The Word This Week – AGAPE: A LOVE THAT GIVES AND DOES NOT EXPECT IN RETURN

Ref: the agapechurch.tv | http://www.theagapechurch.tv/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/WhatIsAgape.png

 

Christ is your example. Follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21)

 

IF YOU ARE CHASING ANOTHER RELIGION YOU WILL BE DISCOURAGED

Do you feel betrayed and disappointed when friends let you down?  Are you expecting a reward all the time? Are you being calculative? Are you keeping a record of how much you have been giving and trying to strike a balance of how much they have returned to you? Perhaps there may be times when you feel that you have given more than what is returned back to you?

You know what? Jesus is no exception!  He gave all He had in order that we may be set free and be abundantly blessed (John 10:10). Nevertheless, He experienced disappointments, He was let down by some of them He trusted so much. They became unreliable and immature. One even betrayed Him.

 

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All the preaching, all the counselling, all the advice that He GAVE was however not accepted by everybody. Only some fell on good ground and reaped a harvest. A lot of it fell on bad ground and were destroyed.

Although the Scripture says in John 1: 4,

 

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men, 5 the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. 11 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.

 

Many of us have got it all wrong. We think Christianity is another religion full of rules and laws to upkeep. Until we get this mindset fixed that Christianity is all about a relationship with Jesus, we will be struggling to get to live in the abundant life promised for us.

 

John 13:1: Having loved His own, He loved them unto the end.

 

Jesus loved everybody irrespective of who they were not because they were worthy of His love. Not because they met the mark!  Not because they were righteous! You know what?  His love made them worthy! His righteousness made them righteous! His blood made them clean!

 

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Ref: pinchofgrace.net

 

The greatest price ever paid in human history was paid for you and me to bring us out of darkness into light. From bondage into freedom. From curse into blessing.

 

THE KEY IS: Keep in mind always that the ultimate master you are serving is Christ (Col 3:24)

 

A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE EXPRESSES THE CHARACTER OF GOD

The will of God for His children redeemed by the blood of Jesus is to reflect the heart of God and express His character. Therefore, Christian giving and serving is part of the will of God – II Cor. 8:5

The problem with most of us is that we have unconsciously allowed the enemy to shift our focus from walking in the spirit to walking in the flesh.

 

Gal.5:16: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

 

There is a warring force that constantly confronts us against walking in the spirit. The only way we can overcome this destructive force is by refusing to accommodate the deceptive voice of the enemy.

 

PAUL DISCOVERED EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF CHRIST IS RUBBISH

We must understand that the moment we become BORN AGAIN we are on a journey of transformation. This journey is a process of crucifying our flesh and gradually bringing us to a place of total surrender to God where you can say as Paul said in Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

 

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”

 

We are supposed to seek the Kingdom of God first and foremost and all these other things will be added to us. In fact, we don’t even have to ask God for them, because as kingdom rule comes into play it becomes a game changer in your life (Matt.6:33).

 

GOD’S SYSTEM WILL NEVER FAIL YOU.

In God’s economy His faithfulness and His promise out -stands everything else. You see God is a faithful God.  God is a promise-keeping God. If you and I can take care of His business, He will take care of all our concerns.

 

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God’s system has never failed since the beginning of history but unfortunately man’s system fails all the time. Yet man keeps chasing after elusive things like his own clever ideas believing that he can steer his own boat without God in the picture.

 

John 15: 5: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

 

WE HAVE GOT IT ALL WRONG

I am truly devastated to discover some people who are not even Christians can demonstrate such love to mankind without expecting a return from them. The value, the compassion and the mercy they place for humanity can put some Christians to shame sometimes.

 

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25, ESV)

Jesus asked him what was written in the law, and the man responded: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27, ESV)

 

Pressing further, the lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

Your neighbor?

Jesus told of a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attacked him, took his possessions and clothes, beat him, and left him half dead.

A priest came down the road, saw the injured man, and passed by him on the other side. A Levite passing by did the same.

A Samaritan, an unbeliever from a race hated by the Jews, saw the hurt man and showed compassion on him. He poured oil and wine on his wounds, bound them up, then put the man on his donkey. The Samaritan took him to an inn and cared for him.

 

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The next morning, the Samaritan gave two denarii to the innkeeper for the man’s care and promised to repay him on his way back for any other expenses.

Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three men is a neighbor. The lawyer answered the man who showed mercy.

Then Jesus told him, “You go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37, ESV)

 

YOU GIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED GOD’S LOVE

 

Loveless giving is absolutely not Christian giving – I Cor. 13:3

Christian giving expresses God’s righteousness – II Cor. 9:9,10

 

People don’t realise that when you give the biggest joy comes out from your gesture of giving. When you think whatever you give must be reciprocated because you feel you’ve done something good and you expect justification.  Then I am afraid, your very faith in Christ is questionable.

 

Acts 20:35: And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

 

God loves a person who gives cheerfully, not grudgingly, not giving because you want to cut a deal with Him!  YOU CAN NEVER TRADE WITH GOD. YOU CAN NEVER OUTGIVE HIM, no matter how much you give. REMEMBER HE GAVE ALL HE HAD!

 

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Ref: squarespace

 

Giving is not hard but people just make it hard for themselves. Humans are becoming greedy and selfish. Thus giving is becoming an issue of settling accounts and balances. If we keep giving without asking in return we’ll be doing the noblest deed for ourselves. However, keep giving and blessing others, don’t worry; somewhere/somehow you bet, one day God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing which will be a mind-boggling blessing that will bounce back to you!

 

GOD IS A GIVING GOD!

 

John.3:16: For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. We did not deserve such a sacrifice. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8: God’s agape love is unmerited, gracious, and constantly seeking the benefit of the ones He loves.

 

Mother Teresa said: if you are kind, people will accuse you of selfish motives; be kind anyway! The good you do today most people will forget; do good anyway, You may give the world the best, it may never be enough: give your best anyway! You know what? At the end of the day it’s between you and God, it’s not about the people out there.

 

Faith by itself if it’s not accompanied by action is dead. But someone will say you have faith I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do.  (James 2:15-18)

 

JaiNote: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of   Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is a mission    minded pastor who carries an apostolic anointing who  preaches  and teaches an uncompromising gospel  with  boldness. A member  of ECCM (Malaysia)  Spiritual Adviser &  overseer to various  ministries and churches. An itinerant  speaker.  He is also the  author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time  Clock.’ Currently he  worships  at C3 Subang.

 

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Rev Dr Jai Kumar

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