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Sacrificial Service

I endure all things for the elect's sake" (2 Tim. 2:10).

Our Father's mercy is all-encompassing. It includes our salvation - " . . . according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5); and our service - " . . . by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1).

Reasonable service is based upon sacrifice: "I, Paul. . . rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the church" (Col. 1:23, 24).

"To truly minister to others is always to accept new happiness and new distress, both of them forever deepening and entering into closer and more inseparable union with each other, the more profound and spiritual the ministry becomes. The one who gives himself to others can never be a wholly sad person; but no more can he be one of unclouded gladness." -G.M.

"The fuller the service, the greater the surrender and sacrifice. It is not giving what one can spare without feeling it, for I will not offer the Lord that which doth cost me nothing' (2 Sam. 24:24).

"The service declares its virtue and aim by the suffering which is endured in rendering it, for what can be done at one's ease is generally done without much concern for the one to whom it is rendered, and thus the true quality is lost."

"I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved" (2 Cor. 12:15).

Out From The Father

I am able to do nothing from Myself. (John 5:30 AMP)

You get to the heart of everything in the case of the Lord Jesus when you recognize that the one question which constituted the testing ground of His life was: "Will this Man act alone, speak alone, choose alone, decide alone, move alone?" And His answer was always, "Not out from Myself!" "The Son can do nothing out from Himself." "The words that I speak unto you I speak not out from Myself." Every kind of appeal was made to Him to persuade Him on the impulse of the moment, or in response to an entreaty that seemed to promise success, or by an argument that appeared to be the truest wisdom, to move, act, speak, do something as out from Himself....

At times the suggestion wouldbe influenced by necessity of circumstances, at times by thepromise of effectiveness in His service, or again byrepresentation of the utter un-wisdom of the line that He wastaking, as when His own brethren, who did not believe in Him,chided Him for delay, saying, "Go up to Jerusalem and showyourself!" To them He said, "I go not yet up to this feast!" Andthen, so quickly after, when His brethren were gone up He went upalso. But He would not go up at the persuasion of popular reason;He would not do this merely because it was the thing whicheverybody else was doing, or because it was urged upon Him that,since everybody was going to the feast, He ought to go too. Thatninety-nine people do a thing is no argument for the hundredth todo it. We are not to be led by the appeals that decide theactions of the many "It is the popular thing! Everybody else isdoing it! It is the recognized thing to do!" No! Does my Fatherwant me to do this thing? That is the question that must everrule our steps. In the case of the Lord Jesus there was all thetime an underworking to get Him to adopt the contrary course, toact without inquiry of His Father, without direct leading fromHis Father; to act in His individual capacity as though He wereHis own Master, as though He had not to make appeal elsewhere. InHim there was none of that which was personal, independent. Weare not speaking merely of such things as are sinfully personal,positively personal, but simply of independent action, actiontaken for the best ends, for a good motive, with quite a properintention. Yes, all this may be done, but apart from the positiveword from the Father. That creates an independent thought,however good may be the motive.

Then comes the end.

Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is … And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! § The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. § The coming of the Lord is at hand … The Judge is standing at the door! § Surely I am coming quickly.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. § Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.

1 Cor. 15:24;  Mark 13:32,33;   Mark 13:37;  2 Peter 3:9;  James 5:8,9;  Rev. 22:20;  2 Peter 3:11;  1 Peter 4:7;  Luke 12:35,36

Brethren, pray for us.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him … And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up … Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

[Pray] always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers. § Always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

1 Thess. 5:25;  James 5:14; James 5:15;  James 5:16;  James 5:17;  James 5:18  Eph. 6:18;  Rom. 1:9;  Col. 4:12

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