Life is an interesting thing and people choose to live out their lives differently based on their perspective. Some aim for the star and keep pressing in and pressing on trying to measure up to a standard that is nearly impossible to reach. Others have found that living under the right authority is a better option and so live their lives content and in submission to the authority. How about you? How are you choosing to live your life?
Are you looking to live your life to perfection? Do you realize what the Bible says about us as human beings? Do you realize that God took things into His own hands and sent His Son? Do you grasp the reality of why Jesus had to come, sacrifice Himself, and conquer the grave? Do you grasp the reality of how He is now sitting at the right hand of the Father and the next time He comes back here will be the end?
Have you grasped the reality of Jesus and your imperfection? Have you decided that you will live your life under His authority and in relationship with Him? Are you looking forward to the day of His return and getting to spend eternity with Him? Have you decided that you want to spend eternity with God in Heaven rather than apart from God in Hell?
How will you choose to live out your today? How will you choose to live out your right now? How will you choose to live the rest of your life (with the unknown of when it will end)? How will you choose to spend the rest of eternity? The choice is yours! The decision is yours! And they will determine your final destination!
Whether we believe it or choose it, Jesus is Lord and Savior! We don’t have to believe God’s Word for it to be true, if God said it then that settles it! We don’t have to believe Jesus is Lord and Savior for Him to be Lord and Savior, He is the Lord and Savior of the world. All we get to do is decide if we will accept it in order to determine our final destination!
So will you believe it? So will you choose it? Where are you at when it comes to trying to measure up vs coming under authority?
The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar and Dr. Ike Reighard
for October 2nd
Measuring Up To Jesus
MEMORY VERSE OF THE DAY:
‘And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ‘
Ephesians 4:11-13
Let’s grab some additional context from the Amplified version and some additional verses:
‘So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation], with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love. Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful]. There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and [working] through all and [living] in all. Yet grace [God’s undeserved favor] was given to each one of us [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and abundant] gift. Therefore it says, “W hen H e ascended on high , H e led captivity captive , A nd H e bestowed gifts on men .” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very same as He who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things [that is, the whole universe]). And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]. So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit]. But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ. From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love. ‘
Ephesians 4:1-16
POINTS FROM THE DEVOTIONAL:
- Do you realize how incredible Jesus is?
- Do you share how incredible Jesus is?
- Do you show how incredible Jesus is?
- Are you making Jesus seem boring?
- Are you ready to grab hold of God’s incredible purpose?
- Are you ready to grab hold of God’s visionary purpose?
- Are you ready to grab hold of God’s optimistic purpose?
- Are you ready to reject the gossip and bad news?
- Are you ready to grow as a believer in Jesus?
- Are you ready to allow your faith to shine brightly for Jesus?
- Are you ready to live your life that people see Jesus when you walk in the room and get to experience how incredible He is through you, your life, and your light shining into theirs?
- Are you ready to allow God to work in and through you on this journey called life?
- Are you ready to allow God to help work out that clay that we are in His hands to work miracles into this world we live in?
- Will you trust Him enough to allow yourself to be clay in His hands?
- Are you ready to get started by loving other Christians?
- Are you ready to take hold of the command to love our neighbors as ourselves?
- Are you ready to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength in order for His love to fill you to overflowing into the world around you?
- Are you ready to be showing so much love to other Christians that non-Christians are going to want some of that?
- Are you ready to love other Christians and keep the main thing the main thing rather than arguing about flowers, rugs, paint colors, and more?
- Are you ready to love other Christians enough to try and counteract what society is seeing in church splits and Christian arguments?
- Let’s decide to love people like God loves us, unconditionally!
- Let’s decided to love people like God loves us, so that we can grow and become more like Him!
- Let’s decided to love people like God loves us, so that we can be filled to overflowing with Jesus’s grace, truth, and purpose!
- Let’s decide to love people like God loves us, so that everything we do reflects Him to those around us!
- Let’s decide not to be that church that is lukewarm! We don’t want to get spit up when Jesus comes back, right?
- Let’s be on fire, hot for Jesus Christians that will shine so bright that others will take notice and be drawn to Him!
- Let’s stop being people who tolerate others and become people who love others!
- Let’s stop being people who survive but instead become people who thrive and are overcomers!
- Let’s decide to be people who will touch the lives of those God brings across our path!
DISCUSSION TOPICS FROM TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
- Describe what God’s vision for your church might look like.
- What are you doing to contribute to this vision being fulfilled?
QUOTE(S) FROM TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
—ZIG ZIGLAR
Today’s reading from Tanakh:
- Proverbs 22 (Perspective, Decision, Equality)
- Proverbs 23 (Seek understanding)
- Proverbs 24 (Wisdom is needed, Envy and Desire to be avoided)
So where are you at today? What are you after today? What are you pursuing today? What are you going to decide today? Let’s pray:
I come to you in prayer asking for the
forgiveness of my Sins. I confess with my
mouth and believe with my heart that
Jesus is your Son, And that he died on the
Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven.
and have Eternal Life in the Kingdom of
Heaven. Father, I believe that Jesus rose
from the dead and I ask you right now to
come in to my life and be my personal
Lord and Savior. I repent of my Sins and
will Worship you all the day’s of my Life!
Because your word is truth, I confess with
my mouth that I am Born Again and
Cleansed by the Blood of Jesus! In Jesus
Name, Amen
Did you pray with me?
Would you be willing to leave me a comment so that I can pray with and for you about such an incredible decision?
Or if you don’t feel comfortable leaving a comment on my blog, why not email or text me instead?
God's story through my life from 2005 to eternity... 