HE EMPTIED HIMSELF OF ALL, EXCEPT LOVE

                                                     

Charles Wesley wrote such beautiful hymns during his life (1707-1788). One of my favorites is “Amazing Love,” in which he emphasizes the mystery of Jesus’s death.  The third verse of that hymn goes like this: “He left His Father’s throne above – so free, so infinite His grace - Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race (mankind).”

Jesus, being God, is immortal and has all power and authority, but for our sake he temporarily and willingly gave up immortality, power, dignity, and authority.  He washed his servants’ feet, allowed Himself to be insulted, ridiculed, beaten, dis-robed, and crucified; He died like a criminal, although He had done nothing wrong. How many of our present-day leaders (kings, ministers, presidents, etc.) would accept anything less than what their positions allow them? 

Have you ever had an argument with someone who asked if you knew who he or she was? When people express themselves that way, they are really saying, “I am a very important and powerful person. I deserve to be respected, and don’t you mess with me.” Many people in positions of authority expect everybody else to recognize that, and respect them accordingly. They get highly indignant if they sense they’ve been denied that respect in any way. 

Jesus, on the other hand, emptied Himself of everything, except love. Jesus’s love for us and His obedience to His Father were His reasons for becoming flesh and dwelling among men. Love and obedience sent Him to the cross, and held Him there until He died! Had He allowed His immortality, power, authority, and the respect due Him to affect His decision, you and I would still be in our sins, not forgiven, and on the way to a Christ-less eternity. He emptied Himself of all except love!

If you are an unbeliever, understand that Jesus died in your place. He gave up everything so He could die to save you.  He died so you don’t have to.  The Scripture puts it this way, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him stands condemned already.” (John 3:16-18 NIV) 

God wants you to respond to His sacrifice of love with a, “Yes Lord, I accept the death of your Son in my place. Please forgive my sins, and make me your child.” The Bible tells us, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NIV)

On the other hand, if you are a Christian, you already understand salvation, but are you walking in humility and selflessness as Jesus walked? Jesus emptied Himself of all, except love. He instructs us, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8 NIV) 

Yes, salvation is free, but it sure cost Him everything, and for that reason, let’s love Him through obedience.  He said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21 NIV) 

JUST BECAUSE ...

I’ve had the privilege of talking to many people over the past few years, who all claim to be Christians. Great, but the problem I encounter with them is the mindset they each had about God’s grace. They were each living comfortably in sin, and they each had the same argument: “God is love and is a forgiving God.”

WRONG!

Do you have the same mentality as these individuals? The fact about God being loving and forgiving is accurate. If He didn’t have those attributes, there would be no hope for this world! But the assumption that one could live in sin just because God will forgive is very unbiblical, The Bible has a lot to say about Christians and sin.

First, God says, “You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44 NLT). I don’t see where seeking to be holy equates to living comfortably in sin. Second, the apostle Paul addresses the ‘Just because’ attitude by asking the Romans, “Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?” And then he categorically denounced that way of thinking by adding, “Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 NLT).

To further prevent the ‘just because’ way of thinking, the Scripture makes it very clear in Hebrews: “If we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins” (Hebrews 10:26 NLT). Are you deliberately sinning, with the attitude that God will forgive you? Well, please don’t, because there are no exception clauses in God’s Word regarding sin. The commandments apply to everybody equally! If I can’t do something, you can’t either, and vice versa.

The next verse will help us examine ourselves to see if we are really children of God as we claim: “We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son {Jesus} holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them” (1 John 5:18). Are you a child of God? Are you living in obedience? If you answer ‘yes’ to the first question while living in sin, then you need to re-examine your claim! If you decide you are really a child of God, then you need to repent and seek forgiveness, and start living as you should. God will enable you to do that if you are sincere in your repentance.

On the other hand, you might be claiming you are a Christian because you grew up in church, and assume going to church makes one a child of God. Let me help you get things straight. We are all born with a sin nature, which makes us sin. We have a sin nature because we are descendants of Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. As a result of that sin, a separation was created between God and man. The Bible settles that fact by saying: “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23 NLT), and then  goes on to tell us what payment (penalty) we get for our sins: “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT). The death mentioned here is the eternal separation from God after this life. In order for our sins to be forgiven, and our relationship with God to be restored, God sent Jesus, His Son, into the world to take on the penalty of our sins. When He was on earth, Jesus said: “My purpose is to give them {the sheep-sinners} a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).  

Now that you understand your condition and the penalty, you’ll need to repent. Call on Jesus, and tell Him yes, you’re a sinner; ask for his forgiveness, and to make you His child. He will, and then come and live in your heart through the Holy Spirit! His Spirit transforms your life; you become a new creature: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). Please don’t postpone doing this, because tomorrow could be too late. Today is your day: take advantage of it and have the assurance that God is indeed your Father, and you have eternal life with Him in heaven after this life (see 1 John 5:13).

Your new relationship with God through Jesus will need to move forward through ongoing communication. God will speak to you through the Bible (you need to read it every day and obey it), and you need to communicate with Him through prayer. For further help or questions, visit: pearlkumi.com and leave me a message. God bless you!

FAKING SPIRITUALITY

ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPRESS PEOPLE WITH YOUR SPIRITUALITY?

Which Scripture passage comes to mind when you think, “Faking Spirituality”? Do you remember the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira? If not, please allow me to refresh your memory. You can read the full account in the Acts of the Apostles (see Acts 5:1-11).

After Pentecost, having been empowered by the Holy Spirit, the believers lived in love and shared everything, even their possessions. Those who had property sold it and brought the money to the Apostles to benefit the entire community, although it wasn’t required. They did it, because it was the right thing to do, as expressed by John, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:17 NIV). They did it joyfully, not looking for any recognition, for God loves a cheerful giver (see 2 Corinthians 9:7).

One couple, Ananias and his wife Sapphira, like the others, sold a piece of property. The two agreed to give only part of the proceeds to the Apostles for community use, and that was their right (see 2 Corinthians 9:7). However, when Ananias brought the money, he wanted the Apostles to believe that he brought the total amount. Sapphira, coming in a few hours after her husband’s report, not knowing what had transpired earlier, confirmed her husband’s report, which was a lie. Needless to say each was rebuked sharply by the Holy Spirit, and they were buried side-by-side, a few hours apart (see Acts 5:4-10). It was a good lesson for the rest of the group, and it should be a lesson for us as well.

Ananias and his wife were not rebuked for surrendering only part of the money; they were rebuked for deception. They were trying to give the impression that, like the others, they had surrendered all.

Do you ever pretend to be something that you really are not? Do you like to tell others how often you read your Bible, how much time you spend in prayer, how you do this, that and the other good work? Think about it! Do you try to impress others with how often you fast, give to charity, and so forth? 

Do you criticize others when you are guilty of the same thing? Do you put others down so you can appear to be better? (See Matthew 7:6). God wants you to be yourself.  He sees what you are and what you do, and why. He will take it from there. “Your’ Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:18 NIV). You don’t need the applause and commendation of men. God will reward you in due time.  

Jesus called the Pharisees, “Whitewashed tombs” because they were such hypocrites,“Everything 
they do is done for men to see” (Matthew 23:27). That definitely is “Faking Spirituality!

THE BENEFITS OF DESERT EXPERIENCES

Deserts, valleys, and deserted islands are usually not habitable places. People do not make such places their home, and if they find themselves there, it is always a temporary situation; they are just passing through.

The desert is a dry, hot place, water is scarce, food is scarce and nobody else lives there. A person in a desert will feel very lonely, isolated, hungry and thirsty. Should he be in trouble, there will be no help. Nobody in their right mind will choose to live in a desert. Therefore, anybody in a desert was most likely placed there, intentionally, by another or got there because he/she got lost. 

The Israelites were in the desert, not by choice. God was taking them through the desert to the Promised Land, a place flowing with milk and honey.  They could have made that journey, by-passing the desert, but God had a good reason for taking them through the wilderness (see Exodus 13:17-18). They were excited about the Promised Land alright, but they hated their desert experiences so much so that they wished they were back in Egypt, as slaves. They were willing to do anything to be out of the desert, including killing Moses, their leader. They had no food, God sent them manna; they had no meat, God sent them quails (see Exodus 16). They had no water God sent them water from the Rock! (See Exodus 17:1-6).

We all have trials in our lives we can refer to as deserts, valleys or deserted islands. Life in our individual deserts is dry, painful, exhausting and quite often unexplained, with no end in sight. How did we get there? Where were we going? How are we coping? 

So how did we get there? Most likely, God put us there or allowed our circumstances to work out that way, so He can have us to Himself in the desert. He needs to get our undivided attention and teach us lessons we cannot learn otherwise (see Jeremiah 29:11).

And where were we going? We might not know the short term destination but the final destination is to be like Christ. He is teaching us lessons to mature us and make us fit for heaven (see James 1:2-4).

How are we coping? We should be looking to Christ the author and finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:1-2). Focusing on the goal, will make the desert more tolerable and hopefully, we will even get to appreciate it. I am not sure the Israelites ever got to the point of appreciating their desert experiences as a nation, but we should. I know of individuals who are thankful for past painful experiences, because of the lasting lessons they learned to benefit themselves and others.

Let’s learn from the Israelites. Because of their rebellion and murmuring in the wilderness, they stayed there longer than they would have. The older generation, including Moses, did not make it into the Promised Land. We need to get with God’s program. We need to make it safely through the desert into the Promised Land.  “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NLT).

IDENTITY CRISIS

 A person’s identity is who they are; it is what sets them apart from everyone else. Who are you? Who do you claim to be? Do people know you, and does their knowledge of you match who you claim to be? Don’t make room for them to assume who you are, and don’t make room for them to guess, but if they do guess, make it possible for them to guess correctly. Just be yourself!

For example, if you see an individual with a stethoscope around his or her neck, you could assume he or she is a medical professional. If you see an individual in court, wearing a robe, sitting behind the bench, and holding a gavel, you could assume he or she is the judge.

In our natural world, everyone has parents. So it is in the spiritual world.  You either have God or Satan for a father. Do you call yourself a child of God? If you do, then be a child of God. When you meet people, do they notice something about you that causes them to assume or guess you are a Christian, or will they be uncertain? If they don’t think you are a child of God, you are left with only one other option: they must think you are a child of the devil. But if you are a Christian, then there is something wrong with your identity. What is it? 

If you became a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, then the person you are should be obvious to people around you. If you live a life of obedience to God, you will in essence be saying you love Him (see John 14:15). On the other hand, if you are living in disobedience, people can quickly assume you are not a Christian, even if you claim to be one.

Jesus is not interested in lip service, and He made that plain to the disciples when He asked them, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not what I say?” (Luke 6:46 NIV). When Jesus was warning against false prophets, He said, “By their fruit you’ll recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:16-18 NIV).

If you are a child of God, the characteristics (fruit) you exhibit should be a clear indication that you are His son or daughter. There is no better way of demonstrating that you are child of God than through obedience. The Bible says, “Be holy for I (God) am holy.” In other words, we should exhibit His trait of holiness in the way we live.

Developing those traits is an ongoing effort. We do not arrive at holiness overnight. According to the apostle Paul, we have to work at it with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:12). It takes meditation on God’s Word and allowing it to transform us into His nature through the renewing of our mind. Then we will shine, as the Scripture says, like stars in the universe (see Philippians 2:15).

Observing the lives of the disciples, the Jewish leaders were able to accurately conclude that they had been with Jesus. If we indeed have been with Jesus, it should be obvious to others. Claiming to be a Christian and yet living as an unbeliever is proof of an identity crisis. It means one is not really sure who one is.

We need to turn our backs on worldliness and all appearances of evil. A Christian should not live comfortably in sin. If you are, then you need to revisit God’s plan of salvation to make sure you are really born again. If we fall into sin, we should quickly repent, confess, and seek forgiveness. That is the mark of a Christian: the fear of sin and the concern for displeasing God.

Are you experiencing an identity crisis? You can change that by making the determination to live a life that is pleasing to God, and then seeking the help of the Spirit to accomplish it. Let’s put on the armor of God and keep it on (see Ephesians 6:11-18), 24/7.

AS FOR GOD, HIS WAY IS PERFECT (Psalm 18:30 NIV)

Anything perfect cannot be improved upon! It is all it can be and should be. So God’s way lacks nothing! We cannot wish or request anything better.

God’s way is perfect, even He cannot improve upon it.

What is God’s way, and why is it perfect?  God’s way is love, because all His other attributes flow out of love.  His kindness, justice, mercy, you name it, they all flow out of love, and therefore His way is love and His love is perfect.  His love is just the thing you and I need!

His love is perfect, when I don’t understand my circumstances,

His love is perfect, when I make mistakes,

His love is perfect, when I hurt

His love is perfect, even when I face disappointments that lead to discouragement.

His love is perfect, all the time, and under all circumstances.

His love is perfect in all He does, and in all He allows in my life.

He is working it all out for His glory and for my good.

This is a reminder that I am totally safe in His care.

As for God, His way is perfect,

I will trust and not be afraid,

I will trust and not question His wisdom,

O, perfect love, such awesome comfort

(Psalm 18:30 NIV84)

EARNING RETURNS ON GOD'S RESOURCES

 What does it mean to earn returns? To earn returns means to gain or receive profit on a committed capital (an investment). Usually, the capital and the gains earned belong to the individual who provided the capital. 

Although whatever we own belongs to God (we are simply stewards – see Psalm 24:1), we can legally and rightfully earn returns on it for ourselves. You might ask, “How in the world can anyone gain returns on what belongs to another person?” Well, in God’s economy, it is very simple. Spend God’s money and resources wisely and generously: don’t be stingy, and the returns will pile up for you in heaven (see Luke 18:22). What a brilliant idea! After all, earthly riches are temporary; we do not take our possessions in moving trucks with us when we die.

Paul says to the young preacher Timothy, “Command them (the rich) to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:18-19 NIV).

In the parable of the shrewd manager, for instance (see Luke 16:1-9), the manager falsified debtors’ records that cost his employer lots of money. He came up with a scheme in preparation for his future, thinking these debtors would be kind to him when he was broke after being fired by his employer. But in our case as Christians, we don’t have to falsify anything; we have God’s permission to use all that He has entrusted to us for His glory and for our benefit (see Matthew 6:19-20).   

          

So Christian, what are you doing with what God has entrusted to you? Are you holding onto it tightly? Remember, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV). So let it go. It is not yours anyway; allow it to work for your future!

 “How?” you ask. Meet the needs you see around you, give to God’s work, and Jesus’ response to you will be, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matthew 25:35-36 NIV). 

If we don’t invest what God has entrusted to us now, we cannot hope for any future returns. If you’d like to hear God say to you, “Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:21 NIV), then do this: START TODAY PUTTING GOD’S RESOURCES TO WORK to benefit others!