No matter how great and splendid our spiritual works are, if they are originated from a self-centred heart with selfish motives, Bible says they will be burned up on that Day before the Lord! (1 Corinth 3:12-15). Many people might have been blessed through them, but they will be dead works and will not accomplish anything at all (having no eternal value).
Let’s, therefore, use our one and the only life wisely to live for things which have eternal value and never waste our time in promoting ourselves or our so called ‘service for the Lord’ with a wrong intention. If we are humble enough to acknowledge our inability (John 15:5), God can anoint us mightily so that our earthly life will be used to save at least one soul from the path of hell to His glorious Kingdom.
After many years of Christian life on earth, none of us should have a regret when we stand before the Lord, thinking that we had missed all the opportunities God gave us and lived only for ourselves!
History says, every godly man had to walk alone with God. That is the experience of narrow gate and narrow way (Mathew 7:13-14). Take any man of God in the Scripture, whether it’s Old Testament or New, you see their life styles and experiences were almost same. They all had their comforts from God alone.
This is true even today. That’s the mark that we are not walking with the crowd. There is a joy in it, when the world rejects you! (Luke 6:22-23). Our strength is from the Lord not from the people. They may support you today but may reject you tomorrow! This is the reason; we need to please the Lord alone! We are strengthened through being on our knees- nothing can ever knock us down! He is holding us up!
Be strengthened in the Spirit of God, my brother in Christ, you have a long way to go! He is holding your hand (Please meditate on John 10:28-30) along with the Father! You are safe in His hands, no matter how insignificant you think you are! He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuter 31:6/ Hebrews 13:5/Mathew 28:20).
There are millions of people around us who need freedom from addictions and bad habits which make them slaves and rob them of their peace, joy and rest in their personal, family, secular and spiritual life. Many marriages are being broken, many husbands and wives living under same roof but with divorced hearts, children destroy their minds, relationships are broken, community values disappear- all because of one or the other is enslaved to something. They need to be set free! Cry out to Lord Jesus, He will set you free (John 8:32)- He freed me, my life has changed!
Lord Jesus said,
“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mathew 11:28)
“If the Son (Jesus Christ) sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)
“I am come that they might have life, and have it in abundance” (John 10:10)
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives” (John 14:27)
Oh! Pastors & Preachers, make sure you are not slaves to anything or anyone. Your usefulness in God’s work will be gone. You cannot preach freedom when you, yourself are in chains (2 Pet 2:19). If you are living after pleasure, money, comforts, authority, approval of men, struggling with lusts, jealous, anger, etc- seek the help of God to be an overcomer. Ask the Lord to give you grace to break from every chain of this world and the devil over your mind and thought life.
Pastor Renji George
Mount Church, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
www.mountchurchcardiff.com
