Obedience Starts with a Single Step

Obedience Starts with a Single Step 

by David Brenneman 

"Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 2 Kings 5:13.

      Sometimes our greatest acts of faith will come through small steps of obedience. This was certainly true for the highly respected captain of the Syrian army named Naaman. He traveled to Israel and sought the prophet Elisha to be cured of his leprosy. However, Naaman felt insulted when Elisha sent a lowly servant to

instruct him to wash in the Jordan seven times.

      Naaman was so outraged that he refused to perform the one act

that would save him from his very painful disease. Thankfully, his

servants confronted him in his pride and pointed out that the Lord had promised healing through that small step of faith. Naaman

realized that if he refused to humble himself before God, it could cost him his life. So he obeyed, and his flesh was made whole.

      You may not pay attention to the little things God calls you to

do because they seem insignificant. However, you don't know the amazing way He may want to work through your obedience. Say yes to the Lord regardless of how small, mundane, dull, or inferior the task seems He will reward your humble steps of faith.

Jesus, whatever You command is great and worthy of my obedience, I will do as You ask, Amen.

Trusting God with Today. Dr. Charles Stanley.

Many, many...many times in life we go forward in perseverance only by the taking of a single step. 

We don't know what that single step will accomplish but when that step is for us to do because the Spirit says to take it...then you take it. 

I can tell you all about what the day looked like when I was outside of my last employer. What's more important was that step outside was a step towards something not away from something. A step towards what was to be a time of growth in Christ that couldn't come any other way. 

We can and will get confused by some of or maybe most of the steps that the Spirit directs us to take.   

I can tell you most emphatically...do the right thing and respond with a heart of obedience to God regardless of how it appears to the world. 

For many months leading up to that step into an unknown future, the passage that the Spirit brought time and time again was "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.

Each day after June 12th was a day of just asking God what was there for me to be doing. Whether or not I had an earthly employer or not all my work was to be done as unto the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24.

For you my Dear Reader it's never for you nor I to stand still in our walk with Jesus. Re-read Psalms 23. He leads, we follow. Where He says to rest, we rest. When He says it's time to move, we move. 

We are to walk by faith and not by sight. Trusting God with all your heart. Not trusting what we perceive of our circumstances. There's no circumstances we can be in that God was ever unaware of. 

We can choose to either trust Him and take whatever steps He's directing us to take or we choose to live with the consequences.  

There's always consequences for obedience and consequences for disobedience. We reap what we sow more than we sow and much later than we sow. We either reap the benefits of God in our obedience or more lessons from God until we do.

The size of the step makes no difference. Just trust and obey. 

Just do and be thankful.  

My Dear Reader you're going to go through even a solid life in Christ and yet will spend eternity having what was really happening with you and others explained to you. In this here this now we can't comprehend it.

I found myself either just doing housework or fixing things. Found myself cleaning and organizing. Found myself working for people. Found myself resting. Found myself in various circumstances that otherwise I never would have had the chance to be in had I been employed. Found myself strengthening relationships. Found myself starting a few new ones. Found joy in just doing little things for strangers when out and about the city. 

God's not going to lead you in some way that's not going to be in your best interests. He allows many things in order to grow us in Christ. Storms, not fairweather days, cause deep roots for a tree.  

It's the storms that turn a man into a sailor and not just someone who can steer a ship. It's the battlefield that makes all the training given make sense to the soldier.  

Listen and obey the Spirit of God when He tells you or takes you in the way you should go. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Walking by faith and not by sight.  

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Listen and obey. Don't let your feelings get in the way. Truth is your feelings are responsible for many a failure of living out what Jesus wants for you. Look at the Disciples and how often they missed out because they let their feelings dictate their actions. 

Pray, listen, obey. Repeat. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

What is Your Desire of Your Heart?

What is Your Desire of Your Heart?

by David Brenneman 

"Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing." Psalms 37:4-8.

"Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3

"The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9.

What is the desire of your heart? Is it things, or people or perhaps experiences? What do you spend your time with thinking or doing?

What do you spend your money on?  

These will give clues as to what your heart is preoccupied with. 

How much of your time do you spend desiring to obey God?

How much of your time do you spend that has nothing to do with obeying God?

You're going to be intentional about one or the other. 

These thoughts come on the heels of reading in Deuteronomy this morning. Moses was instructed in what to write for the current and future generations of the children of Israel. He was also told, and they heard in hearing it themselves, that not soon after they would enter into the Promised land that they would be enticed to turn away from the Lord and would indeed fall away from God. The desires of their hearts would be for anything and everything that was before their eyes. Various gods of the nations they were sent to destroy would become the desire of their hearts. 

In our world idols and false gods are everywhere. Christians are not immune to the siren songs of these.

This is particularly why Paul, Peter, James, the writer of Hebrews, all point people to being steadfast in the Lord. Standing firm in the Lord. 

Living a life of diligence, perseverance, in the Lord. 

Moses entreated the children of Israel to not do what was foretold they would do. What we also see in those closing chapters of Deuteronomy were what the prophet Daniel saw of how and what to pray after the days of the 70 years were completed.

You, my Dear Reader, have before you both life and death. Living what the Bible teaches as a true life in Christ and that of living for self.  

You, my Dear Reader, will give an account of your life before Jesus. 

Of how you either lived for Him or lived for you. 

Nothing in that account will be sugar coated. There will be no grading on a curve. There will be nothing but the truth of what our hearts were desiring while in our bodies. 

We will see how we were deceived and how we deceived ourselves. In that moment we will see everything from the light of His truth. 

There will be nothing hidden anymore.  

We only think we get away with the lies we tell ourselves and tell others. We only think that there's no consequences.  

Examine your desires. Examine your heart. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal the truth that we aren't telling ourselves.  

Yes it keeps coming back to that. Our lying to ourselves.  

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:9-10.

"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered." Proverbs 28:26.

Pray for:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalms 51:10.

At the end of the day we cannot trust ourselves but we can trust Him with whom we have to do. 

Our lives are to reflect Christ to the world. If we're so wrapped up in fulfilling our desires for us the world will never see Jesus. 

Think about that. 

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’" Matthew 6:9-13.

"Lord, empty me of me, and fill me with more of you."

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

Obedience by Being In God's Word

Obedience by Being In God's Word 

by David Brenneman 

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:1-4.

When we come to Christ for salvation there's a work began in us by our Savior Jesus Christ. We become his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them.  

We are given tasks and assignments that are for us to do that are going to both exercise and grow our faith.  

The man of God...read that well if you, my Dear Reader happen to be a born again man. This isn't directed towards those Dear Readers who are born again women. As we read in his letters to Timothy and to Titus and can find in his many other letters...men are called to lead in the Church. Men are supposed to be the Godly teachers of the Word of God. Both in the home and in the Church. In his letter to Timothy Paul explains why. 

So the thoughts to you, the men reading this this morning...what are you doing to live up to this God-given responsibility?

Are you striving to make what He wants of you your highest priority?

Are you intentional about learning from the Word of God so that you may be adequate, equipped for every good work?

Are you studying the Word of God to show yourself approved by Jesus?

The men of God are supposed to be at the heart of the growing Church. 

We're not to be bench warmers. 

We're not to leave it to others. 

We're not to ever abdicate our role and responsibility that has been given to us in Christ. 

Are you seeking to know and to understand God's Word? We read all of its benefits in that it is "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;". 

In reading verse 17 read it slowly. Note what it isn't saying. It's not referring specifically to Pastors or Elders. The man of God. The men of God. 

We're to invest in the Word of God as if not only our lives but the lives we will encounter depend on our efforts. 

If other extra-curricular activities are in your way then you really are not putting God first in your life. 

All things that we put in higher importance than our relationship with Jesus can be removed by Him in an instant if we persist in them. 

A Life Principle of Dr. Stanley's is that anything we hold too tightly to will turn to ashes.  

The Spirit promises to teach us men if we commit the time and effort to learn. 

Women aren't entirely left out of the learning. Women, as Paul wrote, are to teach other women as well as children...and only those two groups of people. 

They too, by being in the Word of God daily, can grow with respect to their salvation and be prepared to teach other women and children. 

We seem to, as you look at humanity as a whole, have no difficulty in committing to anything that we allow ourselves to desire. 

In the life of a Christian our commitment ought to always be in obedience to God's Word.

Those who try to uphold any doctrines other than what is upheld by Scripture are, according to God's Word, cursed. Let them be accursed it says. These accursed people will be those whom Jesus says to "depart from Me for I never knew you".

The twisting of the doctrine of the Scriptures, the destruction of God's intention for marriage, family, and individuals is what Satan and his minions are all about.  

We must be in the Word of God to learn how to live out our salvation in Christ and to be able to refute such lies with the Word of God. 

Get with God's plan and purpose for you. Quit running from it if you have been. Do all that you do as unto the Lord as we read in these same life giving Scriptures.

Seek to be found obedient to God's Word and not be among the disobedient. 

Do you want to be giving an account of your life whereby Jesus says "Well done!" or will you hear of how your ways were not what He wanted of you? That you wasted your lifetime of opportunities to do what you were called to be doing?

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. First, not after you get what you want. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. 

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." Psalms 32:8.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org 

Expectant Perspective

The Expectant Perspective

by David Brenneman 

"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

"But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self,  lovers of money,  boastful, proud,  demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers,  without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors,  reckless,  conceited,  lovers of pleasure  rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.  Avoid these people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5 CSB.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" II Timothy 3:1-5. NKJV

Take a really good look at this passage from 3 translation perspectives.  

As several of the Study Bibles that I read last night attest to, these kinds of people that were there in Timothy's time are certainly in ours as well. Again, the Churches were taught to be expectant of the possibility of Jesus Christ returning.

That expectant perspective should be ours today.

How much more focused are you on cleaning up your home when someone you haven't seen in a long time is supposed to be stopping for a visit?

How much more presentable will you be in that moment?

When you know of someone you look up to is going to be nearby and the opportunity presents itself for you to meet them. How much more attention are you going to pay to your appearance?

When you have been entrusted with completing something and you know that you're going to be checked concerning it, how much extra effort will you make to ensure its as perfect as it can be?

Jesus is certainly returning for His Church, just as assuredly as He arose from the dead to sit at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

We're warned of the kinds of people we will encounter and what we ought to do concerning them. We also ought to be on the alert if such people try to infiltrate the Church to disrupt the proper teaching of God's Word. Regardless of if you agree or not, women who think they can be called to preach over a congregation are listening to the doctrines of demons. These ideas of this were happening at Ephesus. It's nothing new to our age. 

Earlier in these letters to Timothy we read of the qualifications for men to be the only ones called to be preachers of the Word of God.

At the end of Chapter 3 we likewise read "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Paul's instructions were for Timothy to seek out and find approved men of God to be the future preachers of the Word of God. Using the Bible as the standard of measurement. 

In our days we are seeing an explosion of false teachers and women who think they can be a preacher over a congregation. We see the Name of Jesus Christ removed from being essential to salvation. We see the Bible not even referred to during church services. We see Jesus not honored in worship music.  

Look at Paul's next words to Timothy. "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:1-4.

Right there is the headlines of today's world. 

Me, personally, I am excited and expecting Jesus to return. I am wanting to be found by Him ready to go and be with Him. I am not about to mince words and am not writing what He has me write to spare feelings. He instructed me over 7 years ago that He would give me things to write and it was upon me to write them. If I didn't then I would be needing to give an account as to why. Just as the Watchman on the Wall of Jerusalem was accountable for the warning of dangers to the people, so am I with this ministry. 

You may not agree, but that's between you and Jesus. Take it up with Jesus. Get out your Bible, and go to Him in prayer. 

As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. My expectation of His return is to be obedient to His Word to me for me. Doing whatever I do as unto the Lord. You, my Dear Reader ought to do the same. Being sure of your salvation. Being in the Word of God daily. Being in prayer as consistently as possible. Being in the whole armor of God at all times. Seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Living a transformed life that honors Jesus Christ and is eager to be found obedient to your calling in Christ Jesus.

Someone once said that if we ignore the past we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes in the future. Various denominations have ignored the past that Paul, Timothy, Luke, Titus, and others lived through at Ephesus, Philadelphia, Corinth and other such places and here we have those mistakes repeated today.

Are you going to be found faithful to the Word of God or to the myths of mankind? Are you going to be shocked and ashamed at Jesus returning or are you going to explode with joy at His appearing?

As Timothy was so charged by Paul to live up to, so are all men of God that are to be the spiritual leaders of the Church.  

Be about the work of God in Christ Jesus that's yours to accomplish. Be sure that what you are doing is God's plan and purpose for you and give it your everything.  

Be obedient to God's Word and not the mere speculations of this world. 

Be found to be ready by living a faithful life in Christ Jesus. 

Be ready for that shout that will call us out of this world!

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

The Coming Son of God

The Coming Son of God 

by David Brenneman 

We ought to pay close attention to the reading of the Scriptures every day. It's with much intentionality that regardless of the days events that I have developed a persistence in this endeavor. It requires persistence. You cannot, of your own volition, trust you to complete such a task. Each one of us would turn our own way and choose anything but time in the Word of God without a certain level of persistence in doing it.

Think of Paul's analogy of the runner preparing for a race. Without persistence in that, there would be no preparation. They would most assuredly fail to come close to a winning time among the others in that particular race. 

Without persistence in taking the time for the meaningful reading of the Scriptures, how would one know what the promises of God really were?

Without persistence in taking time to be in the Word of God, how would you know what to look for with regards to what Jesus said of returning for His Church? 

Personally I have lost track of how many times that I have read through my Bible. Which is an excellent problem to have. 

Right now I am reading the Old Testament in a year in the mornings along with a chapter in Proverbs a day that matches the day of the month. In the evenings there is devotional books and 4 study Bibles with their notes. A few months back I changed it up a little. While two of my study Bibles are the same translation, I listen to that night's chapter when I get to that particular Bible rather than read it twice.  

You too must persist in making the time to be in God's Word. I, as well as others in Christ, will tell you that you will never come away from the experience unchanged. You will always, no matter how many times you read through it, will find something new.  

As someone once said how often can you read a book where the Author is right there with you?

You also honor Jesus Christ when you obey in this.  

Decades ago it hit me hard. How could I have come to Him for salvation and yet had neglected to read His love letter to the world? How could I stand before Jesus and had never spent time in God's Word?

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Hebrews 4:12-13.

Without the Word of God we wouldn't know the truths of God to transform our lives, wouldn't know what to look for concerning His return either.

Paul wrote a lot about the return of Jesus Christ, did you know that? He taught those he preached to as well as exhorted those he wrote to, to live as though today were THAT day of His return.  

Will you add to your problems when you stand before Jesus to give an account of your life by not having made your time in God's Word an important part of your life?

My Dear Reader God's Word gives us everything pertaining to life and Godliness. "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8.

How would you know of what I just shared if you weren't reading your Bible?  

I encourage you all the more as the day of the Rapture of the Church draws near to get into the Word of God. For those of you who can, memorize it. For those who struggle with memorization just persist in reading it anyway. I take great comfort in "Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You." Psalms 119:11. Some translations say "hidden in my heart". 

The all important thing is to get it in your heart.  

A physical analogy is that while you don't understand fully how, all the food and drink you take in transforms your body with regards to growing...you just know that it does. You must feed your spirit and soul with the Word of God in order to grow in Christ. 

You also honor all that Jesus did on the cross for you when you do your best to live out your salvation in this way. 

God's Word says that it a right and good thing to be ready for when the Lord Jesus will appear. To not be taken by surprise. 

Make it your mission in life to be including time in God's Word as your highest priority.

He IS coming back soon and my hope and prayer is that you and I would be both looking and prepared for that day. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

Who Do People See?

Who Do People See?

by David Brenneman 

They will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God. 1 PETER 2:12 NLT

      I'll never forget the amazing statement heard from a young man as we talked about his upcoming mission trip- He had some of the normal anxieties that usually accompany such an endeavor, but he also had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. And as he prayed, his words caught my attention: "Lord, I pray that those who meet

me during my stay also encounter You." That struck me in a profound manner. He wanted the contact between him and others to be a genuine encounter with the person of Christ Himself.

      Frankly, that is a goal for which all believers should strive. Indeed, I wonder what would happen if each of us adopted that same mindset. How would our days be different if each morning we asked Jesus to so permeate our words and deeds that others would sense the reality of His presence with us? How would it

transform our families, coworkers, friends, acquaintances, and even

our enemies? It would certainly change the world.

      So consider: do others see Jesus in you? People desperately

need His salvation. Don't keep Him a secret. Allow Him to work

through you so others can witness His awesome presence and know

Him as well.

Jesus, may anyone who encounters me find You and believe in Your name. Amen.

- Trusting God with Today, Dr. Charles Stanley 

This particular exerpt from his book comes nearly a month after I began the new job that God gave me.  

Several times during these nearly 4 weeks I was and am reminded of a friend from a church plant in Mt. Sterling, Ohio who almost always included in his prayers "Empty me of me and let me be filled with more of you".

It matters not if it's the online world or the physical world all Believers are where they are to represent Christ first and foremost. THEN they are to be whatever role it is that they are there for. Some have taken to talking about it, as an example of my case, that I am an Ambassador of Christ Jesus cleverly disguised as a Manufacturing Repair Technician.

My Dear Reader there's no hiding behind phone, tablet or computer screens when we interact with the online world. We still represent Christ first. 

When we are in our homes or out among people we represent Christ first.

We always ought to stop and consider just how we are being seen by others. Are they seeing Jesus in us or are they merely seeing us?  

Which is more important towards fulfilling the call of God in Christ Jesus for each of us?

Are they going to meet Jesus when they meet us or are they not going to?

Yes we're going to run into unsavory types in both places...and the temptation is going to be there to not think before speaking or doing. 

It's a great thing to remind ourselves of to be sure of our salvation then to be sure that people see our Savior in each of us before they see us.

Empty me of me and fill me with more of you!

If Dr. Charles Stanley could be so impressed that he added such an entry to his book...I take that as something seriously worth noting. 

Our successes should never come at the expense of people finding Jesus was among them.

Before you type out something online. 

Before you speak a word. 

Before you make any gesture. 

Stop and see if you will be displaying Christ in you or if it will be you.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org 

Guard What You Have Learned

Guard What You Have Learned
by David Brenneman

"Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you." 2 Timothy 1:13-14

Because Christ’s return is imminent, that ought to be motivation enough for the man of God to remain faithful to his calling until he dies or the Lord returns- Study notes from Pastor John MacArthur.

How motivated are you to live an obedient life to God's Word than you are to living life for yourself?

Are you seeking your own self interests first or are you allowing the Spirit to work through you?

While yes I do have a new job, that's not why I am there.  This new job is first my mission field, second is my position of work while I am there. 

Are you living life realizing that Jesus could return at any moment?

That's what the Apostles taught the Church and wanted the men leading them to pass on to future generations. 

A life in Christ is to be one that is a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.  That is to say we follow and do as the Spirit directs us first before what we desire or want.

Jesus paid it all for us so that we would be saved because of His sacrifice. 

Are we living with that in mind?
Are we making what is right and good in the eyes of God that which goes with us throughout our day?

Christians are not at all immune to temptations.  We're to flee youthful lusts. We're to flee from temptation as Joseph ran from Potiphar's Wife.

We're to desire spending time in God's Word.  Do you? 

We're to desire spending time in prayer, talking with Jesus.  Do you?

We're to avoid the various traps and schemes of the devil.  Do you even recognize such things in the first place?

When we came to Christ we immediately are in opposition to the ways of the world. 

Satan cannot kill us but he can tempt us with many a temptation to keep us from living out our faith.

Causing us to waste time, energy and effort as well as money on fruitless ventures so that when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives there's nothing to show of a life lived for Him.

How well are you guarding what has been entrusted to you in the Lord?

How much of your day is you intentionally spending time with yourself rather than with Jesus?

Rise up before your day begins and read a chapter or two.  Before you go to bed read a few more. 

Your spiritual body needs fed more than your physical one.

Are you starving your spiritual body and yet wonder why your life is as it is?

You cannot guard what you have little to nothing of.  Be intentional about your walk with Jesus and then you will begin to really live.

The Spirit has work for all Believers to be doing and will until the Church of Jesus Christ is complete and He calls us home. 

Do more to grow in Christ.
Get your priorities straight.

It's more than time to live the righteous life that God desires for you.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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