Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:42b-45)
The vision of Bronx Bethany helps us to see what we will look like when the components of our mission statement are accomplished.
The first phrase in our vision is Glorifying God by excellence in everything we do. Our pastors and leaders have, by the leading of God's Spirit, offered the following litmus test. Let us reflect on these points today as we consider our standing with God.
- Is everything we do for God first-class? Has God been given our first and our best, or the leftovers? (Genesis 4:3-7)
- Is everything we present to God flawless? What sort of an offering do we offer to Him? Is is pure, or is it lame? (Malachi 1:10-14)
- Are we ensuring that our service to God is not fraudulent? Are we pretending to give our best, while holding back something for ourselves? (Acts 5:1-10)
- Are we confident that the things we give to God were not acquired for free? Are we offering a sacrifice that cost us nothing? (Second Samuel 24:22-24)
Lord, we are Your servants. Our hearts' desire is to give our best to You. Deliver us from taking the easy road of offering You anything less than our best efforts, our best offerings, and our complete devotion.
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