At the right time

Greetings from Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was sent to help God’s chosen people have faith and understand the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. This faith and knowledge make us sure that we have eternal life. God promised that life to us before time began—and God does not lie. At the right time, God let the world know about that life. He did this through the telling of the Good News message, and he trusted me with that work. I told people that message because God our Savior commanded me to. (Titus 1:1-3)

Sent to help God's chosen to have faith and understand the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. Maybe that mission is one we can carry on each day as we go about our business of 'living life together'. We may not have been called to form the New Testament churches like Paul was, but we have been called to help others grow in their faith and to come into a deeper understanding of God's truths. Why? God wants a people who are wholly devoted to him - heart, mind, and soul. Our 'mission' is to help others come into the knowledge of Christ's sacrificial offering on their behalf. We are to encourage one another, building up each other's faith, helping one another mature in this faith. The message of hope and salvation has been entrusted to us - what will we do with it?

At the right time... That time has come, the messenger today is you and me. The message is clear - all have sinned, no one is made right by his own actions to attempt to live right or 'do' right. We all stand in need of a Savior. We are all in need of God's grace - his forgiveness of our sins, the removal of the stain of that sin, and the grace to live 'beyond' that sin. Grace is the beginning of growth. Without grace, all 'growth' is nothing more than us trying to make ourselves 'right'. In the eyes of mankind, we may seem 'right', but in the eyes of God, all those 'actions' we go through to 'be made right' don't really add up to what Christ did for us on the cross. The only 'action' that makes us right with God is to welcome Jesus into our hearts.

In writing to the church at Crete, Paul is reminding them of the tremendous gift they have received. He wants them to come into the place of full knowledge and understanding, allowing their faith to continue to grow, developing into well-formed followers of Christ. We hear the Good News, then we allow it to begin to change the way we live. As it changes us, we are drawn toward the desire to share the good work that has been accomplished within our lives, wanting for others to share in this same life transformation. We have been trusted with that 'work', my friends. Never shy away from sharing the hope that lives within you. God had a purpose for leaving Titus in Crete - he has a purpose for placing you right where you are! Just sayin!

Post-Haste

Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created. (James 1:17-18)

Whenever we are faced with something that is less than good, honorable, or pure, we can know for sure that it is not from God. It is something of this 'earthly realm' that really isn't meant as 'the best' for us. When we settle for what isn't the best, we actually are rejecting what God has prepared for us that is meant for our good. We should never think God is tempting us with the 'less than' stuff in life - it is either our own fleshly desires having their way, or the enemy of our soul purposing to redirect our attention away from God. 

We are important to him, so he prepared in advance to send his Son to this earth to ensure there was a way to always enter into his presence and enjoy the privileges of this 'family life' with him. What 'perfect gift' have you rejected in the pursuit of something that is actually 'less than' what he intended for your life? It isn't too late to turn away from the pursuit of that 'less than' thing and turn fully toward all the good God intends. One thing I have noticed about my own 'fluctuating desires' is that they are definitely not consistent. One day I may find things of this 'earthly realm' to be appealing and the next I find myself disgusted by them. God's gift to us is always there - we just need to recognize them as consistent and good.

How do we get to the point we choose the best and not the 'less than' so often? It comes in choosing to take in the Word of God. God sent 'the true message' to us so that we'd seek things that are good and that add value to our lives. The living Word of God came, leaving us his written Word, providing us with a teacher of the Word so we'd learn to choose the best and reject the 'less than'. Get into his Word and allow it to begin to reveal the 'good', 'pure', and 'honorable' things God has prepared for your life. You will begin to see the 'less than' things of this world for what they truly are. When you do, you will soon realize they are to be rejected quickly and the things God offers are to be embraced 'post-haste'. Just sayin!