First Obey then Teach

We are living in a time when wickedness is all around us. But at the same time we have so many resources to study the word of God. There are so many Bible study tools available that sometimes it becomes difficult to select one. If we search then we get so much of material on different subjects. There are thousands of sermons available online on almost all the subjects we can think of.
Some places so many meetings are conducted with so many preachers and teachers emerging with many thoughts. Many times people also want to hear new things and new thoughts. Otherwise the preacher is not good. That's what they think. Its always good to receive a new message from God. But that should not happen at the cost of us forgetting the basics. Many times we hear so many sermons and so many new thoughts that we forget the basics. But a balanced child of God will make sure that he/she spends quality time meditating on the simple truths found in the word of God. Else there is a chance that we may wander away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now I want to bring to your attention a verse from Bible. It's from Mathew 5:19
"So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven." (NLT)

In this verses Jesus was telling a simple thing but an important thing. If you don't obey and just teach others to do it then there is no benefit of it. You will be least in kingdom of heaven. But if you obey and then teach then you will be great in Kingdom of heaven.
When we meditate of these verses then we can see how true it is. Sometimes the sermons we preach we don't follow. Sometimes we act like a salesmen trying to sell a product even though he himself is not convinced with the product. That's the reason why we fail to make an impact with the word of God in the way it should make. If we don't obey or follow something and still try to preach the same then there is not much benefit of it. The real impact will come when we obey and teach others also.
Let's think of all the things we taught others may be through preaching, group discussion or may be on a one to one basis. Are we able to follow it and obey it? If not then let's change our ways.

Question for you- are you a follower of God's Law or a Salesmen trying to just teach or sell to others what you learned from other places?

The need of the hour is that we need people who will Obey and teach the word of God. We need followers and not just guides.

May God Bless You!

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead

A new year has started. Whenever something new happens people are excited and they have expectations of something good or better happening in their life. In some cases what we expect happen and in most of the cases what we hope or expect doesnot happen. People make lot of new year resolutions and sometimes fails to keep it even for 1 month. But life still goes on and on.

I want to bring your attention to a verse from the Bible. It’s taken from Philippians 3 and verses 12-14
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Here the writer of this book Paul says that he wants to forget what is behind and wants to move ahead towards the goal to win the prize for which God Called him. Many times we get blogged down by the things which happened in the past. We are unable to move beyond certain things. Sometimes it may be the hurts, bad things which happened in our life etc. Sometimes it can be our achievements. When we read that entire chapter Paul express three desires.

They are :-

• I want to know Christ
• I want to be like Christ
• I want to be all Christ had in mind for me
  

In this new year lets make it our goal. Let’s forget what we are supposed to forget and move ahead. The call and the promises of our God in each persons life is big. If we allow ourself to be caught up in old things then we won’t be able to achieve it.

Lets strain towards what lies ahead and press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.

May God Bless You and Have a Blesses Year 2008!