Working God's Way

The Lord's Day

2012-02-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

I realize that a vast number of Christians today think the Sabbath has been repealed in the New Testament. Here are some Scriptures about the Sabbath that I read this morning:

Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man...” (Mar 2:27). In saying this, He did not repeal it, but affirmed the need for a Sabbath. In fact, he declared, "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mar 2:28). While Jesus taught that certain emergency situations may be necessary on a rare occasion on a Sabbath, and he taught that it is lawful to do good and to save life on the Sabbath, he never taught that it is an ordinary day like every other day.

The Lord's Holy Day
He says, "If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word, Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isa 58:13-14). So through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord taught the following practices regarding ways to keep the Sabbath day holy:

Turn you foot from seeking and doing your own pleasure. Desist from your own ways. This includes sports, fishing, hiking, shopping, television, internet surfing, Facebook, eating out, and anything else you might enjoy doing to please yourself on Sunday.
Call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable. Be careful not to speak disparagingly about the Lord’s holy day, but speak about it with delight and honor.
Honor it. This means to hold it in high esteem, as the Lord’s holy day. Here are the kinds of things that will honor the Lord on the Sabbath: evangelizing the lost, preaching the gospel, teaching the Word, assembling yourselves together for worship and service to the King, visiting the sick and imprisoned, praying for the sick and healing them.
Desist from speaking your own word. Be careful that your conversations are not about worldly things or mere idle talk. Speak lovingly about the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit with great honor. Praise the Lord! Take delight in Him. Encourage one another with Scriptures. Share testimonies of His faithfulness and power in your life. Sing spiritual songs to one another and make melody in your hearts to the Lord. Let your conversation be heavenly, from above, not earthly.

If you do these things, then the Lord will make you ride on the heights of the earth, and He will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.

Moody and Wesley upheld the Sabbath
Last night I read portions of two articles by famous preachers about keeping the Sabbath holy, which upheld this teaching. One was by D.L. Moody and the other was by John Wesley.

A Personal Testimony
I'd also like to share a personal testimony posted on the website of The Lord's Church, by a lady who identifies herself as "Sammy Sam." She states:

"My husband owns his business so he thought that success meant working 7 days a week. He would rush to church on Sundays.. rush back.. eat his meal in a rush and then rush to work until sometimes 10 or 11 pm... I prayed and begged him not to work on Sundays because I wanted to keep the Sabbath day holy. He took me for granted to say the least.....but I continued in prayer and fasting. One day his friend asked him to use his truck to help him with moving some heavy equipment, he went to the company as as soon as he was about to go through the gate the gate slammed shut without any one closing it... everyone was in awe and they said that that has never happened before. He then told his friend that he does not think that he should be here on Sunday working."

"He kept the Sabbath a few times but he then got a huge job promising him BIG money and that he could not refuse so he decided to work that Sunday and I went to church without my husband. That morning his truck would not start for some reason he rushed to the store to purchase the parts that he thought was the problem but upon changing the part he realised that the issue was not what he thought. He went back to the store bought different parts, which helped him move his truck and headed to work. As he was heading to work.... he was involved in a minor accident with a fire truck. The police was called to the scene; that earned him some demerit points.... blah... blah.. blah... NOW he does not venture out on a Sunday... goes to church comes home and attempts to keep the Sabbath holy to the best of his ability."

"GOD is not mean. He hears the cry of the righteous and heeds those cries. If we seek him diligently about the Sabbath which is so dear to his heart, then he will make ways for us to keep it holy. He is a just GOD. We may just need to spend some more time on our knees."

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, especially Resting from Work and Keeping Sundays Holy. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

__________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He is based in Eastern Europe, where he is helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, and planting churches that multiply. www.dmiworld.org

Image credit: Beautiful sun rise photo from HD Wallpapers

Keeping Sundays Holy

2012-01-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

I previously wrote about Resting God's Way. In that post, I tried to explain the need to keep the Sabbath holy, and proved from Scripture that God expects us to do so.

Since that time, I have been reading an amazing book by pastor Yong-Doo Kim, called Baptize by Blazing Fire. In Book three, he documents how he inquired of the Lord about the matter of Sundays, and the answer he received from the Lord Jesus Christ will probably shock you.

I would like to now include an excerpt directly from his book about this:

Excerpt from the book:
*Keeping Sunday Holy, Do Not Spend Money On Sundays

    I decided to ask the Lord about Sundays, the Sabbath day: how we should keep it Holy and if we are to spend any money on Sundays. I wondered how He thought about it. “Lord! Currently, I see many churches and saints not keeping Sundays holy. Sundays are utilized by families to eat out, as a day for recreation, and to spend time on their hobbies. They say that if those things are done for the sake of the gospel, it is justified. Their conviction of keeping Sundays holy is lackadaisical at best. Moreover, their faith has no convictions to God‘s Word. The servants of God are not emphasizing the importance of this subject in their sermons. Furthermore, Sunday evening services are gradually decreasing and being eliminated. Most only have day services. Please give me your thoughts on this subject.”

    As soon as I asked, the Lord became quickly angry. His expression changed and His anger showed on His face. The Lord wanted me to reference and document scripture: scripture that described kindling a fire to those who do not keep Sunday holy.

        “But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates of thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched.” (Jeremiah 17:27)

        “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call a Sabbath a delight, the Holy of the Lord, honorable and shall honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Then shall thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:13-14)

        “For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day” (Matthew 12:8)

        “Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.” (Matthew 12:12)

    The Lord had commanded us to keep Sundays Holy in every way. He rebuked watching television, dining out with family, and other secular activities. Furthermore, the Lord did not permit Christians to run any business of any kind for profit on Sundays. He also did not approve Saints to do any shopping on Sundays.

    As a matter of fact, only a few saints barely made it to heaven that did not keep Sundays properly. And on the contrary, there were an over flowing number of saints who were in hell for not keeping Sunday holy. The saints in hell were shouting in anguish. They were experiencing countless degrees of torment.

    The Lord commanded: “Look at those souls! Those souls did not consider my day with much relevance. They had made my day unclean. Look very closely.” The church congregation and I had witnessed a shocking scene. We were in total shock. After witnessing the scene, I concentrated on repenting of not keeping Sundays Holy in every way.

    We need to adjust our concept of Sundays. There are numerous saints who think that spending money on Sundays is justified if it is for the sake of the gospel. With that thought, they spend money on Sundays.

        “And he said unto them, the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28)

    If we simply justify spending money for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of people, then everybody will validate with their own reasoning to spend money on Sundays. Eventually, they will continuously create more special cases or reasons to spend money. Within time, people will create their own excuses to spend money on Sundays.

    The Lord had clearly clarified the reality of the church’s deception

    The Lord stated. “People obfuscate, misuse, and abuse the commandment of Sunday for the sake of the gospel. They do it consistently. Do not spend money on Sundays! Once men have decided to do what is in their hearts, they present their reasons or justifications to break the commandment at any cost.” The Lord looked very serious. His majesty overflowed. His seriousness and majesty vividly touched me.

    Moreover, on Sundays, Jesus did not want us to spend any money on the coffee machine before or after a meal in church. The Lord desired us to raise money for missions and missionaries on weekdays and not on Sundays. The Lord told me to document this problem. Currently, the people throughout the churches cry out for revival and reformation but the ministers and church congregations must first be changed. They must fearfully repent. They do not properly teach or proclaim keeping Sunday Holy. In fact, they treat this matter with negligence. The Lord had given a stern warning.

    Any kind of events held in the house of God must be free of charge. Many churches today sell meal tickets since they have numerous attendants. Purchasing meal tickets is not keeping Sundays Holy. The Lord meticulously showed me how Korean churches and the saints therein are not approved by our Holy God -- just by not keeping Sunday Holy.

    The Lord also wanted the church to feed any guest speakers at either the Pastor’s house or a saint’s house if the special event is held on Sundays. The Lord did not want the church to take the guest speaker out to a restaurant on Sundays. If the church had a kitchen, the guests could be fed there. The Lord ended His admonition by stating that He forbade us to spend money on Sundays.

    I would like to disclose an event a church member experienced in church. My son, Joseph, evangelized to his friend, Oh, Seung-Young. He had invited him to our church. While we laid our hands on him and prayed, his spiritual eyes opened. He was not aware or ignorant about keeping Sundays holy. Out of habit, he continued to casually buy bubble gum on Sundays. Then one evening on Sunday during church service, he was brought before the throne of God.

    God immediately said, “Seung-Young! Why have you made my day unclean? Why have you not kept Sunday holy? My heart is woeful and breaks.” God then laid him on his stomach and spanked him six times. Seung-Young felt the tingles on his butt as he laid on his stomach. Then God ordered him to do push ups.

    While Seung-Young was being punished, the other church saints were praying. Seung- Young was also praying in his physical state. While we all prayed, Seung-Young, out of the blue, gasped. I asked, “What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be praying?” Seung-Young shouted, “Pastor! I bought a bubble gum this afternoon and now God is punishing me for breaking His commandment of keeping Sunday holy. I am being punished right now.”

    After being disciplined, Father God said, “Seung-Young! Since my heart is woeful, cheer me up now. Appease and gratify Me!” Seung-Young stopped his push ups and began dancing in a humorous way before the Lord. God became very delighted.

    God commanded Seung-Young never to purchase any gum or snacks on Sunday. God proclaimed that Sundays are Holy and must be kept holy. Seung-Young continuously said, “Amen!” He obeyed God.

    As a Pastor, I had never properly taught my congregation about keeping Sundays Holy. I, myself, have not kept Sundays Holy as well. Therefore, I repented. Now with a fearful and trembling heart, I wholly keep Sundays Holy. My family and I, including the church congregation, avoid going out for personal pleasures of any kind. Now on Sundays, we gather together in church to have service and evangelize. We gain rest from it.

[End of excerpt from Baptize by Blazing Fire, Book 3.]

You can read more of a Scriptural explanation for keeping Sundays holy on my other post called Resting from Work.
Putting it All Together

Here are the lessons I've learned from this part of the book, which are essentially quotes:

We entangle ourselves with various kinds of business and/or recreational activities and give the excuse that we are too busy for the Lord. We then often forget the Lord. Rather than relying on the Kingdom of God, we rest on our current physical world. As a result, we miss hearing the voice of God. Slowly and gradually, we change and follow the life that is irrelevant to the Lord.
Always put the Lord and His business first.
We need to adjust our concept of Sundays.
People obfuscate, misuse, and abuse the commandment of Sunday for the sake of the gospel. They do it consistently. Do not spend money on Sundays!
If we simply justify spending money for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of people, then everybody will validate with their own reasoning to spend money on Sundays. Eventually, they will continuously create more special cases or reasons to spend money. Within time, people will create their own excuses to spend money on Sundays.
The Lord desires us to raise money for missions and missionaries on weekdays and not on Sundays.
The Lord also wants the church to feed any guest speakers at either the Pastor’s house or a saint’s house if the special event is held on Sundays. The Lord does not want the church to take the guest speaker out to a restaurant on Sundays. If the church has a kitchen, the guests could be fed there. The Lord ended His admonition by stating that He forbade us to spend money on Sundays.
The Lord had commanded us to keep Sundays Holy in every way. He rebuked watching television, dining out with family, and other secular activities. Furthermore, the Lord did not permit Christians to run any business of any kind for profit on Sundays. He also did not approve Saints to do any shopping on Sundays.

It's time for us to repent, church! I have not kept Sundays holy, although I may have thought I was doing so. Up until now, I have justified my own actions, and assumed that what I was doing was alright. But the Lord has used this book to bring me to repentance, and as I write this, I am still in the process of repenting. I hope you will allow it to do the same in your heart, too.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message, you may also be interested in the other posts on this blog, available through the archives in the sidebar, especially Resting from Work. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

___________________________________________________

The House of Idleness

2011-08-07T00:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever passed by a house that is dilapidated and reflected on it? You might have wondered how it got that way. Or you may have thought to yourself, "Now that place needs to be torn down!" In fact, that's usually all that can be done with such a building when it reaches a state where it's no longer safe to inhabit. There are many reasons why a house can end up like that, but it gives us an excellent picture of idleness.

I'd like to explore God's Word to see what the Scriptures teach us about idleness.

Idleness always ends in poverty and death
There are many proverbs about it. But to stick with our word picture for a moment, I'd like to start with one in particular. Solomon wrote, "I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. 'A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,' Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man." (Pro 24:30-34).

Solomon passed by one of those properties like the one I'm talking about today. He passed by a lazy man's field, and by his vineyard, and he reflected upon it. Everything was overgrown, disorderly, in a state of disrepair, and broken down. Amazingly Solomon was able to learn something from it. He learned that idleness may start rather subtly, in a seemingly innocent way. It's insidious, but it always ends with poverty. And poverty may not approach quite so gradually. Lack can come very suddenly.

Procrastination is the mother of lack
The lazy man is called a sluggard. He is described as someone who is not willing to work. "The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work." (Pro 21:25)

He is full of excuses why he cannot work. For example, "The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!'" (Pro 22:13). The sluggard will tell you how he tried to find a job, but nobody wanted to hire him. Or he will tell you they hired him, but they never called him to tell him when to start work. Or else he will say how he started to work, but it was too hard for him. Perhaps it hurt his feet or back, or the boss was too demanding of him.

But if you try to show him the error of idleness, be careful. He believes he knows much more than you. "The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer." (Pro 26:16)

It's true that there is a time for everything, and we need to learn to manage our time. We need to prioritize, because not everything can be done now. But some people have a lifestyle of procrastination. This comes from indifference, as well as a lack of motivation and discipline, which are matters of the heart.

A sluggard is like that. He'd rather procrastinate, or put off until later, what he can do right now. "The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing." (Pro 20:4). While others are plowing during harvest, he begs for help.

Procrastination is the mother of lack. If you put something off long enough, it will eventually be too late. The opportune time will pass. Then you may have nothing and be forced to beg others for help.

Work with your hands
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you.” (1Th 4:11). Paul instructed believers to lead a quiet life and work with our hands.

Today there are many ways we can make ourselves useful, depending on our own unique gifts and talents. It's not important whether they require the use of your hands. What's important is that you make yourself useful according to your skills, gifts, and talents.

Beware of idleness
Paul was able to make tents. He used his hands to sew together pieces of cloth to produce a shelter for people to live in. And he often toiled night and day to support himself. He had the right to be supported by those to whom he preached. But in some cases, he knew it was more important to show them how to earn the bread they ate. That was true of the church in Thessaloniki. Paul warned them about idleness.

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!” (2Th 3:6-16)

The Greek word for “undisciplined” in this passage is “ataktos” which means disorderly. Paul defines it more specifically as “idle,” which is the English word used in the NIV version, rather than “undisciplined.” From the context of this passage, Paul is clearly using the word ataktos to refer to those who are not willing to work and who are doing no work at all. In contrast to this, he shows how he did not act like that among the Thessalonians. He worked night and day to avoid being a burden to his hosts, even though he had a right to support. He said he and his team did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it. He said that he was a model for them and that this was part of the tradition (Greek, paradosis) or ordinance they received from him. Paul commanded these idle people to work in a quiet fashion and earn the food they eat. He went on to say that we should not even associate with any believer who does not obey this instruction.

Paul wrote the same thing to Timothy: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1Ti 5:8). Paul taught that anyone who does not provide for his own household has denied the faith and is worse than a non-believer. This is very serious.

So we need to have faith for our daily bread, and we need to trust the Lord to provide. But we have a part to play in the provision. We still need to work for a living. For more on that, see my previous post called God's Idea of Work.

Spiritual root of idleness
Just as there is idleness in the natural realm, there is a spiritual idleness, too. In fact, I don't think it's possible to lead an idle life without being spiritually idle. The Scriptures call this slumber, and so many people are asleep right now. This includes many people in the Church.

This was one of the problems in the church of Sardis. Jesus had a message for them through the apostle John. He said, "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you." (Rev 3:2-3)

The problem with these people was probably that they did not finish what they started. Or perhaps they did not do all they were supposed to do. Their deeds were incomplete in God's sight. One way to illustrate this is a person who plants a vineyard and begins to care for it. But at some point, he lapses into slumber and allows the vineyard to go without proper care. He let's it go, and eventually it dies. The believers in Sardis didn't realize it, but the things they had planted and the deeds they gotten started for the Lord were about to die. Jesus told them to wake up!

The apostle Paul admonished the believers in the Ephesian church not to participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. He said, "But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light." (Eph 5:13) When anything is exposed to the light, it becomes visible. Then we can all see it for what it really is. Let's call sin "sin" and stop candy-coating it or hiding it.

Paul went on to say, "For this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.' "(Eph 5:14) Even we as disciples of Christ can sometimes be asleep. We need a wake up call, so that we can arise from our slumber. When we do, then Christ, who is the Light, will shine on us. Like Paul said, we've got to live as wise, not as unwise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Every day we are each given opportunities to serve the Lord. What are you doing with yours?

The Lord told us to work while it is still day, because the night comes when no man can work. He wants us to be laboring in His harvest. He's got a purpose for your life. It's harvest time! Yet so many are sleeping. Some would rather watch American Idol or some other program, rather than spend time worshiping the Lord. Often we'd rather play instead of pray. We'd rather take a holiday than share Jesus with our neighbor. The temptation is to think that someone else will do it.

But the Lord is calling the Church to wake up, like a lovely young lady named Paige Armstrong says so well in her song called Wake Up! If you've never heard it, I highly encourage you to give it a listen at the link I've provided.

Role models of diligence
Before I close, I'd like to mention some role models of diligence in my life.

First and foremost is my father, Roger Lacroix. If anyone had an excuse to be idle, it was him! He had received injuries and contracted illnesses while he was a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany during WW II. His feet had been frostbitten, and he had toes amputated in a prison camp without anesthesia. He contracted tuberculosis in the unsanitary conditions of the prison camp. (You can read more about his experiences in The Journey of My Father, a six-part blog).

After the war, he was awarded the Purple Heart medal, and the Veterans' Administration classified him as 100 percent disabled. This meant that he could have sat back and taken a golden paycheck for the rest of his life. But instead he got a job, worked hard, and raised a family of nine children with my mother. He was on his feet daily at the United States Post Office, even though his feet hurt him. For many years, he worked early morning shifts that required him to leave the house before sunrise.

My mother, Rita Lacroix, was another great role model. She raised nine children, caring for us all. Yet she toiled day and night in the textile mills, and later in a shop, making instruments for airplanes. Her house was always clean and tidy, and her children bathed and wearing clean clothes. You can read more about her in My Mother's Going Home to Be with Jesus. She was a great role model of diligence in my life.

Another role model was Everett Wehmeyer, my Bible teacher at church in the late 1980's. He had once owned a tire store. But during his retirement, he taught the Word of God with excellence. He was a superb teacher and counselor. He took me under his wing and cared for me when I was going through a great tragedy in my own life. Then in his seventies and eighties, he continued to work as a courier, delivering packages in his pickup truck. Although he has gone on to be with the Lord, I still have great love, respect, and admiration for him.

Then there's Dr. Andrew Stenhouse, the President of Doulos Missions International (DMI). What a joy it is for me to know him and serve with him in this ministry! He could have retired many years ago to spend the rest of his earthly life in comfort and ease. But even now in his seventies, he continues to work hard as a physician. He has often worked night and day, sometimes pulling twelve to fourteen-hour shifts, and gone without sleep many times. He has cared for those in emergency rooms, and those who are dying in hospices. In addition to all this, he has taught the Word, gone on foreign missions trips, and now serves as president for an international ministry. He does all of this not because he has to, but because he loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and he loves people. He wants to serve and continue giving to others.

And finally, I think of my dear friends, Norm and Nanette. They are both diligent people. Even though they are retired from the workforce, they continue to labor for the Lord. They work night and day, managing our U.S. home office for DMI. Norm was once the manager of a major, men's retail clothing store. Later he and Nanette owned a convenience store, which they managed. But even now in his eighties, in addition to his work for DMI, Norm works part time at a retail men's clothing store. He's on his feet all day, and gladly does it. In addition to all this, they have a ministry of helps, in which they deliver bread. He and Nanette are excellent role models. What a blessing they are to us and our ministry!

Putting it all together
So idleness always ends in poverty and death. We should avoid laziness, and do something useful as productive members of society.

We still have some role models of diligence, including the apostle Paul's example, and those that God has put in our lives today. I am blessed with numerous role models of my own that have taught me the value of hard work.

The lazy person makes excuses for not working, and assumes to know better than everyone else. He or she puts off for later what can be done today. But procrastination is the mother of lack. It always leads to having nothing in the end.

We are admonished in Scripture to be diligent. We should avoid those who call themselves a brother or sister who are undisciplined and idle. Not that we should treat them as an enemy, but we should warn them.

Idleness is a fruitless work of darkness, which should be exposed by the light. In fact, it's usually tied to spiritual apathy.

If you are asleep in this sort of spiritual indifference or idleness -- if you are involved in the fruitless deeds of darkness -- you need to wake up from your slumber and Christ will shine on you. Don't waste this life!

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message, you may also be interested in the other posts on this blog, available through the archives in the sidebar. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder and Executive Director of Doulos Missions International. He is based in Eastern Europe, where he is helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, and planting churches that multiply. www.dmiworld.org.

Resting from Work

2011-07-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

IMPORTANT PREFACE: Since writing this, I have since had my understanding clarified about keeping Sundays holy, as I have read Baptized by Blazing Fire, by pastor Yong-Doo Kim. Please be sure to read my blog about that, called Keeping Sundays Holy!

If you're tired of working and need a rest, this is for you. If you feel like you're on the treadmill of life, running at a breakneck pace, and your about to get pulled under the spinning machine, you need to read this. You deserve a break today!

Many years ago, I was taught that the only one of the Ten Commandments that was not reinstated in the New Testament was the fourth commandment, which required us to honor the Sabbath. But is that true?

I believe that we are no longer under the Law. We are saved by grace alone, and we are free in Christ. But how do we apply that, especially as it relates to the Sabbath?

Due to the length of this post, I realize you may not have time to read it all in one sitting. So let me encourage you to plan reading it over the course of two or three weeks on your days off or whenever you can find the spare time. This is a key message for your life, it's not a minor side-point. So meditate on it and pray about it until the Lord reveals it to you, so that you can get it down into your spirit.

Now grab something to drink, and find a comfortable spot to relax while you read. Let's begin now and see what the Scripture teaches.

Jesus fulfills the Law and Prophets
Jesus did not abolish the Law, in other words, the Ten Commandments. "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Mat 5:17)

He fulfilled the many types and shadows of Him found in the Law. This included the temple and its furnishings, as well as the temple sacrifices. He fulfills what the prophets said, including every Messianic prophecy.

On the other hand, did the apostle Paul contradict Jesus in His teaching, by saying that Christ abolished the Law? No, he didn’t. Paul wrote, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” (Eph 2:14-16)

The two groups he referred to were the Jews and the Gentiles. In Himself through the cross, Jesus established peace for us with God, as well as between the Jews and Gentiles who are in Christ. He broke down the wall that divided the two groups and acted as a barrier between them. He made all who believe in Him from both groups into one new man or single group, which is His Body. And He did this by “abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances.” The enmity is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances. That is what He abolished. He abolished the ordinances and regulations that stood against us, which were opposed to us. These were the hundreds of ceremonial laws, including animal sacrifices that God required under the Law. But Paul never said that Jesus abolished the Ten Commandments.

Jesus upheld the Law and Prophets
Jesus upheld the Ten Commandments, whenever anyone spoke about them. He said to keep the commandments and teach them. "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 5:19)

“And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’” (Mat 19:17)

Here is yet another example, “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'" (Mar 10:17-19). He always upheld the Law and never cast it aside.

But as He did with the religious leaders, He also taught this man that there was an even higher standard. The man had kept the Ten Commandments, and thought that by doing so he would inherit eternal life. And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up. Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.” (Mar 10:20-22). You see, while the Law is good, and we must obey it, no one can be justified before God by keeping the letter of the commandments. That’s why Jesus said this man needed to follow Him. He is our standard.

When you truly understand that God’s standard goes much higher than the letter of the law, you come to realize that every single one of us has failed to meet the standard. We can only be justified by faith in Christ.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;” (Rom 3:19-24)

First we must be forgiven for our sin and justified or made righteous by faith in Christ. Then we need to continue to follow Him, doing what He commanded and living as He lived. Everything Jesus commanded is in perfect harmony with the Ten Commandments.

The Letter of the Law vs. the Spirit
Paul said, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Co 3:6). So we always need to keep that in mind when we talk about keeping the commandments. So what is the difference between the spirit of the law and the letter?

When the religious leaders evaluated themselves, it was based upon the letter of the law. For example, they would know whether or not they had actually ever committed murder. If they had not, they would assume they had never broken the sixth commandment. However, Jesus taught them that the spirit of the law is a much higher standard. He said, "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Mat 5:21-22)

The religious leaders may have also considered upon self-evaluation that they had actually ever committed adultery. In doing so, they would assume they had never broken the seventh commandment. However, once again Jesus taught them that the spirit of the law is a much higher standard. He said, "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mat 5:27-28)

Whenever we consider the intent or spirit of God behind any of the commandments, we will see that He’s looking inside of us at our hearts. The Lord expects us to live according to the spirit of the law, which is a much higher standard than merely the letter.

And once we have a personal relationship with Jesus, His law will actually be written upon our hearts. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Heb 8:10). When the Law is written upon your heart, the Holy Spirit shows you what is pleasing to the Lord. And He will never lead you to violate the Ten Commandments.

Summing up the Law and the Prophets
Jesus summed up the entire Law and the Prophets in two commandments. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (Mat 22:36-40)

It is interesting that He summed it up this way, since neither of these is explicitly stated in the Ten Commandments. Of course, the Hebrew Schema, taken from Deut. 6:4-9 and 11:13-22, and Num. 15:37-41, contained the part about loving God. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deu 6:4-5). Yet on the surface, these summary statements from Jesus about love do not seem to be part of the Decalogue. So let me show you that, in fact, they are. The first four commandments relate to loving God, and the last six relate to loving your neighbor. So if you want an easy way to remember the commandments, just remember the way Jesus summarized them with regard to the Royal Law of Love (James 2:8; Mat 22:36-40). He also fulfilled this, as well.

Honoring the Sabbath
In the natural, the Sabbath day begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends at sunset on Saturday. It's an actual twenty-four hour period of rest. The Lord commanded that we "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exo 20:8-11). So it's basically giving God one-seventh of your time, because you are giving Him one day out of every seven. On that day, you should not be doing your own work, but keeping it holy and set apart for the Lord. That's what Jesus did.

As with the rest of the commandments, He also upheld the fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath. On the Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. But His teaching went beyond mere words. He used many demonstrations, and these made the religious leaders angry. He often healed people on the Sabbath, which the religious leaders considered work, something forbidden by God on the day of rest. In doing so, He demonstrated that there is no law against any act of love, such as healing someone (Gal 5:23). God’s Law never forbids you from committing acts of love, even on the Sabbath. While the religious leaders focused on the merits of making a sacrifice not to work on the Sabbath, Jesus taught that God desires compassion, not sacrifice (Mt 12:7).

When Jesus taught about the beginning of the great tribulation that would come upon us in these last days, He spoke of our need to immediately flee to a place of refuge provided by the Lord. And even though He spoke of the end times, He still expected us to keep the Sabbath holy. He said, "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath." (Mat 24:20). Why else would he instruct us to pray beforehand that our flight would not occur on a Sabbath, unless He expected is to keep the Sabbath holy to the very end?

Like Jesus, the apostle Paul honored the Sabbath. He prayed and taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Ac 13:14-15; 17:17; 18:4, 19, 26; 19:18). So did the early Christians. In fact, before Paul came to know Christ, he used to pursue them in the synagogue, in order to imprison and beat anyone who followed Jesus (Ac 22:19).

So we must also honor the Sabbath. Those of us who know and follow Jesus must obey the fourth commandment, just as we do the rest of the commandments. But what does that exactly mean? How do we do so?

First, we must do so out of our love for God, in obedience to His command, not as a means to earn God's love. We must realize that it's God's way for us to live, and is primarily for our own good. We must never do it to try and be justified. No one can obtain righteousness by observing the Law.

Some people today teach that we must observe the Sabbath on the correct day of the week, which is known on our Roman calendars as Saturday. They point out that this is how Jesus, Paul, and the early disciples did so. After all, this is what the Law of Moses commanded. So let’s consider this in light of my previous points about the spirit of the law.

If someone wants to observe the Sabbath between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday, I think that’s perfectly fine. But they should not judge others with regard to the Sabbath day. As Paul wrote, “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Col 2:16-17). According to him, the Sabbath day is a mere shadow of Christ, but the reality itself is found in Christ.

This is also what Jesus taught. He said, “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mat 12:8). My friend, I don’t serve the Sabbath. I serve the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ. I don’t worship the Sabbath, but the Lord of the Sabbath. There’s a big difference. “Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’” (Mar 2:27). You see, God made the Sabbath for me. It was to give me a break from my work, so that I could focus on Him. It’s meant to be a chance for me to worship, pray, fellowship, rest, and be restored. How kind of Him to create the Sabbath for me like that!

On the other hand, when people stress the importance of the day on which I observe the Sabbath, I think the focus is in the wrong place. Then their focus is on serving the Sabbath. But don’t forget that man was not made for the Sabbath.

If you belong to a loving church that worships Jesus in Spirit and in Truth, and they meet on Saturdays, then that’s wonderful. I encourage you to remain committed there. But if you belong to such a church that meets on Sundays instead, I see no reason why you should leave just because they don’t meet on Saturdays. That would be foolish to disconnect you from all your relationships with brethren who love the Lord just because they meet 24 hours later than another church.

In some cases, there may be no church in the area that meets on Saturdays. I think the Lord is more concerned that we be in fellowship with the Body of Christ, taking communion with them, praying and worshiping together. This is more important to Him than the matter of which day we meet. He would not have you to separate yourself and become isolated for such a petty issue. In the many discussions Jesus had about the Sabbath, He never taught us to do anything of that sort.

Jesus had a similar discussion with the woman at the well. She was focused on the geographical location of our worship, which is the same type of pettiness. It was a focus on the outward ceremonial aspects of worship. Jesus didn’t care about that. He showed that the important thing the Father desires is that we worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

Jesus identified Himself as the Truth (Jn 14:6). So the Father is looking to see if we worship Him in a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s central! And when we do, we must worship in the Spirit, not just according to some man-made agenda. We must be led by the Spirit of God in our worship, not by man. Paul taught us a lot about worshiping in Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God (Rom 8:14).

It doesn’t matter what geographical location your worship meetings are located in. It doesn’t matter if it is a historical landmark of some significant biblical event. If you are not worshiping in Spirit and Truth, then your worship does not touch the heart of our Heavenly Father. The same goes for the day of the week on which you worship. What matters most is that you worship in Spirit and Truth, not whether you worship on Saturday or Sunday.

Entering His rest
Man is naturally a doer. It's normal to want to strive to get things done. Martha was like that when Jesus came to her home. She was all stressed out making preparations for Him and His disciples to eat there. She was distracted by that. In fact, she was upset that her sister Mary was not doing the same thing. Mary was not helping her sister. But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luk 10:41-42). You see, Mary did well to sit and relax at His feet. As far as Jesus was concerned, that was the one thing that was necessary.

Religion is a lot like that. It's hard work! The religious leaders of Jesus day were always stressing out about some thing that people should be doing. They were always putting more burdens on the backs of the people, making life more difficult. They got angry with Jesus, because on the Sabbath He healed people, and because His disciples picked heads of grain from the fields to satisfy their hunger (Mt 12:1, 10). What a heavy load it was for the people to carry all that these men put on them. And religious leaders are a lot like that today. They often use manipulation and psychological pressure to get people to do things. They make emotional pleas that can leave you feeling guilty if you are not part of their program or agenda. It's not just the leaders, but the whole religious system that does this. It drives people to do things supposedly for God, which the Lord has not required. It encourages you to strive in the flesh. It's really unfortunate and does a lot of damage!

But relationship with Jesus is not like that at all. Knowing Jesus is restful. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Mat 11:28-30) Yokes are used for doing work. They are those wooden things that animals put their necks into when they labor in the fields. This is also how the animals pull burdens behind them, such as large stones or wagons loaded with cargo. Jesus wants us to labor with Him. But His yoke is light and his burden is easy. When you work with Him, it doesn't weigh you down like religion does. You find rest for your soul.

The writer of Hebrews explained that there is a Sabbath rest that we need to enter. We can only enter it by faith. “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” (Heb 4:9-11). In short, the Hebrews in the wilderness who failed to enter God’s rest did so because they did not combine the message of God’s Word that they heard with faith.

Faith is all about trust. Trust is all about relationship. In our relationship with Jesus, we demonstrate our trust in God. If you want to enter God’s rest, then stop trying to earn God’s love and acceptance by your performance and good works. Instead receive His love for you, His forgiveness, and His grace. Receive His gift of righteousness. You need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and rose from the dead, and confess with your mouth that He is Lord. Then you will be saved (Rom 10:9-13).

Anyone who knows the Lord this way will do the works of God. But the way to do the works of God is the same way to rest. It’s by faith. “Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’” (Joh 6:28-29). To do the works of God, believe on Jesus Christ. Everyone who ever did the works of God did so by faith, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David (Heb 11).

So whether we work or rest, we trust the Lord. We rest by faith and we work by faith. And we work from a place of rest. When you get to the place where you do that, then you are enjoying a continual Sabbath rest. It’s wonderful when you can trust the Lord while you are working, thanking and praising Him as you go about your business, singing in the Spirit with joy and making melody in your heart to Him. This is what pleases the Lord.

If you’re focus is on simply obeying the letter of the fourth commandment, then here’s how it plays out. You think to yourself, “All I have to do is give God one day each week. Once per week I need to pray, worship, visit God and hope He touches me.” Then the rest of the week is yours and you forget about the Lord, neglecting worship, prayer, fellowship, and communion. That’s human nature and it’s what happens when you live by the letter of the law.

But if you understand the heart of God and His intent in creating the Sabbath, you will not only honor Him once per week. Of course, you will take a day of rest and worship each week. But you will go beyond the letter of simply giving Him one day per week. You will live for Him every day. You will rest from your own work by ceasing from striving to make things happen. You will be led by the Spirit in everything. You will understand that He desires a habitation, not a visitation. He doesn’t just want a weekly visit. He wants to be God with us, Immanuel. That’s a twenty-four seven, non-stop, loving relationship.

Putting it all together
Jesus did not abolish the Law. He fulfilled it. And he upheld the Ten Commandments, teaching us to keep them and teach them.

But He taught us to live according to the spirit of the law, a much higher standard than the mere letter. The entire Law and Prophets are summed up in two commandments about loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself. James called it the Royal Law of love. Jesus lived that way. He is love, and He is our standard. We must follow Him.

But our works cannot justify us. No matter how we try to follow the Ten Commandments and live as Jesus did, we can never be good enough. We're not under Law, but under grace. It’s only through faith in Him that we are made righteous.

And once you have a personal relationship with Jesus, the law will be written upon your heart. The person who has such a relationship with Jesus will want to obey His commandments from the heart. Certainly we should do what He said, building our house on the rock. But our desire to obey Him comes from within, not from the outside, such as the tablets of stone. Devoting a day each week to worship the Lord and rest is all about our relationship with Him, not a rule to keep.

The fourth commandment, which concerns the Sabbath, is no different than the other commandments. We need to obey it, honoring the Sabbath, keeping in mind that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and that it was made for man. We are not created for the Sabbath. It's the Lord's day, so we must not do as we please on that day.

The focus should always be on Christ, not on which day of the week we meet. At least that is the way I see it right now, unless the Lord shows me differently.

When we come to Him, we find rest for our souls. We trust the Lord and enter into His rest. We not only rest from work, but we even work from a place of rest. His yoke is light and His burden is easy. When you get to the place where you do that, then you are enjoying a continual Sabbath rest, thanking and praising Him as you go about your business. You enjoy making Him the center of all you do.

Author's note: As I mentioned at the top of this post, I strongly urge you to read my follow up post about Keeping Sundays Holy, in order to more accurately understand what God expects of us. If you enjoyed this post, you may also consider reading my previous post called "Working God's Way." You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

Photos from the following sites:

www.catspictures.net
www.sodahead.com
www.nicepetsblog.com
www.critteristic.com
www.sweetlilkitty.blogspot.com

___________________________________________________

God's Idea of Work

2009-05-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

We have been programmed by our culture to think of work as performing certain tasks in our own strength and power for some person or organization, in order to earn money to buy food. We also think that more activity is the same as hard work. In the spiritual sense, people often think of good works as something they do to earn God’s favor. Then there are those who would like to work in order to earn an income for their families right now, but they are unable to find employment due to the dire economic situation. But what does the Lord say about work?

First, we'll see what the Scriptures teach us and then we'll draw some conclusions, followed by several applications for our own lives today. Finally, I'll leave you with some questions for mediation at the end.

The food that Jesus ate was accomplishing the Heavenly Father’s work and doing His will:

Jesus *said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. (Joh 4:34)

"I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. (Joh 17:4)

The heavenly Father is always working, and Jesus was working on the Sabbath when he healed the man who had been lame for 38 years: But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." (Joh 5:17)

Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing:

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. (Joh 5:19)
"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. (Joh 5:21)

The Father showed Jesus all that He Himself was doing: "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. (Joh 5:20)

The Father gave Jesus works to accomplish, and these were the works He did: "But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. (Joh 5:36)

It was in the Father’s name that Jesus did the works He did: Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. (Joh 10:25)

Jesus didn’t even speak on His own initiative, but the Father was doing His works in Jesus: "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. (Joh 14:10)

John the Baptist heard of the works of Christ, which included making the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, and preaching the gospel to the poor:

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples (Mat 11:2)

Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. (Mat 11:4-5)

The reason the blind man was born that way was so that the works of God might be displayed when he received his sight: Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (Joh 9:3)

Jesus appeared to destroy the sinful works of the devil: the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1Jo 3:8)

We must look at all the work to be done for the Lord in the harvest field: "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. (Joh 4:35)

The work of reaping had begun while Jesus was on earth, and this meant gathering fruit:
"Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. (Joh 4:36)

For some the Lord’s work is sowing seeds and for others the work is reaping fruit: "For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows and another reaps.' (Joh 4:37)

Sometimes we work to reap what others have labored for: "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor." (Joh 4:38)

Sometimes we work to water what others have planted, and we will be rewarded for our labor in bringing about a harvest: Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. (1Co 3:8)

We are not to work for the perishable food of this earth, but rather for the food that Jesus gives, which lasts forever: "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." (Joh 6:27)

The food that Jesus gives is Himself, the true Bread from heaven:
Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. (Joh 6:32)
"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." (Joh 6:33)

People equate working God’s works with something they must do, as though they could generate these acts on their own: Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" (Joh 6:28)

Jesus said God’s work is carried out when we believe (trust) in Jesus: Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." (Joh 6:29)

If we believe in Jesus, we will do the works He did and even greater works, and it will be Him doing it in us: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (Joh 14:12-14)

When the gifts of the Holy Spirit are manifested in us, they have different effects, but it’s all the work of God in us: There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. (1Co 12:6-11)

Jesus was asked what work or task he could perform for them: So they said to Him, "What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? (Joh 6:30)

Jesus said we must urgently labor to do the acts of the Father before it is too late: "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. (Joh 9:4)

Jesus sent out laborers in pairs to cities: Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. (Luk 10:1)

The laborers are few, so we must beseech the Lord to send out laborers into the harvest: And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Luk 10:2)

After following Jesus for 3 ½ years, learning how to fish for men, once Jesus had died and risen from the dead, Peter decided to go fishing for earthly food: Simon Peter *said to them, "I am going fishing." They *said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. (Joh 21:3)
Even in the routine work of fishing, which Peter was skilled at, the disciples learned they needed to obey the Lord in order to be successful: And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. (Joh 21:6)

The Lord had called Saul and Barnabas to a specific work for which they needed to be set apart by the church: While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (Act 13:2)

The church commended Paul and his team to the grace of God for the work He gave them to accomplish: From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. (Act 14:26)

Paul refused to take John Mark with him after Mark’s desertion and refusal to go with them to the work: But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. (Act 15:38)
God causes all things to work together for good for those that love Him: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)

The faith and lives of other believers is considered the work of God:

Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. (Rom 14:20)

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? (1Co 9:1)

The apostle Paul saw his work of making disciples much like a woman in labor giving birth to a child:

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you-- (Gal 4:19)

Birthing labor is painful: "Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. (Joh 16:21)

The real work we do here on earth will one day be revealed and its quality tested by fire: each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. (1Co 3:13)

Some of our work will be burned up in the fire, but we will be rewarded for our works that survive the fiery test:

If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. (1Co 3:14)

If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1Co 3:15)

Since we know our toil in the Lord is not in vain, we should always abound in the Lord’s work: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. (1Co 15:58)

Paul and Timothy were doing the Lord’s work: Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord's work, as I also am. (1Co 16:10)

The apostle saw his life on earth as a period of fruitful labor: But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. (Phi 1:22)

The apostle Paul’s labor proclaiming Jesus, as well as admonishing and teaching believers required striving according to the power of God that worked in Him:

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. (Col 1:28-29)

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. (1Ti 4:10)

Paul’s labor was often accompanied by hardships, even working night and day:

I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (2Co 11:27)

For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. (1Th 2:9)

nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; (2Th 3:8)

Paul instructed believers to submit to everyone who helps in the Lord’s work: that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. (1Co 16:16)

Each person must examine his own work: But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. (Gal 6:4)
The saints must be equipped for the work of service: for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; (Eph 4:12)

God has begun a good work in those of us who believe in Jesus: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phi 1:6)
We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling: So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; (Phi 2:12)

God is at work in us who believe to work for His good pleasure: for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phi 2:13)

Our works can never justify us:

Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. (Rom 3:27-28)

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. (Rom 11:6)

nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. (Gal 2:16)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, (2Ti 1:9)

We should not try to work for our salvation but trust the Lord Jesus to justify us: But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, (Rom 4:5)

Working to obtain salvation is considered dead works and we are supposed to repent from that way of life: Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
(Heb 6:1)

The peopleof Israel in days of Old pursued righteousness by the works of the law rather than by faith: but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, (Rom 9:31-32)

True saving faith is made visible to others by our good works. Otherwise it is not saving faith at all, but dead faith:

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (Jam 2:14)

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (Jam 2:17)

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (Jam 2:20)

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (Jam 2:26)

We do not receive the Holy Spirit by works but by faith:

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Gal 3:2)

So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Gal 3:5)

Epaphroditus nearly died for the work of Christ: because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me. (Phi 2:30)

It pleases God when we bear fruit in every good work we do for Him: so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Col 1:10)

We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God has already prepared in advance for us to do: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Eph 2:10)

We should live so people see the good works we do: "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Mat 5:16)

Rich believers should seek to be rich in good works: Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, (1Ti 6:18)

Our work is a work of faith and our labor is a labor or love: constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, (1Th 1:3)

The word of God performs its work in all who believe: For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (1Th 2:13)

Believers are instructed to lead a quiet life and work with our hands: and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, (1Th 4:11)

Every believer must labor in some way, performing what is good: He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. (Eph 4:28)

Paul taught that if a man is not willing to work, he should not eat: For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. (2Th 3:10)

Paul commanded those who were known to be undisciplined and did not work at all to work quietly and earn the bread they ate:

For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. (2Th 3:11)

Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. (2Th 3:12)

We must do our work with all our might since it is for the Lord we are doing it: Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, (Col 3:23)

Elders are to be highly esteemed because of their work: and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. (1Th 5:13)

God is the one who fulfills with His power our every desire to do the work of faith: To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, (2Th 1:11)

By His own power working in us, God is able to do His works: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, (Eph 3:20)

In every good work we do, we need to be strengthened and comforted in our hearts:
comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (2Th 2:17)

Being an overseer is a valuable and virtuous work that some men desire to do: It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. (1Ti 3:1)

Should have a reputation for good works and be devoted to every good work: having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. (1Ti 5:10)

Elders who work hard at preaching and teaching are worthy of twice the honor as those who do not: The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. (1Ti 5:17)

Every good work a man of God does requires that he first be equipped for it:

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2Ti 2:21)

so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 3:17)

Timothy was instructed by Paul to do the work of an evangelist: But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2Ti 4:5)

God does not forget our work in ministering to the saints: For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. (Heb 6:10)

The Holy Spirit does a sanctifying work within the believer: according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. (1Pe 1:2)

The Father in heaven judges according to each person’s work: If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; (1Pe 1:17)

It’s a waste of time to build a house if the Lord is not building it: Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. (Psa 127:1)

We should repent of the works of our own hands: The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
(Rev 9:20-21)

The works of the Lord God are marvelous! And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! (Rev 15:3)

Conclusions:

The food that Jesus ate was to accomplish the Heavenly Father’s work and doing His will

The heavenly Father is always working, and Jesus was working on the Sabbath when he healed the man who had been lame for 38 years

The Father showed Jesus all that He Himself was doing, and Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.

The Father gave Jesus works to accomplish, and these were the works He did
Jesus didn’t even speak on His own initiative, but the Father was the One doing His works in Jesus

It was in the Father’s name that Jesus did the works He did

John the Baptist heard of the works of Christ, which included making the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, and preaching the gospel to the poor

The reason the blind man was born that way was so that the works of God might be displayed when he received his sight

The Father is always at work around us. We need to watch as God shows us what He is doing, and then do what He is doing.

We are not to work for the perishable food of this earth, but rather for the food that Jesus gives, which lasts forever

The food that Jesus gives is Himself, the true Bread from heaven

We must look at all the work to be done for the Lord in the harvest field, because there is an immediate and urgent need

The work of reaping had begun while Jesus was on earth, and this meant gathering fruit
Jesus sent out laborers in pairs to cities

The laborers are few, so we must beseech the Lord to send out laborers into the harvest
For some the Lord’s work is planting seeds and for others the work is reaping fruit

Sometimes we work to reap what others have labored for

Sometimes we work to water what others have planted, and we will be rewarded for our labor in bringing about a harvest

People equate working God’s works with something they must do, as though they could generate these acts on their own

Jesus said God’s work is carried out when we believe (trust) in Jesus

If we believe in Jesus, we will do the works He did and even greater works, and it will be Him doing it in us

When the gifts of the Holy Spirit are manifested in us, they have different effects, but it’s all the work of God in us

Jesus said we must urgently labor to do the acts of the Father before it is too late

The disciples learned that if they would be successful even in routine daily work that they were already skilled at, they must listen to the Lord's voice and obey Him.

The Lord had called Saul and Barnabas to a specific work for which they needed to be set apart by the church

The church commended Paul and his team to the grace of God for the work He gave them to accomplish

Paul refused to take John Mark with him after Mark’s desertion and refusal to go with them to the work

We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling

God is at work in us who believe to work for His good pleasure

Our works can never justify us

We should not try to work for our salvation but trust the Lord Jesus to justify us

The Jews pursued righteousness by the works of the law rather than by faith

True saving faith is made visible to others by our good work. Otherwise it is not saving faith at all, but dead faith

We do not receive the Holy Spirit by works but by faith

God causes all things to work together for good for those that love Him

The faith and lives of other believers is considered the work of God

The real work we do here on earth will one day be revealed and its quality tested by fire

Some of our work will be burned up in the fire, but we will be rewarded for our works that survive the fiery test

Since we know our toil in the Lord is not in vain, we should always abound in the Lord’s work

Paul and Timothy were doing the Lord’s work

The apostle Paul’s labor proclaiming Jesus, as well as admonishing and teaching believers required striving according to the power of God that worked in Him

The apostle saw his life on earth as a period of fruitful labor

The apostle Paul saw his work of making disciples much like a woman in labor giving birth to a child, and we know the labor of giving birth is difficult and painful

Paul’s labor was often accompanied by hardships, even working night and day

Paul instructed believers to submit to everyone who helps in the Lord’s work

Each person must examine his own work

The saints must be equipped for the work of service. That's us, the members of Christ's Body.

God has begun a good work in those of us who believe in Jesus

Epaphroditus nearly died for the work of Christ

We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God has already prepared in advance for us to do

It pleases God when we bear fruit in every good work we do for Him

We should live so people see the good works we do

We must do our work with all our might since it is for the Lord we are doing it

Our work is a work of faith and our labor is a labor or love

The word of God performs its work in all who believe

Elders are to be highly esteemed because of their work

God is the one who fulfills with His power our every desire to do the work of faith

By His own power working in us, God is able to do His works

In every good work we do, we need to be strengthened and comforted in our hearts

Believers are instructed to lead a quiet life and work with our hands

Every believer must labor in some way, performing what is good

Paul taught that if a man is not willing to work, he should not eat

Paul commanded those who were known to be undisciplined and did not work at all to work quietly and earn the bread they ate

Being an overseer is a valuable and virtuous work that some men desire to do

We should have a reputation for good works and be devoted to every good work

Elders who work hard at preaching and teaching are worthy of twice the honor as those who do not

Every good work a man of God does requires that he first be equipped for it

Timothy was instructed by Paul to do the work of an evangelist

God does not forget our work in ministering to the saints

The Holy Spirit does a sanctifying work within the believer

The Father in heaven judges according to each person’s work

We should all repent from the works of our own hands, and praise God for His marvelous works.

Application:

So while some people are devoted entirely to the work of an overseer, and they are worthy of their wages for doing so, there are others who work with their hands so that they might have something to share with others. And then there are those who do both the work of an overseer and "work with their hands."
Whatever our role, all of us should do our work unto the Lord; since it’s ultimately Him we are serving in all things we do.
Our Source of power must come from the Lord within us, not from ourselves.
Just as Jesus, we should not speak on our own initiative, but rather let the Father who abides in us work His works within us.
All that we do should be in the Lord’s name.
If we believe in Him, we’ll do even greater works than Jesus did.

Questions for reflection and meditation:

What does the term “labor of love” mean?
What does the term “work of faith” mean?
If believing in Jesus is the work of God and our work is a work of faith, how should this affect the way we serve the Lord?
If our works cannot justify us, then why should we work?
If the Lord considers it honorable for elders to work hard at preaching and teaching, what are the implications for elders today?
If we must be equipped to do good works, what are the implications for those who equip others?
Since Jesus could do nothing but what He saw the Father doing, what are the implications for you doing anything the Lord is not doing?
Since it is a waste of time to build unless the Lord is building, what are the implications of this for building the church or establishing a new church?
What would we do differently if we knew that some of the works we are currently doing for the Lord would be burned up in the fire?
Is the Lord looking for more activity or more fruit in our labor?
Since the Father is always at work around you, and wants to show you what He is doing, and since you can do nothing without Him but only do what He is doing, what are the implications for anything you do?

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

_____________________________________________