Category Archives: Church / Body of Christ

Church / Body of Christ, Help / Serve Others

Christians Should Support One Another

As a body of Christ, we should support one another as we navigate through this world. I encourage each of you to take a few minutes this morning and explore some of the resources we have linked to on our website to help Christians in a variety of areas. We appreciate your feedback and contributions to this list and hope you find it useful. It is always on our website under Resources.

Resources

Whether we are trying to find help for someone facing a crisis like abortion, searching for ways to strengthen our marriage, or just to find quality Christian entertainment… there are a lot of resources out there that call out for our attention, but many do not honor God. At Hearing From Jesus we try to help by sorting through some of that for you and providing recommendations that honor Jesus.

If you have identified Christian resources you recommend for inclusion on our website, please submit via our Contact Us page.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Anger (unrighteous anger), Church / Body of Christ, Compassion, Consequences of Sin, Grace / Patience, Greed, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, How do I get started?, Humility, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Justice / Judgment, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Lying / Deceiving, Peace / Rest, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Thankfulness, Tongue / Gossip / Slander, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Put On A New Self… With the Help of the Holy Spirit

Want a quick, objective check on your personal relationship with Jehovah? Read through Colossians 3 with me. Let the Spirit guide you toward the areas in your life where you fall short and encourage you in the areas where God is transforming your life.

First, if you are made new through Christ, keep seeking the things of God. Set your mind on the His ways rather than the world’s.

Colossians 3:1-17

Put On the New Self

     1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

      5Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

      12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

This scripture serves as a great summary of some key character traits we should demonstrate as new creations in Christ and a list of traits we should not be demonstrating anymore. Pray for the Spirit to help you in areas where you are struggling. Praise Him and thank Him where He is helping you. What a wonderful Lord we serve that He is mindful of us! He sends His helper to dwell with us to transform us. Let us live in the world but apart from the world so as to glorify the Father.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Controlling Thoughts, Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Help / Serve Others, Obeying God, Prayer, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Just As The Lord Had Commanded

We are called by our Father in heaven to do just as He commands. His instruction and design is far greater than our own. We are to work together as a body of Christ, letting each one use their specific (and unique) God-given talents and abilities to the fulfillment of the whole of what He commands. It is like watching a beautiful masterpiece come together when we obey in this way. Paying attention to fine detail and not rushing our work for God, but rather putting aside the right time and focus for it.  Doing what God commands us is not a distraction we must complete to get back to our lives, but rather it is the main point of our lives!

Exodus 39

The Priestly Garments

      1Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      2He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. 3Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman. 4They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends. 5The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      6They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      8He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 9It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double. 10And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 11and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; 12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings when they were mounted. 14The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. 15They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold. 16They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 17Then they put the two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 18They put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 19They made two gold rings and placed them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. 20Furthermore, they made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven band of the ephod. 21They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      22Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; 23and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn. 24They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe. 25They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, 26alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      27They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, 28and the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen, 29and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      30They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the LORD.” 31They fastened a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. 33They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its sockets; 34and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil; 35the ark of the testimony and its poles and the mercy seat; 36the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37the pure gold lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the tent; 39the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its stand; 40the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests. 42So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 43And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.

We should take a lesson from how Moses and the Israelites completed the details not only of the tabernacle, but also the priestly garments. There were intricate and labor intensive details which God instructed them to complete in a very specific way. Each time, they avoided hurry or rushing, but instead took the time and care necessary to deliver exactly what God commanded. In this passage of scripture alone there are eight times it highlights not just completing a task, but that they had completed each task “just as the LORD had commanded Moses”.

At the very end, we see as a result that the people were blessed.

“So Moses blessed them.”

For guidance, we must study the Bible, seek Jehovah in prayer, and it is also good to seek confirmation from other true believers that do the same. This will help us to understand His character and the general instructions He has already provided for our lives. As we continue to look for His specific will for our lives it is important that we learn how to recognize His voice and confirm through the scriptures and other believers. Remember to pursue what God calls you to do as the main thing, rather than a distraction to be completed so you can go back to your leisure activity or work. Take the time to do it right… do it just as the Lord has commanded… and that always involves a right attitude to go along with physical obedience.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Father / Yahweh, Giving, Money / Finances / Wealth, Provider

When Jehovah Moves His People, There Is Plenty

How glorious it is to see Jehovah work through His people to accomplish His goals. He moved the people so much in preparing for and building the Tabernacle that they actually continued to bring so much that it was more than what was needed. Moses actually had to restrain the people from continuing to bring more!

Exodus 36:1-7

The Tabernacle Underwritten

      1“Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the LORD has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”

      2Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. 3They received from Moses all the contributions which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. 4And all the skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing, 5and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the LORD commanded us to perform.” 6So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more. 7For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

There are a few things to notice in the passage. The obvious one is that when Jehovah moves His people to work together to a common goal, His goal, they will succeed in accomplishing much. There was so much that the people had more than they needed in materials and skilled labor.

The second part that really stands out to me is that Moses stopped the people from bringing more. The need was met. He did not need to collect a bunch of extra stuff from the people in order to stuff the treasury with extra valuables. He knew he could count on Jehovah to provide what they needed in the future as well and recognized it was most honest to tell the people that the need had been met.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to show you where He wants you to give of time, talent, and treasure. Check it against the truth of scripture to be sure it is from Jehovah and not your own desires. Then give joyfully and generously. If you are the one receiving and coordinating the funds for a project or mission, be honest. Collect only what you need and do not continue taking from the people in excess of the need. Trust in Jehovah to provide in the future for His next project!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Giving, Money / Finances / Wealth, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Working Together For His Kingdom

Jehovah calls His people to come together willingly to give of their possessions and abilities to further the kingdom of God. He does not force us to give. It is amazing what we can accomplish to help one another and glorify Him when we each bring what we have to offer and work toward a common goal. Of course, it glorifies and honors God most when we come together to work toward a common goal that is consistent with His instruction and guidance.

Exodus 35:20-35

Gifts Received

      20Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence. 21Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the LORD’S contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. 22Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the LORD. 23Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them. 24Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the LORD’S contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. 25All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. 26All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair. 27The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastpiece; 28and the spice and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. 29The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.

      30Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31“And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; 32to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, 33and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. 34“He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35“He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.

Prayerfully reflect how you are working with other believers to glorify God’s kingdom. Are you offering your possessions or money or time and talent? Are you working together or just content to remain alone? Are you working toward what our Creator and Father calls us to do, or toward your own goals and interests?

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in responding to this message and any changes you may need to make in your life to live more fully in obedience to Him and in fellowship and cooperation with fellow believers.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Help / Serve Others, Money / Finances / Wealth

Whoever Is Of A Willing Heart

Jehovah does call His people to contribute both things of financial value as well as their time, effort, and skill to the glory of His kingdom and support of His people. He calls us to give “of a willing heart” rather than out of obligation.  He does not “need” any one of us, but wants us to joyfully be a part of His people and His kingdom on earth. When we obey Him and give of our time, effort, skill, and money we can accomplish a lot together as a body of Christ!

Exodus 35:4-19

    4Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, saying, 5‘Take from among you a contribution to the LORD; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the LORD’S contribution: gold, silver, and bronze, 6and blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goats’ hair, 7and rams’ skins dyed red, and porpoise skins, and acacia wood, 8and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, 9and onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

Tabernacle Workmen

      10‘Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the LORD has commanded: 11the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain of the screen; 13the table and its poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14the lampstand also for the light and its utensils and its lamps and the oil for the light; 15and the altar of incense and its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the doorway at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; 17the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords; 19the woven garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’”

Do not get hung up on comparing your gifts to others as if we are in competition with one another. Instead, do an honest assessment of the gifts God has given you and use them joyfully to further His kingdom working with other believers. Some have more money than others and that is helpful. Others have specific skills that can be used and that is helpful. Let us pull together joyfully as God’s people to work together and bring glory to His kingdom as we share the good news of Jesus our Messiah with the world!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Kindness / Gentleness

What Job We Do Is Not Who We Are

I find it is very common for people to identify who they are with what job they do. In particular for men, but also for women,  it seems that much of their identity can get wrapped up in what job they do. So much so that it is common when meeting someone for the first time to ask “Who do you work for?” or “What job do you do?”

While it is understandable that our work does reflect something about us, because of how much of our lives are spent working, there is so much more to someone than just what job they do.

If I were meeting Abraham today, and asked him those questions I may only learn that he was a shepherd. I would be missing out on finding out about his close relationship with Jehovah!

What if I asked David about his job when he was a shepherd and again years later when he was a king? Was he a different person because of the job he had? No. He was a man after God’s own heart as a shepherd boy and still as a king. I would miss out on getting to know David and his relationship with Jehovah if I only ask what job he does.

I recently found myself in a group of Christian men, who genuinely seem to love and want to serve Jehovah. I met them for the first time. It seemed every time I met someone in the group, I was drawn back into talking about my job, when I would much rather have discussed family or what God is doing in my life or my ministry hear at Hearing From Jesus. My job is how I earn money, but it is not who I am.

This is certainly not a big deal, but I felt that I missed out on the opportunity to get to know these men a bit more meaningfully by missing the chance to actually talk about Jehovah or family at a Christian men’s gathering.

As I reflect, I think I am going to challenge myself to hold a slightly different focus when I meet folks in the future, even if they are asking me about my job. I want to engage them with an open ended lead in such as “Tell me about yourself.” That way they can tell me about their job or hobby if that is what they want to discuss, or about their walk with Christ or their family if they prefer. A simple adjustment may help open up more meaningful discussion even from the starting gate as come to meet someone.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Father / Yahweh, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Speaking, Through Prophets

Let Us Not Misuse What God Has Prepared For His Purposes

Jehovah expressed in great detail many practical aspects of how His people were to relate to Him. He was not random. He is intentional. Each detail has a purpose. We should take care to seek to understand His purpose and to apply it in our lives.

In Exodus 30, Jehovah reveals to Moses great detail in preparation of the anointing oil and incense for use in the tent of meeting. The anointing oil and incense were meant to symbolically make holy the tent of meeting. This means it symbolically shows that they are set apart for God’s use. They are special and not common. They have specific purpose. God demonstrated this should be done with excellence and great skill, not just throw together something that “smells nice”. God further insisted that it is not to be used for other common purposes. What He directed to be holy should not become common by being used for other purposes.

Exodus 30:22-38

The Anointing Oil

      22Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23“Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, 24and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. 25“You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26“With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. 29“You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30“You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me. 31“You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32‘It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33‘Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.’”

The Incense

      34Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. 35“With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36“You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37“The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD. 38“Whoever shall make any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people.”

If God takes that much care in the detail of creating incense and oil, imagine how much more He is interested in how He creates each of us as beings made in His image! Imagine the great care and attention as He knits together our genetic code to make each of us completely unique in all the world.

Psalm 139:13-14

      13For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.

      14I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

We each have different gifts and abilities and weaknesses. He has specific purpose for each of us. We are to seek it out and live it. We are to develop the skills He has given us and use them for His purposes rather than our own.

If your gift is to sing, then sing to the glory of God. If your gift is in administration, do so to the glory of God. You get the idea. We are to set ourselves apart for His use and His service rather than for our own purposes. Pray that He would help you identify the gifts He has given you and seek wise counsel from those you trust around you as well to understand what you are good at and what you are not.

Then seek to live your life as an offering to our heavenly Father, a sweet smelling aroma like finely crafted incense.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Help / Serve Others, Humility, Share the Good News

Humility and Unity Enable The Body Of Christ

It is wonderful to see the body of Christ work together toward the common goal of glorifying God. The brethren of Jerusalem received Paul gladly upon his return. Paul met with the elders and told them all about his missionary journey… but note Paul’s humility as he gives glory to God for what occurred instead of pointing toward himself. The elders hear him and also begin to glorify God. Notice that there is no trace of jealousy among them for the wonderful works accomplished through Paul. They are all on the same team! They are aligned only toward the agenda of sharing the gospel of Christ with the world.

So too the elders give advice to Paul on how to dispel the rumors that he does not care for the law. There is no hypocrisy or deceit here. Paul consistently obeys the law throughout scripture. He is sometimes misunderstood. As he taught the Gentiles he focused them on a few important things to get started so they would not be overwhelmed by all of the law at once. Some took that to mean Paul rejected the law. It was always Paul’s pattern to continue teaching those who followed Jesus more about what God commands as they continue to study with him. Paul again demonstrates humility in accepting this advice as an effective communication tool to the Jews in Jerusalem. Paul participates in the ending of a Nazarite vow by others. Paul is not just making a show of it or compromising on his beliefs. In fact, Paul completed what is likely a Nazarite vow himself in Acts 18:18.

The brethren were truly working together toward the common goal of sharing the gospel of Christ. They gave and received advice to one another. They glorified God in the work as it was accomplished. They thoughtfully considered how they could be most effective in reaching their audience (e.g. Jews vs. Gentiles). They proclaimed truth.

Acts 21:15-26

Paul at Jerusalem

      15After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

      17After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; 21and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22“What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23“Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 25“But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.” 26Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Humility and working together toward a common goal of sharing the gospel of Christ united the brethren of Jerusalem and Paul in a strong bond. How would it have worked out if the elders were jealous of the success Paul witnessed and began infighting? What about if Paul reacted with pride instead of humility, taking glory for himself and rejecting the advice of others?

Think about personal examples in your own life in which you may need to make some adjustments. Are there areas where you react more with pride than humility? Are you jealous of the success of others in sharing the gospel? Pray that God would help lead and guide you to take on a humble spirit, united with all brothers and sisters in Christ toward the common goal of proclaiming the gospel of Christ. We are not in competition with one another, but rather we are on the same team.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love

Love One Another As Brothers And Sisters In Christ

Many in this world seek to divide people into categories by race, by sex, by nationality, and even at times by the sin they choose to embrace as part of their personal identity. There are many ways for the world to divide itself because of the selfish and sinful nature of those who do the dividing…often for the purpose of their own personal gain. However scripture teaches us that there are only two kinds of people in this world. We are all made in God’s image no matter what the race or nationality or sex.  We are either true followers of Christ or we are not… those are the only categories that matter ultimately.

Galatians 3:28

 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

If we are one in Christ, then the other divisions don’t matter anymore. We should not think of someone first based on nationality, race, or sex but rather look only on them as to understand whether or not they are a true follower of Christ. This requires more than just saying “I am a Christian”, but rather should be evident in the submission of our lives to doing things God’s way rather than our own way or the way of the world.

For those who are our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we should love one another and help one another in the example of Christ, Himself.  We show ourselves to be friends of Jesus when we do what He commands us.

John 15:12-15

      12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

We should be devoted to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and let not other “divisions” or “categorizations” separate us one against another. Yes there is a need to identify false teaching and rebuke wrong behavior, with gentleness and respect. At the very heart of it we love each other genuinely and without hypocrisy.

Romans 12:9-13

     9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

We show love to God by obeying His commands. There are many commands and instructions that are all worth studying and applying for each of us in our lives. However it is always good to start with the summary Jesus provided when asked about which command is most important.

Matthew 22:34-40

    34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

As you interact with people throughout your day, both in passing and in deeper relationships, reflect on how you deal with them. Do you see yourself as one with your brothers and sisters in Christ? or do you allow yourself to be divided based on others things like race, nationality, sex, or financial status? The distinction of one who is not a fellow believer is real and should be respected. How we interact with non believers is different from believers… though we can show love to all in an appropriate way.

The next challenge is to ask yourself as you go through your day… “Am I demonstrating my love for God and for my fellow followers of Christ through my actions and my attitudes?” Approach this challenge with humility and be willing to recognize when you are wrong so that you will more easily admit it and make the right course correction so that you do show love more fully and consistently. Prayerfully ask God to help you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.