Did you know, that you can be around Jesus and still miss the blessing? God has many blessings for us, but he never forces any of his blessing on us, and we can completely miss them, if we are full with doubt and unbelief.
In the Gospel of Mark 6:56, It says that many people were around Jesus and that some people, were touching his clothes. But you have to notice that, although many people were around Jesus, only those who came to him and touched his clothes, were healed. Why? Because they had the touch of faith. All the other people, who were around Jesus, but did not touch his clothes, were just spectators, who completely missed it. There were many people around Jesus, everyday, while he was on earth. Some believed the miracles he did, but others when they saw the miracles, tried to kill him. So, being around Jesus is not enough. You have to do something, some type of action, in order to manifest your faith in him. Touching his clothes with faith, will give you the miracles. They would not touch his clothes, if they did not believe, that he would heal them. The only reason they came to him and touched his clothes, was that they believed, they will be healed, like many other people they have seen before, coming to Jesus, touching his clothes and get healed. Did not Jesus want to heal all the people around him? Yes he does. But he also wants to see faith. That is why in Mark 6:5, 6 it says that Jesus was in one place, where he did not do many miracles, apart from healing a few people, because of their lack of faith. And he marvelled at their unbelief. Knowing about Jesus is not enough to produce a miracle in your life. You have to demonstrate your faith in him and his Word, by some action, by something you do. Your actions manifest and display an unbelief or faith, and so do your words. Jesus is more that happy to see those actions of faith. The power of God was there all the time in Jesus, to heal everyone, but those only standing around him, just like spectators, did not receive it. Only the ones who did something practically, like touching the robe of Jesus because of their faith in him, received his power, and were healed.
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The Bible says, that we have the gift of righteousness, given to us by God, because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. It is called the gift of righteousness, and not the wage of righteousness.
Let me ask you a question. In your life, how many times, you have paid for the gifts your friends, family or other people have given you? Non! Well, the gifts they gave you, were given to you, not because you worked for them, or did something to deserve those gifts, but because those people, appreciated you and your friendship or relationship with them, and they valued you as a person. They gave you those gifts, because they cared for you. In contrast, the wages you have received from the places you have worked before in your life, were given to you, by the aide of your boss or supervisor, and were given to you, not because your boss liked you very much, but because you worked for him. You did something to earn and deserve those wages. The gifts we receive from friends, are given because of their care, love and appreciation of us, as friends and as a person. They were not given to you, because you earned or deserved those gifts. Your boss on the other hand, gave you your wages, because you deserved them, and you earned them, and it is not because your boss appreciated your personality or your friendship. The Bible says in Romans 5:17, that we have got the gift of righteousness from God. That is a gift of righteousness, and not a wage of righteousness. Do you see that? God gave us the free gift or righteousness, because of his care, and relationship to us, as a heavenly Father, because of his grace, and because he wants to takes to be with him, for eternity. And he did it, because of what Jesus has done for us, by his death and resurrection. God did not give us a wage of righteousness. He did not give us his righteousness, because of what we have done, or because of how holy life we live before him, or because of the good works we have done. No. The gift of righteousness from God for us, is nothing to do with us, and everything to do with God, and his grace, care and mercy for us. That is it. That is why why it is called a gift, and not a wage. Are you wondering if God will protect you from evil? Are you in a situation where you are not sure, if you will be protected by God, although you believe that he will? You are not alone! We all struggle sometimes, to completely trust God, not only for protection, but for many other things like healing, meeting of needs, etc...
In Proverbs 1:33, it says that whoever listens to God, will live in safety, and be at ease, without fear of harm. Hmm, even if we are harmed, even then God can make us live at ease, and free from fear, because Psalm 34 says that God is the one, who delivers us of all our fears. But Proverbs 1:33 says, that we will be at ease, and be safe. That means, that God will make you to relax, and live your life, not by worry and anxiety of what may happen to you, but will give rest for your soul, just as he has promised in his Word. The thing is, what is important is that, we allow our senses and the outside circumstances, to dictate what happens in our life, rather than our faith and trust in God, to dictate what happens in our life. I personally believe, that God wants us to trust him, not just for protection from evil, but for anything else he has promised us, in his Word. Why did God promise us things in his Word? Just for us to memorise and know them? No! The main reason God gave us his wonderful promises in his Word, is so that we can believe and apply them in our life, and not only know and memorise them. That is because the Word of God says that what matters before God, are those who do practice his Word. Sometimes, circumstances in our life, create fear in us, and our faith in God, and his Word for protection of our lives, vanishes. That is why the Word of God commands us to meditate on it, day and night, and to keep the Word of God, in front of our eyes, and not to forget it. The more we look to circumstances in our live, the more fear we get, and the less faith we have. The more we keep the Word of God in our hearts, instead of dwelling on thoughts from our circumstances, the more faith we will have, and the more we can conquer our circumstances. We either become victims of our circumstances, or victors over them, and all that depends, on how much we believe what God has said, in his Word. The relationship of a wife and husband in this world, is more based on how they feel for one another, if they feel romantic, if they feel in love or not. Once the feelings of love become less, and there is no anymore a feeling of love, they say to their spouse, "I do not love you anymore."
But for us Christians, that is a different story. You see, God has commanded us to love each other. That in itself indicates, that no matter how we feel about somebody, we must love them. Now, there are different types of love, and in the Greek New Testament, there are different original Greek words used, to describe. For example, there is the 'phileo' love and the 'agape' love, but they are different. One is more to do with feelings, and the other is more to do with action. In Titus 2:4, it says that older women, should train the younger women, to love their husbands. But what if the young woman says, that she does not feel love anymore, for her husband. Well, it does not matter, because if she and her husbands are Christians, then they are commanded by God, to love each other. Although the word 'agape' is not used in the original Greek text for Titus 2:4, the principle of the older women training the young women to love their husbands, still remains, regardless of how those young women, feel about their husbands. It is like the command from Jesus, for us Christians, to love each other. I am sure that God did not mean that we should feel love for each other, because our feelings of love, are not the basis of our faith, but the Word of God is. We are commanded to love each other as Christians, and God does not care how we feel about each other. God did not say that we should love one another, if we feel so, but if we do not feel love for one another, then can not be loving towards each other. No, God commanded us to love each other. In the same way, God has commanded that husbands love their wives. That is a command, and it does not matter, if the husband feels loving toward his wife. He is still commanded to love his wife by God, and that command is much to do with what the husband does, than to do with how the husband feels. When we read 1 John 2:15-17, we are commanded by God, not to love the world. Now, what does that mean, and how can we not love the world, in which we are created to live in?
When God commands us not to love the world, he does not mean not loving the nature, the animals, or other things, which are the creation of God. Just the opposite. God wants us to enjoy the nature, and being with animals, because he put the animals and nature, to be with the first man Adam, from the very beginning. When God commands us not to love the world, he means all those sinful things happening in the world, through people who do not know Christ, and who rebel against God, and what he has commanded. In 1 John 2:16, the Bible mentions three things, and those three things, are the ones, which God has commanded us, not to love. What are they? The are the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (NIV). The lust of the eyes could be the fact, that our eyes, never have enough to look at. We want always to look for more, to see more. Now, there are good things in this world, which our eyes long to look at, but there are also bad things in this world, which are in conflict with heaven, and please only hell. Those are the things God does not want us to look at. Why, because our eyes are the windows of our soul, and what we see, enters our soul, and becomes part of our memory and mind. Jesus said that when our eyes are healthy, our whole body is full with light - Luke 11:34. God wants us to look more, at the things that will build us up in his ways, and one of the way those things get into us, is trough our eyes. May the Holy Spirit help us to look at the right things daily, because if he does not help us, we will definitely look sometimes, at the wrong things, and possibly even fall into the temptation of doing the wrong things. The lust of the flesh, are the many things, our flesh desires, and the many things, our sinful nature in us desires to accomplish too. Even as Christians, we struggle everyday, against the our flesh, and the sinful nature in it. Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 7, that nothing good lives in our bodies and that he sees another law, the work of the sinful nature in his body, which makes him to do the things, he does not want to do, that is sin. We are between the desires of the Holy Spirit who lives in us as Christians, and the sinful nature living in our bodies, and we desire to do what the Holy Spirit wants, but the lust of the flesh, that is the lust of our sinful nature in our bodies, wants us to sin, and do the wrong things, so we are in a battle very day, with the option to chose what the Holy Spirit in us wants, or what the sinful nature in us wants. The choice is ours. And the pride of life. What is that? Well, that is being proud, with the status we have achieved in life. For example, if I have made millions of dollars, through my business, most people out there in the world, would consider me successful, influential and intelligent. And if I am a beggar on the street, most people in the world, would consider me a failure. Now read James chapter 2, and see what God says about that. God has a different way of looking at our success, which is 100% different, from what most people out in the world, consider to be a success. God looks at success, with its eternal values, but men of this wold, look at success, only with its earthly values. What people in this world, consider a success, is a failure in the eyes of God, and what God considers as success in the life of man, is failure in the eyes of the world. We as Christians, in our daily devotionals, read the Word of God, and meditate on it. We do it, first of all, because Jesus said that man shall not live with bread alone, but with every word, that proceeds from the mouth of God.
You see, our bodies need feeding every day, in order to live and grow. Our spirit and our soul, also need the food from heaven, in order to live and grow in the things of God. The only way we can overcome things in this messed up world, is by our faith, because the Bible says that we have overcome the world, by our faith. But our faith, can not be strong enough, to overcome the things in this world, which are going against the will of God, if our soul and spirit, are not fed and strengthened, by the Word of God. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12, that the Word of God is living and active, separating soul and spirit, and judging the attitudes and thoughts of the heart. Now notice, it says the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart, not of the mind. That is important! Why? Because Christianity is first of all, a matter of the heart. With the heart we believe in God, and our heart or spirit, is born again, not our mind. Out connection with heaven, is first of all in our heart, and not our mind, because the Holy Spirit, is in our hearts, according to the Scriptures. The Word of God is living and active, but unless it is in our hearts, how can it be living and acting in us? We have to make sure, that we get the Word of God in our hearts, so that it can be living and active inside of our hearts, or our born again spirit. But how do we get the Word of God to be in our hearts? First of all, we transform our minds, with the Word of God, just as Romans 12:1, 2 says. Then when we transform our minds regularly, with reading the Word of God, eventually, the Word of God, will be in our hearts too. But it first enters in us, through our hearts. Once the Word of God gets into our hearts, then because it is living and active, it will first of all, judge our thoughts and attitudes, in order to make our hearts and minds, to align more with heaven. The more of the Word of God we have in our hearts, the more living and active it will be inside of us, and the more living and acting it will be in our lives too. Jesus said that the mouth speaks what the heart is full with. The more of the Word of God we store in our hearts, the more of the Word of God will come out of our mouth, in our daily conversations. And vice versa. The the less of the Word of God we store in our hearts, the more of this world, will come of our mouths, and that would definitely not be living and active, but will be burning and dying. The more of the Word of God in us, the more God can use that Word, and do miracles in our lives. God always uses our faith in his Word, to do a miracle. He just does not do a miracle, independent of our faith in his Word. That is why he gave us his Word on the first place, so that we believe in it. and by believing in it, it will be more living and acting in us, and through us, for his glory, and for our and other people's blessing. 1 Corinthians 8:1
These days and age, what most people in the world consider to be one of the most important thing in life, is to have more knowledge. Knowing how to use Information Technology products like smart phones, tablets, computers and the Internet, is valued highly, in today's world. Nearly everyone wants to progress and grow in their knowledge and advancement, in the world of technology. But what is getting cold in this world, is the love among people. Jesus said, that because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most, will grow cold. The world out there, and the people of this world, do not care these days too much, to grow in love, and that is mainly because they do not have the love of God, shed in their hearts, by the Holy Spirit, because they are not born again. Therefore, many people in the world, do not consider growing in love towards others, a valuable or important thing. But for us as Christians, to grow in love must be the highest priority, and even more than growing in knowledge. We can grow in love towards God and towards people, and we can grow in knowledge towards God, and towards the things in this world, like Information Technology for example. The Bible clearly states that growing in knowledge puffs up, but growing in love builds up. I believe that relates to, or is similar to, when we talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our life, being manifested, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit, in our life. You see, we are commanded in the Bible to love God and to love people, which fulfil the whole Law of God. I believe we are to follow love, and desire the spiritual gifts. We need both, in our life, and that is why God made it to be written in his Word, about them. There are many people in this world, Christians, and Theologians, who know a lot about God. But the question is, do they grow in love towards God, and towards people. That is the important thing, at which heaven is looking, and longing to grow in our life. And that is why Apostle Paul said, that if he does not have love, he is nothing. You can have plenty of knowledge about God, and about Information Technology, but if you do not have love, you and not only you but me too, we are on a lower level of a spiritual growth, than a person who really grows in love towards God and people, but does not have a lot of knowledge about God or IT. We can become proud with our knowledge about God, and about Theology, but how can we become proud, if we have love for God and people. Knowledge about is necessary and important, and it can help us grow in our love towards God and people, but knowledge about God on its own, can cause us to be proud, just because of having all that knowledge about God. On the other hand, what God is looking for, is if we love him on a daily basis, and if we love the people he created in his image, as he has commanded us. That is why Jesus commanded us to love each other. And that is why Apostle John said that the person who love their neighbour or brother, knows God, but the person who hates their brother, and does not love their brother, does not know God. We can have all the knowledge about God, but still hate our brother, and not love people. All that knowledge would be in vain, if there is no love. |
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