The birth of Jesus Christ signaled a new era in the history of the world. Free access to the Kingdom of heaven became available to humankind again.
After our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned, the Holy Spirit lifted from man and the heavens shut. Jesus Christ came to repair the breach and open the heavens wide for God’s love and favor to shine on earth in a big way.
God’s eternal purpose is to reside with you and in you. Jesus Christ is Immanuel - God with us.
Jesus came to make heaven real in your daily experience, to show you how to have a life full of meaning, purpose and abundance.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give [you] a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10, NLT)
As you follow His way of life, you will increase in wisdom, distinction, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life.” (John 8:12, CJB)
Here are three things Jesus lived by:
1. The greatest is the one who serves.
The God of the universe came not to be served but to serve. The false gods of world religions demand endless and costly sacrifices to appease their anger. Yet their subjects remain unfulfilled, lost and broken.
Our Heavenly Father is different. He is a God of love. He demands worship by asking us to love and treat others with dignity and respect, to “Do unto others what you want others to do unto you.” In short, be a true servant.
In this world, people in high positions tend to abuse power.
One time, James and John (led by their mom!) jockeyed for the highest position. They wanted to sit to at the right and left side in Christ’s kingdom.
Jesus asked whether they were willing to suffer the same suffering, and fulfill the same calling He would go through to obtain the high position. They ignorantly said yes. Jesus looked forward in time and told them that indeed they would be able to do so. This seemed to approve their request.
As one would expect, this angered the rest of the disciples because they also want the same prestige. Jesus resolved the issue by saying,
“You know that among the Gentiles, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators. Among you, it must not be like that. On the contrary, whoever among you wants to be a leader must become your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave! For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve - and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28, CJB)
Is this rule of life practical nowadays?
Consider going to a restaurant where the waiters do not pay attention to your requests, leave you on your own and give you a really bad service. Will you go back? Most probably not.
Companies and businesses prosper because of excellent products and services. Where do you bring your branded watch for repair when it’s broken? To an expert who can service your watch well.
A true servant will be promoted while the abusive self-serving person in authority will soon lose support. A person with a servant’s heart will always have opportunities available.
Last November, my wife hired carpenters to renovate a place for her salon. They installed a leaky water tubing, painted the walls and ceiling without sweeping cobwebs or removing nails or plastering holes, and installed a gutter that was short by five inches. She felt robbed. We ended up re-doing the same jobs. Money, time and effort were wasted. Needless to say, the carpenters were quickly dismissed.
On the other hand, a good friend, Rolly, helped us construct a small house for Nanay Vicky, an old single lady. Tirelessly, he would wake up early in the morning, prepare food for the carpenters, travel an hour to the site and supervise the work hands-on. Sometimes, he would even shell out some of his money to keep the construction going. He was a hardline servant.
He was out of a job for more than a year due to a sickness. Upon recovery, he looked for a job but was never hired. While doing this charitable service, the Lord blessed him and he now works at the accounting department in a reputable security agency.
Being a true servant brings dignity, honor and prestige.
You call me ‘Rabbi’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right because I am. Now if I, the Lord and Rabbi, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. For I have set you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you. Yes, indeed! I tell you, a slave is not greater than his master, or is an emissary greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:13-17, CJB)
2. It is more blessed to give than to receive
The Lord greatly loves and He greatly gives. He gave His only begotten Son as the sacrifice for our sins.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved.” (John 3:16-17, CJB)
There is great joy in giving and there is great blessing in giving generously.
Paul understood this and said,
“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:33-35, NLT)
In 1997, I became a full-time church worker. Staying at the office alone one day, a widow came for a chat. We shared encouragements from the bible and when it was about time for lunch, she indicated to leave. She appeared so happy all the time she was there.
Then Lord spoke to my heart to give her Php100 pesos. It was a struggle because that was my only money. She certainly did not appear to have any need at all. Moreover, I had no lunch yet and will have nothing more to pay for my fare going home. I excused myself and went to the comfort room to have a chat with the Lord.
“Lord, you know this is my last money. If I give this away, I will have no more. But because I love you, I will give this as a sacrifice offering.” The Lord must have been amused at my faithless prayer. It had a good heart though.
I gave the money and told her, “The Lord wants you to have this.” She suddenly broke down in tears. For two weeks, she and her two small kids had been eating just rice sprinkled with sugar. When the sugar ran out, they resorted to salt. That morning, the rice ran out. She went to some of her friends to borrow money for food but there was nothing. Instead of going home depressed, she dropped-by at the office for some encouragements but did not expect any money.
As she was relating this, tears rolled down my cheeks. Joy flooded my heart, grateful to the Lord for choosing me to meet her need. I could have given more if I was able.
After she left, another person came up to have a chat. When he realized it was past one o’clock, he said, “Let’s have lunch.” I couldn’t go because I had no more money. So I said, “I’m okay. Go ahead.” He replied, “Please don’t turn me down. I want to treat you for lunch. Let’s go downstairs and fellowship some more.” My lunch was covered.
Later that day at four o’clock in the afternoon, another person came up for a chat! Before leaving, she handed me Php100 pesos. I never said anything about my need or the happenings earlier. The Lord restored my money through her.
It was the only time three persons came up for a chat in a single day. I suspect the Lord set me up.
There is a great promise to those who generously give their material wealth to advance God’s kingdom and meet people’s needs.
“Moreover, God has the power to provide you with every gracious gift in abundance, so that always in every way you will have all you need yourselves and be able to provide abundantly for every good cause.” (2 Corinthians 9:8, CJB)
3. “I have come to do your will, O God”
We give God the greatest glory by living according to His will.
“That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,
‘You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God - as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” (Hebrews 10:5-7, NLT)
Jesus repeated on this theme again and again:
“My father has been working until now, and I too am working.” (John 5:17, CJB)
“Yes, indeed! I tell you that the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does too.” (John 5:19, CJB)
For I have come down from heaven to do not my will but the will of the One who sent me. (John 6:38, CJB)
“I say in the world only what I have heard from [the Father].” (John 8:26, CJB)
When you walk in the center of God’s will, there is harmony all around you. Everything works well. Everything looks bright and everything falls into place.
When you are out of synch with God, everything is dark. There is confusion, trouble and chaos. You hit a brick wall and you lose God’s gracious hands at work. Rebellion and idolatry robs you of God’s favor.
As you fully commit yourself to God and His kingdom, He will cause you to ride on the heights. He will make you walk in His holy highway. He will give you the arsenal of heaven to accomplish His purposes in your life. No one will be able to stop you from succeeding.
Joshua knew this full well. He was told, “Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow the commands which Moses my servant ordered you to follow; do not turn from either to the right or to the left; then you will succeed wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7, CJB)
Joshua reaped the benefits. At 110 years old testified, “Not one of all the good things the LORD your God said concerning you has failed to happen; it has all come to pass; nothing of it has failed.” (Joshua 23:14, CJB)
Jesus submitted himself fully to the will of God even to the point of death and God Almighty granted him the name that is above every name.
Promotion does not come from the East or the West, promotion comes from the Lord.Walk in his ways and you will live a life filled with God.
“No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.” (Psalm 75:6-7, NLT)
As you commit yourself to doing God’s will as Jesus did, your life will be ordered by the Lord. God will arrange your schedules and will use all His power to accomplish His divine plan over your life.
In his book “Angels on Assignment,” Pastor Roland Buck testified that God had given him 120 specific prophecies. Those 120 things began to happen in sequence exactly as God told him. As an example, God said he would meet a person and would accept Christ on February 4, 1977 and would die on May 30, 1977. It seemed impossible but it happened exactly as God told him.
God told him on January 21,1977 that He was choosing Karol Wojtyla of Poland as pope. It was fulfilled on October 16,1978 when Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II.
At the time of writing of the said book, 117 prophecies already came to pass in sequence. Pastor Roland Buck testified, “God has scheduled each day of our lives. As we walk with Him, he will direct our path, and though unknown to us, he will bring to pass his purpose for each of us, just as surely as he has caused, or will cause, the 120 events to happen which were given to me that glorious day in the Throne Room.” (Angels on Assignment, page 72)
As you walk in God’s will, you also will enjoy His pleasure and presence.
“You make me know the path of life (or God’s will); in your presence is unbounded joy, in your right hand eternal delight.” (Psalm 16:11, CJB)
You and I are designed to carry God’s reality to people around you. God wants to shine His glory in you and through you. We were made to be God’s dwelling place on earth.
Jesus Christ became the perfect picture of God the Father. He became the full manifestation of God on earth.
This is also our calling, to represent Jesus Christ on earth to the glory of the Father. Jesus showed us how to live. We will do well to follow His way of life.
Merry Christmas!
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