OCTOBER’S THEME — “SEEING HOLINESS FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”
BEATS FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART
THE WORDS I WANT TO HEAR
Living Today for the Approval of Christ
Matthew 25:21, “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
LIVING FOR THE DAY THAT MATTERS MOST
There is coming a day when everything we have considered important in this life will fade into insignificance compared to one glorious moment—standing before our Lord Jesus Christ. The applause of men will have grown silent. The titles we carried will no longer impress anyone. The buildings we constructed, the possessions we accumulated, and the recognition we received will have lost their earthly importance. We will stand before the One who knows not only what we accomplished but why we did it. After nearly fifty years of ministry, I find myself thinking more often about that moment. I do not know how many days the Lord has appointed for me to remain here, but I know what I want to do with every one of them. I want to finish well. I want my remaining years to count for eternity. Above everything else, I want to hear my Savior say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Not “well known.” Not “well applauded.” Not “well accomplished.” But “Well done.” And the wonderful truth is that finishing well does not begin at the finish line. It begins with the decisions we make today.
GOD MEASURES FAITHFULNESS, NOT FAME
1 Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
We live in a world that measures success by visible accomplishments. We admire impressive achievements, large numbers, beautiful buildings, influential positions, and public recognition. But God measures His servants by a standard that often escapes human observation—faithfulness. Some of the most faithful servants of God will never stand behind a pulpit, write a book, or have their names recognized beyond their families and churches. They are the praying mothers, the faithful widows, the quiet encouragers, the dedicated Sunday school teachers, and the believers who continue serving Jesus when nobody notices. Heaven records what earth often overlooks. Perhaps you are in a season when your physical strength has diminished. You cannot travel as you once did. You cannot serve in all the positions you previously held. There may even be days when you wonder whether you are still making a difference. But remember this: Your ability to accomplish may change, but your opportunity to be faithful never disappears.You can still pray for your family. You can still encourage a discouraged believer. You can still share the testimony of God’s faithfulness. You can still invest spiritual truth in the generation coming behind you. The Lord never said, “Well done, thou good and successful servant.” He said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” The question is not whether we have accomplished everything we once dreamed of doing. The question is whether we are being faithful with what God has placed in our hands today.
FINISHING WELL REQUIRES DAILY SURRENDER
Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
There is something deeply sobering about realizing that we have more years behind us than we likely have ahead of us. But there is also something wonderfully liberating about that realization. It helps us distinguish between what is temporary and what is eternal. We begin to understand that the Christian life is not ultimately about what we can accomplish for Jesus through our own determination. It is about allowing Jesus Christ to live His life through us. Paul declared, “Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Those words are the secret to finishing well. We do not finish well merely because we have accumulated years of Christian experience. We finish well because we continue surrendering our lives to Christ. Yesterday’s victories cannot substitute for today’s obedience. Yesterday’s spiritual experiences cannot replace today’s fellowship with the Lord. Yesterday’s faithfulness does not excuse today’s neglect. Every morning presents another opportunity to say, “Lord Jesus, this is Your day. This is Your life. These are Your hands, Your feet, and Your voice. Whatever You desire to accomplish through me today, I surrender myself to You.” There may be fewer opportunities ahead of us than there were years ago, but every remaining opportunity can be filled with the presence and power of Christ. Finishing well is not about proving how strong we are. It is about demonstrating how sufficient Christ is. And perhaps the greatest testimony we can leave behind is not that we accomplished extraordinary things, but that we learned to depend upon an extraordinary Savior.
LIVE TODAY IN LIGHT OF THE DAY YOU WILL SEE JESUS
2 Timothy 4:7–8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day…”
The apostle Paul did not reach the end of his life boasting about his accomplishments. He spoke about his faithfulness to the assignment God had given him. “I have fought a good fight.” There had been battles, opposition, disappointments, and suffering. Yet Paul had not abandoned the faith. “I have finished my course.” Paul understood that God had given him a particular race to run. He was not responsible for running someone else’s race. He was responsible for completing the course appointed to him. “I have kept the faith.” Through every season, Paul remained committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. What a testimony! As we grow older, there is a temptation to spend too much time looking backward. We remember opportunities we missed, decisions we regret, mistakes we made, and things we wish we could change. But we cannot relive yesterday. We can only surrender today. Perhaps there are conversations you still need to have, forgiveness you still need to extend, encouragement you still need to offer, or someone you still need to tell about Jesus. Do not postpone obedience because you assume there will always be another opportunity. Every day is a gift, and every gift carries a responsibility. Live today in such a way that when you finally see Jesus, you will not wish you had given Him more of your heart. We cannot earn His love through our service. We already possess His love through grace. But because He has loved us so completely, we should desire to honor Him wholeheartedly. The Christian’s greatest reward is not merely receiving something from the hand of Jesus. It is the joy of being with Jesus and knowing that our lives have pleased the One who gave Himself for us.
THE FINAL WORDS OF A FAITHFUL SERVANT
Imagine an elderly servant who has spent his entire life caring for his master’s property. Through scorching summers and bitter winters, he has faithfully carried out his responsibilities. His hands have become worn, his back has grown weary, and his steps are no longer as steady as they once were. One evening, as the sun begins to set, the master calls his servant into the house. The old servant enters slowly, perhaps wondering whether he has done enough. He remembers occasions when he made mistakes. He remembers difficult days when he struggled to continue. He remembers times when his strength seemed insufficient for the work before him. But the master does not begin rehearsing the servant’s weaknesses. Instead, he looks upon the man who has faithfully served him and says, “You have served me well. Come into my house and enjoy the rest I have prepared for you.” What a moment that would be! Now consider how much greater the joy will be when our earthly journey is finished and we stand in the presence of our Savior. The hands that were pierced for our sins will welcome us. The eyes that see every hidden motive will know the sincerity of our hearts. The One who sustained us through every valley will receive us into His eternal presence.
And what could be sweeter than hearing Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant… enter thou into the joy of thy lord”?
THE FINISH LINE IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY
There is something I want to remember every morning God allows me to awaken: I am one day closer to seeing Jesus.That thought does not frighten me. It motivates me. I want to love more deeply, forgive more quickly, pray more earnestly, serve more faithfully, and surrender more completely. I want to spend less time worrying about things I cannot change and more time investing in things that will matter for eternity. I want my family to remember that I loved Jesus. I want those I have ministered to through the years to know that Christ was always the answer. I want the generation coming behind me to see that following Jesus is not merely something we begin in our youth; it is a life we continue living until we see Him face-to-face. If the Lord grants me another year, I want it to belong to Him. If He grants me another month, I want to use it for His glory. And if He grants me only another day, I want that day to be lived in fellowship with Him. The greatest tragedy would not be reaching the end of life with unfinished earthly accomplishments. It would be reaching the end having withheld from Jesus what we could have surrendered to Him. My prayer is simple: “Lord, whatever remains of my journey, let it all belong to You.” I do not need the applause of the world. I do not need the recognition of men. I do not need my name remembered by future generations. I simply want to finish the course my Lord has assigned to me. And when my journey is over, there are seven words that I long to hear: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
WARFARE PRAYER — LORD, HELP ME FINISH WELL
Heavenly Father, I come before You with gratitude for every year You have given me, every battle You have brought me through, every burden You have helped me carry, and every opportunity You have provided to serve You. Lord Jesus, as I look toward the remaining days of my earthly journey, I ask You to guard my heart against spiritual weariness, discouragement, pride, bitterness, and distraction. I refuse to allow the enemy to convince me that my usefulness has ended simply because my strength or circumstances have changed. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I reject every lie of the enemy that would cause me to believe my best days of walking with You are behind me. I resist the temptation to become spiritually complacent, to live in regret, or to surrender my remaining opportunities to fear and discouragement. Holy Spirit, strengthen me in my inner man. Renew my passion for Your Word, deepen my life of prayer, and keep my heart tender toward Your voice. Where I have grown weary, renew my strength. Where I have become distracted, restore my focus. Where I have become discouraged, remind me of Your faithfulness. Lord Jesus, I surrender my remaining years, months, days, and moments to You. Live Your life through me. Love others through me. Speak through me. Encourage through me. Let my life continue bearing fruit for Your glory. And when the day finally comes that I close my eyes to this world and open them in Your presence, let me come before You with a heart that has remained faithful to the end. Until that glorious moment, help me live every day for Your approval alone. I do not want merely to finish my life. I want to finish my course faithfully. In the precious, victorious, and eternal name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
DAILY CHALLENGE — LIVE TODAY FOR THAT DAY
Begin this morning by asking yourself one important question: “If today were the final day God allowed me to live on this earth, would I be pleased with how I spent it for His glory?” Then identify one specific act of obedience you have been postponing. Perhaps it is encouraging someone, forgiving an offense, sharing your testimony, making a telephone call, praying with a loved one, or surrendering an area of your life you have been trying to control. Do not put it off until tomorrow. Make this your daily prayer: “Lord Jesus, help me live today in such a way that I will have no regrets when I stand before You.” Remember, finishing well is not accomplished in one final dramatic moment. It is the result of a lifetime of daily surrender. LIVE TODAY FOR THE WORDS YOU LONG TO HEAR THAT DAY: “WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”
SATURDAY’S PRAYER NEEDS
Pat Chupp
Patricia Burnette
Britany Smith
Darlene Kelley
Darlene Thaxton
Ginny Ford
Kim’s McClain’s Mother & Sister
Paula Ferus – Hip Replacement
Rob Davis
Rose Fuller-Chronic Back Pain
Susan Bankston