Untied for a Purpose - June 9, 2014

Scripture: Luke 19-20

30 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said.33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”
34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.
38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of theLord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”
39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

Message:
Untied for the purpose of being used for GOD's glory.

Observation:
We are all tied to things in life. Just as this donkey was tied to the fence, never been ridden, his owners thought he would never be ridden for all of his life. But when they untied this donkey for Yeshua to ride on, this donkey's life has changed, it was now a useful donkey that people could ride on.

Application:
Is there something you've never done in your life? Something that is useful to GOD and would give Him glory? If so then maybe it's time to allow change in your life. GOD can change your life in a moment just as GOD has changed this donkey's usefulness in a day. But first we have to be untied from the many things in life that has kept us from being useful to GOD as we ought to be. Just like this donkey we are meant to be used by GOD and to give Him glory.

Passion - What Drives You?

23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.[c] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

-2 Corinthians 11

If you have nothing to do die for, you have nothing to live for. Passion. This is where success comes from. This is what accomplishment is all about. One cannot achieve greatness without passion. Passion will overpass hardship and difficulty. How does one man go through such hardships to the point of death yet carry on such work with passion, diligence, and whole hearted devotion? Passion. This is what Paul had but the very reason why he has Passion is because first of all, he understands his purpose in GOD because it came from GOD. Purpose precedes Passion. But without Passion Purpose will come to no avail. What is your passion? What drives you? Whether it be serving Christ in Church, or living on the edge of life car racing, let it be for the purpose of His glory.

What is your Purpose? Find out what that is... for your purpose will drive the wheels of your life to the direction where your heart is. Let your purpose be right, let it be not just for the temporary life here on earth. Let your purpose be divine, eternal, exceeding even your day of death, leaving a lasting legacy in this life and earning great rewards in the next life to come. When you reach your goals, your purpose will speak loudly to the people in your life watching you. It will not be hidden, it will be evident and will receive praise from men and honor from GOD according to the purity of your purpose He has assigned to you. Life is an Assignment, know what yours is, seek, ask and GOD will be there to answer you.

For Him Alone

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[j] this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
- 1 Corinthians 15


This wonderful secret is the hope that so many of Yeshua's followers await in every year of their lives walking in faith. That great day when death will not be able to exalt it's power over any of those who belong to GOD but in one second, the living will suddenly be taken up to the Heavens and be transformed after the dead has been raised first. This is the most awaited day of every believer and lover of the Messiah. If we know that this day is coming, what should we do now in order to align ourselves with this great day? How should we live? 

As the scriptures have said, let us be strong and immovable. Let us stand firm in our faith. For many things will happen to our lives in order to test us. Many will try to deceive us and bring us out of our faith, but blessed are those who stand firm till the very end because the LORD has promised to reward the faithful. We should not give up believing, should not waver in the promise of GOD when He has promised us great things too wonderful for our minds to grasps. We should continue to fight for what He has called us to do, we should not let anything or anyone fool us into thinking that GOD has changed His plans or His ways because GOD remains the same yesterday, today and forevermore. Do not let anyone dictate how you ought to live for GOD, not religion, not any form of sect or organization. Hear from the LORD yourself and press on towards what HE is telling you. Work for Him and Him alone, not for the honor or pleasure of men but for His pleasure and glory alone.

Reflecting His Glory

14 Everything I did was honest.
Righteousness covered me like a robe,
and I wore justice like a turban.
15 I served as eyes for the blind
and feet for the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor
and assisted strangers who needed help.
17 I broke the jaws of godless oppressors
and plucked their victims from their teeth.

- Job 29

Job was a man of integrity and faith. He helped his community by serving them in righteousness in justice. He displayed GOD's glory by being a reflection of GOD in showing compassion and mercy to the needy by helping them. He became like GOD to those that are helpless and weak. GOD longs to use people like Job to display His character and goodness. If we are just like Job, available for GOD to be used at any time, we will be like Jobs in our society, respected and honored greatly because of what GOD can do through us.

But in order for us to be like a Job, we have to first walk with GOD faithfully. It takes a lot of discipline to be a man or woman of faith, following GOD diligently, listening to His voice early in the morning for instructions of what He wants us to do. Are you in love with GOD? That when you wake up in the morning, He is the very first thought that comes to your mind? It is GOD's desire for us to walk closely with Him. It is hard for humans to walk in the Spirit relentlessly because we are naturally born in the flesh. But imagine the work GOD can do through us in this world if we just chose to live our lives reflecting His glory. We will be planet shakers, world changers, making a great difference in this world. Are you willing? 

Glory in Sufferings

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

- Romans 5:1-5

Justice is the quality of being fair and right. It is hard to comprehend that even when we are proven wrong because we are sinners, we will be judged as right because we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is just one of the great privileges that followers of Jesus can be assured of because this is the promise of GOD. When we have Jesus, we have everything that human eyes cannot see in the natural world. We look forward to the future even thought the world is falling apart. We can rejoice because the more we know this world is coming to an end, the greater the hope in our hearts that Jesus soon return is getting closer. But it is not easy to be a follower of Jesus in this present world. GOD never promised an easy life but a victorious one if we continue to trust, follow and remain in HIM. 

Everyone in this world goes through trials and hardships, both the wicked and righteous alike. But the righteous, the one's who have Jesus can suffer with purpose when they go through trials and hardship because the word of GOD says we can glory in our sufferings. Sufferings will produce within us the capacity to endure trials, forming within us a character that is patterned after Jesus and because we know that our sufferings are with purpose, we have hope. Hope that the world can never understand unless they too will receive GOD's gracious gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the light we we shine, this is how we become different from the world because we can glory in our sufferings. We are not hopeless in sufferings, we are glorious even in our sufferings through the Spirit of GOD that is working within us.