If we have Christ living in us, we also have empathy and compassion for people and for animals. The compassion and empathy runs all the way through our being, so much so, that we don't have to try or think to have these qualities, they come naturally.
If someone lacks compassion or empathy, they are very likely not born again, they are basic to the born again soul.
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Colossians 3:12 "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,"
Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Matthew 7:12 "“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Galatians 5:21-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Luke 10:30-35 "30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’"
1 Thessalonians 5:11-14 "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all."
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Easter, A Man made Ritual
Most Christians cannot wrap their minds around the fact that Easter has nothing to do with Christ. It is like telling them there is no mandate in the Word to meet in large buildings, or that dressing up has nothing to do with honoring God. This list could be very long, since most people make up their own traditional doctrine while ignoring most of what God said.
Many believers desire to make it about Christ because they love God and want to honor Him, for all the years of their lives they have been raised with this Catholic tradition and feel a need to keep it going.
Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."
Many who will go once a year to Easter services, will never attend a Lord's Supper, the one observance that Christ Himself commanded.
Luke 22:14-23
"14 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;
18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. 22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” 23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing."
We were commanded to do it every time we meet, not just once a month or once a year.
The book of Corinthians gives all the criteria for worship and the principles too. There is no need for a special day for Christ's birth, death or resurrection, Christ gave it all to us in the Lord's supper.
Many believers desire to make it about Christ because they love God and want to honor Him, for all the years of their lives they have been raised with this Catholic tradition and feel a need to keep it going.
Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."
Many who will go once a year to Easter services, will never attend a Lord's Supper, the one observance that Christ Himself commanded.
Luke 22:14-23
"14 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;
18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. 22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” 23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing."
We were commanded to do it every time we meet, not just once a month or once a year.
The book of Corinthians gives all the criteria for worship and the principles too. There is no need for a special day for Christ's birth, death or resurrection, Christ gave it all to us in the Lord's supper.
The Sickness is Growing Exponentially
A growing sickness in our country has overtaken nearly everyone, except the born again believers, that illness is an elevated sense of our own importance.
I say it this way because to become born again one must first confess that they are not worthy of anything but death because of the sinfulness that dwells in us.
Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
When we become born again Christ puts in us a new heart, sensitive to right and wrong, so much so, that the slightest sin against God leaves us miserable until we confess it to God, asking Him to cleanse us from it.
Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."
After knowing that we are not worthy of salvation, that Christ had to die for us, makes us understand that we are nothing and He is everything. Anyone who does not want to admit this, is choosing not to look at their own heart. When we compare ourselves with God's standard we see how void of righteousness we are without Him.
No one can walk in pride while at the same time seeking Christ. We walk in confidence in Him, but have no pride in ourselves.
Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 16:5 "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished."
Proverbs 29:23 "One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Proverbs 26:12 "Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
James 4:6 "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Jeremiah 9:23 "Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,"
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
Romans 12:16 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight."
Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate."
1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant"
Proverbs 30:12 "There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth."
Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
1 Timothy 6:4 "He is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,"
2 Corinthians 10:12 "Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."
Let us compare ourselves with the Holy God, then we will see how low we are and that we deserved death. It is then that we can feel humble and grateful for what Christ did for us on that terrible cross. Blood had to be spilt, the blood of the Perfect Lamb, to save us from ourselves. How could we be anything but ashamed of ourselves, but glory in how much He loved us anyway.
I say it this way because to become born again one must first confess that they are not worthy of anything but death because of the sinfulness that dwells in us.
Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
When we become born again Christ puts in us a new heart, sensitive to right and wrong, so much so, that the slightest sin against God leaves us miserable until we confess it to God, asking Him to cleanse us from it.
Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."
After knowing that we are not worthy of salvation, that Christ had to die for us, makes us understand that we are nothing and He is everything. Anyone who does not want to admit this, is choosing not to look at their own heart. When we compare ourselves with God's standard we see how void of righteousness we are without Him.
No one can walk in pride while at the same time seeking Christ. We walk in confidence in Him, but have no pride in ourselves.
Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 16:5 "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished."
Proverbs 29:23 "One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Proverbs 26:12 "Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
James 4:6 "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Jeremiah 9:23 "Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,"
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
Romans 12:16 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight."
Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate."
1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant"
Proverbs 30:12 "There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth."
Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
1 Timothy 6:4 "He is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,"
2 Corinthians 10:12 "Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."
Let us compare ourselves with the Holy God, then we will see how low we are and that we deserved death. It is then that we can feel humble and grateful for what Christ did for us on that terrible cross. Blood had to be spilt, the blood of the Perfect Lamb, to save us from ourselves. How could we be anything but ashamed of ourselves, but glory in how much He loved us anyway.
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