Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

Luke 9:25 – ²⁵ What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

The world and especially America has a mentality of trying to fulfill all of their worldly wishes in their lifetime.  They call it driven, goal setting, and settling for only their best.

However, does God have expectations for us?  What are they?

Luke 9:23-24- ²³ Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

That doesn’t sound like an endorsement that I should live full steam ahead for all my worldly desires and ideas while I still can on this earth.  Then since I’m saved we’ll concentrate on that.   It appears to me that’s trying to go for the best of both worlds, but both scenarios revolve around one thing.  It revolves around the person (me), not the Lord.  

There’s a contradiction that battles within us and this country and its philosophy really isn’t helping people who struggle in this area already.

Yet the Lord is viewing the situation and watching for those who want to serve Him.

Luke 6:20-26 – ²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
²² Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

The big picture!  Are we focused on it?  The majority of fallen humans want it all and they want it now.  Do we trust God?  Do we believe His Word?

God doesn’t want us to serve ourselves, He wants us to serve Him.  He will provide those other things to us.  He knows what we desire and need more than we do.

1 Kings 19:19-21 – ¹⁹ So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. ²⁰ Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

²¹ So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

Elisha slaughtered the oxen and used the plow to cook the meat.  Then he set out to follow Elijah.

He was committed.  He jumped in with both feet and didn’t look back.  Lot’s wife looked back and it wasn’t good.  As we know she turned into a pillar of salt.

Does Jesus want us to look back once we start?

Luke 9:59-62 – ⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”

⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

The bottom line is He wants us.  He wants us to commit.

Matthew 10:39- ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

If somebody finds their life, they’ll lose it.  What does it mean?

It means they are selfishly doing everything the way they way want to.

What’s wrong with that Pat?  All the self help books told me to think positively and create my own destiny.  Take the bull by the horns.  SELF help.  SELF.  It’s about you and what you can accomplish.  Life is a ticking beat the clock game and we need to control our own destiny and make it happen.

Is that how we are told to live?

There is the ultimate help book.  It’s a love letter from God and it doesn’t encourage you to live life the fullest for you.  This help book knows you better than you know you.  It tells us how we were supposed to be before the fall.  Who we were created to be.

Whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.  Those are the words of our loving Savior.  Do we have to be martyred?  If we are in the name of our Lord, we will get a crown and it will not go unnoticed.  However, one can lose their life for His sake and still live.  It’s called serve the Lord and not yourself.

What’s the scripture right before the one above?

Matthew 10:38 – ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

The Lord wants us.  God wants us to worship Him.  Not just to acknowledge Him.  WORSHIP!

Exodus 34:14 –   ¹⁴ Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

That includes ourselves or the things we do.   He didn’t create us to serve ourselves.  He created us to serve Him.

I’m 100% sure He’s worthy!

That’s what the Lord is supposed to be in our lives.

He is supposed to be our focus.  He is supposed to be our main love.

We have an election coming up tomorrow.

Do you know what the percentage of social issues and values is at?   It’s 15%.  All other categories have nothing to do with morals or values.  The rest have to do with money, benefits relied upon from the government, and foreign policy, etc.   Which one do you think is most important to the Lord?

Do you know what the percentage of Americans believe it should be illegal under all circumstances to have an abortion?  It’s 20%.  That’s actually up over the last 5 to 10 years.  I really believe the technology that allows people to see how quickly they form has changed the hearts of a few.  How do you think the Lord feels about the subject?

How many Americans care first and foremost about the Lord instead of serving their own interests and needs?  It’s all about the heart.  I don’t know the exact number, but these two polls with a few others will get you pretty close.

Make the Lord first.

Matthew 6:33- ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.   

Luke 12:7- ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

The Lord knows how many hairs are on your head.  That’s a rotating number.  I’ve got another one for you.  He knows how many you’re going to have next year.  God’s eternal.  He’s seen your life as a whole already.  That’s why He has had men that were inspired by the Holy Spirit write about the end times in advance.  He knows your heart.   He knows rather your heart is for Him or not.

To only seek God when things are bad is not exactly having a heart for the Lord.  You are important to Him and He wants you to find Him important too.

I think one of the problems people have is how can God have time for me when there is 6 Billion plus people let alone other living things out there.  God is the ultimate Multi-tasker.  The fact He knows how many hairs on hairs on everyone’s head would tell you that.  But I think it goes a little deeper for some.  They don’t want God to be right there all the time, because most of the time they don’t want to try and please God.  They want to please themselves.  We weren’t made for that purpose.  The world is full of those trying to please themselves and we see where that leads to.  A world full of evil and corruption.

How we act, what we do, how we do it, is all important to God.  You are important to God.  You were worth dying over.  The only thing left is accepting His sacrifice and accepting Jesus as Lord.

Because even though you are important to God, He can’t make you love Him.  He can’t make you accept the forgiveness we all must have to enter into Heaven after we die.

Proverbs 9:10 –¹⁰ “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Fear is a reverent respect.  A loving respect should motivate us to come closer to our Lord.  Once we get to know Him more, we realize how loving and caring He is as well.  That doesn’t mean He doesn’t have expectations.  The Bible warns us throughout that He has expectations.

The number one expectation is to recognize we are fallen sinners and that we need to ask Him for forgiveness.  We need to accept His sacrifice that paid that penalty.  Then we need to seek Him and do our best to obey Him.

What about those who do not seek Him and are not motivated by a reverent fear?

Proverbs 1:7 – ⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

They live as their own god and under their own understanding.  We are told they will perish.

A reverent fear leads to more understanding and more love.  If we didn’t need it, we wouldn’t be told that it was good for us.