Will you Draw Closer To God by Daily Devotion

by Pastor Arnold Castrence last July 4, 2017, The Good And Wicked Servant

We cannot stop time. You can only stop the ticking of the clock when you ran out of battery for your watch or wall clock but still, time goes on. From then and now, we can never stop time. Maybe you can see in our surroundings that there are some things that don’t change but still they are moving with time.

Whatever it is that is happening, whether we are moving or not with time, we must see that what when we entered into the Bible School, we step into service of God. That is why if you don’t have a heart for service, you are in the wrong place. If there is a certain thing to do, whether it is grand or small, be it highly or lowly, convenient or not, whether it is good for your eyes or not, you must perform it. In the text that we read, there are two kinds of servant, which one are you? If you belong to the good and faithful servant, you will have a promising ministry in the future. But if you are wicked and slothful, you might not continue or if you succeeded to go to the ministry, you will suffer. While you are yet a Bible Student, it can be seen as early as now who are you in your ministry in the future.

Many people said it is hard in the ministry. There is truth in it but remember that in every labor there is fruit. And since we serve the Lord, it is good to hear Him say to us, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” But let us not wait that we die first to hear God’s commendation. It is better that while we live now, we can show Him  that we are good and faithful servants. That is why as Bible students, I say to you to, make use of your time.

What do we do with our time? Of course, if we are in the Bible School, we study. But what about those days that we have no class? During Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you wake up early for school. But on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, if you have no definite time of waking up, that just shows that you have no discipline of your time.

You must realize you are under training.  If you want to hear that “good and faithful servant,” now is the time, while you’re still a student to show that you are indeed one good and faithful servant. There are some of you who are like nails. They needed pounding before it could fasten where it should. But there are some of you who has initiative and know what they must do. Where are you in this kind of persons?

If you are a Bible student, you should know what you must do. Your conduct as a Bible student shows your conduct as a church worker. One thing is for sure. You need to do something. We need to do something for the Lord in the church where we are called. I hope before you graduate, you were able to bring souls for the Lord. It is difficult when you say you want to go abroad to become a missionary when  your haven’t proven yourself in your church. That is why as sons of God, being a Bible student is a privilege to prove ourselves that you can conduct yourself as missionaries.  When I was yet a student, my Pastor told me that I must bring people to the Lord because the very ones I won for the Lord were the very people who will support me when I go out for a mission. They respect you because you are the one God who used for them to know Christ. However, it did not happen that I was sent out to pioneer a mission because I pastored the church when my senior Pastor has been called for foreign missions. But every time I saw the people in our church, whom God gave to me as my fruits in soul winning, they always smile at me because they can never forget that one time, God used me for them to know Christ and serve God.  That is why you Bible students, you have the very opportunity before you because you are already in the forefront of service. This is what you will be doing in the future. That is why instead of looking at others, at other members of the church, you must always remember not to compare yourself with the level of work with regular members of the church. You are on a different level form them. Do not expect them to bring visitors. They are career persons. They are always busy.

There is a question pointed to you: What are you doing with your time? You must value your time. For me, form Monday to Friday, we are operating a school. if there is none to do a task I do it. I needed to wake up early everyday just to fetch kids and after that drive them home. And there is a different busy schedule at night for Bible study and teaching at other Bible School campuses. Life in the ministry is very busy but this is where you enter to serve. The question is: how much of your time are you using to serve? Your time is really important. Don’t be a daydreamer. While you are still a Bible student, train yourself that you are busy in the work of the Lord because what you have entered into requires doing a lot of things. If you are not used to doing many things, don’t desire to be a pastor or a pastor’s wife. In my life as a pastor, there are many times that even in hours that I should rest, people will ask for your help. So you see the work?

God will entrust to you a ministry or ministries depending upon your capabilities. However, the more you are responsible, the more God can trust you for more work. But if you are lazy, you might not continue in your training. It might be that the Lord himself will pave for the way for you to quit.  As we can see, the ministry is not a joke. It is real work. though we do not have earthly salaries for it, we have rewards awaiting us in heaven. So I hope you see that. We do not have the same schedule. I don’t know what God will give you. As for me, I did not expect that God will give me this. Years ago, I sat on the same chair with one thing in mind: to finish in three years because time is valuable. I entered the Bible School at 28 years old. I always pray not to have back subjects. I cannot waste time. If you waste time and keep on taking up back subjects, instead of being in the ministry already, you remain to be sitting on a chair as a student. You need to make use of your time because it is important. So there are only two things that can happen to you: you can become a good and faithful servant or you will be a wicked and slothful servant. And I tell you, if you are faithful to the Lord, you cannot imagine the blessings of God because God is faithful to those who are faithful. but if you are slothful or lazy definitely nothing will happen to you. I doubt it if the Lord will give you much responsibility. You choose who you will be.