John 15: 14 - 16, You are My friends if you do whatever I
command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what
his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard
from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you
and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should
remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. NKJV
There are Christians, and then there are obedient Christians.
Jesus teaches that if we discipline ourselves to follow His will and not our
own, it affects how He views us. Consequently, do you seek the Lord so that you
might know and do His will in your life? Are you a disciple of God's Word? And
do you allow it to be the standard by which you live your life? If so, then
Jesus sees you as His friend.
In America, we have within our government an organization
called the Central Intelligence Agency. This group of people handles some of
the most classified and sensitive information concerning our national security.
However, as important as this information is to our public defense, it doesn't
even compare to the wisdom that Jesus reveals to those who obey His will in
their lives. Doesn't the Bible teach us that except the Lord watch over the
city, the watchmen stay awake in vain? If we should be so consumed with
temporal knowledge that we make no time or effort for serving Jesus, what will
it profit us eternally? Absolutely nothing!
Jesus' desire is that we, His disciples be obedient to His
voice and His calling, thereby fulfilling His divine purpose in and through our
lives. As we are faithful to Him, He will begin to reveal His hidden wisdom and
secret plans to us. It is vitally important that Christians learn to be obedient
to the Lord. Our submission will allow Him to have greater influence in the
direction of the affairs of all men.
When we are well-trained in our obedience, Jesus will see
that we are raised to places of prominence. For example, God revealed to Joseph
in the book of Genesis the interpretation to Pharaoh's dream. Therefore, as a
result of having divine insight, Pharaoh exalted Joseph over both the economy
and the plan that carried Egypt and the Jews through seven years of famine.
It's high time for us as the people of God to set our
affections on things above and not on the earth. We need to be about our
Father's business; we must allow Him to use us as SALT and LIGHT so that this
world might be preserved from corrupt men. You may see yourself as insignificant.
Nevertheless, all you need is to be obedient and faithful to God. He will take
care of the rest. Who knows? You might just be the next Esther or Nehemiah that
God uses to deliver His people.
May we all lay aside every weight and the sin that so
easily ensnares us and let us run the race that God has set before us with
great joy and endurance. Jesus desires to call us His friend.
Serving His Purpose,
Pastor Asa Dockery
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