Salvation... living our lives as God expects... this is just too hard and no one can possibly accomplish such a thing. I can never be saved! Is this the way you think about judgement and what will become of you? Well, rejoice, because there is hope and judgement lies just ahead.
Do you command the promises of God be fulfilled? Is your assurance in God's word more than humble faith in His Word? Is your expectation that He honor His contract with you by the terms as you understand them? Well, perhaps you should take a step back.
When we make intercessory prayer for those around us, is our own sympathy for them getting in the way of effective prayer? Are we putting our own desires for them between ourselves and God?
When we follow God are we close enough to actually see Him? When we look ahead can we see Him walking with Jesus as He leads us on? Paul spoke of seeing "Him who is invisible", do we?
This morning I am contemplating a rather convicting subject. I am asking myself a couple of questions regarding my ability to serve the Lord in obscurity. Can I do the work of my calling without a grand moment of inspiration from God? And, is my work dependent on His making a show of my service?
When we make intercessory prayer for those around us, is our own sympathy for them getting in the way of effective prayer? Are we putting our own desires for them between ourselves and God?
What will we become when Jesus returns? What awaits us in faith when we rise from slumber tomorrow, or for that matter, what does the next hour have in store for us? Our faith is not something that can be calculated and God awaits around every bend with a new treasure.
We live in a culture that honors self-assuredness and strength in pursuit of fame and fortune over all else, but God, on the other hand, places humility above pride and strength. When it comes to strength, He is looking for strength as it relates to our faith and character alone.
Do we want to be great men and women of faith? Is our goal to be like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, or Martin Luther King? Is working quietly in the trenches unappealing to us? Did the first sentence of your prayer this morning contain "give me", "make me", or "let me?"
Are there things in our life that the Lord must remove by fire? Do we hold on so tightly to them, or have they become so deeply rooted, that the only way to remove them is to burn them out?
We are all inclined to work for the kingdom when we are in the middle of a calling, but how do we spend our time after God has called us out, after a calling is complete, and we are waiting for God to reinsert us into his service? Is this simply a time of rest?
In what do we rejoice? Are we taking personal satisfaction in the number of souls we bring to God? Are we celebrating God's victories or the power He has Given us? Would it surprise you that Jesus said don't do these things?
What is our role in performing those things that God calls us to? Are we working for God, ourselves, or in concert with God? The answer might surprise you.
The result of our faith is a realignment of our lives and those within it. Are you seeing this occur, and are you willing to let it happen? Are you being transformed into a new person?
Do we ask the right questions of Jesus, and if by chance we do, are we listening intently to the answer... with the right heart?