TUESDAY: TURNED UPWARD THOUGHTS...

CHRIST JESUS said, "FOLLOW ME"---

When Christ began to preach, he began to gather disciples, who should be hearers, and afterwards preachers of his doctrine, who should be witnesses of his miracles, and afterwards testify concerning them. 

He went not to Herod's court, not to Jerusalem, among the chief priests and the elders, but to the sea of Galilee, among the fishermen. The same power which called Peter and Andrew, could have wrought upon Annas and Caiaphas, for with God nothing is impossible. But Christ chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. 

Diligence in an honest calling is pleasing to Christ, and it is no hinderance to a holy life. Idle people are more open to the temptations of Satan than to the calls of God. It is a happy and hopeful thing to see children careful of their parents, and dutiful. When Christ comes, it is good to be found doing.  

Am I in Christ? is a very needful question to ask ourselves; and, next to that, Am I in my calling? They had followed Christ before, as common disciples, Joh 1:37; now they must leave their calling. 

Those who would follow Christ aright, must, at his command, leave all things to follow him, must be ready to part with them. This instance of the power of the Lord Jesus encourages us to depend upon his grace. He speaks, and it is done.

It is NO small matter to be CALLED BY THE LORD! It is an act of HIS WONDROUS LOVE, and partnership to HIS HOLY WILL! It renders a RENEWAL of being, a TRANSFORMED existence, and SERVES as HE HAS SERVED! It is a well-spring of RIGHTEOUSNESS, fed by seas of DIVINITY!!!

*GOD* ALMIGHTY does NOT WILL that anyone should perish, but alas, too many shall because they have so chosen to remain apart from HIM; and so, in HIS PERFECT PLAN HE HAS decreed that ALL citizens of HEAVEN, THE KINGDOM ETERNAL, shall be PARTAKERS in INSPIRING, SHINING of HIS LIGHT, and URGING others to take note of their very souls, that they HAVE undisputed opportunity TO TURN TO HIM, and to RECEIVE LIFE!!!

When we FOLLOW CHRIST JESUS, we ARE SERVANTS as was HE! We SERVE THE WILL OF *GOD*, and IN that servitude we become co-partners! The LOVE, and WILL OF *GOD* ALMIGHTY IS PROACTIVE, EVER WORKING FOR our sake, and FOR HIS GLORY, and so, WHEN we align with HIM, we also, are PROACTIVELY working FOR the PROMISES, and HIS GLORY, for the sake of those who are not yet IN HIM!!!

OUR SALVATION is FAR more than a passive GIFT, instead it IS A PERPETUALLY WORKING GIFT, FULL of THE WAY, and HIS WILL, which THROUGH what IS OF HIM, including us, SHALL BE FULFILLED, as it EVER FUNCTIONS TOWARDS fulfillment! HIS people, HIS Children DO HAVE CRUCIAL ROLES IN HIS WILL, with GREAT PURPOSE, and REASON! One part of it IS that we ALSO, desire that as many as is feasible, are brought INTO THE FAMILY, INTO THE KINGDOM (HIS HOLY CHURCH of PRAISE, WORSHIP, and GLORY), and this is where our SERVICE begins! Just as the EXODUS, many were appointed by the 12 tribes to assist in the DELIVERANCE of the people to the PROMISED LAND, SO ARE those who FOLLOW CHRIST JESUS DESIGNATED TO ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO the SALVATION of many!!!

We CAN'T FORCE anyone to HEED THE LORD, and so, we ARE TRANSFORMED INTO as REFLECTIONS OF HIMSELF, THAT BY EXAMPLE we INSPIRE, and GUIDE others TO their rightful inheritance! THIS MEANS we HAVE undergone CHANGES according TO HIS WILL, and WAYS, and WE ARE BEING, and DOING GOOD IN HIS NAME, ACCORDINGLY, FOR the PURPOSE OF others TAKING NOTICE, and BEING ROUSED TO TRUTH! WHEN we were offered THE GIFT OF LIFE, we WERE ALSO, GIFTED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM then, works in us, through us, and around us, as we ARE Sanctified, and Consecrated FOR LOFTY, and HOLY use! Thus, there IS IMPROVEMENT, GROWTH, and CHANGE in us, as we MELD WITH HIM!!!

The fleshy being does not consider the lot of the soul, instead it aspires to satisfy the flesh, and is bound to the world, and SO, THROUGH CHRIST JESUS, and THE HOLY SPIRIT, we DIE to the flesh, FOR not only our soul, but the souls of those lost in this oppressive, negative, and lying world, and step INTO the spirit, which IS THE TRUTH OF OUR REALITY, and IS that which *GOD* CREATED IN HIS IMAGE, FOR the VERY REASON OF LEADING as many as IS DESTINED TO THE KINGDOM! If we were not changed BY HIM, we would REMAIN TOO SELFISH TO AID others to SECURING their souls!!!

The world is TEEMING with workers of inequity, BUT WE ARE WORKERS OF what is RIGHT, JUST, and GOOD! We ARE workers DESIGNATED to EMULATE HIS HOLINESS, THE LORD *GOD*, our SAVIOUR, and KING, FOR the END GOAL OF SALVATION for the souls of many!!!

We can ONLY EMULATE THE LORD IF we KNOW HIM, STUDY HIS WILL, and WAYS, and then, ACT in HIM, and them! This is NOT easy, even with the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, as we ARE yet IN this world, though NOT of it, and ARE tried, tested, challenged, afflicted, and much more of the negative ploys TO keep us FROM our work, as evil ASPIRES to distract us, confuse us, and so on! Thus, the NEED TO STAY IN THE WORD, and TO REMAIN IN HIM, as we DEVELOP INTO the righteousness of our CALLING!!!

It IS a PRIVILEGE to FOLLOW CHRIST JESUS, and YES, it DOES involve EFFORT, COMPLIANCE, and WILLINGNESS to HUMBLE oneself, and to BE PERFECTED! It is NOT about us, it IS ABOUT THE LORD *GOD*, HIS LOVE, HIS WILL, and HIS WAYS, FOR HIS GLORY, AND the safety of souls, which like everything else in CREATION, BELONG TO HIM, and so, HE does NOT want them to perish with the world, and its ways!!!

Let us then, GRASP our roles IN HIS WILL for the LIBERTY it, THROUGH us, CAN, and WILL grant to those others whom BELONG TO HIM! Let us then LEARN what it MEANS to FOLLOW HIM, and let us RADIATE OF HIM in every way we might, FOR HIS GLORY, and the INCREASE of THE KINGDOM!!!

AMEN! PRAISE THE LORD, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, HONOUR HIM in ALL ways, and REJOICE IN HIS LOVE, and CARE for us which LEADS us HOME! Let us PRAY, PRAY, and PRAY for ALL which HE WILLS to be done!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2016
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS