WILL YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE as one of regret and say, “I did not do all the Lord put in my hands to do!”??
In the 20 years that Samson judged Israel, he never succeeded in delivering the people from the Philistines. His record consisted only of sporadic exploits against them. What might God have accomplished through Samson if he had been faithful to his calling and genuinely dedicated to God’s purpose for his life? He was the judge with the greatest power and anointing to deliver God’s people; what if he wholly followed the Lord? What would the generations after him look like? How would his obedience have affected Israel? I can tell you. They would have been delivered from one of their greatest adversaries. Most people don’t think about how their decisions affect the body of Christ, but only about how things affect them.
“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” II Timothy 2:5-7
What if Samson considered well his gifting? I love Paul’s words, “Consider what I say.” You better think about it seriously and search your heart with examining eyes. The teaching of Paul in this triple picture is—not every soldier wins his commander’s applause, but only the veteran who devotes himself heart and soul to his profession of soldiering; not every athlete wins the crown or prize, but only he who trains with vigorous and serious care; not every tiller of the ground gathers the earth’s fruits, but only the patient toiler. So must it be in our Christian walk. It is not enough to say we are Christians, we must really live the life and obey the Lord in all we do. Half-hearted obedience is half-hearted devotion to the One whom you say you love.
Did you know you can change the trajectory of your life and future generations by wholly submitting to the Lord? What could be accomplished IF you obeyed all that He asked of you? You can change your family tree and bless the generations of Christians to come after you. I’m going to be straight- your gifts are not for you. They are for the edification of the Body of Christ. Those gifts are to bless His kingdom, not yours.
Do not lie to yourself as Samson did. It’s recorded that the Spirit of the Lord departed from him and he didn’t even know it. Are you doing all He asks? Have you given yourself wholly to your calling or will you look back with regret one day? Make a decision and give yourself over to it. Stop being a double-minded man, unstable in all your ways so that in that day you can say, “I have finished my race with joy” by doing all that He put in your hands to do.
WILL YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE as one of regret and say, “I did not do all the Lord put in my hands to do!”??
In the 20 years that Samson judged Israel, he never succeeded in delivering the people from the Philistines. His record consisted only of sporadic exploits against them. What might God have accomplished through Samson if he had been faithful to his calling and genuinely dedicated to God’s purpose for his life?
He was the judge with the greatest power and anointing to deliver God’s people; what if he wholly followed the Lord? What would the generations after him look like? How would his obedience have affected Israel? I can tell you. They would have been delivered from one of their greatest adversaries. Most people don’t think about how their decisions affect the body of Christ, but only about how things affect them.
“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” II Timothy 2:5-7
What if Samson considered well his gifting? I love Paul’s words, “Consider what I say.” You better think about it seriously and search your heart with examining eyes. The teaching of Paul in this triple picture is—not every soldier wins his commander’s applause, but only the veteran who devotes himself heart and soul to his profession of soldiering; not every athlete wins the crown or prize, but only he who trains with vigorous and serious care; not every tiller of the ground gathers the earth’s fruits, but only the patient toiler. So must it be in our Christian walk. It is not enough to say we are Christians, we must really live the life and obey the Lord in all we do. Half-hearted obedience is half-hearted devotion to the One whom you say you love.
Did you know you can change the trajectory of your life and future generations by wholly submitting to the Lord? What could be accomplished IF you obeyed all that He asked of you? You can change your family tree and bless the generations of Christians to come after you. I’m going to be straight- your gifts are not for you.
They are for the edification of the Body of Christ. Those gifts are to bless His kingdom, not yours. Do not lie to yourself as Samson did. It’s recorded that the Spirit of the Lord departed from him and he didn’t even know it. Are you doing all He asks? Have you given yourself wholly to your calling or will you look back with regret one day? Make a decision and give yourself over to it. Stop being a double-minded man, unstable in all your ways so that in that day you can say, “I have finished my race with joy” by doing all that He put in your hands to do.
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page