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Before I get into Something that's on my heart today, I want to share something with you.
I seriously considered these past 2 weeks changing this podcast to one that you need to pay for to listen to, through Patreon or Glow which partners with Libsyn the media host I use.
I've been praying for a while now that God would confirm with me that I should continue doing the podcast and that he would also show me a way I could continue to produce it in a way that it would pay for itself as well as pay me something for the time I put into it. I'm trying to be a good steward of my personal resources and make sure that the time I put into the podcast is worth, because there's an opportunity cost with every choice we make. I have a full-time job but outside that job I spend on average 10 hours per episode, or 40 hours every month, which of course takes from time I could be spending with my family and other things at home. I have very low operating expenses for this podcast, about $500 per year, for 3 reasons. The first reason is I do everything. I don't do any outsourcing of the steps needed to plan, produce, edit and release episodes. The second reason my operating expenses are low is that I don't pay myself and never have. The third reason is that I don't spend any money on promotion or really anything other than producing episodes. I'm not complaining, I love doing this podcast, but I've come to a point where I need to find a way to produce some revenue.
This past week was, I believe an answer to prayer. I received an order from a man named Jeremy for my book Jesus is at Work - Having Joy and Purpose at Your Current Job. As some of you know, I wrote and published this book through Tate Publishing. I had to pay $5,000 to Tate for their publishing and for the initial purchase of books. They didn't do really anything to sell the book and then the company went bankrupt and the leaders were arrested for fraud. You can Google this to confirm what I'm saying. The result is that I have a bunch of copies of my book sitting in my closet which aren't doing anyone any good and I'd love to sell them.
If you appreciate the content on this podcast and have been blessed by it and want to support what I'm doing, please buy my book Jesus is at Work. Look it up on Amazon.com and you'll see it on sale for $15 from Spirit Led Men. That's me a 3rd party seller. If you buy it, I'll mail it to you and I'll get paid. In the future, I'll have some other ways you can support this podcast, but for now if you could do that it would help me and you will be blessed by the book as well.
Lay Hold!
Phil 3:12-14 "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Strongs G2638 katalambano "
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to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain, attain to, to make one's own, to take into one's self, appropriate
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to seize upon, take possession of"
Last night watched Season 2 Episode 6 of "The Chosen" where Mary Magdalene did what Baptists would call back sliding. She was redeemed by Jesus but felt unworthy and went back to her old life of sin and wickedness before being sought out by 2 disciples and brought back to Jesus.
It reminded me of something I learned this past year that salvation has 3 parts 1) Redemption 2) Sanctification 3) Glorification. Redemption occurs when we're born again. Glorification won't occur until our bodies are made perfect after we die or Jesus returns. Sanctification is what you might call "the messy middle".
It also reminds me of another great passage from Philippians, chapter 2:11-13 where Paul says "12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
So in this messy middle we call the life of a Christian, or more specifically for our podcast the life of a Christian man in the workplace, we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, which for me means that we should take this very seriously and realize how incredibly important it is. God's will is NOT for us to sit back with confidence that our ticket to heaven has been bought and we should just live our life as we choose knowing we'll eventually be with Jesus in Heaven.
Verse 14 says " Do all things without [d]complaining and disputing,[e] 15 that you may become blameless and [f]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,"
Blameless does not mean perfect but rather that we are pursuing perfect obedience to God.
In John 17:3 Jesus says "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
Sanctification is the adventure of a lifetime, not a holding pattern until we die. It IS eternal life, knowing God now, here, while we are on earth.
Both the Phillipians passages I've ready illustrate so well the mysterious way that God is actively involved in our lives, in our sanctification, while still expecting that we play a role in the process as well. We are to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of us. We are to work out our salvation because God works in us both to will and to do for our good pleasure. Do I fully comprehend that, no. Am I blown away by how cool it is, YES. We don't do good to be saved. We do good because we are saved. And remember salvation is redemption, sanctification, and glorification.
Now I'd like to read to you the First Light devotion I got from Pastor Brian Biggers this morning that inspired me to talk about this topic for this Selah Episode. By the way, if you haven't signed up for his devotion I recommend you do it right away. For one thing, he just sent out an email last week indicating the church he's pastor of, Lambs Chapel, is seeking a new senior pastor because he's retiring, so go to tlcalive.com, go to the bottom where it says connect, and click on "First Light"
"I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me."
How I love this verse and the truth that it conveys! The words "lay hold" are "arrested" in our modern vernacular. I have been arrested a few times (none recently) and I assure you it can be a rather forceful event! The Bible states here that Jesus "arrested" those of us that follow Him. Just as a policeman pursues a criminal to arrest him Jesus pursued us relentlessly to make us His. "Arresters" don't ask, and they don't take no for an answer. How thankful I am that He pursued me and "arrested" me for Himself! But, notice the rest. This verse states that He "arrested" me for something, and I am to "arrest" that which He "arrested" me for. What is it that He "arrested" me for? Heaven? Absolutely! But what about now? His Word reveals the treasury of what He has promised when I am in His family. Holy Spirit power to live, love, be at peace, have hope in my heart, live joyously regardless of circumstances among other great gifts. He promises a life of adventure as I experience His activity in me and around me. He has promised great relationships that He has planned for me. The catalog of faith benefits is almost endless! Obvious question? If He has promised all this great stuff as a result of my "arrest" by Him, where is it? I am willing to be blessed, but I don't see the goods! Go back and read the rest of the verse. You will see that His promised blessings are not automatic, nor do they fall like ripe cherries on me as a believer. What does it say? I must "press on" and "lay hold" of what my heart longs for. A passive religious attitude will leave you blessingless! (it’s a word) I hear aggression in this great Word! I hear a man saying, "if Christ died to bless me then I will go after it until I get it". I may not know how but He don't lie, and I am not going to give up on what He has promised. Do not settle (hate that word) for a less that abundant life when He died to give you something much better! Have you resigned to "getting by"? May I appeal to you from scripture? Do you not think that He who created everything beautiful from the sunset to the coastal plain to the bluebird to the smile of a newborn cannot create a beautiful life? Quit wishing and go fishing! Quit existing and start dreaming again! Decide to "lay hold" of what He died to purchase for you!
Father, forgive me for living so “little” after you planned so big. I want everything I was “arrested” for! Lead me as I press on to lay hold of your promises. Every single one of them!
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He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!
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Ben LaCorte
- Paul in Athens started with what they believed, and then pointed out the hole in their beliefs and filled it in with the true Gospel
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John Shirey
- Tips - it's like gardening and weeding, do a little bit often rather than putting it off
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