⏲ 20 mins
My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you- Heb 12:5
Are we following Jesus Christ and allowing Him to correct us and rebuke us when we deviate from His radar (at times)?
As we know that the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son. (Heb 12:7)
If you endure discipline, God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
When Jesus wanted to teach His immediate team on serving nature and humble approach, He washed their feet by showing as His example (The Son of God touching and washing the feet of the followers). He did not expect them to wash His feet on return, however Jesus asked an important question? Do you understand what I have done to you?
Two approach that we can apply from this context
- Are we understanding what Jesus done to us?
- Are we clear what we have done to others like Him?
Some Free flow thoughts on the subject called teaching areas that Jesus Focused and asked the disciples to do the better things.
Be a servant
Be humble
Do to others as I washed your feet.
Do to others as you want them to do
Do Love
Do obey
Do give
Do listen
Do go
Do keep
Do Pray
Do serve
Do suffer
Do show the other cheek
Do walk to 2 miles
Do forgive and prove that you're my disciple
Do not give up - Jesus in the Wilderness
Be fruitful
Do follow Jesus.
We want blessing without cross.
We want favour with out prayer
We want things to be done first then decide to follow Jesus.
We want position, procession without paying the price that is required.
We want the first place without practice.
In other words, don’t be satisfied with a level 7 humility. Pursue level 10 humility. You can never be humble enough. Compared to 20 years ago, I am much humbler. God has been at work in me through the various ministry experiences I have had. My fellowship with other believers has also helped me to grow in humility.
Be joyful.
Joy is like engine oil. Even when high temperatures strain the engine, the oil keeps everything functioning smoothly. Joy is evidence that God is at work in our lives.
when we consistently acknowledge his work, embrace his promises, and receive his forgiveness, joy begins to bubble up—even in the midst of adverse and confusing circumstances.
Jesus wanted his disciples to be full of joy (John 15:11). Nehemiah told a tearful group of returned exiles that the joy of the Lord was their strength (Neh. 8:10). Paul filled one of his letters with joyful words and told his readers to rejoice in the Lord always (Phil. 4:4). David said fullness of joy is found in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11). And Moses asked God to satisfy his people with unfailing love so they could sing for joy and be glad all their days (Psalm 90:14). According to Scripture, our joy is a big deal to God.
When we experience the joy of the Lord, our circumstances may not change, but our perspective on them is radically altered.
Regular seasons of prayer are the key to maintaining our experience of God’s joy
Do serve
If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven’s glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:26 AMP
Do Intercede, Pray
Father God, keep me alert to the evil one with spiritual eyes wide open as You use me to make a difference for eternity by helping other people come to know, grow in, and live for You.
So then let us not sleep [in spiritual indifference] as the rest [of the world does], but let us keep wide awake [alert and cautious] and let us be sober [self-controlled, calm, and wise].
1 Thessalonians 5:6 AMP
At the same time pray for us, too, that God will open a door [of opportunity] to us for the word, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have been imprisoned;
Colossians 4:3 AMP
Father God, I pray as well for each member of my family and my pastor(s), church staff, and fellow believers. May they suit up in Your armor and experience victory by Your power.
Does true prayer include making requests of God? Sure it does. God encourages us to cast our cares on him, because he really does care for us. But the requests of true prayer are always in the context of surrender and celebration. It is surrender and celebration that keep those requests from being selfish demands or bitter complaints. This kind of prayer is a tool of God’s grace in your life. As you put God in his proper place and celebrate your place as his child, prayer becomes a tool God uses to free you from your bondage to you. Now, that’s grace!
Do Forgive
If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive [that one]; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of [and with the approval of] Christ, to keep Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 AMP
Be Patience
Patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting] Galatians 5:22-23 AMP
Do not give up
And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harbouring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].
Ephesians 4:27 AMP
Do Obey to God
The enemy may come against you, but obey to the God, by seeking & keeping His commandments, by reading, listening, walking with Him.
Satan [the adversary] stood up against Israel and incited David to count [the population of] Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:1 AMP
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?
Acts 5:3 AMP.
Lord, when Satan goes after the core of who I am—telling me I’m a worthless sinner, a lost cause, an embarrassment to You—remind me of whose I am and who You say I am . . . a saint, a new creation, Your beloved child.
Do Obey
After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:8-9, 11 AMP
Do correct
You must submit to [correction for the purpose of] discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Hebrews 12:7 AMP
Correction is the painful.
Everyone is/must going through it
Outcome of correction is change.
Paul at Damascus road
Peter at the mountain, Gathsemane.
David at Ps 51
Esther vs Mordagai
What type of correction?
Fear1, by thinking about future
Fear2, to face a challenge
Fear3, what to speak and what not, learning a lesson to keep quite.
Fear4, religious vs relationship
Fear5, listening to the correct voice
Fear6, confidence - Paul said, Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13 AMP.
Fear 7, Sufferings. Correction process brings change, joy but a price to be paid.
Be fruitful, the first command
We must be willing to leave the external standards of success, because they can hinder the producing of fruit. God intentionally prunes away these things from our lives, so that we no longer pursue the acknowledgement of others, but produce the fruit that He desires instead. God doesn’t want leaves, He wants fruit.
Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. John 15:4 AMP.
2020 Prayer
Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].
1 Peter 5:8-10 AMP
Individual Prayer to obedience
Being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:6 AMP
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23 AMP
Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
@Posted on 15-Nov-2020
