I am so excited to be alive on earth.
I woke up on Monday morning last week, blinked, then suddenly found another week had come and gone.
I am so excited to be alive on earth. I use to be a “Suicidal Christian” who just wanted God to take me to heaven. Not anymore though. Everyday of the week is an opportunity for me to show Jesus how thankful I am to Him.
Here in Calgary, many of us are taking the opportunities given to us, which Artur Pawlowski, Jesus Christ, and our founding fathers have fought for you to have. We go out into the world as a public witness for Jesus on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. [Luke 8:39]
The opportunities we capitalize on are; being a public witness to every kind of person, from every kind of background, tangibly loving and ministering to the broken, serving the needs of Gods people and those in need, standing openly for our freedoms, spreading the light of truth to hidden dark places, standing for righteousness and holiness as well as making Jesus Christ look important to us publicly and His message to the lost urgent. [Luke 14:23 2, Cor 5:11] The list goes on and on.
Jesus has told us that the one who has been forgiven much, loves much. [Luke 7:47] He said this to a religious person who didn’t realize how great his own need for salvation was.
It is unusual how when we are silent for period of time, our own past sins, foolishness, and mistakes come to mind. This is unavoidable so maybe it’s given to us as an opportunity. We can reflect on just how great Gods grace is in our life. Like Paul, we ought to identify ourselves as the worst of sinners, letting that fuel our deep appreciation for Jesus Christ. [1 Tim 1:16]
We are encouraged to be thankful, rejoice always and keep our mind on lovely things. [1 Thes 5:16] [Phil 4:8] How come? Well for one, it makes us mindful on just how hurtful this fallen world can be and how every good thing we enjoy is given by the grace of God. [James 1:7] This again fuels us to love the Lord Jesus.
What does it mean to love God with all of our hearts? [1rst commandment] It is of course to love Him with all of our lives.
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” – Jesus [John 15:13]
Almost all of us understood that when we chose to be baptized in the name of Jesus, our lives were now to be lived solely for Him.
We recognized that there is no middle ground [2 Tim 2:26] and that no longer would we be slaves to sin but now slaves to righteousness. [Rom 6:12]
Now ‘what to do’, has become the great problem. We’ve looked only to today’s Godly leaders to set the example on what our life’s mission ought to be. The result for most of us has been membership and faithful attendance to a Church for years, upon years.
BROTHER! SISTER! Are there not great desires deep within your heart not being lived out!? Desires for adventure and to be heroic? Desires to fight for the most worthy of causes? To be apart of a mission with a purpose of the greatest importance? Desires to serve in obedience and loyal adoration for a great King who calls you friend? Don’t you know that in choosing the Kingdom of Heaven you’ve been commissioned to go to war in every sort of way (biblically speaking) spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, financially, relationally. The All in or nothing examples are throughout all of scripture as well as spoken to us plainly. [Mat 12:30, Luke 9:62, Luke 14:27-30, Luke 18:18 ect]
C.S. Lewis would argue that these desires within you point you to the greatest truths. Brother, Sister, you are destined for greatness but you got to go out and claim it. The reward is after this life on earth [Rev 22:12]. There is a tremendous purpose for your life. There is a tremendous calling on your life.
We’ve fallen into the trap of waiting for that special calling in our lives that is somehow separate from the basic, raw biblical work we have been commanded to do. We are so filled with self help preaching were missing the point. OTHERS! We are called to be a light set on a hill [Mat 5:14] for the broken [Mat 10:42], for the lost [Mat 5], to the self righteous, [Mark 10:21] and the religious! [Mat 23:24]. We are called to be in service to our brothers in need [1 John3:16] [1 James 2:17] We are called preach the good news of salvation from sins, as often as possible. [Mark 16:15] [2 Tim 4:2] We are called to be a witness, testifying of Jesus to all the world. [Acts 1:8]
Sure Gods grace for us is abundant but are we even trying at all to fulfill his mission for us? What I have seen are full churches but empty prison chapels. [Mat 15:8] Full hospitals which are absent of ministering Christians. [Mat 25:26] Full bible collages but lonely street people with no heartfelt Christian to confide in. And The streets full of sin being promoted but no one is preaching righteousness to a single person let a lone to every living thing. [Mark 16:15] [2 Tim 4:2]
Sure we have moments of wanting only to serve our self’s with comforts but in doing so we are by no means satisfied. Abundance in the west is creating apathy and apathy is stealing our inheritance! [Rev 22:12]
We live in a rich society where money and acts of kindness don’t seam to be terribly in need. Are we not called for so much more than just to give and be nice?! That’s the easy part of being a Christian which makes you well liked. If that is all we are doing, we’re missing the most important live action! [Luke 6:26] [John 15:20]
I believe we do not have the FIRE with in us to serve the cause of Christ because we are far to concerned with being well liked, polished, civilized, and sweet. These things are good but while we strain out a fly, we are swallowing camels! [Mat 23:24] While we are trying to be perfectly behaved, we are missing the most importing things and letting evil have it’s way. [Mat 23:23]
Where are the discontent Christians who are ready to rise up and make their lives about so much more? Being in service of the King will free your heart and bring you what you need. It will give to you the intimacy of knowing you are His friend. [John 15:14]
When He returns in revelation, on his leg it says of Him, “KING of kings.” Who are the other kings? You will be, if you are faithful [Mat 25:23] [Rev 3:21] [ Rom 2:7]
If you really believe Jesus, if you believe what he says; than life is terribly, tremendously exciting! Otherwise is our faith really saving faith? [James 2:19] [Heb 10:29]
You don’t have to wait until you are perfect to have authority to speak truth! You’re saved by grace. Your struggle with sin anyways is because of your silence. [Gal 5:16] [John 7:38] Start to speak truth and of the goodness of God. Humbly, lovingly, boldly open peoples hearts with the truth of the word of God so they can see for themselves the guilt and sins they have hidden in there heart. Let them be offended. Do not fear man but fear God. [Luke 12:4] Speak and be strengthened!
Eph 5:15 ‘have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.’
What else is holding us back, filling us full of excuses? It is this attitude of once saved always saves. I’m not putting that into contention as verses like Hebrews 6:4 might. I’m just saying this mindset is stealing many peoples purpose in life, giving them excuses not to put childish, worldly things aside to get on mission for the Lord. [1 Cor 13:11] [1 john 215]
Paul did not considering himself to have already attained but rather pressed upward and onward to the call of Christ, fighting the good fight till his last breath! [Phil 3:13] [1 Tim 6:12] His attitude was to keep on striving to please His Lord considering that he himself may become disqualified. [1 Cor 9:27]
Maybe with optimism, we ought to have the mindset of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. [Phil 2:12] Consider the chapter in John 15 or verses 1 Cor 1:18 which says but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
I’m not declaring you can loose your salvation, though certainly your reward. I’m just saying we seam to be taking for granted our salvation with that mindset.
If not Paul, than let us follow the example of John the Baptist.
Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” Crowds came to him, but he constantly told them that he was nothing—that the coming Messiah was everything. He preached about repentance, about the Kingdom of God and to prepare for the Messiah’s coming. Keep in mind Jesus declared vehemently He will return so the message is the same. If anything it is more important.
Instead of serving at the church as a pastor, he dressed in a camel’s hair garment and a leather belt. He was a Wild-man eating locusts and wild honey (Mat 3:4). He told the crowds that came to see him that they needed to repent and that the Kingdom of God was at. He preached the same message as Jesus Christ (Mark 1:14-15) and prepared the way for Him (Matthew 3:3).\
When the religious leaders of his time came to see him, John showed a heart of courage and rebuked them for hypocrisy. His message was hard. [Luke 3:7] ” Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,” Than after standing for holiness to a unbeliever, he was beheaded, giving all of himself for the Lord.
Everything comes down to faith in Jesus. Do you believe what he says? Consider how ambitious we will be for the things of this world which will pass away.
GET THE VISION OF HEAVEN WITH YOUR HEART AND RUN TO IT WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHT FOR THE FEW SHORT YEARS YOU HAVE LEFT ON EARTH!
[Eph 5:15] “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” [Titus 2:11] “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Jessy Rau
