I was 17 and preparing to drive across the country to study at Central Bible Institute in Missouri. Mom handed me a new Bible with the message of the tract you see here tucked inside and Philippians 1:6 underlined. It would be easy to quote the verse, but I know she would prefer that you look it up yourself, as I did. I have shared this verse and tract with my family and the pastors I have worked with over the years. It is one of those special, come-what-may promises from God, not just to my mom and me, but to generations who came before us, and to you too, if you choose to be a devoted follower of Jesus.
Others may, You cannot
IF GOD HAS CALLED YOU
to be like Jesus, he will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, imposing demands of obedience that may prevent you from following others or comparing yourself to other Christians. In many ways, he will appear to allow other good people to do things he will not permit you to do.
OTHER CHRISTIANS AND MINISTERS
who appear very religious and helpful may manipulate situations and devise schemes to execute their plans, but you cannot, and if you attempt it, you will encounter such failure and admonishment from the Lord that it will leave you deeply remorseful.
Others may boast about themselves, their work, their success, or their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not permit you to do so. If you begin to boast, he will guide you into a profound mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
THE LORD MAY LET OTHERS
be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because he wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for his coming glory, which can only be cultivated in the shade. He may allow others to be great but keep you small. He may permit others to do work for him and receive credit for it, but he will have you work and toil without fully recognizing how much you are contributing; and then, to make your work all the more precious, he may let others get the credit for the work which you have done, and thus make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.
The Holy Spirit may keep a close watch over you with a jealous love and may rebuke you for small words and feelings or for wasting time, which other Christians never seem to mind. So, determine that God is an infinite Sovereign and has the right to act as he wishes with you. He may not clarify the countless things that puzzle your reason and his dealings with you, but if you devote yourself as his love slave, he will surround you in a jealous love and bestow many blessings upon you, which only come to those in the inner circle.
SETTLE IT FOREVER THEN
that you are to engage directly with the Holy Spirit, who has the privilege of restraining your speech, binding your hands, or closing your eyes in ways that he does not seem to apply to others. When you are so filled with the living God that, in your innermost heart, you are pleased and delighted by this unique, personal, private, and jealous stewardship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have discovered the entrance to heaven.
I know! It feels like a high mountain to climb, doesn’t it? It is, and I’m still climbing. Mom set the bar high for a reason. She knew I had a long way to go and might sometimes be tempted to quit or slip and fall. Moms are not perfect. Mine wasn’t. But the mom who sets a high bar, who loves you deeply and prays for you, too? Well, experience has taught me she is right almost all the time.
May Jesus keep us close.
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And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
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A career opportunity from Movieguide:
Movieguide Career Opportunity for College Students – a paid summer internship at our Camarillo office, just north of Los Angeles, California. This is an 8-to-12-week program that provides interns with valuable real-world experience by assisting with Movieguide® ministry projects related to their field of study, while offering a broader understanding of the entertainment industry.
This internship is perfect for Christ-centered, passionate young adults who aspire to make a positive impact in Hollywood through our various initiatives, including our nationally broadcast awards show, global screenplay competition, extensive reviews, red carpet coverage, and many other endeavors.
College students and grads are encouraged to apply here: https://www.movieguide.org/careers/inklings
Please consider forwarding this to someone you know who would thrive in the position!
The Movieguide team
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And another pastor friend and ministry colleague, KEN JONES, offers Perspective readers something unique—a four-minute word of encouragement to start their week.
Below is a link to Ken’s latest Classic State of Mind – Click Here To View The Latest Radio Post.
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Get ready for the second book in the Cain Family Thriller series – Prize Child.
The Cain’s suffered the loss of one daughter, and now the other has disappeared. Twelve-year-old Jessica Cain is missing in the Middle East. What began as a vacation trip with her father has turned into a terrifying ordeal with terrorists who have found their perfect pawn.
Crushed by guilt for leaving her there, John Cain is determined to find his daughter. But how?
Meanwhile, terrorists take aim at the world where countless lives will be lost if an ominous riddle is not solved in time:
“That which flows from under the Temple will poison the earth.”
Prize Child… available soon on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or anywhere you buy books.
And have you read September Strike? (Book One in the Cain Family Thrillers)
Devastated by family crises, and discouraged with a divided church board, John Cain is ready to resign as the senior pastor at Baytown’s Calvary Church. But his resignation will not solve anything. The Cain family, the church, and the world are about to change; and out of their pain, they must face problems and perils they could never have imagined. (on Amazon, B&N, or order from your favorite bookstore)
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