JUST DO IT

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’ ” John 2:5, NKJV.

What if I do it and it doesn’t work? What if they say no? What if I fail? What if no one buys my book? What if no one comes to my ministry? What if no one comes to my new business? What if they ask me something I don’t know? What if I’m not great at doing it? What will my wife say? What if it doesn’t turn out right God, what will I do? To whatever question you have about what He is instructing you to do in your life, God’s answer is simply: just do it.

This was Jesus’ mother response to the people at a wedding when they ran out of wine. She told them whatever he tells you to do, do it. As they did what Jesus said, he worked a miracle and turned water into the best wine there. It’s hard to believe if you have to make it happen, it can even be fearful. Yet God is the Almighty, able and the earth is His footstool. Therefore, leave that to God.

We’re not responsible for making the miracle, we just do what he says.

So don’t focus on making it work. Don’t focus on the outcome or making it turn around. Don’t even concern yourself with how the person will respond, past mistakes or even changing yourself. Shift your heart to say I will leave the results to Him, and just do whatever Jesus says.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your word and I’m encouraged today. Help me to shift from focusing on making it happen, to only doing what you say. Help me to keep this before me. I praise You now. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Study: John 2:1-10, Ephesians 3:20

Called

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” Matthew 18:11, KJV.

Like all men, Jesus had a vocation while on earth. He did what we as men do. We work for a living, and Jesus was a carpenter by trade. That is what he did, but that wasn’t who he was. At the appointed time, Jesus moved from being a carpenter into being the Savior.

Jesus wasn’t fearful and worried about leaving carpentry. The Bible makes no mention of him having any concern about how becoming the Savior would affect His life or income. He simply obeyed the Father and moved on from carpentry to save us. He moved from working for a living, to doing what he lived for.

When will you do what you are destined for? The time comes when you have to do what you were born to do. If Jesus would have remained a carpenter, he wouldn’t have become our Savior. If you remain just a mechanic, just an engineer, only a doctor, how will those around you be saved? As God takes care of the sparrow, as He daily waters the grass, your Provider will take care of you.

Follow God. He may direct your path to make the type of step that Jesus did. He also may not tell you to leave your vocation, but to begin doing what God has put in your heart to do within your vocation–right where you are. Either way, it’s time to move from just being a carpenter and to go after what you’re destined for.

Prayer: Father, You didn’t just create me to work. I was born to be to make disciples and advance Your kingdom. Help me to know and obey Your voice. Help me to not be fearful, but like Jesus, put my trust in You and do what I was born to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Study: Jeremiah 1:5, Matthew 6:25-33, Mark 6:3, Ephesians 2:10

In His Image

Then god said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness: let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” … so God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then, God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Then God saw everything He had made and indeed it was very good.(Gen. 1: 26, 28, 31 NKJV)

We are made in God’s image, in the image of Jesus, in the image of the Holy Spirit—in THEIR likeness. Wow! We have dominion over the earth. What a responsibility! We were made very good… VERY GOOD! Yet today we fight the tendencies and habits that wage war in our hearts in a uerse subjected to frustration and decay. We fight to remember who we are as we exist within the groaning of the whole creation: CHILDREN OF GOD! We fight to keep ourselves doing the right things. We fight to protect those in our care. We fight for the things that we learn or know are true. We fight for our relationship with God and for our friends and family, and we fight against the forces that would set us apart. We do this with His power and with His blessing and with His strength and with His love for us. He knows we are very good when He sees the Son in our hearts—making us new,free again, making us His.

LIVE FOR CHRIST

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” mark:8

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He is our example, as he shows us the way to live is to actually lose our lives for him. This is not something physical, but rather we die to our own fleshly desires and give up all for the sake of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Losing our lives for Christ’s sake isn’t easy, but in so doing, we come to save it. We experience his suffering so the will of God can be done in us. Yet, if we suffer with him, we will reign with him. We display his love because we live selfless. We find ourselves reap strength and we triumph over the flesh. Christ in us rises and we walk in power to overcome evil with good. His grace breaks forth to do what He has called you to do, and you walk in it. God’s blessings and favor begin to show up in our lives, confirming that He has our desires in mind.

You may be enticed to save your life and live it your way, but don’t because in time you’ll lose it. Be encouraged to trust Jesus is showing you the way to be a great man. He is revealing how to reach your full potential in life. We have to sow our life for a better one found in Christ–even in the life to come.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that Jesus gave his life so that we can live an abundant one. He is the author and finisher of my faith. He shows me how to get it done. Father help me to take this leap of faith and sow my life into Christ. As a result, I will sit in a seat of authority, victory and blessing. I have eternal life also. Touch someone through the life that live for You. I receive Your grace now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Worship with your life

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24, NKJV.

A lot of times when we think about what worship is, we think of it as physically bowing down on our knees and laying prostrate to someone. Yet, true worship to God is reverence to Him by bowing down in our heart and walking according to His truth. We exalt God not only by lifting our hands, but we lift up our life. It extends beyond a Wednesday or Sunday service. It’s a daily service, and our lives give honor to Him as Creator and He is the only One that we serve.

As Satan did with Jesus, he will offer you the world, he’ll offer you anything, for your priceless true worship. He wants you to bow down to him and what this world can give. Yet, tell Satan to get behind you! God says there should be no other gods before Me and only Him will you live for, only Him will you serve. There will be no thing or no woman, no car, no money, no fame, that you will put before the Almighty God that saved you and redeemed you. The God that has been good to you and always brings you into an awesome place in your life.

Receive the charge as a man to truly worship the Father in this hour. God is seeking such to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Prayer: Father, thank You for defining worship to me and help me to always worship You. Help me to recognize if I have exalted anything in my life to worship instead of You. I will not worship no one or nothing else. You are God and God alone, Jesus is King. I will serve You only and keep You first in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Matthew 4:9-10, NKJV.

Turn the other Cheek

But to you who are listening I say:Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Luke 6:27-36 NIV

This is one of those passages we all say we don’t need to go over again because we’ve heard it a million times and we know what it means and what we need to do. And I think that’s great. So I just have one problem. Because it is that common and we heard it a million times and we know what we need to do, why aren’t we doing it? Why don’t our actions match up with what we know to be right?

Think about it. How many of us, when we get hurt by someone, just let it go? I would say not many of us. In fact, I would put myself in that category as well. When people hurt us, we find ways to hurt them back, or think about all the possible ways we can exact revenge on them. When they do something stupid that benefits them and puts us out, the next opportunity we get, we put them out. We’re a culture of simple.

And unfortunately, we’re using the golden rule in the opposite direction. How many of us when seeing someone grab something of ours, even if it was accidentally, jump across the room, if necessary, and snatch it back for ourselves? And looking at what this passage says, how many of us are offering them more than what they wanted? The passage talks about when you’re giving away your shirt, to give away your coat as well, even though they never asked for it. How many of us when we’re asked for a dollar, give away 5, just because we have it and we want to help? But again, we earned and bought our own stuff, so we’re not going to let anyone take it away from us –even if they ask nicely. How many of us give when we’re asked? I know at times I’m asked for things that are not worth much of anything, but I have this mindset that it’s my pen and you can go get your own. But the guilt sets in and I end up giving it away, and what happens? They finish using it and they walk off with it.

Figures, right? I help them out, and they take advantage. But Jesus is saying we need to give and give freely, not expecting or demanding it back, even if it puts us out. So as I said, these are verses we know. They were ground into our heads when we were younger. We’re continually told to turn the other cheek when we feel used and abused. But knowing something with your head, and doing something are two completely different things. Just thinking about doing the right thing is not as good as actually doing it. So instead of just going the bare minimum for God, let’s stretch ourselves farther because as we serve those in need, we honor and glorify our amazing God.

Questions

1. Do you turn the other cheek, or do you hold a grudge?

2. Tell about a time you held a grudge or got revenge? What happened and how did it make you feel afterwards?

3. Do you freely give away what you have, or do you try to find ways to say no nicely?

4. When you do give, do you give more than what was asked for?

Settle In

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them,that your progress may be evident to all” 1 Timothy 4:14-15, NKJV.

Timothy was a young man, and he was about to embark on being a pastor. The Apostle Paul knew the gift that was passed down to him. He knew the calling on his life. It was now time for Timothy to receive it and walk in it. It wasn’t time to be doing a lot of different things, but to give himself and settle down into his ultimate calling from God.

Receive and settle down into your calling. As men, we can find ourselves having many projects, but no evident progress. We can be like a mechanic, working on ten different cars in the shop, but none of them are running well. Receive what you’ve been called to do, and go hard after that. Give yourself wholly to that, and then you will see great progress, the grace of God, the blessings, the favor, and the power that the Father has preordained for you to walk in.

Some pursuits may be a good thing, but not a God thing. You aren’t called to do it all my brother. Timothy had to settle down in his calling and run his course. So will you.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word and I know You have called me to do a mighty work in these times. Give me clarity on what my calling and purpose is, and let go of what I don’t need to be doing. I ask for the courage and faith to settle down in my calling and run hard my course with an action plan from You. I praise You for the evident progress as I give myself wholly to it. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Labor of love

Labor of Love

“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4, NKJV

I have worked for a staffing company before, and even though I worked at another business, the staffing agency was really the one that took care of me. All my pay and benefits and rewards came from them. When I did something great on the job, the staffing company wasn’t physically there, but somehow they would always find out and would reward me for it.

Likewise, though we live on this earth, we are citizens of the kingdom of God, and we serve Him, not the world. Our blessings come from the Lord. He sees your labor of love. He sees your acts of kindness. He sees you hold your tongue and love your enemies. He sees you apologize when you didn’t have to. He sees you opt to not defend yourself. When you chose to be a man of integrity and be honest about your mistake, the Lord watches that. He sees your longsuffering and forbearing of others.

Love appears like you receive the least, but in fact, it yields the greatest fruit in your life. The Father is pleased when we represent Christ, and it is pleasing in His sight. Don’t become weary in well-doing because you will reap if you don’t faint. When no one knew, you will find that He saw all your work of faith and love, all that you do, because He’s going to reward you for it my brother.

Wherever you are, be encouraged to keep up the good work of His love.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word. It can get challenging sometimes, but I will continue to love. You see all of my labor of love Father and may it be pleasing in Your sight. I do it as unto You. I worship you through how I live. I serve You and You are the One that sees me, blesses me and rewards me. Grace me to love and I pray the more I love others, the more Your love changes their lives–and mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sacrifice

Micah 6: 6-8

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6: 6-8

God doesn’t want sacrifices; He wants us to do what’s good and right in His eyes. Think about it for a second: we live in a different time than Micah, so we kind of lost the context of this verse over time. Back in Israel, they would offer up an offering whenever they did something wrong. This offering was called a sin offering. I know, real original. This offering, usually a blemish-free lamb, goat, or oxen, would take the place of the person’s sin, by having the animal’s blood spilt in their place, thus removing the person’s guilt, and allowing him to continue to be in the presence of God, and His chosen people. We don’t live in this world anymore. Why? Because we have Jesus. Jesus has already come.

He was already here and was nailed to a cross for all our sins. He lived the perfect life, free from sin, as these animals were also free from blemishes, and Jesus was able to be the sacrifice for us. Now instead of throwing an animal onto an altar for sacrificing purposes, we can just cry out to God for forgiveness and be covered by the blood of Christ. But this does not mean we have a free ride to do whatever we want in life. Just because Jesus’ blood can and will cover all of our sin, no matter how bad they may be, it does not mean we can continue sinning. For Israel, God didn’t want animals sacrificed to Him when they did wrong. God didn’t want to see calf after calf being thrown up on the altar. Although every calf worked as a substitute for their sin, it didn’t mean He wanted a person to be constantly at the altar. For us, God doesn’t want to see us on our knees begging for forgiveness either. He doesn’t want to see us crying out for mercy over and over and over again for the same sins. Yes, He commanded both these things, but just doing this is missing

the point.

God wants obedience over sacrifice. He wants you not to do it in the first place. He would rather see you follow His commands, than to have to come back humbled in guilt. He would rather see you living a life that was honoring to Him, rather than making mistakes and repenting of them repeatedly. Is there any sin you have you’re struggling with? Is there any sin that wins more times than it should? Give it to God, ask for help, read His word, and find someone you know and trust who can hold you accountable, someone who can come along side you to help cut this sin out of your life. Act the way that is honoring to God in the first place, and remove the necessity to repent. Walk the walk of obedience, not the walk of constant sacrifices.

Questions

1. Since Jesus covers all your sins, do you think at times that you have a free pass?

2. Have you been committing the same sin repeatedly, and constantly going back to God to ask for forgiveness? What is that sin?

3. If you fail at stopping yourself from sinning, do you lose hope and feel like you might as well continue because it’s “too late”? 4. What can you do to remove that sin from your life?

Jesus is praying for you

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” Hebrews 7:25-26, NKJV.

Intercession is one of the greatest displays of love, going before the Father to pray on the behalf of someone else. It is great to know that this is what Jesus does for us. Right now He is interceding for you. You are not alone. You have a great High Priest in Him. 

A high priest went before the Almighty God to intercede for himself and the people. He would primarily go daily before a holy God to offer up a sacrifice and atone for the people’s sin, as well as his own. If in biblical times, a high priest with sin prayers availed much, how much more the prayers of our spotless King on your behalf.

He gave Himself once for all our sin and now Christ stands as a perfect, continuing High Priest for us with compassion. He has been here in this earth, in this world, and He knows exactly what it is like to live here. He knows every day the things we go through. He knows the things we daily resist. He knows the trials we experience and everything that we face, yet He says be of good cheer (take courage) because He has already overcome the world.

You have come to Him, and He is praying for you. He is praying that your faith does not fail. He is praying for your heart not to worry. He is praying for the Father’s will to be done in you and through you. He is always before God at the throne of grace, praying for you with power. At this very moment, be encouraged knowing Jesus is for you.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You Jesus for interceding for me. I sure need it. You are my great High Priest, always before the Father on my behalf. Even when I have felt like I couldn’t pray, You are praying for me. I am truly not alone in this life and I truly have the victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Study: Hebrews 7:16-28, Romans 8:34