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WHEN TO LAUGH!

“At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.” Job 5:22

The next time you hear of destruction (war, famine, etc.) coming to your country – that’s your que to “LAUGH”!

Resurrection counteracts death and burial.
Joy counteracts depression.
Faith counteracts unbelief.
Love counteracts hatred.
Peace counteracts, overcomes unrest, anxiety, fear.

The World’s Economy or Christ’s Kingdom Economy?

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

I just read this headline shown in this graphic screen capture:

In light of the above headline, article, let us stop and think about how God has taken care of His people, most of whom do not earn anywhere near a 6-figure income. What does that say for the faithfulness of our LORD no matter what? We live under His blessing, His kingdom economy! Read Psalms 67 and 112; Philippians 4:19.

“They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.” Psalms 37:19

IT’S TIME TO LAUGGGGHHHHH. Divinely sanctioned LAUGHING from Our Maker who created laughter for His purposes and our blessing.

Memorize Job 5:22 today!

God created laughter and He expects His children to enjoy it for the right reasons and in the right seasons!

Why do we laugh at destruction? – Because God is our Protector!

Why do we laugh at famine? – Because God is our Provider!

Fake, Fear-Inducing “News” is from “the prince of the power of the air (Satan).” Ephesians 2:2

There’s never a time when the devil’s children will cease their fear mongering! We trust in the living God who has no shortage of wealth – and never will! Here’s a laughable, all-too-typical, agenda-driven fake news article now trending on yahoo fake news: “The housing market is slowing down, and that’s a bad sign for the economy.” … Satan seeks to induce fear! God calls us simply to trust Him!

Remember when you were just a child? Did you ever lay in bed worrying if there was going to be provision? No. You knew your parents were going to provide. How much more shall our heavenly Father, who owns all that is, provide for us!

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you … If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7:7, 11 

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalms 37:25

Now, to you who are not truly, genuinely born again: You will not be laughing but rather crying profusely for all eternity in the bowels of eternal damnation (hell) if you do not make peace with your Maker who is the Judge of your eternal soul. Go here and make peace with God so that He will save, forgive, and fill your heart with joy! Peace with God

As long as we’re on this earth there will be fear- mongering children of the enemy seeking to induce fear into our hearts. They broadcast live around the clock, pumping fear in all who listen, all who give ear.

But the LORD says:

“But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33

What did our LORD Jesus teach us about provision and trust?

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:25-34

Our God promises to load us daily with His “benefits.”

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalms 68:19

David was able to conquer Goliath because he was in the Spirit with the LORD. David communed with the LORD and so laughed if you will, at the idea of anything, anyone, any giant being more powerful than the Most High. Think about it: While the others in Israel were running scared to God saying “O God look at how big that giant is!” In contrast David ran to the giant and said “I’m going to show you how big my God is, boy!” 1 Samuel 17

Comforted in ALL Our Tribulation

Going through difficulties only enhances our ability to enjoy God and experience His comfort and blessing (James 1:2-4; Romans 8:18).

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 

The comfort our God’s love is never more realized than when His people endure suffering in this life.

Soon, “we shall ever be with the LORD” with no discomfort forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 21:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9).

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

ProvisionFaith

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Articles

Redemption Through Christ’s Sacrifice [podcast]


The Glories
of the
Scarlet Thread

(Few things could be this important to your spiritual life)

Of the scarlet of redemption, one writer notes:

“The Wonder of Redemption: The blood is the power of redemption and you will see this as we follow through the Bible from the beginning to the end of God’s revelation of Himself to man as recorded in the Bible.”

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” Colossians 1:12-14

The great apostle of Jesus declared the Gospel to us:

“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 

The Fall of Man

The Good News is so good due to the very bad news of our fall.

“Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: … Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Romans 5:12, 18

When the man and woman whom God had created chose to sin against Him, He separated them from His presence. They attempted to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together and girding them around their waists (Genesis 2:7). This was man’s attempt to cover his own sin and shame.

“The aprons of fig leaves speak of man’s attempt to save himself by a bloodless religion of good works.” William MacDonald

God did not honor the fig leaves so He shed the blood of animals to make them “coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). Because He had already foretold that His Son would be sent to redeem the fallen race (Genesis 3:15), God chose to depict the sacrifice that the coming Redeemer would make by the sacrifice of innocent animals. The atonement for the man and woman by the sacrifice of these animals pointed to the prophesied Savior who would later come and personally shed His blood to atone for the sins of His creation which had been contaminated by sin.

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30

This Scripture above speaks to the utter need and absolute divine exclusivity and uniqueness of Christ.

From the cradle of creation through the dispensation of the Mosaic law, in Christ’s redemptive blood on Calvary’s cross, and throughout eternity future, we see that in the Creator’s economy it is blood that quenches the fire of His holy vengeance.

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is NO remission.” Hebrews 9:22

God obviously instructed Adam and Eve to sacrifice animals to continue to cover their sin because their son Abel brought “the firstlings of his flock” at the time of sacrifice (Genesis 4:4).

The blood sacrifice that Abel offered to God was accepted because it demonstrated faith in the coming Redeemer.

When Israel was in bondage God informed the nation that each family was to shed the blood of an unblemished lamb and place the blood upon their doorposts before He delivered them from Egypt (Exodus 12). He said that this blood would save them from His wrath. The unblemished lamb was a type of the spotless Lamb of God which was to come to be slain (1 Peter 1:19), saving those who would receive Him, from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).

Not Just Any Blood

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem…” Galatians 4:4-5

Sin separated men from their holy Maker and God (Isaiah 59:2). Under the law God instructed the nation of Israel to approach Him by the sacrifice of animals. The sins of the people were atoned for by the blood of animals because this demonstrated faith in the prophesied and coming Redeemer (Leviticus 16:34, 17:11). In Leviticus 16 there is a twofold typology of Christ found. Aaron, the priest of Israel, was to take two goats to atone for the sins of the people (Lev. 16:8-10). One of these two goats was used as a “sin offering” and the other for a “scapegoat.” The “sin offering” goat that was sacrificed was a type of Christ who would later shed His blood, “offering Himself without spot to God” (Hebrews 9:14). His blood, which was depicted here in the blood of the animal, was to be the ultimate price for atonement (at-one-ment) that the Father required for the removal of the sins of the fallen race. The word “scapegoat” here literally means the goat of departure. Concerning this live goat of departure, the LORD instructed Aaron to lay both hands upon him and confess all the sins and iniquities of Israel upon him and then send him away into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:20-22). This goat, the scapegoat, was a type of Christ in that it would carry the sins of God’s people away from them. It would separate them from sin so that their sin wouldn’t separate them from God. This is a type of Christ in that He was to come and shed His perfect blood to “take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Jesus cried: “Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalms 22:1; Matthew 27:46)

“It was the human body which God had given Him. It was the sacrifice that cried-the Lamb about to die! The Son of Man knew Himself forsaken. God dumped that vast, filthy, slimy mass of human sin on the soul of the Savior-and then backed away.” A.W. Tozer.

“Wow! All that filth was ours! Jesus was our ultimate sacrifice! And Isaiah says in 53:10 that it ‘pleased the Lord to bruise Him.’ This was God’s divine plan that Jesus would be the sacrifice for our sins so we could have redemption and reconciliation with God. We cannot understand the depths of this kind of love for us! All we can do is praise Jesus! And love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37), and obey and follow Him all the days of our lives! All praise to You Jesus for loving us this much!” Karen Cochran

Discover the age-old falsehood responsible for the ruin of millions since the dawn of creation. Are you being deceived? What is the LIE of the Ages? Find out in this revolutionary new book.

This prophetic pattern continued to cover the sins of His people from the time of the fall until the One whom these sacrifices foreshadowed appeared (Hebrews 10). Those in Israel who truly loved the LORD fervently anticipated the arrival of the prophesied Messiah a Lamb of God. About 4,000 years after man had fallen, a prophet named John the Baptist, saw Jesus approaching and declared “Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It was the fullness of time and the Father had sent the promised Redeemer into the earth to “take away the sin of the world.” The sacrifices that once atoned for Israel would now be superseded by the one sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son (Hebrews 10:1-23). His pure and spotless blood would now be shed to remove the sins of the world. The Lamb which was slain before the foundation of the world (in the mind of God) was now manifest in the flesh to redeem mankind from his sinful and separated state (Revelation 13:8; John 1:14). He became the “propitiation” (atoning sacrifice) for our sins (1 John 2:2).

Just before He went to His ordained altar, the cross, to be offered up for the sin of the world, Jesus said;

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:28

As is clearly announced in the God-breathed New Testament records, redemption, remission, and the forgiveness of sins comes only from the blood of Jesus, the one and only Redeemer of men (Ephesians 1:7).

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7

THE ULTIMATE AND FINAL SACRIFICE

He who knew no sin became the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30

It was out of the riches of His mercy and grace that our sins have been remitted by the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Note the finality of language He uses to convince you of this in the following passage:

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God…For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified…. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” Hebrews 10:12-22

Not only does the blood of Jesus take away/remove the sins of the one who personally receives Him, but also the guilt that is always coupled with sin (Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 1:9). What great salvation!

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Revelation 1:5

His blessed sinless divine blood is available to those who will simply “Come” to Him as He invites them to do … before and in order to be saved AND afterward, that fount is always available during this season …. (Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:14-16)! Anyone else thankful and happy about “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” today? (1 Peter 1:18-19)

For a topical study of deeper proportions on this subject, see The Blood of Jesus.

Where is YOUR Christology friend? What know thee of Christ? Have you sought and studied Him? Go here: Christology (the study of Christ)

If you will be planted deep into Christ, your Christology, your study of, your personal knowledge of Christ must be deep, not shallow (Colossians 2:6-10).

If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here:  Born Again: What is It?

Sign up for free email devotional HERE… The Moments with My Master email devotional is sent out for the edification of the body of Christ.

PEACE with GOD

Feedback:

“Amen! Words cannot express our thanks in what our Lord Jesus has done on the Cross for us, His suffering. We thank You Lord for all you have done, though we are undeserving, we thank you so much. Otherwise I would be lost, on my way to hell w/out your salvation.” Paula L.

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Apostasy

The FORGOTTEN Sins of Sodom [podcast]


What were the Real and Root Sins of Sodom?

Explosive!
DO YOU KNOW WHAT SINS THE BIBLE CITES OF THE PEOPLE OF SODOM WHICH CAUSED DIVINE JUDGMENT TO FALL ON THEM? THIS LIST OF SINS MIGHT SHOCK YOU.

EXPOSING THE GATEWAY SINS TO SODOM’S DESTRUCTION

Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.

According to Romans 1 it seems that sexual deviance, namely homosexuality, is the sin, the final manifestation of evil before destruction transpires. The LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this sin and others and will or is destroying America for rejecting Him (Matthew 10:26-28). WHAT were the specific sins of Sodom and Gomorrah that preceded the ultimate “abomination” of homosexuality? (Leviticus 18:22) Does the Bible reveal these sins? Yes!

Homosexuality always has been and always will be an “abomination” in the eyes of our Holy God (Leviticus 18:22). Repent now and follow Jesus.

DID GOD LIST SODOM’S SINS? WHAT WERE THEY?
THIS SHOCKING LIST OF SINS AND MESSAGE WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF HELL!

Little known sins that led up to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Check this out.

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9

Sodomy/homosexuality is usually the only sin attributed to the sins of Sodom and yet the Bible lists several sins that came before the ultimate turning over to homosexuality and further judgment (hell). See also Romans 1 and Ezekiel 16:49-51.

Jesus used this very example of Sodom to warn all under New Testament:

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:28-33

Impending Judgment for Sin

In Ezekiel 16 we read of the judgment coming on the LORD’s people for their sins.

The very sins committed by the people of Sodom before God destroyed that city, were being committed by the LORD’s professing people in Ezekiel’s day, and are today being committed by those claiming to know the LORD in our day.

“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.” Ezekiel 16:49-51 

This list of sins in the above passage begins with these 3:

PFA = Pride, Fulness of Bread, and Abundance of idleness.

The Sins of Sodom:

Sins Jerusalem cited for in Ezekiel 16:49-51:

  • Pride (arrogance),
  • Fulness of Bread (gluttony, hoarding),
  • Abundance of Idleness (idle, lazy),
  • did not help those in need due to preoccupation with self-worship (not generous in spreading God’s wealth to His people and work)
  • haughty
  • committed abomination (fornication)

In the bulleted sins listed above from this revealing Ezekiel 16 passage, did you notice the progression?

Though it culminated in sodomy, yet not one sex sin is even specifically mentioned in this list of Sodom’s sins in Ezekiel 16. Does this not align perfectly with the judgment we see in Romans 1, how “when they knew God, they glorified him not as God” and were unthankful, further enriching themselves while they ignored others?

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful (they were ungrateful); but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:21

A fresh reading of Romans 1 reveals the root sins that preceded the sexual sins which immediately go before divine judgment. See Romans 1:18-32.

The sins that darken the hearts of those who once “knew God” and lead to the ultimate abomination of sodomy/homosexuality are pride, gluttony, idleness, and refusing to be generous givers to believers in need, etc.

Let’s Look Again at the Root, the Gateway Sins of the People of Sodom and Gomorrah:

PFA listed in Ezekiel 16:49-51:

  • Pride (arrogance),
  • Fulness of Bread (gluttony),
  • Abundance of Idleness (idle, lazy),
  • Like the fake religionists priest and Levite of Jesus’ Good Samaritan teaching, they did not help those in need due to preoccupation with self-worship (not generous in spreading God’s wealth to His people and work)

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (gluttony), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare (trap) shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:34-36

“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” Proverbs 13:7

Spiritual “Leanness”

“And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalms 106:15

“And this is exactly why there is a famine in the land. A famine ‘of hearing the words of the Lord’. Amos 8:11-13. This is the consequence of neglecting the Word of God. This famine is sent by God. To serve judgment because they have disregarded His Word and so their longings remain unsatisfied. It is a spiritual starvation, an emptiness. This is caused by disobedience and complacency. They shall ‘faint for thirst’. This implies an intense suffering. God has withdrawn His Word. As we see in these last days. People literally have contempt for God’s word. When you give them the pure unadulterated words of the Lord it angers them. So God will allow them to suffer an intense hunger because of their refusal of His words. This is why they are so prone to believe false prophets. Because they are weak and not ‘nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine, whereunto thou has attained’ 1 Timothy 4:6” Karen Cochran

Support | STORE | PodcastsThe Return of ChristStewardshipWhere to Give and Where Not to Give | Fruit Abounding to Your Account! | Consider Your Ways [podcast] | Consider and Build [podcast] | Holes in Your Money Bags? [podcast] | Dollar DialogueJesus Sat Over Against The Treasury [podcast] | Escaping Sodom!Waste | Stewardship | Giving

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Articles

The More Blessed Life [podcast]

Gracious Gospel Giving (below)


Giving and Lordship (below)


Are You Living It?

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

Do you truly desire and yearn for “more” of God and His blessedness? This should be the deep desire of every disciple. How do I get “more blessed”? Am I left to wonder what the answer to this important question is? Does holy writ reveal the answer to this question?

Yes. To get more “blessed,” I must “give” more of myself to my LORD. I must be willing to have the LORD increase in me as I decrease, so as to facilitate His expansion in my being.

WHEN we obey God by helping and praying for other of His saints, we are walking in the mind of Christ as we esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-5).

WOULD any true Gospel work be lacking if those who claim to serve Christ put Him first in their hearts and therefore finances? (Matthew 6:19-21; Proverbs 3:9-10)

The LORD stated:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn (grain, seed) of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth (continues) alone (unfruitful): but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” John 12:24-26

In this sinful and perishing world system we dwell in, self and being served is king, but in the kingdom of God, self-less serving is the measure of greatness.

ARE YOU giving to the LORD out of that which HE alone allows you to bring in OR are you spending all on the god of self? Do you know and obey the Word of God given us in Proverbs 3:9-10? …. Are you freeloading? It’s quite amazing how people can and do spend money on everything under the sun except the furthering of the kingdom of Christ.

“He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he can never lose.” Jim Elliott

Instead of boasting that everything we have comes from the LORD, we’d better be spreading it around like He commanded. He’s watching! The way we thank Him for putting that supply in our hands is to give it where He’s told us to give it in His Word. What happened to the once “rich man” who didn’t spread around what he’d been given? He’s been irrevocably in hell for at least 2,000 years, right? Right! He’ll never escape the conscious torment, nor will he cease to feel the pain of it (Mark 9:43-50; Luke 16:19-31)

Serving is blessedness and is the great and perpetual prayer and desire of every true disciple. I must yearn for more of His presence, His holiness, His love and His grace. To follow on to know my Master deeper, I must pray the prayer John the Baptist prayed:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

He is to increase and I decrease. That is, I must become less in control of my own life and will, and relinquish my right to myself. The self-emptying process must more fully take its course. For I have been bought with the price of His holy blood as the result of His infinitely merciful sacrifice, and no longer live unto myself, but unto Him who gave Himself for me (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 2:20. I get to love Him more than I love myself! LORD teach me each day to love You more and myself less.

NEVER pity those who are called out of Christ into His full-time ministry. Instead, pity those who sit there and contribute zilch to the work of the One who bled to save them, the very Once they claim to love, serve, and be saved by.

“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15

I must relinquish control of the reigns of my life and will to the One who is worthy of all my praise as long as He gives me the breath of life.

Do we not have this thing called life all wrong? Do we not need a complete transformation of thought? LORD, please have mercy upon us and change us. Amen.

“The One who is the Highest came to become the lowest. We who are the lowest, seek to be the highest.” unknown

Friend, there are no shortcuts – This is the true path to blessedness with God – putting Him first by giving Him and His people more of me daily. In fact, if I am not growing to “give” or serve more, I am not growing as a disciple of my LORD. The true measure of spiritual growth is seen in how much we give of ourselves to God and others.

Jesus taught to “Give” as did His apostle Paul – Mt 6:19-21; Lk 6:38; 2 Cor 9:6-11 etc… not a coerced tithe but giving out of what He gives us – Prov 3:9-10; 1 Chron 29:14, etc.

To the degree I am serving, my spirituality can be measured.

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11

My humility, or lack thereof, is the true measure of my spiritual life with Christ.

The way humble serving plays out in my daily life could be as simple as smiling warmly at others (Matthew 5:44-48), gently encouraging another, visiting a sick person, instructing a child in the way of righteousness, planting a seed of love in someone’s heart by writing an encouraging note with Scripture, emailing or writing a letter to remind someone how much the LORD loves them, passing a Gospel tract to a lost soul who needs the refuge that only the Savior can give him…. (James 1:26-28).

GOD does not hold the world accountable for supporting His Great Commission He gave us but rather His own people – and He even set up an eternal investment fund for them to reap eternal rewards for doing so (Matthew 6:19-21; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, etc.).

In our lives, May all things be done unto the building up of the saints/body of Christ and the reaching of those who do not yet know Him (John 17; Galatians 6:10).

“Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” Romans 15:2 

“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” 1 Corinthians 10:24

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, May Your love fill this vessel, this whole being, increasingly and governing my every thought and action as I here this instant set myself to be conformed to Your holy image and will. LORD Jesus, not my will but Thine be done. Thank You for the privilege of serving others in this short life as unto Thee and by Your enabling grace. Jesus I know You are coming soon. May this life be crucified with You and these hands to be found upon the plow of doing Your work, Your will, by serving others as unto You. I love You Jesus and thank You for saving me into Your eternal family and setting my life apart for Your holy holy purposes. Please use us, Your people dear LORD. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5

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