The Lord is God.

Father, we acknowledge that not only are You the only true God, but that You are our God. May You be lifted up and glorified in Your people today. Shine Your light through us into the darkness of this world.

Build Up and Keep Up

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Jude 1:20-21

These verses are the "to do" in response to scoffers during the end times. I'm struck that we are not told to argue for or defend our beliefs. We are instructed to build ourselves up in our most holy faith and keep ourselves in God's love. 

I don't want to get into a theological discussion of the end times. I do think the author was writing to a problem that, at least in some sense, was already occurring. Whether you believe we are in the end times or not, you know we live in a world that openly mocks and despises Christianity and all those who believe in Christ. You can have crazy hair and believe in ancient aliens but, not in the historical Christ. That's the world be live in.

What are we to do? Build yourself up, build each other up. Pray in the Spirit. Keep yourself in God's love. Wait for his mercy to bring you to eternal life. Our faith is built upon knowing Christ. We know Christ because of what we read about him in the Bible and how we trust him in our daily lives. Christ loved us first. We love first. He served. We serve. We don't serve and love just those who might love and serve us reciprocally.  We love and serve everyone. That's were faith really comes into action and becomes real and alive. By faith we wait upon his mercy and by faith we show mercy and the love of God builds us up in our most holy faith. Be build up and keep up brothers and sisters in Christ!

Enlighten Your Eyes

Advantage, Servant

Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 3:13 NIV

When I first moved to the area I live in now I started to attend a church a friend of mine was attending. I got involved right away and started serving. I met people and began to develop some friendships with some of them. After about three or four months my friend said, "How is it that you have only been going here for a few months and you already know so many people and I hardly know anyone even though I have been coming for a few years?" 

If you want to get connected you have to get involved. It is very difficult to get to know people at your church if all you do is show up for church on Sunday and maybe a mid-week study. The larger the church the more so this holds true. Serving breaks the solitude. Being part of the church is different than just going to church. It is a matter of involvement and connection. 

The other "advantage" to serving is that your faith gets tested. If you start to serve, you will encounter trials you may not experience if you just go to church. Some of these trials can be a bit shocking if you are not prepared for it. Remember, God's plan is to strengthen you through the test and the enemy's desire is to destroy your faith by any means necessary. Maybe you will learn that God provides what you need. Perhaps you will see that God is faithful, even when you aren't as faithful as you think you should be. Or you may just learn that God chooses the weak and foolish to confound the wise. Whatever it is, the grace of serving results in great assurance for those who serve. 

Word(s) of the Day: Slow to Anger

Thank you, Lord, for being slow to anger. I am too easily angered and yet, your patience, forgiveness, mercy and grace demonstrate your unfailing love, being slow to anger. Praise be to you!