Meditate on These Things
We need to be reminded of the things that God has taught us over the years. Often God reveals his will for our lives in retrospect. God has called men of God to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified and to let the chips fall where they may. Our job is to plant and water and then allow God to give the increase. God’s minister must spend time in his presence, listening to the voice of God. Jesus said in John 15:5, If you abide in me and I in you you shall bear much fruit. A pastor’s job is to come out of his prayer room encountering Christ, and then tell the congregation what he saw.
Discipleship is often shaped according to the culture to which God calls his men of God. Regardless of the form of church government, if Christ is leading, then God will allow the fruit to grow and flourish. God has called men to be men of faith and not men of fear. The first command of Christian living is “fear not.” What are we afraid of? We must acknowledge that we cannot live the Christian life on our own. I must decrease that he may increase… less of me and more of thee. As Mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing. God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. I can’t keep all the rules. I must allow him to keep the rules in me and through me. Jesus said, behold I stand at the door and knock. According to Psalm 1, Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
We need to incline our ear to the Lord… our prayer is to keep our ear close to the mouth of God. Therefore, meditate on these things (the Word of God,) commit thyself holy and wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all.
No one can overcome sin by confronting it head on. Concentrating on the darkness only makes it darker. The remedy to sin is the savior from sin. We must call to God… only he can defeat sin and the spiritual powers of darkness. The encounter is not against powers but rather the encounter is against Truth. Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be loosing, were not the right man on our side the man of God’s own choosing. Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he, and he must win the battle.
The battle is not against political correctness, rather the battle is against good and evil. Only the word of God defines that which is good. The devil and his minions will bombard you with lies and deception. The only way to overcome the lies is with the truth of the Word of God. Christians who are casual about absorbing the things of the world will become casualties of the spiritual warfare. God has called us to deliberately, intentionally and purposefully take hold of the reins of our own minds. Therefore, meditate on the things of the Word of God… According to Phil. 4:8, “Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Galatians 5 says, “Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts (over desires) of the flesh, for the the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so that you cannot do the things that ye would.” There is always a choice to walk according to the flesh or according to the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Therefore, choose life.
What do you do after sinning and missing the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? The key is repentance… to turn back from sin and toward Christ. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me. Our prayer is, “Lord I want to be the man that you created me to be… God please make me that man.” This is a prayer that God is longing to fulfill in the men whom he has called.
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon me and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” In God’s power, there is no heavy burden. Burdens and obstacles, are proportionate to the power used to overcome them. Every problem, trial, or tribulation is minuscule compared to God’s disproportionately omnipotent power. To come boldly before the throne of grace is to humble ourselves and allow our Lord Jesus Christ to wash our feet… for even though our heart condemns us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit…
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael