From The Crucible (By Assoc. Pastor Linda Pugsley)

What an enormous joy and privilege to serve our mighty God and King. May we never forget that salvation and sanctification are the holy work of God’s grace and have never and can never come from man. It is not what a man says or does that saves a soul but, rather, God alone. Our job is to live that disciplined life and be helpers to ourselves and others to be wholly yielded to God.

Oswald Chambers reminds us that, “One life wholly devoted to God is of more value to God than one hundred lives simply awakened by His Spirit.” Unless you are wholly a servant unto the Lord, you may become an irritating dictator instead of an indwelling disciple!

Jesus never dictates to us. Whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He always prefaced it with an “if”, never with an emphatic “you must”. Discipleship carries an option with it…you get to choose!

Hopefully, we all will learn by God’s wisdom and Jesus’ example that we cannot “make” things happen but, rather, live the joyful, free life He has for us and let God do what He does best…rule and reign. Endure the fire—it’s producing pure gold!

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