Servant – Page 15 – Praying Pint

Stay Awake

Therefore be alert

Keeping focus is hard if you lose purpose of what you are or should be focused on. We all have the issues that attack our focus. Culture issues, moral issues, personal issues, family issues, financial issues, work issues, friend issues, neighbor issues,….. there are so many things that can jump in front of our focus and purpose, it takes constant reminder to take care. We can get so caught up that we forget we are here in this life with single purpose to bring honor and glory to our Heavenly Father. When we lose this focus/purpose how easy is it to hear God’s voice leading us. The question seems to be how can I stay focused. Keeping God first in our day, thoughts, and actions. Try it today and ask God to bring to mind every time your focus has gone off Him. Paul says to train ourselves in walking with God encouraging each other all the more as the day of His return approaches.

Matthew 24:42
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

1 Thessalonians 5:6
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Luke 12:37
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes
21:36
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man

Revelation 3:3
Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you

Excuses

Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire

We can all come up with excuses as to why we did or did not do something. When it comes to honoring and glorifying God in our everyday lives do we do the same thing. Do I look to His word daily to find strength? Do I search scripture to know more how to live as a humble servant doing what honors Him? Do I desire to be used by Him however He wants to use me? Am I able to keep the culture around me from diluting my relationship with God? Do I make time for Him in my life? I can find myself coming up with excuses everyday for each of these questions. I’m to busy, I’m tired, to much work to do, school actives, shopping, to cold, to hot, to…….. It is so easy to come up with excuses. Desire to change and choose to live with purpose to honor and glorify God.

Matthew 21:42
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.

Luke 14:16
“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready. ’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused. ’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused. ’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. ’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. ’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room. ’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.

Isaiah 5:3
What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes

Why Forgive Others?

Every last one of us, or someone close to us has been wronged by someone. It will have happened from a stranger, wife, husband, mom, dad, brother, sister, extended family member, colleague, boss. and even us to others, etc…. No matter where it comes from it hurts and I think it hurts most when it comes from those closest to us. Yet scripture is very clear isn’t it – there is no limit on how many times we are to forgive. Our example on forgiveness is to be looked at from the side of understanding what God has done with us who have received His forgiveness. Our Holy God not only forgave us, but also the debt of sin was paid in full by His son. The act of Forgiveness only takes the action of one person. It is up to the individual alone to forgive even if the other person has no desire to reconcile. What would life be like if we were to forgive, forget, and show mercy and love to those who wrong us. Do you want to be a light to the world that sees no hope? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of those around you? Do you want to honor and glorify God? – Forgive those who have wronged you – Show the same grace, mercy and love God has given you!

Matthew 18:21
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy- seven times “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. ’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe. ’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you. ’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? ’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart

Probers 21:12
Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered

James 2:13
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy

Matthew 6:15
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses

Who is the Greatest?

Pride has a way of entering our lives without us even noticing it. More than likely we can look at the last time we were upset and get a clear picture of our heart. It seems simple things will drive us up pride mountain where we take a stand and claim our right to whatever. We must examine our heart and intent constantly to ensure we walk a path of being humble. Sometimes we just don’t know where to start. Choose to desire to know God. Choose to listen to what He is telling your heart. Be obedient to where He is leading you. Pride enters into our lives when our focus is on ME, MYSELF, and I.

Matthew 18:1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

20:25
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many

23:11
The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted

Proverbs 29:23
One’s pride will bring him low,
but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor

James 4:6
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Be like the Teacher

Do you ever wonder what example to follow? Our life is not to be a list of do’s and don’ts. Our life is to be filled with desire and purpose to Honor and Glorify our Master and Teacher. It does not take much reading of God’s word to know we fail to look for His example and obey what it says. What would the world look like if we truly desired to be like our Teacher?

Matthew 10:24
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master

John 13:16
Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them

Luke 6:40
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher

Servant for God

“with whom I am well pleased”. Have you ever given thought to being a servant for God every day of your life, not just on Sunday? What would this servant life look like? This life would begin with a heart desire to honor and glorify God – this life would seek to be used by God – this life would listen for that quiet small voice of God speaking to their heart and would obey – this life would stay in God’s word knowing it will produce fruit in a willing heart – this life would seek the best for others. Everyday we choose in our heart what we will desire. Keep God first.

Matthew 3:17

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased

2 Peter 1:18

For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:4

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved

1 John 5:10

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life