Each of us are on planet earth for a Purpose or reason: Note the final test we are going to find at the end of our journey upon planet earth?

1 Cor 3:9-17 (NKJV)

 ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. ¹⁶ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Then James supports Paul in James 1:12 -18 (NKJV)

Loving God Under Trials

     ¹² Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. ¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. ¹⁸ Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

We are all growing in relationships to one another, everyone is important and we have to work at making sure we do not prefer ourselves over others, or we become stuck up and have favorites. If you do not belong to my Motor cycle group, Horse club, or Hiking group, or any other type of group, your not in the, "in group". We are putting to much emphasis upon belong to a group, where the emphasis should be put, on relationships. Many can’t afford a motor cycle, horse, or taking time off to go hiking, so why should they have some one in their face telling them you not living, if you don’t do this, or that? 

We are enjoying today putting our selves above others and all of life is precious. Matthew 6:26 (NKJV)   "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Who is our God and how did he make us? These are questions everyone must answer for him self. We are living in a day when we are experiencing as never before Matthew 10:21-22 (NKJV)

²¹ "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Is life Precious to just you? I hope not, we are all in Gods sight his children and he wants us all to get along. Like Rodney King when he was being tried in L.A. CA. as the Cops abused him and he was acquitted, his comment was “can’t we just get along”.

Put people together at any age and they have to work at getting along, same in the Church, we need to get along, that is what makes life so beautiful in the Lord. We are all made in His Image; that is we can think and make choices.  Life is precious as we do what is right and love one another, but when we deny ourselves of the truth we get hurt and life is the pits.

Note what Jesus said in  Luke 9:23-26 Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

     ²³ Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? ²⁶ "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.

Who is in control of your life is seen by what we do, not by how we talk. Our life will be seen, but what we do is far more important, for that is what shows rather we are Christians or not. We are all open books, and people are reading the Christians as never before in these last days.

Christ is the source of our life 2 Corinthians 4: 7-15 (NKJV)

 Cast Down but Unconquered

     ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- ¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death is working in us, but life in you. ¹³ And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. ¹⁵ For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

It does not make since to the natural man, how when we die out to self and live for the Lord. We may be cast down, but never allow sin to conquer us. It is like a seed planted in the ground, it dies and as it does, begins to grow downward 1^st, then upward. We are growing in the vine and the Gentleman farmer gives us the ability to completely begin anew in Him.

Christians know that Christ is our supreme object of living. Philippians 1:21  (NKJV) ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 1 Peter 4:6   For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

We will continue looking at the Direction we are going as individuals and as the Church.