THAT I MAY KNOW HIM!(PHP.3:10)
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"BROTHER'S KEEPER"; GOD'S EXPLICIT REQUIREMENT FOR ETERNAL SECURITY! [MAT.25:31-46,PHP.2:2-5]
=======================
Let's begin by saying that,BEING OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER,IS ACTUALLY LIVING OUT THE GOD EXPECTED PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIFE!
Though, by worldly concerns it's perceptibly complicated,yet it doesn't change the fact that,being our brother's keeper is a key requirement for the confirmation and completion of our Salvation project.
Indeed, it's the second most explicit requirement of God from us. For the avoidance of doubt,the latter part of God's Law(No.7-10),is hinged on it...its summarised message being,*our need to be very mindful of fellow man,*to treat others like we desire to be treated. The FIRST REQUIREMENT of course,(No.1-6),is our avowed unsolicited obligatory duties to our awesomely Jealous FATHER *JEHOVAH*
God's dealing with Man right from the onset,is replete with His apparently unwavering determination that we must be on the lookout for one another. In Genesis 4:9,where the term *Brother's keeper* has its foundation,God asked Cain of his brother, Abel's whereabouts. And Cain while shelving responsibility begat the now popular phrase "Am I my brother's keeper?" And to emphasize HIS DISPLEASURE, God placed a curse on Cain in the vs 10-11,for failing to lookout for his brother.
In Eze.22:30,God was apparently dissatisfied when He sought for a Man [Brother's keeper] to stand in the gap for Israel, and finding none,was compelled to spit the consequences of His wroth on them. HE cares so much about our being responsible for one another,(the only way we can significantly shut devil up,in his campaign against Man's well being).
Consider this incident between our Lord Christ Jesus and fiery Peter.
31. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32. But I have prayed for thee, THAT THY FAITH FAIL NOT: and when thou art converted, STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN. (Luk 22: 31-32)
I hope you picked up a thing from that scripture...simply put, Christ Jesus is telling Peter,*lookout for your brothers wellbeing*... won't they in turn lookout for Peter... certainly!
Throughout the Bible,God again and again demonstrated His Resolve that we have a duty to be there for one another always, and in whatever situation and condition...THIS IS WHAT WE GOT WRONG, THAT'S GIVING THE DEVIL UNDESERVED VICTORY WITHIN OUR MIDST...MAY GOD REVERSE THAT TREND TODAY IN CHRIST JESUS NAME,AMEN
In Numbers 12:1-16, we read of Moses elder siblings,who instead of helping to quell the rebellion brewing oftentimes in the camp of the Israelites against Moses, resorted to fuelling it, by joining the Israelites to plot against their younger brother...we are told of how great God's wroth was,to the effect that Miriam was stricken with leprosy;
9. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
10. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. (Num 12: 9-10)THOSE WHO BLASPHEME GOD'S SERVANTS (THE GOD CALLED ONES)...TAKE NOTE ALSO.
Okay,in John 9,Christ Jesus personally and firmly confirmed His desire that we lookout for one another. After He restored the sight of the Man born blind,the scribes cast him out. When Christ saw this,HE sought him out... notice this... HE DIDN'T SEND ANYONE...HE LOOKED FOR THE MAN HIMSELF,and having found him,encouraged and comforted him, and in the process,wiping any seed of doubt and fear that his being cast out by the Religious Leaders may have initiated;
24. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no , I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. (Joh 9: 24-25)
34. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
35. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36. He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37. And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. (Joh 9: 34-38)
In Php.2:2-5, Apostle Paul confirmed the dictates of Christ Jesus;
2. Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4. LOOK NOT EVERY MAN ON HIS OWN THINGS, BUT EVERY MAN ALSO ON THE THINGS OF OTHERS.
5. Let THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS: (Php 2: 2-5)
Then let's take some verses from our anchor scripture;
35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee ?
39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: (Mat 25: 35-42)
It's essentially from 31-46...read it through if you can...infact,I encourage you to.
You see, from the verses above,here this;
Being wealthy or rich isn't a prerequisite for brotherly keeping...there are many around you and me that we can *brother keep* in several ways.
That person who's always poorly dressed(tattered or worn-out clothes and shoes),while in your wardrobe,there sit arrays of clothes and shoes that you don't really need or that you can afford to spare. It won't take anything from you,if you relinquish them for the sake of the aforementioned... without having to be begged first.
In your environment,there are those finding it difficult to afford just a meal a day. Meanwhile,your trashcan is a faithful *Keeper of throwaway food*. It will not cost you a thing to deny or relieve your trashcan off its duties and put a smile on some persons faces. You don't even have to wait until you get what to throw away.
How about the *many homeless* because of house rents inaffordability, either those you saw yourself or those you were told of, you may not have an estate,but you know in your heart of hearts,that you can do something,if you choose to...why are you waiting...go ahead and do it.
Haven't you seen school age and older children hawking through our towns and cities, because of school fees and poor parentage? What prevents you from taking a closer interest when you know you can pull one or two strings!
Mr CEO,what about some cars in your garage,that haven't been touched for years,except *regular warming* and yet, you scold your poorly paid staff,and probably deduct from the peanuts you pay them, because they came to work late because they have to trek ...as there's no workable transport allowance.
Of course the less privileged are always suppressed and oppressed,subjected to daily humiliations, because there's none to plead their CAUSE. Perhaps, you are an elite,in a position to right THINGS... what's keeping you from being their voice...is it the *It's not my business* academy? You can choose to come out and do something. There is so much we can do, as *our brother's keeper* Let's do it!
THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL IS THAT, WHATEVER WE DO FOR OTHERS,(GOOD OR EVIL), CHRIST JESUS CONFIRMED AND DECLARED THAT,WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THEM TO HIM;
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch AS YE HAVE DONE it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have DONE IT UNTO ME. (Mat 25: 40)
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch AS YE DID IT NOT to one of the least of these, YE DID it NOT TO ME. (Mat 25: 45)
Conclusively,it all begins and ends with love... without love,we can't be a brother's keeper... without love, being a brother's keeper becomes a lucrative market,as we see all day and night on social media and TV, where every little offer of help is recorded and published,even before the help is received.
3. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. (Mat 6: 3-4)
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. (1Jn 2: 9)
7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1Jn 4: 7-8)
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1Jn 4: 20)
May the MERCY and GRACE of God continue to speak for us, AMEN !
THAT I MAY KNOW HIM!(PHP.3:10)
=======================
"BROTHER'S KEEPER"; GOD'S EXPLICIT REQUIREMENT FOR ETERNAL SECURITY! [MAT.25:31-46,PHP.2:2-5]
=======================
Let's begin by saying that,BEING OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER,IS ACTUALLY LIVING OUT THE GOD EXPECTED PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIFE!
Though, by worldly concerns it's perceptibly complicated,yet it doesn't change the fact that,being our brother's keeper is a key requirement for the confirmation and completion of our Salvation project.
Indeed, it's the second most explicit requirement of God from us. For the avoidance of doubt,the latter part of God's Law(No.7-10),is hinged on it...its summarised message being,*our need to be very mindful of fellow man,*to treat others like we desire to be treated. The FIRST REQUIREMENT of course,(No.1-6),is our avowed unsolicited obligatory duties to our awesomely Jealous FATHER *JEHOVAH*
God's dealing with Man right from the onset,is replete with His apparently unwavering determination that we must be on the lookout for one another. In Genesis 4:9,where the term *Brother's keeper* has its foundation,God asked Cain of his brother, Abel's whereabouts. And Cain while shelving responsibility begat the now popular phrase "Am I my brother's keeper?" And to emphasize HIS DISPLEASURE, God placed a curse on Cain in the vs 10-11,for failing to lookout for his brother.
In Eze.22:30,God was apparently dissatisfied when He sought for a Man [Brother's keeper] to stand in the gap for Israel, and finding none,was compelled to spit the consequences of His wroth on them. HE cares so much about our being responsible for one another,(the only way we can significantly shut devil up,in his campaign against Man's well being).
Consider this incident between our Lord Christ Jesus and fiery Peter.
31. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32. But I have prayed for thee, THAT THY FAITH FAIL NOT: and when thou art converted, STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN. (Luk 22: 31-32)
I hope you picked up a thing from that scripture...simply put, Christ Jesus is telling Peter,*lookout for your brothers wellbeing*... won't they in turn lookout for Peter... certainly!
Throughout the Bible,God again and again demonstrated His Resolve that we have a duty to be there for one another always, and in whatever situation and condition...THIS IS WHAT WE GOT WRONG, THAT'S GIVING THE DEVIL UNDESERVED VICTORY WITHIN OUR MIDST...MAY GOD REVERSE THAT TREND TODAY IN CHRIST JESUS NAME,AMEN ๐
In Numbers 12:1-16, we read of Moses elder siblings,who instead of helping to quell the rebellion brewing oftentimes in the camp of the Israelites against Moses, resorted to fuelling it, by joining the Israelites to plot against their younger brother...we are told of how great God's wroth was,to the effect that Miriam was stricken with leprosy;
9. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
10. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. (Num 12: 9-10)THOSE WHO BLASPHEME GOD'S SERVANTS (THE GOD CALLED ONES)...TAKE NOTE ALSO.
Okay,in John 9,Christ Jesus personally and firmly confirmed His desire that we lookout for one another. After He restored the sight of the Man born blind,the scribes cast him out. When Christ saw this,HE sought him out... notice this... HE DIDN'T SEND ANYONE...HE LOOKED FOR THE MAN HIMSELF,and having found him,encouraged and comforted him, and in the process,wiping any seed of doubt and fear that his being cast out by the Religious Leaders may have initiated;
24. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no , I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. (Joh 9: 24-25)
34. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
35. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36. He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37. And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. (Joh 9: 34-38)
In Php.2:2-5, Apostle Paul confirmed the dictates of Christ Jesus;
2. Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4. LOOK NOT EVERY MAN ON HIS OWN THINGS, BUT EVERY MAN ALSO ON THE THINGS OF OTHERS.
5. Let THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS: (Php 2: 2-5)
Then let's take some verses from our anchor scripture;
35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee ?
39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: (Mat 25: 35-42)
It's essentially from 31-46...read it through if you can...infact,I encourage you to.
You see, from the verses above,here this;
Being wealthy or rich isn't a prerequisite for brotherly keeping...there are many around you and me that we can *brother keep* in several ways.
๐That person who's always poorly dressed(tattered or worn-out clothes and shoes),while in your wardrobe,there sit arrays of clothes and shoes that you don't really need or that you can afford to spare. It won't take anything from you,if you relinquish them for the sake of the aforementioned... without having to be begged first.
๐In your environment,there are those finding it difficult to afford just a meal a day. Meanwhile,your trashcan is a faithful *Keeper of throwaway food*. It will not cost you a thing to deny or relieve your trashcan off its duties and put a smile on some persons faces. You don't even have to wait until you get what to throw away.
๐How about the *many homeless* because of house rents inaffordability, either those you saw yourself or those you were told of, you may not have an estate,but you know in your heart of hearts,that you can do something,if you choose to...why are you waiting...go ahead and do it.
๐ Haven't you seen school age and older children hawking through our towns and cities, because of school fees and poor parentage? What prevents you from taking a closer interest when you know you can pull one or two strings!
๐Mr CEO,what about some cars in your garage,that haven't been touched for years,except *regular warming* and yet, you scold your poorly paid staff,and probably deduct from the peanuts you pay them, because they came to work late because they have to trek ...as there's no workable transport allowance.
๐Of course the less privileged are always suppressed and oppressed,subjected to daily humiliations, because there's none to plead their CAUSE. Perhaps, you are an elite,in a position to right THINGS... what's keeping you from being their voice...is it the *It's not my business* academy? You can choose to come out and do something. There is so much we can do, as *our brother's keeper* Let's do it!
THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL IS THAT, WHATEVER WE DO FOR OTHERS,(GOOD OR EVIL), CHRIST JESUS CONFIRMED AND DECLARED THAT,WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THEM TO HIM;
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch AS YE HAVE DONE it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have DONE IT UNTO ME. (Mat 25: 40)
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch AS YE DID IT NOT to one of the least of these, YE DID it NOT TO ME. (Mat 25: 45)
Conclusively,it all begins and ends with love... without love,we can't be a brother's keeper... without love, being a brother's keeper becomes a lucrative market,as we see all day and night on social media and TV, where every little offer of help is recorded and published,even before the help is received.
3. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. (Mat 6: 3-4)
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. (1Jn 2: 9)
7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1Jn 4: 7-8)
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1Jn 4: 20)
May the MERCY and GRACE of God continue to speak for us, AMEN ๐๐๐๐ฅ!