Being Useful to God, Who's Running the Show?

Being Useful to God, Who's Running the Show?

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Jesus, You were despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. In the world I will have tribulation; but I can be of good cheer, for You have overcome the world. Such a High Priest was fitting for me, Jesus who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners . . . so that I may become blameless and harmless, a child of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Jesus of Nazareth, You went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with You. Therefore, as I have opportunity, may I do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Jesus, You were the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. As one of God’s children, I am the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. May I let my light so shine before men, that they may see my good works and glorify my Father in heaven. 

Lord Jesus, show me the good works You would have me do and use me to be Your light. 

JOHN 17:16; ISAIAH 53:3; JOHN 16:33; HEBREWS 7:26; PHILIPPIANS 2:15; ACTS 10:38; GALATIANS 6:10; JOHN 1:9; MATTHEW 5:14, 16

We live in a world that exalts selfishness. It's everywhere, it's hypnotizing in advertising, in the music created. Satan's pushing selfishness like nobody's business. 

The love of self is an idol most worshiped today.  We are influenced at an extremely young age to be selfish. Yet in the Bible, we are taught not to be. 

Our culture is really no different now than it was in the days of Noah. There's extremely little integrity. There's virtually no moral standards. People mutilate the body that God gave them in ways unheard of decades ago. Insisting that they are something different than what God intended. 

The Church is by no means isolated from this.  Warnings in the Scriptures written over 2,000 years ago still apply today. Savage wolves would come into the Church to teach things that shouldn't be taught. Wolves in sheep's clothing are warned about. 

You are encouraged in all kinds of ways to celebrate vanity. To spend money you don't have on things you don't need to impress people you don't even know. 

Billions are spent on selfishness everywhere. It's all about your happiness. 

Lost in this is obedience to Christ Jesus.  Supposed Christian people are sucked into various degrees of selfishness. Both between them and others and them and God. 

We develop hobbies to entertain our imagination. Some are good and have merit. Still others feed the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. 

It's been a hard thing to learn.  Letting go of things.  I have not arrived.   As in all Spiritual things, I am a work in progress. Am still clay in the Potter's hands.

You can gage your degree of selfishness and self worship by your view in the mirror. You can gage it by the things you own and your bank account. You can gage it by what you occupy your mind with. 

As the saying goes an idle mind is the Devil's playground. 

Scripture teaches us to set our minds on things above, not on things down here.

To do what we do as unto the Lord. Heartily even. 

To prefer one another above ourselves. 

An overwhelming majority of professing Christians only look towards Jesus on those days they show up for Church or catastrophe has hit them so hard they are on their knees. 

If this weren't the truth this world wouldn't be in the state it is in. The seductive work of Satan in promoting selfishness has them living for self until God urges their return to Himself. The Church, the true Church, would be much greater than it is in the face of adversity. 

Properly translated Jesus said the power of the Spirit through the Church would be so great that the gates of Hell would not be able to withstand the onslaught.  

Does that sound the the bulk of the Churches today? Absolutely not. 

Read in Revelation the letters to the Churches. Read of the things Jesus, the Head of the Church, has to say. We are not to go to Church to be entertained. Not to bring the ideas of the world into it. We are to be worshipping God, and bring the teachings of the Bible to a lost world. 

Ultimately each person will give an account of their own life before Jesus. 

On the part of the unbeliever accusations will fly as to why they believe they aren't guilty. 

Many unbelievers will point fingers and accuse believers of never having said anything to them about Christ. Which may or may not be true, but as the Bible has said to each a measure of faith had been given. That the fool has said in his heart that there is no God. In the day of Judgment there will be no worthy excuses for denying Jesus. 

In your today, how much of it will be spent in obedience to Christ?

In your today, just what will you be doing for your Savior?

Or is it me, me, me in your world?

This line from the prayer listed above is powerful:

Lord Jesus, show me the good works You would have me do and use me to be Your light.

The more you empty yourself of you the more room Jesus has to work with in making you more like Him. In your physical world and your Spiritual world. 

The rage and anger pointed at the Christian world is because it condems a selfishness present in today's world. The people in the darkness love it more than the light. The light exposes the evil they love so much.

Yet we aren't to shirk our responsibility as Christ-followers. Praying for the lost. Prayers for our leaders. Prayers for those who have wronged us.  Prayers for salvation for family, friends and acquaintances. Prayers for understanding of God's Word.  Prayers for the men God has chosen to be Pastor's and the road that God has them on. Prayers for the Church that it would return to what Jesus intended.  Putting one another above ourselves. 

Satan lives to keep people from Salvation. To take those who are saved and hinder their growth as Christians and do what he can to make them ineffective.  He wants the worship that belongs to Jesus Christ. 

Look at your today again and really look at who's running the show.