October 10, 2014
{Jesus
to Paul} “to open their eyes so that
they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who
have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” – Acts 26:18
Salvation is by no means the end of the journey. No, for that event of accepting Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord is just the beginning.
The journey consists of the daily effort to help and serve those around
you to come to an understanding that God, through Jesus Christ, is the answer
for them as well.
Everyone is seeking something more. Each day, we wake up and believe that today will be different than yesterday. We judge our accomplishments in 18 hour windows, from the moment you wake up to the moment you lay your head down at night. This is global, every country, every state, every village and every home; the routine is the same. The problem that everyone of us is facing though is that when we lay our head down, there is still a feeling that more could have been done.
Saul (later converted to Paul) was approached by Jesus Christ directly. A light so bright it blinded him temporarily. He heard the Lord say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 26:14) So, I ask, is that truly what it will take for some to come to Jesus? A personal visit to convince them that He is real. Jesus went on to give Paul his direction and purpose for the rest of his life on earth (Acts 26:17-18 above).
We are no different than Paul, having accepted, by faith, that Jesus Christ is Lord. We are purposed to learn from Jesus, through His Word, and open the eyes of those around us. There is no limiter on this, no filter on who we should help. Therefore we should look for opportunities to help them all – family, friends, co-workers, students, neighbors, strangers, foreigners and enemies.
It’s not a suggestion, it’s a directive from Jesus Christ himself. Why then is it so difficult for most of us to take the initiative? I propose it is pride. Fear of confrontation, political correctness or embarrassment; which all comes down to maintaining a perceived image in someone else’s eyes, therefore pride. Most of us who have accepted Jesus Christ are content with salvation and be done with pursuing Him. It’s almost like a checkbox in our life plan, once completed we can then move on to something else. I fear that is not salvation at all, but rather a convenient escape clause for death. We should not be okay with the fact that our spouse, our children, our parents, our siblings, our neighbors, our friends and colleagues, our classmates and even the strangers we meet are destined for Hell. Whether you like it or not, you have a responsibility to help open their eyes to the truth each and every day.
When your head hits the pillow at night, forget what you did for the company, for your social network, for your family and for your friends and simply ask yourself one thing – “Did I do everything I could for God today?”
Everyone is seeking something more. Each day, we wake up and believe that today will be different than yesterday. We judge our accomplishments in 18 hour windows, from the moment you wake up to the moment you lay your head down at night. This is global, every country, every state, every village and every home; the routine is the same. The problem that everyone of us is facing though is that when we lay our head down, there is still a feeling that more could have been done.
Saul (later converted to Paul) was approached by Jesus Christ directly. A light so bright it blinded him temporarily. He heard the Lord say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 26:14) So, I ask, is that truly what it will take for some to come to Jesus? A personal visit to convince them that He is real. Jesus went on to give Paul his direction and purpose for the rest of his life on earth (Acts 26:17-18 above).
We are no different than Paul, having accepted, by faith, that Jesus Christ is Lord. We are purposed to learn from Jesus, through His Word, and open the eyes of those around us. There is no limiter on this, no filter on who we should help. Therefore we should look for opportunities to help them all – family, friends, co-workers, students, neighbors, strangers, foreigners and enemies.
It’s not a suggestion, it’s a directive from Jesus Christ himself. Why then is it so difficult for most of us to take the initiative? I propose it is pride. Fear of confrontation, political correctness or embarrassment; which all comes down to maintaining a perceived image in someone else’s eyes, therefore pride. Most of us who have accepted Jesus Christ are content with salvation and be done with pursuing Him. It’s almost like a checkbox in our life plan, once completed we can then move on to something else. I fear that is not salvation at all, but rather a convenient escape clause for death. We should not be okay with the fact that our spouse, our children, our parents, our siblings, our neighbors, our friends and colleagues, our classmates and even the strangers we meet are destined for Hell. Whether you like it or not, you have a responsibility to help open their eyes to the truth each and every day.
When your head hits the pillow at night, forget what you did for the company, for your social network, for your family and for your friends and simply ask yourself one thing – “Did I do everything I could for God today?”
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