Live Worthy

Eph. 4:1 ¶ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. - NIV

God has called you for a specific purpose. When you chose to serve God are you not in the position to fulfill that specific purpose he has prepared for you? You were not made without a purpose. You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) with a specific purpose. Walk worthy and suitable in the calling you have received. Show your humility in your home, work and social life. Let God be the focus of your life and purpose. It will reflect in your prayer life how you honor God and submit yourself to his will.

It is possible through the Holy Sprit, which God has given to us through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit teaches you. Now you need to submit to him and not to your sinful desires. Say yes to God and no to sin. This is living worthy of the calling you received. This is a daily action and daily submission.

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Servants of Christ

 

Phil. 1:1 ¶ Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, ¶ To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

 

Serving Jesus is an honor. Do you see service to the Lord as an honor? Serving Him involves surrender of rights and your will and full devotion to His will. Serving Jesus is willing to do His good and pleasing will.

 

Humbly place yourself under Jesus and let Him be your guide and see how serving Jesus will bring you peace and joy to be a servant of Christ. Serving Christ just as Christ served God is a service that involves humility but will ultimately end in exultation. When you let God's will be done in your life you can see more of His good will and grace in your life. Serve him and be called His servant and see the Lord exulted on the throne.

Mercy, Mercy Me

Psa. 51:1 ¶ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions (NIV).

 

When was the last time you cried out for mercy? Why where you in need of mercy? When was the last time you showed mercy? How did you answer these questions and how would you like to answer these quetstions? Your answer deals with how you see mercy. Mercy is the act of compassion toward someone or something you have the power to punish or harm. The punishment comes because of someone breaking a law or some offence. Breaking of God's law will bring punishment. You may not see the punishment effects right away but the punishment will be noticed. Will you aks for mercy knowing the wages of sin is death as shown in Romans 6:23a.

         David realized the punishment he received for his sin's involving Bathsheba and he cries for mercy. David goes to the God of mercy asking for God to give him mercy. David sees that mercy lines up with God's loving character.With this plea of mercy David asks for a clean slate by asking God to, «Blot out my sins.» To blot the sins is to remove them from the record. Let me move forward debt free. This debt of sin David realized he couldn't repay just as no man can except Jesus.

         What do you need to cry out for mercy for? How can God's unfailing love surround you and lift you up and change you under his grace. Take the time to confess your sins to God and surrender to Jesus and turn away from your sins. Let Jesus purify you as you daily walk under God's mercy he showed you through Jesus Christ, God's son.

 

By: Samuel Duren

First Seek His Kingdom

 

Matt. 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt. 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

-NIV-

        

Worries can weigh you down and leave you empty and depressed. Worrying about your bank account, what the weather is going to be tomorrow or will the store have what you are looking for? These things are okay to be concerned about, but they should not be the thoughts that consume or day. We should be thinking of how to serve the King, God our Lord.

         Today alone is enough to deal with why try to deal with two days at the same time? Tomorrow is going to come with will come with its own worries. So today focus on how you can live to honor God. Choose wisely the words you speak and where you go. Seek to be like Jesus as one would be living in his kingdom. Jesus is righteous and his kingdom is righteous, therefore you should seek righteousness. Let God take care of tomorrow for he does a better job than you ever can. Today is the day you have and give it back to the Lord with praise and living a life of thanks.

         Let you thoughts focus on Christ and see how the day's decisions are Christ centered. You will see the bigger picture and that Christ is Lord and your life should be focusing on giving him glory. How are you living today will determine how you will face tomorrow.

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Learning from an ANT

Proverbs 6:6-11 (New Living Translation)

⁶      Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.

      Learn from their ways and become wise!

⁷      Though they have no prince

      or governor or ruler to make them work,

⁸      they labor hard all summer,

      gathering food for the winter.

⁹      But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?

      When will you wake up?

¹⁰      A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,

      a little folding of the hands to rest—

¹¹      then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;

      scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

 

         The ant is diligent at work with no lord or master ruling them but the ant works hard during the summer and has food for the winter. The ant works when others desire to play and are able to rest when times become hard because of the work it has done before the times became hard.

 

Lazy people or consistent procrastinators will think a little sleep will not hurt. I can rest and fold my hands and be idle now there is plenty of time to do this work later. Yet the problem is if you do not have the time now when will you have the time to make it up? You cannot make up time. Once time is gone it is gone. Only when you have done the work that is needed should you rest from your labors. If you do not do the work you will see poverty and scarcity come on you for your lack of diligence.

         God calls us to be responsible with the time He has given us and working for His kingdom while we have time. We do not know the day or the hour Jesus will return. Jesus is coming back so we need to work now and surrender your life to Jesus. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1Cor. 15:58 ¶ NIV)."

 

Samuel Duren

rev.duren@zionbcpeoria.com

"Building a Better Community"

Zion Baptist Church

323 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr

Peoria, Il 61605

wk: (309) 676 4828

fax: (309) 676-8195

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Keep Your Life Free...

Money is not the Problem the Love of Money Is.

Heb. 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (NIV)."

 

         The love of money will have you so concerned with keeping up with the Jones you forget who you are. You become a rat running the rat race. The problem is if you win you still are a rat. The pressures of wanting more chokes you and puts you under pressure. You try to keep up with a world that is doomed.  You want what is going to be destroyed.

         The God's Word shows how seeking wealth is deceitful. Wanting more of what you already have and still never satisfied. Wanting less of what you need and wondering why you are empty. Lusting after the riches of the world will leave you empty. Having more money will not make you a better person or a bigger giver or give you satisfaction. Gods' word will bring you satisfaction and contentment. You can rest on his word God said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

         Make room for God's promise to enter your heart. Make room for God's Word to pierce your heart with love and peace. Grow in God's love with confidence that He will provide your every need. Keep your life free from the love of money and love to obey and seek God's word and following Jesus Christ God's Son. Be satisfied that God will do just what He said and He demonstrated this in giving His only Son, Jesus, Our Lord and Savior.

 

 

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Come To Me…

Matthew 11:28 ""Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (NIV)."

 

 

            God sees how we are not perfect and we struggle in everyday life. You and I could never satisfy God. God knows this and provides Jesus to give us rest. Life dependent on Jesus is life full of rest. Stress and disappointments in life can weight you down. You can be your worst critic and make your life feel incomplete. God's desire you to be complete in him. Whatever is stopping you from your rest needs to be fixed. You can fix it by coming to Jesus Christ. Come asking Jesus to show you His will. Jesus will show you his will for you until your find rest. Just seek Jesus with all you have.

            Be aware of the influence of your friends or issues in your life need that will stop you from finding rest. Do not allow these things to be in your life without first facing them. They will slow you down and stop your spiritual growth. Simply just come to Jesus. The world seeks to test you and your dependence on Jesus and Jesus simply says, "Come to me…." Surrender yourself and just come and find rest.