Compassion in Action
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. - Matthew 9:36
TO BE COMPASSIONATE IS TO DO WHAT JESUS DID
Matthew 4:24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
Compassion. That's the one thing people need more than anything else in this world. They need someone to reach out to them with the compassion of God.
Compassion is a deep yearning that responds to the needs of people. It's much deeper than sympathy. Sympathy can just sit around feeling sorry for people. Compassion has to do something for them.
Compassion is what motivates God, and Jesus' life on earth was a picture of that compassion in action. His whole ministry was driven by it. It was compassion that caused Him to multiply the loaves and fishes, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead. It was compassion that compelled Him to go to the Cross. And it's that same compassion that He now longs to pour out through you.
That's a staggering thought, isn't it?
It's staggering to realize that we believers are the only body Jesus has on this earth now. His healing must flow through our hands and our faith. His compassion must move us to provide for the hungry. It must compel us to cast out demons and set the captives free.
"But, I don't have that kind of compassion!"
Yes, you do. If you have the Spirit of God dwelling inside you, you do-- because He is that kind of love! You simply need to activate it.
How? Just like Jesus did when He walked the earth. Through prayer and fellowship with the Father. Look through the Gospels and notice how much time Jesus spent alone with the Father. That time activated the compassion of God within Him. It caused Him to feel what God feels about the suffering of mankind. It stirred Him so much that whenever He encountered a need, He met it by the power of God.
Follow His example. Spend time in fellowship with your Father. Meditate on His compassion until it rises up strong on the inside of you. Stir it up until the desire to see others set free becomes paramount in your thinking.
Jesus has sent you to reach out and touch a love-starved world with His compassion.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. - Matthew 9:36
TO BE COMPASSIONATE IS TO DO WHAT JESUS DID
Matthew 4:24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
Compassion. That's the one thing people need more than anything else in this world. They need someone to reach out to them with the compassion of God.
Compassion is a deep yearning that responds to the needs of people. It's much deeper than sympathy. Sympathy can just sit around feeling sorry for people. Compassion has to do something for them.
Compassion is what motivates God, and Jesus' life on earth was a picture of that compassion in action. His whole ministry was driven by it. It was compassion that caused Him to multiply the loaves and fishes, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead. It was compassion that compelled Him to go to the Cross. And it's that same compassion that He now longs to pour out through you.
That's a staggering thought, isn't it?
It's staggering to realize that we believers are the only body Jesus has on this earth now. His healing must flow through our hands and our faith. His compassion must move us to provide for the hungry. It must compel us to cast out demons and set the captives free.
"But, I don't have that kind of compassion!"
Yes, you do. If you have the Spirit of God dwelling inside you, you do-- because He is that kind of love! You simply need to activate it.
How? Just like Jesus did when He walked the earth. Through prayer and fellowship with the Father. Look through the Gospels and notice how much time Jesus spent alone with the Father. That time activated the compassion of God within Him. It caused Him to feel what God feels about the suffering of mankind. It stirred Him so much that whenever He encountered a need, He met it by the power of God.
Follow His example. Spend time in fellowship with your Father. Meditate on His compassion until it rises up strong on the inside of you. Stir it up until the desire to see others set free becomes paramount in your thinking.
Jesus has sent you to reach out and touch a love-starved world with His compassion.
The Greek Word for Compassion means “to be moved to pity in one’s
inward parts” “specifically from the heart”. This means that it is caused
or developed in us by the Holy Spirit when after we have received forgiveness
for our sin and we have a new heart which, like a new wine skin, receives the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This means that as the Holy Spirit removes
the “works of the flesh” (Gal. 5: 19 – 21) and replaces them with the “fruit of
the Spirit” (Gal. 5: 22 – 23).
Compassion is then developed as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit
and seek His guidance which is motivated be the “fruit” (singular) like an
orange has sections, all of which working together develops compassion for the
needs of other people. However, even Spirit-filled people can resist the
feeling of compassion when they decide that others do not deserve or earned compassion.
The result, of course, is that they place themselves under condemnation.
For instance, in Matthew 18: 27, the king has pity (same Greek
word for compassion) upon the servant who could not pay back his debt.
When that now forgiven servant confronts a fellow servant who owed him a very
small debt compared to the $Billions that he had just been forgiven, he would
not have patience with him and had him arrested and thrown into jail.
When the king hears this, he calls back the servant that he had forgiven his
debt. He said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that
debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy
(pity, compassion) on your fellow servant as I had mercy (pity, compassion) on
you?”
So, here was a man who had spent time with his king (Heavenly
Father; Jesus) and he had no compassion because he did not have a “new
heart and a new Spirit”. To have compassion: pity , we need the Holy
Spirit to develop it in us. And, like Paul said to Timothy because he had
fear when he did not cooperate with the Holy Spirit, he told Timothy, “Hence I
remind you, to stir up the Gift (charisma) of God which you received with the
laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1: 6 – 7). It is as we follow the
direction of our Counsellor everyday, praying in tongues, about everything
(Eph. 6; 18), the Holy Spirit develops the fruit of the Spirit which develops
the character of Jesus in us so that we can show compassion as Jesus did
to the man and to us. Jesus had compassion because He was led by the Holy
Spirit to do the ministry for which He had been born. “Then Jesus was led
up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4: 1;
Mk. 1: 12 – 13; Lk. 4: 1). Every time we are led by the Holy Spirit and do
the works of Jesus (Jn. 14: 12) and His Father (Matt. 12: 50). So, it is
our cooperation with the Holy Spirit that He develops “compassion” for the lost
sheep.
Through Our Weaknesses
One of the greatest examples in the Bible of God's grace in action is in Paul's life and the thorn in his flesh
To keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted (2 Cor. 12:7 AMP).
The Word is very clear that Paul's thorn was from Satan. It says "...there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan..." (vs. 7). It was Satan who was trying to keep Paul from being too highly exalted by the awesomeness of what had been revealed to him - not God!
At this point, I think we need to clarify a misconception that has been taught in the church for centuries. Satan knew because of Paul's dramatic conversion, healing, revelation knowledge, and the anointing that was so powerful on his life, that Paul was a major threat to the kingdom of darkness. Satan knew that he must use all of his resources to destroy this man and his ministry. According to 2 Corinthians 12:7, Satan sent and assigned a messenger (fallen angel, demonic spirit) to torment Paul continually. Satan did not want Paul to be exalted in the ministry that laid the foundation for the Church.
"Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me" (2 Corinthians 2:8). Three different times Paul pleaded and begged God to make the thorn go away. God didn't ignore Paul. He just answered him and said: "My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in your weakness"(2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP).
God knew that if He just took away the thorn (the messenger from Satan), then Paul would not understand and experience the concept of the power of grace working through him to strengthen him to do the supernatural. God also knew that when Paul overcame the thorn through God's grace and by God's strength, that the thorn would no longer have any effect on Paul.
If God took the messenger from Satan away, then Paul would have had to petition God every time he was attacked. If God empowered Paul to resist the devil by grace, then Paul would be continuously empowered and protected. Through this, Paul was strengthened in grace and authority.
When you are facing a situation you don't want to face and the only solution you can see is for God to just take it away, then realize that God's grace is there to enable you to overcome the situation, so that it no longer can affect you negatively. It will have no power over you.
God's grace and strength empowers you to overcome the evil one and his attacks: "So you, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1 AMP).
Time To Use Your Authority One of the greatest examples in the Bible of God's grace in action is in Paul's life and the thorn in his flesh
To keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted (2 Cor. 12:7 AMP).
The Word is very clear that Paul's thorn was from Satan. It says "...there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan..." (vs. 7). It was Satan who was trying to keep Paul from being too highly exalted by the awesomeness of what had been revealed to him - not God!
At this point, I think we need to clarify a misconception that has been taught in the church for centuries. Satan knew because of Paul's dramatic conversion, healing, revelation knowledge, and the anointing that was so powerful on his life, that Paul was a major threat to the kingdom of darkness. Satan knew that he must use all of his resources to destroy this man and his ministry. According to 2 Corinthians 12:7, Satan sent and assigned a messenger (fallen angel, demonic spirit) to torment Paul continually. Satan did not want Paul to be exalted in the ministry that laid the foundation for the Church.
"Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me" (2 Corinthians 2:8). Three different times Paul pleaded and begged God to make the thorn go away. God didn't ignore Paul. He just answered him and said: "My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in your weakness"(2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP).
God knew that if He just took away the thorn (the messenger from Satan), then Paul would not understand and experience the concept of the power of grace working through him to strengthen him to do the supernatural. God also knew that when Paul overcame the thorn through God's grace and by God's strength, that the thorn would no longer have any effect on Paul.
If God took the messenger from Satan away, then Paul would have had to petition God every time he was attacked. If God empowered Paul to resist the devil by grace, then Paul would be continuously empowered and protected. Through this, Paul was strengthened in grace and authority.
When you are facing a situation you don't want to face and the only solution you can see is for God to just take it away, then realize that God's grace is there to enable you to overcome the situation, so that it no longer can affect you negatively. It will have no power over you.
God's grace and strength empowers you to overcome the evil one and his attacks: "So you, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1 AMP).
15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it…
Exodus 14:15-16
The problem with the body of Christ today is not that we are not praying. We are praying. But many of us are praying desperate prayers. We are praying, “God, help… God, please… God, do something about my problem!”
If you are smiling a little by now, most likely, you know about such prayers and might have prayed a couple yourself. My friend, God does not want you to pray pleading prayers all the time. He wants you to use the authority He has given you to pray powerful prayers, to boldly command and to “stretch out your hand” and see miracles happen.
When Moses stood before the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, the Bible tells us that he cried out to God. But God told him, “Why do you cry to Me?”
There is a time for you to cry out to God and there is a time for you to use your authority. God told Moses, “Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.”
The “rod” you have today is the name of Jesus. As you command in Jesus’ name, your “sea” will open and you will go on dry ground through the midst of your problem.
Do you realize that Jesus did not say, “Go and pray for the sick”? He said, “Go and heal the sick.” (Matthew 10:8) So stop pleading and asking all the time, and start using the authority you have in Christ.
Jesus told the church, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore…” (Matthew 28:18–19) My friend, God wants you to go and use the authority that He has given you. And as you go, miracles will flow!
Thought For The Day
When you start using the authority you have in Christ, miracles will flow.
FAMILIAR
SPIRITS ARE REAL AND DANGEROUS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-6x
PROPHETS AND FAMILIAR SPIRITS http://www.jonasclark.com/prophetic-ministry/avoiding-foreign-spirits.html
WALTER KAMBULOW
FACEBOOK:
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MINISTERING GOD AND HIS GIFTS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-GZ
The All Sufficient Christ http://goo.gl/4QgB4
Gordon
Williams http://gordwilliams.com/
KAREN
WILLIAMS http://wp.me/P2M7AJ-64
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