Living With a Sense of Urgency

By steps2successwithspiritualsolutions on August 2, 2024

Our Daily Walk with Christ - Sabbath Devotional - August 2, 2024

"Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." —Revelation 22:7

"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." —Revelation 22:12-13

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' "—Revelation 22:20

Three times Jesus forewarns us that He is coming quickly. The scoffers, naysayers, and Christian believers who fail to cooperate with the Holy Spirit for Spiritual transformation of their minds, characters, and personalities are not preparing daily for Jesus' Second Coming. What proof do we have that we are not preparing for eternal life? The failure to surrender is evidenced by a lifestyle of self-reliance that overrides our desire to faithfully obey God.

"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). In the Old Testament, Jesus is referred to by the title, Lord God. Jesus wrote the Bible, therefore, He says, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." (Matthew 5:17-18).

"Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city." —Revelation 22:14

For most believers, their contention and inner battle involves the Creation Seventh-Day Sabbath which Jesus tells us, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). These words of the Savior remind us that the Sabbath day was meant to be a spiritual blessing rather than a burden to those who observe it.

"Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." —Revelation 14:12

Satan has introduced many false doctrines to prevent us from receiving our reward of eternal life. Not only has he attacked the Fourth Commandment [the Seventh Day Sabbath], but we struggle with trusting the written Word of God by embracing human interpretation of the Law of God. Jesus' death replaced the Ceremonial Law of animal sacrifice.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus specifically gives us the characteristics of the righteous who will enter the gates of New Jerusalem: Patient, Obedient, Commandment-keepers, Faithful, and Courageous. To be told and accept that only Nine of the Ten Commandments are still valid is jeopardizing our reward of eternal life. Pray and fast, asking the Holy Spirit-The Spirit of Truth for spiritual clarity regarding the Fourth Commandment.

"Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." —Luke 6:12

My beautiful mother is 90. Recently we reminisced on the all-night prayer meetings conducted decades ago which she attended and I accompanied her as a young girl. Not only did the saints of God have steadfast faith, but when faced with tribulation, prayer was always their first response, and God showed up with Sovereign power that most of today's believers can never imagine.

Every Christian's Responsibility: "…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." —Philippians 2:12-13

We have a lifetime responsibility regarding our salvation. Think about your current lifestyle, full of busyness and distractions without sufficient time to deeply commune with God. Christ who was divine and human in His earthly life focused on spending much time in prayer with God, the Father. Considering our spiritual struggle, we desperately need to maintain a heart-to-heart relationship with Christ reinforced by intentional prayer, fasting, and diligent study of the Bible under the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Reflect on your status with God. If Jesus came today, would you receive eternal life? Matthew 25:1-13 is the parable that describes two types of believers, those who have enough "Oil" in their lamps which represents the Holy Spirit, and those who failed to have a steadfast relationship with Christ and ran out of oil. How is it possible to run out of oil?

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." —John 4:24

The use of our time either strengthens or weakens our relationship with Christ. With the gift of 24 hours per day, we reveal gratitude to God by spending time on activities that promote our spiritual growth and maturity bringing us closer to Christ, or we waste our precious gift by using our time to pursue frivolous things. To live a sanctified life requires obedience, perseverance, and continuous anointing and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

To abide in Christ requires time spent in solitude every day in prayer and spiritual quietness meditating on the love of God and the Holy Scriptures. When our hearts are consecrated and filled with love and loyalty to God, we seek the will of God with the desire to reverence and glorify Him through surrender and faithful obedience. With gratitude for Redemption, we dedicate our lives wholly to God.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" —Matthew 16:24-26

Eternal life is a reward. Faith produces spiritual works. God expects us to have a dual spiritual focus. Not only are we responsible for working out our salvation, but we must also witness God's Truth to others. Recognition of our spiritual plight is the catalyst to abide in Christ through discipleship. We use our spiritual gifts to glorify God, spread the Good News of the Gospel, and help those in need.

"You are the branches. Whoever abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit. For without Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Our journey is a personal one-to-one relationship with Jesus who promises to complete the Spiritual Process of Sanctification [Philippians 1:6] when we fully surrender ourselves and commit to serve Him with loyalty and obedience.

Every second of the day, we face Satan who is striving for our souls, but we must fight back in the strength of our Warrior King. To serve God is not for the weak-hearted, to give up our beliefs, desires, and free will requires courage and steadfast faith. Yes, brothers and sisters, it is a daily fight and a tough spiritual journey to live holy, but in the strength of the Almighty God and the heavenly angels who fight our unseen battles, we can live as victorious overcomers!

From our dedication to resisting the snare of today's prevailing "form of godliness," in the power of His Might, we march forward as soldiers in the Army of God. Yes, the righteous who struggle and suffer to live as Christ-focused, Commandment-keeping, obedient, disciples, one day soon, we will hear from our Lord and Savior, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Prayer: Jesus, we love You and desire to live with You forever. We ask You to search our hearts and reveal our sins, habits, and behaviors that separate us from You. Lord, we pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit on living holy so we may receive our Crown of Life. In Jesus' Holy and Righteous Name, Amen.

"But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." —2 Peter 3:8-9