Acts 11: 23b AMP – “And he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with (resolute and steady) purpose of heart.
As you read this article I would like to encourage you to please ask yourself a few questions. This is a good time to “ponder anew” like the hymn writer wrote.
When you accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, did you do so with a purpose, is that purpose still before you or have you lost sight of it in the midst of all that is fighting to catch your attention today. If you had a purpose, then it is easier to pursue it with single-mindedness.
Every time we lose sight of the purpose for which we cleave unto God, we walk disorderly. As long as we are reminded of our original purpose, our walk with God is better ordered. Purpose guides our decision-making so that we are not carried away by just any emotion or incident. God wants us to follow Him with single-mindedness – totally focused on Him.
Hebrew12: 1-2 –“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith”
All the good things God gives us are add-ons. They are meant to make this race a little easier so that we can get to the ultimate goal. They are not to take the place of God or remove our attention from God. If we allow this to happen then they become a part of the weight that we are meant to lay aside.
We cannot also allow our focus to be affected by the stories we hear of terrible things that happen in the church today. Such things as should not be mentioned amongst brethren. All the Bishops, pastors, other believers are to encourage us as we go along and not to become the focus. Not one of them is allowed to be the focus of our lives. Their responsibility is to keep pointing us to God. Whether they stand or fall is not an excuse for us to backslide because the Bible tells us that there is already a cloud of witnesses cheering us on. This cloud of witnesses is believers that have run their race and finished well and are in waiting for the great end of all things.
The times that we are in are tough and it is going to get tougher. It is time for you and me to make definite decisions concerning our walk with God. I understand that at some point in war, if a soldier dies, his colleagues can’t stop. You don’t have time immediately to cry over the person because the enemy may catch up with you. I perceive that we are in such times. We have to keep running the race: the battle for our souls is fierce.
Pst B,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. It is God speaking to us.
The truth is that I perceive there is a desperation in God to show us how to live a victorious christian life - God is tired of watered down, freeloading and bless me, self-centred, "cross-less" message being peddled in His name that is leading to 'lifeless' living - Having a form of godliness without the power thereof.
God is desperate for a Samuel to replace Eli; David to replace Saul; He wants Elishas to replace tired and discouraged Elijahs.
God is looking for a new people who understand their obligation is first to Him before any other affiliation; a people who will embrace the full gospel and not only the convenient and attractive; a people who will count the cost of following Him; a people who are friends of the cross and who carry their cross daily; in other words, a people who are always focussed on the cross and its finished work!!! There is Christ revealed!
The Lord will have mercy and help us all.
The times are evil...The times are bad...The times are warped. The times are such that we have to be 'deliberate' about our walk. It won't just happen. We need to pay attention to what we are doing...and how it is either validating or negating who we say we are.....in Christ.
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