Greatness is Serving

Matthew 20:20-28
"Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, 'What do you wish?' She said to Him, 'Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.'  But Jesus answered and said, 'You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?'  They said to Him, 'We are able.'

So He said to them, 'You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but for whom it is prepared by My Father'. And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.' "

What if we current day saints came to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, asking Him to show us what it means to serve as Jesus did? What if we asked Him to show us how to love Him by keeping His commands and laying our lives down for our friends? What if our focus was on Him and what He knows we need to overcome rather than what we think is best for Him to do for us?

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten(Reference here to Job 5:7; Hebrews 12:6). Therefore be zealous(or eager) to repent. 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. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sit down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:19-22)

In order to sit with Jesus on His thone, we must overcome those things that Jesus knows bind us to this world's ways. Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life produced from the root of self-service. Selfish ambition and envy produce unrighteous fruit- nothing good in Jesus Christ as an answer to carnality. He stands at the door of your heart. Open the door so He can get in!

The Centurion's Great Faith

(Matthew 8:5-10, 23-26; 28:18; Luke 8:22-25)

 

 

"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.' And Jesus said to him, 'I will come and heal him.'  The centurion answered and said,  'Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it'. When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed (which included His disciples),  'Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel'."  Uh Oh.  (Matthew 8:5-10)

 

Why was Jesus so impressed by what the centurion said? Was it because he had a good understanding of authority?  I would think that a person who understands and is willing to submit to authority as     opposed to one who is prone to rebellion would be set to do well under the hand of the Lord, yet is this the point Jesus is making? Where would be the analogy between the centurion's understanding of regimental authority and the deliverance of his servant from torment?

 

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18)

 

The fact that the centurion understands authority is good. He clearly knows that Jesus was not only able but willing to heal his servant. The fact that he UNDERSTOOD that Jesus need not come to his home but that He only speak a word and his servant would be healed puts his UNDERSTANDING right up there with Peter's UNDERSTANDING that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God". It is one thing to know who Jesus is; it's another thing altogether to know for sure that what Jesus says will pierce the natural surroundings/findings with the His supernatural truth!

 

"Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us. We are perishing!' But He said to them, 'Why are you fearful, O you of LITTLE faith? '(Uh Oh) Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm." (Matthew 8:23-26)

 

"Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. AND HE SAID TO THEM (only speak a word and it shall be), 'Let us cross over to the other side of the lake'. And they launched out. But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Master, Master, we are perishing!' Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased and there was a calm. But He said to them, Where is your FAITH? (I wish the centurion was in this boat! Just kidding.)  And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, 'who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water and they obey Him!' "

 

Jesus had spoken something to them and He expected them to hold on to it. Quite a contrast. The centurion knew and therefore acted and received. The disciples didn't hear and were afraid and marveled even saying, "Who can this be?" We know the disciples went on and grew in Christ Jesus. Where do we find ourselves in this comparison?

The Wisdom That Is From Above

 James 3:13-18

 

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your heart do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

 

We should understand that God attempts to inspire us in the components of wisdom by the Holy Spirit. It is in the soul where we make our decision to receive it. You have heard it said, "a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link". If the soul is weak, either because we have not yet heard or having heard, are unwilling to do (wayside ground), the blessing of His grace will produce little, if any, fruit. It falls to the ground as a torrent of water does little to help parched ground- it rushes past before it may be taken in. Satan's wisdom too often finds a place for rumination in the soul. At that point, the carnality of man is enticed, drawn away from the peace of His wisdom.

 

 

The answer lies in the soul's willingness to be a peacemaker. God's inspiration by the Holy Spirit awakens, alerts, reminds and warns us. (Without this empowerment it is impossible to overcome. Satan strikes at the weakest part of our souls.) He strengthens us to make peace (or produce peace in a place of temptation), displaying the fruit of righteousness! Be wise and understand this battle. As He inspires you in this, there will be less ground for Satan to sow his seed! What a blessing to recognize Satan's assault AS he comes to steal rather than after he has stolen. Christ is being formed in you!

The Appointed Time

"Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an APPOINTED TIME; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries (has not come), wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry (stay away forever). Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith." (the understanding God has given) (Habakkuk 2:2,3)

When is the APPOINTED TIME? When the Lord knows we are ready to undertake what He has planned as He would! When we want no glory but rejoice in His righteousness and His way being made in the earth. He desires to "make our feet like deer's feet, to make us walk on our high hills."  (Habakkuk 3:19)

 

We see there was a wide void between what God wanted for Judah and what they were willing to do. Correction had to come to them in the form of the Chaldeans: a bitter, hasty, terrible, dreadful and fierce people.

 

In Luke 17:5 the apostles asked Jesus for something, that He would "increase their (our) faith" after He had instructed them to forgive a brother who sins against them seven times in a day and seven times returns to repent. Sounds like a reasonable, in fact, excellent request. Jesus replies in v.7 "and which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'come at once and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him, 'PREPARE something for my supper and GIRD YOURSELF and SERVE ME til I have eaten and drunk, and AFTERWARD you will eat and drink'?

 

One can imagine the strength, vitality and fitness of deer's feet. In that strength, vitality and fitness the deer scales the high hills before it. Likewise, we christians must prepare (study to show ourselves approved) gird ourselves (humble ourself will under His mighty hand and in His sight) and serve Him(rather than serving ourselves). His vision for all christians is that we be strong, vital and fit in Him; for Judah then and the church now. Then He can disperse us to our individual callings because we have proved to Him that we will do those things commanded us. He knows when our soul is upright in us.

The Righteousness That is of Faith

 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'the just shall live by faith'." (Romans 1:16,17)

For from the gospel (the written word breathed upon by the Holy Spirit to man's spirit), the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. (Faith in it's purest form is a revelation to man in the knowledge of God. That revelation is accompanied by an understanding of what to do from there, how to apply the revelation in our daily lives. When we willingly obey according to that revelation, we have become a believer of IT!) It is my understanding that the christian will receive little in addition to that which has been revealed until he/she willingly obeys what he/she has heard (that living word that we know we heard from God).

 

When we receive the Lord's salvation we are washed by His blood. His blood makes us righteous, as we heard the message of salvation and willingly obeyed. We BELIEVED and were washed clean of our sin. If the righteousness of God is revealed by faith, and we willingly obey (the works of faith), we are becoming the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Revelation by revelation He is building us up as a spiritual house (just as a physical house would be built). "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10) Are you still learning what it means to believe? Then, you are still learning what it means to become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!

 

"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who PRACTICES RIGHTEOUSNESS is righteous, just as He is righteous. Each time we hear Him speak (faith), and we willingly obey, we are being BELIEVERS and PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS unto completion in Him, being made the righteousness of God in Christ!

He Who Is Least

 

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but HE WHO IS LEAST in the kingdom of heaven is greater then he"  (Matthew 11:11). Lets understand that Jesus is not talking about the departed saints and their habitation as there is no "suffering violence" (verse 12) where the Father and the Son reign. Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven that came into fruition when He arrived. So, it seems, we should discuss what we think our Lord meant when He said that those who are least in the kingdom are greater than he (John).

John the Baptist was an old testament prophet who was integral in readying Israel for her Messiah. His ministry was to call the people to the "baptism of repentance" for "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" or right before them. He admirably fulfilled that call as our Master said again "among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist". The new testament saint is similar to John as we also are born of women. The difference is we are also born of God! Our fathers and mothers made us but we dads and moms in Christ gladly step aside and allow God the Father to reign over our families! We have been born again by God with His Holy Spirit through our Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

Yet Jesus said that "the LEAST of these in the kingdom of heaven are greater than he (John)". If you are familiar with the previous submissions to this blog, you may know where I am about to go. The new testament saint is born of God and should be filled with the Holy Spirit which empowers those to be "witnesses to Him". It is my opinion that the HE WHO IS LEAST in this kingdom is the one who has allowed God to refine out the carnality in his/her soul. When the Apostle Paul said "I am less than the least of all saints", he was informing us that he has allowed God to have His way in him and, as a result, he said "by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, YET NOT I, but the grace of God that was with me (1 Corinthians 15:10)". Jesus informed Paul, "My strength is made perfect in (your) weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). In fact, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 is a great example of how Jesus made Paul one of the "least" in this kingdom.

 

It is my intent to open these concepts to you if you have not already heard. Our King, by the Holy Spirit, will breathe life upon His truth and make it real to you!

What I Do Have, I Give You

 

 Acts 3:1-9
 

"Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, 'Look at us'. So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but WHAT I DO HAVE, I GIVE TO YOU. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.' And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them- walking, leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."
 

What did Peter and John have to give? In this instance, Peter and John HAD a gift of faith from God which enabled them to provide to the lame man a supernatural answer superseding what natural men could provide- perfect bodily soundness. Peter and John received a revelation accompanied by the anointing of the Holy Spirit to bring forth victory! When we HAVE what Peter and John HAD, it is the awesome arm of God rightly ordering issues on earth- sometimes to us for others; sometimes to others for us; sometimes to us for us. It is the inspiration of the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit.
 

"I will open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." The truth He shares with us is so rich we have to tell others. The anointing He provided Peter and John had to be distributed to the lame man. As we experience the fullness of who He is, He will show us how to distribute what we now HAVE!