My First Blog Entry
I tried this once before and it didn’t go very well. I figured I would give it another whirl to see how this goes.
As I sit here seeking the Lord on Saturday afternoon to prepare myself to preach the Word tomorrow. I can’t help but think about where things are at in the world I see that the church needs to first of all be encouraged. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV) says
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
We need to give our burdens, our worries, our concerns to Him and trust that He is in control. We need to be humble and trust Him for the future. When we make it a priority to trust Him and let Him lead then we are doing the right thing. We need to get beyond lip service and follow through with it.
We also need to give our hopes, dreams, and our desires to Him. That is one of the hardest things to do. It is easier to give up the things that we don’t like than it is the things that we do. Too often we think that if we want it then God is going to give it to us. That is not so. His will needs to be the priority. Not our will. We need to live by the Holy Spirit and be sanctified (set apart) to do His will. The value in that is for us to live by the Holy Spirit and to be led by Him. When we are led by Him our dreams will line up with the things of God and not our flesh.
Much is being written on the state of the world and where the prophecy clock is pointing. According to Matthew 24, these things that are happening were prophesied long ago. There are falsehoods of both prophets and those claiming to be the Messiah. There are wars and rumors of wars, there is pestilence, and famines, good is being called evil and evil is being called good. Morals are being redefined by how people feel and not by the Word of God.
We need to be steadfast and cling to what the Bible says and to be faithful and expect His coming. We don’t know the day or the hour of the Lord’s coming, but we should expect it and stay true to the things of God, not our feelings, or what makes us feel good in the moment. Instead, we should cling to holiness and be diligent in our continued commitment to living out His will in our lives. Be the people of God that He has called us to be.
Romans 13:11-14 (NKJV) says “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
Where do you stand? Are you going to continue to pretend that everything is ok or are you going to realize that the night is far spent and the time is now to live out your salvation in Christ and do as He leads? We are not promised tomorrow and our eternity awaits. I want to encourage you to be proactive in your pursuits of your calling and live each day in hope and the love of Jesus Christ shining out of you as a bearer of light! Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NKJV)).
Hebrews 12:12-14 (TPT) “So be made strong even in your weakness by lifting up your tired hands in prayer and worship. And strengthen your weak knees, for as you keep walking forward on God’s paths all your stumbling ways will be divinely healed! In every relationship be swift to choose peace over competition, and run swiftly toward holiness, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
We get tired and weary. Yet, in our weakness, His strength is made whole. Lift your tired hands in prayer and worship. He will strengthen you and help you keep going! Live the life that He has called you to live. Seek holiness and the Spirit-filled life! Be led by the Spirit and trust in Him! He will never leave you or forsake you! Be the person that He has called you to be. Stop looking at who you used to be, and measuring yourself on your feelings, or on how others view you. Instead, look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith on how He sees you, and look to the future and hope that God has promised. His promises are yeah and amen!
Be encouraged!