Here are some thoughts which I find inspiring. I hope they encourage you too.
Please let me know what you think.
God bless you from Bill
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV)
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
God gives different gifts and abilities to different people. In this passage, Paul tells us that God gives special gifts and abilities to EACH believer. That means God has a special plan and purpose for EVERY human being. WHY? Because God sent His only Son into the world, so that every person would have the opportunity of deciding whether to believe and trust in Him.
The choice is yours but it is the intention of God that you will come to know the Father in Heave who sent His Son to live and die for you.
When you believe in Jesus as the Son of God and you become His disciple and follower, you are called by God to make an impact on the world. You are not called to be an “ordinary Christian” because in God’s mind there is no such thing as an ordinary Christian.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and you don’t know your unique calling and purpose in life, you have an exciting discovery ahead of you and a life of adventure.
The Apostle Paul also said:
Philippians 2:12 (ESV)
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
We do not work FOR our salvation because the favour and forgiveness of God is a free gift which can never be earned.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is an old Easter Hymn which says it very well.
“There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin.
He only could unlock the gates of Heaven and let us in.”
God does not want us to accept His love and then spend our lives in fear of His anger and condemnation.
1 John 4:18 (ESV)
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
The great hymn goes on:
“Oh dearly dearly has He loved and we must love Him too,
And trust in His redeeming love and try His works to do.”
It is sad to observe how few Christians shine with the glory of God. So often we do not appreciate how great and wonderful it is to have the Spirit of God living in us. If we would appreciate hour by hour the true reality of “Christ IN you, the hope of glory,” we would really shine and reveal the glory in us.
But there is another secret which we must rediscover, although God has not hidden this truth. Rather it is religious tradition which as deceived us with the lie that we should demonstrate our humility by thinking we are insignificant or ordinary. This idea does not come from God.
You are a potential champion in the Kingdom of God. But what kind of champion are you?
In a champion soccer team, every player is not only excellent but excellent in a unique way. One is a champion goal keeper and another is a champion goal scorer. Every player is different. Until you discover the particular way God created you to excel, you have hardly begun to live.
Please let me know what you think.
God bless you from Bill
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV)
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
God gives different gifts and abilities to different people. In this passage, Paul tells us that God gives special gifts and abilities to EACH believer. That means God has a special plan and purpose for EVERY human being. WHY? Because God sent His only Son into the world, so that every person would have the opportunity of deciding whether to believe and trust in Him.
The choice is yours but it is the intention of God that you will come to know the Father in Heave who sent His Son to live and die for you.
When you believe in Jesus as the Son of God and you become His disciple and follower, you are called by God to make an impact on the world. You are not called to be an “ordinary Christian” because in God’s mind there is no such thing as an ordinary Christian.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and you don’t know your unique calling and purpose in life, you have an exciting discovery ahead of you and a life of adventure.
The Apostle Paul also said:
Philippians 2:12 (ESV)
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
We do not work FOR our salvation because the favour and forgiveness of God is a free gift which can never be earned.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is an old Easter Hymn which says it very well.
“There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin.
He only could unlock the gates of Heaven and let us in.”
God does not want us to accept His love and then spend our lives in fear of His anger and condemnation.
1 John 4:18 (ESV)
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
The great hymn goes on:
“Oh dearly dearly has He loved and we must love Him too,
And trust in His redeeming love and try His works to do.”
It is sad to observe how few Christians shine with the glory of God. So often we do not appreciate how great and wonderful it is to have the Spirit of God living in us. If we would appreciate hour by hour the true reality of “Christ IN you, the hope of glory,” we would really shine and reveal the glory in us.
But there is another secret which we must rediscover, although God has not hidden this truth. Rather it is religious tradition which as deceived us with the lie that we should demonstrate our humility by thinking we are insignificant or ordinary. This idea does not come from God.
You are a potential champion in the Kingdom of God. But what kind of champion are you?
In a champion soccer team, every player is not only excellent but excellent in a unique way. One is a champion goal keeper and another is a champion goal scorer. Every player is different. Until you discover the particular way God created you to excel, you have hardly begun to live.
Why should we work out our salvation
with fear and trembling?
Imagine how terrible to live an ordinary life and then arrive in Heaven (assuming you make it to heaven) and then discover the amazing adventure and achievement that God had planned for you, but you missed it!with fear and trembling?
GOD ALONE KNOWS HOW YOU ARE MADE
AND WHY YOU ARE MADE
BECAUSE HE MADE YOU.
Don't let any fear, shame, guilt or doubt
keep you from finding your dream
AND WHY YOU ARE MADE
BECAUSE HE MADE YOU.
Don't let any fear, shame, guilt or doubt
keep you from finding your dream
and living it.
GOD KNOWS YOUR WONDERFUL DESTINY BECAUSE HE PLANNED IT.
DARE TO ASK HIM TO REVEAL IT TO YOU!
GOD KNOWS YOUR WONDERFUL DESTINY BECAUSE HE PLANNED IT.
DARE TO ASK HIM TO REVEAL IT TO YOU!
No comments:
Post a Comment