Richard Craig, Author at GraceAndWorks - Page 30 of 59

Getting from point A to Point B can happen in many different ways. Do you walk?  Do you roller skate or use a skate board? Maybe a surf board, jet ski, canoe or a motor boat. How about a bicycle, motorcycle, 18 wheeler, pickup or a car? Could it be a hand glider, helicopter small plane or a jet. Getting from point A to point B happens whenever something has a starting point and an ending point. Things that use a clock for instance–A work day, race, TV shows, cooking, and the list goes on. Life has a starting point and an ending point–Birth to Death.

Most of the things listed above don’t need directions, or very few. If we were take a trip, say, driving from California to Florida, we would not only need some type of transportation, but also would probably need directions. Yes, you could probably get there, somehow, without a map of some kind. But, if you want to get there in shortest amount of travel and time, you would have to have some kind of a plan. If I were doing this kind of trip without direction, I would end up on wrong roads and probably end up lost and be somewhere other than where I wanted to be. OR throw my hands in the air and quit and go back to where I started from. Is this beginning to sound like life?

All of this is especially true in our Christian lives. We all start at point A, Baptism, and end at point B, Heaven. However to get from point A to Point B we HAVE to have a plan, or a map, if you will. The map we have is the Bible. God says that we need to obey His commands and he will prepare for us a place (Heaven). He has provided us with His Living Word to give us the map and directions, that we need, to be successful in these Christian lives. We have to stay on the right roads. We have to stay on course. We have to remain steadfast and not get distracted. We must not throw our hands in the air and give up.

We MUST obey what God says and follow the directions, He has set before us, to gain the home He has promised.

We have incentives in life that keep us going. Love for others so that we might have love from them. Money is almost always an incentive. Eating right so that we may have good health. God’s love for us and His written word so that we might gain a home in Heaven with Him. I want to take a look at incentives that Paul talks about in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.

A) Incentive for Conversion.

For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you TURNED TO GOD from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come. 1st Thessalonians 1:9-10

B) Incentive for Faithfulness.

For what is our hope, or joy, or Crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. 1st Thessalonians 2:19-20

C) Incentive for Love.

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in LOVE to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. 1st Thessalonians 3:12-13

D) Incentive for Holiness.

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 1st Thessalonians 4:1-2

E) Incentive for Comforting.

For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore COMFORT one another with these words. 1st Thessalonians 4:16-18

F) Incentive for Watchfulness.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night or darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us WATCH and be sober. 1st Thessalonians 5:4-6

G) Incentive for Confidence.

Now may the God of peace sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1st Thessalonians 5:23-24

H) Incentive for Endurance.

Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels. in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, AND on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2nd Thessalonians 1:6-8

I) Incentive for Victory.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2nd Thessalonians 2:8

Whatever your incentives are, make sure your incentive to get to Heaven takes priority!!

Have a good week all–SMILE God  loves YOU!!