Monday, February 03, 2014

God calls us to DO His work

^ BigStock photo ^

Rev. 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

God calls us to do His work

Have you ever woken up on a cold brisk morning, felt the comfort of the warm soft blankets surrounding you wishing you could rest for the day right where you are? Sure  you have. Nobody feels like waking up and embracing the cold, getting wet, or facing yet another back-breaking day at work. Rest, you just want rest.

We work because we have to; it puts food on our table, a roof over our head and gets us to the next day where we do it over and over again. Kinda mundane isn’t it, but you get rewarded with food, warmth and comfort. The necessities of life are what carry you through your day-to-day life. Without them you’d be homeless, right? Day after day you trudge along, reaping the rewards, sometimes the smallest of rewards but you know your work at the end of the day was worth all the toil and trouble.

Here lies the difference between a mere believer and a Christian/follower of Christ; a believer believes, has faith and reads his/her bible. A Christian is one who works for God, strives to be Christ-like, and WORKS to be a better person. A believer wakes up, eats, takes a nice hot shower, goes to work, comes home, eats, and rests knowing he paid his dues to society.

Isa. 2: 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

A Christian wakes each day and glorifies God. He/she begins their workday for God. “Lord do with me what you will,” they say. Whether in the workplace where every person surrounding them becomes an opportunity to shower them with God and do His work; He’s in the boxes you stock on shelves, He’s pushed out in the inkjet printer you use, He is the guide at your fingertips as you type. God is everywhere to a Christian!

Sunday arrives. We did our work throughout the week and Sunday arrives in flaming fire! There may be no sun but it arrives; it is our day of rest. Do we sit at home on Sunday because it is the day of rest, no, we go out in numbers and worship the God who gave us a fruitful week.

Jer. 7: 13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;

A Christian doesn’t attend church to show everyone, “Look at me, I’m here. Look at my new shiny shoes. I wore my new dress. Hey, look at me!”

No siree, a Christian wakes on Sunday, puts on his jeans (possibly from the dirty laundry) puts on his/her tee-shirt, same old sneakers they’ve worn all week to the work place then heads off to visit his family and worship with them sharing their love of God.

You might say, “What? You go to church looking like THAT?”

I might say, “Does God care what I wear? If the people there are judging me for my clothes, they NEED to be there, to learn the Truth! God doesn’t care what you wear! He cares that you’re THERE!”

To a Christian, a church is a family of Christ. You might rejoice in another building in another state, but to you, your brothers and sisters are rejoicing in a building somewhere out there praising the same God that you praise. The believers are sitting at home, tucked under their covers awaiting the sun to shine in their window so they can trudge on yet another mundane day. “I wake, I have faith, I read, I believe.” Such an empty life.

A Christian has a spirit-filled, God-filled life to live. Sunday is our payday, our reward for all of our work we did throughout the week. We get to celebrate the day by rejoicing in all the blessings the Lord bestowed upon us throughout the week with our family, our brothers and sisters and most importantly, with our Father!

Can you imagine a Buddhist calling himself a Buddhist but never doing the work of a Buddhist? Can you imagine calling yourself a Jehovah’s Witness, never doing the work required to BE a Jehovah’s Witness? Then why do Christians call themselves Christians when they don’t feel the need to do the Lord’s work for Him?

Rom. 16: 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Did you know that upon doing a word search of the word WORK, there are 964 entries in the Bible? Why is that? Because it is asked of ALL Christians (not just some of us) to do the Lord’s work. He calls to us, we are honored to act.

Pastor said something like this, “Do you know why the atheist are gaining strength in society; Because people calling themselves Christians don’t look Christ-like. They are demeaning a faith by their gossip, drinking, cursing and sinning.”

Even churches across the world are separated; teaching/preaching one thing then doing another and it confuses those who are seeking the One true living God. Yes atheist are searching for SOMEthing to believe in. Believers are searching too, but they sit at home forming their own truth.

Let me ask you this. Back when Jesus came into the world, do you think people sat at home in the comfort of their beds, READING the Bible or did they wake, embrace the cold or heat and walk miles and miles to HEAR the gospel, from the Messiah who was delivering the message? They sat around in groups of listeners, thus forming the first Christian Church, becoming the first Christians.

Jesus is the CHURCH that they went to for comfort, a message of hope, of promise, of everlasting love. They couldn’t get THAT from their safety net called home. They LIVED for Christ, strived to be like Christ, sinners were now accepted in Christ.

Jesus chose sinners to carry on His work. But He DID require them to WORK. Yes you are saved by the blood of Christ, but remember that blood was at a cost, Jesus’ LIFE on the cross. HE did that for you, what do YOU do for Him?

As you seek out to BE a Christian, don’t demean the name of Christ and Christianity. Call yourself a ‘believer’. When you seek out a church that delivers Jesus’ message, and you listen intently as the Truth of the Word washes over you and is filling your soul and you praise the Man that died for you, when you LIVE for Christ, not sin, THEN call yourself a Christian.

“On Christ the solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand…all other ground is sinking sand.” ~ a Sunday worship song

Are you standing on the Rock or on sinking sand? Think about it. I think about it everyday; and I’m STILL not done my work for Him.

Praise His Holy name!

Rom. 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Col. 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:


To be continued…

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Amen! I love the simplicity with which you describe the differences! So easy for all to understand.

joni said...

Thanks Deb.

God has really been laying it heavy on my heart what is so sadly wrong in society.

The human race is tired of God being forced down their throat, they hide behind there walls claiming to be a Christian but when they are NEEDED to be a Christian, they close the window. Today's post (2-4-14) tries to make clear any fog from this post.

Thank you so much for saying the word simplicity, because in my years as a Christian, messages are always mixed in what to believe. I DO try to make it plain and simple.

Go with God! Bless you!