What is Most Important!

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JESUS SPEAKING

“The first of all commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 29 – 31)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Loving God completely is the foundational principle upon which all of Christianity rests. Those who follow Christ are commanded to prioritize their affections for God ahead of their desires for anything else. And thus, a considerable effort must be made to discover God’s will in every situation, and to obey His wishes accordingly. Simply put, if we love God first, then everything else will find its proper place.

Many years ago there lived a traveling evangelist named Doctor Wilbur Chapman. His earthly ministry proved to be quite fruitful; apparently God used him to win many souls for Christ. As a general guidepost, he held fast to a single motto he called, “My rule for Christian living.” He explained further, saying “The rule that governs my life is this: anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult is wrong for me, and I must, as a Christian, turn away from it.” Everyone who yearns to follow Christ must eventually learn this simple rule.

Like Dr. Chapman, those who are called to be Christians must first love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Without implementing this principle, it is impossible to serve the Lord in any meaningful way. And so we must practice this selfless existence by minimizing distractions and prioritizing Godly pursuits. We can pray, worship the Lord, read His word, consider His wonders, and serve Him by serving others.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we possess an affection for You in our hearts that dominates every aspect of who we are and how we live. May we abandon what is unfruitful and focus on loving You completely. May we bend ourselves to Your will, that we might be used to accomplish Your wonderful works. And may we preach the gospel with zeal, as we guide many into Your kingdom. 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!

Seek First the Kingdom of God

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JESUS SPEAKING

“Therefore do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or “What shall we drink?’ or “What shall we wear?’ For after all of these things the Gentiles (non-believers) seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6: 31 – 33)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The fear of not possessing the basic necessities of life creates anxiety in the heart; which entices nonbelievers to prioritize the hunt for resources ahead of everything else. In contrast, Jesus urges His followers to abandon this frantic pursuit, and instead, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” In other words, Christians must prioritize their relationship with God and focus on serving others in the ministry to which they have been called. In turn, God will provide for all of their worldly needs.

As the story goes, in 1865 a preacher named Hudson Taylor came to a great crisis in his life. In a town on the south coast of England he took a leap of faith in response to a single spiritual principle he’d recently discovered. He was surprised that this truth had eluded him for so long. He thought, “If we are obeying the Lord, the responsibility rests with Him, not with us.” In an instant his anxiety and uncertainty faded and the way ahead suddenly became clear. To obey the scriptures and trust that God will be faithful to His promised Word was not rash. Stepping out in faith, he founded the China Inland Mission; an organization which brought the gospel to tens of thousands of Chinese men and women inhabiting the inland areas of China. Because he’d made accomplishing God’s will his priority, all of his other earthly needs were met (as were the needs of the missionary organization.)

Like Mr. Taylor, everyone today has a choice to make. We can deny God and embrace the fear of want; which leads to self-seeking and the desperate search for necessary things. Or we can embrace God and trust Him completely; making the accomplishment of His will our top priority. The first choice is fraught with fear and anxiety. The second however, produces peace and results in divine provision. May we all choose what is right and follow Christ.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before you with humble hearts. We understand that apart from You we can do nothing. May we abandon our fears and place our trust in Your capable hands. As we minister to others, may we experience Your peace, Your prosperity, and Your provision. Only You are worthy of all honor and praise. 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!

Walk by Faith Not by Sight

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JESUS SPEAKS

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. (John 9: 6 – 7)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus encounters a blind man desiring to be healed. Using an unorthodox method, He makes mud with His spit; smearing it across the man’s eyes. Still, instead of being instantly healed, he is instructed to go to the pool of Siloam and wash the dirt from his face. In faith, he remains obedient and soon returns with his sight. Because he listened to Jesus and followed God’s instructions, he experienced an amazing miracle.

As we read in the old Testament, the Jews who were led out of Egypt wandered in the desert for quite some time. They eventually reached the boundaries of the land God had promised to them as an inheritance. The Lord commanded them to cross over the Jordan river and conquer the inhabitants. Unfortunately fear infected their hearts, causing them to doubt God’s ability to give them the victory. As punishment, God condemned them to wander in the desert for an entire lifetime, until the following generation was willing to obey His instructions.

Even today, those who are God’s chosen people are commanded to follow His instructions. We must walk by faith, not by sight; trusting in His strength and in His power. No matter how large or immovable the obstacles might appear, we musn’t succumb to fear. The Lord is with us, and through Him we can achieve victory. If we walk according to God’s will, then we will experience miraculous things.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we trust in Your power and in Your strength. Although we are weak, You are our strong tower. May we follow Your instructions and observe Your commandments every day. As we place our faith in You, we are confident that we will see miracles and observe marvelous wonders. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit Lord. 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!