What it Means to Commit to the Lord

This life revolves around goals we have whether they be short term or long term. The point is that if you have no goals, it’s very clear that you’re not moving toward anything of great significance. By the way, your life isn’t that meaningful due to the fact that you don’t really have something that you’re working on in order to improve the overall quality of it in the long run.

The Word of God boldly declares that where there’s no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). Therefore the same thing also applies equally to your personal life. The reason is that if you don’t have any visions at all, you’re compromising your whole life for a miserable future.

Having goals is undoubtedly very important; however, not every goal people have will actually succeed. It’s quite unfortunate that in many cases people have dedicated their entire times and efforts working on goals that will eventually fail miserably. Even though some of them may succeed, but the problem is that they don’t really bring forth the type of lasting peace, joy, and fulfillment that God would like them to experience. To put it differently, their goals don’t take them to the place that God would want them to be.

The question is how can we ensure that our goals revolve around God? How do we also ensure that our goals don’t become an impediment to God’s plans and purposes for our lives? How do we make sure that God’s will for our lives is put ahead of own ambition and agenda? Well, it’s worthwhile that we consider these Scripture verses below in order for us to get a clear understanding regarding that issue.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans (Proverbs 16:3).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The first Scripture verse sounds very vague and broad due to the fact that it doesn’t specify any conditions whatsoever. Nevertheless, the ideal way of trying to understand this verse is to hook it up to the second verse which is found in (Proverbs 3:5-6). First, our knowledge and understanding are very limited while God has perfect and absolute knowledge and understanding. The very things that we’re striving for may not be the things that God would want us to have.

Practical Application

Since God is asking us to trust Him wholeheartedly and not lean on our own human understanding, this will make sure that we seek His will first by acknowledging our own human limitations. When we trust God in such manner, we allow Him to have His ways in us. We also allow Him to control the circumstances. So it’s no longer about what we want done in accordance with what we believe is the right thing to do. Instead, it becomes all about us allowing the all-knowing God to guide us wherever fits His perfect will for our lives.

We can strongly rely on the fact that an all-knowing God will never lead His beloved children to failure. In that case, the best way of pursuing our goals is to let God determine what should be done and when it should be done. The good news is that when we consult Him before we start working on any plans we have in a patient and obedient fashion, He’ll make His will plain to us. That’s exactly what it means to have our plans established by Him.

Today's Prayer

Heavenly Father, we genuinely acknowledge the fact that we only know and understand partially while You know and understand everything perfectly. Lot of time we ignore that as a result of being pressed by time, curiosity, worry, impatience, and so forth. What a bad idea for us to live our lives going after things that won’t do us any good in the long run since they are outside of Your will for our lives.

We pray that You give us what it takes, so that we can strive to make sure that we find ourselves at the center of Your will. Whatever goals and visions that we have, it’s guaranteed that they will all come to pass if they are consistent with Your perfect will. We pray that You empower us to live a life marked by complete reliance on You along with that You’re able to do for us within Your perfect will and timing for Your own glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Reference: Living for Jesus Alone

The History of the Church of Christ

Do you know the history of your church? According to the Bible, we are the "body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27). As such, as members of the body of Christ, we ought to know and understand the church we belong to.

What is the church? 

The word "church" simply means "assembly or gathering." Did you know that the first time the word "church" was mentioned in the Bible was from the mouth of Jesus? The twelve apostles were gathered together with Jesus in the far northern part of the Golan Heights at the southern foot of Mt. Hermon near modern day Baniyas when he said, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it," Matthew 16:18 (RSV). Based upon the solid "rock" foundation of His divinity, Jesus planned to build His called out people, His church. After the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven of Jesus, the church Jesus planned began as recorded in Acts, the second chapter. That church followed strictly the teachings of the apostles of Jesus (see Acts 2:42, Galatians 1:8,9, Jude 3).

The Apostle Peter mentioned that those "who are called out of darkness into his marvelous light" is called the church (1 Peter 2:9).

The Lord spoke to His people through the apostle Peter and used several terms in order to help them appreciate their spiritual position in Christ. He referred to them as a "chosen" or elect" race, as a "holy nation" and as a "people for God's own possession." By God's grace we occupy a very favored position in His universe.

Peter continues by saying, "for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:10). Christians are referred to as "the people of God" and as having received God's "mercy." This is the result of God's grace and love, not according to our own merit.

The Lord's church is made up of those saved by the mercy of God. There are other terms used to describe the church in the New Testament. These also help clarify what exactly the church is and how necessary it is to be a member of it.

The church is the body of Christ, and He is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:21-23). Christ is the head of those who are in His body, or church (see also 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 26-27).

The church is the temple of God, meaning that God dwells in His people. We are warned not to destroy the temple by harming or discouraging its people (1 Corinthians 3:16,17).

The church is the kingdom of Christ, meaning that Christ rules over His people as their spiritual king (John 19:36; Matthew 16:16-18; Colossians 1:13)

One final point: Jesus is the savior of the church (Ephesians 5:23-27). 

So, what is the history of Church of Christ? When was it established, and who established the church?

The history of the Church of Christ and its emergence can be historically traced. The establishment of the church dates back from the Day of Pentecost when Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

  

IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST A DENOMINATION?

By definition the church of Christ cannot be a denomination because it is not dependent on man-made creeds, but simply in the New Testament pattern. We do not conceive of ourselves as being a denomination --nor as Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish -- but simply as members of the church which Jesus established and for which he died.

And that, incidentally, is why we wear his name. The term "church of Christ" is not used as a denominational designation, but rather as a descriptive term indicating that the church belongs to Christ.

We recognize our own personal shortcomings and weaknesses--and this is all the more reason for wanting to carefully follow the all-sufficient and perfect plan God has for the church.

So, who’s the founder? Jesus Christ.

Who’s the foundation? Jesus Christ.

Where was it established? Jerusalem.

When was it established? 33 AD.

Take Care of Your Faith or You Shall Find Yourself in the Fiery Lake of Fire

( ***I wrote this unfinished article this morning inspired by true events based on Biblical information.)

If I were God, I’d most likely hate the person who abandoned their faith and most likely, I might also discipline them in a manner that they will see my anger because of their wrong doings. These thoughts emerge because of my human nature of impatience. But God is truly patient, kind, and a God of love, and so on and so forth. His compassion, His love is truly unconditional and beyond our understanding. His love endures forever! Amen.

I can’t believe how they tend to choose what gives them earthly pleasures than doing what is noble, what is pure—to glorify God by attending church and spiritual activities. I can’t believe why they seem to distant themselves away from church, away from God. They choose to be with their friends outside the church rather than accompanying their church friends. I can’t understand why they can’t find time to attend to the Church activities and yet they have plenty of time to please others with their presence. They are making themselves as their “lords,” rather than obeying God as their Lord.

The Bible tells us that God is the Creator, the life-giver, the Spring of life, the only One who should be worshipped and glorified. Our convictions, the human reason, earth, sky, and the heavenly bodies—all proclaim of God’s glory!

Why are there some people who are putting God their least and last priority?

When God is at the last from our priorities, we reject Him who is the author of life, we reject His majesty, we reject the truth that He is God, we reject Him who is the source of the countless blessings we enjoy! We reject Him who gives us LIFE!

The salvation we receive needs to be nourished, nurtured and taken care of. This is a false statement: ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED. We should remember: We don’t have a doctrine but the Bible, no creed but Christ. When the Bible speaks, we speak, when the Bible is silent, we are silent.

It is dangerous to abandon your faith in Christ. One thing is certain: Christ will come again, and when he does so, everyone faces judgment based on how he lived his life. Isn’t it awesome when we shall hear him talking to us personally, smiling while uttering these words: “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!” I believe such words are something we look forward to hear from Him.

The Bible tells us that those who don’t believe in Christ (the unbelievers include those who abandoned their faith) are to suffer in eternal doom—they will be suffering in the fiery lake of fire eternally. Nobody here wants to end up on that place of eternal-damnation. Today, ask yourself: "Which way is your life leading you?"