From the Preacher’s Pen…
The year 2018 ended with a multitude of both sad and joyous events. In many cases, there were the same events such as when we lost brothers and sisters in Christ. Sadly we lost them to this world, but thankfully we take comfort in the promise that they are now home with our God. Perhaps this little reminder will help us keep the proper focus:
Memo from God
- To: All My Sanctified Children
- From: Your Heavenly Father
- Subject: Problems in 2019
Good Morning. I am your Heavenly Father and your God. Your last year has been filled with many challenges. Your Father has brought you through all of them and will continue to secure and direct your way.
This year I will handle all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help.
If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, DO NOT attempt to resolve it by yourself! Kindly put it in the SFJTD (something for Jesus to do) box. It will be appropriately addressed in MY time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or attempt to remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution.
Because I do not sleep, slumber or rest, there is no need for you to lose any sleep or be concerned. Rest my child and know that I will bless and care for you. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.
— Your Heavenly Father
As Christians we are not of this world, we are not like everyone else and even our sorrow is different (1 Thessalonians 4:13) since we have hope and promise in Jesus. At the same time, Jesus fully expects us to “get some flack” from the world because of this (cf. Matthew 5:11-12).
This has always been true of God’s people, so consider a reminder of that fact:
Their Laws Are Different From Those Of All Other People
These were the words that the evil Haman told King Ahasuerus about the Jews (Esther 3:8). He was exactly right!
Haman thought this a perfectly good reason to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews because they were different. They had different laws, a different God and a different hope. But they were not different just to be at odds with everyone else, they were following the laws, the commands of God. As a people called out of bondage in Egypt they were given a new home, a new identity, and a new hope.
We today are likewise different and unique. We are called out of the bondage of sin and made to be a new family, a new nation with a new eternal home. We are no longer citizens of this world but of Heaven.
Our law is the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25) and our God wants us to be distinctive, “different from all people” as those called by Him. Let’s never be guilty of trying to look or act or think like the world. As we live in this world, let’s never try to be a part of it.
We must remind ourselves every day that, even though the world constantly challenges us to be just like them, that is not our calling nor our duty. Indeed, our God challenges His people to come out and not be a part of this world that we might truly be clean and holy to Him (read 2 Corinthians 6:17).
May we, this year and always, think like, live like, act like God’s people and be proud of serving Him who has given His own life for us!
Remember your calling!
Remember your promises!
Remember that we are indeed, a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people that belong to God! And we are different from all other people so that we may proclaim the “Good News of Him” who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
— Lester P. Bagley
