Giving food or drink "In the Name of Christ" has nothing to do with SEMANTICS (key words that must accompany a disciple's actions). Sacrificially loving someone in genuine need exposes the SINCERITY of our prior confession that "Jesus is the LORD of my life."
An act of compassion GLORIFIES the God of love as His love is anticipated and received in Faith, then likewise (like God) is transferred to another as FAITHFUL stewards of God's GLORY.
"We Love (can love others) because God first Loved us." - 1 John 4:19
Selflessly and sacrificially loving in obedience and sincerity to our professed Lord and Savior is "Following Christ's example"; and as we imitate His object lesson in LOVE, we grow in both thought and deed to be like Him (transformation).
How do we know that "Giving food, drink, clothing, shelter, or comfort" in His Name equates to LOVE? Because Paul tells us that any action, even being burned as a martyr, must be motivated by love or else the action is worthless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
If Churches are not focused on teaching, promoting, and imitating the Love of CHRIST...
To identify, develop, and unite GIFTS of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of Loving others...
To literally, genuinely, and obediently Glorify God by following His Commands to Love...
Then can a Church actually be in "The Body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:26-27)?
Wholesomeness... Is not our endeavor, so why does it appear to be a primary focus?
We see our transformation into becoming like our Lord and Savior as sinning less, less, and less. Most Churches teach and preach "Sinning Less".
We read Matthew 7:3-5, ["Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."] and think that Jesus is speaking about specific sins, as in... Don't tell your friend to treat his wife better while you're having a secret affair with another man's wife (speck vs. log).
This is blatant RELIGION, but it makes sense to us... as it does with Mormons, Muslims, Hindus, Jehovah Witnesses, Catholics, and many Protestants.
Be good before you tell someone else, "Be good".
We stagnate, look no more like Christ this year than last, because we pursued WHOLESOMENESS... and we've made it (at least to our satisfaction). Overt sinners are not leading Churches nor will those who continue to overtly sin be allowed to attend Church. We are faithfully obedient, unless we don't understand total depravity and are actually overlooking the very source (root) of all sin which remains.
We don't understand SIN because we don't understand LOVE.
We don't understand LOVE because we don't understand SIN.
Does God love us the way we love Him?
Would you want God to love you in the way you love Him?
Would your wife/husband want you to love them the way you love God?
Why does sentiment suffice for the King of Kings, yet we better show our love to our spouse by what we actually do? Religion is a ritual (sentiment) we do attempting to convey love to our Creator. We attend Church services, listen to and read His Word, sing songs of adulation, and we dedicate a portion of our time (service) and wealth (offerings) to maintain OUR Fellowship.
Yet the Greatest of all Commands tells us (commands us) to Love the LORD our GOD with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and the Newest of all Commands tells us (commands us) to Love one another, just as Christ Jesus Loved us.
Yet we don't even love our neighbor as well as we love ourselves, much less as Christ loved us.
GENUINE LOVE is a relationship, just think about how you love yourself. Dedication to how you look, what you wear, your house and its furnishings, what you drive, where you vacation.
Think about how you love your wife, your husband, your kids. You encourage and enable them to address how they look, what they wear, what they drive, where they live, where they travel to.
Genuine love is taking what I have received (Time/Talent/Treasure) and meeting a NEED with it.
Worldly love is using my resources (God's love to me) to meet my or another's GREED.
Godly love is completely "others focused," using all my abilities to meet my or another's NEEDS.
"Love the Lord your God with ALL your.... by loving those in need as if they were yourself."
Sin is a failure to display Godlike love, thus not glorifying the God of love.
How can we be obedient to BOTH the Greatest and Newest Commands of God?
How can we love God with ALL that we are AND love our neighbors (those in need) as ourselves?
Jesus told us, "For whatever you do for the least of these My brethren, you do it unto ME." - Matthew 25:40
Jesus showed us, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34
The God of Love came to earth, took on flesh, and provided us with the most amazing OBJECT LESSON in Kingdom Love. Loving in a way that vastly surpasses and supersedes any of our attempts to Love as this World Loves.
Jesus spoke about Kingdom Love, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. For in the Resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in Heaven." - Matthew 22:29-30
"Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." - 2 Corinthians 11:14
Why we love like the World, in accordance to our FLESH.
GRACE is understanding, but knowledge is not Light.
Satan knows, demons know, Judas knew...
FAITH is trusting God's promises.
Without faith it is impossible to please God.
FAITHFULNESS is acknowledging, accepting, and obeying God's GRACE.
We are to walk by Faith in the Grace of God, not by Sight in what we perceive as being obvious.
LIGHT is Truth, and the Truth is about Love.
The GLORY emitting from the God of Love.
ANGEL (Angelos) means "Messenger".
One who speaks from God.
What is the basic and effective "Scheme of the Enemy"?
How did satan temp Adam and Eve in Eden?
How did satan temp Jesus in the wilderness?
How did satan motivate Judas and sift Peter?
Satan simply whispered, "This is true love... to consider, protect, and embellish your SELF".
Satan entices and convinces us to be content, "With a form of Godliness (what we consider right) but denying it's POWER." - 2 Timothy 3:5
Now we can grasp the warning about our enemy, the great deceiver (Revelation 12:9).
In modern vernacular, "Satan tricks us by pretending to be a Messenger (Angelos) of what Love is (Light)."
Satan appeals to our natural inclination of Love, "God wants you happy so consider, protect and embellish your SELF (me, my, mine)."
But Jesus was obedient to DENYING SELF and Loving like God, even to the point of Crucifixion.
A man finds a noble cause and pours himself into it. It delights him to see the difference he's made, and he desires his wife to share in the experience.
So, he provides more than what is needed to maintain home and family, tells her of the opportunity, and waits to see her response. The wife sees the great work her husband is doing, she sings his accolades and tells others of his passion.
But what of the excess he's provided for her to join the cause? He shared his desires with her but knows the choice must be genuinely hers to either commit or not, to genuinely love likewise (like him) or not.
Will he look back to see his wife using the excess to first buy nicer things, improve her standard of living, enlarge her savings, while only dedicating a small portion to the cause?
Or will he see his wife excited to join in, to come alongside him and watch the difference THEY make together? To not only take the excess, but to likewise... actually pour herself into the cause and maximize their effect for others?
Which sounds more like the Bride of Christ (His Church)?
Which sounds more like a Good and Faithful Steward?
Which sounds more like those who love this world?
Jesus said, "I Am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit; and every
one bearing fruit, He prunes it that it may bear more fruit." - John 15:1
Branches which receive nourishment from the vine but produce nothing for others... Are removed and discarded to protect those which receive from the vine and produce to meet the needs of others.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." - Galatians 5:22-23
WHOLESOME looks for these attributes within SELF.
If we are "good people" then there is peace and joy for me, my, mine.
HOLY is when these fruits flow from God the Spirit, through us, and are produced within those who we interact with... Those that we love as GOD has loved us (Seed bearing 'reproducing' fruit).
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