Freedom Fighters

DEDICATION

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.

Today's leadership quality focuses on Dedication. It gives the idea of giving yourself over to something or someone. It involves an inward declaration to oneself that they are dedicated to___________. (you fill in the blank). Dedication involves defending the one you are dedicated to. It gives a sense of forsaking all others for the one you're dedicated to. I'm reminded of the vow I made before God on June 6, 1992. It was the day I dedicated myself before God to be the husband of Carole - my wife. In my dedication to follow and obey the Lord Jesus Christ; I made a vow to Him that I would forsake all others and cleave to my wife for as long as I live.

We hear of other people who dedicate their lives for one thing or another -- doctors and scientists who dedicate their lives to find a cure for cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses. People like Mother Theresa who dedicated her life to helping the dying and unfortunate of Calcutta, India. We think of these as people of great dedication to their causes. Their passion and commitment is what exemplifies the meaning of dedication.

The Apostle Paul urges us to dedicate our lives as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God. Our passion and commitment to be a follower of Jesus ought to characterize our lives as dedicated disciples - not casual Christians. Paul continues in reminding us that doing this is our spiritual act of worship. A more literal translation reads, "Which is your reasonable service." (NKJV). In other words, this is what is expected of us as Christians. We are to be people of dedication - first to God, then to those who are his. This requires a decision to go deeper with the Lord. As Henry Blackaby wrote in his book Experiencing God, "you cannot go with God, and stay where you are." Simple but profound! We must decide to go deeper in our dedication to Him. After all, He went as deep as the grave in His dedication to us. And he remains dedicated to us even when we lack dedication to him. (cf. 2Tim. 2:13).

Good word today from Pastor Mike Woods, Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries for Men at America's KESWICK.

Great quote: When we grieve the Holy Spirit, we push aside the One who is the agent to us of the work of Christ for our present life. On the basis of the finished, passive work of Christ-that is his suffering on the cross-and on the basis of the active obedience of Christ-that is, keeping the Law perfectly through his life-the fruits are there. They are there to flow out through the agency of the Holy Spirit through us into the external world. The fruits are normal; not to have them is not to have the Christian life which should be considered usual. there are oceans of grace which wait. Orchard upon orchard waits, vineyard upon vineyard of fruit waits. There is only one reason why they do not flow out through the Christian's life and that is that the instrumentality of faith is not being used. This is to quench the Holy Spirit...and we sin by omission because we have not raised the empty hands of faith for the gift that is there." Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality