In the above passage Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their hypocrisy.
In John 7:24 Jesus says "stop judging by appearances , but judge with righteous judgement". One part of the message is clear that I shouldn't judge other people for their faults since we have faults of our own for which we are blind(v3). Jesus is telling(v5) to take out the beam(Log) from my eyes so that I can have a clear vision to remove the speak from my brother's eye. There are 3 parts in the above illustration of "Judging"
Lord Jesus teaches 3 steps in Mathew how I remove dust from my brother's eye.
Math 18;15-17 "If your brother sins against you, go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that 'every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector Talk to him when he is alone
If he doesn't listen take one or two other brothers
Finally inform it to the congregation and if he doesn't listen to congregation let him be an unbeliever and a tax collector means that I have to pray for his salvation
Contemplate:
How will I remove the speck without condemning?
How will I confront the sin without condemning the sinner?
-D.Sam Devavaram
After Moses returns to camp with the second set of stone tablets he asks everyone (Exodus 35) who is willing to look at what they have a then bring whatever they wish for the preparation of the tabernacle. Precious metals and bronze, hides, wood, olive oil, spices and jewels as well as their skills as relevant. We read that they then all went back to their tents, and then came back with all kinds of materials, to the point that there was more than needed Exodus 36:4
What caught my attention though was the line 'they presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord'. 35:22b Later we are told that the gold waved was about a ton! The wave offering was unique in that the offering be it bread or a part of the sacrifice was waved before the Lord, thereby consecrating it to him, but then used in ministry, i.e. food for the priests rather than being burnt on the altar.
Does the image capture your attention, the community taking what they had already acquired and waving it before the Lord, all that gold glinting in the sunlight must have been a pretty spectacular sight?
What are we waving today?
What can we wave today?
We bring the sacrifice of praise, our monetary gifts for his faithfulness in our lives but do we see the opportunity to bring
what we have in our homes?
Our computers?
Cars?
Phones?
Blessings that we have come to own through our work in the marketplace and wave them before him?
Thereby consecrating them to him, and allowing him to use them for his purposes?
Who knows what he could do with them?
-NATHAN ANDREWS-
I turn the clock back 40 years to 1979 when I joined the automobile Dealership business. I walk into my office and the two gadgets that greet me are the telephone with a loud "tring tring" and the typewriter with its "dut " "dut" "dut" "tring". The assistant brings in the mail ( letters ) . My thought out replies were dictated, rough copy checked, approved and dispatched the next day. The reply would come days later. If I had to call someone in another town, I booked a trunk call - waited for hours to get my call through. The polite response at the other end was, " Sir, have you received my DD and when can I come to take delivery of the truck? " If the need arose to take a loan to meet our business needs, the banks would take months to process the loan and asked for hundreds of papers. A thorough analysed loan would be given. It usually never failed. All slow paced. When .I went home, I left my office behind..
Wind forward to today, 2019. I walk into my office. The gadgets. Cameras all over the place - you watch everyone and you are watched all the time. Sitting on my table innocently is my laptop. I open it. 200 mails hit me. I discard the 100 trash mail. Sort out 'the not important' , 'important can wait' and finally the 20 'important can't wait' . I start typing the replies (the laptop keys are noiseless). I have got to the 10th reply - wait a minute - 7 have sent their response to my reply - they want immediate clarifications. Just then the little devil breaks out into a song. Oh, tha'ts my mobile phon'es ringing. I pick it up. "When do I get my Truck", demands an angry voice " But Sir, your payment has not come," I meekly reply. The call is cut. I stare at my phone - 10 missed calls - 50 messages - 400 whatsapp messages. I open one of the messages. It is a pre-approved loan for a car, I did not need or ask for. I remembered a friend who fell for one of these "attractive" loans and lost everything. I am tired - I go home. I sit at the dining table and put in a mouthful of food - My little devil bursts into song - I open it. - I open my office at home..
Today we live in a changed world. A stressful world. Very stressful for those of us who started life in a slow paced world.
.Is everything going wrong? No. I am reminded of the prayer of Serenity " God grant me the serenity to accept the things I ca'nt change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference "..
Can I change the Internet revolution or the speed of toda'ys communication?. - No. Can. I be prudent and old fashioned in the way I take loans, use the credit card?. - Yes I can.. Can I be positive but still polite in the way I deal with people?. I surely can.. It will reflect the love of Jesus. Finally ."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever ". He will show us the bright side of change..
-Jeyasuresh Jayaraj-
The kingdom business leader knows it is only through God we can excel and taste success in the process we need to face struggle, battles , disappointments cash crunches before accomplishing the final destination. Moreover a kingdom businessmen should continually equip and upskill business skills in order to achieve success in business to bring great customers and employees and excellence in customer service, quality products and services, and profitability .The Biblical Foundations for Business as Mission in found Genesis chapter 1-3 we can see our God is creative and given us the ability to be creative. God empowers us to create wealth and come up with new innovations, which in turn develops a community and peace. The Kingdom business should have all the above paraments which reflects God kind of work.
There is no dichotomy in our business as sacred and Secular we are here to glorify God through our business. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it ( Gen1:28). God expects us to be fruitful and increase and have total control and multiply our seeds as we go out and do business as mission. On the same hand the our business should have social concerns to reflect our Christ-ness and it not only generates wealth , we need to pay wages on time, treat the employees fair. Philanthropy side of business should feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for poor, destitute widows and orphans. Business can be evangelizing witness to the glory of God. Business, from a Christian viewpoint.. is a calling to transformational service for the common good. It is a calling on personal, institutional and structural levels to serve God and participate in his ministry of bettering the lives of others in multiple dimensions (Wong & Rae, 2011, p. 284). Unlike someone with my former attitude who does not see their business as a kingdom building endeavour. As Paul in the Ephesians opines Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.( Eph 3: 20-21). The vision of a kingdom business is for generations beyond the lifetime of the founders, and goes far beyond the products or services the business sells and considers business not the mere source of income on the other hand the resource to be used by God for the expansion of His kingdom to fund missionary movements, create Christian schools and colleges, and provide training and education to the poor.
-Bastian Babu-
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