Paying our Way But Eternal Life is a Gift
Good afternoon sisters in Christ!
I hope your day is going well? I'm joyous in the Lord and thankful for a beautiful day to be able to encourage you all:-) I often share with you the frugality of how we travel and 99.9% of the time we are blessed with a free parking spot as well as discounted (or free) foods from my coupon apps etc. I don't want to come across as being such a penny pincher that we won't share or that we won't invest in something of quality, or we're not paying our way because none are true. I share with you so that people can understand why and how we are able to do what we do in our traveling evangelist life and that if it's the Lord's will for someone, He can make it happen as long as they are willing to forgo the fleshly things of this life to do it. We do have bills each month (cell, health share, gas, and a few other minor things) but because we live the way we do, we don't have much for other bills except food and necessities (vehicle maintenance etc). In our traveling life we do our best to save money where we can and the biggest on is parking overnight. Oftentimes we park in Walmart parking lots and I buy supplies through them, we call that 'paying rent'. Lately, however, we have been in areas that the Walmarts (or the towns) don't allow overnight parking (many are in not so good areas or they've had issues) and instead we go to Cracker Barrels. (Much witnessing happens in those parking lots also!) We are very thankful for their parking lots as they are always quiet, nicely maintained and seem safer that some of the other parking lots we've stayed and the areas are usually in decent neighborhoods so we greatly appreciate them! Because we appreciate the offering of us to park there (they are well known for giving travelers refuge in the backs of their lots) we also (at times) pay our way there as well. We found a very inexpensive way to 'pay our way' or 'pay our rent' with them and I thought I'd share it with you as a Titus 2 moment.
I downloaded their app and found that they offer an inexpensive meal that you order and pick up.
And with each meal, they usually give brother Jim some ice when he tells them we parked there over night. So what we do, to keep it frugal yet pay our way, is order one meal and split it between us. (Most times they only give one biscuit but if they give 2, I save one for an afternoon snack.) Here's the deal....it costs $3.50 for a meal that feeds us both, some ice, a nice / safe place to park overnight and witnessing in the parking lot. Can't beat that:-)
See that picture with the plastic platter? It solved a problem for me, let me show you what I did with it, another Titus 2 moment:-) I took the lid and drilled a bunch of little holes in it and can now use it as a rice cooler.
I've shared how I cook rice in our thermos, cool it off and put it in the cooler so I have it when I want it. (It's hard to time out thermal cooking when we're doing what we do in this life of ours, so I like to have some ready in the cooler.) Now, instead of putting the rice on a plate, trying to keep a napkin over it while it cools off, I can put it in the platter, cover it and the vents let out all the steam. It can sit on the bed, cooling off while we travel and it won't tip over and spill. (I need to cool it off before I put it in the cooler so it doesn't melt our ice.)
Not long ago I found a big bag on sale...
So we can eat off that for a long time as I only use a half cup and then add veggies to it. (I've been finding marked down ground turkey lately and also have coupons so I brown it up and ration it out with a sprinkling of it over the rice.)
All though we don't all do it the same or have the same lives, we all have to pay our way through this life. We are always encouraged when we hear of others finding ways to simplify their life as we know that the burden of debt is a huge weight that drags a person down so anytime we hear of others relieving themselves of the unnecessary debts, we rejoice!
The only debt we cannot pay for and be relieved from is our sin debt. No amount of money, good works or love can wipe out the debt of our sin against a holy God and in order to be with the Father when we die, there must be a payment for our sins.
Hebrews 9:16-22
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Upon hearing that, one might be overcome with hopelessness and despair because what person could pay such a debt?! But there is hope because God has made a way.
Hebrews 9:24-28
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
The gift of eternal life is offered to those who have a faith so great in the risen Lord that they repent of and forsake their sins, pick up their cross, deny themselves, live lives of obedience as a new creation and strive in endurance until the end. I makes me sad to listen to the worldly 'professed' christian's try to freely take of that gift, while living in the sins that our Savior bore on the cross.
Isaiah 53:1-12
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The offer of eternal life is a gift...
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
We cannot do works to obtain eternal life BUT works are the FRUIT that we truly are born from above and striving after our Savior who paid such a mighty price.
James 2:21-26
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Those works (our fruit) will show us what the cost is to follow Christ.
Matthew 19:29-30
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
But what in this life is worth holding on to (gaining the whole world) and losing our soul?
Philippians 3:7-8
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
These things we have to do in this life (as true believers) are but nothing compared to the priceless gift of eternal life with Christ.
Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Amen! Glory to God! Praises to our King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The great God Almighty! The alpha and omega, beginning and end, who was and is and always will be!!!
Paying our way through this life is but a pittance of the gift of eternal life that is waiting before the children of God.
Strive on sister saints, we rejoice in you all.
Sister Deb
Repent and obey the gospel.