The Right Seeds

COL 1:17-18 NIV

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

As we run the race that God has assigned to us, there are a few lessons that are worth repeating here, which I believe will help us arrive home safely. First of all, God must be the centrepiece and foundation of our lives and pursuits. There is nothing that can work well or end well if God is not involved. He's before all things, and it is only in him that your life finds fulfilment. No matter how hard you work, or how fast you run, God has not given his best rewards to the man with the highest investments of energy or strength or human wisdom; he's simply a God of grace who shares his blessings the way he sees fit. How would a Jabez have qualified for mention in the Bible if not for God? How would you have heard of men like Paul, formerly Saul, if not for grace? What of men like Midst, even with his violent past, or Abraham himself, who had to learn patience and trust the hard way?

Secondly, Jesus is coming back for a church that is ready for him. I believe this is where we mostly miss it. We have suddenly elevated our denominational differences above the most important qualification: salvation. We assume that you must belong to the right place for you to make heaven. The only condition on record, for a man to be saved, is to confess his sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Where he belongs to is a question of growth and fellowship, as long as God alone is truly worshipped. I wonder which church the thief on the cross belonged to, which qualified him for admission into paradise. I admit that it is important to belong where growth in Christ is paramount, but I believe that we must draw men to God first, as that is the only way they can meet with the God who can bring them into the rest that he has promised.

Are you ready for his coming? He's coming for a glorious church, without spot, wrinkle, blemish, stain or dirt. Are you ready? Do you belong to him? His time of favour is here.