BREAKOUT POSITIVE THOUGHTS. 671. ( Less is Greater, Greater is less)

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

We are in a season where we sense an urgency for there being need of a strength that comes from more unity of heart. This comes only from the humility of preferring the other above the self in our attitude of love.

‘’Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.“

This is representative of the humility that Christ had to become man in obedience to even His death exhibiting His great love for the other above Himself.

By welding ourselves together we become a new creation stronger than the individual parts we are made of. We lay down our own agenda.

That of God and others we honour greater than our own because we

“prefer one another.”

“the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

In the story of Naomi and Ruth there is evidence of an anointing and blessing being on the relationship formed that bridges differences in culture, status, tradition and any other divisions and conflicts.

Making a fusion that goes closer and deeper and becomes inseparable.

It births a new and different relationship. One where we put down our desire to be right or be offended by others.

Jesus had every right to be offended by the accusations and treatment on His journey to the Cross but He modelled humiliation in silence.

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.”

We can create disunity by being critical of one another instead of hanging in through thick and thin we move on and weaken the body by giving the enemy access rights instead of guarding one another. There has to be honour and covenant retained to be pleasing to God. Our offence shows also our lack of faith and becomes a barrier to God’s presence. A scattering

““Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.”

His mercy is such that He has remained to meet us even when He had been repelled by our ways and actions.

We sense now that He is seeking for us to see clearly.

To leave the communion table, where we are offering our bodies as a living sacrifice, to put right with our brother first.

Then with one pure heart return to share our communion.

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

We have to be those unified enough to prefer the other above ourselves and God is refining that purity which starts with a humility.

In His mercy it is what keeps us inside the camp and not on the outside.

“In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

God is good in what He reveals in exactly the right timing.

The illustration shows us welded together in heart and Spirit to be united , bonded in strength in equal worth and significance. Light emanating to push back the darkness.

Six Scriptures that come to mind:

“Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.” Acts‬ ‭8:32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The song Son Of Suffering. Matt Redman