Brotherly love requires transforming our thoughts to not only include the lives of others, but also to build understanding through the lives of others. The Body of Christ, the Church, is composed of many individual members, each serving a purpose and each deeply linked to one another. As such, the life of a Christian requires working together with empathy and consideration for others and the Body as a whole.
Eric Rank
Rich or Poor?
Are you rich, or are you poor? Does your answer change depending on the person asking the question? What kind of criteria do you use to measure your level of wealth? Do you count the sum of the value of your possessions? Do you count the number of cars you own, or the square footage of your home? Or do you count something else?
No matter what the criteria, when we answer the question of whether we are rich or poor, we base it on some evaluation of what we have or what we do not have. The United States of America, by measure of gross domestic product, is the richest country in the world. One might think that such a country would not have problems paying its bills. However, in the Current Events today, we read about the grim reality that without drastic measures, this country will fail to make payments on its loans in the coming weeks.
How can such a prosperous and powerful country fall so dramatically into a state of massive financial delinquency? Stated differently, how can a country so rich be so poor? While the passage does not strictly apply to the debt crisis of the United States, Revelation 3:17-18 explains a similar paradox. Speaking of the Laodiceans, Christ says: “‘Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” — and do not know that you are wretched, poor, blind and naked — I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich…’”
In this example, placed in the Bible for us, we learn that carnal pride in material success is a direct cause of true poverty. The only way to become truly rich is by working towards perfection, following the righteous instructions of God. Quite simply, we become poor when we turn from God. When we place our hearts and confidence in the material wealth we might accumulate, rather than what is spiritually important, we are investing in worthless assets. God instructs us to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21), and not to invest in things which perish (John 6:27), placing value in the things of this world, which have no real and lasting value.
If turning away from God causes us to be poor, what happens when we do the opposite? How do we change when we turn our ways towards God? The answer is just as simple. When we fear the LORD, we prosper (compare Psalm 25:12-13). The eternal life and rewards written about in the Bible are the goals we should be working for. This is only attainable through faith and obedience, and bearing fruit with the talents that we have been provided (compare Matthew 25:14-30).
The Bible clearly states that material goods and worldly possessions are of no ultimate value, and that a heart working to overcome the world through God’s faith, righteousness and Godly obedience produces true profit. With the Holy Spirit of God, the greatest investment known to man has been placed in our possession. With this in mind, I’ll ask you one last question: How does it feel to be rich?
Out of Our Shell
In order to grow, we must be willing to first become vulnerable so that we are
capable of learning and changing. A soft heart is the only kind that can grow.
Our constant work in overcoming the ways of this world requires becoming
vulnerable over, and over again.
Standards
God provides us a standard in the Law, by which he judges our righteousness. Since we all fall short of perfection, we must rely on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our justification. Therefore, it is His example that we must follow, using the life of Jesus Christ as the standard we live by.
As Sorrows Begin
It may be true for all generations to feel that end-time prophecy is being fulfilled before their eyes. However, the events we read about today seem to take less and less imagination to connect with prophetic Scripture for the last days, than they did just months ago.
In nearly every corner of the world, we are seeing a significant shift in power, which we expect to see as God’s plan is fulfilled. Among the most alarming news is the steady stream of government protests in the Middle East. Countries that are clearly identified in the Bible with prophetic relevance have seen radical changes in only the past weeks and months. The Egyptian government has experienced a complete upheaval. Libya is in the middle of a civil war. Syria too has seen an accelerated rate of protests demanding a change in the leadership governing the country. In the meantime, the international respect for the country of Israel continues to erode at a constant rate. These major disruptions in that part of the world are just a few of the events going on today with prophetic relevance. What in the world IS going on? How can these things happen so quickly and unexpectedly for so many?
The answer is quite simple. We are reminded in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, that for this world, the Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night! We can expect the unexpected to occur. And even though God has already given us the overall prophetic picture, we might not yet be able to predict how exactly all the minute events will come about, as prophesied in the Bible. But we do have an advantage in that we have the tools at our disposal to develop our understanding about how to prepare for the end-time fulfillment of God’s plan.
So, how can we prepare? We can prepare by following the instructions of the Bible to build our faith, love and hope for salvation. In these virtues we must invest and trust. The corollary truth is that the “comforts” of the world we live in are the things we must turn away from, because they are completely unreliable and work against our spiritual goals. Overcoming the negative influences of the world, and trusting in the one true God must be a way of life for us if we want to be prepared for the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
Even with these truly comforting meditations at the forefront of our thoughts, the unrest in the world makes it far too easy to lose heart and fall into worry. While there is not much that we can control outside of our ability to prepare spiritually, at least we know that we can trust in God. I frequently find encouragement and strength when reading Joshua 1:9, where God admonishes the newly appointed leader of Israel on the threshold of entering the land of Canaan: “’Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’”
Matthew 24:36 plainly tells us that no one knows the day or the hour when Jesus Christ will return. Even if it was possible to have such information, it would be of no use without the virtues that we are told to develop. Even if we always had the ability to accurately predict every minute sequence of prophetic fulfillment, we still would not be prepared for the coming of Christ without the love of living God’s way of life. We must not be afraid of the events contributing to the fulfillment of prophecy, but even more importantly, it is critical that we work to prepare spiritually, so we can be among those who have succeeded in overcoming the world when that Great Day arrives.
What do you get out of the Reward?
Mankind’s nature is to seek one’s own self interest in our activities. Are we seeking the Kingdom of God for the purpose of power, control, or other personal gain? If so, our hearts need to change so we are properly motivated, as the Bible instructs.
Seek God Diligently
Throughout the entire year, we need to transform our
thinking and actions to be conformed to the spiritual expectations that God
requires of us. Seeking God involves constant effort in building our
understanding of the Truth and steady work in acting in accordance with it. By
doing so, we become eligible to receive the reward of eternal life made possible
by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Fundamentals of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a central concept to the lives of all Christians. In order to
take advantage of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is the only way to become
forgiven for our sins, we need to live in a manner worthy of that forgiveness.
Repentance of our sinful ways and granting forgiveness to others are both
required if we seek forgiveness for our sins. By putting these two principles
into action, we contribute to our own salvation and the salvation of others as
well.
Manner of Conduct
The way we conduct ourselves now, and as the Day of the Lord approaches has a serious impact to our future. God desires that all mankind might repent and turn to Him. The Bible also makes it clear that He is patient to give us time to do so. However, our repentance is not something that should cause God to wait on us. The sooner that we turn to Him, the sooner His Kingdom may be established.
Microwaves and Sacrifice
By making seemingly imperceptible compromises in our spiritual life over time, we take the risk of compunding an effect that is very perceptible. Making any small compromise with the righteous way of life that God instructs takes us further away from Him and our salvation. By turning this principle around — making small improvements to our spiritual lives over time instead of compromises — we draw closer to God without having to make dramatic changes.