Staying In Your Place!
(January 2011)

Staying in your place: by James Lantz

     Every child of God has a purpose and a calling. It helped me tremendously when I saw that my calling was accepting God’s calling (plan) for my life. Eph. 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. We are God’s workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus unto good works. God has a unique job or part for each of us in His great master plan. We (God’s people) are referred to as the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit goes into great detail in comparing us (Christ body) to our physical body. Every part of our body has a purpose and a function to fulfill and if it is not working the whole body suffers. Every part is designed to work perfectly in its proper place. The more I learn about how the body functions the more I marvel at God’s great design. Most of us rarely think of our liver unless we hear of someone’s liver having failed. Body parts that are unseen are not unimportant. We are likened to body parts, every part being unique to fulfill its purpose.  1 Cor. 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. We know that God likes production, increase, fruitfulness and gain. Remember, in the parable of the talents, the servant who brought no increase was called wicked. Jesus said, the Father takes away branch’s that bare no fruit. God, in his wisdom, has placed us in the body of Christ where we will be the most effective in bringing increase into the kingdom of God.  Eph. 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Increase of the body means more people delivered from death and destruction! God has recorded the successes and failures of his people in the scriptures so we could see what pleases him. When Samuel the prophet was still a child, he was brought into the home of Eli the priest. Eli was doing some of his duties according to what God wanted but he was unwilling to put the kingdom of God above his relationship with his two sons. His two sons were working as priests and stealing God’s offerings and having sexually immoral relations with girls from the church. 1 Sam. 2:30  Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. This is a sad story of a man who lost his place because he lost sight of the importance of putting God first. Promotion comes by putting God first and falling from grace comes by despising what God has said. Saul, the son of Kish, was humble when God picked him to be King of Israel. Years later King Saul became more interested in what the people thought of him than what God said. King Saul lost the kingdom because of fear and pride and disobeying the Lord.  1 Sam. 13: 12-14 …I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee. You may be thinking, how does this apply to me, do you think I am a king. He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than the great prophet, John the Baptist. Jesus made us kings and priests unto God his Father (see Rev. 1:5&6). Yes, according to Jesus, he made us kings and priests when he washed us from our sins in his own blood. There is another king that followed the word of the Lord for many years and God made him strong with success after success. When king Uzziah became strong, he became proud, and took it upon himself to offer burnt incense unto the Lord in place of the Priest. When the priests withstood Uzziah, he was very angry and God smote him with leprosy on his forehead. 2 Chron.26:21  And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death … God’s mercy is so big to those who fear God. When you look at God’s willingness to extend mercy to those who ask him, you will see that God’s mercy exceeds anything you have ever seen. After king Ahab had Naboth killed, the Lord sent Elijah the prophet to pronounce judgement on Ahab and Jezebel and all of their sons. 1 Kings 21:25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. When Ahab heard the words of destruction that God said were coming on him, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and went softly. God spoke to Elijah saying, because Ahab humbled himself before me I am going to wait until his son’s day to bring this evil upon his house. Wow! If God’s mercy is this great toward his enemies think how great his mercy is toward his children. Rom. 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. The first step with God is to get in your place by accepting Jesus as the Lord of your life. This is as simple as recognizing your need of salvation and confessing Jesus as Lord over your life. Repentance means to change, and now that you have been granted the life of God you are empowered to change. I know that some have been children of God for years, but are out of their place. If you will confess your sins and change, conform to God’s way of doing things, God will extend you mercy. Do you need peace, joy, healing, finances, relationships restored? God’s mercy includes all of these things! There is no question about God’s will to forgive, heal, deliver and set free. The question is, am I willing to repent (change) and to put God’s will above my own. In order to enjoy the benefits of the Kingdom of God we must do things the Kingdom of God way. Luke 12:29 & 31 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Our place is the kingdom of God and doing our Father’s will.