Answered Prayer

Remember this blog post??

http://injchrist.blogspot.ca/2012/05/only-god-knows-big-picture.html

This blog post was about somebody dear to me who was in a position to easily believe all of their options had run dry. One particular exploit that they had been set on for a few years had fell through, and their remaining ventures seemed rather scant. In other words, he was set on a particular career and job path but that did not work out and applying for other jobs in the field was rather impossible because employers were looking for years of experience.

Anyway, he finally decided to go back to school to pursue another career path and further related education and contacted a friend who was already in the field he desired to work in. This was definitely a God inspired idea, as unbeknownst to him they were looking for a junior position in the company his friend worked at. To make a long story short, even though his experience in the field is on the lower scale, he was today offered a job in that company.

How amazing to be able to gain experience on the job, but already have the job!

Anywho, I said in the blog posted linked above that I would be praying about this situation and see how God works, and here is the result. Praise God! It is so important to trust in the Lord because God values that trust and always provides in one way or another.

So let us unfailingly trust in the Lord, and let this be a testimony for us to have faith.

Lose your life, so that you might gain it…

Imagine being faced with a choice. Take that one thing in life that you love immensely, that one thing that you believe you cannot live without. What is it? On the lighter side, it could be your favorite television show or video game, an article of clothing, a good luck charm. Could it be a passion, or talent?  Your love for the outdoors, your skill in playing sports, a job, money? Let’s probe even deeper, perhaps it’s friendship or the love of family? A specific perspective or mentality?  Your battle with pride?

Now imagine having to lose that possession because Jesus has demanded that very thing from you. As a Christian, could you survive? Would your life fall apart? Would you shun God, be angry at him? Would you be able to let go, deny yourself?

This past Sunday, Pastor John reminded us that there are no competitors with Jesus. So often we fail to realize that our relationship with him should not be one of double mindedness. It is truly “all or nothing” with him.

“I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” Matthew 7:23

How frightening those words are to hear for those of us who think we are pursuing Jesus.  Pastor John warns us from what he deems “superficial believism,” in other words, belief in God that remains merely a simple belief. It is a belief that does not drastically and completely change our heart, actions, and priorities. In essence, it is a belief that allows us to “have it all.” In contrast to this type of believing, is a “deep believism” which leads us to follow an often hard path to God’s kingdom where danger, suffering and trials prevail.

Does the pathway you’ve chosen actually lead to life? Are we aware that the decisions we make each day while we’re alive indeed are eternal choices between life and death?

Pastor John reads from Matthew 7:13-20.

Verses 13 &14 talk about the path to the Kingdom of God being narrow and difficult to progress through.  It is a path alive with temptation and hard decisions. It will involve forgoing things you enjoy and love. But the reward at the end is greater than the loss we face at the beginning.  

The broad path leads to destruction. Pastor John tells us that this path is broad because rightfully so, everything can fit through it and anything goes on this path. Here you can eat your cake and have it. This path offers you everything. Here the self is glorified, excuses reign supreme, and anything and everything is justified.

The path to God demands that we “pick up our cross” (Matthew 16:24). As Pastor John explains, the cross in Jesus’ day meant the death penalty. In other words, we must die to ourselves and our life on earth and deny ourselves. This may involve saying no to some of the things that we greatly desire in order to follow the life that Jesus lovingly claims that we live. This type of life desires what God desires, and glorifies what God glorifies. It is a life where repentance and faith draws us closer to Jesus.

Ultimately we must decide what path we desire to be on, and what path we are actually on, and make those individual changes to get us walking down the right path. 

Post adapted from Willingdon Church sermon June 17, 2012 www.willingdon.org