It's interesting the thoughts people have of wanting something for nothing. They want free money from Publishers Clearinghouse. They want free scholarships. They want free this and free that from the Government. They want reparations for things that might have happened to their ancestors.
There are many who carry this mentality into to Christian life. They come to Christ and think it means freedom of a kind to live as they want now because they got a get out of Hell free card. This isn't Monopoly and it certainly isn't the game of Life. This is reality folks. This is making decisions in your life that determine either riches or chafe are stored in Heaven. It determines whether you will be a blessing or a curse to those around you. A curse? Yes. Even believers can be a curse. When they claim to have come to Christ yet live lives as though they had not. When their mouth is used for swearing while it's also used to praise God or to pray. They become a curse when they lash out with flipping people off and yet were known as having gone to Church.
As Blackaby says later on in that devotional, we are as what Paul described of himself. A bond servant of Christ. We willingly set aside our views, thoughts and actions in order to please the one to whom we serve.
What are you showing the world? Are you a believer showing the world Jesus or are you showing it that you can be just as vile, disgusting and sinful as them, with no repentance evidenced in your life? Are you at all being a light to the world or an almost extinguished candle? You cannot be both. Because for the sake of His Name, Jesus WILL do something about your behavior and life. Truth is either you will go to your knees in acknowledging He demands obedience or He will take you out of this world to preserve your soul.
If you claim the name of Jesus it means you relinquish your rights, dreams and life in exchange for what He wants of you, to learn from the Spirit and become the man or woman of God that He intends to make of you. To become a Disciple means exactly that.
Do you praise God on Sunday yet break into a swearing laced tirade on social media or to the person in the vehicle who just cut you off? Do you grumble at God for the changes He is bringing into your life?
We all are tempted by stuff with the minor disclaimer of "Oh it's not that bad...others are doing it...".
Are you glorifying God in your actions or are you making Him a laughingstock in Heaven while Satan points at you and declares your misdeeds?
I have to be truthful there. Quite often that's what crosses my mind. The beginning of the book of Job. Satan reporting in as he has to before the Lord Jesus and pointing at my life. It's recorded, it's what he does with those who believe.
Some take the grace of God and use it as an excuse to live as they want. King Hezekiah was healed and granted grace on his Kingdom. He became proud and boasting before visitors from Babylon. Then a prophet came and declared what was going to happen to his family after he died. His pride would have a price.
Look at what you do and why you do it. Are you at all walking WITH Christ or have you wandered off to do your own thing?
We do not have a license to sin or to do things that bring shame to the name of Jesus. We have access to the storehouses of Heaven if we but obey.
If you are delving in dark things, music, movies, fiction etc, you are playing with fire and will get burned. It's not all in fun. It's not 'just interesting'. It's playing with the tools of Satan to get your eyes off Jesus. He cannot stop you from getting to Heaven but he can stop you from growing in Christ as you should.
The time is now to be right before Christ. Our nation is falling into disrepair and disarray because the so-called Christians here are not casting away the sin in their lives, they are embracing it. They are more concerned about their rights than living right before God.
The time is now.
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