Jesus our Model(This is a series of essays on various teachings of LORD/Jesus other than Sermon on the Mount, and on how Jesus lived his life on Earth.) |
Jesus : Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. [Mt 5:3]
(Note: Do not say, "I know it already." There are lots of things we do not know. "Learn, improve, all through our life" should be our attitude. Can you answer all questions LORD asked Job on [Job 38,39] ? )
LORD word to Job : Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! [Job 38:19-21]
Jesus : Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. [Mt 5:6]
Jesus' word to the church in Laodicea :
I know your works : you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot ! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent. [Rev 3:15-19]
(Note: In Chinese, there is a saying : "learning" is like a boat in a river, if one does not keep going forward, one will gradually fall backward.)
Jesus : Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Or what man of you, if his son asks him for a loaf, will give him
a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give
good things to those who ask him? So whatever you wish that men
would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the
prophets. [Mt 7:7-12]
(Note : All our 'hardware' and 'software' are given to us by LORD. In this day of Internet, one can download a lot of software. There are good software, e.g. those from the Free Software Foundation, and there are bad software, e.g. those from hackers, therefore, one must be careful in his downloads. We may pray to LORD for virtues/'talents'/counsels ...
e.g. you want to have knowledge in civil engineering, so that you may build better bridges for people, and you pray to LORD. You cannot expect to possess all such knowledge overnight! But the "ability to get such knowledge" will be given you, and you still have to study and learn, and put in honest effort.)
And he (Jesus) told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared GOD nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Vindicate me against my adversary.' For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear GOD nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not GOD vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" [Luke 18:1-8]
Jesus' word to his disciples the night he was arrested :
So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. [Mt:26:40-41]
(Note : Do not under-estimate the power of temptation. Seek LORD's guidance and help always.)
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Lord's prayer Our Father who are in heaven, Hallowed by they name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. |
Jesus : But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. But watch at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man." [Luke 21:34-36]
Micah : He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your GOD? [Mic 6:8]
LORD's word to Jeremiah :
Thus said the LORD to me, "Go and buy a linen waistcloth, and put it on your loins, and do not dip it in water." So I bought a waistcloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, "Take the waistcloth which you have bought, which is upon your loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock." So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. And after many days the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth which I commanded you to hide there." Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.
Then the word of the LORD came to me : "Thus says the LORD : Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this waistcloth, which is good for nothing. For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. [Jer 13:1-11]
Jesus to his disciples the night he was arrested :
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. [John 15:1-10]
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