Word of Life

Performance Contract!

“9For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building. 10According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it, 11For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 12But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. 14If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. 15But if any person’s work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire.”| 1 Corinthians 3:9-15

 

Sitting down and listening to several men of God speak concerning this year, I have finalized that God is taking us to another level this year. Many of the anointed men of God that I have sat down to listen to since the 25th of December have all been having a message inclining to "Divine Position" and actualization of Destiny and calling. Pst. David Murithi, Rev. Allan Kiuna and Nebert Njeru of Prayer Breakfast Network Itn’l; all spoke about God positioning his people so that they can be able to fulfill their calling and come to their destinies. God has used last year and the previous years to prepare his people, the ones who have been faithful and patiently waiting on Him to the fulfillment of their calling. Bishop J.B Masinde spoke about this year being the year that we will enjoy the overflow of blessings that God has bestowed on and for us. One thing that is clear and irrefutable is the fact that you can only enjoy the overflow that comes when we reach our Destiny if and only if you are RIGHTFULLY Positioned.

 

We are in a world that everyone is measured and upraised for promotion on the basis on what the person has done and accomplished in line with the job description that they have been given, the goals and targets that they did set at the beginning of the year. The society is goal oriented and thus you have to get your SMART goals and top priorities that you want to focus on and what you will be gauged on. This is from whence your performance will be measured or monitored from.

 

Life is all about targets that you make and always aim at achieving them no matter the obstacles that you meet and encounter on the way to your achievements. We may think that targets are only found in the corporate world but I want submit to you that even in the heavenly kingdom, we have targets and responsibilities that we have been given and we need to achieve them. I know as you are reading this you are trying to ask yourself which targets that we are supposed to reach in the spiritual world, our walk of Faith and salvation… but I want you to know that whatever you see manifested on earth is a replica of what goes on in the spiritual world.

 

This is a new year and I do believe that you have reviewed the goals and targets, priorities and focus areas that you had for last year. I want to challenge you today even as you plan and set your new goals and targets for the New Year ahead. You need to realize that as you set the goals, God is also looking at you and He is behind you to see that you accomplish the same. Many times we think that we just make our plans and we achieve them just because we have the capabilities and the means to achieve them but we need to remember that God always has the final say. Solomon reminds us in |Proverbs 3:5-6| "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track." (MSG). That’s the revelation that we should have and you can be sure that God will order your steps.

 

Jesus said to John the revelator in |Revelation 22:12| "Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit." (AMP). You need to realize that God in heaven sees whatever we do and He keeps records as well and on His second coming, the bible tells us that He is coming with his reward in His rewards in his hands to pay us as our works merit us. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 talks of how our works will be tested by fire to ascertain the quality of our work. This is what the Bible says: "The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. But if any person’s work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire." Your work is what will speak for you. Just as your performance determines whether you are getting promoted or not, so will your work here on earth determine your reward in Heaven.

 

Jesus asked the disciples a very simple but profound question… |Luke 18:8| "I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?" Just like our bosses expect us to remain focused and attain the goals that we have set; so is God. Jesus was speaking to his disciples after encouraging them on the importance of being persistence in prayers. This made Jesus wonder if the believers would hold on to the faith till His second coming. You will realize that what kills many of us is lack of persistence in whatever we do. Once we start something and it seems like its not succeeding, we throw in the towel and give up.. But Jesus knowing how easily we can be discouraged, He took time to encourage us. The question is… "Will you give up that easily?

 

Jesus left us with Four top priority things that we should do. This is what i would consider as the Job description of a believer.

1. Love the Lord your God: This is the first thing that we ought to do and abide with. Jesus said in Mark 12:30 "And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with our faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. The bible says clearly that this is the principle commandment. This is the sole reason that made God create man.. For him to love him and worship him. Our Love for God should not be conditional or dependent on anything that He has done for us… But it should be based on His father relationship to us in that we can always go to Him anytime. How is your Love for God? This is the SI unit of any other form of love that we can ever give to anyone else.
2. Love your neighbour as you love yourself: You can never give what you do not have. Jesus clearly said this; “You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.” |Matthew 22:39|. You got to love yourself first before you can love someone else. First you have to have loved yourself before you can love someone else. You can not be able to show love to someone if you have issues of loving yourself. The source of all Love is God. Once you know God, you know love. |1 John 4:8| says that “He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love.” Get acquainted, Know God and you will know Love and loving yours neighbour will not be a big deal! Love is unselfish and thus when you love, you love unconditionally! God loved us unconditionally and thus when He gave His son Jesus Christ, it was easy for Him to die for you and me! His nature is Love. So Love others as well!
3. Go ye unto the world and make disciples: We can fail to do anything else but this is of paramount importance that we can’t afford not to do. Jesus commanded us in |Matthew 28:18-20| saying: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." This is the mandate that Jesus had from God the father. He came to this world to restore the fellowship between us (you and I) and God and thus from there, we be the conduits by and through which, Christ would be preached to the whole world for restoration. This is the Sole reason why when you got saved, you weren’t taken to heaven instantly so that you can reach out to others and bring them to the knowledge of Christ.
4. Occupy till I come – Simply put in Luke 19:13, “Occupy till I come.” means to be busy, to be occupied doing something, to do business till I come, to work hard and be diligent; share the blessing I have given you; witness to your neighbor; tell others about me and disciple others; serve others; take advantage of the opportunities I put in your hand and to give His kingdom and His gospel full attention until He comes. God wants us to be a living epistle read by all men, until He comes. Find yourself busy doing something for the kingdom of God.

Beloved, Christians can talk all they want about the last days, the end times, the soon coming return of Christ, and spend their lives calculating dates, but if they have not taken advantage of the opportunities that God has placed in their hands, to serve the living God, to reach the lost, to equip the believers, they will miss out on the rewards. Those who do lots of work and talk but produce no fruit for the kingdom, they will see their works turn into smoldering ashes. Jesus said, “Occupy Till I come.” He didn’t say calculate days, talk to each other, hold hands and sing songs, fight among yourselves until I come or don’t spend time on Sunday in church until I come; He didn’t say take pride in debating each other over styles of worship until I come, but He said, “Occupy till I come.”

The question is; what will we do with the opportunities God has given us? Will we accept them or not? God sees your capacity to manage what he has put in your hands, because he notices your faithfulness and then he enlarges your capacity, increases your opportunities and responsibilities. He increases your blessing based on your faithfulness. This is why Jesus said over and over, those who are faithful with little will be faithful with much. Those who are not faithful with little will not be faithful in much|Luke 16:10|. What do you think of your heavenly reward? What do you think you will get? There is nothing in life that can give us the reward that Jesus can and will if we are faithful to Him. There is nothing like hearing, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” |Matthew 25:21-23|.

Keep going for the reward. |1 Corinthians 9:24-25|“Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither.” When you don’t think you’re making a difference, keep going for that reward. When others judge your motives, keep going and looking for that reward.

We have to ask, what is our deepest longing? What is our deepest desire? Let us lay down our arguments, our egos our self serving maneuvers and insecurities and set our eyes on the prize, like the Apostle Paul. |2 Timothy 4:7-8| “I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith. [As to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [victor's] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense me on that [great] day–and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing (His return).”

Amen!

February 13th, 2012 Posted by Mutuma, Dennis | Daily Inspirations | Daily living, Day-2-Day Life, Faith, Life's Challenges, Spiritual Growth; Accountability | 2 Comments