Servias Ministries Blog

In 1 Timothy Chapter 6, we are given things to flee and things to pursue.  Our ego would make success highly complicated and unattainable by most so that you feel special and unique in your quest for success.  This leads to the attitude of entitlement.  Wealthy people tend to view themselves in this light and that is why they are frequently warned of the snares associated with money.  Incidentally, those who are poor and focus solely on money have the same issue.  Greed spans all income levels.

3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.  NASB

As I said in Sunday’s Bible study: at a minimum, read the words Jesus spoke in the Gospels.  Paul emphasizes His Words here.  The words Jesus spoke conform us to godliness.  Anyone who tells you otherwise understands nothing.  These people who do not know the words and intent of Jesus create controversy and disputes.  They create friction among the brethren because they are deprived of the Truth.  If your words or actions are creating friction, division, or strife among the brethren, Stop!  This person is moved by control and manipulation, not by the spirit of Love.

We are told in Chapter 2 to pray for all men:

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

If all men could not be restored to a full and complete relationship with Our Heavenly Father, we would not be urged to pray for them.  We must view others through the eyes of Jesus.  We must align our intent with the Divine Intent of Love.  If you are doing nothing for others then you have not aligned yourself with HIS Intent.  As you align yourself with HIM, you will lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  We brought nothing into this world and we will take nothing out so we must quit focusing on the temporal things in life, money being the most temporary on the list.

6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

We are being warned of the snares associated with money and greed.  It also refers to those who have strayed from the faith.  We must be vigilant to pursue the things that matter to the long term and consistent walk of godliness.  What must we pursue?

11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Each one of these areas of pursuit will be tested in your life.  The test is designed to determine your level of maturity in each aspect.  You must actively pursue them for they will not just drop down on you one day as some entitlement bestowed on special people.  We are called to mature as sons and daughters, tried and tested in our preparation.  There are actions we are called to take. We are told to “pursue”!

These areas of pursuit deal with our interaction with others.  We are called to minister by being an example for others to see and experience.  Those who cannot hear directly from Our Heavenly Father need our ministry.  Yes, there will be some who reject the Words Jesus spoke and will pursue those things which we are fleeing from.  At some point, we must let them take their chosen path toward judgment and correction.  It may be painful but necessary to remove the root of bitterness and other deep-seated issues in their life.  Our prayers for them will help sustain them through their time of correction.  Until then, we must patiently endure their immaturity with gentleness.  As we walk in faith when adversity comes, it will be an encouragement to them that are still immature.  We must not let the immature keep us from focusing on what we are called to pursue.  We must be strengthened in our own prayer time in order to help others set the proper course of pursuit.

As people focus on the things of the flesh, they move away from the ministry toward others.  Instead, they want others to lift them up.  We are called to serve mankind yet we want mankind to make it convenient for us to serve them.  As we discussed in our online Bible Study yesterday, let patience have her perfect work.  If you are impatient, “self” is still an issue.  “My way or the highway” is a classic symptom of exalting yourself above others.  Instead we should be asking Our Heavenly Father to reveal HIS Way in a greater revelation for each of us to walk accordingly.

As we move toward an epic change in the world, the personal battle will reach a crescendo as well.  Do you think your flesh will die without a fight?  In Scripture, it is the prostitute who will sell her body for money.  The prostitute believes in the law of scarcity and understands the power of “self”.  She is in the business of pleasure and personal satisfaction.  Your flesh will demand satisfaction and will convince you to manipulate others in order to get.  The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life are the three main categories you will be subjected to.  Others may not realize your battle as many will keep it secret:

Isaiah 47:8  

“Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures,
Who dwell securely,
Who say in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one else besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow,
Nor shall I know the loss of children’;  NKJV

You must be honest with yourself and deal with those hidden desires that subtly take you off course from the righteous path.  There will be many who were called but will fail to deal with the last battle of fully dying to the flesh.  Metaphorically, “self” or the ego is like a harlot.  It will convince you to submit to it for temporary satisfaction but in the end, death results.  As you submit to the temptations of the ego, you become “one flesh” with it.  This is true in the spiritual sense as well as the physical sense.  Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 6:

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”fn 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

We will serve Our Heavenly Father by serving mankind or we will submit to the harlot and serve “self” by manipulating and deceiving others in order to satisfy our own self-serving agenda, also known as idols of the heart.  It is time to end the rebellion and choose Love.  Let “self” die.

Revelation 21:6   And He said to me, “It is done!   I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.  NKJV

Do you thirst for the fullness of HIM?  I cannot force you or convince you to thirst.  It is up to you to set your own path and level of commitment.  My job is to plant seed and water others’ seed.  Our Heavenly Father will provide the increase of revelation in your life.  When you get your own revelation, it can’t be taken away.  If you are merely convinced by me that something is true, then you can be convinced of the opposite when someone else presents a better argument.  It is up to you to receive revelation from Above.

In the above Scripture, unity is the focus.  The beginning and the end become one.  This verse is tied to another in the Gospel of John (the beloved disciple):

John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  NKJV

Jesus was making this statement on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a very critical day in the big picture. (7:2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand).  This is the only time the Feast of Tabernacles in mentioned specifically in the New Testament.  Jesus honored this feast as He did the others.  As we have discussed in the past, the Holy Spirit was given at the Day of Pentecost but yet Jesus reveals another impartation at the Feast of Tabernacles.  I believe this impartation is connected to the Baptism of Love.

Freely giving of the fountain of the water of life is an act of Love.  “It is done” indicates completion.  The “water of life” has many facets to it and one such facet is the ability to see, also known as “revelation”.  I believe we will receive revelation without hindrance as we walk in the fullness of life having slain the old man once and for all.  After all, this is our last enemy… death.

Revelation 7:17  “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters (of life). And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

In Hebrew, the word “fountain” means “eye”.  Jesus mentions those who have eyes to see.  These are the ones who are able to receive revelation from Above and seek out the revelation, setting aside other priorities in their life.  We must keep our focus on what is truly important in the long term and no longer be distracted by temporal things of the world.

This promise is directed to those who are thirsting.  Where do you stand?

Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”fn 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!  NKJV

“To bite and devour” means to harm and exploit.  This is precisely what those currently in power do to the masses for personal gain.  Financial leaders are more interested in their next bonus than what they are doing to the general public by exposing everyone to unnecessary risks of their life savings.  If you truly believe that Jesus died for all mankind, then you have to accept the fact that ALL men are ultimately classified as your neighbor.  Therefore we are commanded to Love all mankind just as Jesus did.  In understanding this Truth, we comprehend that Our Heavenly Father Loves all of HIS creation, no matter what their current state.

The Old Testament Law could not be satisfied by man’s ability to walk in it.  The children of Israel proved this time and time again.  It required the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ to bring forth a change.  This change was a result of Love.  Until you line up with the Divine Intent of Love, you will continue to harm and exploit your neighbor.  It you don’t walk in Love, you will be consumed yourself.  It is that simple!  As you walk in Love, you are freed from the Law of sin and death.  Walking in Love is walking in liberty.

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  NKJV

Love’s actions are contrary to man’s old nature.  Love does not get even but submits any wrongdoings to Our Heavenly Father’s scales of judgment.  Men will try to provoke you to wrath and test you to see if you will really respond in Love.  There has been much discussion about the above passage and what one should do in specific examples.  I want to view the big picture and the primary phrase is “ But I tell you not to resist an evil person”.

An evil person is a vessel of dishonor and walks according to the old man.  The old man is bloodthirsty and likes to inflict pain on others as a result of self-preservation.  He or she operates by the Law of Scarcity.  They want what you have.

What is it that you have?

Galatians 5:22-23   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  NKJV

Misery loves company and evil men envy righteous men and want to move them away from righteousness to join them in the camp of evildoers.  Vessels of dishonor are to test and prove vessels of honor.

When you are confronted with evil, you have Our Heavenly Father’s Word that HE will deal righteously with that evil person’s acts thus you do not need to respond in kind.  Since the Law of Abundance is being revealed to you, the opportunity to act accordingly presents itself when confronted by evil.

Desperate men do desperate things.  They are blinded to the Law of Abundance thus they will try to take from you, the giver.  When you respond to evil with Love, you are not walking according to the flesh but instead you are being led by the Spirit.  When a desperate man approaches you, are you going to minimally satisfy his desperation?  If so, you are effectively keeping him in the same state.  He is still in need, just not desperate for now.  Does Love provide just enough to exist or does it supply enough to flourish and allow the desperate man to get a glimpse of The Way of Love?

An evil person expects the minimum whereas Love supplies the maximum.

Ephesians 3:20   and to Him who is able above all things to do exceeding abundantly what we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us  YLT

Consider the fact that Heaven has unlimited resources to consume and swallow up lack and scarcity.  This is true in both the tangible and intangible realms.  Evil actions are overcome by acts of Love.  Don’t be scarce with your Love.  Our Heavenly Father isn’t.