As our social media life expands it appears our face-to-face relationships are starting to slip. When is the last time you had a dinner guest over or had someone sleeping on your sofa? Hospitality was always an important thing for Christians and still is in some places, but many of us have been letting it go. Remember Hebrews 13:2?
"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."
No earth shattering revelation here, but still important when it comes to loving kindness. If we are given an opportunity to take someone into our home, to shelter and feed, we have no idea what agent of the Lord we are blessing. In blessing them we are blessing our Lord.
Remember Abraham, as he sat near the great trees of Mamre three men came upon him. Abraham suddenly took on the role of a servant, being a great host to these angels. They went on from Abraham and encountered his nephew Lot in Sodom and this is the reception they received from him:
“Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” (Genesis 19:2)
These are excellent examples for Hebrews 13:2. But it isn't just a good idea to be hospitable, Jesus indicated it is his expectation of us. In the great passage of Matthew 25, Jesus gave examples of actions that bless him when we bless others:
"... for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in..."
There are further commands in the epistles, but I will only mention two:
"Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." (Romans 12:13)
"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." (1 Peter 4:9)
Simply put, our home belongs to the Lord and is to be made available to others. If he sends us people to care for then we are under the obligation of love to take them in and care for them, rich or poor. Hospitality is not just for those who need help but also an extended hand of friendship to any traveler. In fact, they don't even need to be travelers. Have someone over after worship service today and see how the Lord will bless others through you. Practice hospitality as a manifestation of Yahweh's love.
Showing posts with label 1 Peter 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Peter 4. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
In The World But Not Of It? Seriously?
"Be holy because I am holy," said Jehovah to his nation Israel.
Before the exodus from Egypt, Israel was nothing more than a people born of one man, a family, a bunch of slaves to be exploited in a land that did not belong to them. In order to be a nation you need an identity and land helps. To be a society you need a common law. Jehovah was going to give them all of this but he was also going to give them purpose, which was to be used by their God to glorify himself to the world.
The Law was given to separate Israel from every other nation. It was a physical separation, their actions marking the difference from the behaviour of everyone else. This Law became their identity, what defined them. Moses gave them these instructions for when they were to enter the Promised Land:
Keep all these commands that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. (Deuteronomy 27:1-3)
Notice they were to do this as soon as they entered, at the border. The Law was to be posted at the border to distinguish them from all other nations. Jehovah warned them time and again not to have anything to do with the behaviour of these other nations because they were under his judgement. Israel was not to take on their practices, or to intermarry because they would be corrupted and start to behave like the others. They wholly belonged to Yahweh. Unfortunately they did not obey.
They did exactly what Jehovah told them not to do; they intermarried, they took on the foreign gods, they sacrificed their children, they made deals with other nations, they stopped relying on Jehovah. Their behaviour became just like everyone else's, their hearts turned from Jehovah and they fell under his judgement. He was not glorified through Israel for the whole world to know him.
I often hear well meaning Christians saying, "We are in the world but not of it". Do you think that to be true? It should be because the Church has been raised up with the same purpose as Israel, that Yahweh would be glorified through us and the whole world would know of Jesus. Our big problem is that we do not know we are a people, a holy nation, set aside for his purpose. We still identify ourselves by our geographical location: I am a Canadian and I am Christian. I consider the laws I must answer to are found in my government and it is only natural for me to follow the customs and habits of the people around me. But the Word tells us differently.
If you read 1 Peter from cover to cover you will discover Yahweh's call to his holy nation to not conform to the patterns of this world and, because of our spiritual condition, we aught to be separate in behaviour. I encourage you to sit down and read the whole book in one digestion. Of living godly lives in a pagan society, Peter writes:
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
Later he writes:
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1-2)
Look around. Can you honestly say you are living for the will of Yahweh? Can you say that your relationship with Jesus is such that it keeps you from joining in with the things that he has called evil? Are we entertained by shows of murder? Do we play games where we get to kill people? Are we entertained by sex and lust, greed and pain? Are we honest in all things or just some things? Do we love him with all our being and others as ourselves? Are we governed by his holy will for us or by the lower law of the land or by our own desires? Do we waste our time on distractions or are we bent on his purpose for us in this place? Do we even see ourselves as being separate? Take heed:
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Amen!
Before the exodus from Egypt, Israel was nothing more than a people born of one man, a family, a bunch of slaves to be exploited in a land that did not belong to them. In order to be a nation you need an identity and land helps. To be a society you need a common law. Jehovah was going to give them all of this but he was also going to give them purpose, which was to be used by their God to glorify himself to the world.
The Law was given to separate Israel from every other nation. It was a physical separation, their actions marking the difference from the behaviour of everyone else. This Law became their identity, what defined them. Moses gave them these instructions for when they were to enter the Promised Land:
Keep all these commands that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. (Deuteronomy 27:1-3)
Notice they were to do this as soon as they entered, at the border. The Law was to be posted at the border to distinguish them from all other nations. Jehovah warned them time and again not to have anything to do with the behaviour of these other nations because they were under his judgement. Israel was not to take on their practices, or to intermarry because they would be corrupted and start to behave like the others. They wholly belonged to Yahweh. Unfortunately they did not obey.
They did exactly what Jehovah told them not to do; they intermarried, they took on the foreign gods, they sacrificed their children, they made deals with other nations, they stopped relying on Jehovah. Their behaviour became just like everyone else's, their hearts turned from Jehovah and they fell under his judgement. He was not glorified through Israel for the whole world to know him.
I often hear well meaning Christians saying, "We are in the world but not of it". Do you think that to be true? It should be because the Church has been raised up with the same purpose as Israel, that Yahweh would be glorified through us and the whole world would know of Jesus. Our big problem is that we do not know we are a people, a holy nation, set aside for his purpose. We still identify ourselves by our geographical location: I am a Canadian and I am Christian. I consider the laws I must answer to are found in my government and it is only natural for me to follow the customs and habits of the people around me. But the Word tells us differently.
If you read 1 Peter from cover to cover you will discover Yahweh's call to his holy nation to not conform to the patterns of this world and, because of our spiritual condition, we aught to be separate in behaviour. I encourage you to sit down and read the whole book in one digestion. Of living godly lives in a pagan society, Peter writes:
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
Later he writes:
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1-2)
Look around. Can you honestly say you are living for the will of Yahweh? Can you say that your relationship with Jesus is such that it keeps you from joining in with the things that he has called evil? Are we entertained by shows of murder? Do we play games where we get to kill people? Are we entertained by sex and lust, greed and pain? Are we honest in all things or just some things? Do we love him with all our being and others as ourselves? Are we governed by his holy will for us or by the lower law of the land or by our own desires? Do we waste our time on distractions or are we bent on his purpose for us in this place? Do we even see ourselves as being separate? Take heed:
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Amen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)