Die To Live And Reign

2 Timothy 2:11-13
Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

Recently a young man approached me requesting help him find God. This young man sought the God of the Bible because everywhere else he turned, he found no peace. He is at a challenging point in his life where he needs to make critical decisions and try as he might with all his worldly wisdom and guidance, he does not have peace. We agreed to start reading through the gospel of John, a chapter a day and exchanging our thoughts. We started with chapter 1 and to my amazement, the Holy Spirit took over and worked so powerfully in him that this young man, 9 chapters down has accepted Christ as His Lord and Savior, seeks God with his heart and soul daily, loves the Word and seems to have a peace like never before. Was this the faith Paul had that made him so different from us? Was this the reason he was endowed with wisdom far beyond that of most men?

The challenge with the Christian faith is that to many, it is an easy faith. There are no set requirements, no rituals, there is little that one needs to do to be called a Christian and therefore it becomes an easy choice or an easy option to pass. The world looks at us as Christians and find us no different from them, find our goals and aspirations no different from theirs and therefore consider us foolish in our faith. When we are offered a totally new start, a forgiven past and an eternal future in heaven with God and all this at no cost to us, what are we willing to do for it? Would all of that be worth suffering for and would we not want to share this great news with everyone around us so that they may share in this heavenly inheritance not attainable by man? Our choice today is to live in the world like the world and die in the world or be counted worthy to be called Christian and live a faith that is Christ-like. Are you willing to die with Christ to therefore live and reign with Him?

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Ashamed Of Christ

2 Timothy 1:8-10, 12
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel… That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Most people I know including myself aspire to live quite lives that are not tied up in unwanted publicity and strewn with suffering and hurt. Our goal is generally to enjoy lives with those we love, to be good citizens, work less and earn more, live peaceable lives and leave a legacy of goodness for our future generations. Paul was of a different mould and seemed to attract the wrath of those in authority, had a way of getting under their skin with his strong words and boldness, was obstinate about his beliefs and refused to budge on them, had a mob mentality and encouraged others to be like him or so it seems from his letters. Why is there such a diametrical difference between Paul as a man of God and us? What is God’s word to us today?

Paul was a passionate man who lived to share his beliefs, whether as Saul or as Paul. His transformation was brought about by God who chose him for His own purpose and used Paul’s passion to share the gospel instead of rejecting it. To live as a Christ follower is to live as one who opposes the world because the world aspires to glorify the Devil and his ideals whereas Christ lived to serve God and direct the world to Him. To an unbeliever, it might sound like I’ve lost my plot about who is right from wrong but when we examine the life of Jesus through the Bible, we understand the difference between the lie we live and the life we forgo. To the believer in Christ, to live a life that pleases the Devil is to live an unperturbed life where we co-exist with the world but to live for Christ is to accept a life full of challenges because we take a stand against the Devil and for Jesus who destroyed death and gave us life everlasting through His death and resurrection. Are you ashamed to live for Christ?

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Mark 8:38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine