"Keep It Up"

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

There comes a reaping time once we have sown. It is a natural law and a spiritual law. Depending on what you sow will depend on what you reap. There are things that we sow that we reap from immediately, others take a little time before they are reaped, but then some reaping doesn't come until eternity. That is where I want to focus this morning.

I want to encourage you to not grow weary in your walk with the Lord. Don't quit, don't give up. Keep persevering, keep pressing toward the mark, keep following Jesus. I truly believe we are so close to the end of time as we know it- the last of the last days. Since we have come so far and are so close, it is not a time to be getting weary, distracted or side-tracked.

For those who will continue on there is a "crown of righteousness" that is laid up for them in eternity. It is for those who have remained faithful and have not given up. That crown will come, not while we are on this earth, but we will receive it in eternity- once we leave this life.

Even though there are things that we do reap while we are on earth-- blessings, the answer to prayers, etc.-- the greatest reaping will come when we leave this earth-- eternal life, a new name, a crown of righteousness, a pure white robe, and the greatest of all will be when we see our Savior face to face and hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord."

Have a great day. Don't grow weary or faint because there is an eternal reaping that will make it all worth it. ("He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.- Revelation 21:7)

For further reading:
2 Timothy 4:7,8
Matthew 25:21
Revelation 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21

"The Empty Tomb"

"And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus." Luke 24:3

What a dark time for the disciples. The one they thought would save them had been crucified and now His body was missing from the tomb. How confused and hopeless they felt. Scriptures even talk about the emotions that were high and the disbelief that was shrouding them. But what appeared to be defeat and a hopeless situation was actually just the opposite.

The fact that the tomb was empty was "a good thing"- though they didn't realize it at first. It meant that victory was achieved. It meant that our salvation was accomplished. It meant that there was now hope and the opportunity for eternal life. What they perceived as hopelessness was instead the greatest victory.

The tomb had to be empty in order for the whole plan of God to redeem mankind to be fulfilled. Often, what we perceive in life as defeat may very well be victory. What looks hopeless may actually be the answer to the situation.

If you are feeling as if there is no hope; if the situation seems overwhelming; if it looks like defeat, remember the empty tomb. Had it not been empty then there truly would have been no hope.

Have a great day. What appears to be hopeless may actually be the avenue of hope.

For further reading:
Luke 24

"Clouds Obey"

"And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth." Job 37:12

This verse is talking about the clouds and how they are led by the Lord and obey His commands. That is pretty amazing when you consider the fact that clouds are nothing more than gases and vapors. They have no shape or form. They have no brain, sense of reasoning or intelligence, yet they know the voice of their Creator and they obey Him when He speaks.

It makes you wonder how a "mindless" vapor that floats through the atmosphere for only a few moments than dissipates is more obedient to the Lord than most of us. We have been given an intelligence, a will and emotions, yet we can be so stubborn and disobedient when it comes to following the Lord's commands. The point I am trying to make is that if anything in God's creation should be quick to obey and follow Him, it should be us. We are the ones who have the privilege of knowing Him, loving Him and having intimacy with Him. We are the ones whose lives have been redeemed from destruction. We are the ones who experience fellowship and communion with the Heavenly Father. We have been received as His children. His Son died for our sins.

Am I making sense this morning? I just thought it was interesting that all of nature obeys the voice of their Creator- even those parts who are nothing more than a vapor with no substance to them, and we who have been created for fellowship with Him fall so short in this area.

There is a song that says- "There ain't no rock gonna sing in my place, as long as I'm alive to glorify His holy name". Well, I am not going to let a cloud obey my Lord above me either. Are you?

Have a great day. Are you living in greater obedience to the Lord than the rest of creation?

For further reading:
Psalm 148:7-14; 19:1; 104:1-3
Luke 19:40

"Line of Demarcation"

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." 2 Corinthians 6:16,17

What is a line of demarcation? There are specific lines of demarcation throughout the world that divide one area, country or region from another. But the more general definition is: The setting or marking of boundaries or limits; a separation; a distinction. A line of demarcation is used as a boundary line to separate one thing from another.

Let's look at this "line of demarcation" in a spiritual sense. There should be a "line of demarcation" between the Christian and those who are "of the world". There should be a distinction and something that separates us from them so that others will know the difference. But nowadays it is often hard to tell who is and who isn't a Christian. Many profess to be but their lifestyles don't back up their profession.

When the Lord gave the Law to the Israelites, He intended for them to obey it as a sign that they were different from the rest of the inhabitants of the land. It was a sign that they were God's people, distinguishing them from those who were not. In the early church the people that the apostles preached to took note that they had been with Jesus- there was something different about them from everyone else.

In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, after they both die the rich man went to hell and Lazarus went into the "bosom of Abraham". In the conversation between the rich man and Abraham we hear these words- "between us and you there is a great gulf fixed." I believe that is a word for us on this side of death as well. There is a "gulf"- a line of demarcation that is between the Christian and the world. On this side is light, on their side is darkness. On this side there is life, on their side is death. On this side there is hope, on their side there is turmoil. On this side we are the children of God, on their side only enemies of His. On this side we have obtained forgiveness, on their side they are still in trespasses and sin. On this side, we have the Fruit of the Spirit, on their side only the fruits of the flesh.

The Bible tells us that we are the light of the world. There is a distinction between light and dark- a dividing line that separates the two. What I am saying is that there should be something different about us who profess to be Christians that distinguishes us from everyone else. That difference is Christ in us living His life through us.

Have a great day. Is there a "line of demarcation" in your life that backs up what you profess?

For further reading:
Acts 4:13
Matthew 5:14
Galatians 2:20
2 Corinthians 5:17
Luke 16:25-27

"Finish The Race"

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

In the Bible our Christian walk is compared to many things. Paul compared it to a race. We get in this race through acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Sadly, many who come to Christ think that once they have prayed "the sinner's prayer" that is all it is to it. That is so wrong. If it is a "race", then it has to be ran. Runners don't sit on the sidelines. They don't preoccupy themselves with other things. They run, and they run well with the finish line and prize in mind.

Getting in the race is important, but finishing it is just as important. Only those who finish will win the prize, and you can't finish it if you sit down and do nothing. Just because you start the race doesn't mean that you will automatically finish it. There is something that you have to do if you are going to reach the finish line.

1) You are going to have to stay in the race- you can't give up just because it gets tough and you become tired and weary.
2) You are going to have to keep your eyes on the finish line. If you are looking at the things around you it will distract you. Distractions will cause you to go in another direction.
3) Remember the prize. You aren't running in vain, there is a prize that awaits you. And this prize is not just given to the one who crosses the finish line first. It is given to all those who finish this race.
4) Don't get discouraged. You may feel like you aren't making any progress and should be further along in the race, you may feel like you will never reach the end, you may begin to wonder if it is worth it. You will get there if you persevere and it will be worth it.
5) Take notice of how you are running the race. You can't run it all over the course and think that you will wind up on the finish line. You must run it well. You must stay focused. You must keep up the pace. You can't keep stopping and starting. You can't decide to run for a while and quit, run for a while and quit. Stay consistent.

Do you need to check your "pace"? Do you need to take a look at the way you are running? Are you still running the race or have you let distractions come in and take you off course? Have you quit altogether? You have to start the race to get in it, but finishing it is the goal.

Have a great day. Start the race, run well, finish the race then receive the prize.

For further reading:
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Hebrews 12:1-3
Galatians 6:9