Apicontent

“Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.” —1 Timothy 6:18–19

True faith involves knowledge and conviction of God’s saving grace and then acting on that knowledge. Doing good, being generous, and being willing to share are the fruits of true faith. They are an outgrowth of the seed of faith, just as an ear of corn is the outgrowth of a kernel of corn planted in the soil. Conviction moves us to do the good works that God has planned ahead for us to do as we walk on the path of faith. As God transforms us by the renewing of our minds, we will find ourselves transformed from being “getters” to becoming givers. As we become givers, we will be progressively more concerned with fulfilling kingdom objectives. Giving results in our laying up treasure in heaven.

When we fully understand the reality of this principle, we truly begin to accomplish great things for God’s kingdom! Businessman Phil Wiegand calls this kingdom approach to life “KingdomNomics.” KingdomNomics involves defining life from God’s point of view, as communicated to us through the Bible. This perspective helps us to determine how we invest our time, talent, and treasure in those things that will last forever.

The promise of eternal reward is a motivating factor as we consider the impact of what we do in this world. The decisions we make here on earth will echo into eternity.

Become More

In what ways are you able to use your time, talent, and treasure to echo into eternity? Is this a new concept for you? Think about some ways you can deposit to your bank account in heaven.

Further Reflections

“Because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” —2 Corinthians 4:18

“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” —Colossians 3:1

[This article is from KingdomNomics.com by Phil Wiegand]

One thing that is true about the body of Christ is that we need one another!

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”—John 13:34–35

Loving one another involves accepting, instructing, serving, bearing with, submitting to, and encouraging each other. We need each other to help us grow in our relationship with God. We need each other for encouragement. But … we have a hard time getting along, let alone needing each other! God knows all about the difficulty we have at times with other people! We are tempted to gossip, judge, get angry, and accuse one another. We get annoyed. We get irritated. We get hurt. And yet, our heavenly Father truly desires for us to love one another … and to model His love to the world. Here is what Jesus told His disciples in one of His last conversations with them: “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” —John 13:34–35

Love is the key to good relationships in the family of God … but how do we get there? God gives us the answer in Paul’s letter to Timothy: “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” —2 Timothy 1:7

Paul told the Corinthians what Christ’s love looks like when we are controlled by the Holy Spirit: “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” —1 Corinthians 13:4–7

The Corinthian church in the New Testament was full of “baby” Christians. They had accepted Christ’s love for them, but they treated one another selfishly, which resulted in quarreling and jealousy (see 1 Corinthians 3:1–4). They needed to learn how to love one another! Love is the key to good relationships in the family of God.

“One another” is mentioned more than thirty times in the Bible! God intends that we love each other, and the many facets of love are expressed in these “one another” commands. Loving “one another’ involves several key actions: devotion, accepting, instructing, serving, bearing with, submitting to, and encouraging. When we are able to do these things, then we truly will be able to show the world that as Christians we love one another. This love is not an emotional here today gone tomorrow kind of love. It is a tough, strong, knowledgeable, and lasting commitment kind of love. 

Devoted to One Another

“Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.” —Romans 12:10

When we are devoted, we are loyal, faithful, and dedicated. As God’s family we show concern for one another and are loyal to each other. Because we are the family of God, we need to love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Accept one Another

“Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory.” —Romans 15:7

Romans 14:13 says, “Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another, but rather determine never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister.”

To accept one another is to receive each other willingly or to give admittance to or approval of someone. Because of the sacrifice Jesus made for each one of us, we need to accept one another as the unique individuals that God has created.

Instruct One Another

“But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.” —Romans 15:14

Oh, how we don’t like to have someone telling us what to do! Instruction implies teaching and learning … and having someone tells us what to do!

Serve One Another

Galatians 5:13 says, “Serve one another humbly in love” (NIV). As a member of God’s family, with all its rights and privileges, every Christian is to be a servant to all the other members of the family. The needs of all those in the family are then met! Proud people use others; humble people are able to serve others.

Bearing with One Another

“Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.” —Colossians 3:13

What does it mean to when Paul says, “bearing with one another”? If we look at this same phrase in a couple of different Bible translations, we’ll get a very clear answer! The NLT says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults” and the CEV puts it this way, “Put up with each other.”

“To bear” means to patiently endure the idiosyncrasies and weaknesses of others! It means we have a forgiving spirit. Patience and a forgiving spirit are nearly synonymous concepts. These are not automatic; they involve a deliberate act of the will. When you are impatient, angry, and unforgiving, you are choosing to be that way! It is only through the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power that we are able to bear with each other! It is only by the Holy Spirit’s power that you will be able to take on all of these “one another” admonitions! You can’t generate this kind of behavior on your own.

Submit to One Another

“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” —Ephesians 5:21

Submission is a very important yet often ignored Biblical teaching. The Bible is very clear that all Christians are to submit to one other. All Christians are to submit to their leaders, and servants are to submit to masters. Children are to submit to parents, and Christians are to submit to government and authority, and husbands and wives are to submit to each other.

This is amazing because in the world there is no such thing as mutual submission! It is uniquely Christian. Christ brought a whole new approach to functional relationships between people. Submission has to do with servanthood, humility, respect, reverence, honor, and willingness to be teachable. All of this is rooted in our individual submission and obedience to Christ.

Encourage One Another

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.”

One of the ways we can encourage one another is by sharing scripture. We can also find many ways to build each other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, ^““Two people are better than one, because they can reap more benefit from their labor. For if they fall, one will help his companion up, but pity the person who falls down and has no one to help him up.”

It is only by the Holy Spirit’s power that you will be able to take on all of these “one another” admonitions! You can’t generate this kind of behavior on your own. God’s love and the actions that come out of it are only the result of the Holy Spirit working in and through you.

Application

Ask God to show you how you can be a more Spirit-filled member of His family.

Sometimes it seems hard to pray. . . you simply don’t have the right words for God.

The Bible contains prayers written by other people that can help you talk to God. Many verses in the Bible, the Lord’s Prayer, the Prayer of Jabez, The Benediction, and the Prayer for Peace all provide models of prayers that can be used in our conversations with God. There are times when it may seem hard to pray or you simply don’t have the right words for what you want to say to God. 

One passage of Scripture to remember during those times is Romans 8:26–27:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.”

The Holy Spirit speaks for us in harmony with the purpose and plans of God! He provides constant, continuous, unchanging access and fellowship with himself, the Creator of the universe, available to every believer all the time. When you don’t have the words, rely on the Holy Spirit to be praying for you! There are also ways that you can use the words of others to help you as you pray. 

Here are some thoughts and ideas:

Use Scripture!

You can always pray Scripture! Praying Scripture directly not only will give you the words you need, but it will also encourage and bless you as well! Use the Psalms to praise God. Even if you don’t know them well, just open up your Bible to that book. It won’t take you long to find a praise or petition passage. You may find this spiritual discipline so helpful that you will start to use it on a regular basis! 

You can also use other passages of Scripture in this way. Choose a passage of scripture and insert your own name (or a pronoun) or the name of a family member or friend into the passage in the appropriate places. You can simply do this as you read or write it into your personal notebook or journal.

“For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves.” —Colossians 1:9–13

Here is an adaptation of this passage using a friend named Mary:

“For this reason, since the day I heard about Mary, I have not stopped praying for her. I continually ask You, God, to fill Mary with the knowledge of Your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so the she may live a life worthy of You and please You in every way: bearing fruit in every good work growing the knowledge of You, being strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so that she may have great endurance and patience, giving joyful thanks to You who has qualified her to share in the inheritance of Your holy people in the kingdom of light. For You, God, have rescued both of us from the dominion of darkness and brought us all into the kingdom of Your Son!”

Here is a prayer using the keywords and phrases from the same Colossians passage:

“Lord, fill my friend Mary with the knowledge of Your will.
Give her wisdom and understanding that comes from the Holy Spirit.
Lord, help her live a life worthy of You.
Give her a desire to please You in every way.
May her life bear fruit in all that she does.
Give her the strength and power that only comes from You.
May she experience the incredible endurance and patience that only comes from You.
Help to give joyful thanks to for all things in her life.
Remind her daily that she is part of the kingdom of light.

Praying the Scriptures directly not only will give you the words you need, but it will also encourage and bless you as well! Here are some other verses that you can use in the same way:

“And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” —Philippians 1:9–11

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Romans 15:13

“I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him—since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened—so that you can know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” —Ephesians 1:16–18

The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer is one of the best-loved and most spoken prayers on the planet. It is used in church services, schools, in small groups, and in many individual private times with God. The traditional Lord’s Prayer is based on the King James versions of the Bible of the 1600s. All the versions base the text on Matthew 6:9–11:

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

The Prayer of Jabez

1 Chronicles 4:10 is a remarkable example of a prayer that God answered!

“Jabez called out to the God of Israel, ‘If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!’ God answered his prayer.”

Pastor Bruce Wilkenson wrote a book on this passage that sold millions of copies! It is a prayer you can pray for yourself, asking God to enlarge your “territory”—whatever they may be!

The Benediction

In Numbers 6 the Lord instructed Moses to have Aaron and his sons bless the children of Israel with this special prayer. This blessing is also known as “The Benediction.” This prayer is often said at the close of a church service to pronounce a blessing upon the congregation, or in a wedding ceremony to bless the bride and groom. You can use it to bless anyone in your life!

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Prayer for Peace 

(by St. Francis of Assisi [1181-1226])

There are many prayers that have been written and passed down. The Prayer for Peace was first used primarily in catholic traditions but has become widely known. It is a great example of a prayer that you can use word for word as you talk to God.

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen.

Application

You will be blessed in special ways by using scripture and the words of prayers written and shared by others to communicate with God. Use your own words and enhance your conversation with God with the words of others!

Choose one of the prayers/scripture passages included in this lesson and pray it for the next week.