THE SECRETE TO DEALING WITH LACK IS BROTHERLY LOVE – ACTS 4:34
The apostles were together in one accord when the spirit was revealed and they continued to be together afterwards,they were always together praying and declaring the word of God and there was so much love and bond between them and much grace was released on them,now christian brothers spend more time fighting than praying,they say “A family who prays together stays together” and that’s true because prayer binds.
They stayed together,prayed together and preached together,that their brotherly love for each other became stronger,we can not walk in unity if we don’t love one another,we make little impact now because we don’t walk in brotherly love,the bible says that they walked so much in love that no one absolutely no one in their midst lacked anything.
How was that possible? the bible records that “those that were possessors of land or houses,went and sold them and brought the money to the apostles feet” Peter didn’t have to raise some kind of fund,these guys were so moved by the love of God,this is how you know they have Gods love,they gave what they had,you can not say you love when you can not give,love expresses itself through giving,”God so loved that he gave” John 3:16,you cant separate giving from love,its part of love.
They brought the proceeds to the apostles feet and distribution was made to everyone,according as he had need,everyone's need was met,everyone because they walked in Philadelphia-brotherly love.
There are folks in church today who are so rich,but they care not about their brother,who has need,how can we say we love God when we see a brother in need and we have the resource to fix the need,but we say “oh brother,its going to be fine just keep praying” you certainly don’t have any love,the bible calls that attitude a sin.
LOVE IN ACTION – 1JOHN 3:17-18
This scripture is very direct and clear and it addresses what we see today in the church,were we close our bowels of mercy toward a brother in genuine need of help,so many people attend a church were there are quite a lot of financially okay folks but they still suffer,were is the love of God.
The writer of John quotes “whosoever hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shuteth his bowels of compassion,from him,how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
He concluded with a question,because he couldn't understand how you can be blessed with the riches of this world and see your brother or sister in need and not do something to help,such a person doesn't really have the love of God in him.
Its normal now,we select who we help,even in the church,but the word says we are brothers and sisters,how can we say we have the love Of God and still be comfortable,when someone else,a brother is in need and we just ignore it,you better check yourself,that’s is not the love of God.
Let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth,in other words let our love grow from the verbal “I love you” to actually acting it,doing it.you see a brother who is in need,don’t close your bowels of mercy and feel pity,actually do something about it,he is your brother,that’s how we love in action,when we actually act it,God so loved the word,that he gave” so it was not just verbal,action followed it.
IF YOU HATE YOUR BROTHER,YOU ARE A MURDERER – 1JOHN 3:15
“Whosoever hates his brother in christ is a murderer”- The word murderer in real life is “someone who kills a fellow man,with a motive”.
The scripture say “thou shalt not kill” the actual word there is thou shalt not murder.When you kill someone by a mistake or in self defense,it isnt murder even by natural law,but when you kill someone with an intent,a motive,maybe they did something bad to you or they even killed someone you love and you did it back as vengeance,you have committed murder because of the motive.
So the bible says he that hates his brother is a murderer,its interesting that when I checked the greek,I was amazed;
The greek for murder is anthropoktonos,which means a manslayer,murderer.
When you hate,you hate with a motive,you just don’t wakeup one morning and hate someone,if that’s your case then you got to have a demonic problem there,but when you hate a brother in christ,the bible says that its as committing murder,been charged with that crime called manslaughter,which is same as man slayer.
When you walk in hate,toward a brother in christ,you have committed manslaughter,you have actually killed someone in cold blood,there is no difference between you and someone who takes a gun and walks into a school of kids and shoots everybody to death,you are a murderer.
The bible goes further to say that such a person can not claim to have eternal life abiding in him,the word eternal life is Zoe life,the God kind of life we receive when we accept christ as lord and saviour,that means in actual fact what the scripture is saying is “you are not born-again” that’s the simplest way I can put it.
If you walk in hatred towards your christian brother,you don't have the life of God in you,you are a murderer.
LOVE LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS BROTHER/SISTER IN CHRIST – 1JOHN 3:16
Now this is getting even serious,its easy to talk about the love of God and I know what you are thinking now,yea he was God! and so it was easy for him to do that.If it was so easy why did Jesus cry out to the father in the garden of gethsemane,that he should take this cup away from him,if it was possible because it wasn’t easy but his love for you and I,the desire to free us from death was much more than the pain of the cross,he truly loved us and went all the way,it wasn’t easy,but it was worth it.
That’s what the scripture is saying to us as brothers that we ought to,its not a thing of struggle because we have the ability to,since God shared his love(agape) love in our hearts by the holy spirit,then we can and we ought to lay down our lives also for the brethren.
This doesn’t necessarily mean die for your brother,but the truth is,if the situation demands it,do it,actually lay down your own life for your brother.But when you read the next verse,the writer talked about helping to meet your brothers need,because the truth is,if you cannot help to solve a brothers material need,you sure can not actually die for them,so we start from the small things,how many times have you gone out of your ways to help another,sacrificed time and money to help some brother in need,that is laying down your life.
Brotherly love is so vital for faith,we serve one God and father,one faith that binds us together,one love which is agape that is the foundation of our faith,if we truly share all of these,then we ought to walk in brotherly love,you are my brother and you are my sister in christ.
watch out for the blog on charity..
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