Talk Tuesday-Service In The Kingdom of GOD

Each time I cross paths with fellow believers, I am amazed! Many of them serve quietly, unobtrusively yet so powerfully. There are no accolades, no fanfare, no recognition, no awards, yet they soldier on in contended peace and joy. I met another one of them just recently. This Christian was a professional, who used their free time to do missionary work throughout the year. When I met up with them, I casually asked how their missions trips were going. When they told me where they had gone, my jaw dropped and no sound came out of my mouth. I just stared at them with incredulity. I had no words to convey my shock and awe. They simply looked at me, and said, “I know...I know...but if I don't go, who will go?”

The Cost of Following Jesus 
“57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' 58 Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.' 59 He said to another man, 'Follow me.' But he replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' 60 Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' 61 Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.' 62 Jesus replied, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God,'” Luke 9:57-62.

That day, I received a lesson about service in the kingdom of God. I felt humbled, overwhelmed and inspired. Our time here on earth is short. We need to ask ourselves, 'What are we doing for the kingdom of God?' It is not too late and what you have to give is never too little. Put your hand to the plow, and look ahead! Jesus says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him,” Luke 12:35-36. “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him,” Luke 12:40.

Talk Tuesday-Remember Your First Love (Series): Pt. III

This is the final instalment of our series, 'Remember Your First Love.' It all started back with Revelation 2:1-7, the church of Ephesus. The Holy Spirit gently chided me on the condition of my passion for GOD with the words, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent,” Revelation 2:4-5. During the second week, we examined the passion of a first love-what it was like to fall in love. We also looked at some of the things that diminish the flames of passion and concluded with Scripture that called the church the 'Bride' of Christ. Now, let us ask ourselves, 'What do we need to be ready for His return?'

In His discourse on 'The Good Samaritan', Jesus was questioned. “25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he said, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 26 He said to him, 'What is written in the law? What do you read there?' 27 He answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.' 28 And he said to him, 'You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live,'” Luke 10:25-28.

Do you notice the order of love? We are to love GOD first, and with the entirety of our being. Only then, secondly, are we to love our neighbours as ourselves. Perhaps it is only in truly loving GOD that we can truly love others. I will conclude with the scripture that started this whole series. The end of Revelation 2:1-7 states, “7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.” It is time for the church to AWAKEN to the call of the One who died for us that we might live in the Passion of Our First Love!

We hope you enjoyed this series. Please take a moment to comment on how we can fan the flames of our first love. Let us encourage one another, share our ideas and spur each other on to good works in Christ. Please go to www.biblegrouponline.com, click on the comments link and add your ideas. If you are on Facebook, please go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/BibleGroupOnline and comment there. Blessings!