Teaching

by George Bakalov  For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (New International Version)  In poker, after a tense period of betting rounds, there comes a moment when you have to flip all cards and see who has the best hand. Your hand determines your future! In real life we as Christians are given the privilege to approach the 'game' of life with Jesus Christ on our side. Unlike poker, once you enter into a healthy, meaningful relationship with the living God, chance has nothing to do with the kind of hand you hold. Your hand is the sum total of what you choose to believe, think, apply and be in life. 

As we choose to align ourselves with God and His Spirit, our hand becomes strong to the point where we become positioned for winning when the time comes. Don't think you can live after the carnal ideas of this world and all of a sudden you will be dealt the winning card and you will turn into a winner just like that in a day! In real life there are so many things that are out of our control. In life you don't choose what hand is being dealt to you. Where you were born, the family you were born into, the relationships that formed you as a young person, the economic realities of the day, etc. And many of us have been dealt many bad hands. We feel weak. We don't play as winners. We dread the moment of truth when it may become clear to everyone we are not all that.

But that's because we miss the point. 

The whole purpose of being a Christian is not so you can impress others with how spiritual, smart, rich and successful you are every day of your life. We're in covenant with God is so that we can please Him in the process called life and to fulfill the purpose He has established for us. This is the only thing that will bring permanent happiness and blessing - to you and those around you! You can't control what hand life with deal to you. But you can control your life with God, your obedience to his Word, your following of his Spirit. When you do, something happens. In God's economy of things, when the day of testing comes, you find out you were actually more than ready. What seemed like a high card all of a sudden has the power of royal flush. You win. The enemy loses. All because the game includes not only the players you see around you, but also the One who is above all the players and the playing field itself. 

He holds your hand already, don't let go of His'.