September 8th 2019
Are You Employed Fulltime By God?
Luke 10:25-28, (NIV)
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
The Bible tells us we must love God with all our minds! Well, in the selected verses, we are told to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus verifies this to be a correct answer to the question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Note that Jesus includes loving our neighbor as a requirement for allowing our salvation! In this country today we see many types of senseless murders, which certainly indicates there is very little feeling of loving our neighbor going around in our world today! Of course, at this same time in our history, we also see love being extended as people give up their time to go help their neighbors who are experiencing loss of their environment through destructive storms or other cataclysmic events.
It seems that too many people today do not love their neighbor, but they hate them! Some neighborhoods residents continue to kill each other on a regular basis. Such behavior is not a new thing, as Paul wrote about our need to renew our minds. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2), Is the will of God being fulfilled in our world today? It seems many people do not love their neighbor, as they do not love themselves either. As it appears, we are moving away from the Christian ethic more and more, at least, it seems that way to me. What do you think about attitudes toward our neighbors? The “me-to” idea is designed to separate us not bring us together as it seems to be sometimes promoted. Paul wrote that we need to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5). Are you working on developing an attitude that is “the same as that of Christ Jesus?”
Paul also wrote about our need to meditate on God’s Word (not on nothing). He wrote we are new creations in Christ when we accept His grace as our salvation. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Most meditation techniques today point us to clear our minds, and then mediate on nothing, seems like a waste of time, and potentially exposes us to temptation from Satan. If we in turn meditate of God’s Word, we are protecting ourselves from the demons that lurk in this world. James wrote about the demons that do exist in this world. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19). It is important that we do believe in demons, so we can know how to avoid them, in all areas of our life. Our attitudes and beliefs are influenced by what we feed our minds! The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:6-7). True peace with yourself, first, and then with our neighbors can only be obtained through meditation through study of the Scriptures.
As Christians, we are to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things! Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2-3). Your death to only worldly thinking occurred when you died with Christ and entered the realm of salvation through the grace offered by Jesus Christ. You are a new creation and should never again dwell only on worldly thinking. You have been freed from the daily grind forever. You no longer work for only worldly gain, as you no longer work for members of mankind, you are now employed, fulltime by Jesus Christ. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (Colossians 3:23, NLT). Remember God is always watching over those who have chosen to love Him and thrust Him to provide for our needs. The writer of Proverbs tells us that God is watching over both the good and evil in this cursed world. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3). So, even when you may get steered off the narrow path that leads you heavenward, Jesus is still watching over you, and trying to get you back on that heavenly path!
In this world in which we live there are those people who may desire to be our enemies for some worldly reasoning that seems to make sense to them. Be very careful that you do not slip into their worldly way of thinking, as this will certainly knock you off the narrow path. Remember, Jesus told us that even those who believe we are their enemies, are not to be hated, but instead we are to do our best to still love them. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? (Matthew 5:43-46). Your heavenly reward is not based on loving those who love you, but on you loving those people who have chosen to not love you! It is a good deed to love everyone who loves you, but a reward awaits those who overcome the worldly temptation to not love those who have chosen to not love you!
Jesus overcame the world, so that we too can overcome it, and thus, bring glory to God. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31). Are you employed fulltime by God? Do you avoid hating by always trying to love everyone? It has been said that you may be the only Jesus Christ that some people will ever see! If anyone sees Jesus in you it is because you are reflecting His image, through the Holy Spirit that is indwelling you. No human being can be totally Christ-like, as we all still have a sinful nature. Jesus did not have a sinful nature, and He was sinless and perfect! Jesus did desire for His disciples to aim for perfection, but He knew we would only attain it after we leave behind our mortal bodies. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48).
Your perfection is coming, because you have chosen Jesus as your Savior and Lord!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Luke 10:25-28, (NIV)
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
The Bible tells us we must love God with all our minds! Well, in the selected verses, we are told to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus verifies this to be a correct answer to the question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Note that Jesus includes loving our neighbor as a requirement for allowing our salvation! In this country today we see many types of senseless murders, which certainly indicates there is very little feeling of loving our neighbor going around in our world today! Of course, at this same time in our history, we also see love being extended as people give up their time to go help their neighbors who are experiencing loss of their environment through destructive storms or other cataclysmic events.
It seems that too many people today do not love their neighbor, but they hate them! Some neighborhoods residents continue to kill each other on a regular basis. Such behavior is not a new thing, as Paul wrote about our need to renew our minds. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2), Is the will of God being fulfilled in our world today? It seems many people do not love their neighbor, as they do not love themselves either. As it appears, we are moving away from the Christian ethic more and more, at least, it seems that way to me. What do you think about attitudes toward our neighbors? The “me-to” idea is designed to separate us not bring us together as it seems to be sometimes promoted. Paul wrote that we need to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5). Are you working on developing an attitude that is “the same as that of Christ Jesus?”
Paul also wrote about our need to meditate on God’s Word (not on nothing). He wrote we are new creations in Christ when we accept His grace as our salvation. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Most meditation techniques today point us to clear our minds, and then mediate on nothing, seems like a waste of time, and potentially exposes us to temptation from Satan. If we in turn meditate of God’s Word, we are protecting ourselves from the demons that lurk in this world. James wrote about the demons that do exist in this world. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19). It is important that we do believe in demons, so we can know how to avoid them, in all areas of our life. Our attitudes and beliefs are influenced by what we feed our minds! The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:6-7). True peace with yourself, first, and then with our neighbors can only be obtained through meditation through study of the Scriptures.
As Christians, we are to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things! Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2-3). Your death to only worldly thinking occurred when you died with Christ and entered the realm of salvation through the grace offered by Jesus Christ. You are a new creation and should never again dwell only on worldly thinking. You have been freed from the daily grind forever. You no longer work for only worldly gain, as you no longer work for members of mankind, you are now employed, fulltime by Jesus Christ. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (Colossians 3:23, NLT). Remember God is always watching over those who have chosen to love Him and thrust Him to provide for our needs. The writer of Proverbs tells us that God is watching over both the good and evil in this cursed world. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3). So, even when you may get steered off the narrow path that leads you heavenward, Jesus is still watching over you, and trying to get you back on that heavenly path!
In this world in which we live there are those people who may desire to be our enemies for some worldly reasoning that seems to make sense to them. Be very careful that you do not slip into their worldly way of thinking, as this will certainly knock you off the narrow path. Remember, Jesus told us that even those who believe we are their enemies, are not to be hated, but instead we are to do our best to still love them. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? (Matthew 5:43-46). Your heavenly reward is not based on loving those who love you, but on you loving those people who have chosen to not love you! It is a good deed to love everyone who loves you, but a reward awaits those who overcome the worldly temptation to not love those who have chosen to not love you!
Jesus overcame the world, so that we too can overcome it, and thus, bring glory to God. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31). Are you employed fulltime by God? Do you avoid hating by always trying to love everyone? It has been said that you may be the only Jesus Christ that some people will ever see! If anyone sees Jesus in you it is because you are reflecting His image, through the Holy Spirit that is indwelling you. No human being can be totally Christ-like, as we all still have a sinful nature. Jesus did not have a sinful nature, and He was sinless and perfect! Jesus did desire for His disciples to aim for perfection, but He knew we would only attain it after we leave behind our mortal bodies. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48).
Your perfection is coming, because you have chosen Jesus as your Savior and Lord!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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