CHRISTIAN ATTRIBUTES
In this page, you'll find videos that explain how the Christian heart and mind should work, and what kind of characters Christians should have.
GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER
This statement is drawn from 2 Corinthians 9:7, which reads, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
A cheerful giver is someone who willingly gives to God. The person sees the need in contributing to God’s work. The amount doesn’t necessarily matter; it is the value that we have for it, especially in comparison to what we have, and the way we feel about it. That is why Jesus Christ said that the widow gave more than rich men who donated large gifts (Luke 21:1-4). After all, God is a spirit (John 4:24), and therefore judges wth the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), and our value for what we give. In fact, the way we feel about God also affects what we give. Cain gave something to God that he wouldn’t even want for himself, but Abel gave something very valuable to him (Genesis 4:1-4). Anyone can use that to decode a cheerful giver from one that’s not.
In the time of the Israelites, there was an offering called “freewill offering”, which was optional for those who wanted to give to God. There were regulations, though. You couldn’t just give an eagle or a wounded goat. You could only bring certain animals, and they had to be without blemish (Leviticus 22:17-25). And there were other things involved, too (Numbers 15:1-10). Those were only in place so that the offering could be within what God wanted.
There were also times when the children of God donated to God’s work. When His taberacle was to be built in Exodus 35, people willingly and generously offered gold earrings, blue, purple and crimson clothing and other things that were needed. In 1 Chronicles 29:1-9, 14, 17, people willingly offered gold, silver, iron, etc. to build God’s temple in David’s time.
Now, let’s look at individuals who willingly gave to God.
Joseph of Arimathaea donated the tomb he prepared for his own burial to bury Jesus (John 19:38-40). He wasn’t begged or encouraged to contribute and be a donor to God’s will. He saw the need in giving Jesus Christ, a special man in his eyes, a decent burial.
The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-10 is another great example, becaus she fed Elisha anytime he passed by, and even saw the need to make a place for him to be staying. Remember, she was never asked to do that; as you’d see in 2 Kings 5:15-19, Elisha’s not the kind of person who goes around, asking people for stuff. But the Shunammite woman saw the need in giving/contributing to God, through helping Elisha.
A third example is Obadiah in 1 Kings 18:2-4. When Jezebel was killing God’s prophets, Obadiah hid 100 of them, feeding them with bread and water. Once again, nobody asked Obadiah to do that. He saw the need and reason to spend his money feeding those prophets.
All the instances that have been given above are physical, because physical things were donated to God. But remember, God is a spirit (John 4:24), and obviously doesn’t really glory in physical things. So, it’s not only physical things we can give to God.
Our bodies are offerings to God, too (Isaiah 66:20 - it’s no more physical bulls, but ourselves, in a spiritual light). We worship God in the spirit, and in the heart (Philippians 3:3) by giving God our hearts (Deuteronomy 6:5). Our heart is what makes us love things, hate things, pursue things, etc (Proverbs 4:23), and it’s what devises wicked things (Matthew 15:18-20). But when we give it to God, that’s very valuable, because Satan the Devil has set up many tricks to try to get that from us. And that’s what St.Paul spoke about in Romans 12:1. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Something wrong with this world (especially done by false pastors) is that they’ve turned the concept of giving to just money. Pastors try to make you give your money to them by telling you that it’s for God, because they “do God’s work”. Too bad it’s in vain (Matthew 15:7-9). They aren’t satisfied with willing donations and gifts. They want to extract it from you, because they are greedy (Isaiah 56:11). Some pastors try to honour people who give, and shaem the ones who don’t. They make rich people sit at the front, the way the Pharisees would make people who give gifts escape important biblical laws (Mark 7:11-13). Some pastors even make plaques for those who give, so that those who don’t will give so that they too can be on the podium. These people are like the sons of Eli in 1 Samuel 2:12-17, who wanted to take everything you’re sacrificing, instead of just what comes out of the fork, and they’re forceful, not wanting you to give willingly. What such people don’t understand is that the honour goes to themselves, and not to God. They still get the money, but God doesn’t get anything because it’s the willingness and the value that the people have for their gifts that’s important to Him. “For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” (1 Corinthians 9:17).
Giving, especially to God, is a very good thing, and He never leaves such ones empty-handed (Matthew 10:42). He will make sure that they don’t lack any “good thing”. “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” (Psalms 34:10). “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (Psalms 84:11). You can also read Isaiah 32:8, Proverbs 11:25 and 2 Corinthians 9:6.
One blessing that people who give to God get is honour. When you support God’s work, like what Joseph of Arimathaea or the Shunammite woman did, you will never be forgotten, both by God, and in my cases, the world, too. “God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to other Christians.” (Hebrews 6:10 in the Good News Bible). When what God is doing succeeds and blossoms, you will be known to have contributed to it. The Shunnamite woman got a child because of her giving (2 Kings 4:8-37). And the list goes on and on.
If we want to be blessed by God, we have to give to Him. If we give very little because of no motivation or enthusiasm, we get very ltitle, but if we give very much, from loving God, we get very much. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
For more information, click this link:
RECEIVING THE KINGDOM LIKE A CHILD
In Matthew 18:1-4, Jesus Christ used children to help us understand the way we should approach and worship God. Children are innocent, and they trust that their parents have the best say in all matters. We have to behave like children, because those attributes are the same ones that God has always said we need to have. That doesn’t mean we should do childish things, though. “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.” 1 Corinthians 14:20 - see also 1 Corinthians 13:11).
For example, there is humility. Children are generally humble and meek, not proud and know-it-alls. And God deals with both children and adults who behave like this. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabited eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revei the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15). “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10 - see also 1 Peter 5:5-6, Proverbs 22:4 and Matthew 11:25-26).
There is also obedience. Thousands of years ago, and even today, the main law that God has set up isn’t offerings and sacrifices, but rather that we should obey him, and keep his commandments. “For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.” (Jeremiah 7:22-23 - see also Exodus 19:5). When we obey God, we will spend our days in property, and our years in pleasures (Job 36:9-11). Disobeying God brings the opposite. (Job 36:12).
Sincerity is another important virtue. Most little children are sincere. You know where they belong. It has to be obvious that we worship God, to ourselves and to others. “Four rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” (2 Corinthians 1:12). Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth.” (Joshua 24:14). The opposite of this attribute is hypocrisy, and that isn’t righteousness. “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20 - that leaven being hypocrisy - Luke 12:1).
And finally, there’s trust. Children trust that what their parents tell them to do is correct, and it is therefore in their own interest to obey. We must see God and somebody who can provide a great future for us. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7). We should be like Abraham, who trusted God to the extent that he left his own country, and went into the direction God showed him, to a land he wasn’t aware of (Genesis 12:1-3). We should be like Hezekiah, or king Jehoshaphat, because both those kings trusted that God could deliver them from losing battles and being taken over (Isaiah 36-37 and 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 respectively). And when we pray to God, we must trust that he has the ability to answer us. “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22).
There are still more attributes to cover (e.g. forgiveness) but those 4 are already pretty strong. Such attributes are especially necessary in these last days, because these days are very troublesome, and we need a strong foundation, the truth, built up by attributes of Christ, such as the ones above, in order to fight through this (2 Corinthians 10:3-6, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, etc). We should never be envious, set in our ways, filled with malice, or any other kind of bad attributes, preventing us from having God’s rewards (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Peter 2:1-3, etc). Rather, we should be babes before God, and put all his ways and principles first. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
For more information:
BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
Poverty is an undesired condition in this world. People with established positions think that it’s simply because of money, and that poor people don’t have the money to ride rich vehicles, and buy houses with 10 acres of land. But we have to understand, it’s a lot more than that, and that helps us to understand the spiritual poverty, which, when aided by God, leads to eternal happiness.
When people are poor, it’s not really about their poverty that makes them depressed. It’s still possible for them to survive. However, it’s when they see other people doing better than them, cruising through life, and not even having to think about the next meal, that makes ones of poor fortunes become depressed. It’s that feeling that makes them want to do anything they can to build themselves up.
This yearning is the same idea that Jesus Christ was talking about in Matthew 5:3, 6: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” But what does it mean to be poor in spirit? And what does it mean to be taken from that poverty?
There are many examples in the Bible of people were poor in spirit. For example, in Job 13:15, Job demonstrated his yearning to remain with God, and be humble before him. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Also, in Daniel 1:8, Daniel demonstrated his will to stay with God and his yearn to be righteous when he didn’t accept King Nebuchadnezzar’s food. He’d also demonstrated this humility and nature when, though being threatened by those generals under King Darius, still continued to worship God and follow his normal routines (Daniel 6:10-28). They valued their relationships with God, and yearned to make them better.
The reason why Jesus Christ said that people who are poor in spirit are blessed is because they end up being the ones to know stuff. Whether in the workplace, or in spiritual matters, people who have convinced themselves that they already know everything, simply because they were born in a family where such things were known and practiced, etc, will never yearn to build any strong relationship with God. The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and everybody else in that category, were a part of such group. They didn’t believe that Jesus Christ could teach them about God, but they remained in their blindness as a result (John 9:39-41), and that gradually led to their collapse in 70 CE (Luke 19:41-44).
The Bible has told us that it is the poor in spirit that God will feed, both with his knowledge and understanding. “Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed.” (Isaiah 65:13). The poor in spirit will accept everything God has to offer, and will never feel hungry for worldly tastes anymore. “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalms 81:10). The water and bread that Jesus Christ was talking about, that will never make you thirsty or hungry again, is the same idea (John 6:35, 51, Isaiah 55:1-2, etc).
However, it is important we understand, not everybody who calls himself a Christian is now poor in spirit, because they think that you having Christian in your nickname means you believe in him. It is only people that are converted by God himself (John 6:44), that are poor in spirit, because they yearn for God’s kingdom, and they yearn for a better, stronger and more peaceful relationship with God. It is only such people that God will raise up, so that their poverty can become riches, riches that will never cease (Matthew 6:19-21). “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to receive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15).
For more information, click this link:
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?
In Luke 10:25-37, a person had asked Jesus Christ, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus Christ then used the parable of the Good Samaritan to tell us who our neighbour really is.
From verses 30-37, there was a man travelling that was spotted and beaten up by thieves, and wounded , so that, as the account says, he was half-dead. A priest walked by him, and did nothing, and so did a Levite. But it was a Samaritan who picked him up, helped him, and even supplied money for further care.
The story made it clear that the Samaritan’s neighbor was the man that he’d helped cure. But who are our neighbours? And once we identify them, how do we aid them?
Our neighbors are people who we influence, and people who are interested in God’s word. The Pharisees weren’t neighbors of Jesus Christ at all, because, though they were both vast in the Scriptures, they had completely opposite opinions on what was righteous, and what wasn’t. And the Bible has told us that we should love our neighbors, and not do evil against them (Romans 13:9-10, Galatians 5:13-14, Hebrews 13:1, James 2:8-9, Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:33, etc).
There are examples in the Bible of good neighbourliness. For example, Jonathan was a neighbor of King David, because he loved him as his own soul (1 Samuel 18:1-4, 20:17). Same goes with Jesus Christ, who loved his disciples, and made sure that the group was still intact when he was to die, and afterward (John 17:12). Jesus Christ is also a good neighbour to all Chistians because he died for them (2 Corinthians 8:9, Philippians 2:1-11).
There are also examples of people who hated their neighbours, even if they pretended not to. The BIble has told us that we cannot hate our neighbors, simply because of their spiritual weaknesses (Proverbs 14:21, 3:29, 29:5, etc). The churches in these last days that don’t obey Jesus christ are in that category, because they exploit from them, and they don’t wish good for them. Whether they believe in God, or love God, or can solve spiritual problems, is of no worth to them. They don’t tend the flock (Matthew 24:48-51, Isaiah 56:10-11, Matthew 7:15-24, Ezekiel 34:1-11, etc), but they just want your tithes every service. Such people are hating their neighbours, because they are destroying them (Isaiah 9:16, Habakkuk 2:15-16, etc). Anybody who talks to their neighbours with care but don’ feel good about them, and just want their money, is somebody who hates his neighbour (Psalms 28:3).
The Bible has explained to us what it means to love our neighbours. It has to do with the sacrifice that we make for our neighbours (Romans 14:21). All it is is living a life that people can benefit from. There are certain things that won’t shift our spirit relationship with God, but we can still stop doing them for the sake of overs. This is not only true charity (1 Corinthians 13:1-13), but it is a good way of helping people come to the faith. For such reasons, in Romans 15:1-2, St.Paul had said, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” (see also Roamns 14:15, 1 Corinthians 10:24, 8:11-13, etc). We are being the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16, Philippians 2:12-18), by living a life that can be of great benefit to other people with good spirits. We should also forgive our neighbours, not being bitter against them (Colossians 3:13, Matthew 18:21-35).
It is important that we understand who our neighbors are, and how we can show love to them. In Psalms 15:1-3, David the Psalmist was talking about who will be able to dwell in God’s tabernacle, and who qualifies to dwell in God’s Estate, being a righteous person. He’d stated, “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” (Psalms 15:1-3) One of the requirements to qualify as a righteous person is respecting your neighbour.
For more information:
SELF-EXAMINATION
Self-examination is the ability to analyze your heart condition, and your reasoning. From which basis do you reason from: God or Satan the Devil? It is only possible to reason from one of the two, so if we find ourselves doing things that are Satanic, then we probably need to examine ourselves to make some necessary adjustments.
One big part of self-examination is in the heart. God is greater than our hearts, so we must bend it towards him. “For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God.” (1 John 3:20-21). “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, Matthew 22:37). We must adjust our heart condition so that it’s more about spiritual things than the physical stuff, like food, water, etc (Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Matthew 6:19-21, 33). “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
One very important element of self-examination is our knowledge. Because there are many people going about in the world teaching falsehood, we have to make sure that we are sticking with the Bible and its details at all times (1 John 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, etc). If we stick with the truth, it will make us free from the troubles of society (John 8:31-32, 36). And we have to meditate on that to connect all the various stories. It’s like connecting the dots on a paper. You have to be able to draw all the lines and connections in order to make one picture.
Self-examination is a lot like meditation, when you think about it, and many righteous ones of God had a habit of meditating in bed. “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” (Psalms 4:4 - see also Psalms 77:6, 11-12). Now, this doesn’t mean we should be staying up, but that we should meditate about the Bible from time to time, if not always. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8). We do this so that God can lead us through the path of salvation. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24).
Many people accuse others of problems they might be having when it’s actually themselves who could've caused such problems. Therefore, when calamities come by, we should know whether it’s Satan the Devil, ourselves, or God punishing us as a result of our sins. “Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:39-40 - see also Jeremiah 30:15).
We also have to examine our works. “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (Galatians 6:4). We cannot just be studiers of the Bible, but we have to be doing what it says, and if our actions aren’t in line, we must fix them. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). We should be like David. “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.” (Psalms 119:59-60).
For more information, click this link:
SELF-CONTROL
Self-Control is a very important Christian virtue, because it is needed for our spiritual survival. In the KJV version (King James), self control is referred to as temperance. It was mentioned in places like Galatians 5:22-23 and 2 Peter 1:5-11. When you’re racing, for example, it is necessary to exercise self-control so you don’t violate any of the rules, or cross over any of the boundaries. Same with the race of salvation. We have to be able to discipline and control ourselves in order to whether through the various trials and temptations our adversary will throw at us, to come out victorious before God (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
Our ability to exercise self-control was put to the test in the garden of Eden, in Genesis 3:1-6. Satan tempted Eve by telling her to do something distinct from what God had told her. However, she failed to exercise her self-control by eating the fruit, and also giving some to Adam, who then fell for the trap as well. And, as a result, the rest of humanity was and is born in sin (Romans 3:10-11, 23, 5:12-19, 6:23, 7:14-23, etc).
Self-control can only come from an understanding of the Bible. Jesus Christ and his apostles never fell into the various traps that people had set up, led by Satan the Devil, because they had an understanding of the Bible. And we can only understand the Bible once we study it. “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:25). “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).
In this world, we have to learn to exercise self-control because there are many vices and wicked acts that we can commit if we don’t. For example, being drunk and impaired is a possibility if we don't exercise self control. When we see wine, we have to reject it if we know we’ll want to drink 5 bottles after tasting it (Proverbs 23:20-21, 29-32, 25:16). If we are people who eat a lot, we have to know that the spiritual food, the knowledge of the truth, is more important (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Matthew 4:4). If we are people who say rubbish from our mouths, we must note that God and Jesus hear every word we say, and judge every word we say (Matthew 1236-37, James 5:12), so we must say good things (such as being honest - Proverbs 12:17, 11:13, 17:27-28, etc). And we must control our wrath. “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27).
When we have self-control, the blessings aren't just spiritual. Physically, the people who thrive and the ones who are respected the most are the ones with self-control. They are people that are well-kept, responsible, and can keep themselves under discipline. Such people last longer at their jobs, they study better and live more pleasurable lives.
If we have not created the habit of self-control, we must, because the path of salvation is built on that principle. If we don’t know how to set our own boundaries, based on our knowledge and faith, and follow them to the end, eternal life won’t be for us. “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.” (1 Corinthians 9:25).
For more information, click this link:
WHAT IS CONTENTMENT?
The ability to be satisfied with your belongings is a very important Christian virtue. We have to be satisfied with our money, or our belongings, generally; otherwise, we’ll be chasing after those things instead of God, and we will never be satisfied. “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: that is also vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
We should never be chasing after things of this world, namely money. It’s not wrong to have money, but it can become bad if we are never satisfied with what we already have. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10). Money doesn't give happiness, and neither does it have anything to do with God. Therefore, we should be satisfied with God's provisions, and work towards earning high in God's business (Matthew 6:19-21, 33, Luke 16:9, 1 Corinthians 12:31).
An example of a nation that wasn’t content with God’s provisions was Israel. God was providing them manna, water, and the other necessary resources. It was enough to survive. But they kept complaining, resulting in the story of the brazen serpent (Numbers 21:4-9), the quails (Exodus 16:13, Psalms 105:40), etc. They weren’t satisfied with the things God provided for them, and that continued on into their history. As a result, God buffeted them at different times, using Gentile nations to teach them lessons.
In these last days, we have to be content with God’s Kingdom. It’s the amazing provision God has given us, as it is the answer to our prayers (Matthew 6:9-10, Revelation 6:9-10, Luke 18:1-8. Even if the physical blessings aren’t so manifold, the spiritual ones are, and those are the things that matter, anyway. “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.” Ecclesiastes 7:12.
For more information, click this link:
ARE YOU REALLY A CHRISTIAN?
It is very beneficial for everyone who knows how to be a true Christian. It’s a very simple lifestyle to live, as it isn't a very complicated life. However, it's are only easy to those who accept such a lifestyle with all their heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, Matthew 22:37). If your heart isn’t there, you’ll be worshipping God with only your lips and bodies (Isaiah 6:9-10, Matthew 15:7-9). Or, you’ll attempt to worship God and Satan the Devil, and cause unnecessary trouble for your life (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13).
The foundation on which we’ll be building our relationship with God is the truth. We have to study it, and get familiar with the stories, and their similarities with the signs of the times, what’s happening in the last days (James 1:25, 2 Timothy 2:15). If we build on falsehood, our relationship with God won’t stand (Luke 6:46-49, Matthew 7:24-27). And we study the truth properly, it makes us free (John 8:31-32, 36, Psalms 119:105, Proverbs 28:1, 6:23, etc).
It is through the truth that we’ll start to act accordingly, by exhibiting various attributes of Jesus Christ, the fruits of the Holy Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23). These are people God interacts with (Psalms 25:9, Isaiah 57:15, 66:2, etc). And it is such people that will inherit eternal life (Matthew 5:5, Psalms 37: 9, 11).
Faith is another key element to being a true Christian. And where does it come from? “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). When we study the Bible, and believe in it, faith is a product of that. It is not in the mouth, “Oh, we have faith!” but rather, is in what we do (James 2:14-26). And it isn’t justified until it remains to the end. “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” Hebrews 3:14. (See also Matthew 24:12-13, 1 Peter 1:9, Philippians 3:14, Hebrews 10:35-36, 38-39 and Luke 9:62).
Once we do this, we become new creatures. When we repent of our sins, by changing our ways, we become new people in Christ. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And it is through Jesus Christ we become that, because he paid the ransom sacrifice for all humanity. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28; see also Hebrews 9:22, 28, Luke 24:47, etc).
It is important we understand what it means to be a Christian. This will help you to judge for yourself whether you fit in this category or not. It is not people who hear the word of God that are justified, but the doers of the work who are. (Romans 2:13, James 1:22-25, John 13:17, etc.)
For more information, click this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zRerQxvJt8
ARE YOU REALLY HUMBLE?
Humility is the ability to be teachable, and submissive. It is a crucial attribute to worshipping God. Jesus Christ had sold that message in Matthew 18:1-4, by pulling up a child and saying that people who behave like kids will be the greatest in God’s Kingdom. That doesn’t mean that we should be childish and foolish, but we must be submissive, because that is an attribute built into a young kid’s system.
A big example of someone who is humble is God himself. He lives from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 90:2, 93:2, etc) and he doesn’t need man to survive, or even thrive (Job 35:5-6). However, “he looketh upon man, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.” (Job 33:27-28). He is a god of longsuffering, lovingkindness, patience, etc (Psalms 86:15, 2 Peter 3:9, Romans 15:5, Isaiah 63:7, Psalms 36:7-9, etc).
Another example of humility is God’s own son, Jesus Christ. He was so humble that he came down from a spiritual realm, and within that realm, he held a very high position, to come and sacrifice himself, and be killed by people who were unjust before God. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9). And such humility is rewarded (Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 12:2-4, etc).
THE LEVELS
Children, for one, must obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3, Colossians 3:20, Exodus 20:12, etc). Many children in the last days violate that rule, by oppressing their parents (Isaiah 3:12). We have to convince ourselves that, if we’re children, we have to obey our parents, and be satisfied living that life. Our parents shouldn’t have to do the worst thing in order to humble us. It should come from our hearts, bent to God through our parents. Doing that makes a proud father, and a grateful mother (Proverbs 10:1, 15:20). Plus, doing that makes obeying God easy in the future.
If we’re wives, obeying our husbands is crucial (Ephesians 5:22,24, Colossians 3:18). Just like kids, many women have decided to be proud before God by being the breadwinners and rulers of their households (Isaiah 4:1). Fetching water or cooking meals isn't humility, but being satisfied and content with the plans and principles that your husband, the leader, creates and sets on the table, is humility.
Institutions, governments and churches must also comply with the rules of humility. Churches, for example, are to be led by Christ (Ephesians 5:23). They must take instruction from Christ - not turn things around, and start making unnecessary money and fame from God’s work. Christ is in control, and he owns the success of the church, so they must look for that. Otherwise, they aren’t looking to succeed, but rather to confront a dead end.
There are many benefits to being humble before God. People who humble themselves before God will be exalted (Ezekiel 21:26, Luke 11:14, 1 Peter 5:6, Isaiah 57:15, etc), while people who think they’re too big for God will indeed be brought down, and humbled. We should not wait for God to humiliate us - it’s not a lifestyle we should create for ourselves (Proverbs 1:24-30) - but rather, we should humble ourselves before God, so he can exalt and bless us. “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. (Psalms 25:9).
So, ask yourself the question, "ARE YOU HUMBLE?". If the answer's yes, good. If not, then make some changes, and collect the blessings in return.
For more information, click this link:
THE DANGER OF ENVY
Envy is a feeling of discontent to see somebody’s success. This is a Satanic attribute, because it doesn’t have any benefits of any kind. It’s that feeling of hatred when you see somebody doing better than you. And if that person starts to fail, to rejoice, and feel happy.
There were many people in the Bible who were envious of others. For example, in Genesis 4:1-12, God asked for a sacrifice from each of them. Both had the ability to give good stuff, as Abel had good sheep, and Cain had good crops. However, Abel had given the good sacrifice, while Cain gave the worthless one. And, as a result, God preferred Abel’s sacrifice to Cain’s. Cain got envious of Abel, and later killed him while they were taking a walk. Even though Abel was dead, he was faithful to God (Hebrews 11:4), and will be resurrected to come live eternally. Cain, however, was banished by God, clearly proving the consequences of envy.
Another example of envy is in Genesis 37:3-32. Joseph had been having dreams of bundles bowing down to his bundle. And Jacob, his father, loved him more than all of his brothers. This got his brothers envious, and they plotted to kill him. Reuben, however, made them change their minds to simply throwing him into a pit, before he was finally sold for twenty pieces of silver. However, Joseph ended up becoming great in God’s service, and also in Egypt. He was like a prime minister with so much power. His brothers, however, didn’t really become any more important than they were before.
One more example of envy is in 1 Samuel 17-18. In 1 Samuel 17, David defeated Goliath for all the Isralietes. And, in praise, people had been singing, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” This got Saul very angry, and he gradually wanted to kill David as a result of his envy. However, it was said that David got stronger and stronger, while Saul got weaker and weaker. (2 Samuel 3:1). And, no matter how much Saul plotted against David, David still became king, while Saul was killed in war.
There are other examples I can use (Daniel 6, John 7:1-5 - Jesus’s brothers were envious of Jesus) but a habit that many people have in this world is to envy sinners. Envying sinners is bad, because if we understand the Bible, they don’t really have anything to offer. “Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.” (Proverbs 3:31). “Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.” (Proverbs 23:17).
The stories I’d just told already show us some of the consequences that envy can have, but let’s go a little deeper. First of all, people who envy others won’t inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21*, Romans 1:28-32, 29*). People who envy others won’t really know anything in the end, but will just want other people who are succeeding to fail (1 Timothy 6:4). It’s the root of all evil, because envy can lead to hatred, stupidity, riots, etc (James 3:14, 16). It’s the rottenness of bones (Proverbs 14:30). “For wrath killeth the foolish one, and envy slayeth the silly one.” (Job 5:2).
Therefore, instead of envying people, we should rejoice for others when they succeed (Romans 12:15, 1 Corinthians 12:26). Jonathan, when he knew David had been chosen by God to be king, rejoiced for him (1 Samuel 23:16-17). We should love our neighbors, and rejoice for them, (Matthew 22:39).
If we are envious of others, we must pray to God for him to deliver us, because it doesn’t bring any benefits, it prevents us from inheriting eternal life, and we end up knowing nothing in the end.
For more information, click this link:
youtube.com/watch?v=uRe4ufyvxwY
CHRISTIANITY AND THE BUG OF ENTITLEMENT
Entitlement is a big part of this world, because it drives a lot of our decisions. When we think we have the right to something, we will do anything to have it. But the Bible doesn’t view entitlement as a good thing. How come? The Bible has answers.
God and Jesus created this world, and therefore they understand everybody in it (John 2:24-25). As a result, they can do certain things from happening so that our levels of entitlement don’t grow. Remember, when somebody feels entitled to something, even though they aren’t, they become stiff necked, stubborn, and hard to control. Therefore, God can do certain things to prevent that from building up. For example, in Judges 7:1-7, God didn’t want them to fight with 32,000 people. If they had, they would’ve won easily, and they would’ve given all the credit to themselves, thought that it was their own power that delivered them (2 Corinthians 3:5, Psalms 20:7, Isaiah 31:1, etc) and felt that they were entitled to win that battle. That was why he allowed the people who didn’t want to fight to leave, and 23,000 of them left. Another 9,700 left after another test. This left only 300 people left. But they still won their battles with that.
There are examples in the Bible of people who felt entitled. Adam and Eve are a great example, because their sense of entitlement led them to take their own decision on whether they should eat the apple, causing them death (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-6, 16:19). King Saul clearly qualifies, because he felt that God’s choice in utterly destroyed all the Amalekites, and therefore made his own decision on the matter (1 Samuel 15). Same goes with when Samuel had taken a long time, and he just did the sacrifice himself (1 Samuel 13). Even St.Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, admitted that he went through that a little himself. He already had a lot of gifts, many of them in 1 Corinthians 12:4-12, 28-31, and Romans 12:4-8, but there was a sickness he had. He’d prayed to God for it to leave, but God told him that he’d already had enough, and shouldn’t be praying for more.
We as humans must understand that we are not entitled to anything by God. Jesus Christ reflected on this well in Luke 17:7-10. He owns the world, and the humans in it (Genesis 1:26, Isaiah 45:12, 18, 43:21, etc). Therefore, we can’t just feel entitled to whatever we want, or to take decisions on our own. It’s a dead end. When God rescued the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 2:23-25 - the prayers of the Israelites - Exodus 3:1-14 - God chose the person he wanted to use to rescue them - Exodus 7-12 - the process that it took for them to be rescued), the Israelites sense of entitlement started to grow, and though God had already done a lot for them, they started to feel entitled to more, and more. They were complaining continuously (Numbers 11:4-6, 14:1-45, Numbers 21:4-9, etc). They later felt entitled to a king, ruling a kingdom (1 Samuel 8:5). Their entitlements grew to a point where God had to put an end to it, and that was why he stripped them of everything he’d given them by putting them in exile in 586 BC. This inspired some of the statements made by various prophets like, “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.” (Isaiah 47:3 - see also Lamentations 1:8 and Ezekiel 16:8-63).
Even righteous ones can’t feel entitled, simply because they are righteous. Rather, God has made promises, and history shows he doesn’t go against his promises. He has promised his righteous ones a world without evil, and we are seeing that developing already (Isaiah 65:17-25, 33:24, Revelation 21:1-5, 2 Peter 3:13, Jeremiah 29:11, etc). Similarly, a wife that is obedient isn’t entitled, but the husband will protect her simply because he wants her submissiveness to continue, and not fail (Proverbs 31:10-12). A child who is obedient will be supported by the parents because they like the behavior of the child (Ephesians 6:1-3).
God is destroying any institution in this world that builds their ideas on entitlement, and thinking they have the ultimate right to decide for themselves. The worldly spirituality, for example, is going to suffer that, because they couldn’t listen to Jesus Christ (Revelation 18:2-4, 14:8-11, 14-20, 9:5-6, etc). Therefore, we have to cut out all kinds of entitlement from our lives, because it doesn’t get us anywhere. Rather, we should acknowledge the fact that God knows the best way for us, and we should therefore trust in thim (Psalms 20:7, Proverbs 3:5-7, etc). And, when we succeed, we should never thing that it is our own selves that did it, or that we were entitled to it, because it was God that made it possible (Deuteronomy 8:10-18).
For more information, click this link:
WHY SHOULD WE LOVE GOD?
The Bible has talked a lot about loving God. “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 - see also Deuteronomy 10:12, Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:30). “He hath shewed thee, O Man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). However, has anybody ever asked themselves why the Bible has instructed us to do so? What are the benefits?
Well, before we can get into the that, how loving God works should be made clear. Loving God is defending his principles, and being of help/support at all times. It means being submissive, and loyal, the way Hezekiah was to God (Isaiah 38:3, 2 Chronicles 31:2-21). Building bases of faith for him by raising families, tending relationships in the faith, all with a willing and cheerful heart, is loving God, with all your heart, soul, and might.
One important reason for loving God is that our relationship with him, and our race of salvation, becomes easier. After all, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3). It was the reason why Moses had advised the Israelites to stop being stiff-necked (Deuteronomy 10:16, 9:6 - see also Jeremiah 4:4). The relationship with Jesus Christ and God Almighty was very smooth and calm because Jesus Christ loved God Almighty (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 10:15, 18, 17, 12:49,50, 14:28, etc).
When we love God, he protects us our space and our interests. “O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.” (Psalms 31:23 - see also Psalms 37:28, 34:9 and 84:10-11). Because Joshua and Caleb wanted to support God by being enthusiastic about going to conquer the land (Numbers 13:1-33, 14:6-9), God made sure that they would inherit the land (Deuteronomy 31:7), and still be strong, to0 (Joshua 14:10-13).
When God wants to give a blessing, he will remember us. Zacharias and Elisabeth were old, stricken in years, and had walked in God’s ways blamelessly (Luke 1:5-7). Because of their good behaviour, when it was time to bring the forerunner of Jesus Christ, the angels remembered them, and gave it to them as a blessing. God doesn’t forget the good work that we have done towards him. “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minster.” (Hebrews 6:10).
But, most importantly, in these last days, the Kingdom of God has been set up, and freedom has been gifted to all of humanity (Revelation 12:7-12). It is a project that has been set up (Matthew 13:31-32), and just like a farm, it requires workers. Anybody who loves God, and the Kingdom of God, and supports it (Matthew 6:33, 10:42), invests in in (Matthew 6:19-21), by raising their families by its principles (Deuteronomy 6:6-7), and tending their marriages and relations with others with it, therefore creating a base where the Kingdom of God can thrive and have a stand, is going to be remember by God, and be blessed heavily for it. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 - see also Psalms 1:1-3, 92:12-14).
It’s very important that we understand the reasons for loving God. If we are open to him, and we defend his principles, God will remember us, and save us from our own side of trouble, and he will support us. “In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” (Deuteronomy 30:16).
For more information, click this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PxtxYvpuIk
WHAT IS BELIEF?
Belief is taking interest in a thing or person to the point of using that to live your life, and defending that thing or person when they are being spoken against, and facing the consequences.
This is crucial to pleasing God (Hebrews 11:6). Just like the definition above, it is not every person who calls himself a Christian who is one, but somebody who does God’s will (Matthew 7:21, James 1:22-25, Romans 2:13, Luke 6:46-49, etc). Not only that, but a righteous person is somebody who will take God’s words and feel humble enough to subject themselves under it. And when people speak against God, we feel offended, not happy and willing to join in and add a sentence, or feel ashamed that we belong to such a group (Mark 8:38, compared with Romans 1:16). Plus, we can suffer persecution for that thing when it is under oppression, unlike the people St.Paul spoke about in Galatians 6:12: “As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ."
Examples in the Bible are plenty considering belief. When David heard Goliath defying God’s name, he found it unsettling, and went against Goliath and successfully killed him with God’s power (1 Samuel 17:1-58). In Acts 19:18-20, magicians burned all their magic books after hearing the gospel message, and it was worth $9,300 today! In Numbers 13-14, Joshua and Caleb proved their belief in God by showing interest and enthusiasm in going to Canaan, though, of course, they were much smaller and less powerful than the people who lived there.
When Jesus Christ told us to believe him (John 3:16, 36, 6:47) that’s what he was talking about. To believe in Jesus is to take interest in him and what he did to the extent that we live by his words, and support his plans in this world, and let persecution come when Christ’s ideas are opposed. Because the woman in Matthew 26:6-13 believed in Jesus, she took a very expensive ointment and used it to wash Jesus’s feet. In John 19:38-40, Joseph of Arimathaea donated the tomb he planned on burying himself in to bury Jesus. In Acts 2 and 4, thousands of people sold their possessions, broke bread and were happy, just like Jesus was, because of their belief.
When you believe in somebody, there are numerous advantages. A man who knows that a woman believes in him will trust that woman, because she knows that it is his words that the woman will live on, and when the man’s ideas are opposed, the woman won’t join in and support. Also, when the woman needs anything, the man will be more than happy to oblige. And when we believe in Jesus, he will prepare us for anything important, so that we are not caught by it like a snare. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7 - see Genesis 18:17-19 for a playout of this concept). Also, Jesus will be happy to answer our prayers, because we believe in him. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7 - see also Matthew 21:22, 1 John 3:22, and 5:14-15).
However, when we know our belief isn’t strong, how do we strengthen it?
Let’s say you wanted to strengthen your belief in a soccer team. To do so, you’d watch all their matches, buy their merchandise and disagree with anybody who talks trash about them and their skills. Similarly, when we want to believe in God, we should study the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15, Joshua 1:8) to get familiar with God and His principles, and start to pick some interest in them. Belief builds as this happens (Romans 10:17). Then, the words of Christ and God that we would’ve become familiar with should be at the forefront of our lives. We use the Bible’s teachings to make decisions, choose our friends, be happy, et. That’s how to fulfill Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12 and Matthew 22:37. And we should pray to God for the Holy Spirit, as it helps in the whole process (Romans 8:26-27). And we should never be ashamed in doing all of this, but we should be proud and happy about it. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” (1 Peter 4:16 - see also 2 Timothy 1:8).
We should make sure that our belief remains in the Christian faith, because God gets jealous when it moves away from his principles (Exodus 20:3, 5-6). “He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.” (Job 13:10). “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17).
For more information, click this link:
TEACH US TO PRAY
In Luke 11:1, the disciples of Jesus came to him and asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Then, in response to this question, Jesus Christ taught them the Lord’s prayer (verses 2-4, and Matthew 6:9-10).
Prayer is important because true Christians come to God needing God. We acknowledge our problems, and prayer is what allows us to make our requests to God, to fix those things and bring us closer to God. We see this is Job 36:9-12, Matthew 5:3, 6 and 6:1-8. People who are poor in spirit, who acknowledge their iniquities, and want to fix them, will use prayer to fix those problems to be close to God.
Jesus Christ answered it with that prayer because many people pray for their own lusts. They don’t come to God because of God, but because of themselves. This isn’t being nice. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:3). Jesus Christ didn’t pray for the world, neither for person lusts, but for matters that concerned God (John 17:9). Jesus Christ had even told us not to worry about the things of the world, but focus on God’s laws, concerning our prayers and what we take to God (Matthew 6:25-33, Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Matthew 4:4). In Psalms 101:4, David the Psalmist, not wanting to be like such ones who care about themselves, had stated, “I will reject all selfishness and stay away from every evil.” (Living Bible - TLB).
An example of something that we should pray for when we want to bring God closer to us is for God to give us the Holy Spirit. It is a requirement to worshipping God (Romans 8:9), because it is what opens the Bible to us, helps us understand it, and what gives us the strength to live our lives accordingly. This is why David the Psalmist had stated, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” (see also Romans 8:26).
When we want to be closer to God, and we don’t have many companions, asking God for people who believe in him to have as friends is something God wants us to pray for. After all, once we fulfill 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, some of us might want friends to help build our faith, and God answers such prayers for his children. For David, God gave him Jonathan, who was a true supporter and friend (1 Samuel 18:2-4, 23:16-17). Jesus Christ, after praying, was given the disciples (Luke 16:12-13). The apostles wouldn’t have to told us to look for people with like minds in 1 Peter 3:8 and 1 Corinthians 1:10 if that wasn’t something God liked.
Another thing that people can pray for is the wisdom of God. God is very open to such prayers, because it is about him, instead of about the person who’s asking it. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5 - see also Proverbs 2:1, 4-6). King Solomon, when given the opportunity to pray for whatever he wanted, chose wisdom, because he valued the kingdom of Israel being ruled according to God’s principles. God was pleased by this (1 Kings 3:3-15). Daniel also prayed to know the plans of God at that time, and to also let others hear it (Daniel 2:17-23).
If we also have people who influence us, we can pray for such ones to live longer. “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” (1 Timothy 5:17 - see also Ephesians 6:2, in the light of children). A part of that honour is the prayer(s) that we make for such ones, whether it be elders, our parents, or others, who have the knowledge of God and use it in a pure way. We want Psalms 71:17-18 to fulfill on them, considering living long and God not forsaking them. Because we want to walk and be with wise people (Proverbs 24:5-6, 13:20), God likes prayers of people who wish well for their parents, or others with the wisdom of God.
Expanding on the last point, God also likes it when we pray for friends, and others who might need spiritual help, because it shows God that we are interested in others coming to be soldiers for God. Jesus Christ prayed for the apostles and all the people that they would recruit (John 17:6-26). Daniel prayed for the children of Israel at the time (Daniel 9:14-19), and so did Ezra (Ezra 9:16-15). Abraham even prayed for the righteous ones of God that were in Sodom and Gomorrah, cities that would be destroyed by God (Genesis 18:20-33).
It is important that we understand what we should be praying for. God doesn't want people who come to him because they heard from somebody who said that God can answer prayers. He wants people who will come to him and pray to him because they want to be closer to him, and be better for him. And it is only such people that really believe that God can answer their prayers, because it is God they want. “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22).
For more information, click this link:
ACQUIRING SPIRITUAL SENSE
Sense is a sane and realistic attitude to situations and problems; a reasonable or comprehensible rationale. There is sense in everything we do. There is baking sense, for example. Every baker knows that you can’t make cake without flour, and a fast food chef knows that he can’t cook saltless food. Another example is soccer sense. A soccer player has to have the sense to know when to cross, score, retreat and dribble. There are certain situations when attempting to shoot makes a lot of sense (for example, when you receive the ball and have a lot of room) and when you have to retreat (when they’re 10 people in front of you), etc. Every single thing in life, whether it be a profession or an academic subject, has its sense.
Similarly, spiritual sense is the ability to think spiritually; at any given situation, we have to have the ability think according to God’s spiritual terms and principles. And Isaiah 1:18 lists this as something God desires us to do. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Here are a few strands of it:
-
The fact that there are certain things that are proper physically but improper spiritually, and vice versa, is a part of spiritual sense. For example, physical sense denounces the importance of ransom, especially the one that Jesus paid. However, it was spiritually expedient or sensible that such a thing would be done, according to principle (Deuteronomy 19:21, Job 33:21-24, Psalms 49:6-7, John 11:50, 18:14).
-
Another thing that, in this case, is proper physically but improper spiritually is humanism. Humanism is like human sovereignty; the concept of humans governing themselves to accomplish goals. This makes sense physically; humans believing in themselves, like Adam and Eve had done from Satan’s suggestions in Genesis 3:4-5. However, spiritually, it makes no sense, because of what was said in Jeremiah 10:23: ”O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (see also Proverbs 20:24). Humans don’t know the future (Proverbs 27:1), except if God reveals it to them, so therefore the concept that humans can decide for themselves what happens, the way the Israelites wanted to govern themselves with their own king, like other Gentile nations, doesn’t make spiritual sense (1 Samuel 8:1-8, Hosea 13:11).
-
Another part of spiritual sense is understanding God’s mind, nature and principles. This is a part of spiritual sense because we have to understand what God’s mind might be to any given situation, and know his nature; the way he does things, generally. For example, it was this kind of spiritual sense David to not kill Saul in either of the two opportunities he got to do so in 1 Samuel 24 and 26. Why? Because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. It was this sense that made Joab advise David to not count the people, though he refused (1 Chronicles 21). It was a lack of this sense that made Saul kill the priests in 1 Samuel 22, or that made Balaam want to curse the Israelites, who were clearly labelled by God as, “blessed” (Numbers 22). And this was all summarized in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “But the natural man receiveth not the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
However, how do we acquire this sense?
-
One way to acquire it is through wisdom that we request from God (James 1:5, as God can provide it - Exodus 31:3, 35:31, 36:1, etc) and we get through studying the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15, James 1:25), meditation (Joshua 1:8) and other investments (Proverbs 23:23, Luke 16:9 - though not like in Acts 8:9-24). As we acquire wisdom, it allows us to spiritually process any given situation, and that becomes spiritual sense, the way the wisdom that King Solomon had requested from God in 1 Kings 3:3-15 had allowed him to use spiritual sense to judge the case brought to him in the next 13 verses.
-
Another way is through experience. Experience is wisdom built over time, and spiritually, as we face challenges and overcome them, our spiritual sense is built, as we now have practical knowledge on how the world works spiritually. That’s why elders who have a lot of spiritual experience tend to have more sense. “With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.” (Job 12:12-13).
It’s important we understand what spiritual sense is and how it’s acquired. Just as how a lack of baking sense will manifest into meals with poor proportions, and a lack of soccer sense will cause trouble to the team you’re playing on, a lack of spiritual sense will prevent us from being able to discern between good and evil, and we therefore become as horses who have to be told everything, because they have no ability to think spiritually and make wise choices. “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” (Psalms 32:9 - see also Proverbs 26:3).
SUBMISSION AND ITS DIFFICULTIES
Submission is the ability to willingly comply with authority. It is a combination of love, obedience and humility. Just like the idea of belief, submission isn’t uncommon. The government has continuously increased paying taxes, but people don't really complain. They just submit. Some even boast about it. Same goes with airport guidelines. SOmetimes they can be very tedious and excessive, but we just go through them anyway. Submitting to God, therefore, shouldn’t be seen as something so hard, difficult, and awkward, because it is the same heart that we use to willingly submit to the government, our friends, or whoever.
The Bible, though written thousands of years ago, helps to understand the idea of submission. Submission is key to peace. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The hierarchy of obedience, a law of God that still exists today, can only be obeyed with submission. “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3). And one really good way to understand the idea and science behind submission is through Jesus Christ.
When we look at the life of Jesus Christ, we see that God never forced him to submit. He submitted himself to God, which was why life was so easy for him. Some of the statements that he’d made on earth help us understand this: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:34). “I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I sek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30). “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38). He wasn’t interested in telling God his own side of things. He accepted that God was his Father, and made himself love and submit to his principles.
St. Paul also commended him for such humility: “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a an, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8).
It’s good to contrast this with Satan the Devil, who was as proud as anybody could be. The idea of submission didn’t stick in his nature, and Isaiah the prophet reflected on that: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14). And the consequences for such behaviour were mentioned in the nex verse: “Yet thou shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:15 - see also Revelation 12:1-12)).
There are certain things or ways we will construct our lives that will prevent the possibility of being submissive. Four of those things are pride, lust, disbelief and personal righteousness. Pride is something that kills submission, because people who think they are too big and full of themselves can never submit to anybody but themselves. This is something that has ruined the churches today. The churches are so full of themselves that they are starving their flocks by teaching them stupidity and nonsensical whitewash (Ezekiel 13:1-14) and turning everything that has to do with the church to physical stuff, namely money and fame (Mattthew 23:13-19). People, groups or institutions who behave like this can never submit to God almighty, without being humiliated, and submission that is forced is dead. It doesn’t exist.
Then there is lust. Lust kills submission because it makes it difficult to pay attention and be submissive to the correct authorities. That's why John the apostle advised us that we should never love the world. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” (1 John 2:15-17). This is something that has killed marriages today. Women are having lust for things that aren’t in the marriage, and therefore can’t submit to their husbands, and problems in marriages are a product of that.
There is also personal righteousness and not believing in authority, but I think the point has been made clear. The idea of submission is the only way to success. And Jesus Christ advised that we take that path, so that we can have eternal rest. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
For more information, click this link:
RAGE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Rage is an attribute that is built into the systems of some people. When somebody offends them, they just don’t have the ability to control their anger, and they make regretful decisions resulting from that. However, is rage an attribute that is to be desired or contained by any true Christian?
There are some instances in the BIble of people who raged. For example, King Uzziah was a God-fearing king, and God strengthened and expanded his kingdom. However, pride soon got to him, and in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, he attempted to burn incense in God’s temple, a ritual that was only for priests. When Azariah and eighty other priests attempted to stop him from doing this, King Uzziah got mad at them, and God punished him by making leprosy appear on his forehead, which not only prevented him from entering the Lord’s temple, but it also meant that he couldn’t rule the land of Israel any more; his son Jotham ruled the land for him.
In Genesis 4:3-5, Cain and Abel each brought offerings to God: Cain gave some of the plants that he had harvested, and Abel gave some of his sheep. However, God rejected Cain’s offering and accepted Abel’s offering, which made Cain mad, and despite God’s attempt to lead Cain away from sin, in Genesis 4:8, Cain murdered his brother, and God told him to live a wandering life, where the land would yield less crops for him than before.
Rage is clearly a negative emotion, and it is condemned in Galatians 5:19-21 and Colossians 3:8-10. But why is it something we should avoid? Well, it’s mainly because anger can cause strife (Proverbs 15:18; 29:22). It can sometimes leave us in a sinful state, which is why we aren’t allowed to pray if we’re angry (1 Timothy 2:8)
However, if you look carefully at all the examples that I’ve given, you can see that they talk about sin. Great anger can cause even righteous people to sin against God. However, righteous people can get angry for good cause sometimes.
For example, parents are allowed to get angry to discipline their children (Proverbs 22:15 and 23:13-14), and in a similar manner, God has used his anger to punish those who sinned against him.
In Numbers 16:46-49, after the children of Israel supported Korah, a person who rebelled against Moses, instead of supporting Moses and Aaron, the Lord killed fourteen thousand people in a plague; and in Lamentations 2:1-8; Jeremiah had poetically described how God, in his righteous anger, had utterly destroyed Judah through the Babylonian conquest.
Furthermore, God is also angry in these last days. The only reason the period we live in is called the last days in the first place is because God will destroy this world when the period ends to destroy all sinners (Isaiah 13:9). Many people in this world have incited God’s anger by abandoning him for their inventions and God will make sure that they are destroyed for that (Psalms 106:29).
However, God isn’t waiting to just punish them with death. He is punishing them right now by causing their inventions to fail. For example, modern leadership methods, like democracy, are failing, because children are starting to rule now (Isaiah 3:4), and eventually, no one will want to be involved in leadership (Isaiah 3:6-7). Plus, all the inventions the world is trying to create to solve its problems will fail, because those problems will only get worse, as Jesus said in Matthew 24:6-7.
Now, let’s look at what Ephesians 4:26-31 has to say about anger, because there is a lot that those verses can teach us. For example, verse 26 reads: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” We can’t bear grudges against others; instead, we should forgive others and use our reasoning to control our rage (Proverbs 19:11). Also, verse 31 reads: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” This isn’t actually all wrath (because as I said before, it is possible to be angry without sinning), but rather, the wrath of man, because the wrath of man is against God’s purpose (James 1:20).
Therefore, we should avoid people who do such rage (Proverbs 22:24-25) and listen to the advice of verse 32 of Ephesians 4: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” This is the kind of character that we are supposed to have as children of God (Colossians 3:12-14).
For more information, click this link:
INTEGRITY AND ITS BURDEN
Integrity is being somebody of principle. Such a virtue is important because the temporary trends of this world have to be ignored and passed by righteous ones of God (1 John 2:15-17). Such a task can be difficult, but it eased by the attribute of integrity.
There are many examples of integrity, both with people who had it and people who didn’t. For example, God is a man of integrity, because he doesn’t change from his principles (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19). “Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.” (Psalms 25:8). He isn’t wavy and unpredictable, like Satan the Devil (1 Peter 5:8-9), because he lives from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 90:2, 93:2), and can assure his judgments and decrees, simply with the attribute of time (Isaiah 55:8-11, 14:27).
An example of somebody who didn’t have integrity was Esau, because he sold his birthright to Jacob in Genesis 25:29-34. Many people argue that Jacob was wicked and crafty for "deceiving" Esau, but a man of integrity wouldn’t have given up something of such spiritual value as a birthright. The writer of the Hebrew account even used it to advise all Christians. “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” (Hebrews 12:16-17).
There are many other examples (David in 1 Kings 9:4, and Job in Job 1:1, 8, 27:2-6), but the biggest dance between integrity and no integrity is with Jesus Christ and Satan. Jesus Christ had integrity because he stuck with principles. Principles had it that he would come down to this world, preach the gospel (Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19), pay the ransom, and be blessed. That was the plan, and nothing that anybody did, whether temptations (Matthew 4:1-11), opinions of others (Matthew 15:12-14), or anything else, would stop him. He stuck with principle, and he even boasted about it (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 12:49-40, 14:28, 10:17-18, 15, etc). Satan the Devil, however, was the exact opposite, because he was just like Esau, who gave up big blessings to rule the world, and be kicked out of his job eventually (Revelation 12:1-12, 19:11-21). He wasn’t a man of principle, because he wanted to be like God, though formally not being placed there (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:15, 17, 9).
Integrity is a big factor that allows us to do things properly, and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40). When we have integrity, we will not commit fornication or adultery, because we know how to stick with the principles God had in mind when he instituted marriage on this earth (Genesis 2:23-24), so that we can have peace. When we have integrity, we will not prioritize the wrong things, like Martha had done in Luke 10:38-42, caring more about the food that the congregation would eat than the message that would bless the congregation. James the apostle even spoke about this matter: “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21).
However, as the title of this article reads, integrity is a burden to keep. There are many people that poke holes in integrity. For example, Job’s wife did it to Job: “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” (Job 2:9). David also found it hard, because, when times would arise for David to kill Saul, he wouldn't, though having to ignore the urges that would come from his men, and from his own heart (1 Samuel 24:1-22, 26:1-25). The apostles knew it was a hard job, which is why they were, “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22).
Of course, though, big burdens come with big blessings. “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7). “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.” (Proverbs 11:3). “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” (Psalms 15:1-2).
If we know that we are not people of integrity, we should pray to God to give us experiences that will help built it up for us (Hebrews 12:1-13). When we have integrity, it allows us to face realty, and beat it. “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which his lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” (Hebrews 12:12-13 - see also Proverbs 4:26, Job 4:4 and Isaiah 35:3).
For more information, click this link:
THE ESSENCE OF GRATITUDE
Gratitude can be defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. It’s a fundamental principle in the way humans relate with each other; it’s an expectation when we do things for people.
One problem, though, is that when it comes to God, people don’t always remember. There’s a sense of entitlement that some people have when trying to build a relationship with God, and it makes them think that they deserve certain things from Him. Also, instead of appreciating what God has done for them, they rationalize it and judge whether they should have received more or not. This isn’t the best way of serving God, because when we study the Scriptures, we’ll notice that there’s a “hierarchy of obedience” (1 Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:22-29, Colossians 3:18-24); and in that hierarchy of obedience, the person being led should feel grateful for what the leader does for them.
In Luke 17:7-10, Jesus Christ used an analogy to explain how this works, and we’ll consider it here: “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”
The last few sentences are very relevant here. Jesus said that the master doesn’t have to thank the servant, or give him special privileges; the fact that the master hired him and gave him a place to stay, and food to eat, is more than enough for the servant to be grateful for. Therefore, Jesus described the work of the servant as a “duty”, meaning that it is expected of them, and not required to be rewarded.
A basic example of gratitude in the Scriptures is the kindness King David showed to Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9:1-13. Jonathan, the father of Mephibosheth, was a great friend of David and was the one David could look to when in need. With the relentless searches of King Saul, it was only with the help of Jonathan that David could escape his clutches (see 1 Samuel 18:2-4, 20:1-42, 23:16-17 to understand Jonathan’s kindness).
When David became king, he remembered the great things his friend Jonathan did for him (at this time, he had died in battle with his father, Saul), and looked for any remnant of his lineage to bless. There was Mephibosheth, a crippled man, and David gave him the great honour of sitting at his table with him for the rest of his life (2 Samuel 9:1-13).
We should remember and appreciate the contributions our friends make in our lives. It is ingratitude to forget that they were there for us when we needed help. Therefore, if they need our help, we should gladly help them (provided that what we’re helping them with is in line with the Scriptures).
We can learn how bad ingratitude is with the life of King Joash. Here’s some background information: in 2 Kings 11, when Queen Athaliah realized her son (King Ahaziah) was dead, she seized power by killing all the royals in the land (a queen was unheard of in Israel, so to secure herself, she took down all the men who could’ve become king). Women, by the way, should never follow her example, because it could wreck anything we put our hands to, be it marriage, Christianity, or anything else.
Thankfully, Jehosheba, the sister of King Ahaziah, rescued Joash, one of King Ahaziah’s sons, and hid him and his nurse. While Athaliah ruled Israel for 6 years, he was groomed and protected.
Eventually, Jehoiada gathered some of the rulers and captains in Israel, and they planned an attack against Athaliah, which succeeded. Joash was then crowned king, and Jehoiada led him to rule in righteousness (he even gave him two wives).
You’d expect that King Joash would be grateful to Jehoiada and the others for supporting him and guiding him to do the right thing. But that wasn’t the case at all. In 2 Chronicles 24, Jehoiada died and Joash listened to the advice of the evil princes in Israel. He reestablished idol worshipping and refused to listen to the prophets. The worst of it, though, was that when Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, warned King Joash about how he was offending God Almighty, he ordered that he be stoned to death (verse 22). This is huge ingratitude because he murdered the son of the very man who helped him become king and rule in righteousness.
God then gave Joash his just desert. He brought the Syrians like a whip to lash his back. Just a small company of Syrians defeated the large army of Judah and left Joash with severe wounds. His servants then finished him off, to avenge the blood of the son of Jehoiada.
We decided to go into the details of this story because it is very important when looking at the concept of gratitude. When someone makes the sacrifice to help us have a good future, it is ungrateful and selfish to forget that they ever did such and do them harm.
It is based on this understanding that we’ll now explore how to be grateful to God.
One very important word in the Scriptures is grace; the grace God gives to us is not something we can deserve, or be entitled to. St. Paul mentioned this often in many of his epistles. For example, in Ephesians 2:8-9, he said, “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.” The “grace” in this verse refers to the step God takes to bring you to Him, by way of building your interest in His Word and opening the path of righteousness to you. For this reason, Jesus Christ said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44).
A good example of this is when God delivered Israel from Egypt. The Israelites couldn’t deliver themselves from the oppression of the Egyptians because the Egyptian empire enveloped them completely. But God looked upon their affliction and decided to rescue them (Exodus 2:23-25, 3:8, 6:6, Deuteronomy 15:15) and make them His people (Exodus 19:4-6).
Now, the Israelites could’ve shown gratitude to God by using this freedom to serve Him joyfully and faithfully; but they decided otherwise. The way the children of Israel saw the whole event was as if they were entitled to it, and God did it because they deserved it. Therefore, when God began to demand humility and patience, they couldn’t understand why they should comply; and when hunger and thirst began to creep in, they began talking as if they preferred to not be rescued at all (Exodus 14:11-12, 16:13, Numbers 14:2-4, 20:3-4, 21:5).
This made God angry, and if we follow the course of the journey, we’ll find that it drove God to stretch His hand against them (Numbers 14:22-23, 28-37, 16:20-35, 44-50, etc.).
We can contrast this with the behavior of David. God decided to choose David to become king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13) because he had a good heart (1 Samuel 13:14, 16:7); and after a period of tribulation and persecution (which David overcame), he then entered office.
Unlike the Israelites, David didn’t forget what God did for him. He didn’t feel entitled to the kingship; in fact, he felt that he wasn’t worthy of it, but it was by God’s grace that he was able to occupy that office (1 Chronicles 17:16-22). Therefore, he used the kingship to serve the Man who put him there. He dedicated the prime of his life to fighting the battles of the Lord (1 Samuel 25:28) and he devoted his resources to the construction of God’s house (1 Chronicles 29:2-5). He bent everything in his life to advance God’s purpose. As the Scriptures stated, he was a man “after God’s heart” (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22).
David is not the only example, though. St. Paul was extremely grateful for having been chosen to be a part of the ministry. In 1 Timothy 1:12-13, he said, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
It is important that we get the gist. Just like a physical man on Earth, God prefers His children to walk in the path of gratitude than in the path of expectation and entitlement. St. Paul once said, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).”
After all, the works we do in this world can never be an equal exchange to the grace and mercy He shows us (see Matthew 18:21-35; but, unlike some Christians believe, this doesn’t mean that our works are not significant or acknowledged by God; God is pleased with the efforts of His children to do His will, and will reward them accordingly - Psalms 18:20, 24, Proverbs 11:31).
One thing we as Christians should be grateful to God for in our time is freedom. For thousands of years, humanity was stuck with this invincible elite class, who would always be on top no matter what people did about it. People were oppressed, and life wasn’t easy for many. In our time, God Almighty has broken the powers of the autocracies that used to dominate this world (Revelation 6:12-17) and has liberated humanity, similar to the way He gave the Israelites freedom from Egyptian bondage. People are talking about freedom of speech and expression, along with all different kinds of rights, which were foreign ideas just a few hundred years ago.
Now, not all aspects of the change in our time are driven by God; but what’s important is that the children of God now have the freedom to worship their Heavenly Father and preach the gospel without having powerful spiritual leaders enforce whatever they think is right.
The question is, how do we use this freedom? Are we like the Israelites in the wilderness, who used their freedom to commit idolatry (Exodus 32), adultery/fornication (Numbers 25), and disobey God Almighty? If that’s the case, then we’re not using our freedom well. We should take the advice of St. Paul in Galatians 5:1, 13: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (see also Galatians 4:9 and 1 Peter 2:16).
Therefore, we shouldn’t use the freedom to run after what’s trendy and popular in the world (1 John 2:15-17); neither should we use it to riot against the government (Romans 13:1) or advocate for matters that are against the principles of the Bible. Rather, we should use it to advance God’s Kingdom Purpose, and build a solid relationship with God. I mean, think about it; would God free us so that we can forget about spirituality and love the things of the world?
Let’s round up with a couple of texts in the Scriptures that encourage us to be grateful for what God has done for us by serving Him more actively and faithfully till the end.
Hebrews 12:28 reads, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”. (English Standard Version).
St. Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”
Therefore, let’s try to serve God with a sense of gratitude; with that, it’ll go a long way.
GENEROSITY AND ITS PRICE
Generosity can be defined as liberal giving; giving more than what is required, or expected. When you think about generosity, you usually remember money, or gifts. But generosity is so much more, and in this article, we will discuss this virtue.
One other interesting thing we’ll explore is that generosity can come at a cost. We’d be surprised how people can so quickly forget about what others have done for them, or even fail to realize it from the start. So it's by courage and true love for our neighbour that will give us the strength to endure pain and suffering for the benefit of others.
A good example of this is the story of David and Nabal in 1 Samuel 25. Nabal was a very rich man, and he had shearers and shepherds who tended the three thousand sheep and one thousand goats he owned. At a time, David and his men showed generosity to Nabal by protecting his shepherds and shearers from any kind of attack while they were in Carmel.
Later, when the sheep were being sheared, David requested that Nabal give him some supplies (e.g. food; it was a “good day”, according to 1 Samuel 25:8). But Nabal refused, and even insulted David and his men.
In other words, David had to pay a price for his generosity; he wasn’t given anything in return for his kindness.
David wanted to take revenge and kill him and his people for doing that, though; but Nabal's wife, Abigail, righteously intervened and prevented him (verses 23-35).
And 10 days later, God killed Nabal for his wickedness, so justice was done to the matter.
Job once said, “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” (Job 4:8).
The point we’re making here is that generosity can come at a price, but it shouldn’t discourage us from giving. Those who are liberal and generous will be blessed generously by God Almighty. In Proverbs 11:25, King Solomon stated, “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” He also said in Proverbs 22:9, “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.”
Furthermore, it was stated in the book of Isaiah, “But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.” (Isaiah 32:8).
It all boils down to fulfilling one of God’s greatest commandments given to man: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, Romans 13:9-10, Galatians 5:14, etc.). If we are well-off in this world, God expects that we should help those who are in need. “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18).
But generosity goes way beyond distributing our wealth and buying gifts for people. While those things may be nice (1 Timothy 6:17-18), those things don’t give us salvation.
Therefore, spiritual generosity is not about giving gifts or money; rather, it’s about being a source of knowledge and inspiration to others, so that they may have a chance to be a part of God’s fold.
God doesn’t magically call people to His fold; He needs people who are willing to spread His wisdom to others and live by example so that He can use them to bring others to Him.
Jesus Christ is an excellent example of this. Being the Son of God, he was like a very rich man, spiritually (2 Corinthians 8:9), full of the true riches (Luke 16:10-12). And when he came down to this world, he was spiritually generous because he devoted his life to teaching others about the Word of God. In fact, in Luke 4:17-21, he used a text in the book of Isaiah to explain that his coming to the earth was all about giving and helping people. “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Luke 4:17-19, 21).
Now, mind you, he didn’t set up a charity, or offer gifts to the Pharisees; but he is the most generous man who ever lived because he made himself open and available to enlighten and uplift people, by using every opportunity to teach us important things about our Heavenly Father, living by example and by using his life to atone for the sin every human being is tainted with from birth (Psalms 51:5, Titus 2:14, Romans 3:25, Matthew 20:28, etc.).
This is very important. Spiritual generosity is all about love, and to love someone, you have to do what you know will make them better in the future. Parents, for example, should train their children well so that when they become adults, they will do what's right in their lives (Proverbs 22:6). There will be stubbornness and childishnesses as they're growing, but it's a price worth paying, for the benefit of the children.
The same is with Jesus Christ. He didn't give us money, or other material things because those are of no value to our spiritual future. Rather, he taught us the truth, demonstrated how to love one another, and exposed the iniquities of others so that people could grow (1 Timothy 5:20).
What makes this even more special is that he is the Son of God Himself (which would naturally make him proud and arrogant when among human beings, which he created - see John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:15-17 and Ephesians 3:9). Despite this, he loved us, and subjected himself to our level (2 Corinthians 8:9) so that he could share heavenly treasures of wisdom and grace with us (many of which have become invaluable to mankind over time).
But his generosity came at a price. The Pharisees saw him as a threat to their reputation and overall glory. Therefore, he became their target (John 11:45-53), and with the help of the betrayer, Judas Iscariot, they hanged him.
St. Paul was another spiritually generous man. Being an apostle, God gave him many gifts such as faith, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit; and what made him happy was sharing it with others, so that both Jews and Gentiles could come to the light of Christ and be blessed (Acts 9:15, 26:17-18, Ephesians 3:1-7, etc.)
In many of his epistles, he mentioned that he endured suffering and persecution for the sake of the Gentiles, so that he could lay the foundation for their faith and righteousness. In Ephesians 3:13, he said, “Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.” (see also Colossians 1:24 and 2 Corinthians 1:6). Also, when speaking to the elders of Ephesus, he said among other things, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:20-21).
But the best of it all was that some people were inspired by the sufferings of St. Paul for the gospel, and were emboldened to also preach and stand for the truth. “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14).
But let’s emphasize that St. Paul paid a huge price for his generosity. He was beaten up several times, stoned, jailed, and hated by many (2 Corinthians 11:24-27). The Jews in particular could not realize the generosity of St. Paul in sharing the true doctrines of God with them (Acts 13:46; see also Matthew 21:43). They would rather make his job difficult. But it all ended in misery; they were left behind, and Christianity lived on.
All the apostles have the virtue of generosity. They sacrifice the joys of this world to lay the foundation that the Other Sheep (John 10:16) will build their faith on. "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone". (Ephesians 2:19-20)
Therefore, knowing that those above us in the spiritual hierarchy have been spiritually generous to us, we should also be generous by living our lives in such a way that those who wish to come closer to God can do so through our honesty, stability, and knowledge of the Scriptures. St. Paul described this with an analogy in Romans 14:15: “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.”
Being spiritually generous is as simple as putting the benefit of others first. When we know the truth, and we’ve used it to rid the ways of Satan the Devil from our lives, then we can help others by being sincere, honest, and faithful in our worship. By doing so, people will be able to know what true service to God looks like. St. Paul said in his letter to Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12).
The price we’ll have to pay for being spiritually generous starts from our own homes (Matthew 10:36). Some of those among us won’t like that we’re always talking about God; they’d prefer you talk about something of the world, that’s more important to them. Some won’t like your spiritual generosity because the gospel you’re preaching will be against them, so long as they remain in their iniquity (many of the Jews, for example, were very angry with Jesus and the apostles because, being very stubborn and evil-minded, the gospel would always be against them - see Luke 4:28-30 and Acts 7:54-60).
But if you play the hypocrite by pretending that you are no different than them, because of fear of persecution (Galatians 6:12-16), or because of love for this world, and a desire to be praised by men (John 12:43, 5:44, etc.) then by them knowing you, they’ve been blocked off from salvation because they will look at your life as the typical way of being a Chrisitan, which would be erroneous if compared with the truth of the Scriptures.
We shouldn’t fear the price we have to pay for spiritual generosity; rather, we should put on courage like a garment, and be joyful that we are persecuted for doing what’s right. “But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 3:14, 4:13).
And we shouldn’t be tired of being generous; some will react positively, and their lives will be changed by our kindness. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9).
Always remember: “But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.” (Isaiah 32:8, NKJV).
For more information: