Life Everlasting

Biblical characters give us an example of living by a tangible faith, which provides for us what we hope to receive. Faith also provides us with proof, even of what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1-2). Faith is essential for living a victorious Christian life, because without it, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). We walk in faith, which produces obedience; we seek the will of God each moment of the day; we live in His Spirit, and God rewards us with His blessings.

We do not live our life to please other people, or according to their insistence or persuasion in our life, but to please God alone (Galatians 1:10). We are bondservants of Christ; and we can trust Him to provide for us and to keep us safely tucked under the shelter of His wings (Proverbs 29:25). We are approved by God to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He calls us to speak what is pleasing to Him instead of what is pleasing to mankind (1 Thessalonians 2:4; John 12:43).

Satan and the world attempt to deceive us through the philosophy of men, which is nothing more than vain conceit and empty deceit. This philosophy is fashioned from the principles of the devil, the world and the flesh (Colossians 2:8). This is why God encourages us to focus our mind on eternal and spiritual concepts rather than on the ideas pertaining to this world (Colossians 3:2). As we seek God Kingdom and holiness with our whole heart, He will provide everything we need to live in this life (Matthew 6:33).

Each generation produces enemies of the cross of Christ. We weep over the deception they are under, as well as the lies they spread as truth; because they, and everyone who believes them, will end in destruction. However, our citizenship is in heaven, even while we remain on this earth. Ultimately, when Jesus appears, our human body, soul and spirit will transform into the glorious replica of Christ Himself, because of His power residing in us (Philippians 3:17-21).

Right now, we groan with aches and pains in this earthly habitation. We long for God’s Kingdom to come on earth, as it already is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Paul gave us exciting news, however, when He explained that our earthly body is just like a canvas tent. When this tent collapses, we have a home waiting for us, which was made without hands and which will last for eternity. When we see Jesus, His life will swallow up our mortality, and we will dwell in the eternal resting place, which God prepared for us (2 Corinthians 5:1-5).

Prayer:

Father God, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ we will receive rewards for both the good and bad, which we have done (2 Corinthians 5:6-10). Therefore, it is important for us to live a life, which is pleasing to You right now. As long as we live on this earth, we are separated from living with You; however, if we walk by faith rather than by what we see in the natural realm, Your Spirit in us allows us to live in Your presence now and forevermore.

Thought for the Day:

God calls us to walk by faith, rather than by what we discern with our human senses (2 Corinthians 5:7), as we eagerly wait for the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A Dream or A Dreamer

Read: Proverbs 13:11-16

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. Proverbs 13:12

I watched a movie where a young man pursued a young lady, but she rejected him. She gave as her reason, "You have no dream. You are just a dreamer."

That says a mouthful to me. She realized that he had no direction in his life. He got easily distracted and wasted time and money pursuing unrealistic goals. He was not serious, and she understood that he was not worthy of her interest.

Dreamers spend more time dreaming dreams than accomplishing a dream. They have no focus or ambition. They just flit from one thing to another with no lasting impact. They are lazy and never succeed (Proverbs 12:24b). They resent authority, they despise wise council and discipline (Proverbs 1:7), and they want to do everything their own way (Isaiah 53:6). They have many dreams and many words, but their life is empty (Ecclesiastes 5:7).

Of course at the end of the movie, he recognized this as a blind spot in his life; so he followed her advice. He developed a single focal point; and with concentrated purpose, he made both of their dreams come true.

Reaching a dream takes work and focus. If we have no vision, no dream and no guidance from God, we end up spinning our wheels, using up a great deal of resources and never accomplishing anything of value (Proverbs 29:18). We have nothing to show for our life’s work and no legacy to leave behind for others to build upon. When we pursue more than one dream at a time, we split our focus and accomplish nothing (Ecclesiastes 7:18).

The first part of Proverbs 12:24 admonishes us to, “Work hard and become a leader.” People, who fear the Lord, spend the first part of every day seeking His will; and the rest of the day following the Spirit’s direction to accomplish it. They avoid all distraction and extremes. They live in moderation in all things. They have principles and bearing, and are willing to do the hard work to reach His goals for their life. They hold on to the dream He gives them, until they achieve it.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I know that everything You do will endure forever. You prove Yourself, so that men will revere You (Ecclesiastes 3:14). Teach us to follow Your example. You did nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (Philippians 2:3). You did only what You saw Your Father doing (John 5:19). Train us to do the Father’s will also.

Thought for the Day:

To accomplish God’s will, we must not only dream, but also act; not only believe, but also obey.