I am committed to advance God’s Kingdom for His
glory. According to my understanding of our Bible, God’s Kingdom is called
different things but the meaning remains the same. God’s Kingdom, in line with
my understanding, consists of the following:
1) A
King - who is Christ Jesus
2) A
rule – meaning a King who redeems or saves, atones for, vindicates and governs
and by governs I mean Lords over the redeemed
3) A
people – redeemed people (for example the people of Israel in the Old Testament and
the Church in the New Testament)
4) A
will – law
5) A
land – land
Rocking the Boat
Armed with my understanding of what God’s
Kingdom is, I was drawn to John the Baptizer (John the Baptist) as my model.
Note: I use the word Baptizer and not Baptist because, at the time,
there were no religious denominations but he did baptize
people. I, like he, are called to help prepare people’s hearts through
God’s word so they might then receive Christ Jesus in them. To be successful in
my calling I find, just as John the Baptizer did, that we often are required to push
boundaries. From our Bible, we read where Christ Jesus said, “A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that
you also love one another. By this, all will know that you are My disciples, if
you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, NKJV). Christ Jesus
definitely pushed boundaries!
Silence the Ego
In 2019, regardless of religious denomination,
I see religions of comfortableness. We constantly put convenience ahead of
Holiness. This all too common philosophy is simply the Satan at work in us. The
self-aggrandizing, self-centeredness is a failure to yield to Christ Jesus,
which prevents Him from having control of our lives. Interestingly, we usually
forget that the majority of our life is run by our own habits. Our mind will
always seek to find first the most comfortable path of least resistance in every
decision. Rather than think, we allow this to become a habit so we tend to, for
the most part, simply run on “autopilot” throughout the day. Our mind is driven
by the “me”, a “self” which always searches for the safest and most comfortable
paths. We tend to forget that much of what happens to us is because of this
running on “autopilot.” We must constantly silence the “me”, the ego, and
listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That is where my calling lies —
though many times pushing the boundaries.
It’s Not About Me
The prophet Isaiah warns me of the following:
“Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:21, NKJV). In addition to that warning, I keep in mind that, “We all
speak from within some pattern or another. This means that we can never be
entirely objective, either about our own beliefs or in evaluating other
peoples” (Nicholls, B., 1996). With that knowledge, I do all in my power to speak the
word of God provided to us in our Bible when I minister. I am convinced that I
must share humbly with others what my LORD has done for me all the time
remembering that my calling is not about me, it is about God, my Creator. I
know to help prepare people’s hearts to receive Christ Jesus, it can only be
done by the Word of God. Being a true Believer is not easy, but it is simple.
Will the Suffering Go Away
After years of study, I have yet to find anyone
in our Bible who, at some time, did not experience suffering. I have not found
anyone who always had a comfortable, convenient, easy time of it following God.
I never have and never will allude to the notion that by receiving Christ Jesus
into your heart your life suddenly becomes a life filled with pretty rainbows
and glittery unicorns. There is a reason we must suffer in this life, but that
is a topic for another time. Therefore, pain, suffering, physical death,
various disabilities, and disappointment are a seemingly unpleasant fact – it
is our reality none-the-less. Given this reality, we gravitate toward excessive
thinking about what might be or what we want things to be. In other words,
Satan takes advantage of our human weak spot and starts us on a path of
considering all the “what ifs.” Without the strength and
subsequent peace of Christ Jesus in one’s heart, excessive thinking will always
lead to sin. Sin, based on my experience, is usually in some form of idol
worship. Note: An idol is anything that makes God take second place. Some
people do not know they are doing wrong in the eyes of God. However, many know
it but consider themselves wiser than their Creator.
My Brief Testimony
This is where my calling comes into play. True
respect for God requires an understanding of one’s relationship to his Creator
as well as recognition of God’s supreme authority over all of humanity. Peter,
an apostle of Christ Jesus shares with us in his First Epistle, (15) “But sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who
asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (16)having a good
conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good
conduct in Christ may be ashamed. (17)For it is better, if it
is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17, NKJV).Here is a very brief
overview of my defense to everyone who asks me a reason for the hope I have in
me.
I believe the biggest reason is the biggest
motivation. That motivation is driven by the filthy, disgusting, self-serving,
and dishonorable sins of my past. When I finally hit bottom – I knew I deserved
to be there. I was prepared to die and actually saw death as my only relief
from the disgust I felt for myself. I cried out for God to please kill me or
save me. I am here today by and through the mercy and grace of God. Do I still
have uncomfortable and dark moments, days, or even seasons in my life now? Yes,
I do, and will until I have my physical death. However, I have a new and
wonderful life (existence) now! I willingly gave up the idols I cherished and
deemed so necessary. Instead of “stuff” in my life, I now have God in my heart.
I am at peace in my heart and so — my mind. God is my refuge. He wants to be
your refuge also. All you have to do is ask him to be. He requires your
invitation though.
Becoming a Disciple
Prepare your heart to receive Christ Jesus.
Pray, or simply just earnestly and honestly talk to God. When you do, and I do
this regularly, I say to God something very close to the following each time:
LORD Jesus, Son of God, please have mercy on
me…I am a sinner. I repent of all my known sins. Please bring to light my
unknown sins so I will become consciously aware of them and be able to work on
them. I no longer want to serve the flesh and sin. I invite you to search my
heart for the truth of my repentance. I pray for your forgiveness. By the power
and strength of the Holy Spirit and through your name Christ Jesus I pray
this—thank you. Amen and Amen.
Being a true Believer is not easy, but it is
simple. Repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit. Then and only then will
you be able to walk, talk, and truly learn from our LORD and our God. Then and
only then will God permit you to gain greater and greater degrees of
understanding of His word — Scripture.
Jesus Sent Them Out in Twos
I believe I had to go through all I went
through in order to get to where I am now. I praise God for not giving up on
me. I praise God for His amazing love. From my heart to you, I want to share
- one’s Spiritual maturity is a slow process so start now! Start your
journey with a friend or friends if possible. Start and share your journey with
your husband or wife if at all possible.
I am committed to advance God’s Kingdom for His
glory. My calling is to help prepare people’s hearts to receive Christ Jesus in
their hearts. It is my calling — but ultimately their decision. Amen.