John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. (9:38-40)
Remember that I did not sow my word sparingly. This means that many will do ministry in my name in a way that you will not necessarily approve. Yet, don’t be too quick to judge. As a matter of fact, do not judge. You recognize a tree by its fruits. If the tree is good, the fruits will be good, and if the tree is bad the fruits will be bad. If the Christians would be more concerned with shining of my light and listening to me, instead of listening to negative news and criticizing each other, this could help a lot my Church. It is true, some preach my name with impure motives. Yet, focus more on reaching the lost than on correcting other Christians. How will your service for my glory be evaluated by others? Will they see the fruits of the Spirit, the fruits of good works that the Father has done through your love and obedience?
You are called first and foremost to bring the fruits of the Father, to shine of His light in this world. Learn to focus first on the Father and on me, on being in constant communion with us through the Holy Spirit, then focus on bringing others to this vital fellowship. You will realize that you don’t have much time left for judging and stopping others who preach my name in a way different of yours. If I ask you to correct a brother, then do it in a spirit of humility; but if it is only your brain that wants to control how others speak of me and you go to rebuke them with such unloving motives, then I will not approve.
For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. (9:41)
In the opposite, if you follow me as my disciple, I will bless those who bless you. The blessing of Abraham will then flow through you, as it flowed through me. I call you to be a blessing, to bear my kingdom in you, to shine of my light in this world.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. (9:42)
If you want to focus on the risks of having people sin, don’t focus so much on the risk of others causing sin, but focus first and foremost on you risking to make someone fall into sin. Do not look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but remove first the plank in your own eye. You will realize that correcting requires grace and much love. First welcome my corrections, learn when you can become a cause of sin, and realize that you are not crushed simply because of our love and grace for you. As you realize that you should have many times been thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck, we want you to learn humility and focus more on our love than on judging others. It does not mean that there is no judgment, it simply means that this is not your task: I am the one who will judge. Because I gave my life for the world, the Father gave me to judge the world.
And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (9:43)
If some actions or habits cause sin in your life, you should get rid of these habits. Don’t take half-measures, with the discouragement that they so often bring. Humbly recognize that you are not as strong as you pretend, and that you need to get rid of some actions. Recognize that you need to depend more on me as my disciple, and you will avoid many struggles and sins. Learn to walk with me in all you do, and you will learn the joy of a peaceful conscience.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. (9:45)
If going to some places causes you to sin, don’t go there anymore.
And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (9:47-48)
If watching certain things or persons causes you to sin, don’t watch that anymore. Your eye is like a lamp, highlighting elements of the reality. If you highlight sinful things, images of sin and darkness, then darkness and sin will creep in your heart and harm you. Don’t let that happen, and even if it already did, take the required steps to get rid of the images of darkness. If TV programs are leading you to spiritual passivity or to bitterness and sin, then don’t watch them. If some websites or even all internet leads you to sin, then don’t go there. If some newspapers bring impure desires in your heart, get rid of them.
Don’t discuss with sin, you will always lose. Sin is not a friend, therefore don’t treat it as a friend but rather as an enemy. Avoid sin, and where your eyes lead you to sin, as much as possible. Don’t justify a sinful bent, just get rid of what causes you to sin. In doing so, you will avoid going progressively down to hell, the hell of a guilty conscience in your world, and ultimately hell forever. I did not come to judge but to save, I did not come to condemn but to deliver. Ask for my help with humility, act upon this request and follow faithfully the path of deliverance I will open for you. You will then see my joyful deliverance in your life.
For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (9:49-50)
I want you to make a difference in this world. I want you to be a light shining of my love. I want you to be salted with the fire of my Holy Spirit. You will then give a good taste to the simplicity of life, you will bring grace in relationships. If you lose the salt of my Spirit, you cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit by your own strength. You cannot produce by yourself real love, peace and joy. Come back to the source of love, welcome my Holy Spirit and learn not to grieve Him. Then you will have in you this salt that the world longs for.
I did not come to bring a superficial peace, but the peace that comes from the fire of the Holy Spirit, a real love that brings real peace. If you don’t know this love, ask it with faith and you will receive it. If you don’t have the Holy Spirit, you cannot produce it, simply consecrate all you are to me, repent of any deed of darkness and invite the Holy Spirit to fill you. Be humble, don’t hesitate to ask Christians you trust to pray for you. Then the fire of my love will shine in you, then the light of my grace with be manifest. Then you will have salt in yourself and will carry my peace in your relationships with others.
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