Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Are You Building God's Kingdom?

Galatians 6: 6-10

The one who is taught the Word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 

This is why we pay our pastors. And why we purchase Bible study books with money. And whatever we have, we are to share with those who are doing God's work to further His Kingdom. Like offering a guest bedroom to a visiting missionary, or to financially support our brothers and sisters who are on the mission field. 

I publish this Bible study for free to the whole world, translatable into almost every other language, so it can be read and understood, at no charge.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 

God set forth in Genesis how every plant would produce a seed that would grow into another plant just like it. And why every living animal will produce offspring just like themselves. Whatever seed we plant, we will reap that, not something else.

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, 

If you are only working to acquire enough money to pay your bills and live a decent life, then you're only going to get things that will be burned up when the Lord returns; wood, hay, and stubble (see I Corinthians 3: 12-15).

but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 

Sure, you need to pay your bills, but are you doing anything to further the Kingdom? Are you a light in the darkness of this World? What are you planting? How are you building on the Foundation with the gold, silver, and precious stones that will not burn up? 

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 

These eternally valuable things are on a different time cycle from the Earthly things we see, and we need to be patient and persistent to keep on carrying on with the things of the Lord like His Word, because the rewards will far surpass everything we can do now, even when we don't see any return yet. Don't quit before Payday! 

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. 

We have the opportunity to help one another while we live on this Earth in this World. As long as we're breathing, God has a purpose for each one of us, whether we're Christians or heathens. God uses everyone in His Plan. 

So, as God's children, we are to be doing all we can to help our society we live in, to help people wherever they are, however we can. We are to contribute to the community we find ourselves in, to raise the standards for everyone there, so we can all live better lives together. When our neighborhood becomes better, we all benefit (see Jeremiah 29: 7). 

And we are to be particularly aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters in God's family. Whether we get along with their personality or not, we are still to love them with Christ's Love for us, seeking their welfare and benefit before our own. It is this love for one another that will show the World that we belong to the God of Love, and they can, too (John 13: 34-35).

O my Father, please help us to understand how to live our lives. Show us how we can take care of our physical, Worldly needs, and also to build Your Kingdom. Teach us how to make Your Kingdom our highest priority, and trust that You will provide us all the material things as well (Luke 12: 31). 

You know that this is not easy for us, so You have provided for us Your own Spirit, to strengthen us and lead us to do those things that will bring glory to Your Name, instead of our own. You are worthy of all the credit and praise, not us, for You have already done it all. And we get to enjoy it with You when we let You do the work through us, instead of trying to do it all on our own. 

Strengthen us, Father, to really put Your things first in our priorities, and to trust You even when we don't see what is ahead of us on the path on which You have placed our feet. Keep our hand in Yours, Father, to confidently take each step each day straight on that narrow road that leads to Life (Matthew 7: 13-14). 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord God Almighty, King of all Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!