Good morning to all on this wonderful Monday morning. God is in His Heaven and all is truly right with the world. With all that is going on in the world, I think every Christian should wake up each day rejoicing that there is power in the name of Jesus; even the voices of the Japanese that were interviewed were thanking God for their deliverance. In this tiny country of most Shinto Buddhists, there is evidence that Christianity has had an impact on the Japanese. Continue to pray for our Japanese brothers and sisters and pray that the true love of Christ may be manifest through this crisis. Please continue to lift up ET and his healing and continue to lift up JKS and her healing. I thank God for each of you and your generosity of prayers.
I am continuing my journey in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 1 - 10, "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Amen and amen!
What a timely passage! When Paul wrote this passage, many Jews where "slaves" or indentured servants to the Romans and other Jews. Paul was providing them with instruction on how to live as Christians so that the Gospel of Christ could be manifest in their lives. Paul was urging these young Jewish Christians to allow the fruits of the Spirit to operate in their lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fight their battles. Likewise, as Christians, when we find ourselves under the authority of others whether in the work place or in the home, we are to be respectful and supporting so that the tenants of Christ can be manifest in our lives. Even when you work for non-believers, we are encouraged to do our best and then pray for the unbelievers as our "reasonable service to Christ". At the end of the day, all that matters is that more people come to the realization of the love of Christ and not your own personal station in life. When I have managed large groups of employees, it always troubled me that the employees who professed a love of Christ were at times the employees I had the most difficulty with. Instead of lifting Christ up, they "had an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain." I realized that I had to be constant prayer for them as well as for me and in the end depended on Christ to fight all my battles. You see, when Satan sees that you want to dedicate a work place to Christ, he becomes agitated and very busy to destroy that strong hold and in the end uses us to do so. But thanks be to God that you will always be lifted up when you trust Jesus!
Also, if you ever wanted to know where in the Bible it teaches that the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil, here it is! 1 Timothy 6:10. Ad you can see, Paul doesn't say that money is the root of evil, he specifically says the Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil because where you have your love, there will be your allegiance. Money is just a commodity and when you can handle it and not lose your soul and your spiritual bearings, God has no problem giving it to you. We are to love God first and then our fellow man--those of the two (2) GREAT COMMANDMENTS that are to order our lives. Too many people in the world, love money first which is why the world is in the shape it is in. The LOVE of money is the gateway that Satan uses to blind us. Never fear, Satan has already been defeated. He knows this even if the world doesn't. He just wants to take as many of us as possible to an eternity without God. Pray for all you encounter that doesn't know the love of God through Jesus, the Christ and be about kingdom building today and each day.
Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Amen and amen.
Have a great day.
Stephanie
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