"CHRISTLIKENESS OF CHARACTER" and Challenge Answers

Good Evening to All!

I wrote a post earlier to be linked to a new site that I am "joined with:" (or at least that's what I call it. (I am taking care of the "Prayer Requests" on "Serve One Another in Love".
I just linked to the Prayer Page, but be sure and check out the whole site it is great!

I'm doing another post, because I didn't think it would be proper to put the answers to the Bible Challenge on the post linked to the other site. So.... You get to read 2 posts from me tonight.

I would like to start a "series" Titled "Christlikeness of Character". There are nine subtopics so I will definitely break them down into several posts. This comes from the Hayford Bible Handbook. (I enjoy reading it almost as much as my Bible).

Christlikeness of Character

1. Consecration (Luke 2:49) This verse reveals that even as a child, Jesus recognized that His life was "consecrated--set apart for the Father's purpose. Later, as an adult, He would declare, "I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me" (John 5:30), a statement that breathes with our call to Christlike consecration as we hear His commission: "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (20:21). Yielding t0 this call in the pragmatics (practical or logical) aspects of daily living means that we recognize His purpose for us during times we would otherwise seek indulgence for our self-interests or run from the demanding implications of His leading at a given moment. Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit (15-16). Christlike consecration acknowledges it is not ours to excuse ourselves form our places of service, but to choose His choice, that is , to say, "His choice is my choice--my consecration to Him."

In a nutshell, what this is telling me is that He has chosen us to do His service and to consecrate (or set ourselves apart for His Service) is our obligation to Him. He didn't create us to "take up space". He had a specific purpose in mind for EACH ONE OF US, yet He gave us "free will" because He wants us to love Him and Serve Him because we Want to. He created the angels to do His bidding without a choice. He doesn't have a "relationship with the angels", because it's not a two-way covenant. With us it is.

2. True Servanthood (Matthew 20:26) Christlikeness leads to servanthood, for Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). See the Savior take a towel and wash His disciples' feet; then hear Him say that His disciples are called to do the same (John 13:3-5, 14, 15). The character of a faithful servant reveals devotion to the interests of others; the thoughtfulness of rendering untiring care; the delight in the prosperity, honor, and happiness of someone besides oneself. A dramatic model of this is the bondservant of the OT (Exodus 21:1-6), serving wholly for love rather than accepting the privilege of his own freedom. Servanthood is not slavery ; it is voluntary motivated from within by the love of God, not mandated by the style, insistence, or manipulation of subjugation, pressure, guilt, or demand. It is not cultish, but Christlike--always in the spirit of Him who, being endowed with heaven's complete authority, chose to take the form of a servant (Philippians 2:5-7).

We should want to serve Christ with everything we have. Body, mind, and soul. Nothing we have belongs to us. We are borrowing these bodies, this time. The money we make in our pay checks God gives to us freely, yet we try to sneak by and pay Him back as little as possible. I know, because I am guilty also. I pay my tithes, my 10% of my increase, but when I comes to the offerings, I stink. I keep thinking (going back to "small" thinking from the earlier post), I can't afford to give tithes AND offerings. The thing is God knows I can, I just don't want to let go. I can think of a million other things to use that money for. What a bunch of HOOEY! Yes, I'm talking to myself. LOL! Now back to servanthood.

If we sat in the peace and quiet of our room and meditated on what Christ has done for mankind, how He has "served us" we would see how he accomplished this. He did this by guiding us, helping us with our tasks at hand, healing us, comforting us, delivering us from our addictions or infirmities putting up with the mockery, beatings and last but not least, SERVING HIMSELF UP ON A CRUCIFIXION PLATTER just so we would have a chance to go to Heaven to live with Him in eternity. If the shoe was on the other foot, would we do that for Him?

We have trouble making ourselves get up and go to church. A lot of us would rather read magazines, mystery novels or Danielle Steele books rather than the Bible or books that will help us in our Christian walk, (the Bible first and foremost). Nowadays, everyone is so busy with their own lives they don't take time for others. We seem to forget Matthew 25:35 when Jesus was talking about separating the Goats and the Sheep. He place the sheep at His right and the Goats at His left. He told
the "sheep"I was hungered you gave me meat, I was thirsty you gave me drink; I was a stranger, you took me in....(36-39)...(40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. As far as a modern day example of Christlike attributes, Sister Teresa is the first one that comes to mind. She sacrificed SO Much to help people in the impoverished world. It amazes me. I don't know that I could do that.

Unfortunately the Goats did fare as well, He said depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:.....(46). The Goats are the people who did not take on a "servant's " attitude. They didn't follow the example of the "sheep".

When I read this, I couldn't help but be taken back to the "Golden Rule" -- Do unto OTHERS as YOU would have THEM DO UNTO YOU.

Tomorrow we will continue with this series, subtopics - Faithfulness, and A Life of Worship.

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The Answers to the Bible Challenge "WHO SAID THAT" Part 5 are as follows:
1. d) Jesus (Matthew 24:7,Mark 13:8, Luke 32:10)
2. c) Joshua (Joshua 24:15)
3. b) God to Samuel (1 Samuel 8:7)
4. c) Job (Job 1:21)
5. d) Andrew (John 1:41)
6. c) the father of a child Jesus exorcised (Mark 9:24)
7. c) Jesus' disciples (Matthew 19:25)
8. d) Thomas (John 20:29)
9. c) Peter (Acts 10:34-35)
10. c) their jailer (Acts 16:30)

I hope you had fun looking up the scriptures, learned something new in the process and did well on the Challenge.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!