Oh, give thanks in everything, for this is the will of the Lord God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18. In Luke 6, we are told by the Messiah, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Jesus goes onto say, “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” The Bible is very clear that we are all called to serve. We learn this from Paul in 2 Corinthians, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.)”

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” – Hebrews 13:15-16. How do we give thanks to the Lord? By walking in all His ways and doing as He did. We are to sacrifice our own will, and selfish desires for the needs of others. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” – John 15:12-15.

In a previous post, The Parable of the Poor Widow, we learn about the differences between the scribes and the rich men, and that of the poor widow. She out of her want literally cast in her present state of existence. She gave the Lord her whole life. We are told by Jesus to deny ourselves, take up His cross, follow Him, and to forsake all that we have. Has anything changed? Are we to do the same? The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Lord Will Carry You – Cast The Net On The Right Side – Gird Yourself, Cast Yourself Into The Sea.

We are to follow the Lord, not just as His companion, but as His votary. We are to make vows of dedication to religious service. This is keeping the Sabbath and the fast acceptable unto the Lord. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and set the prisoners free. The very moment that our sight is restored and we can “hear” the voice of the Lord through His Word, the same day is the Sabbath. And, it is continual, as we learn more of Him through meekness and humility, letting go of more and more of the old man as we put on more and more of the new; which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Another good post to review would be, Behold My Mother And My Brethren.

After we have learned the principles of the Doctrine of Christ, we go onto perfection. “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” – Hebrews 6:9-12. There are two posts that have been combined into a very short free eBook, About My Fathers Business. I recommend checking it out as well.

There many other posts within this website that continually build upon putting off the old and putting on the new. “And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.” – Luke 5:37-39. Yes, quite frankly, I can testify to this last verse. Letting go of who we once were and the things that we once did, aren’t always the easiest things to do. Yet, the Lord continues to guide and strengthen us, if, we continue to push forward.

In, What Is The Will Of God, we review a lot of the previous posts and tie it together with all of the foundational principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is a faithful saying? Give thanks unto the Lord O’ my soul. “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.  Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.” – Psalms 103:17-22.

Jonathan Heller – Lift Up A Banner