December 30th 2018
Is It Too Late To Think About Those People Who Are Still In Need? WWJD?
Titus 3:4-8 (NIV)
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
We once again celebrated the coming into this world of Jesus Christ, so at the end of this Advent season believers know that Jesus did come onto this world to save all believers from their sins, and to promise them that their immortal soul can live with Jesus in heaven, immediately when they die! “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,” so that “we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” In this case biblical hope means something we can be sure of, not something that may happen, and we hope it happens. In this lifetime hope is fleeting and we do not really want to depend on. However, Biblical hope is a sure thing, it is a promise from God! Are you “standing on the promises of God our Savior?”
Living in the USA causes most of us to develop some love or at least an attachment to money. At Christmas time it becomes difficult to not develop a desire to spend a lot of money on Christmas gifts for our family members and other loved ones. Paul wrote to Timothy about how loving money can cause us to sin by doing evil things in order to amass more money. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1Timothy 6:10). This verse is often misquoted as “the love of money is the root of all evil!” While the love of money can cause us to do sinful or evil things in order to get more money, it is not the only thing that causes us to sin. People who do not love money have killed another person, just because they do not like them. Some people have murdered someone just because they are different or have darker or lighter skin. Such a crime is not done out of love for money, it is done merely based on hate not love!
John wrote about how Satan can influence members of mankind to commit sinful acts, if they are not believers in Jesus Christ, but because Jesus came into this world to destroy Satan’s influence believers can now avoid sinful thoughts and actions. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. (1John 3:8-9). Paul wrote to the early church members, and for us too, about how we can have peace in this troubled world, if we choose to follow Jesus. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7). When we become followers of Jesus it is possible for us to avoid sinning because we are less apt to sin because we recognize sinful behavior, and it looks less attractive to us!
The old idea of us having a good angel on our right shoulder, and an evil angel (devil) on our left should, who alternate whispering in our ear trying to either attract us toward or away from sinful ideas or actions or temptations! Of course, this is not an actual situation, but it does speak well of everyday life as we do face many temptations especially if we are wealthy and thus can afford to buy stuff we do not need, instead of using our Gods given abundance to help other people who are in need! Jesus put this idea of helping others in simple context, as something easy for us to do. Mark wrote about what Jesus said we could do that was very easy. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. (Mark 9:41). Here Jesus is telling us to help other believers or to be the recipient of such actions. Jesus also told His followers to be a servant to every member of mankind. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45). Serving others shows Jesus and other people that we are believers! You may be the only Jesus someone will ever recognize in their lifetime.
We are more apt to view someone in need as someone who should help themselves, instead of someone we should help as Christ followers. When we try to judge other people, we risk being called a hypocrite by Jesus. Jesus once said, You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5). Here Jesus was saying that we may have our own sinful nature that is blurring our vision or influencing our judgement of the other person, and we may need to first get our life in better order before we try to help fix the other person’s problems. Walk the walk before we try to talk the talk! This figurately means that you do what you say and say what you plan to do. In general terms this may also be called having integrity, or the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles!
So, we find ourselves at the end of another year and we have again celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ and the world continues to spin on its axis and thus there continue to be daylight and nighttime, and some of us have some big bills to pay off, because we again fell for the idea of giving mostly to those who already have enough, and now they have a surplus. They may be happier for a short time because they got more stuff, they thought they wanted. It makes me wonder about the people who are still in need, because they did not get the stuff, they needed as a Christmas gift! Jesus once said, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." (John 12:8). Do you believe you have Jesus? Is Jesus always with you because you carry Him around, in your heart?
Is it too late to think about those people who are still in need? WWJD?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Titus 3:4-8 (NIV)
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
We once again celebrated the coming into this world of Jesus Christ, so at the end of this Advent season believers know that Jesus did come onto this world to save all believers from their sins, and to promise them that their immortal soul can live with Jesus in heaven, immediately when they die! “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,” so that “we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” In this case biblical hope means something we can be sure of, not something that may happen, and we hope it happens. In this lifetime hope is fleeting and we do not really want to depend on. However, Biblical hope is a sure thing, it is a promise from God! Are you “standing on the promises of God our Savior?”
Living in the USA causes most of us to develop some love or at least an attachment to money. At Christmas time it becomes difficult to not develop a desire to spend a lot of money on Christmas gifts for our family members and other loved ones. Paul wrote to Timothy about how loving money can cause us to sin by doing evil things in order to amass more money. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1Timothy 6:10). This verse is often misquoted as “the love of money is the root of all evil!” While the love of money can cause us to do sinful or evil things in order to get more money, it is not the only thing that causes us to sin. People who do not love money have killed another person, just because they do not like them. Some people have murdered someone just because they are different or have darker or lighter skin. Such a crime is not done out of love for money, it is done merely based on hate not love!
John wrote about how Satan can influence members of mankind to commit sinful acts, if they are not believers in Jesus Christ, but because Jesus came into this world to destroy Satan’s influence believers can now avoid sinful thoughts and actions. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. (1John 3:8-9). Paul wrote to the early church members, and for us too, about how we can have peace in this troubled world, if we choose to follow Jesus. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7). When we become followers of Jesus it is possible for us to avoid sinning because we are less apt to sin because we recognize sinful behavior, and it looks less attractive to us!
The old idea of us having a good angel on our right shoulder, and an evil angel (devil) on our left should, who alternate whispering in our ear trying to either attract us toward or away from sinful ideas or actions or temptations! Of course, this is not an actual situation, but it does speak well of everyday life as we do face many temptations especially if we are wealthy and thus can afford to buy stuff we do not need, instead of using our Gods given abundance to help other people who are in need! Jesus put this idea of helping others in simple context, as something easy for us to do. Mark wrote about what Jesus said we could do that was very easy. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. (Mark 9:41). Here Jesus is telling us to help other believers or to be the recipient of such actions. Jesus also told His followers to be a servant to every member of mankind. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45). Serving others shows Jesus and other people that we are believers! You may be the only Jesus someone will ever recognize in their lifetime.
We are more apt to view someone in need as someone who should help themselves, instead of someone we should help as Christ followers. When we try to judge other people, we risk being called a hypocrite by Jesus. Jesus once said, You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5). Here Jesus was saying that we may have our own sinful nature that is blurring our vision or influencing our judgement of the other person, and we may need to first get our life in better order before we try to help fix the other person’s problems. Walk the walk before we try to talk the talk! This figurately means that you do what you say and say what you plan to do. In general terms this may also be called having integrity, or the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles!
So, we find ourselves at the end of another year and we have again celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ and the world continues to spin on its axis and thus there continue to be daylight and nighttime, and some of us have some big bills to pay off, because we again fell for the idea of giving mostly to those who already have enough, and now they have a surplus. They may be happier for a short time because they got more stuff, they thought they wanted. It makes me wonder about the people who are still in need, because they did not get the stuff, they needed as a Christmas gift! Jesus once said, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." (John 12:8). Do you believe you have Jesus? Is Jesus always with you because you carry Him around, in your heart?
Is it too late to think about those people who are still in need? WWJD?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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