Have you ever asked the question, how do unsaved people get saved? Does God choose them only? Do they come to Christ only when we witness to them? What about people in the jungles of Africa who have never heard the Gospel? There have been arguments on both sides of the coin concerning this subject but let's see what the Bible says.
Here we are, 2010, a new year awaits us as 2009 is just a fading memory. What do you want to do this year? What are your goals for the motorcycle ministry? What is your vision for 2010? (Proverbs 29:18) KJV "Where there is no vision, the people perish ... ". I guess the question I want to ask is, what goals are you going to set for yourself this year? For instance, how many Rallies do you plan to attend? How am I going to minister better this year at Bike Blessings? How can I grow more this year to be more fruitful in my service to God?
Here we are in December, Thanksgiving Day has come, Christmas is only a few weeks away, the riding season is over, most bikers have put fuel stabilizer in their tanks and have put away their bikes for the Winter. The few brave bikers will continue to ride this winter regardless how cold. As I take a deep breath and look back at the past Spring, Summer and Fall, the question I have for you is this, how would you evaluate yourself in the 2009 riding season? If you are a Christian biker, or a Christian in general for that matter, how would you say you served Christ this year? This was the question I asked myself, was there room for improvement, did I learn and grow from prayer and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, did I make mistakes that I learned from, did God show me things that were out of my comfort zone, did I make the most of every opportunity God gave me with the time I had?
(1 Corinthians 15:58) "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain". The Christian life is never stagnant, we never stop learning and growing. We never stop serving Him. We are always being challenged to go higher and deeper with Jesus because that's His design for every believer. Have you ever seen a Christian that never grows and learns? Have you ever seen Christians that never witness for the Lord, never give their testimony or share the Gospel message with anyone? Have you seen Christians that never work on their character and moral issues? Have you ever heard Christians give a million excuses for not serving the Lord but these same Christians have plenty of time for hobbies or other things that only satisfy the flesh?
This scripture first tells us to "stand firm", what in the world does stand firm mean, stand firm in what? Standing firm means to be consistent and assured in what you believe about Jesus, not to waiver by giving in to the world's view of things and not giving in to unsaved people's sins and habits. "Let nothing move you" means don't be persuaded by unbelievers because they are not serving the Lord Jesus, they are serving themselves and Satan. You cannot be a good witness and testimony to them if you join in on their worldly thinking and behavior. "Give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord" means to focus and concentrate on the Lord's will and commands first before prioritizing other things. (Mat. 6:33)"Seek first the Kingdom of God ...". Hobbies that take the place of serving, self-centered activities, laziness, isolation, workaholism and just plain rebelliousness are things that feed the flesh and keep us from doing the Lords work. There is no such thing as a Christian that does not have a particular calling or work of service for the Lord. It is unbiblical for someone to say that they are just a "regular" Christian and have no work or service for God. Lastly, in this 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, the hope of the resurrection makes all the efforts and sacrifices in the Lord's work worth it. No work done in His name is wasted in light of eternal glory and reward. It is the Lord's will for us as Christians to devote ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because that is what really counts, everything else will count for nothing when it comes to eternity.
Was 2009 a year of fruitful service to God? I asked myself these questions, did I give Jesus my best in serving Him? Did I work on my character and morals to become more like Jesus? Can I honestly say I love Jesus so much that I was willing to sacrifice my time, energy and resources for Him? (Psalm 112:1) "Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands".
Today's Challenge: How have you evaluated yourself in 2009? Do you tend to blow it off as just another year, or do you look at it as another year to joyfully and faithfully serve Christ for His glory? Is there room for spiritual growth in the Word and improvement in your character traits? (Nehemiah 8:10) "The joy of the Lord is my strength"
Rindo Barese rindobigguy@comcast.net
617-842-1164
If you have a question or comment about the Bible feel free to call or e-mail me.