The heart of Jesus

This message was almost not preached, but thanks be to God, that He is able to give me the grace to deliver this message out.

Heavenly Father,

As I type this posting, let Your hands be upon me and let me preach the Word with simplicity and understanding and let anything that does not line up with Your Word, fall to the ground and be stripped away.  Let anything that lines up with Your plan, purpose, and vision be determined, and let it break bonds and free captives, or stir up a passion in the Body of Christ to fulfill Your plan and purpose.

In Jesus Mighty Name I pray,

Amen.

I can’t begin to describe the heart of Jesus in one post, because Jesus is multidimensional so much so that when the angels see Him in Heaven, they cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.  But the part I want to point out today, is compassion and mercy.  Compassion comes from the word eleos which means compassion and mercy.  Jesus is the radical version of this compassion.

 

mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them-

Blue Letter Bible. “Dictionary and Word Search for eleos (Strong’s 1656)“. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 11 Jun 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=G1656&t=KJV >

We see an example of this with the parable of the Samaritan man.

²⁵ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

²⁷ So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’^[h] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”^[i]

²⁸ And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ So he went to himand bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed,^[j] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

³⁷ And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Notice that the priests didn’t go and help the wounded man, but the Samaritan man did.

We may go to Church everyday, sing worship songs, dressed in fine apparel, and think so highly of ourselves, but what will we do for others.  When we someone in a restaurant that has a cast or crutch on them, do we go offer to pray for them, or go and try to hold the door open for them.  When we go to the doctor’s office, do we go and try to tell people that, “God loves you?”

The mistake of the lawyer, is something we’re all guilty of, thinking that we qualify, but none of us have shown mercy on people, to the extent that Jesus did.  He showed abundant mercy.

But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.  (Psalm 116:6)Abundant can also mean exceedingly.  It also means to overflow.

How many of us, me included, can say that we overflow with compassion?  We’re so focused on ourselves, that we don’t seem to get out of our comfort zone and help those around us.  Thank God, for missionaries, that reach the lost and unsaved people.  But we need to do more.  We need to do so much more Church.  My previous post was about the purpose of God, and we must not stray far away from that purpose.

I know it’s hard because we all have people employed to do certain things.  We also have ministries that do certain things.  But there are people committing suicide everyday.  There are people hurt with emotional and physical diseases who have lost hope and are broken hearted.  They may be close to death.  There may be people who are undergoing violence in the community and this scenario lines up with the scene we see today – a wounded man, robbed by thieves, and who stopped and helped him.  Thank God for hospitals, but the Church needs to be fulfilling that role.  The Body of Christ needs to come in and take care of the people so that we don’t see all these crimes.  We have all been desensitized toward death.  We hear on the news that a calamity happened only one person died.  Only one person?????  One person is too many.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.- John 3:16

We should get to them before they are hurt!!!

We are guilty of this, forgive us Lord, for not stepping out and helping others as much as we should.

We Christians have a way of saying one thing and doing another.  We all of us, with maybe a few exceptions of people who have developed really godly character, but we have a way of preaching on the pulpit and saying all these great and mighty deep things not realizing where the heart of Jesus is.  His heart is for the people that are broken hearted and suffering and in pain.

One thing that gets away is our pride, and we can see this in the parable of the rich young ruler that when he was asked to leave his possessions he was sorrowful because he had many possessions.

He had pride in his wealth.  We have pride in ourselves and think that we’re so much more sophisticated than to help people who are suffering, and people who are reaching out and we don’t see the signs.

There is a Pastor whose wife and him got a divorce and when he realized the way and the signs that she was giving to spend more time with him, then he felt sad that he had allowed that to happen.

Many ways, children are seeking to spend more time with parents, and we see that chaoticness of that in our society.

We need to do more than just prayer.  We need to take action.  We need to be active and pursue people with a passion, but many times we’re scared because of rejection and what people will think.  We need to go and actively look for broken hearted people.  We must seize every opportunity we have to minister to the hurting people.  Because that’s what Jesus called us to do.  He called us to leave our house to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world.  Not all of us are called to be missionaries, so start where you are.  When you go to the grocery store instead of complaining about long lines and the problems, see whose day you can make life easier for someone else like getting something off the top shelf for someone who is short.  See if you can help people find things.  See if you can just ease someone else’s burden.  We are supposed to bear another’s burdens.  That’s the heart of Jesus, and that’s really what’s meant about the heart of worship.

The Lukewarm Church

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans^[f] write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,^[g] I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

²² “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”

All throughout the message to the Churches about the lampstands, He says “I know Your works”.  We can be on fire for God, but how do our works, show it?   Are we passionately compassionate, or are we just lukewarm compassionate?   Or we can be cold which is also acceptable, means destitute of warm heart of Christian faith and a desire to be holy -Blue Letter Bible. “Dictionary and Word Search for psychros (Strong’s 5593)“. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 11 Jun 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=G5593&t=KJV > and then we will not be able to show works.  But just the I don’t care attitude is disgusting to God.-  “I don’t care about the suffering person.  I don’t care about the needy people.”  It takes more than praying.  I pray that God gets us out of this spirit of apathy and go out to meet people where they are.

We need to learn to accept people, and to meet people wherever they are and wherever they are hurting, but we go and carry on with our parties, and festivals, celebrations, preaching, and all the stuff, but what does God care about, He cares about the people.  He wants us to minister to hurting and broken people.

Heavenly Father,

Forgive us Lord, for the times we have not met Your requirements for living a Christ like life.  Forgive us Lord for the times we’ve been too lazy or self-centered to be able to do anything for anyone else.  Forgive us Lord for anything that gets in the way of Your purpose for our lives.  Thank You for showing us Your heart, and what makes you grieved, help us to be equipped to change and meet others needs in a greater extent.  Help us to be able to live out the calling of You.  Help us to heal the brokenhearted and set people held captive by various problems free.  Help us to minister to them, and not look down upon them.  Help us to walk with passion for you and show it by our actions.  Thank You Holy Spirit for the Word which we have received, and thank You for Your blessings today.  May Your heart be upon Your people as they live and serve You this day and glorify You in all that they say and do.  I seal this post with the Blood of Jesus.

In Jesus Mighty Name I pray,

Amen.

 

What is the Purpose of God?

Heavenly Father,

I pray that You anoint my hands to type only words that come from You and not from myself, with simplicity and understanding so that the message may touch whoever You want it to reach.  I thank You that I am anointed to preach this Word, and You the precious people are equally anointed to receive and understand this Word.

In Jesus Mighty Name I pray,

Amen.

To fulfill our destiny in life we must know what is the purpose of God.  We may think we know, and we may think we have already done it, but Jesus makes it very clear what it is the purpose of God. To understand the purpose we must know what Jesus was anointed for.

Luke 4 says:

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],

¹⁹ To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day ^[l]when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound].

Notice He didn’t say it’s about building Churches (yes preaching the Gospel is part of that), it’s not about having revival meetings, it’s not about having parties, it’s not about anything, but His purpose the reason which He was called- to set captives free, to recover sight to the blind, to deliver those who are oppressed, and also to bring salvation to mankind.

We all need to repent for our sins because we are now abiding in Christ, but part of abiding in Christ is to fulfill His purpose.  You may see someone who is brokenhearted, and you do not go and comfort them, you do not hold them, you do not let them cry on your shoulder without giving them a lecture, then are you fulfilling the purpose of God?

If you see someone oppressed, and you refuse to pray for them, are you fulfilling the purpose of God?

Jesus has a very caring, compassionate, loving, heart and He reaches out to the Outcasts, and the ones who are beyond help, and cannot survive without the God kind of love in their lives.

We need to judge by fruit to test to see whether we are breaking the bonds of others.  We may think, “What if they won’t hear us?  What if they don’t see any change?  What if they reject you?”  That’s ok because they rejected Jesus and by rejecting us they also reject Jesus.  We must strive to see the good in others.

Seeds have a domino effect.  Seeds of love passed down can bring forth power, but seeds that bring condemnation, fear, and judgment, are defeating the purposes of God.  It is not our job to judge anyone – it is Jesus’ job to judge people.  With this in mind we must remember why we are called.

Most diseases have to do with a broken heart, and when a heart is broken, then it takes love to restore it.   It takes love from above, which is powerful.  When you see someone with a broken heart do you go out and help them?  When you know someone is crying and grieving do you go out and comfort them?

The Church role is very important, but is your church meeting up with God’s criteria and His purpose?  Is your Church ministering to the outcast and the weak people.  This is a very important thing to consider for all of us.  We need to take a step back and reevaluate this.  Do we show characteristics of Christ, or do we show characteristics of self-righteous attitude?

What really grieves the heart of God?  Is it because someone is not committed to Church on a regular basis?  If someone is not going to Church, did you ask them have been receiving the love which Jesus so richly pours out upon us?

Right now there are so many brokenhearted people, and Jesus is looking for people to minister, and He needs His Bride to lift up and encourage one another, not to get so high up there, that you cannot minister to the poor, needy, and brokenhearted.  He loves all of us.  He cares for all of us and He shows compassion for all of us.  It is such a great compassion.

There is love that is never ending and until eternity.  This is the love that Jesus so richly paid the price for.   Who is broken hearted, oppressed, and needy?  Have you met that need?

Heavenly Father,

Help us meet the needs of the poor, oppressed, broken hearted, those that experience rejection, feel alone, despised, like no one loves them.  Help us bring them back into the fold.  Help us go after the lost and experience what is the true purpose of God, and not get caught up in man made traditions.  Help us see a need and meet it.  Renew our love today, and bring peace to all the people around us.  Thank You for our blessings.

In Jesus Mighty name I pray,

Amen.

 

 

Jesus the Seeker of the Lost

Have you ever been driving and gotten lost?  Even with this day of modern technology you can still get lost, unless you have a GPS.  We apparently do not have a GPS so when we were driving around in circles about twice this week.  It is always good when you know where you are going.  Even then you sometimes end up on the wrong path.  This has spiritual implications for the people who are Christians, and the people who don’t know Christ yet.  Before we accepted Christ, we were all lost.  We were driving around without any sense of direction.  We didn’t know where we were going, or maybe we did, but we were wrong.  Some people realize that they need directions or a map, or instruction on how to get from one place to another, but some people think they know the right way. God gives clear instructions as He did to Noah when He was building the ark, and as He did to Solomon when he was building the temple.

Jesus is always looking for lost people, whether believers or unbelievers.  He is looking for His sheep who are lost.

15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” ³ So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ⁷ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

We are so lost without Jesus in our lives.  Without Him we would not be able to make.  He  is the Savior of our souls, and He makes straight paths for our feet.  Without His guidance through the Holy Spirit, we would be wandering around in darkness without a light.  It’s good if you have night vision and can see in the dark, but most people don’t have that night vision and so when they are wandering in darkness they would need a light.

Sometimes when we go to Church we see the people who are there including ourselves and we ourselves are rejoicing and singing and worshipping, and we forget about the one person out there who is in need of our support, encouragement, and love.  We think because we are growing to new levels with God and really blessed by God, we forget about the people who are outcast, and wandering around in life with no direction.  They could keep going around in circles until they find Jesus and have the hope and the love that guides them into the right path.

The Christian path to love unconditionally is a difficult one, and sensitivity means allowing your self to be emotionally hurt sometimes, but it is the sacrifice that God has required us to make.  It may be difficult and very difficult and very humbling to be with someone who is suffering.

I have never had the experience of working in a Nursing Home, but I can see the place where they come from  inside the Nursing Home.  People who are disabled, and maybe even elderly, may not have that much hope left because so much of their life is left behind them, and they may live with regret if they are lost.  They are in the last stages of their life and they need more love and compassion.  To understand them, you have to understand them as people and have a heart for the lost.  The physically disabled may see life in limitations and may feel discouraged by their circumstances because they have an expectation for God to heal them, but they may not have little faith to see it come to pass.  They need to be taught of the love and the goodness of God first and built on that foundation before they can see things happen in their bodies.  Which brings us back to one of the verses in the parable of the Lost Sheep.  Jesus said, He rejoices over that one sheep that is lost.  The Bible says – rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

It takes more than praying for someone it takes, going out of your way and going the extra mile to meet that person at their point of need.  This goes for anyone who is lost.  Even if the person is stubborn, we must still show compassion and love toward them and enough love to melt the person’s heart and soften it until it becomes like wax because don’t you know dear brethren, that the kindness of God leads to repentance.  I think in some ways Peter was also stubborn, and it took Jesus to rebuke Peter, but He was still kind to Peter.

To be like Jesus takes great understanding of people.  This understanding of people comes from the Holy Spirit, who allows us to have compassion and to seek after the lost just like Jesus does.  Sometimes we have to meet them at their level, and show them what Christ is like.  Of course there is always free-will and whether they choose to accept the love of Christ is completely up to them, but Jesus is always pursuing them, and He is going after the lost with compassion.

Let’s say you say you see that person who didn’t show up to Church for a long time show up, are you going to carry on as usual, or are you going to throw a special party in honor of that person?  That’s what Jesus would do.  Jesus would go and rejoice, with singing, over that person who was lost.

Without the Light we are walking in darkness and Jesus is the Light, and we need to be vessels of light and to shine the light among the people.  We need to show abundant care and concern for our brothers, and we need to ask ourselves, am I my brother’s keeper?  It may be very difficult and very hard, but with the strength of the Holy Spirit, it becomes easy to pursue someone with love.

How can we be a light to others and how can we go after the lost?