Monday 23 August 2021

Motivation is Vital

 Scripture: Romans 12 v 2 - 3: "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

In Colossians Paul writes that when we are born again we are translated out of the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light.  This is a massive transition and there is no doubt that we must rapidly offload what we submitted to in darkness and discover all that is now our inheritance in the light.

We were once conformed to this world because we were still sinners without understanding of the consequences of sin.  We were party animals having a good time.  In God's Kingdom we must renew our minds according to His will.

We have received the measure of faith.  Everyone gets the same portion of Faith which gives us the opportunity to believe that God exists and that we can seek to know Him.  Now faith is a muscle that must be exercised to grow stronger.  We must start out trusting God for small things and increase to larger things to grow our faith.

We are motivated by faith and the more we have the greater will be our belief in healing, deliverance and miracles.  Faith enabled Peter to walk on water.  It enabled Abraham to follow God to the Promised Land.  Faith enabled Noah to build an Ark hundreds of miles from the sea, in an area that never saw rain.
When we know God and hear Him, then do what He says, we will see great things happening.

Moses had faith to confront Pharoah and trust God to send the plagues upon Egypt until Pharoah was forced to release the Hebrews from 400 years of slavery.  God has a plan and it will be done as He wills, when He finds the right motivation.  Stubborn Pharoah had to lose his firstborn son before he got the right thing to do.

People who have no faith do not please God.  Without faith we cannot see nor hear Him.  Many ministries have warped their faith by heeding false doctrines and losing the light they once had.  The Holy Spirit has departed and removed their candlestick.

They opted for what they learned in the Kingdom of darkness.  Self-motivational Instruction!  SMI.  They brought in many speakers with many books and videos to self-motivate their congregations.  Self-help gurus sprang up like mushrooms and spread their fungus through many churches.

And its still here!  It started in 1980's and has flourished ever since.  It has obliterated the truth in God's word that we must crucify our flesh.  Our flesh, in Biblical terms, is our proud and sinful self, full of lust and error.  In Romans Paul battled against his flesh and had to overcome it to be able to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

So self-motivation opens up a Pandora's Box of sinful, fleshly pursuits that do not please God.  Jesus came to show us the way of selfless sacrifice and righteous moral living.  He is our example, and the One we follow on the narrow way that leads to life in the Spirit.  Matthew says few there be that find it.

Philippians 2 v 2 - 4: "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

We need pure faith, undefiled by the flesh, to seek the deep things of God.  He wants us to seek Him for more important things that will unite the invisible Body of Christ, and give it proper direction.  He wants to motivate us through truth and inspire us by the Holy Spirit, so He can reveal more of Himself to us.  That's what a personal relationship is all about.

Friends know each other.  They talk and share secrets.  They are aware of each other and protect each other.  Friends stand up for one another.  If only one of you is sharing, protecting, discovering new things then it is no longer a friendship, just an acquaintance.  We need more than an acquaintance with God to make it through this life and into eternity with Him.

Self-motivation will never bring us into fellowship with our Father, and with Jesus.  Only faith can open that door, only unbelief will close it.  We should earnestly seek to have the faith once delivered to the first apostles and followers of Jesus.  Faith to turn Water into Wine.  Faith to heal the sick and raise the dead.

Faith to speak the truth in the Word without twisting it to fit political correctness.  What is written in God's Word is truth for all time.  Thou shalt not kill.  That includes abortion.  That is the murder of an unborn but living human being.  The law says a woman has rights over her own body.  That does not include the body of her child.

God's Word speaks against homosexuality.  It is a sinful lifestyle that He calls an abomination and which caused the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Many people are being set free of that lifestyle today and enjoying a freedom and true Christian living.  Christians are being persecuted for obeying God rather than man.

On the Day of Judgment each person will give an answer to one question.  The Father will ask, Do you know My Son, Jesus Christ?  Just saying you have heard of Him will not help your case.  Unless you have a vibrant two way relationship with Jesus you are not going to make it.

Matthew 7 v 20 - 23: "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Jesus is not rejecting prophecy, deliverance or miracles, He is just rejecting those who did it in the flesh, for gain.  Jesus does not have a personal relationship with wolves in sheep's clothing, false ministers of a fleshly gospel.  They will hear those fateful words....I never knew you.

If your name is in the Lambs Book of Life, obedience to the Lord will keep it there.  Jesus told John in His letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 -

Revelation 3 v 3 - 5: "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."

If we fail to overcome the flesh we will not be clothed in white and our names will be blotted out of the Book of Life.  Jesus will come upon us without warning and remove our anointing.  So let us be motivated by our love for our Father and our love for Jesus to do our very best to follow His plan.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we are committed to Your will for the whole world to be saved from the terrible consequences of not knowing You.  You have done everything to bring us to Yourself and we are most grateful.  Lord we know we must reach out to those who don't know You and pray that our light from Heaven will shine into their darkness and draw them to Your Kingdom.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.