It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Archive for June, 2024

o Lay Down Our Life for The Love of Christ!  

Some may say they love Christ and are willing to die for Him, or to be a martyr for Christ. Others may say they are willing to give of their possessions for Christ, to give to the poor and needy. Some may be willing to live a life of service for Christ on the mission fields, to leave home and family for Christ. But, the one commandment Jesus has given us, is to love one another as He has loved us, by laying down our life for Christ. To lay down our life is to die to selfishness, self-centeredness and pride. 

1 Corinthians 13:3-5 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked,thinks no evil; NKJ

John 15:12-13

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. NKJ

Pride is the root cause of all sin. It is pride, our feeling of self-importance that makes us put our wants, needs and desires above all else, including God.  It was pride that caused Satan to try and exalt himself above the throne of God. It was pride, the desire to be more, to know more and to be as important as God, that caused Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It is the same today, the desire to put self-first above everything and everyone that causes us to sin. Pride causes us to refuse to lay down our life, wants and desires, and it also causes us to refuse to obey God’s command to loveothers.

John 15:14-15 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Jesus has called us friend, and He is asking us to lay down our life for Him, just as He has lay down His life for us. Jesus is that Friend whom we are to lay down our life for. He is the only one that deserves our total commitment. There is no greater love for Christ than for us to consciously, willingly and intentionally decide to put the love for others and put their needs before our own, to lay down our life for Christ, because that is how He has loved us. 

To lay down one’s life is harder than being a martyr, a one-time action, than giving of our wealth out of our surplus, or the sacrificing for service that can be self-serving.  For us to decide to lay down our life is a continuous, ongoing, lifelong process that we must do daily. To daily decide to not be selfish or prideful and to seek the welfare and betterment of others. This is a practiced skill that we must repeat daily in order to get better at it. Like any skill, the more we practice it the better we become at it, and it is usually a challenge at the beginning.

To lay down our life for our Friend, Jesus, is to seek Christ’sinterest in others. It is no longer putting ourselves before others but seeking God’s best for them. Realizing this still may cost us our life, our wealth or our time but the motive is love, that same love our Friend, Jesus Christ, has given us.  When we lay down our life of selfish concerns, then the love Christ has given us now flows from us to others.  

God is not asking us to die for Him, but to live for Him. To live our life in a way that shows love for others and to put them before our own selfish needs. Tree pruning is needed to grow good fruit. Unneeded or excess saplings or sprouts, whichdrains the tree of needed nutrients, are cut away to keep them from hindering the fruit from growing well.   

When the main branches stay attached to the vine it receives its supply and can produce good fruit.  When we remain in relationship, fellowship and communion with God through faith in Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit we can ask the Father whatever we want.  We will receive it, because we ask in Jesus’ name, in Jesus’ character, in Jesus’ love and purpose for us and others.  

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. NKJ 

John 15:16-17 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. NKJ

Just as Jesus laid down His life for us, that we may live for Him and with Him, so shall we also do in this life. We are to lay down our self-interest, pride and selfishness so that we may show the love of Christ to those who may be unlovely but not unlovable. Jesus loves the whole world and gave Himself for us.  

1 John 2:2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. NLT 

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. NKJ

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Perception VS Perspective   “To Follow Jesus”

Perspective, is the ability (whether natural or acquired) ofseeing all the relevant facts, records and data in a meaningfulway that is, reciprocal, interrelating or corresponding to amutual relationship. Perspective gives meaning to the other person’s view by putting oneself in their position, and it gives one the ability to see past themselves to develop a view that is inclusive and not exclusive. 

There is a general perception that all a person has to do is to say that Jesus is the Son of God and they will go to heaven.  This is the only information they have received and have known; therefore, it is their perception and their reality, but it is totally wrong! It does not line up with His word, Jesus said, if anyone wants to come after Him, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus, this still applies today.  

The true perspective is that Jesus gave of Himself, He died on the cross that we may have a new way of living that operates in God’s kingdom.  Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him.  To “take up” is a continuous act of taking up and not something that is done just one time. Therefore, we are to daily and continuously take our cross and die to self (pride, self-interest), while putting God’s kingdom ways and purpose in the forefront.  

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. NKJ

Many people will say they know Jesus and that they are a Christian, just because they have an intellectual knowledge of Jesus and yet, they do not obey or follow after Jesus. They do not walk or live in His way, which is to deny self-pride and to love others. They do not receive His truth according to the written word of God that Jesus is the only way to the Father. They do not have eternal life with the Father because they have refused the only way, which is the acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord, the One Savior that they must obey and serve.  

John 14:6-7 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Most people think they can keep on living their lives according to this fallen world of sin and still have a safety net of salvation. This is because of their perception is that they can say one thing with their mouth, while refusing to live a life of commitment to Christ’s kingdom way, which is to love others and deny self-pride. The true perspective is what Jesus says, that we are to die to self-interest. Just as a grain of wheat must die and be buried that it may sprout and produce more grain, we also should die to self-pride and produce more fruit in the lives of others. The person who loves their life more than the love of Christ, will eventually lose it. Those who die to pride -self, who choose to serve Jesus and to follow in His footsteps by loving others as He has loved us, God the Father will honor.  

John 12:24-26 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

It is in the challenges of life that we seek God and grow and arebeing fashioned into the image of Christ. It is through the things we suffer that we learn to be obedient to God’s word. 

Hebrew 5: 8-9 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, NKJ

We are not to allow our personal perceptions, concerns, struggles and biases mar or distort our perception of God, so that we are unable to see God’s perspective and His kingdom ways while living here on the earth. We must understand there is sin on the earth and we have an enemy, Satan, who wants to kill, steal and destroy the God-like image we have in and on us. Therefore, life will not be without hurts and pain, but what the enemy meant for evil God will turn those things around to grow us and transform us into the image of Christ. 

Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.   For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. NKJ

Our perceptions may be limited by our own life experiences, which shapes what we think of ourselves and others and what we believe we can or cannot do. Some statements we perceive as fact or real but they are not true. A true perspective as fact is only revealed after the reality of God’s truth is established. 

God’s perspective is Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.”Not a way or just one of many ways but “The” only way to the Father. God’s truth says we can live this life victoriously, because we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. 

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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