About My Father's Business

About My Father's Business

Luke 2:49 - And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

I went on my first short term mission trip last month and this theme was prevalent in all that we did during our stay in Bukere, Uganda. "I must be about my Father's business." Since my return the lenses I see life through have become quite different. I have been transformed by Christ in a whole new way.

The weeks leading up to the trip were filled with anticipation and preparation. I had many uncertainties and concerns. On occasion I was challenged with thoughts of not wanting to go because of these concerns, but once I arrived, I was filled to the brim with the Love of God and fulfilling His business there. Shortly into the trip I was now not wanting to return home to the everyday life I so reluctantly left behind.

The Lord spoke many things to me during my time away. The most clear instruction came during a devotional we had on about the 10th day of our trip. It came from both the books of Ecclesiastes and the book of John. Ecc 1:3 asks "What does a man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?" And in John 6:27, Jesus instructs us to not labor for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life.

As I prayed over these verses I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit speaking to me. "What is all the toil you are doing in your life... you are spending much time taking care of your wants and desires and My work is going undone." As I continued through Ecclesiastes I was struck by another key verse. Ecc 6:7 says, "our toil is for our mouth, yet our appetite is never satisfied." That is exactly where I have been over the past many years that I have been serving Him. My day is spent toiling after food that perishes and yet, I am never satisfied. The blessings that were coming to me through the Holy Spirit while serving in Uganda was far more satisfying than what my everyday toil was and is bringing me. So I sought Him to help me know what to do next.

As I listened to what He was speaking to me I heard the word... "downsize." Not just the things I have stored away in my attic, basement, closets, and garage :) but to downsize my responsibilities and time. To cleanse myself from the things that are distractions. Extra work loads, entertainment, down and idle time that is beyond the necessary rest the body requires. To downsize my life in material and other ways.

So here I go... downsizing my life to free up not only my resources, but my time as well. To do what the Lord has called each of us to do. To be "about my Father's business" rather than my own.

Who's business are you about? Is the Lord calling your to be about His business and trim a few things from your life like He is mine? If so, what are you doing to answer that call?

While in Uganda we encountered much poverty. The belongings I have in my bedroom alone are worth more than most families worldly possessions. As we were digging our trench to feed a water line to the village one of the villagers said to a companion of mine, "All we need is water. We have electricity some of the time, but we don't need it for life. We need this water for life."

What a basic concept and a life lived in simplicity. The message, "All I need is water to survive!" God spoke to my heart and I will never be the same. To live here on this earth is temporary and I must be simply about my Father's business. So that is what I will be about.

Have a blessed day,
Keith

Secure In Your Salvation... What Does That Mean?

I often hear the phrase "once saved always saved" thrown around by Christians and it is the subject of much debate. I also hear the phrases such as eternally secure, justified, assurance of your salvation, and more, talked about as well.

Today I want to spend a few minutes diving into the scriptures and not into myths, opinions, or misinterpretations. I know there are two sides to this topic and I know I fall on one of those sides. Such it is with life. There will always be areas of discussion in our faith that both sides will never agree on. However, I see clear scriptural evidence that supports one side alone.

Is a person secure in their salvation? 

That is the question...

Let's begin with the premise that salvation is the work of God and not of man. For the sake of the length of this post I will not include all the verses that support this premise, but if we can come to terms with this then we are on the same track.

Next, man has the opportunity to respond to salvation. Some believe man is chosen by God and his response is simply an answer to the call, while others believe Jesus died on the cross for all and whomsoever chooses to believe will be saved. Great... let's not get into this debate here either. Let's just agree that Jesus died and to be saved man has a responsibility to respond.

Now a bit more challenging question arises at this point. Who keeps us faithful. What I mean by that is this. Is it a work of the flesh to stay believing or is it a work of the Holy Spirit. I often hear Christians say things like "It is all a work of God." And "God directs my path."  I also know that many believe that to stay saved you must do good works. And there are many who feel like they can just leave their salvation if they want. Walk away from it like the power of the cross meant nothing. (The question I have with that one is why would you if you are a new creation with the heart of Jesus in you... and how many times can you come back and forth? One day I am saved the next day I don't want to be... Kind of a weird one for me to buy into) I digressed... The Bible tells us otherwise. Staying in the faith is a work of God and not of our own doing. 1Sa 2:9; Psa 37:23-24, Psa 37:28, Psa 103:17-18, Psa 125:1-2; Pro 2:8; Isa 54:17; Jer 32:40; Joh 4:14, Joh 5:24, Joh 10:28-30, Joh 17:11-12, Joh 17:15; Rom 8:31-39; Phi 1:6; Jud 1:1, Jud 1:24

1Co 1:30  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, 

and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

Then comes evidence of our salvation. The Bible tells us that if we are saved we are a new creation. The old is passed away and the new is come. (2Cor 5:17) It also says that we are crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. (Gal 2:20) Therefore, if we are saved then we are a new creation with the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our hearts. We live in Him, by Him, with Him, and for Him... We have been bought with a price and our lives are no longer our own. Because of our new birth there should be evidence of this. The Bible makes it clear...

So a person who is is truly saved should show evidence of their salvation through their obedience to Christ. This is the fruit of salvation, not the method. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, show evidence of our faith by the lifestyle we live and the service we do for others. Gal 5:19-25; John 8:31; 2Tim 2:19; Rom 8:13; 1John 1:8-10; Eph 1:4-5; 1Thes 2:12; Col 1:10... and there are so many more. As you can see, a regenerate person who lives by faith shows it by their obedient lifestyle.

Jas 2:14-26 - Faith without works is dead!

Now the struggle I believe most of us deal with... sin! Oh boy, we just had to bring that one up didn't we. How do we deal with a person who says the "sinners prayer" and then goes on living just like they did before? How do we deal with a person who looks like a Christian in every way and then walks away from the fellowship and says they don't believe in God any more? How do we come to terms with people who try to live a godly life and struggle with addiction to drugs or pornography? How about those who loved Jesus, lost a family member to a tragic death, struggled for ten years and then came back to the faith? How do we deal with a friend or family member who accepted Jesus, was baptized, and now lives enmeshed in the world? So many questions... I am certain you have come to terms with or are trying to come to terms with at least one of these questions.

Can I sin so bad, so long, or so often that I 

walk away from my salvation?

Please remember, this post is not to judge whether or not you or anyone in the circumstances above are saved. That is the work of God. It is to show what the Bible says about assurance in your salvation. So let's move forward...

Now some answers...What does the Bible say about assurance?

Let's start with a couple of verses in Hebrews. Heb 6:4-6

Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV  For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,  (5)  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,  (6)  and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

In these verses it appears that there are some who have been "enlightened," tasted the "heavenly gift," and shared in the Holy Spirit and then fell away. How do we contend with that? Matt 13 is a good example of what the writer of Hebrews is talking about. The person in question hears the message of the Gospel, gets excited about it, samples the power of the Holy Spirit, and then decides that the ways of the world are far more pleasurable than following after Jesus. So the question this passage brings up isn't whether or not the person is saved and walks away from their salvation. It begs to ask, "was this person a new creation?" Where they crucified with Christ? Did this person have fellowship with Jesus and abide in Him? Did they bear fruit or just thistles? Verses 7-8 discusses this:

Hebrews 6:7-8 ESV  For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.  (8)  But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

Both the saved and the unsaved drank from the rain but one bore thistles. Not because they were saved and fell away, but because their heart was not fertile soil and they never received the rain.

John tells us in 1John 2:19 that those who depart from the faith were never really one of us. You will hear clever arguments that there is no such teaching in the Bible that states: "If a person walks away from Jesus they were never saved." Well, I beg to differ with those arguments. This verse is very clear that if you depart from the faith you were not one of us. You were never saved to begin with.

1 John 2:19 ESV  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Jesus tells many that claim to be followers of Christ to "Go away, I never knew you." Then He calls them workers of lawlessness. These people appeared to be doing good things for Jesus. They looked like "good Christians" on the outside but their heart was far from Him. Notice one key phrase in Matt 7:23... "I Never Knew You!"

Matthew 7:23 NASB  "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; 

DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

The thing with salvation isn't about us knowing Jesus. Many claim to know Jesus. James tells us in Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. So salvation isn't about us knowing God, it is about Jesus knowing us. And when He knows you, you will never be cast out. You will be secure in knowing that no one can snatch you from your Fathers hand.

So, back to the last question. What about sin? Can we agree that the Apostle Paul was probably one of the most influential writers of the New Testament and that his work in ministry will span from our generation to the next to the next? Is it safe to say that he will more than likely be a partaker of the heavenly gift of salvation? If we can agree to that, then maybe what he wrote in Romans will give us a little light to what the scripture says about sin and our salvation.

Romans 7:18-21 NASB  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.  (19)  For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.  (20)  But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.  (21)  I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

Paul struggled with sin. I struggle with sin. You undoubtedly struggle with sin. It is in our flesh nature to struggle with sin. The problem isn't do we sin. The issue is do we live a lifestyle of unrepentant sin. Does your sin bother you? Are you, as the late John Owen said, "mortifying sin every day?" Are you taking your sin to the cross and asking God to forgive you or are you in denial of your sin and act like it is no big deal.

How we live is testimony to whether or not we are saved. If we deny our sin and claim to be a Christian then we are deceiving ourselves and calling God a liar. 1 john 4:1-10

So to come to a simple answer about security in salvation. Yes, if you are a follower of Christ and love Jesus you can be assured that as you follow Him and persevere in your faith you will be called home to Glory and spend eternity with Him. If you said the "sinners prayer" and live like the rest of the world you might want to check yourself. The Word makes it clear that salvation isn't about finding a get out of hell free card and once you think your saved you are always saved. There must be evidence... fruit and perseverance.

I hope this blog post is helpful. I know that it is quite long but because of the subject matter it is quite difficult to condense to any less than this. I would welcome your comments or discussion. Feel free to comment and i will try to respond as quickly as I can.

Have a blessed day!
Keith

Sovereignty Saturday: The Omnipotence Of God

The Omnipotence Of God

Omnipotence: An attribute of God alone. It is the quality of having all power (Psalm 115:3). He can do all things that do not conflict with His holy nature. God has the power to do anything He wants to.

Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (esv)

Omnipotence is the attribute of God which allows Him to bring all that He wills to pass. His power and ability has no limits and no boundaries. There are many places we see this in the scriptures. God didn't have to raise His hands, He simply spoke and the universe came into existence. (Gen 1:1-3) The story of Saul's conversion in Acts 9, the hardening of Pharaohs heart (Exo 4:11; Exo 4:21), and even the time in Luke 22:22-23 when Satan wants to sift Peter like wheat and Jesus, being aware of the intentions of Satan, prays for Peter and strengthens him.

All these passages are true life situations that tell a story of the sovereignty of God. He has a glorious and mighty purpose and He has the power and authority to carry it out. In James 4:13-15 we are reminded that we do not know what tomorrow will bring us. We may make a plan to do this thing or that, but the ultimate plan is what the Lord allows to come to pass. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

Daily In Christ - Sovereignty Saturday Challenge

Today's Sovereignty Saturday Challenge is this. Prayerfully read through the scriptures in this post today. As you read through them, ask the Lord to reveal areas of your life that you have not surrendered to His sovereign control. Finances, relationships, work or school situations, ministry opportunities. Whatever He lays on your heart I encourage you to give it over to Him.

There are so many areas we try to keep control of, and as we are reminded in James; if He wills, we will do this or that.

Blessings to you today as you surrender your life more fully to Him.

Keith

Blinded By Self Sufficiency

This post isn't for those who choose to be faint, for those who want to be nominal, or for those who desire to remain proud. It is for those who are ready to quit playing church, stop relying on yourself, and be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus.

Being a disciple of Christ is a life changing calling. It requires one to look at where they are in their life, at where they are going, and decide, "Which direction do I want to go?" In America we make becoming a Christian an event that looks something like this... It is the end of the service and the preacher just finished a nice talk about how much God loves us and wants to bless us..."Bow your heads and close your eyes. Now if you feel God is speaking to you today raise your hand. Thank you, I see you over there, yes I see your hand... OK, open your eyes. Everyone who said yes to Jesus today we have a table in the back where you can let someone know that you became a Christian today. Bless you, have a great week!"

I have read my Bible for many years and I am still trying to find the part where Jesus, or any of the disciples for that matter, called people to say a "sinners prayer" and they will be saved. Jesus says that being a disciple will be costly, difficult, and may even take your life. We have put our spin on the Christian faith to look more like a social club rather than men and woman being sold out for Jesus. It concerns me that there may be millions of people who have said the "sinners prayer" and continue to live their normal American dream life and have the idea that they will one day be in Heaven. Jesus tells the people in Matthew that those who hear His words and put them into practice will enter the kingdom of Heaven. And those who don't... well, you read the verses and see for yourself. (Mat 7:21-27)

If you are a Christian today who gave your life to Jesus and you don't live for Him, I suggest that you rethink your "Christianity." Paul tells us in 2Cor 5:15-16 that we no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ. And Galatians (Gal 2:20) tells us that we have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ in me. There are dozens of verses that I could share, but I think the Bible makes the point extremely clear that a follower of Christ lives for the Glory of Him not for the uplifting of one's self.

2Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 2Cor 5:15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (emphasis added)

The church of Laodicea had a similar problem as today's typical American church. (Rev 3:14-22) They were blinded by their own self sufficiency. They had money, they had it all together, and they needed nothing. Not even God... What was the response from Jesus for this lukewarm group of Christians? He spit them out of His mouth. He tells them to purchase His gold and wear His garments, and cleanse their eyes so they can see. Many people I encounter who call themselves Christians have really nice homes, great kids, beautiful furnishings, a plump 401k, new cars, and haven't stepped foot into a church for many years. They declare how blessed they are! "Blessed?" Having a bunch of nice stuff isn't a blessing, it is a burden. It keeps us from seeing our need for Jesus to come in and radically transform our lives. This isn't being blessed, it is being blinded by self sufficiency and thinking it is from God.

Self sufficiency is a sin. Many words can be used for this, but one stands out to me the most; PRIDE. Prov 16:5 says: ​​​​​​​​Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. It is an abomination to God to be self sufficient. Self sufficiency is reliance on one's abilities and taking credit for one's efforts. It is being a friend of the world and an enemy of God. One day your joy will be turned to gloom and your laughter into mourning. Turn to Christ, become humble, and He will exalt you. (see Jas 4:4-10)

Jesus told the rich man in Luke 12:18-25 that he knew the commandments and the rich man agreed that all of these he has kept. When Jesus heard the man tell him that he has kept all of the commandments, Jesus told him this: “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” The man went away sad. He didn't realize that the treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, doesn't hold a candle to the treasure he would build up in Heaven by being obedient to Jesus.

Following Jesus is costly. It isn't about making a one time decision and having the golden ticket to get you into heaven. It is about being willing to listen to the Holy Spirit of God and following what He tells us to do. Sometimes it is to give up your family, sometimes your possessions, and always He calls us to give of our life. It is about picking up your cross and following His lead in your life.

Matt 16:24-28 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

I truly believe it is time to get the American way of life out of Christianity and especially out of the church. In my post "Have You Been Transformed" that I wrote a couple of months ago I touched briefly on this topic. I made mention to the fact that doing good things and living a good life isn't what being a Christian is all about. The non-Christians do that every day. It is being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and everything we do is a reflection of Him. If we want to be a Christian nation we need to be a nation filled with Bible believing followers of Christ.

So here is my challenge to you. If you have made a decision to follow Christ and your life looks no different than the guy next door who isn't a Christian, I challenge you to open your heart up to what God would have for you. Pray that the Spirit of God would speak to you today and continue to pray and listen over the next couple of weeks and months. Be open to what He would be telling you. In addition, start reading the Word of God every day. And if you haven't been connected in fellowship for awhile, get into contact with "That one person..." you know the one I am talking about. The man or woman in your life that you know is on fire for Jesus. Call them today and tell them you want to radically change your life for Jesus and in doing so you want to begin to impact those lives around you.

I know, it is a lofty challenge, but Jesus never said following Him would be easy. He said it would cost you everything. Don't let the blindness of self sufficiency keep you from experiencing the blessings of God. Be willing to give it all up for Him should He ask you to. Be willing to serve in ways you never imagined. And be willing to lay your life down for Jesus.

Blessings,
Keith

Is God In Control?

Two things have been tugging at my heart recently. The first is the complete Sovereignty of God in all things and the second is my response to those people He places in my path and how I relate to them in relation to my Christian faith. These topics could take up hours of blogging and writing so I won't even think about trying to tackle them both in one little post. So, today I want to simply write about my thoughts pertaining to the Sovereignty of God. (In brief of course)

Sovereignty to me can be such a daunting word. One of those words that is rarely used in our conversations unless you are a Christian, and even then it seems like the understanding of Sovereignty in the Christian world has fallen away like the horse and buggy. A.W. Pink, in his book "Sovereignty of God," opens his first chapter like this:

- The Sovereignty of God is an expression that once was generally understood. It was a phrase commonly used in religious literature. It was a theme frequently expounded in the pulpit. It was a truth which brought comfort to many hearts, and gave virility and stability to Christian character. But, today, to make mention of God's Sovereignty is, in many quarters, to speak in an unknown tongue. Were we to announce from the average pulpit that the subject of our discourse would be the Sovereignty of God, it would sound very much as though we had borrowed a phrase from one of the dead languages. Alas! that it should be so. Alas! that the doctrine which is the key to history, the interpreter of Providence, the warp and woof of Scripture, and the foundation of Christian theology should be so sadly neglected and so little understood. - (A.W.Pink 1886 -1952)

So what has happened that even the church has moved away from the understanding of God's Sovereignty? Are we desiring control in our lives so much that we have neglected to put God in the place where He belongs?

When we speak of the Authority of Jesus we talk about His ability to be in control of, or reign over our lives. As fellow Christians we understand that to follow Jesus is to give up our sinful way of living and take on a new life in Christ. We are a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come. But what does it mean to give Christ authority over our life?

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth...

Jesus declares in this passage that He has "all authority." If we believe the Word of God to be true then we must consider what it means for Him to be over all things.

• Are we actually giving God permission to do anything?
  
• If God is already Sovereign over all things then what role do we play in His ability to govern over our life?
• Why should I even do anything if He is in control and already knows the outcome?

These questions and so many more I have considered in my walk with God. I will write more on my views pertaining to God's Sovereignty, but for now I am left pondering what it means for me when I acknowledge God is the one who is in control... He is over and through all things and it is by His power I am able to live.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the Sovereignty of God. Feel free to post a comment...

Blessings,
Keith

A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life

"He, therefore, is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life parts of piety, by doing everything in the Name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to His glory.

We readily acknowledge, that God alone is to be the rule and measure of our prayers; that in them we are to look wholly unto Him, and act wholly for Him; that we are only to pray in such a manner, for such things, and such ends, as are suitable to His glory." (A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life - William Law, A. M. 1686-1761 *see note below)

One thing I am reminded of every time I read a book or writing from an early church writer is the need to live a life holy and devout and completely for the Lord. This quote from William Law is right at the beginning of his book and sets the tone for how we should be living our life today as a Christian. It isn't about legalism or performance, it is solely about being completely sold out to Jesus in everything we say, do, and think. Living a devout life comes from a heart that has been renewed by the spirit of God and can only be done by the power of God.

Are you desiring to live out the will of God in your life? Do you put forth effort every day and try to do the right thing but it just seems to be an uphill struggle? I encourage you today to walk in the spirit of God. (Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.) When we look to God and spend our time in devotions to Him rather than wallowing like a hog in the ways of this world we can use the power of the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. He is the vine and we are the branches. A true follower of Christ understands that everything we do is done through Him, by Him, and for Him. Our job is to abide in Jesus and the fruit of the spirit will come. (Joh 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.)

So how do I abide in Jesus? That is a question I have asked myself over the years and every time I found the answer I thought to myself, "surely there is another way, I don't have time to do that..." To abide in Jesus means to stick to Him. To be by His side every moment of the day. To spend my time with Him. Not my extra time, but all my time. He doesn't want the 5 minutes of leftovers at the end of the day, Jesus wants my entire heart, mind, and strength (deut 6:5) to be captive for His eternal glory.

"Abide in Me" Jesus says. When we allow the distractions of our job, family, entertainment, and other activities to keep us from Him we are a making them a higher priority than Him. Psalms 1:1-3 says this: How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

William Law continues, "But we can no more be said to live unto God, unless we live unto Him in all the ordinary actions of our life, unless He be the rule and measure of all our ways, than we can be said to pray unto God..."

Jesus is our Lord and Savior who deserves all of our affection. When we grasp the depravity of our condition prior to meeting Him and the glory of our salvation and what that means for our eternal well being, then how can we not want to devote our entire being to Him? Even in the ordinary things we should see Jesus working in our life.

Lord, I pray today for my heart to be like your heart. I want to be a mirror to the world and have it display the reflection of your love. Help me meditate on your ways day and night and put aside all the distractions the world tries to throw my way. Amen.


*note: The William Law quoted in this post is not the Latter Day Saints William Law from the 1800's. This William Law is the British Theologian...

Do Not Love The Things Of The World...

1Jn 2:15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (nasb)

Being a believer and living in this world can be very difficult. We are faced with temptations, lusts of the flesh, and opportunities to partake in sin around every corner. We are called to not love the things of the world but to do the will of the Father.

In order for us to do the will of the Father we first need to understand what that means. Finding God's will for our life can be a challenge if we are looking for things to do rather than just being in Christ and allowing the spirit of God to guide us in this. The first step to understanding God's will in our life is to not love the things of the world. When we spend our time watching television, going to movies, acquiring or foolishly spending money, and other things that tempt us and take our time away from God, we are showing that we love the things of the world rather than the things of God.

This scripture reference tells us that when we give in to the things of the world rather than spend time with Christ and doing the things He leads us to do we are showing that the Love of the Father is not in us. The things of the world are decaying and will one day be gone. The love of the Father is everlasting and when we accept Him we are a new creature and the things of the world must pass away in our lives.

Do not love the things of the world but love the things of God. This is how you accomplish His will. Love God, love people, and serve those who have a need.