Following Christ English

  To be “right” with God, we must first understand what is “wrong.” The answer is sin. “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3). We have rebelled against God's commands; We “like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6). The bad news is that the penalty for sin is death. "The soul that sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). The good news is that a loving God has inspired us to bring us to salvation. Jesus declared His purpose to be that He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), and He declared that His purpose had been achieved when He was “finished” on the cross. !” Died with words (John 19:30). Having a right relationship with God begins with confessing your sins. Next comes a humble confession of one's sins before God (Isaiah 57:15) and a determination to give up sins. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10). This repentance must be accompanied by faith –

“I have chosen Bezalel.” Exodus 31:2    The first person in the Bible who was said to be “filled with the Spirit of God” was Bezalel. And if his name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because he wasn’t a prophet, priest, king, or apostle. He was a craftsman, skilled in design. He had an eye for color and a flair for management, and when it came time for building the tabernacle, he oversaw the job. Here is what God said about him: “I have chosen Bezalel…and…filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts” (Exodus 31:2-5 ). Imagine being Bezalel. From your youth you loved to work with your hands. You don’t know God is involved in this—but He is! He actually placed these desires within you. When you’re working, the joy you feel is actually the presence of God. You have certain strength

  “Those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1Co 4:2    Most adults spend about half their waking lives at work. Your work is a huge part of God’s plan for your life. He designed a specific vocation just for you in which you should find personal fulfillment, meet the needs of your family, and help to perpetuate His purposes in the earth. The fourth commandment covers all seven days of the week, not just the Sabbath. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work…for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth” (Ex 20: 9,11 NIV). Sometimes you hear sermons designed to make you feel guilty about not keeping the Sabbath, but have you ever heard a sermon designed to make you feel guilty about not honoring the six-day workweek? The point is that just as God made and loves the Sabbath, He also made and loves work. The Bible says, “The kingdom of God is in your midst” (Lk 17:21 NIV). Whether you’re a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker, you’re required to demonstrate in

“Whatever you do, do well.” Ecc 9:10  In the Bible, you will notice that everybody works! And most of its heroes had secular vocations. Isaac developed real estate, Jacob was a rancher, Joseph served God best by staying in his well-paying government job rather than starting a nonprofit, faith-based organization to do charity work. Daniel was an immigrant who attended Babylon’s version of Oxford and grew to be prime minister. Lydia was a profitable businesswoman in textiles. Conceivably the ultimate expression of how much God values work is Jesus the carpenter. More than three-quarters of His life, He occupied Himself in the building profession, creating benches and tables, and was probably engaged in construction. The word we translate “carpenter” comes from the Greek word tektón, from which we get our word technology, and would contain the capability to do stone or masonry work. The Bible was penned by workers, about workers, and for workers. Work was God’s idea. “The Lord