Being a Watchman to add value to our nation II - Ps. Susan Tang
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.Timely messages for the End Times.
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Watchman to rise up
The function of the watchman is as follows from Eze 3,8
1. Hear
2. Sees
3. Speak up
Eze 3:
17 Son of man , I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel : therefore hear the word at my mouth , and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked , Thou shalt surely die ; and thou givest him not warning , nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way , to save his life ; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity ; but his blood will I require at thine hand .
Eze 8:
4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
Eze 2:
7-8 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
God is calling Faithful Watchmen
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
(Isa 5:1-4)
Isa 5:1-4 Vineyard
God put a tower (for the watchman) and a winepress (dealings of God). The watchman is one that continuously allows the dealings of God in his or her life.Without which we cannot say that we are on the pilgrimage of sanctification for God wants to build watchmen who are strong in spirit. God requires fruitfulness, good fruits. Wild grapes are produced because there are no boundaries or restraint of God upon our lives, therefore we need the dealings of God that brings us to the place of producing the right fruits for God's harvest.
Abraham was faithful to God, willing to faithful unto death.
What is God requiring fm Malaysian Church? Faithfulness.
Psa 105:
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters : he was laid in iron :
Oh that we pray that we need iron in our soul to be faithful unto death. When we aren't afraid to die, the devil don't have any strategy against us. Iron in our soul build a strong spirit within us.
God chose a man because of faithfulness.
When reality of God sets in, we can live with little. Solomon lost the reality when he looked for excesses. The little that we have in the physical actually is offset in the greater spiritual abundance we have that last for eternity.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Mat 6:19-21)
God's eyes that roam to and fro the earth to find a faithful man and He found Abram.
2Ch 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Neh 9:
7 Thou [art] the LORD the God , who didst choose Abram , and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees , and gavest him the name of Abraham ; 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and
Isa 51:
2 Look unto Abraham your father , and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone , and blessed him, and increased him.
Today the Lord is still looking for those who are faithful to Him and willing to forsake even their own lives.
Rev 2:
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : behold , the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison , that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days : be thou faithful unto death , and I will give thee a crown of life .
The overcomer is one that is faithful and their lives bear that testimony.
Rev 12:
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb , and by the word of their testimony ; and they loved not their lives unto the death .
Let not our faithfulness be like the morning cloud. (Hosea 6:4). The faithful are not dependent on circumstances. How many of us in the church today claim to be faithful.... even if we think that we are not 'blessed'.
Opposite of faithfulness is harlotry
Spirit of faithfulness vs. Spirit of harlotry (Hosea)
The many churches today have fallen into spiritual harlotry. Lost in activities as Israel did. Activities are not wrong in themselves but when we are caught up with them, then our focus on God will dim. Could it be why worship is so mood dependent? God called out to Israel to remember Him with a broken heart.
The Lord can be wearied with our sins. Forgiven, yet continue to wallow in sin. The process of God's sanctification and His dealing have we rejected. We can weary God with our iniquity or lawlessness, could it be that we disregard His laws and decide to live according to our standards and not His Moral standards?
Isa 43:
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob ; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel . 23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings ; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices . I have not caused thee to serve with an offering , nor wearied thee with incense . 24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money , neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices : but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins , thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities . 25 I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins .
Are our doings and deeds turning to God
Hos 5:
4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God : for the spirit of whoredoms [is] in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD .
If our church has the spirit of harlotry, then come out of her for many works have nothing to do with turning to God. Works that don't turn us to God are considered dead works. And the foundation or root of dead works are meant to be pulled out that they don't give continuity to such works. The only pathway to perfection is when the foundation and roots are removed from our lives.
Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
In faithfulness, we can pray commanding prayers
The watchman is one that can pray commanding prayers. Iniquity and dead works can disqualify us from the praying commanding prayers where principalities and powers of darkness can laugh at our faces. Watchmen need to stand in the place of authority.
Isa 45:
11 Thus saith the LORD , the Holy One of Israel , and his Maker , Ask me of things to come concerning my sons , and concerning the work of my hands command ye me .
Samuel wasn't a warrior and yet the life his commanding prayers guarded Israel.
1 Sam 7
13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
Life of Samuel has great worth, as long as he was alive kept the enemies away. May we live such lives. Power and life that we live that can take authority over the enemy.
Anti-thesis life: live against the existing order. Even to present church order.
Many have become church manship instead of God's workmanship. Where the gates of hell can't prevail. Are we, as a church, built by Christ or of man? The results are telling when there is the confrontation with the gates of hell.
Where the general church failed God will raise up a remnant to live the Samuel life. The general church is overfed with conferances, teachings, books, etc. Unfortunately the overfeeding didn't give birth to the Samuels who can make the difference to our nation and nations.
Rev 12. The true Church travail and pray for overcamers to come forth.
God is looking for the remnant church that will travail and birth the man-child company of overcomers that threatens the very powers of darkness in the end times.
God uses a few to cover the whole.
The cross life
Samuel have no greed, never lusted. Pure heart to see God. Keep demons at bay. Living within the confines of the cross. The cross is the greatest event in God's history. We have to restrain ourselves by the cross. Without the cross, there's lack of power, no restraint.
When the cross is not preached, the church can be among the perishing.
1 Cor 1:
18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
If we think the message of the cross is foolish then we join the perishing order.
Outside the cross, there's no true knowledge of God. Vs. 2 tells of no restrain, the result thereof.
Hos 4:
1 Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel : for the LORD hath a controversy (charge) with the inhabitants of the land , because [there is] no truth , nor mercy , nor knowledge of God in the land . 2 By swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and committing adultery , they break out , and blood toucheth blood .
Imperitive Chritianity is living by the demands of God! Can God demand of me? Can I live to yield to God's demand. Choice is not ours, it's entirely God's. Living in the place or readiness to yield to God's demand is one that takes up his or her personal cross and following Jesus daily. Because it's a daily yielding.
If we yield to God's demand like Paul even spirits recognize us. Don't be like the 7 sons of Sceva. Our life yielded identity to Christ. Don't be fooled the spirits know how we life. Don't live for the consciousness of man.
Live in continum with the experiences of our spiritual forefathers who lived the cross life and are amongst the crowd of witnesses (Heb 12:1)
We need the cross life to have power over sin, pornography (demoniac holds), coverteousness, etc that challenge the moral standards of God.
Be the antithesis to bring anticlimax to demonic work.
The apostolic word is a requiring word. 'Bring forth, bear fruit' God's requirement. Be an overcomer, for our names to be in the book of life.
What is God requiring from us? To be a watchman and live an antithesis life!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Being a Watchman to add value to our nation I - Ps. Susan Tang
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.
Timely messages for the End Times.
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Balaam was a true prophet, but his heart was not dealt with. He knew the revealed will of God but still prayed about it, when not supposed to. Negotiating with God is already out of the question. This calls for quick obedience lest we fall into the same trap as Balaam did. Lest we begin to doubt God's good and perfect will. Abraham never questioned God about the many things he was asked to do from leaving his homeland without any clear directions to sacrificing his only son (which God provided a ram in the son's stead and knew the Providence of God). In order to be a watchman we must learn to obey expeditiously once the will of God is revealed to us.
The strange thing is that Balaam was used to the miraculous therefore not surprise when the donkey spoke to him. While the donkey saw, he couldn't. Balaam wasn't pure in heart, thus lack seeing God (Matt 5:8). How can we see God's will if we can't behold Him?
Samuel's life long ministry of being a watchman for his nation began with a praying mother crying out of a need that became her greatest sacrifice. We have to read the Bible with a heart to see a great sacrifice of both mother and child. Samuel was left at the temple of the Lord to serve under a back slidden priest and only saw his mother once a year. This pain or 'cross' that Hannah and Samuel had to bear brought about the the greatest praying prophet in Israel.
Hannah's cry in God's presence to ask for a son. Eli rebuked her because he don't know struggling, lamenting, prayers. Don't know about being drunk in prayer. The groanings in deep prayer brings many words to the Father in Heaven. These groaning may have few words but carry great depth to the very courts of Heaven.
This about this, if Hannah didn't give her son back to God, then there couldn't be one of the greatest praying prophet. In these days of many prayers have bred many covetous hearts. The 'give me, give me' generation of Christians have the same insatiable desire as the pits of hell itself. Learn to give back to the Giver, that is why tithing is an important spiritual principle.
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.
Timely messages for the End Times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balaam was a true prophet, but his heart was not dealt with. He knew the revealed will of God but still prayed about it, when not supposed to. Negotiating with God is already out of the question. This calls for quick obedience lest we fall into the same trap as Balaam did. Lest we begin to doubt God's good and perfect will. Abraham never questioned God about the many things he was asked to do from leaving his homeland without any clear directions to sacrificing his only son (which God provided a ram in the son's stead and knew the Providence of God). In order to be a watchman we must learn to obey expeditiously once the will of God is revealed to us.
The strange thing is that Balaam was used to the miraculous therefore not surprise when the donkey spoke to him. While the donkey saw, he couldn't. Balaam wasn't pure in heart, thus lack seeing God (Matt 5:8). How can we see God's will if we can't behold Him?
Samuel's life long ministry of being a watchman for his nation began with a praying mother crying out of a need that became her greatest sacrifice. We have to read the Bible with a heart to see a great sacrifice of both mother and child. Samuel was left at the temple of the Lord to serve under a back slidden priest and only saw his mother once a year. This pain or 'cross' that Hannah and Samuel had to bear brought about the the greatest praying prophet in Israel.
Hannah's cry in God's presence to ask for a son. Eli rebuked her because he don't know struggling, lamenting, prayers. Don't know about being drunk in prayer. The groanings in deep prayer brings many words to the Father in Heaven. These groaning may have few words but carry great depth to the very courts of Heaven.
This about this, if Hannah didn't give her son back to God, then there couldn't be one of the greatest praying prophet. In these days of many prayers have bred many covetous hearts. The 'give me, give me' generation of Christians have the same insatiable desire as the pits of hell itself. Learn to give back to the Giver, that is why tithing is an important spiritual principle.
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
(Pro 30:15)
God loves to share His heart, but even the high priest couldn't hear. So God shared His heart with a child. God knew the capacity of a child. He knew how he would take the hard message of Eli and his sons who sinned grossly before the Lord. Do we have the capacity to take God's messages and do we know how to handle them in prayer? How do we know Samuel handled the messages well, it showed it his latter life how God continue to trust him with more.
1 Sam 7:4-10 : Samuel taught the people to pour out before God. Samuel, David, Jesus, and Mary knew how to pour out before God. While the majority of us could only trickle before God. When will we learn not to withhold from God?
The pouring life keeps devils away. Not difficult but God will give His grace.
All the miracles that the disciples did, Jesus didn't say that their work was to be remembered. Only Mary's pouring of the oil from the broken alabaster flask did Jesus said that it was a monumental work. Broke and pour as Jesus did on the cross.
Poured out lives are powerful which is in the manifested in the living. This frightened the enemies and caused them to attack. Devils see a threat in a poured out life. In the mounting attack Samuel asked for a suckling lamb, meaning sacrifice, dying to self, laying down our lives, the greatest power against demons. Samuel brought heaven to earth and it was God who fought the Philistines!
Paul was such, not afraid of death. Faithful to the end. He handed death in the spirit, ready to die. Bound in the spirit to Jerusalem despite Agabus prophecy. A poured out life before the Lord is to say that we have died to our rights and we are ready to die for God's cause. (Gal 2:20). There isn't any room for retrieval, it's burning all our bridges. It's about taking up the cross and following Jesus daily.
As Joseph prepared for the bad years ahead, so must the church. God have to put iron in our soul to be overcomers in the end times.
Psa 105:
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters : he was laid in iron :
That's how Paul was ready to face death. Preparation is in the spirit. Our prayer should be asking God to build into us, not for us to build ministries. As Jesus did (Rev 13:8), determined from the foundation of the world. He was as though slain from the begining of creation but physically fulfilled on the cruel cross at Calvary.
At the end of Samuel's ministry, to be released from his ministry as the people wanted a king. He asked the people to bear witness to his purity. The content of his life shows great conduct. Call forth the overcomer on the inside!
Rev 12:1-5
The woman, the church give birth to overcomer life (man child).
The watchman is one that pours out and ready to sacrifice even our own life, loving not life unto death is one of the key weapons to dovercome the enemy (Rev 12:11).
It is the Christ life within us that will rise up to overcome the enemy. But it requires the cross that Christ might live in us (Gal 2:20).
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Compassion
1. Definition
a. Compassion is responding to a deep need with a longing to do whatever is necessary to meet it
b. Different levels of responding to peoples deep need
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John3:17)
If we truly have the love of God, it is a natural thing to show compassion.
- Sympathy: feeling sorry for people who are hurting
- Empathy: feeling the pain with hurting people
- Compassion: doing something about the pain
2. Doing something and faith go hand in hand
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. (Jas 2:15-18)
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (Jas 2:26)
- How can we say we have faith in Jesus if we shut our bowels of compassion (ignore the cry of the needy) to do something to help hurting people?
- Faith being along is dead. Our faith can’t grow without the ‘doing something’ for the needy. This means that we can’t grow spiritually and can’t be strong in spirit.
3. Who are the needy?
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. (Exo 22:22-24)
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)
The needy are people who need our help to provide and protection them. James teaches us to provide for the poor, but we cannot neglect defending the needy from exploitation and danger (to their bodies and souls)
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psa 82:3-4)
4. How do we develop a compassionate heart?
- Remember our great debt to God. Matt 18:23-34 is the parable of the wicket servant who was forgiven of a great debt. However he didn’t show likewise to one who owed him a small debt even though the latter cried out for mercy. If we don’t show compassion, our lives will be tormented.
- Enlarge our hearts
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psa 119:32)
To run the way of thy commandments is be quick to obey. God will enlarge our hearts by His love, our hearts become small with selfishness.
- Turn personal suffering into compassion for others, for by this we will experience God’s comfort
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2Co 1:4)
- Constantly look for ways to do good to others
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:10)
5. The sheep and the goats, the last judgement
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Mat 25:31-46)
Final judgment is when Jesus Christ returns as judge. This is something we have to grasp; because God’s throne of grace is also the throne of judgment. He will separate sheep from goats as a shepherd separates his flock. Note that it is a flock that have been with the fold, thus the separation is within the church. Similar to separation of tares and the wheat which grew in the same field which were fed from the same soil, water and fertilizer. Jesus is coming back to judge because God is Just.
God has prepared His Kingdom from the foundation of the world! Can you see God’s plan and purposes for His children? Jesus calls out to the sheep first to inherit. The mark of the sheep is one that feeds, shelters, protects and visits strangers. Strangers are those who can’t pay us back as with the case of the Good Samaritan. Strangers are people we take risk in helping not considering our loss but considering as doing the right thing proceeding from a life of faith. The sheep is not aware of the good deeds because it is a natural out flow of faith. Self denial and taking up the cross and following Jesus is a clear mark of the sheep.
6. Mercy for the poor
Nebuchadnezzar was counseled against pride and one of the key action of repentance is showing mercy to the poor as shown in Daniel’s advise.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
(Dan 4:27)
Even in the teaching of wisdom in Proverbs teaches us mercy on the poor. Please don’t end up reproaching or defaming our Maker.
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
(Pro 14:31)
God’s heart is toward the poor, shouldn’t ours be also? When Jesus returns will we be called His sheep or worst called goats unto eternal damnation?
7. The testimony of George Mueller
"The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat," the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. "Mr. Mueller," he said, "last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in."
Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children.
George Mueller 1805 – 1898 (http://www.georgemuller.blogspot.com/)
"At last I saw Christ as my Saviour. I believed in Him and gave myself to Him. The burden rolled from off me, and a great love for Christ filled my soul. That was more than fifty years ago. I loved Jesus Christ then, but I loved Him more the year after, and more the year after that, and more every year since."Born in Prussia in 1805, George Mueller began running from God early in life. By age ten he had devised a scheme to embezzle government money entrusted to his father. He spent his schooldays in drunken immorality. He even served time in jail at age sixteen for failing to pay his bills.
The university he attended had some 900 divinity students, but Mueller said there were not nine of them who truly feared God. He continued his sinful habits during his college days until finally at age 20 the burden of his sins overcame him and he trusted Christ as Saviour.
Soon he committed himself to a full-time gospel ministry. When Mueller was twenty-five, he went to Teignmouth, England, with his new wife, Mary, to pastor a small church. He gave up the small salary offered when he discovered it was paid through the rental of church pews. From that time on he resolved to live by faith.
Mueller moved in 1832 to Bristol, England, to be the pastor of another church. There his famous work with the orphans began when two young children were thrown upon the church's care. Mueller had only two shillings to his name when he began the orphanage work, but over the next sixty years God sent more than $7,500,000 to supply their needs. New buildings were built or purchased, staff was hired, and the hundreds of children never missed a meal. Many times prayers were said over empty plates only to have food arrive at the last moment.
Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met.
During his life, Mueller started 117 schools which educated over 120,000 young people and orphans. He became pastor of Bethesda Chapel in Bristol. The church had some 2,000 members at his death.
Spurgeon said, "Of flowers of speech he has none, and we hardly think he cares for them; but of the bread of Heaven he has abundance."
1. Definition
a. Compassion is responding to a deep need with a longing to do whatever is necessary to meet it
b. Different levels of responding to peoples deep need
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John3:17)
If we truly have the love of God, it is a natural thing to show compassion.
- Sympathy: feeling sorry for people who are hurting
- Empathy: feeling the pain with hurting people
- Compassion: doing something about the pain
2. Doing something and faith go hand in hand
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. (Jas 2:15-18)
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (Jas 2:26)
- How can we say we have faith in Jesus if we shut our bowels of compassion (ignore the cry of the needy) to do something to help hurting people?
- Faith being along is dead. Our faith can’t grow without the ‘doing something’ for the needy. This means that we can’t grow spiritually and can’t be strong in spirit.
3. Who are the needy?
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. (Exo 22:22-24)
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)
The needy are people who need our help to provide and protection them. James teaches us to provide for the poor, but we cannot neglect defending the needy from exploitation and danger (to their bodies and souls)
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psa 82:3-4)
4. How do we develop a compassionate heart?
- Remember our great debt to God. Matt 18:23-34 is the parable of the wicket servant who was forgiven of a great debt. However he didn’t show likewise to one who owed him a small debt even though the latter cried out for mercy. If we don’t show compassion, our lives will be tormented.
- Enlarge our hearts
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psa 119:32)
To run the way of thy commandments is be quick to obey. God will enlarge our hearts by His love, our hearts become small with selfishness.
- Turn personal suffering into compassion for others, for by this we will experience God’s comfort
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2Co 1:4)
- Constantly look for ways to do good to others
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:10)
5. The sheep and the goats, the last judgement
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Mat 25:31-46)
Final judgment is when Jesus Christ returns as judge. This is something we have to grasp; because God’s throne of grace is also the throne of judgment. He will separate sheep from goats as a shepherd separates his flock. Note that it is a flock that have been with the fold, thus the separation is within the church. Similar to separation of tares and the wheat which grew in the same field which were fed from the same soil, water and fertilizer. Jesus is coming back to judge because God is Just.
God has prepared His Kingdom from the foundation of the world! Can you see God’s plan and purposes for His children? Jesus calls out to the sheep first to inherit. The mark of the sheep is one that feeds, shelters, protects and visits strangers. Strangers are those who can’t pay us back as with the case of the Good Samaritan. Strangers are people we take risk in helping not considering our loss but considering as doing the right thing proceeding from a life of faith. The sheep is not aware of the good deeds because it is a natural out flow of faith. Self denial and taking up the cross and following Jesus is a clear mark of the sheep.
6. Mercy for the poor
Nebuchadnezzar was counseled against pride and one of the key action of repentance is showing mercy to the poor as shown in Daniel’s advise.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
(Dan 4:27)
Even in the teaching of wisdom in Proverbs teaches us mercy on the poor. Please don’t end up reproaching or defaming our Maker.
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
(Pro 14:31)
God’s heart is toward the poor, shouldn’t ours be also? When Jesus returns will we be called His sheep or worst called goats unto eternal damnation?
7. The testimony of George Mueller
"The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat," the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. "Mr. Mueller," he said, "last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in."
Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children.
George Mueller 1805 – 1898 (http://www.georgemuller.blogspot.com/)
"At last I saw Christ as my Saviour. I believed in Him and gave myself to Him. The burden rolled from off me, and a great love for Christ filled my soul. That was more than fifty years ago. I loved Jesus Christ then, but I loved Him more the year after, and more the year after that, and more every year since."Born in Prussia in 1805, George Mueller began running from God early in life. By age ten he had devised a scheme to embezzle government money entrusted to his father. He spent his schooldays in drunken immorality. He even served time in jail at age sixteen for failing to pay his bills.
The university he attended had some 900 divinity students, but Mueller said there were not nine of them who truly feared God. He continued his sinful habits during his college days until finally at age 20 the burden of his sins overcame him and he trusted Christ as Saviour.
Soon he committed himself to a full-time gospel ministry. When Mueller was twenty-five, he went to Teignmouth, England, with his new wife, Mary, to pastor a small church. He gave up the small salary offered when he discovered it was paid through the rental of church pews. From that time on he resolved to live by faith.
Mueller moved in 1832 to Bristol, England, to be the pastor of another church. There his famous work with the orphans began when two young children were thrown upon the church's care. Mueller had only two shillings to his name when he began the orphanage work, but over the next sixty years God sent more than $7,500,000 to supply their needs. New buildings were built or purchased, staff was hired, and the hundreds of children never missed a meal. Many times prayers were said over empty plates only to have food arrive at the last moment.
Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met.
During his life, Mueller started 117 schools which educated over 120,000 young people and orphans. He became pastor of Bethesda Chapel in Bristol. The church had some 2,000 members at his death.
Spurgeon said, "Of flowers of speech he has none, and we hardly think he cares for them; but of the bread of Heaven he has abundance."
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