Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings.
Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where His feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
Rise up, O men of God!
William Merrill wrote these stirring words in 1911, and they still call us to a nobler life of service to our great God.
Before we rise up, we must wake up. Let us wake from the slumber which dulls our senses to a lost and dying world. Heaven is calling through the gospel, and hell is real for those who refuse. This hasn't changed.
Let us wake up to the gospel message of love--which is kind and gracious because it tells the truth and gives hope. The gospel is the way out of immorality, the way out of guilt and hopelessness, and the way out of deception. Jesus is still the way, the truth, and the life. Let us wake up to what we have in Christ and who we are in Christ. Let us wake up and remember that we are nearer salvation than when we first believed.
Let us pray before we rise up. Pray for wisdom to know how to live in a world that doesn't understand or appreciate your commitment to God. Pray for strength and courage to do what is right each day. Pray for comfort; God's grace is sufficient for us. Let us ask God to forgive our weaknesses and give us a new heart full of determination to love Him.
Let us rise and take up our crosses; let walk where He walked and as He walked. Let us renew our zeal and build our fervor for the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our true leader, and only He can take us to Heaven. Only Jesus. There is no other Lord. Let us serve from our hearts to please Him. Die to yourself and grasp His will.
Let your light shine. Speak a good word for Jesus. Refuse to be angry. Rejoice in the Lord. See your friends' burdens and help them. Never give up.
God is not unfair. He recalls the good you do (Heb. 6:7-9). Your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). It is never in vain. The world is lost in vain pursuits (Eph. 4:17-24); its works are vanishing away (1 Jn. 2:17). But your labor in the Lord is productive of an everlasting good. Get busy.
Phil
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Thanks so much for your comments. We have so much to do, no matter who our leaders are. But, we have to wake up first - wake up and pay attention to the world around us. Reminds me of Eph 5:13-14,"But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Eph 5:12-14
Post a Comment