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June 3, 2013
June 3, 2013
"Committing to God"
Scripture Reading:
Proverbs
16:2-3 (HCSBO) All a man's ways seem right in his own eyes, but the
LORD weighs the motives. Commit your activities to the LORD and your
plans will be achieved.
Devotion & Meditation:
We may call it a pledge, but it is just as easy to call it a commitment. As we are in the middle of our capital funds campaign, we need to commit ourselves to the faithfulness of the Lord. Do you have faith like David, " Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart's desires. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday". Think of all the frivolous and worldly things we commit to everyday, but then when challenged by God, we shy away. We cannot honor a commitment to be faithful, to give out of a joyful spirit and then we wonder why we are struggling and suffering when it comes to the Lord. The world will commit to you and promise you and for a season it will even deliver, but know this, "the world does not deliver eternity for it cannot". Maybe you could be as resilient as Job, "However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and would commit my case to Him. He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number". Imagine if you could commit to the Lord as Job...what would God be able to do through you? look at the disciples as the church began, they sold all they had, put it together in one "pot" and went out to do the work of ministry. The American church is at an all time low when it comes to being a cheerful giver. According to Christianity Today, “Americans who earn less than $10,000 gave 2.3 percent of their income”; whereas those who earn $70,000 or more gave only 1.2 percent. Households of committed Christians making less than $12,500 per year give away roughly 7 percent of their income, a figure no other income bracket beats until incomes rise above $90,000 (they give away 8.8 percent)". If only we could commit to the Lord as we do the world, what an impact the Body of Christ could make. We would not have to organize and run a 13 week capital funds campaign. We would not have to keep it fresh in everyone's mind. We would not have to speak about our commitment again and again. Is God not worth a commitment? What is your life worth? As the Lord builds He leads and the leaders He is leading, He has ordained and appointed over you to act in His behalf. "When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed". The writer of Hebrews has this to say, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you". The problem is we have issues pledging and submitting to the Lord, there is no way we can commit to earthly leadership. As I said today, "it is great that you are raising a good moral healthy family, but who cares...? Unless the Lord builds you LABOR in VAIN. Is Jesus the foundation? Is He the Foundation of your life? Is He the foundation of your commitment? Be honest is He first and foremost in everything? Do you forsake everything else for the cause of Christ? If not, you are raising a nice good family, but like Joshua, "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord". I choose to raise a Godly family. Think of the things we commit to: (spouse, family, children, mortgage, loan, credit card, civic groups, work, vacation, entertainment) is it too much to ask to commit to the Lord? Build a life, a church, a building on His foundation for His ministry. Friend I am asking not to be all in to a religious illusion, but be all in to Jesus Christ!
We may call it a pledge, but it is just as easy to call it a commitment. As we are in the middle of our capital funds campaign, we need to commit ourselves to the faithfulness of the Lord. Do you have faith like David, " Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart's desires. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday". Think of all the frivolous and worldly things we commit to everyday, but then when challenged by God, we shy away. We cannot honor a commitment to be faithful, to give out of a joyful spirit and then we wonder why we are struggling and suffering when it comes to the Lord. The world will commit to you and promise you and for a season it will even deliver, but know this, "the world does not deliver eternity for it cannot". Maybe you could be as resilient as Job, "However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and would commit my case to Him. He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number". Imagine if you could commit to the Lord as Job...what would God be able to do through you? look at the disciples as the church began, they sold all they had, put it together in one "pot" and went out to do the work of ministry. The American church is at an all time low when it comes to being a cheerful giver. According to Christianity Today, “Americans who earn less than $10,000 gave 2.3 percent of their income”; whereas those who earn $70,000 or more gave only 1.2 percent. Households of committed Christians making less than $12,500 per year give away roughly 7 percent of their income, a figure no other income bracket beats until incomes rise above $90,000 (they give away 8.8 percent)". If only we could commit to the Lord as we do the world, what an impact the Body of Christ could make. We would not have to organize and run a 13 week capital funds campaign. We would not have to keep it fresh in everyone's mind. We would not have to speak about our commitment again and again. Is God not worth a commitment? What is your life worth? As the Lord builds He leads and the leaders He is leading, He has ordained and appointed over you to act in His behalf. "When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed". The writer of Hebrews has this to say, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you". The problem is we have issues pledging and submitting to the Lord, there is no way we can commit to earthly leadership. As I said today, "it is great that you are raising a good moral healthy family, but who cares...? Unless the Lord builds you LABOR in VAIN. Is Jesus the foundation? Is He the Foundation of your life? Is He the foundation of your commitment? Be honest is He first and foremost in everything? Do you forsake everything else for the cause of Christ? If not, you are raising a nice good family, but like Joshua, "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord". I choose to raise a Godly family. Think of the things we commit to: (spouse, family, children, mortgage, loan, credit card, civic groups, work, vacation, entertainment) is it too much to ask to commit to the Lord? Build a life, a church, a building on His foundation for His ministry. Friend I am asking not to be all in to a religious illusion, but be all in to Jesus Christ!
Keep the Son in your eyes and remember, "Win or lose; I want to make sure that I make God's name great."
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20
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