Committed to God

2 Tim 1:12.14 I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day…That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwells in us.

Being committed has lost its meaning in our present culture. There are fewer and fewer people willing to stay committed to what they say they will do. Being committed is like keeping a promise. Staying true and following through what you started regardless of the inconvenience or hardship that it may cause. As Christians, we came to Christ as sinners, and He forgave us of our past and made us new creatures. We become a follower of Christ. As we walk with Him, we commit our ways to His way and make decisions and promises to follow Him no matter what comes. Our commitment is test and in our own humanity we fall short of keeping that commitment. But, staying true to our word is made possible when we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. It was not until Pentecost that the disciples were able to stay true to their commitment to follow Christ regardless of the circumstances. Before then, they boasted of their commitment, but came short when they were put to the test. What a difference in their commitment when the Holy Spirit came to live and dwell in their hearts. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit with power does not happen by accident. It happens when believers are willing to surrender not only their sins to the cross, but to commit their entire lives to perfect will of God.

Wisdom From God

Proverbs: 8: 11, 17 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it….I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The wisdom of this world is not the wisdom of God. The wisdom of this world is tainted with selfish desires and want of pleasure. It seeks to preserve self at any cost and always has hidden motivations. Money is not the root of all evil, but loving money more than loving God and people often causes individuals to make bad choices. Those that seek riches are not wise. Aspiring to make money and obtain material things for legitimate pleasure is not folly, but neither is it prudent to seek it at the expense of others or at the detriment of our relationship to Christ. The wisdom we are to seek is the wisdom that comes from God. His wisdom is selfless, loving, and understanding. His wisdom looks at life with eternity in mind. Those that seek first His Kingdom will seek wisdom early in life and early each day. My prayer each morning as I start my day “ Lord, given me wisdom to do what is right and to make decisions that will make this world a better place to live, and keep my motivation on things that are eternal”- Amen.

Staying Faithful

Jer.3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you:…

Israel struggled with staying faithful to their God. They would become complacent in their faith and the temptations that the heathen world flaunted was often too much to resist. They set for us an example today, if we fail to keep our love and commitment to Christ fresh and alive, unfaithfulness to the one we once loved is possible. It is not the will of God that we wander away from Him and His ways. Staying committed to Christ requires diligence and determination to keep the fires burning in our life. It is easy to let the things of this world pull us down and forget the commitment we made to Him the day we gave our lives to Him. The day we married Christ, we committed ourselves to be faithful and to follow Him wherever He leads. He has promise that even in our wandering, He will continue to call us to return. His heart breaks when we forsake His ways and turn away from His love. It is never too late to turn back to God. His arms are wide open and ready for us to recommit our ways to Him. Turn back my child, He loves you with an everlasting love.

Without Faith

Mark 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Faith is what takes us through the tough times. Without faith, we despair of hope and we have nothing to anchor our lives. Faith in the providence of God is what helps us see life from another prospective. The eternal view is seeing the hand of God in everything that happens in life. The storms that take place in our life are the things that we fear. The fear of the unknown, the fear of lose, or rejections. “ O ye of little faith”. “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. Faith is the cornerstone keeping our lives secure in God. Cast away fear and look to Jesus, in Him the storms of life will cease, and we can make it to the shore on the other side.

Labor of Love

1 Thess 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Doing the work of the kingdom is not restricted to preaching the gospel to the ends of the world. The great commission is clear, that as a church we need to share the good news of Jesus. He saves from sin and can dwell in our hearts. But not all are called to go to the ends of the world. The love of God is shared out within the four walls of our home, church, workplace, and community. Our work of faith is seen in our labor of love as we reach out to others who are in need. Such deeds may never be seen by others. A word of thanks may never be uttered, but it is done in the sight of God and our Father. That which is done in secret will God reward with eternal dividends. The calling of God is individualize for each one of us. This does not negate our responsibility to tell others of the gift of God given to us through Christ, but instead increases our responsibility to live the life of Christ by demonstrating His love in the works we do. Our greatest witness for Christ is best seen by putting other’s need before our own. This is the Kingdom’s work

I Believe

Mark 9:23  Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believe.

Believing that Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins is not difficult for me. I believe in the love of God and His desire to have fellowship with man. I believe that God is good and that He has a purpose for all things that happen to me and in the world around me. I may not understand it all, but I believe. I also believe that He is able to take a broken body and make it whole again. A body broken down by disease or wrecked by sin. It is not that I don’t believe that God is able, but is He willing? Pain, suffering, sickness is part of life’s journey. People by the thousands die each day without any intervention from God. People cry out to God to see a miracle of divine healing, and to the most part, healing does not happen. Does that mean that our prayers fell short of God standard of believing? It is still a mystery to me when God chooses to heal and not heal. God’s ways are beyond my understanding, but this one thing I believe, that God’s grace is sufficient to bring us through any circumstance in life. I believe all thing are possible with God, and that He is sovereign in all things.

Faded Gravestones

Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

The fact is that in 100 years most people after they have passed on will not be remembered by anyone alive. All that is reminds is a faded gravestone or a name etched on some plaque or memorial stone. The things we did in life are buried in history and for the most part, most people are not interested in the life we lived. As Christians, we don’t live for this life. This world is not our home, we are only passing through. Our life is but a vapor, we live a mere 70-100 years, then we move on. Generations pass, and all that is left is our legacy and influence we made in the lives of other people. The choices we make in this life, for good or bad will leave an everlasting impression with those that walk in our footsteps. The print we leave will not be forgotten. It is marked by God. It has been graven in the palm of His Hand. He will not forgot the things that were done for Him and His kingdom. This world will pass away, but that which is done in His name will live on forever.

God is Good All The Time

Ps 119 68, 71 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes….It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 

God is good all the time, even during affliction. How can this be? If God is good, then we would always experience things in our lives that bring pleasure and happiness. How can God be good when every time I turn around something bad is happening to me or someone else. We look at life as a series of events. The events are either good, bad, or indifferent, they don’t make us happy or sad. But the sovereignty of God sees our life from the beginning to the end. To those who love Him and desire to fulfill His will, all the good and bad things in life work together to a good end. When going through hard times or difficult situations, it is not easy to say , it is good for me that  bad things are happening to me. For it is during these times, that I have learned to lean on Him. To trust in His word that He is in control.  God is good, all the time for He is the calm in the storm.