The Biblical Perspective Is Not The Survival Of The Fittest

                                                 When The Door Slams  

Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the house of Simon, who had a harmful skin disease. While Jesus was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured this perfume on Jesus head while he was eating. His followers saw the woman do this and were upset. They asked, "Why waste that perfume? It could be sold for a great deal of money, and the money could be given to the poor."   (Matthew 26:6-9 NCV)

            Jesus himself inherited [the ] rich Old Testament legacy of care for the poor, and put it into practice. He made friends with the needy and fed the hungry. He told his disciples to sell their possessions and give alms to the poor, and when they give a party to remember to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, who would probably be in no position to invite them back. He also promised that in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the homeless and visiting the sick, they would thereby be ministering to him.

            The biblical perspective is not "the survival of the fittest" but "the protection of the weakest." Since God himself speaks up for them and comes to their aid, his people must also be the voice of the voiceless and the defender of the defenseless. 

            The church should not tolerate material poverty in its own fellowship. When Jesus said, "You will always have the poor with you" (Mark 14:7), he was not acquiescing in the permanence of poverty. He was echoing the Old Testament statement "there will always be poor people in the land" (Deuteronomy 15:11).  Yet this was intended not as an excuse for complacency but as an incentive to generosity, as a result of which "there should be no poor people among you' (Deuteronomy 15:4). If there is one community in this world in which justice is secured for the oppressed, the poor are freed from the indignities and physical need is abolished by the voluntary  sharing of resources, that community is the new society of Jesus the Messiah. It happened in Jerusalem after Pentecost, when "no one in the group needed anything" (Acts 4:34), as Luke is at pains to show, and it can (and should) happen again today. How can we allow our own brothers, sisters and children in God's family to suffer want? 

Affirmation: Instead, when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed, because they cannot pay you back. They have nothing. But you will be rewarded when the good people rise from death (Luke 13:13-14 NCV).     

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.   

                                                        Never Rest Ministries       

                                                                                                                                                        

We Are Fighting Today For God Grace

                                                 When The Door Slams

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore  do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law but under grace.                            (Romans 6:11-14 NIV)

            Man receives God grace at once and fully. Thus he is save. Good works do not need to come to his assistance but are to follow. It is precisely as if God were to produce a fresh green tree out of a dry log, which tree would then bear its natural fruit. 

            Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. 

            God grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a person must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is God grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is God grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and it justifies the sinner. 

            Think about this: A very great, strong, mighty, and active matter is the grace of God. It does not lie asleep in the soul, as visionary preachers fabrication; nor does it let itself be carried about as religious people carries their armor in the back pocket. No, none of that! God grace hears, it leads, it drives, it draws, it changes, it works all in man, and lets itself be distinctly felt and experienced. God grace is hidden, but its works are evident. Words and works show where it dwells, just as the fruit and the leaves of a tree indicate the kind and the character of the tree.

            Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son...and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is God grace because God did not consider his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.    

            Petition: "This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.                (Matthew 6:9-15 NIV)   

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.                                                   

                                                        Never Rest Ministries 

We Call It "Stress," But Its Real Name Is "Egocentric."

                                                 When The Door Slams

Do not worry because of evildoers, Nor be envious toward wrongdoers: For they will wither quickly like the grass, And fade like the green herb. Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; Trust in Him also and He will do it. He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light, And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun]. Be still before the LORD; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evil. For those who do evil will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. [Is 57:13c] For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever]; Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found]. [Heb 10:36,37; Rev 21:7-8] But the humble will [at last] inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace.      Read: [Ps 37:29; Matt 5:5].                       (Psalm 37:1-11 AMP) 

            How much emotional energy do you spend protecting yourself from every possible slight, challenging every word spoken by either friend or enemy which demeans you, cringing under every cool look, tossing at night because someone else seemed preferred over you? How much emotional energy do you spend trying to doctor up your image and "look good," try to say only what's "cool," trying to do only what's accepted, trying to appear only in a way that will make you admired, trying to sustain a subtle publicity campaign that says you are more, do more, have more...? Exhausting isn't it? 

            It's a cruel, crushing burden, and it never lets up. It never lets you relax a minute to recoup. It wears away your strength, your morale, your life. We may call it "stress' but its real name is "egocentric." Egoist may be open or subtle, worldly or Christianized. It may mean smashing faces and brains to wow the world of warfare. It may mean taking over enough companies to wow the corporate world of business. It may mean getting enough church members or adherents to wow the religious world. Or individually, memorizing the most verses, visiting the most shut-ins, teaching the biggest Bible class--whatever makes the rest of the world say "wow!" 

            Think about this: Egocentric keeps you forever tense and dissatisfied, forever in agony if someone else appear better, smarter, richer, more liked, more successful, more admired, more spiritual, more "blessed." Egocentric is a terrible and evil burden. Some things we will never understand. Some losses will never make sense to us, but in time and in God's economy we can see that Romans 8:28 is true and does work. All things DO work together for those who love God. Jesus says, "Let me give you rest. Learn of Me. I am meek!"

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                    Never Rest Ministries