What’s Your Motive?

In Luke 4 Jesus was tempted of the devil in the wilderness. The devil took him up to a high mountain and showed him all of the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He said to Jesus, all this will I give you if you will bow down and worship me, for it was delivered to me and I will give it to whomsoever I will.

Adam had transferred the power and dominion over the world to the devil when he committed the original sin. Jesus responded to the devil’s offer, Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus made it clear that we must worship and serve God. The question is whom do you serve? Why are you doing what you’re doing? What is the motive behind your action?

.

God will humble us to teach us to learn humility and to serve him from a heart of love. This is a hard lesson to learn. Jesus said, whoever humbles himself as a child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Mark 9 and Mark 12, Jesus said, whoever wishes to be great among you must be servant of all. Then In Luke 9 Jesus said, the son of man must suffer many things… if anyone wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it…. In the Upper Room Jesus said to the twelve disciples after he had washed the disciples’ feet, if I’ve washed your feet you shall also wash one anthers’ feet…

After Peter had denied Jesus three times, he went back to his fishing business. Then after his resurrection, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee where the disciples had returned to fishing. They didn’t recognize him. Jesus called out, have you caught any fish? They answered, No. Then he said, cast your net on the other side of the boat. They did this and caught so many fish that they couldn’t haul the net full of fish aboard the boat. They dragged the net toward the shore. John recognized Jesus and said to Simon Peter, It’s the Lord. Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore to meet Jesus. Jesus was roasting fish on hot coals for breakfast.

Jesus asked Peter, do you love me with agape love of God more than these? He pointed to the fish they had just caught, his fishing boats and his fishing crew. Peter said, I love you like a brother…. Jesus said, feed my little lambs. Then Jesus asked Peter again, Peter do you love me with the Love of God? Again Peter said, you know that I love you like a brother. Jesus said, feed my sheep. Jesus asked a third time, Peter do you love me with brotherly love? Peter was grieved because Jesus kept asking him if he loved him. Peter answered, Lord, you know all things…. You know that I love you the only way I know how…. I love you like a brother. Jesus said, feed my sheep.

Jesus taught Peter that if you’re serving without the love of God, you will not endure. You will burn out if you serve for any other reason. Jesus knew what was in the heart of man. Jesus himself said, I came to give my life as a ransom for many. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever lasting life. Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

The question is, whom do you serve? The world teaches us to serve ourselves… to look out for number one. However Jesus said, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. However, Jesus said, you need to die to self in order to live to serve me. According to Galatians 2:20, For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the live that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Without loving God above all, we cannot serve faithfully…. For believing faith works in love…. The love of God activates believing faith that sustains the energy that appropriates the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purpose.

The world creates works-based systems to get people to follow worldly leaders. The church prioritizes attending, spending, and sending…. These are works based priorities. In other words, attend regularly, give generously, and serve diligently. It’s one thing to work… as long as the work. Is motivated by the love of God. However if the work is the purpose, it will profit me nothing…. This is the theme of 1 Corinthians 13: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (The Love of God,) it profiteth me nothing.

There are two great commandments upon which “hang all the law and the prophets”: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Why did God say to love him above all? CS Lewis asked this question. Is God so egotistical that he demands our worship, praise, love, honor and glorification?

Serving God is the nature of the spirit of life in Christ, not the sin nature of our flesh… my fallen nature is to serve myself The world indoctrinates us to ask, what’s in it for me? This “WIFM” paradigm doesn’t miss anything except the boat. Jesus said to his disciples, get on board with me and we’ll go over to the other side. To serve the Lord is to obey his word from a heart of love.

Serving the Lord is believing faith that works in love. The greatest blessing is not in seeking the blessings but in seeking to bless the Blessor. In loving God above all…. For what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

…..Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve from a heart of love,
That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace,
Your bother in Christ,
Michael

The Acceptable Year of The Lord

The gospel is both good news and bad news. If we look at the news of world around us, if it bleeds it leads. The world focuses on death, destruction and devastation. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3,, For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. There is a time for purging… a time where God will unburden us of the things we thought were important. As mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing.

Luke 4:16-31 was Jesus’ inaugural address…. His public announcement of his mission “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” that had been foretold in the scroll of Isaiah:

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 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,
18 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,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 61. He said today I have come to fulfill this prophecy…. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus was not anointed and appointed by a missionary commission or a church nominating convention…. He was called by God himself who empowered him with His Holy Spirit. Jesus had said, I always do my Father’s will. He followed his Father’s direction…. He had his spirit attuned to God’s Holy Spirit.

He came to preach the gospel to the poor: blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. To receive anything of God requires that we empty ourselves of ourselves…. Then God can fill us with his Holy Spirit. When we mourn over the sin that separated our hearts from God’s heart, then when we turn from ourselves and unto him he can deliver us from our own sin nature.

He came to set the captives free. We are all born captive to sin. We inherited the sin nature from Adam. Ye are slaves to whom ye obey. We could not help but sin… to miss the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin.

He came to bring light to them who sat in darkness… to heal those who were born spiritually blind… those who pray, open my eyes that I may see… glimpses of truth thou hast for me. For Jesus Christ himself is the way, the truth and the life. He is the light of the world…. He is the great physician whom God called to heal us and open the eyes of believers in him who were born spiritually blind.

He came to preach deliverance to those who were oppressed…. Without the light of the truth, we were oppressed by the power of darkness… the power of sin… we were under the dominion of the devil, the god of this world, whose eyes he has blinded lest the light of the glorious gospel of truth should shine unto them. Jesus Christ has delivered us from the grip of sin that had separated us from the word of God, the love of God and the light of truth.

Through Jesus Christ, God gave us the spirit of life in him…. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and given us spiritual life…. He said, today is the acceptable year of the Lord.

The bad news is in Romans 3:23 and 6:23… for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…. And the wages of sin is death. The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. According to 1 John 5:13, we can know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are saved… that we are children of God and heirs of God.

Looking at the world around us, there is so much deterioration, devastation, death and destruction. However, the Lord will restore the years that the locust has eaten…. The power of God through his son is greater than the power of sin that has separated our hearts from God’s heart.

Jesus Christ’s purpose was to declare the acceptable year of the Lord. Now is the acceptable year…. Today we can receive deliverance from the darkness of the evil one and the powers of this fallen world. The deliverance is through Jesus Christ himself…. For greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Deliverance, salvation, and the gift of Holy Spirit are on God’s terms, not ours. To come to Jesus requires meekness and humility…. To approach God’s throne of grace through his son, we must first forsake our selfish selves. To come to Christ is to renounce my self centered lordship to confess Jesus is Lord. I’m no longer my owner… he is.

For I was Crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me… and the life that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

When we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John says, These things have I written unto you that ye may have fellowship… communion, joined to God in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace…. For we have been called unto fellowship one with another… and truly our fellowship is with our Father and with his son, Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now is the acceptable year of the Lord. God has called us to the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace through our Lord Jesus Christ…. He died, arose, ascended that our lives may all be blended, in one family rejoicing with our God…

That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace..
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Servants

Everyone is someone’s servant. Ye are slaves to whom ye obey. Most people would rather serve themselves. As Americans, we’re thought rugged individualism… that we have to look out for “number one.” However, be careful whom you serve…. As one preacher said, the god of self is heavily defended territory.

In Mark 9 Jesus said, if anyone wants to be first, he must be servant of all. Men of this world aspire to be the “goat”. The greatest of all time. James and John’s mother said to Jesus, reserve the special place on your right and left hand for my sons. However, Jesus said, the greatest leader is the greatest servant.

The world values the praise of others… they live for “hearty approbation and lavish praise.” They seek tributes and accolades and trophies from other people. The world says, you’re a winner… you’re the greatest, the one who deserves praise, honor and glory.

Sometimes Jesus was surprised by the Gentiles who were not schooled in Israel’s Old Testament law. A Roman centurion came to Jesus and said, my servant is near death and needs to be healed. Jesus said, I’ll go with you to heal him. The centurion said, I’m a man in authority like you. I give a command and whatever I say gets done. Just say the words, and my servant will be healed. Jesus marveled at this Gentile’s believing faith.

In Luke 9 Jesus said, the son of man must suffer many things and then be killed and raised up the third day. He said, if any man wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. What good is if a man gains his life but loses his soul? As Missionary Jim Elliot said, He is no fool who loses that which he cannot keep to keep that which he cannot lose.

In John 13, Jesus said, If you call me Lord, and if I have washed your feet then wash one another’s. feet. He that is chief among you must be servant of all.

In Luke 4 the devil led Jesus to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said, If you bow down and worship me I’ll give you all of this, for it has been delivered unto me. Then Jesus answered, it is written, “thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

The question is, do you worship the things of the world, or do you worship the Lord God…. Do you really love God above all? You worship that which you love… either the things of this world, the god of self and selfishness, the god of comfort, or the god of other people’s approval.

We may have accomplished many things that the world considers success. Churches ask three things: to attend regularly, to give generously and to serve diligently. The real question is, “who is it that they are asking you to serve?” Are they calling you to serve their denomination or their deacon board or their head pastor? It’s a subtle thing… the devil will appear as an angel of light. If you want to control others, then devise a works-based system of advancement and continuous improvement. Today, works has replaced grace, even in the church.

The question is, “in a works-based system, when is enough enough?” How good do my works need to be? How much do I need to give? How many do I need to serve in order to gain entrance into heaven? In a works based system, enough is never good enough…. For all have sinned and missed the mark.

Despite our falling short of the world’s standards of success, does mercy triumph over judgement? Jesus said to the men who had gathered to stone the woman caught in adultruy, “he who is without sin may cast the first stone.” One by one each man was convicted in his own heart. One by one each of her accusers slinked away. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. The purpose of the church is to create an environment where the Holy Spirit is welcome to come help himself to our lives. For it is not the wrath of God but the loving kindness and tender mercy…. It is the love of God that calls a man to repentance.

The question is, “whom do you serve?” We serve those whom we love the most…. This is why the first and great commandment says, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength…. Then the second commandment is like unto it: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Why? Because Jesus said, in that ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The world conditions us to ask, What’s in it for me?” You have to look out for number one. However according to Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. If done for our own vain glory, it shall be done in vain… it shall come to nought… it profiteth me nothing… it will become dust in the wind.

After Peter had denied Christ, he went back to his fishing business. Jesus appeared to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was grilling fish by the sea side.

In John 21, Jesus asked Peter twice, Peter do you love me with the agape love of God? Peter answered both times, I love you like a brother. The third time… Jesus asked do you love me like a brother? Peter said, Lord you know all things, you know I love you the only way I know how. you know that I love you like a brother…. Jesus said, feed my sheep.

Our Lord trusted no man. He was not bitter or discouraged about the actions of men who opposed them. As he prayed on the cross for the soldiers who had driven the nails through his hands, he also prayed for us before we were saved, father forgive them, for they know not what they do.

As followers of Christ, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ…. He took upon himself the form of a servant and was faithful unto death, even the death of the cross. For he who was without sin, became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus loved us so much that he for the joy that was set before him, (the joy of your salvation and mine) endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down upon the right hand of the throne of God..

Jesus didn’t love them because of who they were, but because of who God had called them to be… he saw them through the reflection of the word…. For we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the lord are changed from glory (of the flesh) to glory (of the spirit) even by the spirt of the Lord.

Greater love than this hath no man than to give his life so we may receive eternal life. Love so amazing so Devine demands my soul, my life, my all..

That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Last week we we looked at the difference between confusion and fusion.

There is so much confusion in this world today. Confusion divides, and separates our hearts one from another… it pits one faction against another. Confusion is of the devil…. For where there is strife and contention there is confusion and every evil work. This is what James 3 says.

The devil uses confusion to divide and conquer.
Confusion separates, it atomizes, explodes, mortifies, deconstructs, repels, disintegrates and destroys.

The opposite of confusion is fusion. Fusion unites, implodes, constructs, attracts, Builds up, makes whole and integrates. Fusion produces unity.

The context of James 3;14-16 regarding confusion says:
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

However, to counter the confusion of this world and the god of this world, James 3:17-18 says, in contrast to the wisdom of this world:

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

And how do we receive the wisdom that is from above?

Last week we talked about the first atom bomb used in warfare. It wasn’t the atom bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to bring about the end of WW2. It was Adam bomb dropped when Adam bombed by committing the original sin. Adam and Eve bombed when they disobeyed God’s only command by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve was tricked… she was beguiled and deceived by the serpent, the devil into doubting the love of God and the Word of God.

She succumbed to the wisdom of this world instead of God’s wisdom. The wisdom of this world is earthly, sensual and devilish.
Gen 3:6 says, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The original Adam bomb when Adam and Eve sinned was a nuclear fission reaction that separated all mankind from God. On the day Adam and Eve sinned their spirt died that day. The repercussions of the first Adam bomb has reverberated down through the ages from generation to generation and continues even today…. For we have all inherited Adam’s fallen sin nature that results in death. This is why we needed Jesus Christ to redeem with a fusion reaction to reconcile us back to God.

Romans 5: 17-21 says:
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much lmore they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The fusion reaction of salvation is in our reconciliation through Jesus Christ’s payment for sin on our behalf:

Romans 5 Verses 10-11 says:

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

The word atonement can also be translated at-one-ment. This is the word for reconciliation which means to bring together that which has been separated. Jesus’ atoning sacrifice is the nuclear fusion reaction that fuses our hearts back together with God’s heart.

What is the tie that binds our hearts together and reconciles us back together with God?

Colossians 3:12-15 says: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

The tie that binds is charity, the love of God, God’s agape unconditional love. The love of God through Jesus Christ fuses our hearts back together with God’s heart. Then the peace of God is the result of reconciliation through Jesus Christ.

The result of fusing our hearts with God’s heart through Jesus Christ is the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

Unity is the theme of Ephesians 4. Let’s read verses 1-5

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

In conclusion, the result of the fusion reaction set off by Jesus’ death and resurrection is Unity: the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

As Psalm 133 says, how good and pleasant it is that the brethren dwell together in unity….

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Unity is why God has fitted us together in one body, for the church is the body of Christ. According to Ephesians 4 verse 16:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. God has set us in the body of Christ as individual fittings, fit to serve one another in love…. In the unity of the spirit.

We’re each living epistles, God’s love letters known and read of all men…. I’m honored to choke in your dust… because as the poem by Edgar A. Guest says, I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day…

One good man teaches many, men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noticed is worth forty that are told.
Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language which to every one is clear.
Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say,
I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one, any day.

We were reconciled to God through Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on our behalf so that we could live in the unity of the spirit in the bond of beach….

Why did Jesus redeem us and purchase us with the price of his innocent blood? According to a poem by my sister Helen Porter, He died arose ascended so our lives could all be blended in one family rejoicing with our God.

That in the unity of the spirit we may together live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael