The world tells us about its riches, it’s wealth, it’s pleasures – and entices us to purchase them for ourselves, to pile them up for ourselves, to take comfort in them.
Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Luke 12:15 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.12.15.NLT
And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Luke 12:7 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.12.7.NLT
You are valuable to God.
Just think about that for a moment. The creator of all things, the God of the universe values you and has created you for a purpose. The universe is not filled with examples of chaos and randomness, but it is designed with a beautiful order and complexity, with each component playing it’s part in the greater whole. If we examine with a microscope, we find a world of particles and order and logical design where every part has a purpose and where they work together in unity.
Even the world around us, and not just the Word of God points us to the undeniable conclusion that there is a design, a plan, an order for everything. And we should understand that in that plan, we have a purpose, we have a value to the creator. In fact, He loves us enough to make us self aware, capable of thought, capable of choice, capable of deciding whether or not to praise and honor Him. Isn’t that amazing that we as humans are able to reflect upon ourselves and upon the greater things of life and are not beings wired only for the simple purposes of living, reproducing, and dying? Isn’t it wonderful that these physical bodies hold something oh so much more valuable?
When a loved one takes their last breath, it is not their physical body that we value. It is not their physical presence of their body that we miss, but the ability to interact with that soul, that life, that thing of value that was carried around in their earth bound vessel. Yes, we know the part that God values, because we can see the value ourselves. We can know the difference between the valuable eternal soul and the perishable physical body.
So we schools know where those things truly valuable exist, and they are not in this physical body or in the things that tickle and please it – but in the things that are pleasing to our soul, the things that nourish our eternal spiritual nature, not our temporary, carnal, flesh nature.
So why do we find ourselves worrying more over the things of this physical world – what we will eat, what we will wear, where we will sleep? When we should know that these things are temporary and not nearly as important as those things eternal. Why do we let ourselves become distracted by our senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing and seeing in the physical – and forget that we have a more important spiritual component of our lives that allows for a connection to the one true God that is far more important.
If you have not yet received the gift of the Holy Spirit annointing upon your life, I encourage you to ask, seek, and knock at the gate in prayer until your eye is opened to see and your ears are restored to hearing the voice of your Lord and Savior, the Good Shepherd, the Word of God, Jesus Christ who sits in the authority of God the Father Almighty, and who lives in those of us who are Chosen as Sons and Daughters of God.
You see, you have a value that far surpasses your title, or your possessions, or your wealth, or your beauty, or your knowledge, or your strength – for all of those things will pass away and your body will be c returned to the ground to root and decay upon your death. And if all you have done during your brief time in this physical body is to feed the desires of your flesh, to fulfill the urges and fancies of this temporary physical body – what good will that serve your eternal soul?
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
Matthew 16:26 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.16.26.NLT
So I encourage you to understand what is valuable and eternal, friend. Know your value, know your purpose. Learn to love God and love each other. Choose to walk with Him today.
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Romans 8:28 ESV
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Proverbs 16:9 ESV
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Acts 26:16 ESV
But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,
John 15:16 ESV
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Matthew 28:19 ESV
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Ephesians 1:11 ESV
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Let this be our testimony –
“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.
Job 23:10-12 NLT
http://bible.com/116/job.23.10-12.NLT
“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
Luke 11:23 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.11.23.NLT
This passage, from Luke 11:14-28 is talking about two things. First, it is confirming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is working against evil, because there were those who would twist the truth to the point of accusing Him to be the enemy of God. This is the same anti-Christ spirit we are warned of that does not acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and is from God.
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
I John 4:2-3 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/1jn.4.2-3.NKJV
Second, it is teaching us that if we are not actively working with Christ, then we are in opposition to God’s will. We reach have an active purpose and a calling in His Kingdom. We are each called to belief and action.
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]
Mark 16:14-20 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mrk.16.14-20.ESV
Jesus found them reclining and rebuked them for their inaction and their lack of belief, their lack of faith. If He appeared to you today, would He find you reclining? Would He find you in lack of faith? Would He find you proclaiming the gospel to the whole world? Would He find you active and alive in good works being done to bring honor and glory to His name?
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mat.5.14-16.ESV
I encourage you to life, friends. I encourage you to action. I pray that my encouragement, or even my words of correction of that is needed in your life will be received as a valuable message from Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior – rather than you find yourself dead and lacking the very Holy Spirit that brings life.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:14-17 ESV
http://bible.com/59/jas.2.14-17.ESV
Would He have a rebuke for you, or would He welcome you as His good and faithful servant?
I encourage you today into action. Be blessed as Jesus explains in the end of this passage in Luke 11 that we began examining –
But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Luke 11:28 ESV
http://bible.com/59/luk.11.28.ESV
The blessings are in serving and loving others. Don’t miss out on the blessings, friends, thinking that you’ve bought your ticket to heaven and your salvation is complete. Test yourself and prove yourself worthy.
Live a life that brings honor and glory to His name. And do it under the power and authority of Christ who lives in you, not just under your own striving for rewards or titles or self exaltation.
Choose today to serve God even more committed than you have before, and not just in words, but in actions.
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
1 John 3:16-19 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1jn.3.16-19.NLT
I have dealt with depression in my life. It is in depression that I feel like it is me against the world – or probably more accurately, I feel like the world is against me. It used to affect my ability to hold down a job or live a “normal” life. But now I realize that my depression stemmed from vanity and self, from separating myself from others and from God’s love and mercy and forgiveness – and it was aggravated further by my self medicating with the escapes of alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.
Depression is a twisting of the truth by that spiritual enemy. And during the dark wandering years of my twenties, depression led to all kinds of things, including attempted suicide, drugs, and criminal activity. But the Lord had work in store for me, and he is now using even the dark world that my youth took me into, and He is turning all of that to a good purpose.
You see, now I get to go each week and spend time with young men in jail and share the gospel with them and study together with them, and at times provide personal counselling. And even though my life is quite removed from their world at this season of my life, we have walked similar paths. Before, I was walking purely for self, now I am working for God’s purpose, for His Kingdom work to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, I’m looking for more workers, wherever they can be found – in the workplace, on the Internet, in the streets, in the churches, in the jail cells, in the hospitals, in the bars, restaurants, or wherever I go. And I just don’t have time to stay depressed anymore, there is too much work at hand.
These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.
Luke 10:2 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.10.2.NLT
The fields are everywhere we walk, friends. And our job is not to burn down the fields trying to set fire to the weeds, it is to share the Love of Christ with others, so that we will find unity with other believers in truth, and so that we will walk together in repentance holding each other accountable to this goal of Christ’s righteousness lived out as a testimony of His touch upon our lives.
It isn’t so that I can LOOK humble or righteous to others in order to be recognized or honored – but so that they can see Christ in me and so that they can see His righteousness IS a part of me and that He deserves the honor and praise and glory. Because the bright shining appearance of “perfection” doesn’t draw sinners to the light, it can actually push others away when they feel that they are “not worthy” of coming into our fellowship. But the verbal testimony of our own imperfections, and how Christ has and is touching our lives – that coupled with the clear and evident testimony of our actions demonstrating a life changed and dedicated to working for the Lord – that is the full testimony of a humble and faithful servant that can do great c work for the Lord.
And it only takes two things –
1) acknowledging that you fall short of the glory of God and that you needed Jesus Christ as your Savior, as your example of the truth, the life, and the way, to bring you into humble fellowship with God’s will and purpose for your life today
2) dedicating yourself to the purpose of walking it out, following in His footsteps, sharing the truth, the life, and the way with others in a born again, renewed life serving as a faithful citizen of God’s Kingdom of workers/servants/witnesses
But let’s not stop there in case we might still fall into an us against the world mentality. Let’s pray the prayer of a righteous man, of a repentant person who is resisting evil, avoiding temptation, and not participating in sin. Let’s pray the prayer of a humble Child of God who needs His Father’s guidance and power and authority and assistance to see the day’s tasks accomplished. And let’s use this prayer to ask for more workers, more laborers in the Lord’s work today – because we aren’t meant to go at this life alone.
And the very workers we are praying for are the very citizens of the Kingdom that we need to realize to find unity. And they are the very souls that we need around us to experience the beauty of fellowship. So let’s ask the Lord to rain down laborers upon us within this earthly life, drawing more near with his soft, still call to the work at hand – and let’s realize that we are the ones sent to deliver His message and His loving touch.
I send you forth as sheep amongst the wolves, you workers of God, you Children of the one true God, you saints in the royal priesthood of our Lord – make disciples of the nations, baptize in His name, and bring honor and glory to His name by the love and service and example that your life offers as a living testimony today.
Live like Christ if you love my Christ.
If you do not yet Love my Christ, I pray you will find Him through conviction and surrender, because the workers are few and the harvest is great.
If you do not yet serve my Christ daily, I pray that you examine yourself and that you will find Him through conviction and surrender, because the workers are few and the harvest is great.
Your work is needed today, friends. There are lost. There are hurting. There are hungry. There are needy. There is oppression. There is injustice. Be the body of Christ that fills the need and that resists the enemy and that lives and serves your fellow man.
Don’t just LOOK like a Christian,
Don’t just SOUND like a Christian,
BE like Christ.
Can you imagine Jesus himself telling you, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Mark 12:32-34 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mrk.12.32-34.NLT
Part of me wants to see this as encouraging, while the other part of me is fearful of making it to the gate but not through the door. Being not far from something still doesn’t mean you’re “in”.
I can be not far from the shore and get attacked by a shark. I can be not far from the safety of a safari caravan and be devoured by a lion. I could be in hell, close enough to see Father Abraham in heaven and beg him to send Lazarus with a cool drink of water, but still in eternal flames outside the Kingdom of God.
Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.16.19-31.NLT
So this statement silences me in the fear of God, just like it did those listening to the answer that Jesus Christ gave this man. They realized the danger in falling short. They realized the fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of God’s wrath. They understood that it wasn’t just about knowing, but doing. This man admitted to KNOWING the Word of God, but did not admit to DOING the Word of God.
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:22-27 NLT
http://bible.com/116/jas.1.22-27.NLT
People can practice religion and fool themselves.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.
Hebrews 10:23-29 NLT
http://bible.com/116/heb.10.23-29.NLT
Oh, Lord. Help us to not be religious studies and forget the doing, the loving, the serving, the sharing your gospel, the building up of one another, the encouraging and helping one another – living a life to bring you honor and glory. Don’t let us just come close. Don’t let us turn back or hand from the plow. Let us cling to the hem of your garment. Let us know your healing touch. Tell us to “Go and sin no more” and in your authority, let it be so on earth as it is in heaven.
How are we spending our resources each day? Our time, our talents, our life – what are we using it to produce? Are we using it to gain more of the world for ourselves, or are we using it to bring honor and glory to the Lord, to allow Christ to be manifest through our lives living and serving others?
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
Luke 9:24-25 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.9.24-25.NLT
Life Application Devotional
——————————————–
“Nothing material can compensate for the loss of eternal life. Jesus’ disciples are not to use their lives on earth for their own pleasure-they should spend their lives serving God and people. If this present life is most important to you, you will do everything you can to protect it. You will not want to do anything that might endanger your safety, health, or comfort. By contrast, if following Jesus is most important, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places. You will risk death, but you will not fear it because you know that Jesus will raise you to eternal life.”
How we hear matters.
So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”
Luke 8:18 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.8.18.NLT
How intently do we find ourselves listening when others are speaking?
How intently do we listen when the Word of God is spoken?
Are we hearing what is being spoken, wanting to learn, seeking greater understanding?
One of the more common teachings that I hear some share is to simply “say a sinners prayer one time” and then “rely on Christ to change you”, as if it takes no effort, no sacrifice, no work on our part to participate in the Kingdom of God. While this wording has truth and value explaining what is happening within a genuine born again Christian, it can get twisted into deception when people say things like, “Christ did all the work” and then they use grace as an excuse to continue in their sin – making no genuine effort to participate in the Kingdom of God.
What a dangerous teaching when misunderstood by those veiled to the truth of the narrow path!
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 3:1-10 ESV
http://bible.com/59/col.3.1-10.ESV
And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Luke 5:11 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.5.11.NLT
My dad, Jim Ballinger, is 64, and he is an Ironman. In fact, he is training for Ironman Florida right now. We talked yesterday and he shared with me that the training that he does is tougher mentally than it is physically. He explained that he has no one training with him this time and the long sessions can feel lonely at times. I asked if he ever tries listening to something in one ear while he trains, but he explained that the distraction is too dangerous since there are situations that come up that you must be prepared for our you could be caught up in an accident. Other people aren’t very mindful or aware enough to look out for someone riding a bike 100 miles or running a long distance as they train for an event that seems foreign or impossible to most of the world.
A few hours earlier, my wife and I had run into, Mark Foster, a great friend, pastor, and fellow child of the One True God in the produce section at Ingles as we gathered our groceries for the week. Our discussion was on the focus and dedication that it takes to successfully walk in the Spirit and to “Go and sin no more.” But our conversation was about that it is possible with great focus and dedication and training, that we are not yet perfect, but our goal is to strive after perfection – to live our lives as a sacrifice, making Christ our addiction, seeking first the Kingdom of God.
The parallels between training for an Ironman and training for our final destination to be proven before Christ as a good and faithful servant have never been so clear to me as now. As I study this Word of God and learn to recognize those things in my own life that are tricks of the enemy, I become equipped with the tools to battle and overcome those temptations in my life. And for most temptations, they flee from me once I am equipped in that area. But some return. And some return with stronger friends, and I must continue to learn and grow and equip myself for battle.
Some would say, but your salvation is complete, the battle is already won, Christ has completed the work – to which I would say, “Yes, I am His and He is mine. That work is done and He is faithful and true. My salvation is complete. But my testimony is not.” You see, if I make it only about my own salvation, if I take this heaven ticket, place it in my back pocket for the day I die, and do nothing for the Kingdom of God, if I turn back from the plow and try to use have as an excuse to remain in sin, not battling to see sin overcome in my life, not sharing this gospel with others who are lost, not making disciples and baptizing in His name, then how can I say that I’ve “left everything and followed Jesus”?
And as we train and as we grow in discernment, being equipped with more understanding of how to recognize and battle the tricks and traps of the enemy, those areas of our lives that need correction – unfortunately this healing to our spiritual eyes also comes with the ability to see it in others. And while we are called to use it to strive for righteousness ourselves and do battle against those things in our lives that would spill our garments, our testimony to the Lord – it can create division and separation and isolation from the world. We can find ourselves on a long, narrow road, seemingly running forever, with no brothers or sisters running beside us to the end – but Christ is always with us.
You see, we are not just meant to look at our own salvation and celebrate when so many of our brothers and sisters are either lost in the darkness or are still soiling their garments. If we only use the grace that we’ve received to remain the same as the world in every other aspect of our lives other than a once a week praise and worship and a check to someone else who is serving the Lord, then how precious and valuable can we say that the Lord is to us? Are we not like Israel, turning back to our idols in this world? Loving wealth, comfort, pleasure, sports, hobbies, loved ones, more than we love God who died for us and offers us His hand in eternity?
So let’s lay down everything. Let’s set our sights on serving the Lord. Let’s count the cost and realize that Christ is the ONLY thing of value that we can cling to. Let’s get addicted to Christ.
And let’s train radically, to the world as if we were racing for the impossible. Let’s set our eyes upon striving for the righteousness of a life where we “go and sin no more”. But let’s remember even when we slip that He will catch us.
Today, I ask you, are your eyes set firmly upon your Lord and Savior? Are you training to show yourself approved? Or are you caught up in the distraction?
Focus.
Run.
Train.
Be diligent.
Strive for perfection, not so that you may be found perfect (because you are not), but so that the Lord may be honored in your continued effort, and so that your life shines as a living and undeniable testimony to others that the Lord has touched you, has changed you, and is doing a mighty work in you and through you. Do not worry about the stumbles, even when visible to others – let the discipline you receive even be a testimony and a warning for others. Better that the Lord be honored as faithful and true than for me to shrink back from running the race to my best.
When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
Luke 4:13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.4.13.NLT
Temptation is opportunistic. Once we resist evil, it will flee from us to hide in the shadows until another opportunity arises. Just because we have resisted something in the past doesn’t mean that we won’t face a similar attack again in the future.
Harold J. Ballinger 