GO

Sitting here in the airport getting ready to leave for Ecuador, South America for two weeks, I think back to what lead me here. It was a phone call from a pastor I had met a couple of years ago at a retreat. He told me that a group had cancelled there scheduled work trip and he was trying to put together a team. He asked if I would be willing to help.

⁸Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

We don’t have to hear a big booming voice from heaven to hear from God. He uses people to communicate to us. We simply have to listen to the response of the Holy Spirit within us. I’m grateful He still speaks to us. Keep listening for His voice and don’t be surprised if He uses someone you know to speak to you!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

GIVING

There’s some talk going around about whether “tithing” is scriptural as it applies to New Testament believers or if that was just under the law. Those of us who grew up in the church were taught that you should give ten percent of your income to the church.

I guess the question would be whether the argument was intended to let someone “off the hook” for giving that ten percent or if it was allowing him or her freedom to give more.

Look at this example of giving in the Gospel of Luke…

¹While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. ²Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

³“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. ⁴For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” Luke 21:1-4 (NLT)

There is an individual in our town that lives very modestly, drives old cars and is unable to work in the traditional sense. The individual does do a LOT of ministry in our town, helping widows and the elderly.

Every couple of weeks, sometimes more often, we receive a check made out to the SPRING Student Center from this individual. That check is like the widows coins.

It is a LOT of money for them, but they want to give it to God to allow Him to use it in the lives of teenagers in our town.

God looks at the heart of the giver, not the percentage.

⁶But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NKJV)

By the way, did I mention that this particular person that gives so generously to the SPRING is ALWAYS full of JOY…!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

PRESENCE

What do you think you would act like if you were to be in the presence of God? I don’t know about you, but I’d probably just fall down dead. Of course, my spirit would immediately be in the presence of God so it’s all good!

Would you act differently (if you didn’t fall down dead) or would life just go on? Here’s the account of one man and his reaction to being in the presence of Jesus…

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”

⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

⁹Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:5-10 (NIV)

Zacchaeus’ life was changed by simply being in the presence of Jesus. It may not seem real to you, but imagine yourself giving up half of everything you own; half of your house, half of your car, your bank account, etc. Then, to make up for all the wrong you had done, you pay back the wronged party four times the original injury to them.

Well if you claim Jesus Christ as your Savior, you ARE in His presence, right now because the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the HOLY SPIRIT lives in you! You are in the presence of God as you read this. That realization should result in a changed life, a righteous life, a humble and grateful life.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

FIRST

A survey was taken a few years ago that asked a group of people what the most important things (people, jobs, etc.) in their life were. Quite a few named family as number one. Others named their position at their place of employment. Some even said that a car or truck that they had always wanted was number one.

There are some that believe that all you have to do is be kind and not too selfish and that will get them a ticket to heaven. A young ruler was asking Jesus how he could “get eternal life” and told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments. Here’s Jesus’ reply to him…

So, when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²³But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. Luke 18:22-23 (NKJV)

The man’s response indicated that his wealth and possessions here on this earth were of more importance than being with Jesus in heaven. You might be thinking well obviously possessions shouldn’t be number one, but family should, right?

So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29-30 (NKJV)

God wants to be Number One in your life, not number two, three or four. If you place Him in the Number One position, He will not disappoint you. He is more than able to meet all of your needs.

As my life-verse says…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

PRAY

Some things are so important that you cannot stop praying about them until the answer arrives. One of them is that the church (that’s you and me, the Christians!) in your town, in my town and around the world would glorify Jesus Christ in word and deed. That instead of being an exclusive “club” that takes care of “its own”, it (we) would seek to minister to the lost and love all of those that Christ died for on the cross at Calvary; the poor, the needy, the orphan, the widow and each other!

At times, it can seem as if God doesn’t hear our prayer in this regard, but we are promised that He will. We need to keep at it even when it seems like nothing is happening. He tells us that if we ask anything in His name (and according to His will) that He will do it.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ²He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. ³And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

⁴“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’”

⁶And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)

Many things are worth praying about even when it seems like you’ve been praying for a long time. God is faithful and He will hear your prayers.

Don’t get discouraged when it seems like you are not seeing the answer…simply be faithful in what you are called to do…pray. Thank God for His provision in advance and trust Him to accomplish it.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

PRAISE

I think I figured out where the saying “dumber than a rock” came from! Dumb, not being a term of mental aptitude but of the lack of ability to speak. Look at the following verses and see if you can see what I mean…

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Psalms 19:1 (NASB)

Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!

Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!

For the LORD has comforted His people

And will have compassion on His afflicted. Isaiah 49:13 (NASB)

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” ⁴⁰“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:38-40 (NIV)

²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 18:20 (NASB)

Everyday we look around and see beautiful mountains and trees, we eat fruit grown on trees and vegetable grown from seeds in the earth and yet, we are too often silent about praising and thanking our God.

We are without excuse. His eternal nature can be seen in the vastness of the sky and the ocean. A hint of His power can be seen in the force of the wind and the eruption of a volcano. His love and provision can be seen in how he cares even for the birds and the animals.

Take some time today and despite any negative circumstances that may exist in your life, praise Him for your very breath. Praise Him for the beauty with which He has surrounded you. Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

TRUST

Look around you at the world that you live in. Can you make a mountain? Can you create a tree from nothing? Can you cause a coyote to be born or a bird to fly? Who are we to question the things of God, His reasons for doing what He does or for allowing certain things to happen?

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

³⁴ For who can know the LORD’s thoughts?

Who knows enough to give him advice? (Isaiah 40:13)

³⁵ And who has given him so much

that he needs to pay it back? (Job 41:11)

³⁶For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NLT)

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD

The splendor of the King, Clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light, And darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice, And trembles at His voice

Chorus

How great is our God, Sing with me

How great is our God, And all will see

How great, How great is our God

And age to age He stands, And time is in His hands

Beginning and the End, Beginning and the End

The Godhead three in one, Father, Spirit, Son

The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb

Bridge

Name above all names

Worthy of all praise

My heart will sing

How great is our God

© 2004 worshiptogether.com songs\Six Steps Music\Alletrope Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)\(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)\(Admin. by Music Services) Chris Tomlin / Ed Cash / Jesse Reeves , CCLI #2919832

Trust the One Who made you and sent His only Son to save you. Rejoice in His love for you and thank Him for your very life.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

TOTALLY

In the Old Testament, there were 616 commandments that the Jews were to follow in order to have a right relationship with God. I don’t know about you, but I can barely count that high, let alone remember that many commandments.

When Jesus came to earth, He reduced those many commandments down to two. The first was to love God and the second was to love each other. Here’s a look at the first…

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:30 (NIV) (also found in Luke 10:27. The occurrence in Matthew 22:37 leaves out “strength”)

This is a quote from the Old Testament that the Jews would have been very familiar with as it was to be recited every day…

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)

Here is a brief look at the meanings of the words in the Hebrew and the Greek (condensed from Brown-Driver-Brigg’s Hebrew Dictionary and Thayer’s Greek Dictionary)

Heart

Hebrew: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding, mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, inclination, resolution, determination (of will) and conscience.

Greek: the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours, of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence, of the will and character

Soul

Hebrew : soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion, that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

Greek : the breath of life, the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing, the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death

Heart and soul have quite an overlap in both the Hebrew and the Greek understanding but, to oversimplify, the term ‘heart’ has more emphasis on what we would consider the mental faculties, while the ‘soul’ has more emphasis on what we would call the ‘spiritual’ faculties. (Chris Johnson: www.silentorb.com/translucence/2007/10/heart-for-god.html)

Strength (Might)

Hebrew: exceedingly, much, might, force, abundance, to a great degree

Greek: ability, force, strength, might

Mind

Greek (not in the original Hebrew passage): the mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring, thoughts, either good or bad

Jesus added the word ‘mind’ to the original passage in Deuteronomy 6:5 because the Greeks had a different concept of thinking. Even in our culture, we consider “heart” to have an emotional context and “mind” to have more of a bent toward rational thinking.

What’s that all boil down to? We are to love God, our Creator, with EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE…TO THE MAX…TOTALLY!

That is the most important thing that we can do in life. Why are people having problems in relationships, work and school? Why do people seek out mind-altering, mood-altering drugs and activities? The answer lies in not carrying out the most important thing in the life of a human being…loving God. We must love God totally to find meaning, peace and contentment.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

DIVIDED

There are over 33,000 denominations in the church today. I know, that sounds crazy, doesn’t it? In our city of a little over 3,000, there are about 30. If 100 people went to each church that would work out ok, but that would mean 100% of the population would be Christian and that simply isn’t the case.

Not all division is bad. Some churches excel at outreach ministry to the lost. Others are more community minded and provide much needed services to the elderly and the poor. Some might have an exceptional music program that reaches out to the more artistic. As long as the central message is loving God and loving others in the name of Jesus Christ, those type of divisions are ok.

The problem comes when others say negative things about this church or that church, this ministry or that ministry. The result is confusion, improper attitudes and prideful actions. How does God fit into all of that?

Recently someone in our town told a friend of mine that they were going to do “everything in their power to see that The SPRING Student Center was closed down.” Imagine my shock to hear that the person was a “Christian.”

Now The SPRING is not, nor does it claim to be, a church. The reasoning of this person was that they saw kids hugging outside The SPRING and walking up the street to a local store. Our goal is to provide a safe haven for teens and a positive atmosphere with the ultimate hope that they would meet Jesus through one of our staff or through His Word.

Fortunately, my friend asked them to consider where those kids would be going and what they would be doing if The SPRING did not exist. Hopefully, that message will sink in. But, it points out the problem of disunity among those of us who love Christ.

The words of Jesus on this subject are recorded in three of the Gospels…

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? Matthew 12:25-26 (NIV)

We that claim Christ as Head of His Church and Savior of our very lives must be unified if we are to reach the lost, especially the younger generations. We must heed the words of Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus…

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV)

Now, with all that being said, am I worried about the status of The SPRING? No! God, Who created the universe and planted The SPRING here, will be faithful and successful in standing against such obvious attacks of Satan.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

RESPONSIBILITY

Do you get upset with people that don’t act as you think they should? I think we all do at times. But, can we hold them to the same guidelines that we ourselves have adopted? What if they are not Christians…can we expect them to act according to Biblical principles?

Listen to what Jesus said according to the Gospel of Luke…

That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. ^48. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:47-48 (NIV)

Those that don’t know how they are supposed to act will be punished less severely than those of us who claim to be Christians, are supposed to know God’s will and then DO NOT carry out God’s will.

That should scare us a bit. We have quite a responsibility and we have been given everything we need to be faithful to our calling…

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

So, the next time you are tempted to criticize someone else’s actions make sure you take a long hard look at yourself first. How is your response to them? Are you being loving to them? Are you acting toward them the way Jesus would want you to?

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5 (NASB)

Remember, only God knows the heart…yours and theirs.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

READY

What do you think Jesus meant by the following phrase, “Be ready for service?”

“Be ready for service and have your lamps lit. ³⁶ You must be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.” Luke 12:35-36 (HCSB)

He was referring of course to His own second coming, knowing that He would be crucified and return to the Father in heaven. Do you think He meant that we should sit in church every Sunday and simply wait for Him? Or do you think He meant to be ready to serve Him in whatever circumstances came our way?

What do you think Jesus meant about having our lamps lit? Could He have been referring to us, His church, being the “light of this world” (Matthew 5:14-16)? After all, are we not supposed to be doing the work of Christ, since we are called the “body of Christ?”

Jesus told His disciples when He sent them out to…

⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:8 (NLT)

As His followers we are to do the same things…meet the needs of the hurting, the dying and the lost.

All too often, we Christians adopt a Pharisee-type attitude. We worry more about the “outside of the cup being clean”, instead of examining our hearts and motives and aligning them with the mind of Christ. Remember what the Pharisees said to Jesus when He was having dinner with Matthew, whom they considered a “sinner”…

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” ¹²But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:11-13 (NASB)

If this was the attitude of Jesus, should it not also be ours? Jesus associated with tax collectors, prostitutes, demon-possessed people and the poor. Those are the people Jesus came to help and the people that He wants us to help and to heal. Healing someone is not the same as condemning, or avoiding them, but being right there with the person that is sick and helping them to understand how Christ can help. That is what we are trying to do at The SPRING Student Center, be there with hurting kids that do not know Christ, helping them with their problems, as Christ would have. We don’t expect them to act like Christians because they are not. We want to show them the love of Christ so that they will want to know Him as well.

We found that the “Don’t do this” and “Don’t do that” doesn’t work as well as “Please do this.” After all, In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), Jesus didn’t say, “Cursed are the rich in spirit,” He said “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Let’s all use His example of teaching those who do not know Him in a positive way. We can’t expect those that don’t know Christ to act like they do. We need to introduce them to Jesus so they will want to modify their behavior out of love for the Savior.

Now, with that in mind, are you ready for Christ’s return? Is your lamp lit? You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

LISTENING

Are you a busy person? Does it seem like you’re always doing something? Perhaps, you’re even too busy to take much time to pray.

I was having a conversation the other day with a couple of girls (teenagers) and one made a comment that they pray when they’re in trouble and ask God for help. That’s cool. But, as I pointed out, why not talk to Him at other times as well, thanking Him for things He has done and asking Him for direction in life.

Then I remembered reading this passage from the Gospel of Luke…

³⁸As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. Luke 10:38-39 (NIV)

While it is great to ask God for help and direction and thank Him for what He has done in your life…It is equally as important to LISTEN to what He is saying to us. Have you ever taken time before the Lord just to listen?

I was listening to the radio on the way to town the other day and Charles Swindoll was speaking on “waiting before the Lord.” The message was the same as simply being quiet and listening to what God was trying to say.

Young’s Literal translation translates verse thirty-nine as follows:

³⁹and she had also a sister, called Mary, who also, having seated herself beside the feet of Jesus, was hearing the word, Luke 10:39 (YLT)

So “listening” to what God says to us in stillness is not the only way to hear what God is saying. He speaks to us through “the word.” The Greek word here is “logos” which we have come to know refers to Jesus as the expression of God’s thoughts (John 1:1-14). The written word, the Bible, is God’s written communication of His thoughts to us.

So, practice “listening” to God this coming week, in the quiet and stillness of your day (even if it’s only 5 minutes!), and by reading His Word and asking Him what He wants to say to you through that particular scripture you are reading for that day.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

THOUGHTS

What types of things occupy your thought life? I’m sure there are many things, but do you see a pattern in the types of things that dominate your thoughts?

⁵Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Romans 8:5 (NLT)

As a Christian, I must examine my daily thought life and see what dominates it. I must ask myself what I think about during a routine day. Is it simply work? What about before work (or school) or after?

Those DOMINATED by the sinful nature think about sinful things. What is a “sinful thing?” Anything displeasing to God would be the correct answer. You might say, “Does that mean if I have a sinful thought that I’m not really a Christian?” NO, that is not what it means! Notice it does not say, those dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things and the things of God equally. It doesn’t mention the things of God.

So look at the second half of the verse, “but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit…” Let’s stop there. Notice the word “controlled.” Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to control you and your thought life? Have you yielded yourself to Him? That’s not to say that a negative thought won’t creep in now and then, but it does mean that you yield that thought to the control of the Holy Spirit and think about what pleases Him.

How do we know what pleases the Holy Spirit? For starters, look at Philippians 4:8…

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

We know love pleases the Holy Spirit. We’re supposed to love God and love each other. Perhaps we could take a closer look at First Corinthians chapter thirteen. And what about the fruit of the Spirit? Perhaps we should re-read Galatians chapter five starting at verse 22.

The point is we need to see where are attention is focused and make some adjustments if it doesn’t seem to be in line with God’s Word. Thoughts are powerful and an indication of our character…

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7a

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

PAID

So, you’re a Christian and you made a mistake. Does that mean you’re done, finished, no good anymore?

Or perhaps you simply are struggling with some of the same temptations that plagued you before you met Christ. You are not alone. Listen to this excerpt from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome…

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ^22.I love God’s law with all my heart. ^23.But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. ^24.Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Romans 7:21-2 (NLT)

That’s right, even Paul struggled with the conflicting sin nature and the new nature of the Holy Spirit. In the next verse, he provides the answer to that last question…

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7:25 (NLT)

Some might say, “I thought I’d be perfect after I became a Christian.” Sad to say that’s not true. HOWEVER, we are free from the penalty of death for the sins we commit AFTER we accept Christ as our Savior. Jesus paid the price…

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ^2.And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

Isn’t that cool!!! Now, obviously we don’t have a “blank check” for running around committing sins. Paul addressed that back in chapter six…

¹Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ²Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Romans 6:1-2 (NLT)

If we truly love Jesus for Who He is and what He has done for us, we will grow closer and closer to Him to the point where the Holy Spirit living in us is given full control.

So, don’t get discouraged and think you’re going to be thrown out of heaven for doing something stupid. God loves you and NOTHING can separate you or me from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

JOYFULLY

Statistics say that there are more depressed people today than ever before in history. Ezinearticles.com says that, “Depression is quickly becoming one of the biggest medical disorders, and, unfortunately, killers, of all time.”

For the Christian, this should not be so.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:2 (NLT)

Do you know Jesus? Are you looking forward to “sharing God’s glory”? Do other people see you rejoicing? Do you talk to them about how you are looking forward to spending eternity with Christ?

All too often, Christians have the reputation of being legalistic, rule-oriented, judgmental or some such thing. Shouldn’t we as Christians have the reputation of being loving and joyful in the Lord?

Paul said in his letter to the church in Philippi,

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Let others see your excitement about Jesus. And, if you aren’t feeling that “joyful” about your future (or present for that matter) with Christ, you need to get busy and ask God to help you with that right now!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

WITHIN

They (and don’t ask me who “they” are!) say that we only use 10% of our brain. If only there was a switch to turn on the other 90%! Anyway, I was reading in Romans today and came across the following verse that made me wonder if perhaps we only use 10% of our gifts from God.

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5 (NASB)

The love of God in us... What an awesome thought. The love of the Creator of the Universe residing inside of you and me. That’s what got me to thinking about whether or not we use 10% of what He has given us.

Do we really love each other with the love of God? Do we look upon the poor, the blind, the orphans, the widows, the prostitutes and the bullies with the love of God?

Only you can answer that for yourself. I cannot (or should not) tell you if you are loving others with the love of God that He has poured out in your heart. Of course, that pouring out is conditional on possessing the Holy Spirit that He gives us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you can. Then, and only then, will the love of God be “poured out in your heart.”

For those of us who do claim to be Christians or followers of Christ, we have to ask ourselves if we are using that awesome gift He has given us (and there are more!) to love others.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

RELEASED

Those who live in this world thinking that this is all there is, that there is no after-life, put everything they have into living for the moment. After all, if you believe that there are no consequences to living a life simply to please yourself, what else would you do?

Now, if careful thought is applied, even apart from a hope for a future apart from this world and what we can see, one can find consequences to living a self-serving life.

• People would rather be around someone that considers them and their feelings so they may not care to be around a self-centered individual.
• Doing “street” drugs, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, among other things have physical consequences that are counter productive to a healthy life in the here-and-now.
• Having sexual relations apart from marriage can have not only physical but also damaging emotional consequences as well.

The point is that even if someone doesn’t believe in the Bible, one can hardly dispute the fact that the practical living advice it has to offer is extremely relevant.

It often goes unheeded, though, and not just by non-Christians. The attitude is “Well I’m going to die anyway and it will all be over.” However…those of us who have come to know Jesus as Savior have been released from the bondage of the fear of death…

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:14 - 15 (NKJV)

Sin and its allure no longer hold us captive because “we might die tomorrow.”

¹¹So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 (NLT)

If people stopped to think about what advantages they were deriving by a self-serving life they would be hard pressed to find anything of lasting value… But we have eternity with our Creator to look forward to…

²⁰For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. ²²But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:20 - 23 (NASB)

We are freed by Christ’s death on the cross from death and the dread it brings to our few short years on this earth. We are no longer being controlled by the thought of having to “have all the fun we can now because it all may end tomorrow.” We have been released from that fear and from death to life everlasting with God.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD