LIVE LIKE
JESUS :
But [Christ
Jesus] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men. – Philippians 2:7
The truth of
this verse hasn't really dawned on most people. They mistakenly think that
Jesus was able to work wonders, to perform miracles, and to live above sin
because He had divine powers that we don't have. Thus, they have never really
aspired to live like He lived.
"Oh
my," they say with great humility, "I could never live like Jesus
did. After all, He had an advantage. He was God!"
They don't
realize that when Jesus came to earth, He voluntarily gave up that advantage, living
His life here not as God but as a man. He had no innate supernatural powers. He
had no ability to perform miracles until after He was anointed by the Holy
Spirit as recorded in Luke 3:22. He worked wonders, not by His own power but by
the power of the Father, saying, "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth
the works" (John 14:10).
And when He
prayed, He prayed not as a divine One who had authority as God, but as a man
who walked obediently with God. And, as Hebrews 5:7 says, "His prayers
were heard not because of His deity, but because of His reverence toward
God" (AMP).
Jesus, the
divine Son of God, set aside the privileges and powers of deity for a time and
lived as a man on earth. Once you grasp that, it will absolutely thrill your
soul! Why? Because it means that you, as a reborn child of God, filled with the
same Holy Spirit as Jesus was, have the same opportunity to live as He lived on
earth.
In fact, that
is exactly what He intends. In John 17:18 He said to the Father, "Just as
You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world."
Jesus has
sent you into the world to live as He lived. Through the new birth, He's
enabled you to exchange the sinful nature of Adam for the sinless nature of
God.
He's given
you the ability and the command to live above sin, to live in fellowship with
the Father, to preach the gospel, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cast
out demons, and to make disciples.
Once you
realize that, you'll throw off the shackles of doubt that have held you back.
You'll begin to live as Jesus meant for you to live--not as a sin-ridden son of
fallen man, but as a reborn child of the Most High God. Then those around you
will actually begin to see Jesus--in you.
Scripture
Reading: 1 John 3:1-8
JESUS
UNDERSTANDS YOUR STRUGGLES :
Hebrews 4:15
- For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Imagine
meeting the new politician who is to represent your district or neighborhood
only to discover that he is not familiar with your neighborhood’s needs and
problems. You will wonder, “Can this guy really represent us? Does he know
anything about our living conditions? Is he familiar with the various
challenges that families here are facing? Can he help me get my child into one
of the schools here?” I am sure that you would prefer someone who truly
understands your challenges to represent you!
In the same
way, I am so glad that right now at the Father’s right hand, we have someone
who came as a Man to redeem us, and who fully understands what man goes
through. When Jesus walked on earth, He went through every human emotion so
that He could identify with us in all points. Jesus is God, but He is in the
Father’s presence as a Man, representing us.
My friend, you may feel that no one understands your
struggles. Listen, while this may be true of man, it is not true of Jesus. He
knows exactly what you are going through and He can sympathize with your
weaknesses because He was “in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”.
None of us have been tempted in all points. But God allowed
Jesus to be tempted in all points so that He can understand and identify with
the struggles of every single person on this earth. He can be touched by our
humanity — our weaknesses, tears, disappointments, griefs... all points!
There is no trial, difficulty, challenge or temptation that
you face that Jesus cannot identify with. My friend, the moment you go through
it, right there and then, He feels it too. That is the kind of representative
you have in Jesus! That is the love of God so that you will draw near to His
throne of grace (not judgment) to find mercy and grace in time of need!
(Hebrews 4:15–16)
The moment we
pray in the Spirit, the tide of the battle begins to turn. Stay in faith until
you see it fulfilled in the natural!
WE NEED A
GOOD OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Before God’s
people do anything significant in their lives that will bring ever lasting and
concrete results in their lives, they must pray and seek the will of God and
win the battle and then they will see the manifestation of their victories. Just dancing and praising the Lord for an
hour is not enough! King David danced
before the Lord as an expression of his joy and faith and not to accomplish
something. God never intended that dancing and praise replace good old fashion
effectual fervent prayer! I have been to churches where God’s people have
danced for hours and nothing changed. They were no different when they left
from when they had first come in!
The same is
true about being slain in the spirit and even barking like a dog. Many pastors
and preachers were slain in the Spirit for hours and days and there was not
change at all in their ministry or character. They were like a wet sponge where
a lot of water went through but only a bit was retained. They rest of the water
goes through many people because they are full of holes and are not able to
retain the shower of blessing that comes upon them when they are touched by
God. It all leaks out just as fast as it came in!
We need
hearts like Jesus talked about “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has
said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We need a mighty outpouring of the Holy
Spirit upon us so that wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful
field is counted as a forest. Then
justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful
field. God’s people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings,
and in quiet resting places and sow beside all waters (Isaiah 32:15-19). And as
a result we will have boldness and miracles, signs and wonders done through the
name of Jesus.
It’s is to be
noted that in accordance with the Word of God real ministry is done by the body
ministering to each others. We are all ministers and can minister to each other
love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, miracles, loving kindness, compassion and
understanding as well as in the other gifts and fruit of the Spirit. We can cry with those who cry, laugh with
those who laugh, sing with those who sing and make a real tangible difference
to one another. We can pray one for another so that we can be healed. We can
prophesy to one another prophecies given to us by God. We can freely give to
one another what we have received from God. We can also gracefully and in love
rebuke one another or instruct one another according to God’s word. We can
restore those who have been overtaken in any trespass, in a spirit of
gentleness, considering that we ourselves are also tempted. We can bring back
the lost and pray for the sick for the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the
Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven
(James 5:15). God’s word is unchanging:
And the word
of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the
shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the
shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not
the shepherds feed the flocks? "You
eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings,
but you do not feed the flock. "The
weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor
bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was
lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. "So they were scattered because there
was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they
were scattered. "My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every
high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no
one was seeking or searching for them." Ezekiel 34:1-6
By this we
know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren. But whoever
has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart
from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not
love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
Nothing Can
Stand Up To God’s Love
Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:35
The pastor of
our Hokkien and Mandarin congregations, Pastor Mark, used to suffer from
certain health problems before he became a Christian. His doctor told him that
he had to be on medication for life. He also had a huge financial debt. But
when he caught hold of the teaching that he is God’s beloved, he believed it
totally. He also believed that nothing could be greater than God’s love for
him.
Today, Pastor
Mark is off medication and completely delivered from that debt. God caused him
to triumph over his sickness and debt because he cannot be defeated when he
knows that he is God’s beloved.
Tribulation,
distress or persecution cannot stop your heavenly Father’s love from working on
your behalf. His love for you is bigger and stronger than your financial woes,
marital problems or health concerns. And when God’s heart of love moves for His
beloved, He opens doors that no one can shut and He makes a way when there
seems to be none.
Even during
lean times, you will never find the righteous forsaken. King David said, “I
have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25) Can famine or recession stop
God’s love from providing for His beloved? No! So don’t think to yourself, “I
must provide for my family. If I don’t, who is going to take care of them? How
are they going to survive?” God wants you to know that His love will continue
to provide abundantly for you and your family.
What about
deadly pestilences such as bird flu and mad cow disease, natural disasters such
as tsunamis and earthquakes, or terrorist bombings? My friend, these things
cannot devour you because His love protects you. You will enjoy His protection
when you know that you are His beloved.
Because God’s
love is greater than all the evil put together, we are more than conquerors
through Christ who loved us. (Romans 8:37) We always win in the fight of life
not because of our love for Him, but because of His love for us!
Thought For
The Day
We always win
in the fight of life not because of our love for Him, but because of His love
for us!
Isaiah
32:15 Until the Spirit is poured upon us
from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful
field is counted as a forest.
COMPASSION
WITH ACTION :
When the Lord
saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” - Luke 7:13
My friend,
there is no trial, difficulty or challenge we face today that our Lord Jesus
cannot identify with. The moment we experience a trial, right there and then,
because He “was in all points tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:15), He feels it
too and is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.
Jesus’
compassion for you is the same compassion He felt for the widow at Nain when He
saw the dead body of her only son being carried out of the city gate to be
buried. (Luke 7:11–15) It must have been terrible for her to experience the
death of her only son after having already experienced the death of her
husband. What a horrible thought to be left all alone in the world with no
means of support! When Jesus saw her, He was moved with compassion and said to
her, “Do not weep.”
Now, some
religious leaders might also be moved to approach her, but only to say, “Look
sister, something is terribly wrong. Your husband died. Now, your only son has
died. You must find out what is wrong. You better ask God what sin you have
committed and repent. Or perhaps there is a curse in your life that needs to be
broken.”
Isn’t it
beautiful that Jesus did not extend more confusion or condemnation toward her?
He only extended His compassion to her, telling her, “Don’t weep.” This same
Jesus will also come to you when you are most distraught and say, “Don’t cry.”
And Jesus’
sympathy does not stop at “Oh, you poor thing! I am so sorry about what has
happened to you.” No, His sympathy will move Him to give you the miracle you
need in your life. That is why He raised the widow’s son back to life!
Beloved, rest
in the truth that He who is seated at the Father’s right hand today understands
what you are going through and sympathizes with your weaknesses. The compassion
of Jesus toward you causes Him to breathe life into your dead situation and
turn it around for your good!
Thought For
The Day:
Jesus, who
understands what you are going through, will also breathe life into your dead
situation!
YOUR
EVER-PRESENT HELP :
God is our refuge and strength, an
ever-present help in trouble. - Psalm 46:1, NIV
God is always with you. That means He is
present at all times, continually, perpetually, throughout all time. In your
day of trouble, He promises to be a help to you. How is He your help? “Help”
means something different to each person. That’s because “help” is specific to
your need. If you need money to pay your bills, a chocolate cake isn’t going to
be much help! But we serve a God who is very specific. And because He is always
with you, He always knows exactly what you need and is always ready to provide
it!
Today, are you facing trouble or adversity?
Know that God is with you. Look to Him for help. Trust that He has the answer,
and that He is working things out in your favor. As you continue to believe Him
and follow His direction, He will lead you in the way that you should go. He
will comfort you, revive you, restore you and bless you! He will be your
ever-present help because He is forever faithful to His Word!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, thank You for being my
ever-present help. I trust today that You are with me, that You are comforting
me and restoring my soul. I lift my eyes to You this day. Help me to follow
Your commands and honor You as You direct my steps in Jesus’ name. Amen.
NEED
HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Free
Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
Hezekiah
Walker "Every Praise" http://youtu.be/0dHjgFiISLk
Fair
Use Notice: There is some copyrighted material on this site, the use of which
has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are
making such material available in an effort to our efforts to advance
understanding of serious issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of
any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US
Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on
this site is distributed without profit for educational purposes.
No comments:
Post a Comment