Positional Security in What?

ladder 8What is your motivation for seeking a higher position in life? Is it for the money, the status, or just the opportunity to serve?  Or is it to make you feel important?  To make you feel you finally arrived?  To make you feel worthwhile?

Today a position may be a job title, a political office, or a professional credential. It is the acceptable standard that the world places on us before recognizing our authority, or our ability.  But form doesn’t reveal substance.  We may play the role, like an actor, but not really have the knowledge nor skills to produce.  With Christ though, our position is secure.  There is no office, title, professional credential that even comes close to giving us the internal faith and authority we have in Christ.

We are disciples of His.  We are saints.  We are bond-servants of Jesus Christ.  What more does a person want?  If our desire for a greater position supersedes our desire to serve Him, than we wouldn’t be true to our Creator. Yes in our youth we may have pursued every position that our heart desired. We may have needed to develop a sense of self-worth because we didn’t find it at that time with Jesus.  Today, however, after tasting all the world’s solutions to self-esteem and personal development theories, we’ve come to see the blessings and value of seeking a spirit-filled life in Jesus.  Not for our glory, but for His. Not so we feel important, but so His importance may be manifested in our life.

As a fellow worker in the body of Christ, we feel privileged and thankful that God has revealed His work in our life and to so many others.  Who needs a position?  Through the power of prayer and service we accomplish more than we ever achieved in any office or with any professional credential.  Our position is found in Him.  That is one of the benefits of being a disciple of His.

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 8

Our Heavenly Dad, let every saint come to know your secured blessings in Jesus.  Amen.

Dr. Mike – Consultant, Coach, Author of

Great Business Emulates a Good God 

Does God Make Sense?

When Job lost his family, and his earthly possessions were taken away, plus his health destroyed with boils, did he consider that time in life to make any sense? When Joseph was taken into slavery to Egypt and locked up in jail for over ten years, did he make sense of his current situation?  When the apostle Paul found himself left stoned to death, shipwrecked, beaten, pursued by his enemies of the cross. did he consider his current situation to make any sense?

When we stop and look at our present time, do we ever ask if it makes any sense?  Though most of us are not a Paul, Joseph, nor Job with no major specific mission in life; where history will not record our accomplishments to the masses. In fact, most of our lives are quite normal and most the time uneventful. And frankly, most of us enjoy it that way. But, does it make any sense?

We live in America, the Disney Country of the planet earth. We have the choice to live anywhere that is affordable for us. Wehave the opportunity to educate ourselves at any university if we apply our self. We could pursue whatever occupation interests us. We have the opportunity to select our own mate and have as many children as physically possible. We also have the opportunity to worship at the church of our choice. We probably have more than enough in physical comforts and may even begin to feel guilty whenever we acquire more. But does our present situation make sense?

If tomorrow we lost everything we own; if our world fell apart and we are taken into prison for something we didn’t do. If we are beaten and left .for dead, would our present situation make sense?

The answer of course is that as a disciple of His, everything makes sense. Nothing will separate us from the love of God. As His disciple, He is the center of our universe; the center of our life. He makes our situation make sense. No matter where we find ourselves, no matter what the situation, no matter what the outcome, He is in control. Our agreement with Him is to surrender all and He will make sense of it all.

He is creating a masterpiece in each one of us and collectively in His universal Church. In our almost forty years following Christ, no matter what ignorant decisions, actions, or events that have taken place, He has always been with me. When evil surrounds us or death knocks at our door, we may not have fully realized it at the time, but in hindsight, He is always around and in control. There is a great purpose being worked out here below and we are a part of it. Yes it takes faith. But isn’t that one part of the armor of a Christ­ follower? And shouldn’t a disciple of His be wearing that armor every day?

Does your present situation make sense? Or maybe the question really is, “Does God make sense?”  Only when we faithfully answer that question, will our present situation make sense.

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 9

Dear Purposeful Dad, thank you for being in control. Thank you for taking care of the small details of life. But mostly, thank you for being involved in our life.

Help us to yield ourselves into your hands, to trust you in all of life’s circumstances and situations. Help us to see the circumstances that you present to us as opportunities to witness to your great power in our life. We pray, glorify your name by creating your masterpiece in us. Take the circumstances that we find ourselves in and change our heart to be like yours. Change the heart of those around us to be like yours. Change the circumstances if you believe that to be the best solution, but more importantly, take the present situation and reveal your Greatness through it. Let others see your magnificence. Let us see your magnificence. Let others know that you know us and care for us. Let your life abide in us and in you.

Let us not try to make sense of the situation we are in. We do not ask why. Instead we ask that you take our present situation and magnify yourself through it.

Let your glory abound. Let your Word abound. Let the Holy Spirit abound. Let your  Kingdom abound. Help us abound for your name’s sake.  In Jesus we ask. Amen.

Dr. Mike

 

What’s It All About?

Jesus came to redeem the world. Since Adam & Eve rebelled against God, this world’s beauty has become disarrayed by evil. As a people we have messed up almost everything we have touched. We have tried to create a world order apart from God. But the good news is that through Jesus each one of us has the opportunity to taste how life was initially created to be.

Sin is an old-fashion term but a modern day event. Many people don’t even know what the definition of sin is. There are those who make it into some religious ritual. There are others who call sin anything that is fun and enjoyable. Others define it only as an action and not a thought. Some define it as a spirit or attitude that opposes the Will of God.

sin3

The Bible provides us with several definitions of sin. Whether we miss the mark, transgress the law, break His commandments, rebel against God, live alienated from Him, or perform any action without faith, hope, and love are all symptoms of sin. We are surrounded in sin and many of us are even saturated in sin. We lavish in sin and even enjoy the pleasure of sin. But until sin’s penalties leave its mark on us causing pain and sorrow, we live life trying to ignore it.

Many of us try to manage sin. We believe we are stronger than any sin that comes our way. We seek temptation rather than flee from it. Many times we are blind to sin’s attempt of capturing us. We walk right into sin’s traps like a dodo bird in a fashion show. We parade our stuff only to lose again at evil’s game.

The Bible also states that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. We all must die. There is no escaping that fact from planet earth. The question remains then what? If there is no life hereafter, than we might as well party and wallow in our sins. If this is all that there is, than mankind is one cruel joke. Simply put, if Jesus lived His life like history records it, than many of us better look twice. For either He is the Messiah or He is not. If He is not, than we better have sufficient proof. But if He is, like many who believe He is, why not accept His offer?

His desire is that you enter into a relationship with Him and His Dad now and for all eternity. His plan includes everyone that freely and willfully accepts His offer. His offer includes all the benefits of being a child of God. His plan is to bring you back into the Family of God, to redeem you from this world and sin, to grant you His gift of eternal life and all its treasures. His desire is that your life be rich and successful like His. Daddy knows best. Why not accept His offer?

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 8

Our Wonderful Dad, thank you for being so merciful with us. Thank you for allowing us the freedom to choose. We know there are many who choose you out of fear. There are those who choose you out of self-preservation. But we also know that there are many that choose you because of your love. You are the most loving, giving, gracious being we have ever known. We thank you for being involved in our life Though we are sinful with a natural disposition towards sin, we thank you for loving us even in our sins. Help us to live life away from sin. Change our heart with Your Spirit. Keep sin and its power away from us. Let the righteousness of Jesus surround us. Bathe us with your righteousness. Wash us thoroughly from all that we naturally are. Let your Holiness abide in us without pain or discomfort. Let your Home always be within us and let our home always be with You. Thank you Jesus for everything in your name. Amen.

Dr. Mike