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“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5+6)
The word translated “lost” in this passage can be translated “dead”. The children of Israel were seriously lost. God did not want His chosen people to be lost! Jesus sent the disciples to seek them seriously! He sent His disciples to bring them back into the Kingdom.
God loved them! He also loves us! The Bible says that God does not want anyone to perish. (2 Peter 3:9) If you or I do not get to heaven, it is not God’s fault. God wants us in heaven with Him. He calls us to come. He seriously seeks us!
People who refuse to answer God, will be seriously lost! They will not go to heaven! If we do the opposite of what God tells us to do, if we go in the opposite direction; we won’t get to where He is.
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2 Peter 1:5b-7 says that giving all diligence, we are to add to our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, to patience godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity (love). And… “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” {2Peter 1:8-10}
If we add right, we won’t be subtracted from Heaven. We’ll have multiplied blessings, and we won’t have so many divisions in the church.
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Who is Number One?
God is number one.
I know that for my wife, Ruth, God is number one in her life. I am number two.
Ruth knows that God is number one in my life. She is number two.
We want it that way.
It makes for a good marriage.
I am not number one in the universe. God is.
You are not number one in the universe. God is.
We need to remember that.
We must live that way.
It makes for a better life and a better future!
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In Philippians 4:8 we read, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
The word “think” in this passage means to take inventory. Instead of mulling over in our minds anything bad that somebody has done to us or any other bad thought, it is better for us to think over and over about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report.
At times in my life, I have caught myself thinking about difficult or bad things that have been done to me. It is okay to think about how we can solve a difficult problem, but we mustn’t allow worry to dishearten us. In Philippians 4: 6 we are told not to worry but to turn things over to God with thanksgiving. In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told to cast all our care upon God, for He cares for us.
These verses have helped me remember to turn my cares over to God and to get back on track, thinking the way I should think. I hope they will help you too.
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1) We are responsible for our own wellbeing.
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)
We have responsibility for our actions. The better we do, the better we will be.
2) We are responsible for the wellbeing of others.
“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” (1 Corinthians 10:24)
3) We are accountable to God.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Everything we do is to be done for God’s glory!