566 - Thank you Jesus

Good Morning - the first thing I would like to do is introduce the first - far from the last - invited speaker to Speaking Thru Me Ministries. Dr. Leah Adams!!!!!!!!! What an incredible woman. She is a pharmacist by trade, but a speaker by heart. She lives in Georgia and I assume DOES drink sweet tea! ha! Leah has been teaching at her church and speaking for quite some time now. God confirmed her calling this past November at a Leadership Conference in Nashville. She is the Women's Ministry Director at her own church and can be found here http://www.thepoint-leah.blogspot.com/. Leah's schedule is filling up as I type and God is blessing her efforts. She wholehearted endorses the commitment of STMM as being a fee free speaker as God has led us for 2008 - and beyond possibly. Leah is a details woman and for that we are praising God!!! Please, please stop by Leah's blog and say congrats and welcome. We are trying to make more speaker decisions as we go - thank you for your patience if you are one that is waiting!

"Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully." 2 John 8.

Oh Lord, I think about the times in my life that I have been so close to a goal and then I just could not get over the hump or achieve the top of the mountain so to speak. Like losing weight. I get within 5 or 10 realistic pounds of the goal and i guess become satisfied! I am not sure what it is, but get so close and then cave, give up, or just get stale. Honestly there have been many times in my most recent past of like 5 to 10 years where I get 5 pounds from the goal and then I get pregnant again!! Ugh!!! Precious child, but not precious pounds to start all over with again. Or what about the times as a tennis player that I would get so close to being on top of whatever goal and then just could not get past a certain player or could not find it to practice just a tad bit harder to achieve that level... What about getting into an awesome routine of quiet time and then something changes - summertime, spring break, moving, sickness, etc. I lose what I have work so hard to gain!

This verse in 2 John warns us to not lose what we have worked for. According to the scriptures in Phil. 2:12 we are to "work out our salvation". We are not working for our salvation - there could never be enough done that we gain our salvation. It is just like it sounds - we are giving our faith a workout to confirm it is real and that it stays strong. Keeping it honest! Having been an athlete pretty much all my life I can attest to the fact that it is so hard to get in shape, but so easy to get out of shape. We can work out for 3 weeks before we see any kind of improvement, but can miss 1 week of workouts and totally lose a good foundation. The same is true of our faith. We can be growing in our faith - usually due to a tragic or at least tough event or circumstance - and then things begin to get better. In that easier time we begin to slack off and lose what we have worked for.

2 John is a book to a church of that day telling them to be wise about all the deceivers and antichrists. An antichrist is anyone that claims he is God and/or demands to be worshipped. In the end of times - that is now! - there will be many antichrists - we must be aware. Yes, there will be the final one, but up to that point there will be many. But John does not want them to lose the ground they have already established or worked for. Keep working it out he implores them. I have to tell myself the same thing. Don't get stale or stagnant! Don't believe everything you hear - test it with the scriptures.

Just like with those diets or tennis workouts, when I do go the extra mile and achieve that goal there will be a reward or as the scripture states I will be "rewarded fully". There are times that the reward is the reward itself - an achieved goal, less weight, accomplished feeling a routine followed affords, etc. But when it comes to my Jesus rewarding us fully it goes way past just a temporal reward. Not only the peace He promises us and gives us fully, so many other things as well - many things i can not speak of because they are too wonderful for earthly words. You know what I mean if you have expereinced His blessing or rewarding. Thank you Lord and praise you!!

The following verse in 2 John, verse 9, also warns us to not "run ahead". Oh how even as a follower of Christ do I do that. I begin to think I do know something or am something and try to run ahead of what He wants, has planned, or has for me. I begin to do things on my own power, in my own timing, and on my own will. And what do times like that look like or promise - destruction!!! I just don't want to go there - not ever......again! Thank you Father for keeping a tight reign on me. Lord, keep me from me! I am my worst enemy. Keep me close to you and longing to be more and more near! Help me to wise to the deceivers and the Deceiver! Oh Lord, I love you and thank you for your Word! It is holy and You are holy. Refine me!