“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant…”

— Matthew 25:21, kjv

We only have one life. We have to make it count. But count for what? What is the purpose of life?

We are deluged with positive thinking types of messages these days. Some of them are outwardly Christian. However, if you dig a little deeper, often you find essentially a humanistic message with a Christian veneer.

The key question is this: In whom is our trust? Ourselves or God? Positive thinking beats negative thinking. But best of all, is sanctified positive thinking.

Americans are consumed with success. However, what is the ultimate success? Is it not making it to heaven? To be successful in this world only and then be cast into eternal hell is ultimate failure. True success means not only going to heaven, but helping others to get there also by spreading the Gospel.

The world tells us repeatedly to trust in ourselves, to have self-confidence. Our goal instead should be to have Christ-confidence. Are we putting all our emphasis on this life only or the next? It’s an important question.

On the one hand, some worldly success can actually be counter to God’s purposes. On the other hand, it is a sin to bury our talents. God has given them to us that we may glorify Him in all we do.

To achieve real success in life, we should strive to serve the Lord so diligently that one day He will look us in the face and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Lord Jesus, please help me to do the right things for You as a thank You for the salvation You have earned by Your blood. If there is anything in my life that would keep You from saying “Well done” at the end of my life, please prune it away…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN SO LIVE
AS TO BE COMMENDED BY CHRIST.

“In the days of these kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

— Daniel 2:44

Shelley, in one of his sonnets, tells of meeting a traveler from Egypt who, in a trek across the desert wasteland, came upon the remains of a marble statue. All that remained on the pedestal were two feet and the lower part of two gigantic legs. Lying in the sand was the cracked remnant of what had been the head.

When the traveler rubbed the sand away from the pedestal, he found this inscription: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!” He turned and looked and as far as the eye could see, there was naught but the sifting sand. Whatever kingdom and glory he once realized had all disappeared.

Daniel was shown things about some of earth’s kingdoms, including ancient Babylon, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Macedonian Empire, and Rome as well. The rulers of these kingdoms boasted great things, but soon they passed away and they became nothing more than a chapter in a history book.

What is the Babylonian empire today? What is the Medo-Persian empire today? What is the Macedonian empire today to anyone? Simply historical points of interest on the continuum of time.

However, in the days of the Roman emperors, the God of heaven established a new kingdom, that of our Lord Jesus, which will never be destroyed. It continues to fill the whole earth to this day.

Jesus, King of kings, give us strength and insight and clear thinking today so that we might see You as You really are—the King of all kings, the Ruler of the nations. Open our eyes that we might see You on Your throne…

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools.”

— Romans 1:22

We know that many a young man or woman has lost his or her faith because they have come to believe that evolution is a proven fact. This is tragic— especially when you consider the scientific evidence itself. Micro-evolution (small changes within kind) is proven. But macro-evolution (all creatures can be traced back to one common ancestor) is fraught with assumptions and contradicts the evidence we have, such as the fossil record.

One time a scientist from France made a remark about the idea of common ancestry through biology, remarking: “Evolution is a fairy tale for adults.” And that is precisely what it is.

The number of fables and stories and fictional novels that have been spun out of evolution must be counted in the tens of thousands. It is a fairy tale for adults. In fact one noted evolutionist recently wrote this, “We may weave stories, we may create scenarios, it all depends on…” On what? How do you think he finished that sentence? On the scientific facts? On the indisputable evidence? No. He said, “It all depends on the extent of our imagination and the credulity of your audience.” You can make up any kind of story you want, and they are forever weaving stories on the least thread of evidence at all—their fairy tales for adults.

In the text above, Paul summarizes the state of those who have rejected God who has made Himself manifest in His creation—professing to be wise, they became fools.

God of wisdom and might, teach us Your wisdom that we may not become fools. Keep our minds clear and focused that we may not believe false and incorrect teachings…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, HIS
TRUTH WILL SHINE FORTH.

“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.”

— Ezekiel 36:26

For those who truly believe in Jesus, God promises a heart transplant. This is what being born again is all about—the old has passed away and in Christ all things are made new.

When we come to understand the glorious Gospel of His grace—that totally undeserved, unmerited, unworked for grace—that Christ came and did it all: He paid the penalty for our sins upon the Cross; He endured the punishment of Hell; He purchased for us a mansion in paradise; and He offers all of it to us freely if we will but place our trust in Him and receive him into our hearts as Lord and Savior. Only then, in that day you will find a new you looking at you in the mirror and you will have reached the starting gate.

Some people seem to think that this is the final goal. No, it is just the beginning. I’m sure that many a twenty-two year old or so, after having worked arduously for four years in college and more years before that, finally is handed a diploma and told, “This is the commencement.” They would like to think that this is the end and that now they can retire and rest. So too, the Christian life begins with a new birth. Growth is absolutely essential in any kind of life—how much more so the Christian life. Reading the Bible, praying, fellowship with other believers, corporate worship, and sharing the Gospel are some of the means of that growth.

Father, thank You for taking my heart of stone and giving me a heart of flesh. Thank You for the gift of regeneration and of justification. Now I ask that You may help me in the process of sanctification, of growing in You. Don’t let anything hold me back…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN DAILY
ACCESS THE MEANS OF GROWTH.

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

— John 3:3

The spiritual life is in some ways analogous to the physical. In our physical lives we are born, we grow, and we die. In the spiritual world it is also necessary for us to be born and to grow, but we never die. Jesus said, “…whoever believes in Me has eternal life” (John 6:47).

The Christian life begins with a new birth. Jesus declared it as the great imperative. He said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). I think of an evangelist who came to a town and preached on that very text, and he said, “You must be born again.” The next night the crowd regathered and he preached “You must be born again.” And the third day again, “You must be born again.”

Finally, one of the elders said to him, “Sir, why do you keep preaching on the text “you must be born again”?

He replied, “Because you must be born again.”

Have you? Have you experienced that life-transforming change that only God by His Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ can bring about? As the Bible says, “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is what is meant by the “new birth.” That is the new beginning of the Christian life.

Dear Lord, it is such a privilege to be born again, to know that although I have messed up, I can be forgiven and can start afresh. Thank You that the old is gone and the new has come…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?”

— Luke 6:46

How sad it is that there are many professing Christians who think of God as some sort of a genie in a bottle who is there to help them fulfill their plans. They call upon God when they want to, when they need help to do what they want to do.

Thus, Christ is their servant and they are the masters. The Scripture makes it plain that we are the bondservants of Christ. He is our Master and, therefore, we need to be available to Him. The greatest ability the Christian needs is availability. Are you available to God? Are you available to Him today and each day to use you?

Offer yourself each morning to God, to Jesus Christ as Master and Lord of your life, and you will be amazed at what will happen and the opportunities for service you will have that will make the end of your day a glorious thing. As you lie down at night, you will know that God has used you, that your life has had eternal significance.

People will be brought into your presence who have deep needs, those who have need of Jesus Christ, and you will have the pleasure of pointing them to the Savior. Your life will begin to bud and blossom and bring forth fruit abundantly to the glory of Jesus Christ, if you are available to Him and if you sincerely pray, “O God, use me today.” This is a prayer He will answer.

Forgive us, Lord, for too often playing church. Forgive us for treating prayer like a spiritual vending machine, where we insert our coins and out comes the product. Lord, You are our master, not our genie. We submit to You today with gratitude…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
SUBMIT TO JESUS OUR LORD.

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

— Psalm 23:3

Did you ever think about the fact that we were born to be led? Now that sort of goes cross-grain for many of us because there are many people who would much prefer to think of themselves as leaders than the led. But if we are Christians, we are born to be led because we are sheep—and sheep must be led. We all profess such: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. . . He leads me beside still waters…” (Psalm 23:1, 2).

I remember riding in a bus down from Jerusalem to Jericho years ago and seeing on the left side of the road a great flock of animals with a man right in their midst. Half of the animals were in front of him, and half of the animals were behind him, and they were all moving gradually up the hill. Our perceptive guide said, “If you will note carefully, you will perceive that all of the animals in front of the shepherd are goats, and all of the animals behind him are sheep because, you see, sheep will naturally follow, but goats have to be driven with a stick or a whip.”

Whose agenda are you following today? Is it yours, or has it been submitted to the Spirit of God that He might lead you? You will find that as the Spirit of God guides and leads your life, you will live a life more exciting and adventurous than ever you dreamed the Christian life could be.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making us sheep and not goats. Help us to follow Your leading and not to get ahead of You and away from You. Help us to faithfully complete the task well that lay before us now…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
ENJOY HIS CLEAR LEADING.

“… And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”

— Matthew 4:19

Are you living an adventure, or are you living a humdrum monotony? When it comes to truly following Christ, life is one of the most thrilling and most exciting adventures the human spirit can know. What is an adventure? It would be interesting to have people answer that, wouldn’t it? It may be something very different than you might think.

Actually, “adventure” comes from the Latin words ad and venire, which mean to “come to,” which are exactly the same roots from which we get the word “Advent.” An Advent means the “coming to” this world by Christ. An adventure is a “coming to.” It is a coming to Christ.

The Christian life is a supernatural life. The spiritual man was dead, and only as the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, comes and quickens our lives will there be the slightest stirring in the garden of our soul.

We need to pray that the Spirit would fill us and enliven us, that He would bring us to spiritual life and joy that only God can give, and that He would empower us to live for Him, to overcome temptation, and to serve Him throughout our lives. It is the work of God’s Spirit to sanctify us in this way. Life is never the same after that.

Lord, forgive us for ever believing Satan’s lie that following You is boring, while rebelling against You is exciting. Thank You so much for the Christian adventure. Lord, give me strength for today to follow the prompting of Your Spirit…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, THE
CHRISTIAN LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

— 1 John 1:9

“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?” (Psalm 24:3), the psalmist asks, and he answers this question by saying, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (v. 4). How shall we come into the presence of God, about whom the prophet said: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You cannot look on wickedness” (Habakkuk 1:13)? We must first come to be cleansed in that fountain that flows from Calvary’s hill.

We must come and ask God to cleanse us in every part of our being. Many people forget that even their memory is tainted by its intimate connection with the old self. All manner of sin has been brought into the sanctuary of the mind. This memory needs to be cleansed. Did you ever ask God to cleanse your memory from all of the evil stored there? Your affections need to be cleansed and purified. Our wills need to be cleansed.

We need to realize that only through the blood of Christ is there cleansing for sin. “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” If we are going to come into the presence of God and expect Him to hear and answer prayer, we dare not come into His presence besmirched and befouled and tainted with our sins. “Cleanse me, O God.” That means, of course, that we are going to confess our sins and repent of them as well as ask to be cleansed from them.

Forgive us, Lord, for our many sins. Forgive us that we keep repeating them, sins of commission and sins of omission. Thank You for Your cleansing blood, Jesus, the only means by which sin is forgiven…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE CAN BE WASHED NEW.

“I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

— Luke 15:10

God is at work throughout our world in great ways—often in ways we do not hear about.

Christianity is no longer a Western religion. It is a world religion. In fact, the growth of non-Western missions is now reported to be five times the rate of growth of Western missions. Christianity is becoming a Third World religion.

What is behind all these incredible developments? Well, for one thing, a greater commitment to prayer. For example, since 1989, when a “global prayer strategy” was initiated, millions of Christians from 180 nations have been involved in daily prayer for revival across the world. They spend at least five minutes when the sun rises in their area to pray for the spread of the Gospel. Prayer warrior David Bryant says, “As the sun moves across each time zone, the torch of prayer is being passed around the clock, around the world.”

In the last 50 years of the 20th century we saw the rise of active ministry of the lay person. Increasingly, tens of millions of lay people around the world have begun to share their faith in Christ. They have been equipped, trained, emboldened, and encouraged to go out and share the Good News with others. This is another reason for the great explosion of converts around the world.

Let God use you where you are, regardless of your level of theological training, to let others know about Jesus. There is a great deal of joy when someone becomes a true believer in Jesus. Even the angels rejoice.

Dear Lord, thank You for how You are actively at work around our world and drawing many people to Yourself from a variety of backgrounds. Thank You for the millions of Christians praying and the millions of Christians, including laymen, sharing the Gospel…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN JOIN
IN THE WORLDWIDE HARVESTING.