Month: January 2021

The Ultimate Performance Review

“If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”—1 Corinthians 3:14.

Have you ever had a job performance review? If you are in the workplace, you will likely have had one. Employers want to see if you have done what was desired of you and whether you have done it in the prescribed way that has produced results. If you do well, you will be affirmed and may even get a pay raise. If you fail to live up to expectations, you could even get fired.

The Bible has its own performance review. It is called the Judgment Seat, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad”—2 Corinthians 5:10.

The generation that came out of Egypt with Moses is going to have a bad day at the Judgment Seat because we already know God’s view on the matter. “That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways'”—Hebrews 3:10.

The Bible says there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end is death (Proverbs 14:12). There is a way that God wants you and me to operate on the earth. He has given us His Word—our instruction manual—in order to know His way of doing things.

How well do you know the Instruction Manual? Have you read only a few parts here and there? Are you well versed on the intricacies of His ways so that you will be able to have a glorious “performance review” when the time comes?

Take time every day to get your instructions for His ways of living your life. Your reward will be great.

Steps Out Of Jealousy

A young man said to me: “I’m a quiet person, and I’m in love with a girl, but I’m jealous. I get jealous when I see her having a good time with a crowd. She gave me up because of this jealousy and says she won’t take me back unless I get over my jealousy. How can I?” That is a good question. I shared with him steps he should take out of jealousy into freedom.

First – Fix it in your mind that jealousy is self-defeating. Nothing whatsoever is to be gained by it except one’s own increasing frustration. If you want to gain the love of another by the method of jealousy, it only makes you less lovable. It is difficult to love a jealous person. It is a bad strategy.

Second – By a deliberate act surrender that jealousy into the hands of God. You can’t handle it, but you can consent for Him to handle it. Give it to Him. From this moment on, He has it, and you are now to look to
Him and obey.

Third – Consider whether you should confess your jealousy to the person of whom you are jealous. In talking over the matter you may discover that the other will offer suggestions that will lift the whole matter to a higher plane. And the jealousy will drop away.

Fourth – Think and say everything good you can say about the person of whom you are jealous. This will dissolve the jealousy by good will.

Fifth – Not only think and say all the things you can about that person, but also do things that will further him. Look for chances of boosting him – not in talk only, but in sincerity. In doing so, you will go up in
your own eyes and in the eyes of others. And you will go up in fact.

Sixth – Fulfill this verse “So let us concentrate on the things that make for harmony, and on the growth of one another’s character”–Romans 14:19, Phillips. You are a Christian, and you can be a Christian only as you try to Christianize others.

Seventh – Whenever you think of that person, think of him in prayer. Send out waves of prayer for him. They will come back and wash your own soul clean of all jealousy and envy.

Ask the Lord to give you a loving attitude toward all and especially toward those of whom you are jealous. Be determined that envy and jealousy will have no part of you, for Jesus has all of you.

The Real Deal

“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”—Acts 19:11-12.

We have an expression in America that says, “He’s the real deal.” What we are saying is the person in question is really who they are appearing to be. They are not trying to be or convince you they are someone they are not. It is a compliment when someone says “You are the real deal.” It means you are not a hypocrite or trying to be someone you are not.

The apostle Paul was the real deal. God began using Paul in amazing ways as recorded in the book or Acts. When God began to use Paul in such amazing ways there arose people who saw this power who also wanted to do the same acts as Paul. The problem was they were not the real deal. They were trying to be someone they were not. They were trying to appropriate the same Power Source as Paul without ever having a relationship with the Power Source. It nearly killed them.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. [One day] the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.”—Acts 19:13-16.

It is impossible to be the real deal without tapping into the real Power Source. The Holy Spirit is our Power Source.

Do you want to experience miracles in your walk with God? If so, ask God to allow His power to be manifested in and through you.