Showing posts with label Favor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Favor. Show all posts

"Give and It Will Be Given to You." But What Was Given Back to Jesus When He Gave?

talkingbrian.com
It's been a popular Gospel verse, a favorite especially of prosperity preachers and wealth lovers in church--and those who make money a gauge for success, even ministry success. Here was how Jesus put it:
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Luke 6.38]
So they conclude, you're probably not a giver if you're not materially well rewarded. "You're probably not giving enough like we are."

But going back to the context, I find that Jesus was not talking about giving money to get back bigger money in return. It's not about how to get more money or wealthier. It's about giving favors to people--especially your enemies--so that you become poor in spirit. 

The poor and despised always have to give way to the rich, powerful, arrogant, boastful and demanding and cannot insist on their rights and privileges. So, instead of resisting powerful people they should instead give. In fact, Jesus said:
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. [v.30]
And then, if you finally have this selfless or giving attitude, it will given to you. What will be given you? More money? No, but favor, the favor of being forgiven, as the context implies. "Forgive and you will be forgiven."

About money and riches, this was what Jesus said in the passage:
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. [v.24]
Moreover, what did Jesus give? Did he give money to God? He gave his life. And what did Jesus get in return for giving? Nothing, except that he was abandoned by his disciples, was belittled, was persecuted and later crucified. He never got more money or a bigger house or posh camel.

In short, he got persecuted "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over." He never got any money or material possession. The same with Paul and the Acts apostles. What did they get in return for giving? Did they become rich or moneyed? Did they live a comfortable lifestyle? Did they have more material possessions?

Yet, to be sure, poverty is NOT God's will. God wants to prosper his people, not to enrich themselves, but to be able to give up all for his work. However, we see riches being made the measure of "success" today so that churches compete against each other. They think (even some church ministers) that the more money you have, the better person (or minister) you are. We see ministers changing lifestyle once they start getting more money and trying to live like the rich and famous of the world. We see wealthy believers showing off their riches just like how worldly people do it.

Thus, some pastors work hard to get more members in because more members means more church income.

But the Gospel says God has only one design for riches and wealth--they should be given up totally so the poor can have something--to equalize wealth distribution in church--which was what the believers in Acts did. No one lived like a millionaire in Acts but no one among them was in need either.

For sure, God honors his Word. If you are faithful with your tithes, offering and giving, you can expect God to reward you back. But you don't practice faithfulness in giving just to get more in return and later brag about it and use it as the world does. God will reward you back so you can give it all up so the church can do whatever God wants it to do.

[Click here for more]

The Dangerous Trend with Physical Blessings

www.suggestkeyword.com
We all want physical blessings. We all need them. But sometimes, God delays or rejects our requests for physical blessings. Because there's a dangerous trend with physical blessings, when we're pampered with them. And you see this happening to people pampered with such.

Look at the disciples. They ended up interpreting everything Jesus said by connecting them with physical blessings--or with bread in Matthew 16.

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
Everything Jesus said they connected with bread. They couldn't see it any other way. This was because they saw how Jesus multiplied bread to feed 5,000 and then 4,000 men. If we add their wives and kids, that's more 20,0000 people.

What enormous amount of blessings that feed the flesh! Man has the inclination to conclude that God's promises and His WORD is all about material blessings--how to be blessed by God and live a well-off life. So, if you don't live well-off, they conclude that you're not living God's will. You're misinterpreting the Word and not obeying God.

We marvel at moneyed people or ministries that easily dole out cash to other people. They're wonderful "givers" that's why God blesses them all, we surmise. Well, it's not in the amount of their giving that you see God's favor in people but how people are still givers despite their marginalized capacity.

You remember the poor widow who gave all that she had, even if it amounted to only a very small amount? That's how the Kingdom values things. It's not from abundance but from scarcity.

Back to Jesus and his disciples. So, when Jesus said beware of yeast from religion, the disciples thought it was about real bread. All material. To Jesus, what he said was plain to see--he meant something spiritual, not material or physical.

How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? [16.11]
How can you miss my point when I was plainly and clearly talking about something spiritual? That yeast from religion produces this mundane, worldly, earthy or narrow-minded interpretation of the Word. When church people read about how giving tithes will result to enormous blessings from God, they always think of it in the form of money or possessions--bigger church building, bigger salary, job promotion, business breakthrough, receiving a large sum of money, etc.

The biggest, most enormous blessing from God is the LIFE of Jesus Christ. This is the real interpretation of the Word, This is the true measure of blessedness. I read John 3.16 this way: 

God loved the world so much that he gave his only SON. And whoever believes in him shall not perish or waste away spiritually but have the LIFE of Jesus Christ.

Hence, God often turns down requests for pure material or physical satisfaction. This tends to make us see everything in the Word from a worldly point of view. He disciplines whom he loves, so he gives you spiritual rewards instead. Thus, your situation in which you don't seem to get much material blessings as Jesus did. Jesus emphasized--"Blessed are the poor in spirit." Why, because they will get lots of possessions and material blessings? Nope, but because "Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

You're wondering why you get so much material blessings? Well, it might be that God isn't disciplining you. And that's not exactly the bible's idea of being loved by God. And when you read the bible, you get the wrong ideas. And Jesus asks you: "How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?"

Secrets on How to be Approved by God: Easily Attract God's Favor

fileinabox.com
Getting God's favor---it's the most important thing in life---in fact, the ONLY important thing in life, more important than your career, ambitions and even your family. If you please only your family and have not God's favor, you forfeit yourself and your family of a very precious thing. But if you please God, you and your family have everything God has for you.

The one key to getting approved by God is this:
For on Christ, God the Father has placed his seal of approval. [John 6.27]
God's approval is on Jesus Christ alone. Jesus alone can please the Father. So, unless the Father sees Christ in you, you get no favor from him. Zero. Nil. Nada. Even if you're so active in church and multi-awarded. Thus, the most important thing in life is to manifest the life of Jesus in your life, in your body. And the good news is that this is all by God's grace through faith in Christ. It isn't through some good works or sacrifice or religion or church ministry or by being good or nice.

It starts the moment you repent of sins, receive Jesus Christ into your life as Savior and Lord, surrender your life 100% to him, and meditate and live out his WORD daily.

No wonder Paul urged Christians about this truth:
Christ in you the hope of glory. [Colossians 1.27]
St. Paul further emphasized the need to super prioritize putting Christ in you before anything else in life. He said he trashed everything so he may gain Christ. You see, he had every reason to brag about his achievements. But he realized that as long as he held on to them, he would never have Christ. And without Christ, you have zero favor with the Father.
I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. [Philippians 3.8]
There are vital Kingdom principles we should know to be approved by God and easily attract God's favor in everything we do. One principle is living the life of Christ so that the Father sees Christ in us instead of merely seeing us. God's grace is in Christ. In fact, Jesus is the grace. If God sees only us, the bible says everything we do is like filthy rags in his sight. This is true whatever religion you have---even if you're born again.

Revealing Christ in you is one principle. 

There are more principles in the Old and New Testaments we should learn to understand what God's grace gives us to get his approval for our lives and what we do. If by God's grace these principles are present in your life daily, you easily attract God's favor.

The good news is, the principles are laid out in my e-book, "Leaving the Land of Slavery." This 188-page e-book shares the different Kingdom principles found in the bible and how to apply them in our daily lives effectively.

NO ONE IS GOOD BUT GOD ALONE: You'll Know Why After Reading This

solar1.nl
"What should I do?"

A lot of people think it depends on what they do--be it salvation or anything else in this life--especially success. And mostly, church people have this idea, as well, especially when it comes to ministry success. They all think it's something they have done that spells the difference.

The young guy came to Jesus and asked what he should do to get eternal life. He thought he was good enough. So Jesus told him--"No one is good but God alone." That should put all confidence in the flesh to permanent rest, but no. People today (especially church people) still maintain it has something to do with their abilities.

They still don't get that everything is by God's grace alone. No human effort is worthy of recognition. Human effort is necessary, but success is NEVER dependent on it. God's grace and non-action, on the other hand, are incompatible, too. Faith is dead without works. But faith doesn't succeed because of work. It's because of GOD.

When folks get popular, get rich, get promoted, get awarded, or get better--they (sometimes) attribute it a bit to God and then (always) to their efforts. They think it's through their hard effort, training, determination, wit, college degree or doctorate studies, titles, their timing, perseverance, persistence, formula, programs, commitment, and other garbage.

Truth is, those things don't count in your success. You use them because you'd be judged by God through them, but they don't count or add even one bit to your success. Success is all by God's grace and mercy. You'd only be successful if he lets you.

I've seen a lot of lazy people become rich, and a lot of hardworking people fail and end up poor. However, you cannot judge success and failure this way. In God's eyes, a poor fellow can be so successful and a millionaire an extreme failure. You just have to remember Lazarus and the Rich Man. How did God saw them in the end? Who was a success and who was a pitiful failure? But people never see it this way. Even the church never see it this way.

It's funny each time you see how people behave with their laurels. If they have a successful business or ministry, they feel they have the authority to tell you how to do yours and to judge what is and is not a success--because they feel it was in their power that their businesses or ministries thrived. So, they expect people to look up to them. But despite this haughtiness, you'd hear them say their riches is all due to "God's blessings"--to sound somewhat spiritual. To cover up guilt.

God grants you success in your tasks not to parade you as a "success" but to test you. How would success affect your mind and heart, how would you start looking at yourself, and how would you treat others? I often see "successful" people congratulating themselves and celebrating it like it was all because of them--well, of course, with lip service on how it is all for God's glory and pretend that they believe it's all by God's grace.

When you are successful, you are just being tested. Period. It doesn't mean anything.

But then, successful folks expect people to look up to them. Now, they believe they have become experts and gurus at success (though they always say they're not gurus), that they have proven themselves, telling people what to do to be like them, appointing themselves as models, and warning them that not heeding their words will mean failure. Now they begin to sound like God, something like, "Without God you can do nothing!"

They fail to realize that it's NOT their formula that made their success possible (it's what they insist people should do--their success formula). Instead, it was God's consent to their success--nothing more nothing less. God chose to make them successful. Period. Without that decision, no one can be successful, regardless of the effort you pour or how effective your formula is.

But "successful" people become arrogant (well, most of them try not to be so outwardly. But try to touch their trophies and laurels and you'd see how they'd violently react). They begin to see themselves as superior and all others subordinates and inferior. So they impose their success formulas on their subordinates--not as a suggestion--but a must, if they want success, too.

It wasn't their formulas that made them succeed. It was GOD and His grace alone. The efforts, intelligence, and formulas are all incidental. Well, God will record everything (unless they repent and become meek) and call all of them to account on Judgment Day.

No one is good but God alone.

The only correct attitude in the face of success is meekness. The more successful you are, the more you should realize that no one is good but God alone.

Righteousness by Works: When You Boast about Your Achievements for God

zazzle.com
"If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about.." [Romans 4]

If you boast about your works for God, your righteousness is based on works, not faith, said Paul to the Romans. And if you rely on your works to please God, it means you have the spirit of pride. You have a boastful, self-centered character.

There are lots of church people who still think they have to please God with what they do. So they think it important to be active in church and in ministry. They have to do this and that to please God. And then they boast about it. If they miss church one Sunday, for instance, they feel terribly guilty because to them missing church on a Sunday makes you please God less.

If they miss prayer meeting for a month, they think they've failed pleasing God and their prayers are now less effective, if any.

But if they went to church on a Sunday and took active part, or if they attended prayer meeting and took active part, they feel they have pleased God more than the believer who missed church or prayer meeting. Lots of believers still think this way. To please God, they have to do something for him. And no wonder they think thus because lots of churches promote this thinking--they scare people with false doctrines like this to get them to be active in church.

But believers ought to know the truth to be set free from man's deception and slavery. There is no other way to please God but through faith. "It is impossible to please God without faith." We are created to do good works in Christ [Ephesians 2.10], but such works are not designed to please him. Instead, please God first by faith, then you are created to do good works. The good works are there to glorify God, not you.

When God assigns you a task, just do it. When you see a relevant command in the bible, just do it. If you accomplish it successfully, praise God. He made the success possible, not you or your skill, wisdom, or talent. Only God gives success. He decides who gets it and who doesn't. We cannot decide and aim to be successful. Our only job is to do it faithfully and rely on God, period. If we become successful, it's all God. Don't dare get the credit. Let God do that. If he decides you get some appreciation for it, God will lift you up in due time. Don't boast about "your" achievements.

If you fail doing God's will--though you faithfully tried with your best--don't worry about it. God is not after your success--he's after your heart. If you fail, God has a purpose for it--either to sharpen you or promote you. Are you aware that failure is given only to those who are tough in faith and maturity--or to those whom God plans to be so rewarded? When God sets you up for a faith promotion, he allows you to experience and handle failures, even bitter, harsh and painful ones, so you'd get rejection from men who do not understand God's ways. All these men understand are the ways of the world. They reward so-called "achievers."

But God always tests the heart. He's not interested about your success because if he wants something done successfully, he does it himself. Yeah, he uses people, but he does it himself. He always gets the credit, not the people he uses. But he's interested about your heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. If your heart is wrong, your worship and prayer are wrong--or whatever your mouth utters--no matter if you sing the most beautiful songs or pray the most beautiful prayers. So God wants to test and promote our hearts.

"It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, 
and it is with your mouth that you 
profess your faith and are saved," [Romans 10.10]

You see, wrong heart means wrong faith and zero justification. And wrong heart means wrong profession of faith and probably wrong salvation, too. So God gives you tasks or ministries to do because these things reveal your heart. How you respond or react to success and failure--yours and other people's in particular--determines your spiritual maturity. And that is what God is interested in. It is your life and character that gives him glory, not your achievements.  

You have a mega church or mega ministry? It was all God who made that possible, not you--not your skills, intellect, strategies, techniques, programs, or whatever. So don't feel superior. Instead, be more humble. But a lot of ministers and church leaders do otherwise. They are like Nebuchadnezzar--looking around marveling at their achievements, accomplishments, trophies, etc. They want to be praised and appreciated so they set up programs paying tribute to themselves. Later, like Nebuchadnezzar, they live and behave like animals. 

Such people are prone to boast about their works and belittle others who produce less. They rely on works for justification, said Romans. If you want to find out whether your righteousness is based on works, just watch yourself. Do you love boasting about your achievements? Then your righteousness is really based on good works, not faith--though you may think it is by faith.

But if you just keep meek and humble as you obey God, giving it your best but relying on him for results, then once success comes, you know it's all because of God, not you. You have nothing to do with the success. Or, if you fail, you know God is working out something in you so that you come out shining like gold later. You failed not because you're unworthy, stupid or failed to please God. As long as you have Christ in you by faith, God is pleased with you, success or otherwise. But God allowed the failure because he's preparing you for a promotion.

"The least among you shall be the greatest in the Kingdom."

When Being Blessed is a Punishment

strategicleadershipinstitute.net
Some say God never gives up. They're wrong. One day, God showed me how he sometimes gives up on people and gives them up over to depravity. "God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done," [Romans 1.28]. And that's a dangerous situation to be, when God gives up on you.

What's even more dangerous is when he gives up on you and you're still blessed! When I discuss this with people, they look at me like I was an idiot. They tell me that when you're blessed, it means God is pleased with you. If he's angry, he stops the blessings. As simple as that. Well, I wished it really were that simple but it isn't. Getting blessed sometimes has a way of making us blind to truth and insensitive to what God is really up to.

Watch what God told Isaiah: "Their land has also been filled with silver and gold and there is no end to their treasures," [2.7]. Wow, what blessings! Imagine being filled with silver and gold! No doubt people would see you as so blessed, so favored by God. But wait--look at what God said about these people:

"You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east. And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike bargains with the children of foreigners," [2.6]. They were outside the will of God and yet they were so blessed. In short, "God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done." 

In fact, the most dangerous punishment is when God gives you up to a depraved mind and blesses you with it so that you never realize your sin and never be able to repent. All the while you think blessings equal favor with God. Lots of people think thus--as long as they're blessed, they're okay with God. They won't stop their life of sin as long as they see how God continues to bless them. 

Beware when you are led by your flesh, not by the Word and the Spirit of God. As long as their flesh isn't hurt, some people think everything is okay. They only realize wrongdoing the moment they get sick or lose a lot of money or material possessions. That's when they start thinking, "Wait a minute, I think I'm doing something wrong."

Look at the rich man and Lazarus. Remember the story? The rich man did everything wrong but never realized it because God gave him over to a depraved mind--plus lots of blessings. All his life he lived in abundance. "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things," said Abraham [Luke 16]. How did I know he did everything wrong? Well, he ended up in hell.

But look at Lazarus: "Lazarus received bad things," said Abraham about him. Yet, in God's eyes, who was really blessed and who got his favor? It was Lazarus, the guy who got nothing but poverty, misery, and illness. It becomes complicated when being blessed is a punishment from God.

So how do you know if you're really blessed or under punishment? Simple. Don't look at your material possessions or money in the bank. Don't look at your achievements. All these are nothing in the Spirit. Look at your character. Character tells you if you have God's favor or God's wrath. 

God told Ezekiel about the calamity he brought on Jerusalem: "You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign LORD," [14.23]. Before the calamity, it was hard to see why God would send it. The Israelites didn't know. God gave them over to their depraved minds. 

And once, Jeremiah wondered: "Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?" [12]. To find out what God answered, check out the passage.