Feature Photo of Dead Sea Israel By Dave Herring Upsplash.com
Walking in Godly Principles is a bi-weekly scripture of encouragement, subscribed by “…time with the master…”. Previously published on the front page of the site, it will now appear additionally, as a post.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
Feature Photo of Dead Sea Israel By Dave Herring Upsplash.com
Walking in Godly Principles is a bi-weekly scripture of encouragement, subscribed by “…time with the master…”. Previously published on the front page of the site, it will now appear additionally, as a post.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
Feature Photo of Dead Sea Israel By Dave Herring Upsplash.com
Walking in Godly Principles is a bi-weekly scripture of encouragement, subscribed by “…time with the master…”. Previously published on the front page of the site, it will now appear additionally, as a post.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
Feature Photo of Dead Sea Israel By Dave Herring Upsplash.com
Walking in Godly Principles is a bi-weekly scripture of encouragement, subscribed by “…time with the master…”. Previously published on the front page of the site, it will now appear additionally, as a post.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
In previous sessions we’ve looked at the Kingdom of God and how it is that as we obey God’s principles, (or His Government), we are blessed by Him (Psa.1:1-4). We also saw that as we drift out of His principles in our day, God is not able to bless us – this is because His Government is indisputable, irreversible, and final. We see in the books of Zechariah and Daniel, that His government, or another expression for His word or law, is beyond debate or question, whether we agree with it or not! (Zech.14:9; Daniel 2:44).
God desires to bless you and me on a daily basis, but if we don’t adhere to His principles, His own government prevents Him from doing so. If He were to bless someone who is acting outside of His Government, then He would be obliged to even bless the accuser of the believers, the devil – a situation He cannot have!
If God’s principles are close to our hearts, then we will be more aware of them during the course of our day. In this session, we are going to look at some of His principles that can apply specifically to our behavior in the workplace.
Please remember, there are many more principles in His word than what we are looking at in this session. Let’s try and prayerfully sit with the Lord on a regular basis, asking Him to reveal more principles to us, so that we become more aware and more blessed.
Eph 6:5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
How obedient are we to those in authority over us? Do we carry out our tasks with a sincere heart, as if we were doing the work for the Lord?
Eph 6:6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
Eph 6:7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
We should be working as though we are working for the Lord – not trying to please mankind but to please the Lord.
Eph 6:8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
As we work diligently as if for the Lord, His promise is that we will receive blessing back from Him.
1Ti 6:1 All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.
Are we able to treat those in authority over us with honor? This, so that the name of the Lord is not scoffed at.
1Ti 6:2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren but must serve them all the more because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.
Are we blessed to have an authority figure over us who believes in the Lord? The scripture says they are brothers or sisters in the Lord and therefore we should serve them. We should encourage this behavior in our workplace – not criticize it.
1Pe 2:18 Servants, you must obey your masters and always show respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful but also to those who are cruel.
It can be very easy to show respect to those who treat us well, but the scripture says we also need to show respect to those who are not kind to us as well.
1Pe 2:19 God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being loyal to him.
As we respect others in the workplace we adhere to this Godly principle and therefore the Lord will bless us.
1Pe 2:20 You don’t gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you if you have to suffer for doing something good.
Have we been wrongfully accused of doing something – God says He will bless us if we are persecuted for wrongs we did not do.
1Pe 2:21 After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.
The Lord allows situations of suffering to come to us in order that we will change. If we had perfect lives – there would be no need for us to know or seek God.
1Pe 2:22 Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie.
Have a time of reflection about our day today. How many times did we lie or be deceitful? In our old sinful nature, we will continue to be deceitful but in our new Christ-like nature, His character will flow through us.
1Pe 2:23 Although he was abused, he never tried to get even. And when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly.
We need to trust in God more throughout our day. If wrongs have been done to us, God knows about it and it is His place to judge and bring vengeance – not ours.
In this last section let’s read out some scripture together as we did previously in part 2a. At the end of the section, pause and discuss for 10min what you have read together.
However, VERY IMPORTANTLY – please note here:
We have put in brackets some words in the following scriptures for the purpose of highlighting them for employees and employers. We are not trying to change God’s word.
EMPLOYERS
Col 4:1 Masters, (EMPLOYERS) grant to your slaves (EMPLOYEES) justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.
Eph 6:9 And masters (EMPLOYERS), do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Col 3:25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
1Pe 3:7 You husbands (EMPLOYERS) in the same way live with your wives (EMPLOYEES) in an understanding way, as with someone weaker…….. and show her (THEM) honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
1Pe 3:8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
1Pe 3:9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
EMPLOYEES –
1Pe 3:1 In the same way, you wives (EMPLOYEES), be submissive to your own husbands (EMPLOYERS) so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives (EMPLOYEES),
1Pe 3:2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
1Pe 3:3 Your adornment must not be merely external–braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
1Pe 3:4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
Remember – as we adhere to these principles daily, we will be blessed. I pray that the Lord has ministered some ‘pearls of wisdom in this session. These Godly principles for our daily lives are very difficult to adhere to if we try in our own strength. Let’s call on the Lord daily, to help us with the power of His Holy Spirit.
As we enter into the Kingdom of God here and now, we have acknowledged that our old sinful nature (the engine that drives us to sin), has died and been buried with Jesus. Let’s begin to walk in the new resurrected nature that God has given us. This is the nature that is able to walk daily in God’s principles.
Please join me next week, for PART 7, where we will be looking at Christian businesses, to see how God would like them managed. Be blessed during this coming week – I look forward to being with you soon.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
In this final session, Jesus begins by teaching on the issue of the judgment of others. He warns that in terms of how the Disciples judge others, they themselves will be judged by the same measure. In comparatively harsh words, He explains why they are not in a position to judge others. Rather they should concentrate judgment of themselves.
Changing subjects, Jesus goes on to tell His disciples they should be discerning with whom they share these teachings. Unholy people will mock their words, damming them, and finally, use those words to attack the disciples personally.
Jesus now tells them that there are three things they should always do: Ask, if they are in need; they should seek if they are in doubt, and should they wish to enter Him and follow his example, they only have to knock. He assures them, in asking, they will receive what they ask for, in seeking they will find what they are looking for. Lastly, if they knock to enter Him, he will open the door.
He now compares their giving to that of His Father and states his Father’s giving to be the stronger, this is the way that their giving should be.
Wrapping this point up, Jesus states that they should always do unto others as they would have others do to them. He explains that this is the fulfillment of their law.
Now Jesus talks about the way forward, saying, the entrance to the Kingdom of God on earth is only accessible through a narrow gate. This leads to an equally narrow walk. Because the gate is narrow, few find it. Because the way is so narrow, it is a difficult walk. They will observe though, that the world at large enters their lives via a wide gate, easy to find and easy to walk.
He warns His disciples concerning those that would approach them with differing doctrines. He says that whilst they would appear as mild as lambs on the outside, they will be as ferocious as wolves on the inside. The way they should judge this ilk is to look at the fruit they bear in their lives. They well know that grapes don’t grow on thorn bushes and figs are not found on thistles. Neither do good trees bear bad fruit or bad trees bear good fruit. Those that do not bear good fruit are uprooted and destroyed. In short, don’t entertain these, they will ultimately destroy themselves.
Jesus continues; saying that because there will be those that call Him “…Lord, Lord…” does not necessarily mean they will enter into the Kingdom. Only those who do His Father’s will. Even when these protest that they performed miracles in His name, He will say, “I don’t know you, away from me you thugs!”
Jesus concludes by saying that any person who hears His words and acts on them would be compared to a wise person, who builds their house on firm foundations. When violent storms ravaged the earth, the house stood firm. Those, however, who hear His words and do not act on them are like the foolish person, who built their house on sandy foundations. When the storms raged the house collapsed in a huge heap.
The crowds below observed that Jesus did not teach like the teachers of their day, but as a person who had authority.
My prayer is that this series enlivened the Spirit within you and me, resulting in us thanking God for etching these Kingdom principles into our hearts.
Blessings
Peter.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
We read in the introduction that Jesus, moved away from the crowd, up the mount and sitting down, taught his Disciples. In other words, this teaching was only for them.
Today I would start by saying, the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus were all Jews and raised under the law of the Jewish Torah. The basis of Jesus’s teaching was not to set aside this law but expand it so as to express the heart of God.
In part one we said the essence of Jesus’s message is the setting of a lifestyle for His Disciples. His message was not aimed at changing laws, but rather a change of heart.
He begins, in Chapter six by saying they must never show off their Godly acts in public. These, He continues, saying, when they give it must be done in secret. A warning is issued here; if they make public their Godly acts, there will be no benefit for them. They must carry out these in secret and God will bless them in secret.
Likewise, in terms of prayer, these must never be a public performance, but in private. Likewise, their prayers must come from their hearts as if they were in intimate conversation with God. (when we are in conversation with one another, we do not double-talk.) The prayer pattern he gave them was only a guideline and not to be prayed repetitively. Praying as such would bring results.
Jesus enlarges the words, “…forgive us our debts..” Saying forgiving others is of critical importance. As they forgave others it would unlock the door of freedom for them.
It was a practice of the day for fasting Jews to look unkempt and painful. Jesus explains; to receive benefit from fasting, they must behave in the reverse.
He goes on by saying they must not be materialistic. Every person that dies takes nothing but relationships with them. Those that live a Godly life build up benefits in the afterlife. Jesus cautions that their heart desires will determine their rewards in the afterlife.
Jesus now reveals the importance of the fact that their eyes are the windows of their soul. (It is a scientific fact that 55% of our emotions are projected via our eyes.) Their heart condition must be Godly, in order to project Godly power from within themselves.
He warns His Disciples that they will not be able to be in an intimate relationship with God and be slaves to materialism. They must choose one or the other, no other options.
Finally, Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ Worry is a powerfully destructive emotion; it blinds the mind to Godly thinking and peace. It blocks the release of miracles and many opportunities.
For those that are committed to living by faith, worry is a primary obstacle. I found in my life; worry was caused by listening to thoughts in my mind. I should rather believe that my Father knows what I need, and will he not provide?
Until next Sunday then.
Blessings
Peter.
If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.
Ad Crucem Christi - The Cross of Christ 