Keep on keeping on!

Retirement from the Christian life is not in God’s plan. As you turn the pages of Scripture, you can’t find one saint who quit. Although many wanted to (remember Elijah, Jonah, and David?), not one did. Consider the following roll call of saints.

~  Throughout his life, Abraham responded to God’s commands to move. He lived in tents, his nomad’s life representing his search for “the city…who architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). Abraham died without receiving the fulfillment of God’s promises of land, a vast number of descendants, and great blessing (see Genesis 12:1-3 and Hebrews 11:39). Abraham could have quiet, but he desired “a better country, that is a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). So, until he died, Abraham pressed on.

~  Aged and weary, Moses kept serving the Lord. At one point, he even needed the help of Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands so that God would continue to bless the Israelites’ efforts in battle (Exodus 17:8-13). He could have quit, but he didn’t. Instead, he got the help he needed to raise his hands heavenward. Later, because Moses hadn’t obeyed and trusted God for water at Meribah (Numbers 20:9-13), God forbade him to cross into the Promised Land he had waited 40 years to enter. Again, Moses could have quit serving God, but he didn’t. Instead, he spent the rest of his days teaching the law, preparing the priest, and encouraging Joshua to lead God’s people into the land his feet would never touch.

~  Samuel was called by God to be His prophet, but later the people of Israel rejected his leadership and asked him to appoint a king over them so that they would be like their neighboring nations (I Samuel 8:1-5). Most people quit after being rejected, but Samuel didn’t. Instead, he kept praying and preaching(12:23), and he spent the rest of his life helping Saul, the man who took his place as the leader of the nation.

~  King David greatly desired to build a temple to God, but the Lord Almighty said to David, “You have shed much blood, and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me.” (I Chronicles 22:8). But instead of quitting, David kept pressing on for the Lord. He spent his last days making plans and gathering materials so that his son Solomon could build the temple (I Chronicles 22:5-19).

~  Paul spent his final days writing letters from prison which would guide the church of Jesus Christ in the future. His impending death didn’t shift his sharp focus on Jesus Christ and His people. He kept pressing on to the end of his life by offering encouragement, exhortation, and comfort through his pen.

~  Exiled to the island of Patmos in his old age, the apostle John never quit. After all, his service for Christ had seemingly earned him only disgrace and dishonor. But John kept pressing on. In his nineties, he was blessed with “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1;1). The twenty-two chapter of the Book of Revelation tell what will take place before and when the Lord returns. The apostle served as prophet with words that still speak to us today.

~  Jesus Christ knew about the cross, but He pressed on toward it and, when it was time, He endured it to the end (Hebrews 12:2). As He hung dying on that cruel instrument of torture to save you and me from our sins, He uttered the three simple words, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus, our Savior and our Lord, pressed on to the end.

The list of God’s people who pressed on and served the Lord until the end of their life goes on and on. At one time or another as they ran the race, each of the men of faith mentioned above HAD A VALID REASON TO QUIT...

                Yet not one of them quit, resigned, or retired. 

They knew they had not finished the race, that there was still work to be done, and that God could still use them. They knew that, by God’s grace, they could make a difference for His kingdom right up until the day they left this earth and went to be with Him.

They kept on keeping on.

While God may not have called you and me to achieve anything near the magnitude of these men’s accomplishments, He does view our sphere of service and responsibility as equally important. These saints had a clear vision of God which inspired them in their calling-- and now inspires me in mine--

                    to press on toward the end

               in service of the Almighty!

　

　

　

(Stormie Omaritian)

Challenges from Church

What is spiritual complacency?

Complacency is a feeling of satisfaction with how things are; not wanting to make things better; being in a rut. How many of us find ourselves with that being the description of our spiritual lives? Or maybe we desire for things to be different but are too spiritually lazy to change?

Apathy is a loss of interest and passion in making a change.

I was challenged at church yesterday…

First I received a ‘rhema’ from God…something I needed to hear. It may not have stood out to anyone else but it lit up my spirit immediately.

II Chron. 7:12b “I have heard thy prayer,

and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.”

There are some things I have been praying and it felt like this was a special word from the Lord just for me. He not only said “I have heard thy prayer” but more… “I have chosen this place.” While I have no idea what all God’s plans are, I know He has great plans and He is stirring us in a new way once again.

I was further challenged by the following verses, especially verse 14; a verse that we have heard repeated repeatedly. But we seldom think about the conditions of this verse.

“If My people who are called by My Name…” that would be me, and hopefully you.

“Shall humble themselves…“ that would be me; He’s not pointing to someone else that I feel “um-hmm, sure hope they see that.”  Me...humble myself.

“And pray….” again, me. Seriously, how much time do I spend in actual prayer? Before I pat myself on the back, I challenge myself to keep a written record sometime of how much time I actually spend in prayer.  

“And seek My face…” If I actually seek the face of God, I would quickly see myself as He sees me. And what does He see when He sees me? Nothing hidden… He sees the thoughts of my mind, the intents of my heart, the words I don’t say…

“And turn from my/your wicked ways…” Surely if I call myself by Christ’s name, etc, etc, etc, I am not walking in wicked ways! Humbly seeking the face of God and turning from my wicked ways. Are there areas where I outright defy the Word of God? Perhaps even boldly outwardly or perhaps boldly inwardly?

“THEN….” the great condition. It’s up to me, and you, to meet the prior conditions.

Oh, hallelujah!

  “THEN..... He will hear,

 He will forgive, and He will heal.”

Jesus’ Teachings are

REVOLUTIONIZING
 & LIFE-CHANGING!!!!

I was challenged out of Revelation through the letters to the 7 churches; even though time ran out before all 7 churches could be looked at. Here are a few, fast challenges that were given to us as he skimmed the top of these churches:

Rev. 2:2-7 The Church at Ephesus:

They were a hard-working church, they did not tolerate false teaching, they labored and had not fainted. They were doing all the right things and yet Jesus said, “I have something against you….you have lost your first love.” Christ was no longer the center of their lives and hearts.

The question was asked: “What if I followed you around for a whole week, looked at your phone, your ipad (computer), listened to your conversations, etc…Would it be very clear that Christ is the center of your life?” My mind immediately began to replay my past week….

Rev. 2:8-11 The Church at Smyrna:

They were the suffering church. They weren’t just survivors, they were overcomers. Overcomers have a testimony. Where is my testimony? My witness of Christ working in my life?  Is it possibly that many do not have a testimony/a witness because…. Jesus is not doing anything in their lives? Are many just professors of Christ but not really followers?

Rev. 2:12-17 The Church at Pergamos

What is the doctrine of Balaam that this church was holding? In Numbers Balaam taught the Midianite women to seduce the Israelite men; and there were corrupt teachers who were deceiving believers to compromise.

This church appears to confess Christ; had the right theology, but their actions didn’t follow as true Followers of Christ. Could that be me? Do I confess Christ, have my theology correct, but my actions, words, and priorities would prove otherwise?

Rev. 2:18-29 The Church at Thyatira

They had works, charity, service, faith, and patience but they tolerated a Jezebel woman, a prophetess, to teach and seduce them. They were a tolerating church. The question was asked “Has the Word of God, or Christ Himself, taken a back seat in our lives?” Why do so many (of us?) no longer believe what we used to believe? Is it because the Scripture no longer means what it says? I have listened and read some things recently on why different things are not wrong and was agonized by the twisting and manipulating of Scripture to prove the point, at the exclusion of other Scriptures. But wait, this is for me, not pointing to someone else…What Scriptures have I ignored, left out, excluded?

Rev. 3:1-6 The Church at Sardis

This was a church…it had a reputation for “Being Alive”, yet Jesus said they were dead. What does it mean when a church has a reputation for “being alive”? It’s a good thing for a church to be alive….in Christ! Today I think we associate ‘being alive’ with loud music, loud worship, dramatized preaching, and lately I’ve been hearing a lot about ‘prophetic words‘. Is there anything wrong with loud music, worship, preaching with passion, and prophetic words? Absolutely not…but those alone do not indicate an alive church. Anyone can create drama. Anyone can move a crowd. Anyone can manipulate emotions. Anyone can come up with ‘prophetic words’. It doesn’t necessarily take a move of the Spirit to do that. God calls it “dead” if it‘s created by man. Yikes!

And yet….

when the Spirit is present,

when God is truly ALIVE in my heart,

there will be evidence of LIFE.

…and time ran out before he got to the other churches but I’ve been challenged and have enough to meditate on for all week.

What is my testimony?

If you had free access to every area of my life….

Would it be clear that I am a true Follower of Christ
and the HE is the CENTER of my life?