"Called Unto God's Kingdom And Glory"

I Thessalonians 2:9-13

9) For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

10) Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

11) As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

12) That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

13) For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

I

t is all too common for one to desire to be used of God, yet not be willing to prepare himself for service. This preparation usually means that he will be required to do something other than what he would like. Undoubtedly, man has dealt with the same thing for years; yet each successive generation, seems to believe that its members will be able to receive from the Lord without anything being asked of them.

Why would we ever think that we can live our life after salvation in any way we choose? We talk and sing of the "army of the Lord," yet we try to avoid being soldiers. However, our job is very much like that of a natural solider in that once we enlists in the military he must follow their rules. So must we, then, follow the rules of our "Commander-in-Chief."

In that once we are saved, we are called unto God's kingdom and glory, we have to know that He will instruct us. After all, it will be his "rep" on the line. That being the case, He is not going to allow anyone who is not ready to represent Him.

All those who would aspire to serve Him in the ministry need to understand that God calls no one who is not baptized in Jesus' name and filled with the Holy Ghost. You see ministry to God is not what one believes it to be, but what God has decreed that it is. So, your opinion of what God requires is not important, but rather, what is true according to scripture. "So, you want to, be a minister?" Then, acquire the credentials.

What we need to understand is that the issue of salvation is the issue of control. Especially as we approach the end of these "Last Days," the Lord is increasing His efforts to show us the importance of Him having full control.

One of the biggest problems with God's Church is credibility. Many proclaim membership, but live no differently from those who profess allegiance to nothing and no one. Salvation must become important enough to us that if we are willing to tell others that God can and will help we will also be willing to be the first illustration of our claim.

Those who are called unto God's kingdom and glory have a personal obligation to follow His plan, whether they are in agreement with it or not. This will gain for us the experience necessary to be able to prove that what we say works.

You will never know until you successfully do this, how liberating it is to change your focus of your situation. The Lord continually instructs us through the example of Jesus Christ to get us not to focus so much upon what we are going through, as what we are about to accomplish.

The time has come to examine oneself and one's motives in being saved. This walk is about gaining recognition for God and the only way to do this is to not be concerned about oneself. Being completely comfortable in the Lord and with oneself is as easy as accepting that God is control. Once one accepts this, he is forever without any excuse, for having a bad attitude. Why? Because bad attitudes are a sign of "defensiveness" (that is worrying about oneself and one's situations).

Make no mistake: yes, the Lord wants us to be blessed, but He blesses us that we, in turn, might never believe that it is because we deserve them or work so hard for them.

The kingdom of God is one of joy. However, even something given to us that we are to enjoy is to be selfless. It is to be based upon the Lord: what and who He is, as opposed to how we are treated or what is happening to us. This is how people are really won to the Lord.

A call to the kingdom and glory of God, by definition, would have to be a call to joy, happiness, and peace. He wouldn't have gone, and would not go, to such trouble to leave us in our misery.