"I WANT TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS"

In the hymn, “More Like Jesus", the first stanza lyrics are, “I want to be more like Jesus, And follow Him day by day; I want to be true and faithful, And every command obey.” Our beloved Savior is worthy of our imitation. After all, He is the perfect example. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps”. The apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Corinth to “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Here are some of the characteristics of Jesus we should instill within our lives. 1. Jesus was submissive to the will of God His Father. Jesus stated in John 8:28, “I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true…” The eternal Word was willing to leave heaven to be made lower than angels and to suffer on Calvary for our sins so we could be saved (Hebrews 2:7;Phillipians 2:5-8).And, near to the ending of His life on this earth, He prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:36). So, from eternity to His death on the cross, Jesus was submissive to the will of His Father. 2. He came to this world to be a servant.. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Our Lord also said, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26). Therefore, Christians should have a ‘servant heart’. The apostle Peter wrote, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10). 3. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). We know that God desires all men to be saved (2 Pet 3:9). It is the mission of the church to preach the gospel to all the world, beginning where we are (Matthew 28:19,10). The church of our Lord is the “pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). We can teach the word publicly and from house to house as Paul did (Acts 20:20). We can support mission work in foreign lands; and preach and teach the gospel of Christ by every expedient method to reach the lost in every country. 4.Our Lord and Savior had compassion on people. “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus had compassion on the “four thousand men, beside women and children” who followed Him and fed them (Matthew 15:32,38);and, the “five thousand men besides the women and children” who had followed Him, and He also healed their sick (Matthew 14:13-21). The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12,13, that Christians should “ Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another….” True compassion is not just to ‘feel sorry’ for someone but to make an effort to help the person who is in need. 5. Jesus Christ was often in prayer to His Father in heaven. Here are a few times when Jesus prayed: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;c with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21).Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Jesus prayed before choosing 12 of the disciples to be apostles: “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). Of course, there is the prayer of Jesus when in the garden of Gethsemane as recorded in John 17. In Matthew 26:39, Jesus prayed, “saying, “O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” And while Jesus was on the cross he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments” (luke 23:34). We are to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4::6). Also we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should “Continue earnestly in prayer..” (Colossian 4:2). 6. Jesus possessed a forgiving heart. Jesus was indeed merciful and forgiving. He told the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven) (Mark 2:5); when a sinful woman bathed the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48). Even more compelling is the way that Jesus forgave those who sinned against him directly. For Jesus, forgiveness was not an automatic, it was intentional, a conscious choice. After the Roman soldiers had scourged and nailed him, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Lk 23:34). Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14,15). As Christians, we are to be forgiving. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even asGod in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). 7. Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life for us. We can never love as our Lord Jesus Christ loved while on this earth. It is expressly stated that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:3,5);the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21) and His disciples (John 13:1;15:9,12). Though not explicitly stated, it is believed to have been the apostle John whom the Lord Loved (John 13:23;19:26;20:2;21:7,20). But the greatest manifestation of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ was at Calvary when He shed His precious blood for the sins of the world. ”Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).”But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9) So, Our Lord shed His blood for all of mankind and His desire is that all would believe in Him and obey the gospel of Christ so the blood could wash away their sins, Therefore we should love God with all our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37,38). We are to love our Savior who died for us: “If you don’t love Jesus, you won’t have Jesus. Paul says: He who does not love the Lord, let him be accursed.O Lord come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22). We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34,35). And, “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and even those who would persecute us (Matthew 5:43,44). Though we cannot attain to the degree that Jesus loves; nevertheless, we should strive to be “More and more like Jesus, I would ever be, More and more like Jesus, My Savior

GOD'S PLAN FOR RELIGIOUS UNITY

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (NKJV, John 17:20, 21). In the Lord’s Prayer there are several things that are quite evident: 1. Jesus’ concern for His apostles. 2. Not only for His apostles but for all who would believe in Him. 3. That this belief would come through the apostles’ doctrine. 4. That there would and could be unity among all such believers. 5. This unity would have a tremendous impact on the unbelieving world. One of the most difficult things for modern man to accept and understand is that God intended for all believers to be united in religious matters. If this is not the case then our Lord prayed a deceptive prayer, knowing all the time that he was praying for something that was not possible. But our Lord knew that men could be united if we followed the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42). Unity of teaching cannot help but to produce unity of believers. There cannot be unity in diversity of doctrine and beliefs. Each separate and distinct religious organization exists today because of a distinctive and different doctrine. This is in direct contradiction to the Lord’s sentiments expressed in His prayer to the Father. We can also know the mind of God and the desire of the Holy Spirit in this matter through the inspired scriptures. God hates “he that sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19). The apostle Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit wrote in I Corinthians 1:10: “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Paul instructed early Christians in this manner: “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). We know that “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (I Corinthians 14:33). We must conclude therefore that religious division exists today, not because of God’s desire: rather, it is man’s unwillingness to be guided by the sole authority in religious matters and as found in the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). It seems odd that we accept the fact that the government has written a book for the Postal Service to use in the setting of prices regarding the sending of mail and packages, but, we reject the thought that God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us a divine book which can unite believers in his Son Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father has not left us without direction in this matter of religious unity. The Holy Spirit had the apostle Paul make a plea to the first century Christians to “Give diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). It should be the desire of every believer to contribute to unity and not disunity in religious affairs. This unity is possible if we subscribe to the Spirit’s platform as follows: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). These are seven basic truths that will unite all believers if we follow them in our heart and in our practice.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS, BOXES AND WRAPPING PAPER

It depends on how many family members, especially children, you have had on Christmas day as to how much ‘trash’ you will have to remove and carry to the street for the workers to pick up. In our area, you can see the blue cans that are placed on the street are filled with ‘trash’. As we are now in the last days of this year it is good that we dispose of some of our ‘trash’ if such we have in our hearts and lives. The apostle Paul stated it in this fashion: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…” (Colossians 3:5-10). In other words we all need to take an inventory of our lives and make sure that we discontinue those habits and sins that hinder our running “the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, 2). In the case of the gift and the giver, both are most important in spiritual matters. We are informed in John 3:16 that God gave the greatest gift ever – His Son to die for our sins on the cross of Calvary. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Just ponder for a while what is said here. We were not friends of God when He gave the greatest gift, His Son; rather, it was when by our own sins we were alienated from God (Isaiah 59:1, 2). Not only that, the Gift (Jesus Christ) also gave Himself for our salvation (John 15:13). The motive was pure love of the Father and the Son. Because we have been the recipients of salvation, “the gift of God”, (Ephesians 2:8), we should give ourselves in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are teeming millions of lost souls who need to hear the good news of our Savior Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:1-3) which “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). There are lonely souls who need our attention and affection. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble…” (James 1:27). The inspired writer in Hebrews 12:12 gave this exhortation, “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees…” There is much work for Christians to do as we spread the gospel and help those who are in need of our help. Let us remember the encouraging words Paul has given us as found in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

“I CAME NOT OF MY OWN ACCORD, BUT HE SENT ME”

Sometimes brethren think that God permitted His Son to come to earth to be the Savior of the world of His own desire and so God allowed Him to do so. However, scripture does not support that concept. The apostle John wrote concerning the controversy Jesus had with the Jews who did not accept the sonship of Jesus. And, they exclaimed that God was their father but the Lord declared they were the children of their father, the devil. “Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me,for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me” (ESV, John 8:42;7:28). It is the last sentence of Jesus’ statement that I want to consider in this article. It was in eternity that God predetermined that His Son would be sent to be the savior of fallen mankind. The decision to send His Son was a mutual agreement with the Father and the Son because they are one. The apostle Peter wrote that the elect of God were not “redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold” “but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world…” (1 Peter 1:18-20). In Revelation 13:8, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him,(the dragon,and beast) whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” We begin to understand as much as the human mind will allow, the eternal purpose and plan for the redemption of mankind; and, beginning with Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 22:16-18, the seed of woman and the seed of Abraham was to be Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who would take “away the sin of the world (Galatians 3:16; John 1:29). Throughout the Old Testament the theme was ‘Someone is coming’! And, “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4,5). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved”(NKJV, John 3:16,17). “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering death crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God, might taste death for every one (Hebrews 2:9). How great and marvelous is the love of God our Heavenly Father! Jesus knew why He came to this world. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but raise it up at the day. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:38-40). Jesus also said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent me.” “He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.” “When you lift up the Son man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.” “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 7:16). 8:26,28,29). When His time had come to die on Calvary, He said to his disciples, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 38,39). Jesus Christ was always in complete submission to His Father’s will, even when He was facing death on the cross for our sins. He always gave glory and honor to His Father, even as we, His children should do. The following song is very beautiful, meaningful and moving. The Love of God: “The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win, His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from his sin. Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry/ O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure- The saints and angels song.” - Frederick Martin Lehman