Blessings that come from Sacrifice

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

       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, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18: 29-30.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

       All valuable things have a price; and eternal life is certainly no exception. Although salvation is free, reconciliation requires sacrifice. The cost for following Jesus Christ is often quite high; most believers will endure persecution, affliction, and numerous hardships. In turn, genuine obedience frequently produces loss; the loss of possessions, property, and prestige; the loss of a home, a career, and even certain family members and friends; some have even laid down their lives for the sake of the gospel. Still, from the time of the resurrection until today, not one righteous sacrifice has ever been committed in vain; for God has promised to replace each offering with something far greater. To die as a peaceful martyr is to live forever in the His Kingdom. To lay down our earthly possessions is to grab hold of God’s eternal riches. To suffer affliction for righteousness is to one day experience unending freedom and everlasting peace. And yet God’s rewards aren’t solely relegated to the heavenly realm. He also provides the faithful with many earthly blessings; wives, husbands, children, careers, possessions, etc.)

       Some time ago, while serving at my church, I met a pastor named Greg. A few years earlier he had been the starting quarterback for a division one college football team. As he headed in to his senior year, his future looked promising. Many expected him to excel, and to eventually enter the NFL draft. According to the world, his life was an example of success. Yet God had other plans for Greg. Before the start of his senior year, he felt the Lord calling him into full time ministry. After much contemplation and prayer, Greg chose to sacrifice any potential fame and fortune to serve God. When he announced his decision not to return for his final season, his coaches were mystified; many of his friends thought he had gone crazy. Those who were worldly thought he was making a very serious mistake. However, approximately four years after making his decision, Greg told me he had never been more satisfied. He is now joyfully serving the Lord; he also has a beautiful wife and a young child. By sacrificing much he has received a number of priceless blessings in return; “and in the age to come, eternal life.”

       The Christian path requires great sacrifice. Letting go of what is useless and grabbing hold of what is good isn’t without consequence. Obedience to the Lord produces loss; yet for every earthly loss there is a heavenly reward. Trust in the Lord; sacrifice any meaningless and unprofitable areas of your life and place them upon God’s Holy altar; submit yourself to His leading and you will experience all of the blessings that He has promised to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

     “Lord Heavenly Father, help us to sacrifice our lives in service to You. May we accomplish Your will no matter the cost. Remove any sins that stand in our way. Give us a new heart; give us new desires; may we die so that You may live. We thank You in advance for the blessings You have promised to provide, and we submit our lives to You now in faith. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Christ’s Replacement

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

        “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14: 25-26.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

        The Lord informed his disciples that he would soon be taken away from them. In his absence, he promised to send them a replacement; a helper; someone to guide and direct them; a spiritual entity that would remind them of all of his teachings. After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven; having reached His eternal position, he sent the Holy Spirit into the hearts and minds of every believer (on the day of Pentecost.) The disciples began to speak in foreign languages; they were given the power and authority to forgive sins; to cast out demons; to raise the dead; and to heal the sick. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was, and is, proof that Jesus Christ did reach his destination; the work of the Spirit today confirms that He is still seated at the right hand of God; a place of honor from which He continues to guide and direct His church.
        In the early 20th century a bold and daring explorer named Roald Amundsen set out to reach the remote poles of the earth. He succeeded in reaching the South Pole in 1911, and the North Pole in 1926. As the story goes, during his northern journey, he took along a homing pigeon (homing pigeons mate for life; in turn, when separated from their mates they have a unique ability to return to their nests from anywhere in the world. Before leaving for the North Pole, Amundsen, not wanting his wife to worry, promised to release the pigeon when he reached his destination; when the bird arrived at its nest in Norway, his wife was elated. The pigeon was a symbol; a message proclaiming that although the explorer had arrived in a distant land, he was very much alive.
        The Holy Spirit is also a symbol; it is a message and a reminder that Jesus Christ still lives. Many have received the message, many have not. Those who have opened their hearts to God’s messenger have acknowledged that Jesus is their Lord and master. That he is a living God; that He currently guides and directs His church through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you have never received His gift, go somewhere quiet, and ask God to provide you with the Spirit of Truth. The Lord never withholds this wonderful thing from those who genuinely ask Him.
        “Lord Heavenly Father, we believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, and that he is seated at Your right hand. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit; guide and direct us; teach us and remind us of Your ways. May we be faithful believers; may we never waiver; may we never grow weary, and may we never turn away from Your truth. May You continue to use us to fulfill Your will in this place, until the time when we will see You, face to face. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.

No Half Way

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

         “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build but was not able to finish?’” (Luke 14: 27 – 30.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS        

         Following Jesus Christ isn’t easy; it requires great sacrifice and tremendous discipline.  Uncomfortable changes will inevitably follow every genuine profession of faith.  Each believer is called to abandon sin and embrace a life of selflessness and service.  Those considering the Christian life are urged by Jesus to “sit down first and count the cost.”  Drunkenness, fornication, pornography, adultery, lewdness and idolatry must be discarded.  Gossip, foul language, dirty humor, and selfishness are crushed beneath the weight of purity, love, mercy, and truth.  Sadly, many who begin following the Lord are unable to finish the journey; abandoning God’s call, some eventually return to their old lives.

         Interestingly enough, the longest Bridge in the world is the Danyang—Kunshan Grand Bridge in mainland China.  This modern marvel took four years to build and cost approximately 8.5 billion dollars.  As it snakes over rice patties, lowlands, and rivers, it measures a whopping 102 miles in length.  Bridges are amazing feats of engineering; and yet despite coming in a variety of different shapes and sizes, they all serve one common purpose; they connect two portions of land divided by an obstacle.  Although most of these structures are quite useful, an unfinished bridge is of no value whatsoever.  Ninety percent of a bridge is as useful as ten percent of a bridge.  In order to be valuable the structure must be complete.  Much like a bridge, the life of every believer is utterly useless unless it has been completed.  Throughout the centuries there have been many genuine disciples who died knowing that they had kept the faith until the very end.  Sadly, many other devotees were unable to complete the journey.

         In proverbs Chapter 20, verse 25, we read, “It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows.”  If you have never made a commitment to following Jesus Christ, then you must not do so rashly.  You must first consider fully what God is asking from you.  He is asking you to lay down your sins and embrace a life of purity; you must also devote your entire existence to serving and loving others.  For those who commit themselves to the Lord, the road is not easy.  There are no points for half-way.  Once the journey has begun, it must be finished.

         “Lord Heavenly Father, some of us have already begun our journey with You.  We’ve laid down our worldly ways and embraced purity and love.  May we continue moving forward and may we never falter.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit; empower us to complete what we have started, that we may one day enter Your kingdom with great joy.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.