Owning Land

 

Owning Land

Romans 1: ⁷ And so I write to all of you in Rome whom God loves and has called to be his own people:

 

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

 

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“Why can’t he keep his lawnmower on his side!” I said to myself. My neighbor cut his grass too low for my taste. I pondered telling him about the boundaries. Meanwhile at church, a lady told me a story of her walking around her neighborhood, praying for each of her neighbors. I felt ashamed.

 

• Many times I have been selfish.
• Many times I did not want to share.
• Many times I looked at my neighbors as an inconvenience.

 

Paul writes a letter to all Romans. He wanted to tell them how much GOD loves them and has called them to be HIS own people. No matter the race, gender or age, Paul wanted GOD the FATHER and the LORD JESUS CHRIST to supply grace and peace to them.

 

• GOD wants me to take ownership of the land around me.
• GOD wants me to be responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of my neighbors.
• GOD wants me to desire grace and peace to all in the land HE gives me.

 

Ownership to humans means greed. I mean, owning land means I have to purchase it, maintain it and someday sell it for a profit. But ownership to GOD means I recognize HE owns everything, HE paid for the sins of everyone by dying on the cross and HE wants me to maintain what HE did by loving my neighbor.

 

Ownership reduces my blame and increases my assistance. I can then see what GOD sees in each person. I can look beyond their selfishness and pray for my neighbors to have grace and peace from the FATHER and our LORD JESUS CHRIST. I am glad HE gives me land to own.

 

• Do you have more complaints about your neighbors than praise?
• Is your first reaction to get angry at people?
• Will you reduce your quick temper and allow GOD to work through you by owning the delivery of grace and peace to those around you today?

Taking Responsibility

Taking Responsibility

John 19: ⁵ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

⁶ Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

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“This person is making life miserable” I thought to myself. I noticed others felt the same, so we collected in corners to discuss just how mean and nasty this person could be. When I was summoned in the office of this person’s superior, I wondered if I was in trouble. “Has this person cause you any problem?” I was too scared to speak up so I replied, “What do you mean?”

• In this case I did not want to speak up.
• In this case I did not want to be the one responsible for someone else’s demise.
• In this case I did not want to take responsibility and says what was going on.

Pilate and the soldiers dressed JESUS, mocking HIM as king. The church leaders and other soldiers cried out “Crucify HIM, crucify HIM!” Pilate, wanting no responsibility, said a third time “I find no fault in HIM.” No one wanted to take responsibility for killing JESUS, but they definitely wanted HIM killed.

• JESUS knows my heart, even when I do not take responsibility for my sins.
• JESUS wants me to join HIM and be responsible for speaking life into others.
• GOD understands when I get nervous about speaking about HIM, but gives me the right words to speak about salvation through HIS SON.

Destruction or salvation are my two choices every day. I can speak for GOD or counter GOD’s ways. Speaking for GOD only comes “from” GOD and cannot be understood by those who mimic speaking about GOD. Only true belief in JESUS will bring fruit.

But what if I say nothing about JESUS? Never saying “JESUS is my Savior, and HE can save you and anyone who believes” is destructive. People watch other people and if the person is ashamed of speaking about JESUS passionately, they become destructive. I get nervous, BUT GOD helps me speak life through JESUS.

• Are you bold about other messages and timid about speaking salvation through JESUS?
• Do you complain in the corner about someone rather than praying for them to be saved?
• Will you accept responsibility for those around you and ask GOD to clean your heart and theirs so all will bow to JESUS today?

Ownership

Ownership

John 10: ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

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Seeing the overflowing garbage can, I quickly turned my eyes. It was no longer my shift and it was two in the morning. This can was the furthest from the dumpster and besides, it was next to the door on my way home. I bypassed the garbage. “Let the next shift handle it.”

• Many times I overlooked things that I had a “right” to overlook.
• Many times I shirked away from things I felt were not “my” responsibility.
• Many times I avoided messy situations because I did not want to get messy.

JESUS healed a man born blind on the Sabbath and was accused of heresy by the church leaders. HE called them blind and implied they had no part in HIS kingdom. HE switches the conversation and talks about how much HE cares for humans. HE mentions how “HE gave HIS life for the sheep”, both Jews and Gentiles.

• JESUS wants me to share in HIS desire to bring all humans back to HIM.
• JESUS wants me to empathize with HIS goal of looking for those who have wandered away from HIM.
• JESUS wants me to own the problem of seeking the lost and being involved in messy lives.

Owning the problem of bringing people back to GOD seems huge and overwhelming. BUT GOD does not expect me to save the world. HE simply wants me to reach “that” person and then another and another. HE desires my testimony to be simple but sincere. I am a sinner with no solution to sin, BUT JESUS has all solutions. To HIM, I point my life.

• Do you know your neighbors?
• Have you prayed for them or for other people outside of your family?
• Will you own the lives of those around you, without trying to control them and allow GOD to speak about JESUS through you today?