FINISHING WELL

FINISHING WELL

By Pastor Mark Taylor

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing”.

 (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

God wants you and me to finish well.  He wants us to be able to say as Jesus did:  “I have glorified You upon the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4).  There is a lot at stake in this matter of serving the Lord.  First of all it is a privilege that you and I have been chosen to be one of God’s children; Jesus said:  “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you” (John 15:16).

There are many reasons why people do not finish well.  Some people do not finish well because they have sinned.  Some do not finish well because of disappointments in others who they had faith in.  Some do not finish well because they feel they have failed before, so why try again.  This could be a failure in a business endeavor, in a relationship, or even as a parent or a child.  Some people will not finish well because they quit.  They did not complete something they should have finished so they have lost confidence in themselves that they can finish well.  Some people will not finish well because of the lose of a loved one and they become angry with the God who loves them and wants to help them..  Some do not finish well because Satan has attacked them and knocked them down and they have lost the will to get up and fight again.. Some people will not finish well because of loneliness, depression or discouragement.

One of the greatest things about God is that He continues to work with men and women despite their own limitations and failings.  Too often they do not allow God to complete what He starts within them.  The Lord Jesus wants to finish what He has started in you.  “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”  (Philippians 1:6).

To often people allow their circumstances to stop the Lord from putting the finishing touches on their lives.  They allow the bitter disappointments, the trials they are forced to endure, and the very dilemmas of life shape their character in such a way that nothing profitable ever comes of them.  Jesus gave us a warning about looking backwards. "Remember Lot's wife.” (Luke 17:32).  She had escaped the fire and brimstone of Sodom, but failed to follow God’s instructions and lost her life.

If you find yourself ready to quit, you need to understand that God is standing by ready to help you.  If you have found yourself in one of the reasons above that people do not finish well, consider these verses:  “Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not” (Jeremiah 33:3).  “This poor person cried, and the LORD heard, and saved him out of all his troubles. The Angel of the LORD camps round about those who fear Him, and delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the person who trusts in Him” (Psalms 34:6-8).

“For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Proverbs 24:16).

When you and I feel like quitting, we need to look up.  The Lord is the only resource that we can depend on to be there to help us day by day. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth” (Psalms 121:1-2).

If you are a Christian, but you have become discouraged, keep on working for the Lord and remember where you are headed. Your blessings could be right around the corner or down the road.  If you turn back, you will never receive them.  God honors one thing above everything else and that is faith.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible….But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:1,3,6).  Remember "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12:34).

Abraham Lincoln went bankrupt twice, three of his four sons died before the age of 18, he had a bad marriage, and was defeated in eight state and national elections before he became President.  Harland David Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders started franchising Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants at age 65, using $105 from his first Social Security check to fund visits to potential franchisees.  He went to over 200 restaurants before someone bought his idea.  These are examples of men that did not quit and became successful in politics and business.  Just think what we can accomplish for the Lord if we are willing to keep on going in our failures and never let money, age, or negative comments of others affect us.  Many of you may be close to accomplishing something great in your life, but you have doubts about your abilities or resources.  Paul said: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).   

Your enemy is Satan and he wants you to fall down and stay down, Jesus wants you to finish well. “The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).

God wants you to finish well.  “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” (Micah 7:8).

The blessings and benefits of finishing well are worth getting up and continuing the fight.  “But as it is written: “ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”  (I Corinthians 2:9).

LIVING A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE ON LESS

LIVING A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE ON LESS

A person’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he has  

Luke 12:15

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has made it clear many times in His teachings that  happiness is not derived from material possessions.  It is derived from our relationships, and our overall health and wellness.  Once you learn to detach happiness from acquiring and owning things, you can focus on what truly makes you happy, and that is living a life of giving and receiving love.  Your truest sources of pleasure and joy are free.

Owning things is not a bad thing. The problem begins when our things begin to own us.  In fact, God has promised those that follow Him both spiritual and material blessings on this Earth and in our life in Heaven. Blessed is the person that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.  For they shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters, and that spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green and shal not cease from yielding fruit.  (Jeremiah 17:7-8).  

You can live a life of abundance on less by getting the right attitude about the many things you already have in your life.   The problem many people have today is that they allow the things they own to define who they are. 

Having less does not equate with being less, or missing anything.  Too much stuff can cause emotional pain because some are either worrying that they do not have enough to keep up with someone else, or that somehow they will lose it.  

Our Lord is telling us in the verse above not to worry about what you have or do not have.  He is telling us not to worry about what others have.  He is telling us to make our lives a place where peace and calm lives instead of of stress and anxiety.

One message from the Lord Jesus to you and me today is for us not to get caught up in the buying frenzy that goes on during this time of the year.  The job of commercials is to sell you on the idea that if you buy their product, you will be happier.  The truth is that after you have something for a very short period of time,  it no longer holds any value.  I am sure there are many things you have bought for yourself, your children, or grandchildren that are broken, discarded, or stored in a place where they cannot be found. Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth...but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21).

You already have an abundance of good things available.  The problem is that you are letting material things rob you of the important things of life.  What we really need this time of the year is more simplicity, more relaxation, more energy, more time, more joy, more freedom, more flexibility, and more of the things we truly value and need to live the life we want.  Living a life of abundance on less is about filling our souls rather than our physical space.  It is about peace of mind rather than just more, more, and more.

No one should feel like they have  nothing when they can count on God’s love, the love of their family, and the love of a church family.  Even when there is a lack of material possessions and money a person can and should feel very rich if they have these things.  Great peace have they which love your law: and nothing shall bother them  (Psalm 119: 165)  The quantity of our  stuff  should not be considered the measure of our success.  God does value your worth on what you have or what you can give.  He loves you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you.

As you enter the end of this year, why don’t you think about how you can live on less.  Because as you free your life from all the material things, you can open space for more spiritual things.

You make be thinking you don’t have much to give to others this Christmas.  You can give more this year than you have ever given to those you love.  This year think about giving more love to your family members and your Christian friends.  That love can be demonstrated in inexpensive and free gifts such as hand  made gifts and baked goods.  It can also be demonstrated in acts of service like helping someone with your time.  You can give more with notes of kindness and appreciation.  You can help an elderly person with a repair at their home or take them shopping, or buy them some medicine or food.  You can help a child by tutoring or volunteering in an organization that spends time with them.  

You don’t have to wait until Christmas to give gifts.  In fact you can have Christmas 365 days a year.  You can visit a nursing home and have prayer with someone who never gets a visitor.  You can go to a rescue mission and donate some of the clothes you never wear to someone who has very little or nothing.  Give, and it shall be given unto you... (Luke 6:38).  This is not just speaking about money.  It is talking about acts of love and kindness.

You can live a life of abundance on less.  One of the keys to happiness is not to dwell on what you don’t have, but to be thankful for the things you do have.  Remember the song: Count your many blessings, name them one by one.  Count your many blessings and you will see what the Lord has done. Don’t think about what you don’t have, but think about what you do have.  Most people in the world today have less than you do. Today, begin to live a life of abundance on less and multiply what you have by giving to others.