 1:1-6
Psalms 37
1 Chronicles 29:1-9
As we look at the above scriptures and the stories behind them you find that the Lord decides our calling and asks us to offer ourselves willingly. We don't always know the outcome but we must trust in God and submit fully.