EFFORT-LESS: THE WATCH LETTER
I ran across some notes from August of this year, and our Pastor, Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn said: "GOD IS WISE ENOUGH TO KNOW YOUR EFFORTS."
We loosely throw around the phrase "God knows my heart." But we say it in a smug way. We say it as if we are getting away with something. We say it as if God is not alive and as if he is not all powerful, all seeing, and all knowing.
Yes, he does know our hearts, and he knows the hearts that we think no one sees. He knows how we really act inside our hearts.
Hebrews 4:13: Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
One writer put it like this: You act by your heart. So, the root of our efforts starts with the condition of our hearts. We can be doing and saying all the right things, but if our hearts are wrong, what does that make our efforts?
Here's an example: The Bible says God loves a cheerful giver. So, we may make an effort to be joyful each time we give an offering or share something with someone. But if all we do is complain on the inside of our hearts about what we need and want, what we do or don't have, or what we think is owed to us, it doesn't matter how much we rejoice going to the offering basket.
If we have no cheer at home or in our dealings with one another outside of the church building, then instead of bringing joy with our offering, we are really bringing a discontented spirit.
In that same teaching in August, Chief Apostle Gunn said: BE CONSISTENT.
Think about your sink faucet. Every time you turn it on, you expect to get the same quality of water. If it sometimes released brown, murky water and sometimes released clear water, you would not consider it quality water; you would consider it unclean or assume your plumbing system was out of order.
So, how do we think the murky things we say and do from and in our hearts match with the clean lifestyle we portray on Sunday? God sees our efforts. He sees the effort we put forth to wrong someone, hide our sins, or undermine the truth just as clearly as he sees the efforts we put into praise at church.
As Chief Apostle Gunn recently reminded us, "GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR SUNDAY CHRISTIANS." He is looking for those who will follow Christ not just to the altar but also follow his example in our everyday efforts.
Chief Apostle Gunn also taught in August that "ANYWHERE THERE'S NOT GOD, THE DEVIL WILL OCCUPY."
If we are not allowing God to be the force behind all of our efforts and all that we act on, then the devil may just be living with us every day but Sunday.
Remember that effort means a conscious exertion of power. What power is behind your efforts? Is it Holy Ghost power, the power of self and flesh, or the power of evil and darkness?
2 Peter 3
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S FORREAL RADIO BROADCAST WITH CHIEF APOSTLE GUNN: Filled with Power:
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