Will We Hear “Well Done…”?

Verse of the day: Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

I often hear Christian express a desire to hear these words spoken about them on the day we stand before the Lord to be individually judged for how we served our God (Judgement Seat of Christ; 2 Cor 5:10). In reality, how many of us will actually hear these words said about us? What was the Lord commending in His servant that warranted such praise from our Lord and Savior? In this parable, a master goes on a journey, and leaves talents (money) to his servants to be stewards over. Upon his return, two of his servants double his money, and one servant chooses to hold on to the talent he was given, producing nothing extra for his master. To his two servants who doubled what their master left them, this proclamation was made to each, while the servant who held on to his one talent was scolded, cast out, and his talent given to the servant who double his five talents. Each and every one of us has been given many things to be stewards over; money, time, talents, abilities, gifts. What are we doing with all that the Lord has blessed us with? Are we hording what we have been given? Are we using what God has given us to bless Him by being a blessing in the life of others? Are we using our gifts, talents and abilities to be an encouragement, and serve, within the body of Christ? Far too often, we as God’s children, fail to be a blessing because we fail to trust God to completely take care of us (Matt 6:25-34). If we believe that God cares for us, we will cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7); and thereby be able to make ourselves available to carry each other’s burdens (Gal 6:2). How do we use the time we have been given? We are reminded in Scripture that we are to redeem our time, walking in wisdom (Eph 5:16). Is the majority of our time used doing something that will expand the Kingdom? Are we witnessing, encouraging others, and using our time to minister, spend time in prayer, and study of God’s Word? How about our talents and abilities? Are they simply being used to make a living or are we using them to make a difference for the Gospel? So often we have talents or abilities that not only will earn us a living, but will also be a blessing within the church. Sadly, we often only use them to earn a living, make overtime, and rob time from our family and the church for the sake of making more money that is often wasted on things that have no eternal value. One of the greatest robbers of our willingness to multiply our talents and abilities is that we spend way too much time comparing ourselves to others, and end up feeling inadequate to serve. We compare our preaching, teaching, singing, and abilities, to others and decide that God cannot use whatever bit of talent we have. In this parable we see that God rewarded each one, not by how many talents they had, but by how faithful they were with whatever talents their master chose to give them. God is the One who has chosen to give us whatever talents, abilities, gifts or riches, He saw fit to give us; and He will judge us not only based on what He gave us, but more importantly on what we did with it. In Luke 12:48 we are told that to whom much is given, much will be required. So whether we are given much and double it, or given less and double it, we stand on equal ground to hear these words spoken to us by our Lord and Savior. The worst thing we can do is not do anything. The bottom line is that regardless of what God has endowed us with, we need to stop comparing ourselves to others, and just focus on what God has entrusted us with, and simply serve Him with all that is within us, trusting Him to lead us and accomplish what He desires with what we give back to Him. Remember, the Lord can take whatever little we give back, and make much of it, just as He did with the loaves and fish (Matt 14:18-21).

We will all stand before the Lord, either at the Judgement Seat of Christ (for believers to receive reward) or the Great White Throne Judgement (for unbelievers to receive punishment for their unbelief). The choice is ours today. If we choose to call upon Him, He promised that if we believe that He died to pay for our sins, repent, confess, and call upon Him, in faith, we will be saved (Rom 6:23; 10:9; 13).

Guard Your Heart (Emotions)

Verse of the day: Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Think about what is your most valuable possession. What do you do to guard it and make sure that it is always safe? Many of us would go to extremes to protect and safe guard anything that is valuable to us. With that said; what steps are we taking to protect and guard our hearts? Why is it so important to “keep” our hearts? Plainly answered, it is because we often make decisions based on the heart, or how we feel; which cannot always be trusted (Jer 17:9). What we feel is often contrary to what God says is true, and contrary to how we should respond. So how do we bring our emotions, and feelings, in line with God’s truth? First, we must know God’s truth. That requires that we spend much time reading and studying God’s Word. According to this Proverb, we are not only to know the Word, but keep it before us, and in our hearts. We are to meditate on it. Too often, rather than keeping God’s Word before our eyes, we focus on things that are not pure, and that do not provoke godly thinking (some of the novels we choose to read or programs we choose to watch on television or our computers, tablets, phones, etc.; Deut 4:9; Job 31:3; Ps 101:3; Phil 4:8). We are not only to hear truth, look at truth (read and study), but we must also practice truth; being doers of the Word, and not just hearers (James 1:22-25). We are to be careful to guard our tongues, and our mouths (Ps 34:13). With that ground work set, we must remember that God did create us in His image (Gen 1:26), and therefore we were created with feelings and emotions, and there is nothing wrong with having them, as long as they are not the primary guide in our decision making. The worse thing we can do, as emotional beings, is try to suppress our emotions, because eventually we will explode, and the end result is not pretty. We often try to refrain from anger to the extreme, only to eventually be set off by something minor, but responding in a major way. Anger is not wrong, as long as we do not express it in a sinful way. The Word tells us to be angry and sin not (Eph 4:26). There are situations, injustices, in life, that will make us angry, but how we handle our response is what will make the difference in whether or not our anger is sinful. Feeling love toward someone is not wrong, but when we allow our feelings of love lead us to an unhealthy and unholy relationship with someone, that is wrong. Especially when true, biblical love is more about what we do than what we feel. How often have we, or someone we know, made a wrong decision because “we felt” it was the right thing to do at the time? How often have we chosen our emotions over God’s truth because it “felt” right? How often have we heard someone say, or how often have we said, “I feel that this is how God is leading me”? Yet, the path we chose was not in line with God’s Word? For this reason we must do all we can to guard our hearts, and be ready to override our emotions, when they contradict God’s truth. There will be those moments when we will be tempted to feel like God does not care, has forsaken us because we stumbled, or feel like He no longer loves us because of some painful circumstance? Yet, all of those feelings are so contrary to God’s truth. He does care (1 Peter 5:7). He will never forsake us (Heb 13:5-6); and He will always love us (Rom 8:38-39; 2 Thess 2:16). The bottom line is that when we are at the crossroad of deciding what to do, in any given situation, we must stop and ask if our emotions or feelings about something are based on God’s truth or something other than God’s Word. Our God is faithful, and His Word is true. Should we be in a position to question what is right, based on what we feel because of advice from someone or something other than God; then “let God be true, and every man be a liar” (Rom 3:3-4).

The truth is that God’s salvation comes by faith, and not some emotional experience (Eph 2:8-9). He promised that if we believe that He died to pay for our sins, and call upon Him, in faith, we will be saved. Call upon Him today (Rom 6:23; 10:9; 13).

No Fear of Man

Verse of the day: Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

As born again believers, and children of God, what have we to be afraid of? Why do we worry about what others scheme against us? Why do we preoccupy ourselves and stress over what is taking place in the world? Do we not have God’s Word? Does it not tell us that as the time for our Lord’s return draws near that people will be cold toward the things of God, and even those who claim to be true believers will be drawn away (Matt 24:10-12; 2 Tim 3:1-5; 1 Tim 4:1)? Does the Word not already tell us how all these events that we see unfolding in the Middle East will end (Is 45:17; Rom 11:26; Jer 33:16)? Do we not know that in the end, our Lord has the victory, and along with Him, all of God’s people are also victorious (Rev 19:11-16)? If we are heading toward a victory of such magnitude, then why do we stress about the skirmishes we face in our lives here and now? Did not the Lord promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us, and that He is our Helper and we need not fear what man can do to us (Heb 13:5-6)? Men are limited as to what they can do to us, especially if it against God’s will and plan for our lives? Can God choose to allow us to be martyrs for the sake of the Gospel? Absolutely! However, He will also give us the grace to be able to endure whatever He chooses for our lives. There are a few opinions as to when King David wrote this particular Psalm, ranging from just before he become king to when he was rescued during battle (when he was old) by Abishai (2 Sam 21:16-17). Regardless of when it was written, King David is praising God for His protection during a time his enemies came against him (whether it was King Saul, his own son Absalom or the Philistines. The bottom line is that God was His Light and Salvation. Just like then, today, we have Jesus, our Lord and Savior who is our Light and Salvation. He is our Helper and Strength. Regardless of what men plan to do against us, if it is not part of God’s plan for our lives, in His process of growing us in our faith, they will not be able to touch us. He is not only the Light that guides us, but He is the Light that shines through us; especially during difficult times when we choose to shine His light brightly in demonstrating that peace that passes all understanding (Phil 4:6-7). King David was confident that regardless of who the enemy or whether it was father and mother that forsook him, God would always see him through, and hide him under His pavilion (v.5; 10). There are going to be moments in our lives when it may seem like God is silent while the wicked come against us, but the fact is that God is always watching, and allowing only certain things into our lives that will ultimately serve our good and His glory (Rom 8:28-29). In 1 Kings 22, King Ahab tried to disguise himself, going into battle (to avoid his death as prophesied by Micaiah the Prophet of God) and had King Jehoshaphat of Judah pretend to be King Ahab. However, while in battle, it was known that he was not King Ahab, and a certain man drew his bow and shot a random arrow, striking King Ahab (while still disguised) between the joint of his armor (1 King 22:34). Verse 37 tells us that the king died of his wound. Ultimately, there is nothing that man can do to avoid or circumvent what God has in store for each of us. We must stop reacting like the world reacts when we hear the things that are happening around us, and especially when those troubling events affect us or our family directly. If God is in control of all that is happening now, and in the time to come, how is He not also in control of what happens in our own personal lives? Let us trust God, live by faith, not fear man, and know that in the end, regardless of what God allows, we are the victors (even when we do not see the immediate results of that victory). Remember, He promised that in this world we would have tribulation, but He also told us to be at peace, and of good cheer, because He has overcome the world; and in Him, we too are over-comers (John 16:33)!

The very first victory we need in our lives it that over sin and death. That can only be accomplished through Jesus Christ, and His finished work on Calvary. He promised that if we believe that He died to pay for our sins, and call upon Him, in faith, we will be saved. Call upon Him today (Rom 6:23; 10:9; 13).

God of Hope

Verse of the day: Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I have often heard, and am guilty of same, people use the word “hope” in a way that implies wishful thinking. “I hope the weather is nice tomorrow.” “I hope I’ll be able to take a vacation this year.” “I hope you are doing well.” The word “hope” being used this way does not reassure in any way. To hope or have hope is something that is based on a certainty; and can only come for the God of hope. Nothing that man can do will give us the assurance or hope (like the hope we find in Jesus). Man cannot provide a way to Heaven. Man cannot make a promise that all will turn out fine in our lives when we are suffering trials, persecutions, and tribulations. We, as humans, are flawed at best, and fail each other, and ourselves, often. Sadly, too many of us, even born again believers, put too much weight on the promises made to us by family members, friends, and people we have put our trust in. Stop and think for a moment; once upon a time we were able to enter into a contract with another person and seal it with a handshake. Today, we must have written contracts written up, and even then, people look for loopholes in order to renege on carrying out whatever was promised. What hope is there in all of this? None at all. Unlike the “wishful thinking” expressed when we use the word “hope” today; true, biblical hope, is a confident expectation or anticipation. The same confident expectation we, as born again believers, have that we are heaven bound in Christ, and that Jesus is coming back again. This kind of hope can only come from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Word of God tells us that we can have joy and peace, regardless of our circumstances, but that only comes from faith, and believing that God is true to His Word (Phil 4:6-7). Our God has already proven that He is true to His Word. Much of what He has promised has already come to pass, including the coming of Jesus to give His life for us so that we can have eternal life in Him (Isa 7:14; Zech 9:9; John 3:16). He promises that our salvation is secure in Him, and that no one would separate us from His love or pluck us from His hand (Rom 8:38-39; John 10:28 ). In the Christian life we will excel in our faith only because of the hope (confident expectation) we have in God’s promises. The power to abound in our faith, and live a life that will glorify God can only come from the working of the Holy Spirit, both in us and through us. Our ability to endure until the end is going to depend solely on how close we stay to God; how much we believe and trust Him, and how well we obediently follow the leading of the Spirit. There is no formula we can come up with, on our own or scheme that anyone we know can conjure up, that will compare to simply trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us with the joy and peace that comes from knowing that we have a Living Hope; and that Living Hope is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, then your “hope” is just wishful thinking. However, you can have a confident expectation and assurance when you call upon Jesus Christ to give you eternal life. He promised that if you believe that He died to pay for your sins, and call upon Him, in faith, you will be saved. Call upon Him today (Rom 6:23; 10:9; 13).

Consequences for Rejection

Verse of the day: Proverbs 10:17 He who keeps instruction is  in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.

Today's verse serves  both as an admonition, and a warning. As born again believers, we are called to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (Mat 10:16). Part of being a wise servant of the Lord requires that we be humble enough to receive instruction, and correction, without being offended or rebellious. If we are honest, we will admit that we do not know everything, especially when it comes to living a righteous, and holy, life. Couple that with the fact that we are sinners saved by grace, and will have occasion to stumble; we must be completely open to receiving the Lord's correction (Heb 12:5-11), and godly instruction from those who are more mature in the faith than we are. This is of great importance because we are supposed to be living examples for others, and whether we like it or not, others do observe us, and some (who are younger, and less mature, in the faith) will look to us as an example of how we are supposed to live for our Lord and Savior. Some of us have even been given the desire, and privileged, by the Lord, to teach and preach the Word of God. James 3:1 tells us that we will be held accountable for what we teach others. However, let us take note that what we teach with our actions, lifestyle, and life choices will often override anything we teach with our words. Therefore, if we refuse to receive reproof or correction, not only will we live the life of a fool, but we will also lead others down a path of disobedience and error. Our pride can lead us to reject much needed correction; so let us be careful how we live, and what steps we take to live a life of righteousness and holiness. Ultimately, our example should be one that can be followed, and that will glorify God, in all we do (1 Cor 10:31).

The greatest wisdom, and instruction, any person can receive, comes from the Word of God. However, in order to apply it effectively to our lives, it requires that we first accept Jesus Christ as Savior. If you have not called upon Him yet, do no wait! We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Confess and repent of your sins, ask His forgiveness, and receive His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23; 10:13).

How Do We Respond?

Verse of the day: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 We are bound to thank God always for you, brothers, as it is meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds; 4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure:

How would others describe who we are, as Christians, when we are persecuted or tribulations come? Would we be an example to others? Would our faith, and demonstration of love, be admired or criticized? Would we be seen as a person of great patience or known for our emotional "meltdowns"? We see from the Apostle Paul's letter, that the Thessalonians were known for how they responded to persecution and trials. They were an example to be admired, and followed, in their response to the things that happen in the Christian life. Interestingly, their ability to endure during hard times was evidence that God counted them worthy of His Kingdom. Too often, we get that backwards. We think that we can prove that someone is saved (or not) based on our perception of how they endure what God allows; when, in reality, the fact that we are God's children is what enables us to endure (the truth of our salvation will show itself over an extended period of being tried). How often have we seen those who claim to be followers of Jesus, disappear, and never worship or serve God again, when tough times enter their lives. The Word of God is very clear that these are the ones spoken of in 1 John 2:19, "who went out from us, but they were not of us". A true follower of Jesus Christ will endure whatever God allows until its end. That is not to say that there is anything special in and of ourselves that we can boast about; but rather, the praise goes to the Lord, who working in us (through prayer, the Word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit), helps us to endure mockings, persecutions, trials, tribulations, and sufferings. Someone said that life is 10 percent about what happens to us, and 90 percent about how we respond. As God's children, He wants us to respond in faith, trusting that He is with us, and will see us through whatever circumstances we are facing (that He has allowed). Our love is to not waver in the midst of being mistreated, but to remain steadfast, just as God's love is for us. We are to be known as patient people, and not ones who fly off the handle, rebuking, cursing, and "putting people in their place". The Apostle reminded the Church at Thessalonica that our righteous God would recompense tribulation to them that troubled them (v.6). So it is true, still today, that God is our Avenger, and will not overlook the wrong that is done to His children (Rom 12:19). So I ask you again; how would others describe us as God's children, based on how we respond to life's challenges?

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, then I know this one thing; your ability to endure the trials of  life will eventually wear you down, and your emotional, and physical being will eventually break down. Call upon Jesus today, and receive the free gift of eternal life He offers (Rom 10:13). Once you are His, He promises that He will never leave you nor forsake you, no matter what life throws at you (Heb 13:5-6).

Share with Care

Verse of the day: Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

As children, how often were we warned not to run holding sharp objects, such as scissors? The reason being, that we could cause serious injury to ourselves or someone else. Sharp objects can be both useful, and dangerous. A knife, for example, can be useful to cut things open in order to get something we need. We can build/carve things using sharp cutting tools. A scalpel can be used, by a medical professional, to help treat and heal someone. However, sharp objects can also be used to injure or take a life. The Word of God is no different. It is the Christian Mirror. It shows us who we are, how we think, and what needs to be changed. It is the one place we can turn to, as God’s children, to take an honest look at who we really are. It is alive, and transcends time. It is powerful, and will change our life, when we apply it, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It reveals our deepest thoughts, and exposes our deepest and darkest secrets, rendering us completely naked before God (v.13). It knows what we are thinking and what our intentions are, even before they are manifested in our words and deeds. Just as the Word of God knows us, and exposes us, so readily, so Jesus, the Word (John 1;1), does the same thing in our lives. He knows us like no one else does, and when we have a close, intimate, relationship with Him, He shows us who we are, and exposes who we are, so that we can give it over to Him, and be transformed (John 3:21; Rom 8:29). With that said, we must be careful to not only be consistently, and prayerfully, in the Word (reading and studying it), but we must also be careful about how we use it. There is a reason why God tells us to “speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:14-16). Just like a sharp instrument can be used to treat and heal sickness or injure and kill, so it is with the Word of God. By the Word, we truly learn who our God is, so that we can grow closer to Him, and share that truth with others (1 Peter 3:15). We can use the Word to lead others to Christ (Matt 28:19-20), as well as disciple our brothers and sisters (2 Tim 2:2). The Word is a place where we can find comfort, and use it to comfort, and encourage, others (1 Thess 4:18; 5:11). However, the Word of God used to bash others who do not believe as we do or berate those that have stumbled will discourage, and even destroy, another person’s relationship with God; and could repel an unbeliever from, rather than draw them to, Jesus Christ. The Word, taken out of context can cause great damage to those who have a true desire to learn correct theology; and could lead them down an erroneous path, as they genuinely try to walk with the Lord. Needless to say, the false teacher will pay a great price in giving an answer to God for misleading others. The Word of God is very clear that our wrath, especially in communicating God’s Word, does nothing to produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20). Therefore, let us be careful about how we are using God’s Word. It can either be a Sharp Sword used to lead others to Jesus, and allow them to find the healing they need or we can wield it wildly, and angrily, causing damage that could have condemning, eternal, consequences for both the person communicating it (loss of reward), and the person receiving it (turning away from God). The hardest truth to accept for any one of us, is the truth that exposes who we really are; and that is exactly what God’s Word does for us, and for those we share it with. Remember, that our ultimate goal in sharing God’s Word with others is not to prove how righteous we are, but to glorify God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us that God so loved the world, that He gave His Son for us, so that none will perish, but have eternal life. Call upon Him today, and experience the eternal love that God the Father offers through Jesus Christ (Rom 6:23; 10:13).