Do Good

Happy Sunday!

It was a great week!  Full, and tiring but good!  I celebrated my 53rd Birthday.  I vividly remember being 15 and thinking a 35 year old person was SO OLD!  LOL!  My how the tables turn!  But as I always tell younger people who think they are old, "You can't get old until I do, and I'm not old!"  If 120 is my goal, I'm not even middle-aged yet!

Dr. Bill Winston continued the series, "Christ In You", with the subtitle, "The Greater Works".   He said, "People have the idea that Christianity is all about escaping the World and going to Heaven".   You know the old Negro Spirituals, and hymns we were raised on, "Soon I will be done, with the troubles of this world, the troubles of the world, the troubles of this world...and...I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away, when I die Hallelujah by and by...and...By and by, when the morning comes, all the saints of God will gather at home".   Do we need more examples?  I hope you get the picture!  We have work to do right here on this earth.  No matter what age, race, or socioeconomic level...God intends for us to do the WORK of the Kingdom! 

John 14:12 describes the kind of works we should be doing..."Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and GREATER works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."(KJV).   OK, so if God expects us to do greater works, we probably should understand what the works of Jesus were.   Acts 10:38 says, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."(KJV).   Let's not make it more complicated than it really is.  Stop in the first part of this verse and we have enough to keep us busy for the rest of our lives!  DO GOOD!

1 John 3:8(b) says, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."(KJV).  The greater works we are to do involve destroying the works of the devil.  When we do good...we are doing what Romans 12:21 commands, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."(KJV).  Every time we choose to do good we destroy the works of the devil.   Jesus said, “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that."(Message).

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, "Yet I am so thankful to God, who always marches us to victory under the banner of the Anointed One; and through us He spreads the beautiful fragrance of His knowledge to every corner of the earth."(Voice).  Let God use you to do greater works this week.

Love and prayers, Cynthia