“Your Highest Achievement is Becoming a Lowly Servant”

Matthew 20:24-28, “When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. WHOEVER WANTS TO BE GREAT MUST BECOME A SERVANT. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. THAT IS WHAT THE SON OF MAN HAS DONE: HE CAME TO SERVE, NOT BE SERVED—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.” (MSG)

So, there have been a number of movies and television shows about angels taking human form. But “Touched by an Angel” I must say, is one of my absolute favorites. It was a television series that ran for nine seasons (however, you can still find it in “re-run” land). But I remember this particular episode (for some reason, it really stuck with me) where a young angel was kneeling at the feet of a homeless man. He had been in prison for a long time, and when he came out, he was pretty unkempt. In other words, he didn’t look like the type of person you would think an angel would host company with. Especially since when we think of or hear of angels, they’re often dressed in white, with gold, and smiling, and beautiful, and glowing and spotless and perfect. Not necessarily the type to be found among someone who is dirty, stinking, and is a homeless criminal! But this angel had a basin of water, and the man was telling her not to do what she was about to do. After all, can you imagine someone glowing in pearly white, kneeling down to touch someone so disgustingly filthy? Well, even if you can’t imagine it, that’s just what this angel was about to do, kneel down and wash this guy’s disgustingly filthy feet! She looked at him with tears in her eyes and she gave an answer that came from deep in her heart. She said, “I have to do this so I remember who I am. God’s servant.” I guess that’s why it stuck with me!

In Matthew 20:25, the disciples are having some problems because they all want to be the top dog on Jesus’ team. The Bible says, “Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you’” – [now imagine them holding their breath, “Yeah, yeah, what is it?“] – “MUST BE YOUR SERVANT.” You can imagine their heads suddenly at half-mast. “Whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.“

Jesus totally inverts our human idea of which position is really important. He told His disciples – and all of us His followers – to go for the highest title on earth; the one He chose, the one He lived: “SERVANT”!

Though the “Touched by an Angel” episode is obviously fiction, the angel in it was thinking like Jesus. Although she had all the powers of an angel and had messages directly from God, she didn’t want to forget who she really was – a servant, a foot-washer, someone who is here to pour out her life in the service of others, not herself. Well, that’s my calling and it’s your calling too. And that is Gospel fact, not fiction!

Yet, we need to re-exam what it really means to be a Servant:

Exodus 14:31, “…they believed in the Lord, AND IN HIS SERVANT MOSES.” (AMP);

Exodus 32:13, “Remember ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND ISRAEL (JACOB), YOUR SERVANTS…” (AMP);

Numbers 14:24, “But My SERVANT CALEB…” (AMP);

Psalm 89:20, “I have found DAVID MY SERVANT…” (AMP);

2 Chronicles 32:16, “And his servants said even more against the Lord God and against HIS SERVANT HEZEKIAH.” (AMP);

1 Kings 18:36, “At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, ELIJAH the prophet approached [the altar] and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), let it be known today that You are God in Israel AND THAT I AM YOUR SERVANT…” (AMP);

Isaiah 20:3, “And the Lord said, “Even as MY SERVANT ISAIAH…” (AMP);

Titus 1:1, “PAUL, A BOND-SERVANT OF GOD…” (AMP);

James 1:1, “JAMES, A BOND-SERVANT OF GOD AND OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST…” (AMP);

Jude 1:1, “JUDE, A BOND-SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST…” (AMP);

However, my favorite is: Joshua 24:29, “It happened after these things that JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, died, at the age of a hundred and ten years.” (AMP)

God’s Servants in just these few Scriptures are: Moses; Caleb; Abraham; Isaac; Jacob; David; Hezekiah; Elijah; Isaiah; Paul; James; and Jude. Yet, my favorite is Joshua. Why? Because at the end of Joshua’s 110 years of life, descriptive of his life of leadership, is not all the exploits, and victories, but it is simply, “…the SERVANT of the Lord…”

Now, to be honest, these are men that anyone and everyone (even saved and unsaved alike) would know their names! Who doesn’t know Moses and the Red Sea? Who doesn’t know Caleb as a Confident Spy? Who doesn’t know the extraordinary Faith of Abraham? Who doesn’t know about the Promised Isaac? Who doesn’t know about the Changed Jacob (Israel)? Who doesn’t know about the most powerful king and anointed psalmist on earth, David? Who doesn’t know about the Prayer of king Hezekiah that added years to his life? Who doesn’t know about the powerful Prophetic Displays of Elijah? Who doesn’t know about the bible in a bible, Isaiah? Who doesn’t know about the Apostle of all Apostles, Paul? Who doesn’t know about the Wise James? Who doesn’t know about the awesome Benediction Promises of Jude? Who doesn’t know about these men?

YET, all of them are known most, biblically, and simply as GOD’S SERVANTS! Not their anointing, gifts, wonders, positions, titles, triumphs and the like. But that they were GOD’S SERVANTS!

And most of all Joshua, the one who lets us know that Success is Ultimately Attained Through the Keeping of the Word of God! And yet, even in his powerful testament, he is also known, for being GOD’S SERVANT! Even after 110 years of service and great accomplishments, he’s known most for being THE SERVANT OF THE LORD!

I know that in today’s church, we have a very different view of leadership from the ones listed above. Today, it’s on where you sit, what you wear, what you’re called, who you’re around, where you’re invited, your social status etc…but there was a time when leadership and servitude went hand in hand. Whether you were in the pulpit or in the pew, leadership and servitude still held hands. You used to see the “towels of leadership in its servitude.” What happened? David didn’t insist on being called King, he just knew he was a King and therefore served as King. So did Paul the Apostle, and Elijah the Prophet. None demanding being called by a leadership title, but allowing their calling to leadership be announced via serving.

Who knew that the highest position was the lowest?

You don’t find Greatness in high places, you find it amongst the Lowest.

You see, when we sacrifice our own comfort, our own needs, and our own pride for others, we are remembering who we are…GOD’S SERVANTS!

Sadly, today, it’s so easy to forget that. Especially when your life is so full and so you become really self-focused just to get it all done, or to get your needs met. Maybe you’ve developed a case of creeping self-importance recently. Strangely enough, when God starts using us, we tend to forget we are SERVANTS still. We begin to think we’re stars or heroes or someone who’s above the dirty work, the little jobs, the needs of one person who has nothing really to contribute to us. Somehow we’ve developed the misconception that the more God uses us, the more important we are. Wrong! We are not to become Important, just Impactful! Not Amazing, just Available! Not being Served, but Serving!

I think many of us have started to almost feel like a privileged character; entitled to be recognized, acknowledged and celebrated. But at that point, we have left the blueprint of Jesus, and started building our own faulty throne and kingdom. For even though He was the mighty Son of God, His agenda was not to have others serve Him but to totally serve others to the point of dying for us. Which makes me think we need to start asking ourselves, “what’s my real agenda in ‘serving’ God? Is it just about me? Or is it about them? Is it for His glory or mine? For His name or mine? For His recognition or mine? For His reputation or mine? Why am I serving God? What am I getting out of it? What are they getting out of it? And most important, what is HE getting out of it?

Listen: No matter what positions you hold, no matter what recognition you receive, no matter who you are or what you do, it never changes your real title. SERVANT! No matter how many degrees you earn or pay for, you are a Servant. No matter how many pats on the back you receive, you are still a Servant. No matter how much your civics/vestments cost, you are still a Servant. No matter where you sit in the church, at the conference or convocation, what you wear, or what title they call you by, you are still a Servant. No matter where you live, what you drive, where you work, what you earn, what you own, who you oversee, or how many, you are still but a Servant.

So before you go lifting and holding your head high, remember to look low, there are still some feet to be washed. And as His Servant, it’s time you get a Towel, not another Title!

There’s some dirty work to do. There are unnoticed acts of kindness to be done and there’s a lot of unlovable people to love. Look for those assignments, because they’ll help you remember who you really are…God’s Servant!

In the “Touched by an Angel” episode, she said, “she had to wash his feet, because it reminded her of who she is. God’s Servant.” What do you need to do starting today to remind yourself that you too are God’s Servant? Do you need to feed someone, clothe someone, visit someone, dress someone, help someone go through school, help someone revise their resume so they can finally get a job and get on their feet? Do you need to finance someone, shelter someone, pick up and drive someone? Do you need to visit the emergency room, the jail house, the nursing home, the sick and shut in, the hospice, the cancer center, the dialysis center, the chemo center? After all, servants serve, no matter where, no matter who. Servants don’t dress up and sit in prestigious seats, and wait for someone to walk up to them with a towel to wipe their sweat and hand them a cup of juice. No, servants serve.

Remember God’s Servant Examples: Moses; Caleb; Abraham; Isaac; Jacob; David; Hezekiah; Elijah; Isaiah; Paul; James; and Jude. They all served God greatly! Yet, my favorite is Joshua. Why? Because, and I reiterate, at the end of Joshua’s 110 years of life, descriptive of his life of leadership, is not all the exploits, and victories, but it is simply, “…the SERVANT of the Lord…”

People of God, don’t get so caught up in recognition, awards, name dropping, title calling and the like. That’s not our purpose and should never be our aim and goal. Instead, remember the Kingdom Leadership Trait of Jesus: John 13:1-17, “Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.  Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, SET ASIDE HIS ROBE, AND PUT ON AN APRON. THEN HE POURED WATER INTO A BASIN AND BEGAN TO WASH THE FEET OF THE DISCIPLES, DRYING THEM WITH HIS APRON. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?”  Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.” Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!” Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.” “Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!”  Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” (He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.  Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. SO IF I, THE MASTER AND TEACHER, WASHED YOUR FEET, YOU MUST NOW WASH EACH OTHER’S FEET. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A SERVANT is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.” {MSG}

The Godly Leader Is One Who Stoops to Help Another, Who Counts Others Better Than Himself (Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].  Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.” AMP);

The Godly Leader Is One Who Seeks to Serve Rather Than to be Served (Luke 22:27, “For who is the greater, the one who reclines at table (the master), or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am in your midst as One Who Serves” AMP).

Jesus Himself Served! And in His own words, He’s given us the example and pattern for how we are to conduct ourselves as leaders…WE ARE TO SERVE! So the next time you’re remembering who you are, don’t forget to include: I am a servant; I am God’s helper; I am my brother and sisters keeper; I am assigned to lift up those who have fallen down; I am here to exalt His name, not mine; I am called to be humble; I am called to help those in need; I am called to support those who need assistance; I am to be His unassuming witness; I am to focus the attention on Him, not me.

Today, be a good witness of what a good servant looks and lives like. Others may just see your example and follow suit. Let your light for God shine, just make sure it’s not a spotlight! Remember: Your Highest Achievement is to Simply Become a Lowly Servant. Let no one lift you up on a pedestal that will cause God to come and knock you down from it! Be Ye Holy For the Lord Your God is Holy. In addition, Be Ye HUMBLE for the Lord Your God is HUMBLE!

“Good leaders must first become good servants.”  {Robert Greenleaf}

“True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not to enrich the leader.”  {John C. Maxwell}

“Servant-leadership is more than a concept, it is a fact. Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly.”  {M. Scott Peck}

“Whatever our career may be, true leadership means to receive power from God and to use it under Gods rule to serve people in Gods way.”  {Leighton Ford}

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.”  {Max De Pree}

“A Godly Leader finds strength by realizing his weakness, finds authority by being under authority, finds direction by laying down his own plans, finds vision by seeing the needs of others, finds credibility by being an example, finds loyalty by expressing compassion, finds honor by being faithful, finds greatness by being a servant.”  {Roy Lessin}

“We must be silent before we can listen. We must listen before we can learn. We must learn before we can prepare. We must prepare before we can serve. We must serve before we can lead.”  {William Arthur Ward}

“Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.”  {Marian Anderson}

“There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being to help someone succeed.”  {Alan Loy McGinnis}

“My research debunks the myth that many people seem to have . . . that you become a leader by fighting your way to the top. Rather, you become a leader by helping others to the top. Helping your employees is as important, and many times more so, than trying to get the most work out of them.”
{William Cohen}

“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  {John C. Maxwell}

“The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves.”  {J. Carla Nortcutt}

“Being a leader who serves is very different from being a servant leader.”  {Isabel O. Lopez}

“A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service.” {US Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr.}

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”  {Jim Rohn}

“Use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, not a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people.” {US President George Bush}

“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  {Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.}

“Life is a place of service. Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.” {Leo Tolstoy}

“Leaders don’t inflict pain – they share pain.”  {Max Depree}

“Servant-leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. In that situation, they don’t work for you, you work for them.” {Ken Blanchard}

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWord

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“Are You Bonded?”

Romans 1:1, “From Paul, a bond servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) called to be an apostle, (a special messenger) set apart to [preach] the Gospel (good news) of and from God” (AMP)

When Paul called himself a “bond servant” of Christ he was referring to an Old Testament law under which you served your master faithfully for six years. However, in the seventh year the law said that you had to be set free. But if you turned back when you were released and said, “Master, I’m not serving you because I have to, but because I want to,” then your master took you before a judge and pierced your ear, signifying that you belonged to him forever; that you were committed to listening to him and obeying him. (Exodus 21:2-6, “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. The seventh year he goes free, for nothing. If he came in single he leaves single. If he came in married he leaves with his wife. If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself. But suppose the slave should say, ‘I love my master and my wife and children—I don’t want my freedom,’ then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life.” MSG)

Can you imagine a slave not wanting to leave their master? But believe it or not, that was the case. There were some, however not many, slaves that actually refused to leave their master.

Now can you imagine if we (the church) had that kind of mindset? One that said “No matter what, I’m not leaving my master. I know I can legally go free, however, I Deliberately Choose To Remain Bonded to My Master For Life?” That’s what you call Beyond Loyalty!

Well, in case you didn’t know, if you are a believer, you are a bond servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is your Master! However, He treats us very different than any earthly master ever could. And yet, we still don’t submit to Him at this level. Still we’re not this loyal or this committed. That alone is a crime!

But if you want to change today, then I admonish you to pray this simple yet powerful prayer: “Lord I’m not serving You because I have to, but because I want to. Pierce me and mark me as Yours, bond me together with You so that I can never belong to another.”

That actually reminds you a lot of Ruth’s words: “But Ruth said, “Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!” (Ruth 1:16-17 MSG). If only the Lord could get this kind of relationship with us!

Listen to a Simple Yet Profound Lesson I Learned the Hard Way: When ministry loses its passion it becomes an empty profession.

The very word “Minister” is a Verb, not just a Noun. It’s what you DO, not what you Claim to BE.

As the Lord’s Ministers (and no I am not referring to a robe and clergy collar, God has far more of those than I’m sure He ever called for, equipped or even wants), however, I’m referring to what we DO…Minister to the Needs of Others. We need to learn how to Function with such a passion for Him that it spills over onto all we do for Him. Truth is, anyone can wear the title of Minister (noun), but it’s only a select few who are actually carrying out the (verb) and Functioning as such!

And in order for you to Function as such there has to be a basic foundation that you are the Lord’s Servant, not because you have to be, but because you Want to be. And that Commitment, that Loyalty, that Love Compels you to Function as a Minister in this world of misery Effectively! It gives you that extra push that when people give you a hard way to go, you go the extra mile anyway because of your Loyalty, Commitment and Love to and for HIM! When HE becomes your Pursuit and Purpose nothing else really matters, not even the Personality of others! But the Responsibility of Attaining such a Relationship is on YOUR PART!

The Scripture says, the Servant would make the DECISION to Stay! And then the Servant would have to endure Unnecessary Pain: “…pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life.”  

Mind you, we have a lot of wonderful vices to dull the pain when we get piercings today, however, that was not the case then! Piercing Was Painful! And yet, the bond servant would Willingly Endure it because staying with his master and having Evidence that he was his masters, and no one elses’ was just that important!

Do you feel that way about the Master you serve? Is your Loyalty, Commitment and Love that Deep? Would you Endure Whatever Necessary to be Called His and to have Evidence that everyone would be able to See that you really are His…Alone? No one else could claim you, because you endured the pain to prove you already have a Master of your own, and you have no intentions on going anywhere else…even though you have the opportunity and free-will! Is your Relationship as a Servant that Knitted Together with your Master? Are You That Bonded?!

One of the definitions for the word ‘Bond’ is, ‘a thing used to tie or fasten things together.’ And do you know what tied and fastened the bond servant to his master? It was his willing servanthood; his commitment; loyalty; faithfulness; honor; trust; respect; and sometimes even love and friendship. So, can you honestly say you’re bonded like that to the Lord Jesus Christ? Another definition calls it, ‘a binding agreement.’ The word ‘binding’ is defined as, ‘a strong covering holding something together; an agreed upon contractual obligation.’ And an ‘agreement’ is defined as, ‘a negotiated legal binding arrangement representing the consistency and conformity between two things.’ You see, being bonded is no joking or playful matter to be taken haphazardly, this is serious business when you’re talking about a serious relationship. It’s a servant taking on a leadership role to willfully follow through with a lifetime of submission! Therefore, I ask again, are you a bond servant of the Lord?

Before you answer “yes” too quickly let’s check out this word “Servant”. The word “Servant” also referred to a third-level galley slave chained to an oar on a Roman ship. Day and night you rowed to the drumbeat of the ship’s master, whether you were in battle or in merchant service. And you expected to die chained to that oar! What a picture!

So, do you love your Master like that? Are you willing to serve as a third-level galley slave in the bottom of the boat, in the dark, unseen, unnoticed, and yet working hard to obey every command of the Master? Are you willing to die for the Gospel or is it just a cute cliché you repeat because that makes your relationship with Him sound deeper than the shallow surface that it really is?!

The Bible Says: “When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.” (Matthew 10:21-23 MSG) Are you willing to endure pain for the Gospel’s sake? To be such a Servant as to have even loved ones’ turn on you, and yet you Remain Loyal to Your Master, With Your Hands Still Firmly Gripping the Oars?!

The Bible Says: “They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other’s throat, everyone hating each other.” (Matthew 24:9 MSG) Are You Willing to Endure This Level of Attack…Servant?!

The Bible Says: “I’ve told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them.” (John 16:1-4 MSG) Are You Willing To Stay Bonded To Your Master, Even If This Is The Consequences of Your Service?

The Bible Says: “Fear nothing in the things you’re about to suffer—but stay on guard! Fear nothing! The Devil is about to throw you in jail for a time of testing—ten days. It won’t last forever. “Don’t quit, even if it costs you your life. Stay there believing. I have a Life-Crown sized and ready for you.” (Revelation 2:10 MSG) So…Can You Minister, Even At This Level? A level in which it could cost you your life?!

The Bible Says: “Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” (Matthew 16:24-26 MSG) Can You Still Serve Him When You Don’t Even Understand Him? Can You Serve Him When He’s In the Driver’s Seat and You Have No Idea Where He’s Going? Will You Still Remain Bonded When You Don’t Understand the Job Loss, the Diagnosis, the Divorce, the Foreclosure? Will You Still Remain Stuck Like Glue? Or will you easily detach like Velcro?

The Bible Says: “When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem. But Paul wouldn’t budge: “Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?” (Acts 21:12-13 MSG) Well, Can You Say That? Can You Say Whatever Is the Result of My Obedience to My Master It Is Still Well With My Soul?

The Bible Says: “When he ripped off the fifth seal, I saw the souls of those killed because they had held firm in their witness to the Word of God. They were gathered under the Altar, and cried out in loud prayers, “How long, Strong God, Holy and True? How long before you step in and avenge our murders?” Then each martyr was given a white robe and told to sit back and wait until the full number of martyrs was filled from among their servant companions and friends in the faith.” (Revelation 6:9-11 MSG) Can You Serve Even While Suffering And Yet…Still Remain On Your Post? This Was Paul’s Level of Loyalty, Commitment and Love As a Bond Servant to His Master…Does Your Levels Match Paul’s? If So, Celebrate, if Not, Decide Today To Deepen Your Service to Him!

It’s what Paul had in mind when he wrote: “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the merices of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1 AMP)

And in conclusion to the whole matter, when you think of all that the Lord has done for you, is He really asking too much of you?

People of God, today is the day that you make the willing and deliberate decision to be bonded as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. After all, if you’re not all in, what’s the point? Jesus didn’t just suffer, He died, for you, on your behalf! He gave His life, He gave His all, so what exactly is the message we’re sending to Him, when we give Him parts and portions of ourselves to Him, and call it service?

“And he said to him, Well done, excellent BOND SERVANT! Because you have been faithful and trustworthy in a very little [thing], you shall have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17 AMP)

“For he who as a slave was summoned in [to union with] the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a BOND SERVANT of Christ (the Messiah)” (1 Corinthians 7:22 AMP)

“For although I am free in every way from anyone’s control, I have made myself a BOND SERVANT to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ]” (1 Corinthians 9:19 AMP)

“Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a BOND SERVANT of Christ (the Messiah)” (Galatians 1:10 AMP)

“Paul, a BOND SERVANT of God and an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) to stimulate and promote the faith of God’s chosen ones and to lead them on to accurate discernment and recognition of and acquaintance with the Truth which belongs to and harmonizes with and tends to godliness” (Titus 1:1 AMP)

Becoming a Bond Servant is not by force, but by a deliberate, and willful choice to remain faithful to your Master, no matter what. And if you should dare to desire such a calling, are you in good company? Yes Sir, Yes Ma’am!

Romans 1:1, “FROM PAUL, A BOND SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST (THE MESSIAH)…” (AMP)

Philippians 1:1, “PAUL AND TIMOTHY, BOND-SERVANTS OF CHRIST JESUS (THE MESSIAH, THE ANOINTED)…” (AMP)

James 1:1, “JAMES, A BOND-SERVANT OF GOD AND OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST…” (AMP)

Jude 1, “JUDE, A BOND-SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST, and brother of James, [writes this letter]…” (AMP)

Today, Weigh Your Loyalty, Commitment and Love For Your Master And See If The Scales Tip In Your Favor As They Did For Paul, Timothy, James and Jude!

Then Ask And Answer Yourself Honestly, “Am I Really A Bond-Servant?”

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Men’s Health: What You Need to Know About Testicular Cancer?”