Laboring for Christ

Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 02:15 AM.

I had always taken this passage literally, as I think most of you reading this have. And still , others have yet to come across studying it.While we can and do take it literally(I hope)It has a spiritual aspect as well. I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you understanding as you read. And as you read your own bible, sit quietly , and ask Him to open the Word up to you. He is , after all , our Counselor , guiding us into all Truth.



The Sheep and the Goats

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."





The purpose of this blog is to show the spiritual aspect of this teaching. I am not a pastor , you must read your own bible to be fed. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all Truth, rely upon Him , and the Word of God alone for your own growth.



The peace of the Lord Jesus , Christ , be upon you brothers and sisters. I love each of you in Christ.



I'll put this in order by topic,

First , HUNGER...



Jesus is the Bread of Life.

NIV Jn 6:33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."



NIV Jn 6:35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.



NIV Jn 6:48 I am the bread of life.



NIV Jn 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."



-John 6:47-51 (NIV)

47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."



Now , we have established that Jesus is the Bread of Life.



Gods will is that all should be saved.

1 Tim 2:3-6 (NIV)

3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.



Jesus gave us a way to help do that. The great commission.



Mark 16:15-16 (NIV)

15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.



And so we fulfill this command by going to the spiritually hungry. Give them Jesus. The Bread of Life. Is this not commanded of us by our Lord?! How can we withold food from the starving? How can we not satisfy their hunger?! How can we receive this Bread , and through things not of God , (FEAR , SELFISHNESS , LAZINESS , and INDIFFERENCE) keep this Bread only to ourselves? Let us GO , let us multiply this Bread so that all can be satisfied. Our Lord has an infinite supply! Look at the loaves and the fish. Through Jesus our Lord , there is enough to be had for all. He will multiply your strength, He will multiply your courage , He will multiply your compassion, he will multiply your desire to serve! Come to Him in prayer! Ask Him for what it is that you think you lack, and watch Him prepare you , and use you for His glory and Kingdom! Ours is a faithful God. There is none like Him!



It is a joy to serve the Lord, so let us serve His Bread to those who hunger the most , the lost.



Secondly, Thirst...



Jesus is the Living Water

NIV Zec 14:8The Lord Comes and Reigns8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.



NIV Jn 4:10Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."



NIV Jn 4:11Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?



NIV Jn 7:38Is Jesus the Christ?38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."



NIV Rev 7:17The Great Multitude in White Robes17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."



Now we have established Jesus is Living Water



NIV

Jer 17:13Chapter 17

13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.



How many do we pass each day , dying , from spiritual thirst? (so many don't know what it is they thirst for, but they do thirst all the same)We well know what it is to receive and be filled. Their cups are empty before us. Will you help the Lord fill them?The Lord has lavished upon us all kinds of gifts (Ephesians Chapter one)



John 7:37-39 (NIV)

37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.



We are full of Living Water , the gift of God. How can we not share and quench the thirst of others who need and truly desire the Lords Living Water?We have it springing up from inside us! Let us fill their cups with our Lord! What a joy it is to work for our Lord!



Let us serve His Living Water to those who thirst the most , the lost.



Do you feel full? Do you need to ask for more of the Holy Spirit? If you are to pour out this Living Water, do you not need to be refilled yourself? We are all baptized into Christ. But we can be filled many times.



Luke 11:9-13 (NIV)

9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"



Ask Him right now!





Third on the list , Inviting Strangers In...



While we must be wise in this endeavor , follow the Holy Spirits leading here. We are all strangers here in this world (believers in Christ)



NIVJob 31:32Chapter 31:32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler



NIV Ps 39:12For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.12 "Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were.



NIV Ps 119:19Gimel19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.



There are poor among us , take them in. How can we leave a brother or sister out in the cold?

It is written :

James 2:14-17 (NIV)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.



And besides , you may even be helping an angel. I want a good report. How about you?



Heb 13:1-2 (NIV)

1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.



We should be looking , actively , for people to help , as we are led. There are so many to be harvested , and the workers are indeed few. Won't you help in our Fathers vineyard? Some of us are better equipped ( and for a purpose) than others are. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you , He won't steer you wrong. Pray for , and about these things. He's just waiting for you to take interest in our Fathers work. Children always emulate the Parent they love. I know He went out of His way to find me and you. Lets grow together to be like Him. Seeking that which was lost.





Fourth , Caring For The Sick...



There are so many ways to do this. Ask your pastor or church leadership to assign this task to you. This is generally a job for the deacons. But many of you probably go to non-traditional churches. There is a biblical way to proceed here. I will leave you to find out why yourself. A nice side study , no?



We can visit hospitals , clinics , shelters. Pick a brother or sister or two and head on out. Pray and ask Him to use you while you're doing this.



Eccl 4:9-12 (NIV)

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.



Take this in the Spirit , and see how the Lord will use your "team."

Though we may work alone at times. This , I think , should not be the normal approach. Follow the Holy Spirits leading here. This is my opinion.



Those of you called this way (Healing)



Matt 10:6-8 (NIV)

7 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.



These gifts are alive today. If you are in doubt of this read 1 Corinthians 12 1-11



1 Cor 12:1-11 (NIV)

1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.



This Word is meant for us. Reading our bibles, the true , accurate , total and complete Word of God. Infallible , trustworthy , tried and true. I suppose you can guess where I stand in what I am saying. Use what the Spirit gives you , when led , (and He will prompt you) only for the Glory of our Lord. Amen!?



Another point. Being unwhole , or infirm , or sick in spirit. You will have to apply the salve of Gods word to cure this. Bread and Water to strengthen you. By His stripes , we are healed. Make whole those who are broken , especially among your brothers and sisters. Jesus wants His living stones whole and intact to build up His ever expanding Kingdom. Lets help others and ourselves by following Gods Word here.







Fifth and final point , Imprisonment...



Lets look at persecution here first. I will ask you to go to ( www.persecution.com ) The voice of the martyrs website , they have a global map of hostile and restricted countries concerning the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are several countries where our brothers and sisters are losing their lives for His sake. Also imprisonment and beatings , and so on. I will let you look this up on the website, as you will be inspired to pray , I believe , more for these persecuted brethren.



Heb 13:1-3 (NIV)

1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.



Because there is far too much to write , I'll refrain from writing it all , but do visit , and correspond with our brothers and sisters. There are several ways to do this. And several christian organizations that will help you. Encourage them , a simple encouragement in the form of a letter or care package or e-mail, can make a world of difference to one who is suffering for our Lord.



Back to the spiritual aspect of imprisonment. Who and what and where were you before Christ shone His light and mercy upon you?



You were a prisoner of the world. Wrapped in chains so heavy , you couldn't barely breathe.

Spiritually dead , seperated from the Light and Life of Christ.



The Servant of the Lord



Isaiah 42:1-9 (NIV)

1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." 5 This is what God the Lord says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8 "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."



Eph 4:1-8 (NIV)

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."



Since Christ has freed us from all of this, can we stand by and just observe the dead walking all around us? NO! Shine the light Christ has given you upon those blind and deaf , and see if the Holy Spirit of God doesn't begin to quicken those cursed and dead who are enslaved by the world and its powers. The Kingdom of God is always growing and expanding. And we are gathering bricks to bring to our Lord and lay them at His feet for His glory! Pray for the lost , pray that the spiritual blindness and deafness be broken , first freedom for those who are around you , then your city, your country , and His world. For it all belongs to our Lord , Savior , and Master , , Christ and Messiah , Jesus , the one True King over all of heaven and earth.

Come Lord Jesus!



In closing , We will be seperated at the throne for what we have and have not done. We need to read this passage, and let it stir us into action. Our Lord wants us to work in His kingdom. Remember , not everyone who cries Lord , Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Examine yourself, do everything in love. Without love we are nothing. You will labor in vain without it. Pray to the Father for more love in your heart , and a passion for doing His will and following His purpose in your life. I hope this touches all who read it. I want to be with all of you in heaven. God loves you so much, and so do I in Christ. Do all you can to stay strong in the Lord! Keep running the race, our God is faithful to keep you up! Jesus , please strengthen all who see this for Your sake. Amen. Thank you Jesus.



If you would like to help send Bread out to all other parts of the world I have info. for you. A reliable , accountable company. The cost is only $4.00 per bible. And they have many matching grant opportunities to make the most of what you can give. After all , we are called to be good stewards as well. :)



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May the grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Love in Christ

Your brother Matthew

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