| Last time I spoke on “Is Salvation Based On A Single Event”, and since then I have begun new subjects only to be brought back to think more on these events in one’s life. A true child of GOD will want to please GOD, not man, but GOD. Not only will that child want to please Him, but He will be glorified one way or the other. He will take the rod out to the ones He loves just as He teaches parents to spare not the rod to their child. The point is, how many whooping’s do we want during lifetime. The word says in Ps. 2:11 “His rod and His staff comforteth me”.So, one might ask how to avoid His wrath. Yes, GOD is a wrathful and jealous GOD, not just a loving GOD. The first and greatest commandment would seem like a good place to start. We can see this in Mat 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”.To love someone this much is a great undertaking and responsibility in the life of a Christian. His word tells us in Pro 4:23 to “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”. If you are His, you will keep your heart in check. This is our day to day battle, but we will endure to the end. Once we have tasted of the Heavenly gift from GOD, we will not want to be one that will fall away (Heb 6:4-6), but it will be the true child’s desire to strive for access to GOD’s full love which is beyond our full understanding.When I think about my work it reminds me of the old hymn “Work, for the Night Is Coming”. We, as a child of GOD will work each day to glorify our GOD. Here is the first verse of this hymn:Work, for the night is coming, Work through the morning hours; Work while the dew is sparkling, Work ‘mid springing flowers; Work when the day grows brighter, Work in the glowing sun; Work, for the night is coming, When man’s work is done.Man’s work is done when we take our last breath on this earth. My friends, we are all servants of the Lord whether we want to be or not. He has given each talents and we shall be judged on these talents. Just as the parable of the traveler and his servants Christ shows us in Mt. 25:14-30 where the talents are to be put to use (fruitful) or are we a wicked and slothful servant that will lose their talents. The consequences of losing them will be very painful to that recipient as shown in Mt 25:30 “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. But for the profitable servant whether they have one talent or five talents if utilized properly will be rewarded. This can be seen in Mt. 25:23 “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”. The key word in this verse is the entering into the joy of thy lord. The child of God’s only true joy is pleasing his Heavenly Father and this joy and peace will only come about with a daily communion with Him.If you truly love someone, you will want to work hard to be close to that person. So then, how does one get close to GOD. The Lord Jesus Christ said in Mat 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. This verse tells us to seek ye first GOD. Once He touches that heart and makes it new, the true Christian begins to obtain a consciousness of GOD’s omnipresence and His omnipotence. If we have Him on our mind always, it can give us comfort or become a thorn. But we will as is said in Psa 2:11 “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling”.A faithful old friend use to tell me that you can recognize a goat (the lost) from a sheep (His child) by the way they walk. Remember the word tell us in 2Co 13:5 to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? If you are really serious about where you will spend eternity then you will go to Him and ask Him as David did in Psa 26:2 “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart”. In my own words that I have gone to Him broken hearted in tears many times and asked “Lord if I’m not yours, make me yours”. My Friend’s, take time to reflect on your own life as I do mine and see if your light is so shinning. Self-examine your fruit. May GOD bless these words to hearing ears is my prayer. |