September 30, 2022Two weeks ago, I began sharing insights from “Mastering Life Before It’s Too Late” by Robert J. Morgan. In the third chapter of this book, Morgan writes: “We are on earth today because God designed an individual plan for us to be alive at this particular moment, knowing in advance the impact we can have in a world He loves. Since He is all-knowing, the past and future are equally plain to Him.”
Morgan writes about how his life changed when he was nineteen years old, at the beginning of his sophomore year at Columbia International University: “After my roommate told me how Christ had totally changed his life and how I should follow his example in fully yielding my life to Christ as Lord of all, I knelt down in front of an old vinyl sofa at the end of a dormitory hallway and yielded my life to the Lord Jesus as fully as I knew how. I told the Lord I wanted Him to have His way in every part of my life, every day and every hour. I told Him I was abandoning any plans I had for my own life and adopting His will instead, trusting Him to reveal the steps to me day by day and year after year.”
After citing Mark 13:34, where Jesus left His servants in charge of things, “each with his assigned task,” Morgan writes: “Finding, fulfilling, and finishing the task appointed and assigned to us – whatever it is – this is our greatest and only calling in life. It’s the source of our energy and enthusiasm. After all, in its original Greek, the very word translated ‘enthusiasm’ was coined to describe the incredible attitude of the early Christians who had God in their hearts – en (in) theos (God) – en-theos-ism. There was no extant term for the new-found passions of excitement exhibited by the early disciples, so onlookers simply said, ‘God is in them! They are en theos-ed (enthused).’”
On Tuesday, George Worthy shared this in his brief (www.worthyministries.org): “According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment, the day when the righteous have their names inscribed in the Book of Life and the wicked are judged for their transgressions. It is a day to commemorate the creation of the world, the creation of mankind, and the Akeida, the binding of Isaac to the altar.
On this day only the ram’s horn (or the shofar) is blown in synagogues all over the world to commemorate the ram that was provided in lieu of Isaac’s life and call us to repentance.
After the sound of the Shofar, many eat apples dipped in honey and say “shana tova oo-metuka” (to a good and sweet new year)!
This is a time of conception of goals and aspirations of things we desire to attain for His Kingdom during the next year. It is a time to pray for the world to unite and press forward under the banner of Messiah. It is a day of salvation for all mankind both Jew and Gentile alike.”
May we determine to live one day at a time, committing ourselves to serving the Lord, who loves us so much and longs for us to walk closely with Him.
Scripture for the weekend: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men. This is mine: that a life spent in the service of God and communion with Him, is the most pleasant life that anyone can live in this world.” – Matthew Henry