Something to think about.
Such a Time as This.
14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
Often for fear or for want of peace and personal security, we remain silent. Most of us will never be, as Esther was, in the king's court or in a position of influence to effect national policy. However, God will someday ask you to stand for Him in the midst of an uncertain outcome. It may not be in a situation of national survival as in the story of Esther. But it will be in a situation that will cost you everything as it did with Esther. Will you stand or will you fold and let the deliverance come from another. It is at this time that you will know who it is you love what it is you believe. It will most probably not be a physical threat as with Esther, but it will be a spiritual crisis of eternal significance. It will be your time it will be your moment it will determine your eternal destination. Will you have the courage, the spiritual fortitude to stand alone for God, not knowing the outcome? Will you choose to remain in silent obscured security, or will you accept your call to stand in full unencumbered exposure for the purposes of God? "For such a time as this."
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Such a Time as This.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Commanded
Something to think about.
Commanded
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
If you look at the meaning of command, you will not find any reference to choice. But to the question "what is the great commandment" Jesus replies "love the Lord your God." He did not say fall in love with God He said, "love the Lord your God." In our culture, we are taught that we will eventually fall in love with someone, or we will find someone who will love us or that we will love. Jesus is commanding us to love at will. Then He reiterates it in verse 38 "great commandment." It 's hard for me to negotiate the concept of a command to love God and what I've been taught all of my life.
I wonder if the person asking the question had this response as a possible answer. If I had asked the question, I would have expected a response along the lines of the ten commandments or some other Jewish law. But He responded with a command to love. This commandment the most the difficult to obey is the single greatest commandment. It is a commandment, not a choice, not a get to know you then chose scenario.
The way I understand this command is that we are to make a willful, intentional effort to love God. A deliberate attempt to know who God is in order to love Him. This command is not accomplishable without personal intent. You are not going to fall in love with God by coincidence. You can only love God when you make an intentional fully cognizant attempt to know Him.
God does not want you to love Him because of what He can do for you, He wants you to love Him because you want to. He wants you to love Him unconditionally. He wants you to love Him when your bank account is overflowing He wants you to love Him when your account is overdrawn. He wants you to love Him when you are in the best of health He wants you to love Him when your baby dies. Sometimes love is no more than a choice and at those times He wants you to choose Him.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Better to Obey Than Repent
Something to think about.
Better to Obey Than Repent
22 And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)
Obedience, a word that might as well be the four letter word. Yet it is the word that best describes God's desire for those who claim to be His. It is not because He is master and we are servants, it is because in obedience we find the greatest blessings. If we obeyed God, a sacrifice would not be required. In obedience is where we find peace, joy, purpose, love, happiness, fulfillment, and rest. In short, all the beautiful things of life are abundantly available to us if we would obey.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Disciples, Freedom
Something to think about.
Disciples, Freedom
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
We all have recited or memorized verse 32. It's almost as if we will know the truth and the truth will set us free by osmosis. In order to know the truth, we must first look at verse 31 "If you abide in my word" then you can be called a disciple, then you will know the truth. To know the truth, we must become intimately aware of Gods word. We cannot arrive at any truth if we don't know the giver of the truth. We must become engulf in and in obedience to all of the teachings of Christ to know the truth and then be set free by it.