Seven Things That Accumulate Building Materials

Dear saints,

In 1987, a Korean pastor named Yong Park died tragically, and experienced both heaven and hell. He observed that some saints are richly rewarded in heaven, while others do not receive any reward; some saints have great big, glorious mansions in heaven, while others live in little, group homes. In fact, he saw that his own house was still small and unfinished, even after serving the Lord his whole life and pastoring a 5,000-member mega church (Mt 6:19-21). During this heavenly experience, he was told the reason for all these things. 

There are seven things you must do to build up materials, in order to build your heavenly home:

1. Worship and Praise to God

The first is your accumulation of worship and praise to God. 

Scripture says you were created to praise the Lord (Isaiah 43:21), and you are commanded to praise Him (Ps 148:5). You are commanded to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). You are to do so at all times (Heb 13:5; Psalm 34:1), even with clapping and shouting (Ps 47:1). Another way the Scripture teaches us to praise Him is with the holy dance (Ex 15:20; 2 Sam 6:14, 16; 1 Chr 15:29; Psa 30:11; 149:3; 150:4). Whenever you do these things with love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1Ti 1:5), you accumulate building materials in heaven that are used to build your home there.

2. Reading the Bible 

The second is your time spent reading the Bible. 

Read the Word, meditate on it, and scrutinize it, so you won’t be deceived (Ps 1:2; Ps 119:11, 105; Mt 4:4; 2 Tim 3:16). This also results in building materials being sent up to heaven that are used to build your mansion.

3. Praying to God

Third, your time spent praying to God. (1 The 5:17; 1 Tim 2:8; Phil 4:6; Mt 7:7). According to E.M. Bounds, in his book on the power of prayer, the average pastor only prays about five minutes per day. That is called prayerlessness, which is a sin. It was the same way in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus prayed, and all His disciples were sleeping. But Jesus said, "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" (Mt 26:40). He asks you that same question today, "Could you not spend one hour with Me in prayer?" This must be a priority for each of us, because prayer is our lifeline to God.

If you have been guilty of the sin of prayerlessness, the first step is to confess it to God, repent, and ask forgiveness. Do this, rather than simply trying harder or making a resolution to pray more, because we cannot reform ourselves. Once you repent and ask forgiveness, the Lord will set you free from that sin, and you will then be able to obey Him as you ought to.

As you pray, plead the blood of Jesus, put on the full armor of God, shout to the Lord, lift your hands straight up to God, attack the demons, and engage them in battle. Ask the Lord to give you true contrition for sin and tears of repentance. Seek His face (Jer 29:13; Ps 27:8). Pray in tongues (1 Cor 2:4-5; Jude 1:20; Eph 6:18). Pray that you may love with same love with which He loves you. 

As you pray, building materials are being sent up to heaven that are used to build your mansion.

4. Evangelizing Those Who Don't Know Jesus

Fourth, your time spent evangelizing to people (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 13:10; 16:15). The reward you receive from the Lord for this does not depend on the response of the people with whom you share the gospel, but rather on your obedience to God in sharing with them. This is the Great Commission that the Lord has given to us. He who has all authority in heaven and on earth -- who gave his life on the cross for our sins and the sins of the whole world, who is not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance -- has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. As you do so, whether it is across the street or around the world, building materials are being sent up to heaven for your mansion to be built.

5. Tithes to God

Fifth, your obedient tithes to God. The Lord commands us to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, and He promises that when we do, He will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we will not have room enough to receive (Mal 3:8-10). You can read more about this in my article on Christian tithing. 

A man named Emmanuel Agyarko had a vision of hell, in which he said: “I saw four pastors in hell, who were there because they did not pay their tithes. One was called Albert and another was Daniel, a pastor of Church of Christ and this church does not believe in tithing. Daniel said he told his congregation not to pay tithes, as it was no longer necessary. He was in hell for basically two things: first of all, he was not paying tithes himself; and secondly, because he also stopped others from paying it. For Albert, his church believed in paying tithes, but he thought it was meant for only the congregation, and that pastors were excluded from paying it. He wished he could come back to earth to start over again and pay his tithes. The other two pastors also did not pay, and one of them, thought simply he did not think he had to pay it even though he knew he should be paying it, and the other thought ministering before God is not working, so he thought there was no need to pay any tithes.” 

In Angelica Zambrano’s visit to hell, she said she saw a man who said, “I have stolen from God...At this very moment there are many people on Earth that are robbing the Lord like I did. When you return to Earth, tell all those people who don't want to give their tithes and offerings, not to steal from the Lord, otherwise, they’ll wind up in Hell, and no thief will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  

Another Korean pastor named Yong-Doo Kim says, “People who did not properly tithe are ending up in hell.”

When you give to God, do it with love, and give to the Lord with true love. As you do, building materials will be sent up to heaven for your home.

6. Offerings to the Lord

Sixth, your offerings to the Lord (Mt 6:19-21; Lk 6:38). We are not only to give our tithes to the Lord, which is the first ten percent, but also our offerings above and beyond that. While tithes are to be brought into the storehouse where you are fed and cared for spiritually, offerings can be given to the church, or they can be given to Christian ministries and missions, as well as anyone who is doing the Lord's work. He who sows generously will reap generously, and he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly (2 Cor 9:6). One man gives freely yet gains even more, another withholds unduly and comes to poverty. A generous man shall prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed (Prov 11:24-25). Offerings include our alms to the poor as well. He who is kind to the poor will be blessed, because he honors the Lord (Prov 19:17). Whenever you give offerings, you will be accumulating building materials in heaven for your home.

7. Serving the Body of Christ

Seventh, your time spent serving the church in any way (Mt 20:28; Gal 5:13; 6:10; 1 Pet 4:10). You should have a servant's heart and do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

The fruit God wants is your personal love, your personal help, and your personal concern. When you see an individual hurting and your own heart actually hurts with them, this is when you care! God's desire is that we be like Jesus, and we will always find Him moving in the areas of human need.

God desires for us to do good to all men, especially to the household of God (Gal 6:10). He wants us to represent Jesus and to be like Him. When you are helping people, you become a living word to them which says, "I care and God cares for you!" We become a word that is alive to them -- a living word.

Any Christian can accumulate building materials every day, because there are people who need help every day! When we care for them, we are bringing the heart of God to them in their place of need. When we do this for God, something goes into our storehouse in heaven!

Closing Words

This message is only for those who have been born again, and know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This message is not explaining how to get to heaven, because you cannot get to heaven by your own good works, rather you must be born again. 

These are the deeds or works of obedience in which one who is saved accumulates materials for his Heavenly home. If one is lacking in these areas, he will have no materials to build his home. Whenever you do something with faith, whatever it is, Jesus will build your house bigger and higher.

Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Faith in Action, Run with Endurance, Faith Works, Walking by Faith, Obedient to the Heavenly Vision, The Four Tallest Homes in Heaven, Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven, Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Faith in Action

Today I'd like to write to you about faith in action, which is what the ancients were commended for. (Heb 11:2). The ancients lived by faith, demonstrating their faith by their deeds (James 2:18). Here are some examples in Hebrews 11 of how their faith and their actions were working together (James 2:22):

Brought a Better Offering

"By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead." (Heb 11:4)

Taken from this Life

"By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." (Heb 11:5)

Built an Ark

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith." (Heb 11:7)

Obeyed and Went

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (Heb 11:8)

Made His Home in the Promised Land, Lived in Tents

"By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise." (Heb 11:9)

Looked forward to Heaven

"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Heb 11:10)

Was Enabled to Bear a Child

"And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise." (Heb 11:11)

Offered Isaac

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son." (Heb 11:17)

Reasoned That God Could Raise the Dead

"Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death." (Heb 11:19)

Blessed His Sons

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future." (Heb 11:20)

"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff." (Heb 11:21)

Spoke About the Exodus

"By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones." (Heb 11:22) 

Hid Their Child

"By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict." (Heb 11:23) 

Refused Prestige

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter." (Heb 11:24) 

Chose to Be Mistreated

"He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." (Heb 11:25) 

Regarded Disgrace for Christ of Greater Value

"He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." (Heb 11:26)

Left Egypt

"By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible." (Heb 11:27)

Kept the Passover and Sprinkling of Blood

"By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel." (Heb 11:28)

Passed Through the Red Sea as on Dry Land

"By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned." (Heb 11:29) 

Marched Around Jericho

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days." (Heb 11:30) 

Welcomed the Spies and Was Not Killed

"By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." (Heb 11:31) 

Conquered Kingdoms, Gained the Promises, Shut Lions’ Mouths

"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets..." (Heb 11:32)

"...who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions..." (Heb 11:33)

Quenched Flames, Escaped the Sword, Routed Armies

"...quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." (Heb 11:34)

Received Back Their Dead, Were Tortured, Refused Release

"Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection." (Heb 11:35)

Faced Jeers, Flogging, Chains, and Imprisonment

"Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment." (Heb 11:36)

Stoned to Death, Sawed in Two, Killed by the Sword, Persecuted

"They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—" (Heb 11:37)

Wandered in Deserts and Mountains, Living in Caves and Holes

"the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground." (Heb 11:38)

The Faith of Christ

We must not forget the faith of Christ, as the apostle culminates this passage with the exhortation to focus on Him: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2)

Even Christ lived by faith. The faith of Christ is the literal translation of the Greek expression pistis tou christou, which Paul used in Galatians 2:16 (twice); 2:20 (Son of God); and 3:22, as well as Romans 3:22, 26; and Philippians 3:9. The Greek word "pistis" means "faith, trust, or faithfulness", while "tou christou" means "of Christ". The word "tou" simply means "of". It does not mean "in". The Greek word for "in" is "en" or "eis", not tou.

Therefore, understanding pistis tou christou as a reference to Christ’s own faith or faithfulness is grammatically and theologically possible (Toews volume on Romans, 108-110). While this is mistranslated in the NIV as "faith in Christ", several other versions translate it as "the faith of Christ" or "the faithfulness of Christ" (eg., see above verses in King James Version, NET Bible, 1599 Geneva Bible, and the Tyndale Bible of the 1500's).

More on this here and here. 

Note: Examples of verses with the expressions "faith in God", "faith in Christ", and "believe in Christ Jesus" using "eis" include 1 Pet 1:21, Jn 14:1, Act 24:24, Col 2:5, and Gal 2:16. The expressions, "faith in Christ" in Col 1:4, as well as "faith in Christ Jesus" in 1 Tim 3:13 and 2 Tim 3:15 all use "en". Therefore, the expression "faith in Christ" is certainly found in Scripture, where "eis" and "en" are used interchangeably to mean "in". My main point above was simply to show that there is another biblical  expression, "the faith of Christ" or "the faithfulness of Christ", which uses "tou" (of), and connotes a different meaning.

The Faith of God

Finally, I would like to present to you a truth that some will find difficult to accept, but it is true nevertheless: even God has faith in Himself.

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Heb 11:3)

Our understanding of how God created the entire universe at His command is by faith. That understanding of ours is not based on reason or scientific evidence, although both of those have been proven to fully support our understanding of the creation. He made all visible things that we see around us -- on earth, in the sky, and in space, and He made them out of what was invisible. He calls things that are not as though they were (Rom 4:17). He had confidence about what He hoped for and assurance about what He did not see. That is the very definition of faith (Heb 11:1). He believed in His own power and ability. He knew that He was capable of doing what He wanted to do, therefore He believed in Himself, which only He can do, because He alone is God. He is all-sufficient. All things are possible for Him (Matt 19:26), and absolutely nothing is too difficult for Him (Jer 32:17). He simply spoke the Word, and the universe  came into existence (Gen 1:3).

Someone may argue that God does not have faith. However, anyone who denies that God has faith in Himself would have to prove that. It would be quite silly to insist that God does not believe in Himself, wouldn't it? Why would He command us to believe in Him, if He did not even believe in Himself and His own ability to call things that are not as though they were.

The Scripture says, "I believed, therefore I have spoken." (2 Cor 4:13:14). Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak. God put His own faith in action and taught us by His example how to put into action our faith in Him. 

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mar 11:22-24)

For more on this, please see The Faith of God.

Closing Words

The ancients were all commended for living by faith and demonstrating their faith by their deeds (Heb 11:2; James 2:18,22). They brought a better offering. They were taken from this life without experiencing death. They built an ark. They obeyed and went. They made their home in the Promised Land, living in tents. They looked forward to heaven. They were enabled to bear children. They offered their children to God. They reasoned that God could raise the dead. They blessed their sons. They spoke about the exodus. They hid their child. They refused prestige. They chose to be mistreated. They regarded disgrace for Christ of greater value than worldly treasures. They left Egypt, persevered, and saw Him who is invisible. They kept the Passover and sprinkling of blood. They passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. They marched around Jericho. They were not killed. They conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained the promises, shut the lions’ mouths, quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the sword, became powerful in battle, routed foreign armies, received back their dead, were tortured, refused release, faced jeers, flogging, chains, and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, sawed in two, killed by the sword, went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, and mistreated. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes.

While all of these ancients were commended for their genuine faith that was demonstrated by actions, we don't focus on them; rather, they are the cloud of witnesses surrounding us, as we are now the ones running the race. Instead, our focus is on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who led by example with His own faith in action.

Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Run with Endurance, The Active Nature of Faith, Faith Works, The Faith of God, Walking by Faith, Overcomers in This Life, From Self-confidence to Confidence in the Lord, Obedient to the Heavenly Vision, Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work, Seven Things That Accumulate Building Materials in Heaven, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Run with Endurance

Dear friends in Christ, 

Let me encourage you today, especially those of you who feel like giving up. 

The Scripture says, "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Heb 10:36)

That applies to everything you do within God's will, including all your service to the Lord. You need to persevere. You need to hang in there to the very end. Keep on believing God. Keep trusting the Lord!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Gal 6:9).

The promise that you will reap a harvest at the proper time is conditional. It is only given if one does not become weary in doing good, and does not give up.

As Jesus said, "The one who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Mt 24:13).

It's not the quitters who will be saved. He made that clear in his parable of the sower, in which one of the seeds was sown on rocky soil, where it sprouted quickly, but was quickly scorched by the sun (Mt 13:5-6). The Lord said this represents someone who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy, but when trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he soon falls away, because he has no root and lasts only a short time (Mt 13:20-21). The one who falls away from the Lord will not be saved, so you mustn't do that. Likewise, no matter what you undertake to do that is in God's will, you need to stand firm until the end, and finish what you started just as God always does (Phil 1:6).

Nothing that is truly worthwhile comes easily without making any effort. Anything we seek to do that is of eternal value is going to come with challenges and resistance, because we have an enemy that always tries to stop us from doing God's will. That's why we need to be persistent like the importunate widow (Lk 18:1-8). You need to press on, stay the course, and refuse to cave to the enemy.

We also need to remember that trials come to test our faith, in order to produce perseverance in us. James wrote:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (Jas 1:2-4)

This means that what you need to do is change your perspective on the trials, and consider it pure joy. You must let perseverance finish its work in you, which is the only way you will become mature and perfect.

You need to stand firm and let nothing move you, giving yourself fully to the Lord's work, as Paul the apostle wrote:

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, 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." (1Co 15:58)

Before you undertake to do something for the Lord, whatever that may be, you need to pray and ask Him if this is something He wants you to do. Once you hear from Him that it is His will for you to do it, and you have confirmed that it is, by checking the Word of God to make sure it does not contradict Scripture, then that is your direction from God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is what you received when you were in the light.

Once you set out to accomplish it, you will often encounter a crisis of belief, where you will question whether you really heard from God. In those moments when you are in a crisis of belief, you must remember in the dark the direction you received when you were in the light, and follow it by faith without wavering. You must be obedient to the heavenly vision, as Paul was (Ac 26:19).

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is filled with accounts of saints who kept the faith and endured to the end like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. That's our great cloud of witnesses, who have gone on into glory before us, and now it's our turn to run this race. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:1-2).

You must run with perseverance (Greek, hupomonē, endurance). No one else can do that for you. But be sure that what you are running is the race marked out for you, and not the race you have marked out for yourself, or the race that someone else has marked out for you. Be sure it is the will of God you are doing, and not your own. And be sure it is not something you are doing simply to please man.

And don't put any confidence in the flesh. If you put your confidence in yourself, then you will surely fail, as Peter did. Remember that he said, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." (Mat 26:33, 35). Of course, we all know that he did deny the Lord that very same night, and the Lord knew in advance that it was going to happen. But the Lord didn't condemn him, because He knew that it was satan's plan to try and sift Peter like wheat. Rather, he prayed that Peter's faith would not fail.  

Therefore, put your confidence in the Lord, not in yourself, and avoid making prideful oaths like, "I will never do this or that." Rather pray with that same intensity, "Lord help me never to deny you. help me to never quit, never give up, never give in, and never give over to the enemy. Help me never to love my own life, even so much as to shrink from death. Help me endure to the end. May Christ always be exalted in my body whether by life or by death. I trust in you, Lord, to keep me."

Notice it says to fix your eyes on Jesus. That's because all our confidence is in Him, and not in ourselves. We know that, if it were not for the grace of God, then we, like Peter, would deny Him, too. But Jesus is the author and the finisher of your faith. He authored your faith, and He will finish it. He is our perfect example, who endured the cross, finished the work the Father had given Him to do, and sat down at the right hand of God. He knows no defeat. He never fails. His love never fails. And His words will never pass away. 

Closing Words

Run with perseverance the race the Lord has marked out for you, fixing your eyes on Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of your faith. He who authored your faith will finish it. Trust in Him to keep you until the end, because he who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.

You should not quit, give up, give in, or give over to the enemy. You won't accomplish anything worthwhile that way. Unless you are quitting something sinful or bad for you, like cigarettes, heroin, or lying, for example, then you should always finish any good work for the Lord that He told you to do, unless He tells you to stop. There is no reward or honor in heaven or on earth for quitting. Keep the faith. Be faithful in all things. Stand firm and endure to the end. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord. If what you are doing is the will of God, then finish doing it. God always finishes what He starts, and we must be imitators of God. 

I hope this has encouraged you not to quit doing God's will.

Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Faith in Action. The Active Nature of Faith, Seven Things That Accumulate Building Materials in Heaven, Overcomers in This Life, From Self-confidence to Confidence in the Lord, Walking by Faith, Obedient to the Heavenly Vision, Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, Faith Works, Pleasing the Lord, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Wesley and Henry on the Gospel Law

In my article The Spirit's Law of Life, I have written about the biblical expression, known as "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus", which is used in the New Testament Scriptures to refer to the rule of life in the Kingdom of God for all those who believe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I call it "the gospel law" or "the gospel rule", which we must obey. As I wrote in that article, there are seven expressions used in the New Testament Scriptures to refer to this gospel rule, and one of them is "the law that gives freedom", which is found in James. He wrote: "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom," (Jas 2:12). 

In today's post, I simply want to share with you a couple of excerpts from the commentaries on that verse by two famous and well-respected English preachers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries -- Matthew Henry and John Wesley, equating "the law of liberty" with the gospel. I hadn't realized that they did so until after I had written that previous article of mine, but now that I have discovered what they wrote, I want to post it here in support of my point.

John Wesley

When I checked, out of curiosity, to see what Wesley had to say about the law of liberty, here is what I found. He wrote:

"So speak and act - In all things. As they that shall be judged - Without respect of persons. By the law of liberty - The gospel; the law of universal love, which alone is perfect freedom. For their transgressions of this, both in word and deed, the wicked shall be condemned; and according to their works, done in obedience to this, the righteous will be rewarded."

Wesley understood that the law of liberty that James spoke about refers to the gospel, saying that it is the law of universal love. I know that it's a foreign concept for most people these days to think of the gospel as a law, but it's biblical, and it alone is perfect freedom, as Wesley stated. He often follows what Matthew Henry said in the century before him, but usually says it in much more concise terms. 

Matthew Henry 

Here is what Matthew Henry believed as I do that the law of liberty is the law of Christ (1 Co 9:21). In his commentary on James 2:12, he wrote:

"James directs Christians to govern and conduct themselves more especially by the law of Christ. So speak and so do as those that shall be judged by the law of liberty, Jas_2:12. This will teach us, not only to be just and impartial, but very compassionate and merciful to the poor; and it will set us perfectly free from all sordid and undue regards to the rich. Observe here, 

1. The gospel is called a law. It has all the requisites of a law: precepts with rewards and punishments annexed; it prescribes duty, as well as administers comfort; and Christ is a king to rule us as well as a prophet to teach us, and a priest to sacrifice and intercede for us. We are under the law to Christ. 

2. It is a law of liberty, and one that we have no reason to complain of as a yoke or burden; for the service of God, according to the gospel, is perfect freedom; it sets us at liberty from all slavish regards, either to the persons or the things of this world. 

3. We must all be judged by this law of liberty. Men's eternal condition will be determined according to the gospel; this is the book that will be opened, when we shall stand before the judgment-seat; there will be no relief to those whom the gospel condemns, nor will any accusation lie against those whom the gospel justifies. 

4. It concerns us therefore so to speak and act now as become those who must shortly be judged by this law of liberty; that is, that we come up to gospel terms, that we make conscience of gospel duties, that we be of a gospel temper, and that our conversation be a gospel conversation, because by this rule we must be judged. 

5. The consideration of our being judged by the gospel should engage us more especially to be merciful in our regards to the poor (Jas_2:13): For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shown no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Take notice here, (1.) The doom which will be passed upon impenitent sinners at last will be judgment without mercy; there will be no mixtures or allays in the cup of wrath and of trembling, the dregs of which they must drink. (2.) Such as show no mercy now shall find no mercy in the great day. But we may note, on the other hand, (3.) That there will be such as shall become instances of the triumph of mercy, in whom mercy rejoices against judgment: all the children of men, in the last day, will be either vessels of wrath or vessels of mercy. It concerns all to consider among which they shall be found; and let us remember that blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

That was so well stated. Just to recap some of his key points, he wrote, The gospel is called a law, Christ is a king to rule us, and we are under the law of Christ, which is a law of liberty, an easy a yoke and a light burden; for serving God, according to the gospel, is perfect freedom, and we must all be judged by this law of liberty that will determine the eternal condition of all men. Therefore, we must speak and act now as becomes those who must shortly be judged by this law of liberty;

Closing Words

I think that both Henry and Wesley made excellent points, and I couldn't have said it better myself. I hope this has helped to explain and clarify the doctrine of obedience to the gospel that I teach, in accordance with Scripture, as well as the expression "the gospel law", that I wrote about in my article on The Spirit's Law of Life. If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the Holy Bible NIV.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, please see The Spirit's Law of Life and Part II to that article, called The Spirit of the Law.  You may also like Law of Love in the New Testament, Led by the Spirit, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Fully Equipped for Every Good Work

When it comes to being prepared for works of service, that is something that every believer needs, because we are created to do good works (Eph 2:10). The process of being equipped takes time and we should be careful not to try and take shortcuts with it.

The apostle Paul said, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2Ti 3:16-17, NASB)

Notice that he said the servant of God should be adequate and equipped. The Greek word for adequate is artios, which means perfect or complete. The King James uses the word perfect and the ESV uses the word perfect, both of which more accurately translate the original word in the text. The Greek word for equipped here is exartizō, which means to finish out, to equip thoroughly, to thoroughly furnish. This word exartizō is actually a derivative of the first word artios, so when you put these two words side by side, as they are in the passage, artios exartizō, it means completely furnished, perfectly finished out, or thoroughly equipped.

The Lord's purpose is that you should be completely equipped, therefore that should be your goal. You should want to get everything the Lord has for you, so that you are not missing anything at the end of the day. Let Him furnish you completely with all the tools, equipment, and training that you will need to get the job done.

When I was in Army Airborne School, we had three weeks of training to equip us to become paratroopers that would jump out of planes. Week one was ground week when we learned all the things we needed to know how to do on the ground like parachute landing falls (PLFs). Week two was tower week when we learned all that we needed to know how to do in the plane before, during, and after jumping from the plane, as well as during our descent to the ground. Week three was jump week when we actually performed our day jumps and night jumps to qualify as paratroopers and graduate with our Airborne wings. All that training consisted of instruction from Jump Masters, practice, issuing equipment to us that we learned to use, and performing our qualifying jumps from the aircraft.

What if I had tried to shortcut that equipping process? What if I had skipped tower week and not learned how to properly exit the aircraft? What if I had not properly secured my parachute harness and not checked it before jumping, and my chute came off upon deploying when I jumped from the plane? What if I got on the plane and didn't receive a parachute at all and then jumped without one?  Any of these shortcuts would be foolish, resulting in either serious injury or death. 

The same applies to the training and equipping we receive from the Lord for service unto Him. My equipping included participation in worship services and home group meetings, receiving teaching, counseling, and mentoring. It also included Bible reading, studying the Scriptures, Bible School training, Divinity School training at the graduate level, lots of practicum work putting what I had learned into practice in the homes, hospitals, prisons, and streets here in the US and overseas. There were many people involved and many experiences that I had to go through. It's normal to want to get the equipping over with and go "do the stuff." But let's not be in a rush and miss something important the Lord has for us. Let your attitude be that you want to get everything God has for you.

By listing some of the things the Lord used to prepare me, I am not saying every believer must go through Bible school or graduate school. I am simply giving examples from my own life and encouraging you not to take shortcuts in the process.

As Paul told Timothy, the Lord uses the Scriptures to equip His servants, but He also uses other servants for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness with the Scriptures. So this does not happen in a void, but with others whom God uses, namely apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, which we call the five-fold ministry gifts. As Paul said, "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..." (Eph 4:11-12). 

Therefore the purpose of these five-fold ministry gifts is not to do all the works of service themselves, but to equip God's people for works of service. The end goal of this equipping is for those who are being equipped to do the works of service that they were created for.

How long does it take for the Body of Christ to be built up like this? Paul said it needs to happen "...until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph 4:13). I see at least three end results there in that passage: 1) we all reach unity in the faith and in the the knowledge of the Son of God, 2) we all become mature. and 3) we all attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

What will we be like when we reach those goals? Paul said, "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." (Eph 4:14-15). We will become the mature Body of Christ in every respect, which means we will lack nothing.

So let God fully equip you for works of service, and don't be in rush to get through it or in some cases to get that piece of paper that says you graduated. Instead let Him totally outfit you. Let Him do the work He needs to do inside of you and grow you into a mature member of Christ's Body.

One way that I can offer to you to become equipped is our free, three-year Doulos Training School, which is a discipleship training school that provides Biblical instruction, discipleship, practical experience, and accountability. If you would like to find out more about it, please see this link.

Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. Where noted, Scripture taken from the NASB version, copyright The Lockman Foundation, all rights reserved, used by permission. Image copyright Walker Ministries, Virginia Beach, use per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only. 

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like ,Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, Faith Works, Pleasing the Lord, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Overcoming the Fear of Death

When Jesus sent out his Twelve disciples, one of the things He told them was not to fear death. He said:

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." (Mat 10:28-31)

The devil uses the fear of death to hold people in slavery. Scripture says:

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Heb 2:14-15)

It's natural for people to fear death before they come to know Christ. When John Wesley was on a ship traveling across the Atlantic to America, he feared for his life during the harrowing storms that lashed the vessel. However, he noticed that there were Moravians on the ship from Germany, who were not afraid to die. They knew that if they died, they would not perish but go to be with the Lord in heaven, because they had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Lord taught us not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. He taught us to fear God who can kill both the soul and the body in hell. Notice that he said that God can destroy both the soul and body in hell. This proves that He has the power to do more than anyone can do to you here on earth, since nobody else can destroy a soul but Him; and it proves that in hell He can destroy not only the soul but also the body at the same time.

Jesus also warned His disciples not to fear what men fear, since they were worth more than many sparrows. This is also the same warning He gives to us, too. We are more valuable to our heavenly Father than many sparrows.

The things that men fear are not having proper food, clothing, or shelter, because then they might die. But that is due to their fear of death. Once the Lord, who is the Resurrection and the Life, comes to live inside our hearts by faith, then we know that we will not die but live, and if we die, yet shall we live (Jn 11:25). As the apostle Paul said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain" (Phil 1:21), and "To be present in the body is to be absent from the Lord." He said he preferred to be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).

That's why he was able to follow the Lord obediently, regardless of the personal danger it posed to him. He was not afraid to die, and in fact the Lord kept him alive through many hardships including being stoned, beaten with rods, flogged, shipwrecked, and spending a night and a day in the open sea (2 Cor 11:25).

After encountering the Moravians on that ship, John Wesley eventually came to know the Lord personally the same way they did, so that he was no longer afraid to die. If you read his journals as I am doing, you will see that his life was like a continuation of the book of Acts. It's like reading about Paul's missionary journeys. Wesley encountered many dangerous situations and yet the Lord protected him through them all. Mobs tried to attack him, and yet he would come away with only some skin lost from his hand and part of his coat tail ripped off. Or they would throw stones and he might only end up with some dirt on him. Or they would push him off a high wall and he would land safely on his feet. Or they would burst into a building through the front door to attack him and he would walk right out the back door unharmed as they were coming in. He would walk right across a room where stones were coming through the windows, but as he passed in front of the window, no stones were being thrown until he had finished passing by. Or as a mob assembled outside a building that he was in, and someone suggested he flee, he would walk outside right into the crowd and begin talking with them. He fell backwards off his horse, and yet he felt as though someone had gently laid him on the ground. The leader of a mob would come up to him apparently with the intention to harm him, and yet after he took the man's hand and began to speak to him, the man would become docile and lose his desire to hurt Wesley. I admire Wesley for his courage in the face of great danger. Praise the Lord for the amazing way He protected him as he went about preaching the gospel.

May the Lord help us to be strong and courageous. May He help us to trust Him fully. May He help us not to fear man or to fear death, which always leads to slavery. May He help us to only fear God and do His will, knowing that He will take care of us as we do so.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, all rights reserved, used by permission. 

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Overcomers in this Life, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Faith Works, Ezekiel Moses' Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Pleasing the Lord, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Leaving Your Family for the Love of Christ

I'd like to write to you about leaving family to follow Jesus, as He taught us to do. This is a very important topic, since the love that many people have for their families may keep them from obeying the Lord.

When He sent out the Twelve, He said, ""He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Mat 10:37). Our love for Jesus must be greater than our love for anyone here on earth, including our closest relatives, even our mother and father, and even our sons and daughters.

At another time, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mar 10:29-30).

First of all, Jesus led by example, and did not ask us to do anything that He was not willing to do Himself. He left the glory He had with His heavenly Father to come to this dark world (Jn 17:5; Phil 2:5-11). He also left His earthly family to follow the call of God. His own brothers did not believe in Him (Jn 7:5). As He was preaching in a home one day, He was told that His mother and brothers were waiting outside and wanting to see Him. His family thought He was out of His mind, so they planned to take Him under their control (Mk 3:21). But answering them, "He said, 'Who are My mother and My brothers?' Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, 'Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.'" (Mar 3:33-35).

When God tells you to do something, then you need to do it, even if it means leaving your family. I had to do this when my parents were very old. When I told my father that I was going overseas as a missionary, he said that he would probably be dead by the time I came back. I loved him and my mother, and it was heart breaking to leave them, but I loved the Lord more, and I knew He was calling me to take my wife and little children overseas to serve Him in Eastern Europe; so I had to obey the Lord despite the love I had for them and the sorrow I felt, as well as the heartache it caused them. The same was true of my brother and sisters. My brother had tears in his eyes as he bid me farewell at the airport, but there was no turning back.

My wife and I, along with our four children, did go overseas to Eastern Europe. We didn't know when we would ever be coming back, and we were prepared to serve Him there for the rest of our lives, if that's what the Lord wanted. Less than three months after we arrived in Hungary, my father died. Then just seven months after that, my mother died. Before we had been in Hungary less than a year, both my parents had died. But despite the pain of those losses, the Lord was worth it. We continued on with the ministry the Lord had given us to do.

Closing Words
The Lord may be calling you to go overseas and serve Him on the mission field, but you are grappling with the difficult decision of whether to leave your family. If you know the Lord is definitely calling you to do that, and you have received confirmations of that, then you need to follow Him and obey the call.

There may be others of you that the Lord is not calling to serve Him overseas, but He is calling you to separate yourself from your family in some other way. For some of you, there may be something the Lord is telling you to do, but your family won't support you in it or give you their blessing, or be present for it. For others, there may be some area where you simply cannot join in with them with a clear conscience, and the Lord is telling you to come out from among them and be separate. He is calling you to stop compromising. You need to obey Him. Love Him even more than your family. Don't let anything stop you from fully obeying the Lord. I trust this has helped to encourage you to do that today.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, all rights reserved, used by permission. 

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Cost of Discipleship, Is Obedience Optional?, The Obedience of Faith, Following in His Steps, Pleasing the Lord, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.