Luke 22:15 - And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;… NASB
Philippians 1:23 - But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;… NASB 1 Thes. 2:17 - But we, brethren, having been bereft of you for a short while — in person, not in spirit — were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. NASB
This is the definition from Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance. We have taken the word "lust" and always connect it to something that is bad, but you can see from the scripture references above that both Jesus and the apostle Paul lusted, but not in an evil way.
He thought about it and He thought about it "earnestly," the text says. He thought about it, He was going to announce being betrayed by Judas (vs.22), and denied by Peter (vs.34). Wouldn't it be great if we thought earnestly about partaking of the Lord's Supper with our brothers and sisters on the Lord's Day? Have we ever thought about taking the Lord's Supper the week before? At times, I am guilty of not thinking much about it until Sunday. Shame on me!
I have had strong desires (lusts) to go to Heaven and I have had the same strong desires (lusts) to stay here on earth. The second way he "lusted" was about seeing his Christian brothers and sisters in Thessaloniki. I have experienced this type of great desire (lusts) also. It was when I departed Mbale, Uganda, Africa after teaching God's Word to some of the greatest brothers and sisters in Christ that I have ever met. It was that great desire (lust) that took me back four more times. One of my best friends, Dennis Okoth, lived and worked there. What an honor it was for me to serve the Lord with this gracious brother in the Lord. He has now moved to another ministry in Kenya and may the Lord continue to bless him, his wife Mary, and that special ministry. When I lust about Africa, I could say it like the apostle Paul, it is "with great desire to see your face."
Don't lust in a bad way. Lust in a good way. Hopefully, you will be lusting about taking the Lord's Supper, going to Heaven to be with Jesus, or going to see some family, friends or brothers and sisters in Christ. Think About These: Christianity is a way of walking as well as a way of talking. What can't be done by advice can often be done by example. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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John 12:3-5 - ”Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?”“
This was very costly perfume, it should have been sold and the money given to the poor, says Judas. I wonder about this perfume being sold. What were the chances of that money ever making it to the poor? According to John slim to none: John 12:4-6 - But Judas… said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. That money was going to have a real difficult time making it into the hands of the poor.
Many times we just want to do the good deed and not have anyone notice. We certainly don't want someone bringing it to the attention of others. We know God has seen what we have done and that is all the reward we need. Well, that is the problem with expectations they don't always materialize. Many times we will get the exact opposite of what we expect.
Look what it says about Jesus in the book of Acts 10:38 - "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Jesus went about "doing good" according to this passage. Can anyone remember what happened to Jesus while He was here on earth? Oh yeah, they crucified Him. Mk 15:10 -"For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy."
The best thing we can do is expect to be slandered for "doing good". So when the people of this world who are more accustom to being under the control of the evil one are envious of you it won't come as such a shock. Doing good deeds doesn't always mean you will be rewarded immediately here on earth. In fact, "doing good" just might have a way of causing you some grief. Maybe this passage will help you to see why Christians or people who go about doing good suffer: 1 John 3:11-12 - …that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. You may suffer for doing good, but it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. Peter says that if we suffer for doing good we will find favor with God: 1 Pet 2:20 - For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. I can say this much we will never regret finding favor with God. How does this come about? It comes about by doing good or what is right and then suffering and enduring this suffering patiently. Think About This: Good deeds should be done with intention not for attention. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Philippians 2:3-4 - Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. NKJV
Philippians 2:3-4 - Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. 4 Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Do you remember when Paul calls Peter out for being a hypocrite? This story of Paul and Peter's encounter can be found in Galatians 2:11-13? Peter would eat with the Gentiles until some Jews from Jerusalem came to town and then he wouldn't associate with his Christian brothers any longer. He esteemed himself and his Jewish brothers better than the Gentiles. This hypocrisy even engulfed Barnabas. I knew of a congregation that wouldn't allow the men to serve at the Lord's Table without being dressed in a suit and tie. I always found this very sad because two of the men that would come dressed in their suits were later found to be guilty of being sexually immoral.
Keep your focus on Jesus and expect Christians to let you down and then it won't take you by surprise. Some people are motivated by "selfish ambition and wanting nothing more than being on the top rung of the ladder". They have made the wrong choice in life. We are not to be hypocrites. We are to be followers of Jesus. We are to allow His light to shine through us. Just remember the Bible states in numerous places that God will have the final words. His judgments will not be biased, they will be true and there is no way anyone can obstruct His justice. Think About These: If you hate hypocrisy then you really want to go to Heaven. Hell will be the last stop for all hypocrites. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Luke 5:3-6 - And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's,… And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5 Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break;…" NASU
Then failure comes crashing through our life and we are bewildered. We are perplexed and we sit in unbelief that this has happened to us. How could this happen to me? I was prepared. I had all the answers. I like what R. C. Foster said, "Their fruitless toil through the night gave Jesus His opportunity." Did you hear that? Their "fruitless toil" gave Jesus His opportunity. Your fruitless toil will give Jesus an opportunity to work with you like never before. It is always easier to work with some one who believes he needs help. At first, Peter didn't believe he needed any help. After all he was the fisherman. Jesus was a carpenter in Peter's mind. After Jesus performs the miracle and their boats are loaded with fish Jesus goes from being "Master" which also could be interpreted "teacher" to LORD (vs.8). When we do things the Lord's way like Peter and his crew did there will be success.
Then why not try doing it the Lord's Way?
You ask for His blessing on your endeavors. You ask Him to keep you from all evil and to protect you. You read His Word and in so doing you are searching for answers to your life. You have to understand that some times He may even protect you from yourself by not allowing you to accomplish some things that would bring great harm into your life. When Jesus sees that you are able to handle the successes that can come in life He will give them to you.
Think About These: Most failures are experts at making excuses. Failure is a better teacher than success, but seldom finds an apple on her desk. Failures are divided into those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Matt 8:1-3 - When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. NASU
It is now time for Jesus not to preach anymore but to put into action what He has preached.
Jesus taught His followers that they were to be the light of the world and to let their lights shine. Matt. 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world.... Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." When Jesus heals this leper He will have displayed His good works, let His light shine and glorified His Heavenly Father exactly like He told the followers to do in His sermon on the mount. The leper is asking, seeking and knocking on the Lord's door, and He has already said if you will do those three things, the door will be opened to you. Matt. 7:7-8 - Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Jesus teaches a lesson on how we are to treat people. We are to treat them the same way we want to be treated. Matt. 7:12 - "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Can you hear the followers murmuring in the background? "It's a leper. Is He going to help a leper?" It was believed by many that you were cursed with leprosy from God because of something evil you had done. When Miriam sinned against her brother, Moses, God struck her with leprosy. Numbers 12:9-10 - "So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow…." Now a leper is coming to Jesus to be healed. Jesus taught them to treat people the way you want to be treated. He didn't say unless they are Babylonians, Moabites, or lepers. When Jesus heals this leper He is letting the Israelites know the leper is a human and is in need of some kindness.
The leper knew enough to come to Jesus for help. When you pray you need to be like this leper. You need to come to Jesus and inform Him that He can heal you from whatever problem you are carrying in life, if He so desires. You don't want to miss what the leper said to Jesus. "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." The leper had faith in Jesus. He knew Jesus could heal him and he wasn't afraid to ask for it. Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. If you want results in your prayer life come with faith believing that if it is the Lord's will you will be healed. Think About These: Prayer doesn't need proof, it needs practice. If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy. Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which is outside the will of God. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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