In a world that is ripe with self-importance, self-justification and disregard for God, what is our charter? What is it that God really expects from us as true Christians and eventually from the entire world? What truly matters in God’s view?
Kalon Mitchell
What’s New?
Human beings often seek the newest, greatest thing. Instead of being content with what they have, they want to get more and more. This was Satan’s downfall. He was not happy with the office God appointed him to. He wanted more and more. Eventually, he was thrown to the earth, and we know what his final outcome will be.
As we get ready to move into 2017, people in society often make “New Year’s Resolutions.” These are frequently short lived ideas that carry on for a little while and then fade away. We must be careful that we do not have this type of attitude. After the Feast of Tabernacles, we usually find ourselves invigorated and ready to carry on the good fight. But what happens to our resolve a few months down the road?
As we look at the deteriorating world around us, we are often reminded that these things MUST happen so that the end may come. Matthew 24:5-14 shows us the climate that we will witness before the return of Jesus Christ. The work of preaching the Gospel is our duty, even as we see the love of many growing cold. This will not happen to us if we are setting the right goals and are consistently moving towards them.
Luke 12:31-32, 34 states: “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Where do we put our treasures? Do we horde them? Do we give them away? Are we constantly thinking about how we can fulfill this Scripture in our lives? We do this through the things we think, say and do. Our hearts need to be devoted in learning how to draw closer to God and Christ, so we can stay strong and ever ready—putting forth our best effort so that we shine as examples to those around us. We can be joyful at all times, through thick and thin, because we have the promise of God that we will be in His Kingdom if we hold fast.
This is not new information. These are things we have heard time and again. But truly, as we move into 2017, what will happen in our lives? Will the Scriptures of turning cold and falling away apply to any of us? Or will the opposite be true and will we walk away from 2017 into 2018 as a stronger and more faithful people? We have to decide that we want God’s Way of Life more than ANYTHING else in this world. Matthew 10:38 tells us that we need to take our cross and follow after Christ. Either we will be worthy or we will be unworthy. These are the two choices set before us. Which choice will we make?
Yes or No
Life seems to come down to our ability to make choices. There are a lot of grey areas or maybe’s in life. But the fact is that our lives come down being able to say yes or no. What is that we will choose in our lives as we learn to use God’s wisdom and knowledge?
A Life of Repetition
Do we ever feel like we do the same things over and over again? Do our lives sometimes resemble a game that constantly repeats? We see the use of repetition in nature, in life and even in the Bible. But why? Why is repetition so important for us? What can we learn by examining nature, our lives and the Bible, based on this thought of repetition? What is it that repetition will accomplish in our lives?
The Power of One
People have great strength. But what happens when we as Christians don’t have great strength? Where do we turn when we are down and discouraged? How do we get out of these types of situations? How can we move forward? We can accomplish great things if we allow God to lead us.
Unity of God’s People
A trait of God’s people has always been that of unity. That doesn’t mean that it is some thing that is easy to accomplish. Looking at relationships we see that God and Christ have to be our example. In everything they are one. We must have individual unity with God and collective unity with fellow Christians. We must all have love for each other and show kindness in all examples. We have to have unity so that we can make it into God’s Kingdom.
Why Are We Here?
Once we have a vision and know what we are trying to accomplish in our lives in regard to our spiritual lives we must continue to move forward in this regard. The Feast and Sabbath days are important for us to keep. God has decided to call us now and put us into His family as He has seen fit. We must continue to serve Him so that we can stay close to Him.
Start With “Why”
In order to start a life that is useful and is full of growth, we need to start with asking the question “Why?” Often times our visions may not be in-line with God’s visions because we may not always be asking the right questions. We need to constantly keep in mind what we are trying to accomplish and what God wants out of this as well. What is your vision?
Glory to God
One of the key statements in the Bible is the need for man to bring glory and honor to God.
In fact, God says that He created us for His glory. We read in Isaiah 43:5-7 that God’s people are called and created for the purpose of glorifying God. Continuing in Isaiah 66:18-19, we see that ALL nations will be learning about God’s glory, and that the nations of Israel will in fact declare God’s glory.
Many will be asking at that time why they should worship and glorify God. When Moses asked Pharaoh to let Israel go, Pharaoh’s answer was “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2). And so, an answer must be given in this regard. A prime answer can be found in 1 Chronicles 16:23-36, which helps to show that God’s great might and power are to be talked about and sung about, and that we should worship Him on the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days in holy array. There is no end to the greatness of God. Revelation 15:4 shows that when God’s righteousness is revealed to all nations, they will give glory to God.
Christ noted many times His affinity and love for God in His obedience to God. In this way, He showed glory to God (John 17:4). And by extension, He has shown us that we too, as Christians, must be bringing glory to God. Our good actions and deeds, being founded on God and His Word, can actually influence others to acknowledge and even give glory to God. But the opposite can also be true: We can actually cause God’s name to be blasphemed and dishonored if we are not mindful of our ways (Romans 2:22-24).
We should be constantly aware that we can have a positive or a negative effect on others. Romans 11:33-36 shows that God’s all-powerful presence should be a corner stone for our faith.
We should have confidence in our ways and let people see this (Matthew 5:16). This is how we are to show God that we really glorify Him, in growing abundantly in the fruit of the Spirit. John 15:8 states that this is how we prove that we actually are Christ’s true disciples. We must do everything to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), so that we ourselves know that we are being approved (Romans 14:18; Philippians 1:9-11; 2 Timothy 2:15).
As we are preparing for the Feast of Tabernacles, let us take this thought to heart and really strive to understand just how we can glorify God during this appointed time, and how we can let our lights shine to this darkening world. It is a must if we want to make it into the Kingdom of God, which we will be picturing in the upcoming days.
Too Much Stuff
We live in a country that has been richly blessed over the last few decades. But as our riches have grown so has our attitude against obeying God as we have become a self reliant people. What does God have to say on this subject? Should He be involved in how we live? What exactly is it that we are striving for?
