Dear people of God, lets take an example - when we invite a guest who is your boss or any person of importance to our home for lunch or dinner, he brings along some gifts with him while coming....Right ? Any decent guest would do that by default, without we telling him :-) Right ?
And no one invites a guest just to take a gift, neither any guest honors the invitation just to give away some material gifts. Isn't it?
There will be some motive behind.
Like:
To get the favour of that boss..
To build up a personal relationship with that person of importance..
To establish a close rapport in order to accomplish some higher goals mutually..
To get to know closely each other.
Agree ?
Just imagine, if we try to give more importance to those mere gifts that the guest gets along with him, keeping behind the very motive of this companionship - and if this host tries to find multiple ways to make the guest bring more and more such mere gifts all the time, and cling on to him greedily lusting after the gifts , giving him the list that you want him to get... and tell him that you will even offer some pennies to just bring you gifts... just imagine this as a situation in our regular lives,and homes. Doesn't it look awful ???
To get the favour of that boss..
To build up a personal relationship with that person of importance..
To establish a close rapport in order to accomplish some higher goals mutually..
To get to know closely each other.
Agree ?
Just imagine, if we try to give more importance to those mere gifts that the guest gets along with him, keeping behind the very motive of this companionship - and if this host tries to find multiple ways to make the guest bring more and more such mere gifts all the time, and cling on to him greedily lusting after the gifts , giving him the list that you want him to get... and tell him that you will even offer some pennies to just bring you gifts... just imagine this as a situation in our regular lives,and homes. Doesn't it look awful ???
Will the guest be pleased?
Will he ever want to come back to our house??
Will that guest not be disgusted of such a host??
Will HE give a good report to him whom he came to represent, in case if he is an ambassador of a King or secretary of a Ruler ??
He would rather get pissed off of that host's foolishness and greed and out of pity, he would probably give away the gifts the host is asking.
But will that guest have any regard for such a host?
What kind of an impression will such a host leave on this guest ?? Just think....
If such a situation is not pleasing between a man and man, then how much more it is displeasing and Unacceptable in the eyes of our LORD in terms of a relationship with the MOST HIGH, through HIS ONLY SON JESUS??
Dear ones, when you invite Jesus into your lives, you invite HIM as a Saviour, Friend and a Redeemer.
Dear ones, when you invite Jesus into your lives, you invite HIM as a Saviour, Friend and a Redeemer.
Wealth and blessings are only gifts that He brings along with Himself, by default( Eccl 5:19).
But if you set your hearts and minds on those gifts and start going to him only for the gifts, ignoring the very motive and purpose behind, and try to invent different intelligent methods to make Jesus give away gifts, using HIS own Word, considering yourself intelligent and knowledgeable that you have found out a way from HIS word, to get those gifts from HIS hand..
But if you set your hearts and minds on those gifts and start going to him only for the gifts, ignoring the very motive and purpose behind, and try to invent different intelligent methods to make Jesus give away gifts, using HIS own Word, considering yourself intelligent and knowledgeable that you have found out a way from HIS word, to get those gifts from HIS hand..
How awful is such a condition !!
Will HE be pleased ? Will He not be tired of us?
It is only out of pity that he will give away whatever we ask in such ignorance, but will His heart be glad for us ?
'' Psalm 106 : 13,14,15 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the waste land they put God to the test. So He gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them. ''
JESUS is the Most Honored of all.
Will HE be pleased ? Will He not be tired of us?
It is only out of pity that he will give away whatever we ask in such ignorance, but will His heart be glad for us ?
'' Psalm 106 : 13,14,15 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the waste land they put God to the test. So He gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them. ''
JESUS is the Most Honored of all.
HE IS CALLED THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS.
Father God has exalted Him to His right Hand, and made His NAME above every name.
And gifted HIM to us on the cross as the Only Saviour.
When such a HIGHLY ESTEEMED AND MOST HONORED GUEST is invited into our lives, HE enters our lives with a very HIGHER motive.
That is:
to build a relationship with us...
to dwell in us..
to bring us closer to our Father who created us..
to train us for the higher plans HE has for us..
and to transform us into His likeness so that we be reconciled to our Father.
HE is the most modest, humble and generous of all, to the extent that he gave away His life on the cross, for us.
If His people, for whom HE gave away everything, when they invite Him into thier lives, if they, instead of seeking more and more of HIM, instead of Honoring HIS presence and seeking True Knowledge of HIM, and build up a rapport with HIM - if they seek the material things that HE brings as a default gift, to the extent that using his own word they take up the shield of faith, and charge towards him until He gives away their greedy desires...
Dear ones, how disheartening and displeasing is such a situation.....??
Just Think............
Lets look into these Scriptures that give us some insight into certain behaviour that we need to be careful about, when we approach God :
'' Ephesians 6 :14-17 Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition, to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. ''
In this above scripture, the Armor of God is described.
In this above scripture, the Armor of God is described.
Lets look at how each represent the different parts in the armour:
Truth = Belt
Righteousness = Breastplate
Readiness from Gospel of peace = For Feet
Faith = Shield
Salvation = Helmet
Word of God = Sword of the Spirit
Scriptures, therefore declare that Faith acts as a Shield as per Ephesians 6:16.
Now, what if one uses only this part in the armour, that is the Shield, and goes to God with selfish motives, claiming to have strong faith?
Will that really bring any true blessing ?
Lets see what will be the consequences of such a behaviour, as described in Job 15:24-32 :
'' Job 15:24-26 Distress and anguish fill him with a terror; they over whelm him, like a king poised to attack, because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield.''
This verse speaks about '' Charging against the Almighty with a thick strong shield '' -- this verse specifically used this term '' shield '' and not any other.
'' Job 15:24-26 Distress and anguish fill him with a terror; they over whelm him, like a king poised to attack, because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield.''
This verse speaks about '' Charging against the Almighty with a thick strong shield '' -- this verse specifically used this term '' shield '' and not any other.
Shiled is a part of the armor for any soldier.
And according to word of God, shield for us is the Faith, as described in Ephesians 6:16.
So what will be the consequences if one just claims to have ''thick and strong faith '' and steadfastly charges againt God's plans, for his own selfish motives, claiming to be a partaker in the covenant God made with Abraham, and doesn't humble himself to know God's will and plan first...?
Lets look into the next verses...
'' Job 15:27-32 Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where noone lives, houses crumbling to rubble. He will no longer be rich and his wealth will Not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and the breath of God's mouth will carry him away. Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return. Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish.''
So.. such a person only attracts the curses described above.
Therefore dear people of God, please do not play with the flame of the Holy One - in a single day it can turn to fire and burn us away !
So what will be the consequences if one just claims to have ''thick and strong faith '' and steadfastly charges againt God's plans, for his own selfish motives, claiming to be a partaker in the covenant God made with Abraham, and doesn't humble himself to know God's will and plan first...?
Lets look into the next verses...
'' Job 15:27-32 Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where noone lives, houses crumbling to rubble. He will no longer be rich and his wealth will Not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and the breath of God's mouth will carry him away. Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return. Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish.''
So.. such a person only attracts the curses described above.
Therefore dear people of God, please do not play with the flame of the Holy One - in a single day it can turn to fire and burn us away !
Let us also look at what John the Baptist tells of those who begin to say to themselves that they have Abraham as their Father, and thereby justify themselves to demand prosperity that God gave to Abraham.
'' Luke 3: 7-9 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, '' You brood of vipers ! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
'' Luke 3: 7-9 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, '' You brood of vipers ! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'. For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ''
This scripture tells us that, '' The ax already at the roots of such trees that do not produce good fruit.'' - Those who boast about Abraham, but do not consider the requirements of God.
God made a covenant with Abraham not to shower away all wealth just like that, dear people - there is a reason why God chose Abraham:
'' Nehemiah 9:7,8
You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You FOUND HIS HEART FAITHFUL TO YOU, and you made a covenant with him to give his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kpet your promise because you are righteous. ''
God found Abraham's heart faithful to Him. Therefore God chose him and made a covenant with him.
If we want to reap the blessings of the covenant, first pre requisite is not claiming our descent in Abraham, but being faithful to God in our walk, and doing His will, imitating Jesus Christ, for the promise is given to the Seed, Jesus Christ, and through Jesus alone we can become heirs to the promise.
This scripture tells us that, '' The ax already at the roots of such trees that do not produce good fruit.'' - Those who boast about Abraham, but do not consider the requirements of God.
God made a covenant with Abraham not to shower away all wealth just like that, dear people - there is a reason why God chose Abraham:
'' Nehemiah 9:7,8
You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You FOUND HIS HEART FAITHFUL TO YOU, and you made a covenant with him to give his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kpet your promise because you are righteous. ''
God found Abraham's heart faithful to Him. Therefore God chose him and made a covenant with him.
If we want to reap the blessings of the covenant, first pre requisite is not claiming our descent in Abraham, but being faithful to God in our walk, and doing His will, imitating Jesus Christ, for the promise is given to the Seed, Jesus Christ, and through Jesus alone we can become heirs to the promise.
'' Galatians 3: 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ''and to seeds,'' meaning many people, but ''and to your seed,'' meaning one person, who is Christ. ''
When we are faithful to God, abiding by His Son's instruction, then God himself will remember the covenant He made and shower the blessings He promised us in His Son, benevolently!
Therefore dear people, let us decide to walk humbly before our Father, in fear and faithfulness, delighting and boasting in His NAME alone, and not in the material gifts that He benevolently gives.
God Bless You.
When we are faithful to God, abiding by His Son's instruction, then God himself will remember the covenant He made and shower the blessings He promised us in His Son, benevolently!
Therefore dear people, let us decide to walk humbly before our Father, in fear and faithfulness, delighting and boasting in His NAME alone, and not in the material gifts that He benevolently gives.
God Bless You.
