What is Success?

This is a foundational question that can make a big difference in how you live your life, evaluate your life, and in how you feel about your life. What is success? Is it more money, lots of laughter, great relationships, an upward career path, accomplishing a list, or becoming a better person? These would be the answers that you would expect in the Christian or secular world, but God has something to say about the matter. READ ON - THIS COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

In Joshua chapter 1, Moses has died and God is now using Joshua to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land. God is talking to Joshua and in verse 7 He tells him, "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go." In other words, be obedient. That's Christian success. It isn't following a formula, or paying more penance, or being better. For a Christian:
 

                          obedience = success

Usually, I tend to look to the results of my labors to determine my success. For example, if I witness to someone, and he accepts Jesus as His Savior, then I am successful. In 1 Corinthians 3:7, we find these words: "So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." God says that if we are obedient to plant and water, the results are up to Him. In other words, if I know that I am to witness to a person out of obedience to God's word or His direct impression upon my spirit and I do so to the best of my ability, whether or not he accepts Jesus as his Savior, I am a success! Has God called me to teach? Then I am to teach. If only two small boys show up, I still teach as if I am teaching to a thousand. If I am to serve, then I serve as unto the Lord Jesus, Himself. If He asks me to administer grace then grace it is. The results do not clarify my success. My obedience does.

The next verses in 1 Corinthians 3 talk about the work that will be burned up and the work that will pass through the fire. It would stand to reason that the work that burns up is the work that we determine to do in and of our own strength. It is done not out of obedience, but rather out of selfish ambition or trying to gain our own salvation. The work that will pass through the fire is work done out of obedience. God calls; we answer and obey.

Pretend, for example's sake, that you wake up one morning and you decide to fry an egg. We tend to think that if we fry an egg and the yolk is whole, then we have succeeded. If we fry the egg and the yolk breaks, we have failed. (I tend to fail at this task regularly!) But if we look at obedience as our measure of success and God asks us to fry an egg and we choose to fry an egg out of obedience, we are successful whether the yolk breaks or not!

So whether you are trying to succeed as a parent, a worker, a spouse, a homeschooling mom, or a friend, if you are doing this task with all your heart because you feel that God has called you to it, then you are a success! If your spouse walks out, your child goes into rebellion, you lose your job, etc... you are not a failure. Others have free will. You are not responsible for their choices - only your own.

This perspective can bring such freedom. Walk in obedience and know success in your Father's eyes

God

Out of Revelation and now finishing up Deuteronomy.  It is an amazing book.  I just don’t see how anyone can read the Old Testament and think that God is this angry, vindictive, judgmental God.  Rather, I see a God of patience, compassion, love, and grace.  Anyway, Moses wrote and taught a song to the people of Israel right before he died and they were entering into the land.  It is found in Deut. 32.  It is wonderful!

“For I proclaim the name of the Lord;

Ascribe greatness to our God!
The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteousness and  upright is He.

Is not He your Father who has bought you?

He has made you and established you.

He found him in a desert land,

And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.

Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,

That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
The Lord alone guided him…
He made him ride on the high places of the earth…

See now that I, I am He,

And there is no god besides Me;
It is I who put to death and give life.
I have wounded and it is I who heal,
And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.

Rejoice oh nations, with His people;

For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And will render vengeance on His adversaries,
And will atone for His land and His people.”
Deuteronomy 32:3,4,6,10,11, 39,43

As a Christian you have been grafted into the spiritual nation of Israel. (Romans 11:17-24)  The God of the Old Testament is also your God.  Learn Him, know Him, accept Him, love Him. He will protect you under His wings; He will guide you; He will carry you above life’s circumstances; He will avenge you and He has and will atone for your sins.  God is our Rock – our stability, our assurance, our protection, and our hope.  He is righteous and just and faithful and upright.  He can be trusted and counted on.  He loves His children with a perfect Father’s love – giving and loving, disciplining and correcting, guiding and rewarding. 

 

Do you see Jesus in this passage?  (He bought you; He will atone for you).  God knew even then that He would send Jesus for our Salvation.  He knew that man can not get to God on his own.  God had to come down to breach the gap.  And I am so glad that he did!

What a mighty God we serve!

 

The Church of Laodicea is Trusting in It's Own Works

The Churches of Revelation:
#7 The Church of Laodicea:

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God says this:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot;
I wish that you were cold or hot. 
So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of My mouth.

Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,”

And you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich,

and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed;
and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline;

therefore be zealous and repent…

He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne,

as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Revelation 3:14-21

The church of Laodicea is believed by most scholars to be one of the modern day churches.  This is not the true church of born again believers, but rather the institution of the church that depends upon its traditions, rituals, riches, and influence.  God recognizes the deeds of this church declaring them neither hot nor cold.  In other words, deeds are being done, but from the wrong motives.  These deeds are done for self-promotion and deceit.  God clearly says that He will spit this church out of His mouth.  The false church of our time will not find themselves in heaven, but rather at the door saying, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23)  Jesus will not cast them out because their deeds were not adequate, but rather because He never knew them.  Their deeds were done in their flesh and for themselves, not for the love of their Savior and Lord.

This church is also a wealthy church in monetary riches, and influence, and power.  But they are poor in the things of the spirit: a relationship with Jesus, truth, love, joy, etc…

But Jesus is not turning them away yet!  He strongly recommends that they buy gold refined with fire (salvation through Jesus), white garments (purity and righteousness through the blood of Jesus), and eye salve (truth).  He reproving them because of His great love for them.

And for those who repent, God promises that they will sit with Jesus on His throne in heaven!

God is a forgiving, compassionate God.  He calls all to repent.  The >>> in the above verses is a verse that you all are familiar with: “ Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”  Jesus is putting forth an invitation, but He can’t save those who don’t open the door ad let Him come in.  when they do, He will stay and dine with them of eternal things.

Keep seeking the things above… (Col. 3:1)

Chruch of Philadelphia Rejoices at His Coming!

Churches of Revelation
#6 The church of Philadelphia:

“He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

I know your deeds.

Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut because you have a little power,
and have kept My Word, and have not denied My name…

Because you have kept the word of My perseverance,

I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have so that no one will take your crown.

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,

and he will not go out from it anymore;
and I will write on him the name of My God,
and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God,
and My new name.
Revelation 3:7-13

This is the modern day true church – those who trust in the blood of Jesus for their salvation and have died to self that they might live for Jesus.  There is another modern day church – the church of Laodicea.  We will discuss this church tomorrow.

I love the names that Jesus chose for Himself here.  He is holy and true. Nothing will change His character for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He has the key of David that will unlock for all true believers the promises of an eternal Jerusalem.

Jesus begins with the statement that He knows the deeds of the saints and that because of these deeds of the heart, Jesus has placed before the saints a door to heaven that no one can shut.  He is faithful and true.  His promises are everlasting!  Here upon this earth, the true church has a little power – the power to tell others and to invite them to Jesus, to use the word for the healing of the brokenhearted.  They have that power because they keep the word of God and do not deny Jesus.

This true church has persevered despite Satan’s attacks and the false church’s accusations.  They have pushed ever forward with the goal of heaven set out before them.  Because of that perseverance, Jesus is promising that the true church will not go through the tribulation.  But that rather, God will pull them out.  But He also warns them that He is coming quickly and that the true church must hold fast to the truth so that their crown will not be taken from them.  We are to persevere and seek only the goal of obedience and heaven.  We must know the truth that we may hold onto the truth.  We must hold fast that confession.

To these overcomers, God is promising them a position of permanency and responsibility in heaven or perhaps in the millennial kingdom.  It will be a position of belonging such that the true believer will never have leave the temple.  He will be a priest before God for eternity.  The promise of God to claim the saints as His heir will be fulfilled as He writes His name upon them – claiming them as His eternal bride.  All that is His will be theirs.

Oh what a glorious day!  I choose to hold fast to the truth, to know the truth, to seek out the truth, and to persevere.  I pray that this is your goal as well as we continue to live out this life here on earth until the day of Christ’s return.  And never doubt, He Is Coming!!!