Is the story of your life interesting?
A church member once stood up and testified.
“Before I was saved, I was wicked, sinful and boring. I want to thank God I am not sinful any more.”
When you respond to the call of Jesus, God forgives all your sins and changes your character. God’s purpose is to make you like Jesus.
Most of us will never walk on water or die on a cross. But if you are like Jesus, the story of your life will never be boring. If your life is routine, ordinary and predictable, ask Jesus to show you what is missing, and he will answer.
Please don’t misunderstand me. Many people today demand constant entertainment. I am not suggesting every moment must be exciting. We also need to cultivate patience. But spiritual patience is not the passive acceptance of a mediocre life.
Are you actively pursuing a big dream for your life? Are you living an adventure story?
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
The peace God gives is not a domestic tranquillity where nothing exciting happens. It is the peace of Jesus who slept through a terrible storm at sea because He trusted in His heavenly Father’s care.
The prophet Jeremiah was in prison when God spoke to him.
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)
Prison can be a place of dark suffering because you stand for God in spite of persecution. Prison can also be a life dominated by a grey routine.
God can deliver His children out of both kinds of prison.
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Luke 4:18 (NKJV)
Even if you are trapped in domestic slavery with no means of escape, God can give you adventures in the Spirit.
Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)
'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
- Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
- Your young men shall see visions,
- Your old men shall dream dreams.
- And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
- And they shall prophesy.
God created you with a purpose. When you repent and believe, you are forgiven. But the plans of God do not stop there.
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Romans 8:30 (NKJV)
God has a plan and a destiny for your life. He wants you to experience His glory and to reveal His glory through you.
Why not read the story of Jesus of Nazareth? Fast forward to the book of Revelation and see Jesus in Heaven. Then you will understand that GLORY can never be boring.
If your life has no adventure, ask God to put you on track to glory.
I hope you will allow me to conclude with some essential practical wisdom. One thing which imprisons so many good people is THE TYRANNY OF THE URGENT.
Of course you must not neglect ESSENTIAL practical duties. But are you setting aside time every day to work on your life dream?
For example, if you are called to minister the Good News of Jesus, start a house church or do something special for God, you need to MAKE time to prepare, to read and pray.
What are you doing TODAY to advance towards your destiny?
Jesus came to this planet from a better place. He came to bring heaven to earth. He came to destroy evil. Evil was His enemy and He came to win the war. But his primary strategy was not to teach about sin but to teach and demonstrate perfect love and goodness.
... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
The Bible gives us a lot of information about every kind of sin, about murder, lying, adultery and many horrible things. Jesus never sinned Himself and He spoke strongly against sin.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. John 8:34 (ESV)
He warned of the horrible consequences of sin.
The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. John 8:35 (ESV)
Jesus, as the Son of God, has a permanent home with His Father God in Heaven, where there is no evil, not even human imperfection. But a sinner is a slave of sin and has no place in the Father’s House, no home in heaven.
But Jesus did not stop there. He offered a cure for this addiction to sin. He had a remedy for the hopeless condition of every man and woman without God.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 (ESV)
Jesus came to set us free from the addiction to bad things, things that make us unfit for heaven.
The Old Testament tells us a lot about different kinds of witchcraft, sexual perversion, worship of false gods and many other sins.
But Jesus did not talk much about these things.
The people who Jesus criticised the most were the religious leaders.
These people were obsessed with avoiding sin and criticising sinners.
They also memorised whole books of the Scriptures and tried hard to live correctly.
They did not worship idols or commit many of the sins that God condemned in the Old Testament.
So why was Jesus so opposed to these righteous Pharisees?
The Pharisees tried to obey the Law of God and taught the people not to sin. So what was wrong with that?
The Pharisees attacked sin but they also oppressed and punished sinners. They opposed sin but they offered no remedy or escape for ruined lives. They hated sin but they also despised sinners.
God hates abortion, witchcraft, pornography, sexual perversion and drug smuggling.
But if we go into battle against these things, we must be sure we are not like the Pharisees.
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The Pharisees hated sin but did not love the sinners.
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The Pharisees condemned sin with such self righteousness that they were completely ineffective in bringing sinners back to God.
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The Pharisees were obsessed with sin but could offer no remedy capable of saving people addicted to sin.
We can talk about sin and repentance and the saving power of God but we must also demonstrate the saving love and power of Jesus. If we only preach righteous words without love and power, we become like Pharisees who tell a drowning man to swim for his life but do not go out to him in a boat to pull him to safety.
"... the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 (NKJV)
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
You may read this and think you must stir yourself up to be like Jesus. But remember, without HIM you can do nothing. Only in HIM you can do all things.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
