Woe is me if I do not preach
the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16
“Beware of refusing to hear
the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact of his
salvation. […] There is nothing easier than getting saved, because it is solely
God’s sovereign work— “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22). Our Lord
never requires the same conditions for discipleship that he requires for
salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Christ. But
discipleship has an option with it— “If anyone…” (Luke 14:26). Paul’s words
have to do with our being made servants of Jesus Christ, and our permission is
never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us as broken
bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be “separated to the gospel”
means being able to hear the call of God (Romans 1:1). Once someone begins to
hear that call, a suffering worthy of the name of Christ is produced. Suddenly,
every ambition, every desire of life, and every outlook is completely blotted
out and extinguished. Only one thing remains— “…separated to the gospel…” Woe
be to the soul who tries to head in any other direction once that call has come
to him.” CHAMBERS
Are you familiar with the
phrase “Talk to the hand”? If not, it
means, “I am not listening any more so you might as well talk to my hand for
what good it will do you”. We can become
like that with the Lord. Not
intentionally, but it happens all too often.
We become content in our definition of what it means to “be a Christian”. The problem?
We lose our awareness of the significance of our salvation. We don’t have an appreciation for what it
means to be servants. Jesus said He did
not come to be served but to serve. (Matthew
20:28) He was focused on doing the
will of the Father. (John 6:38) “For I have come down from
heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” Jesus is our example in so many ways, but
particularly in how we are to relate to the Father and to the world. I think that most Christians under-estimate
the level of effort required to stay focused on the Father’s will, to hear God’s
voice, and to walk in obedience to it.
In fact with become satisfied with something less that God’s intent and
label it – faithfulness. All of us must
be on our guard. We all have feet of
clay.
As I get older, my hearing it
not as sharp as it used to be. When I am
in a place of competing sounds, I must
focus intently on the sound/voice that I want to hear. So it is with hearing God. But more than hearing … we must do what He
says. (James 1:22) “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says.” ELGIN
“It’s Your Will”
DC Talk
“ I'm setting the
stage for the things I love. And I'm now
the man I once couldn't be. Nothing on
earth could now ever move me. I now have
the will and the strength a man needs
Complexity haunts me
for I am two men Entrenched in a battle
that I'll never win My discipline fails
me, my knowledge it fools me But You are
my shelter, all the strength that I need
I'm learning to give
up the rights to myself The bits and the
pieces I've gathered as well They're
nothing compared to the joy that You bring me The peace that You show me is the strength
that I need
[chorus]
It's my will, and I'm not moving, Cause if it's Your will, then nothing can
shake me, It's my will, to bow and
praise You, I now have the will to
praise my God”
Charley Elgin
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