"God Will Show You There Is More Work To Do In You"

Think you've arrived? Fancy yourself a spiritual dynamo? Jesus has done so much for you and in you?

Trust me. I don't care how far you've come, there is more to do in you. You have the rest of your life.

Philippians 2:13 (AMP) - "[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight."

You can't do it. You really can't "work on it". I know it's popular to believe that, and it sells a lot of books, but really...you don't have the capacity to fix what's wrong, nor to know when you have peaked.

The truth is: 1). You never "peak". There is always another level, another plane to ascend to. 2). You can't get there on your own strength and determination. It's great to read your bible every day, it's great to attend church, it's great to pray "without ceasing". These are all things that are good and beneficial to the believer. However, not one of those things will create or sustain the work Jesus needs to do in you. 3). It is the Father. It is Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit. The effectual work (work that actually has an effect upon you) is done by them completely. 4). Your role is to recognize number one, resign yourself to number two, submit to number three.

Paul follows with Philippians 2:14 (AMP) - "Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves]."

There's the "God will show you" part. You don't have to do a thing. You just being you in need of a further Jesus work in you is enough.

Just back off a little and see how fast you start to go backward. Take your eyes off Jesus for a moment. Lay your cross down for a rest for a New York minute and see the result. Funny thing. You don't just stagnate or go static. You start to freefall into the downward spiral.

Watch a blazing bonfire as it dies down and begins to cool. Brightness and Heat become darkness and cold. As long as there is one sparkling ember it can be brought back to a roaring blaze. But even that one lonely ember will eventually turn completely cold. The cold dark place is a frightening prospect.

God will show you there is more work to do in you.

You can continuously have to paddle back upstream just to get where you were with Him last week, or you can get in His boat and ride with Him. It's always a chore to have to hitch a ride to catch up with Him. There's that nasty little personal embarrassment you have to get past. The eating of some crow. The nagging sheepishness of knowing you have lost ground. It's having to look Jesus square in the eye as He pats the seat next to Him and says "Well...c'mon, get back in."

Blame it on a blind hit by the devil, obstinately hold onto you thinking you were right, or simply back off the spiritual carnage a moment and acknowledge, "Methinks God has more work to do here."

No shame in that, but don't use that as an excuse.

Get on your face for your sake. This is not optional. There's more work and God's the only One who can do it. It's all about His pleasure, satisfaction, and delight in you.

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><