Jesus Is Inviting Us to Co-Operate With Him!

7/8/2025

When I listened to this recording—“Only the Beginning”—my insides all lit up in joy, but also conviction with the need to really elevate my perspective and effort. And these thoughts and verses ran through me in an instant, so I wanted to pass along:

In this present age, most people spend so much effort building their homes, building their businesses and fortunes, building their reputations and legacies, building their skills in sports or the arts, building their fake safe places... all for themselves. SO MUCH WASTED ENERGY. Or they are lazy and slothful, like the one-talent man, and they sit on their hands doing nothing. In myself, I’ve often been closer to that man. Or they are religious, and “sacrifice” this life doing “good deeds,” not for love, but in hopes of “going to heaven” or at least avoiding hell. But Jesus is inviting us to Co-Operate with Him, to Build His Father’s House and Kingdom, to be COMPLETELY LOST into His Purpose, not our own. He said, “I’m going to prepare a place for you.” If that is what HE’s doing and we are His Body, then yes, we are helping HIM to prepare that place. Something that will last forever, starting now!

But like in Haggai, we can’t do both. We can’t build our own paneled homes (our false safe places) and His Home. “No man can serve two masters.”

“If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple [by choosing to build with wood, hay, or straw], God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:12-17)

As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him—you also, as living stones, are BEING BUILT into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

Throughout my life, the line from “The Little Drummer Boy” has always brought a tear to my eye. “I played my best for Him.” Not for the reward. Not so others can notice. Not so I can feel good about “what I’ve done.” But simply loving Him, and because He is Worthy of my very best. I offer myself wholly, and He works THROUGH me unhindered. That is offering my very best. That is building with gold, silver, and precious stones.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their SENSES exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5)

•  Only the Beginning