Jesus said that what was impossible with man is possible with God; that is, God is able to humble a proud arrogant person who is full of himself to be like a little child.
Peter then asked what they would gain for having left all to follow him and Jesus answered that they would sit on the thrones ruling with him and also a hundred times of what they left, whether houses, brothers, fathers, children's, lands ..and with persecution. Mark 10:30
He also warned that many who were first would be first and the last will be first.
Those in church who have prominent positions, leaders and those who have gifts which make them known better than others; MANY, i.e more than 50% of them will be last and many who were last, What be first. That is, those who have gifts which don't make them prominent, who are less known in the church yet they are faithful, many will be first.
The reason many who are first will be last is because of pride. When one has a position above others, there is a great temptation to be proud and if one is not careful you find that the devil have succeeded in infecting you with pride and you start thinking you are a very important person because of your position in church but you are not that important. Gods work went on wonderfully well before you were born and will continue on well wonderfully well long after you are dead; in the short period you have been given the privilege, let's serve in humility and in the fear of God and especially if you are a gifted person or a leader.
What Gods looks at is faithfulness not gifts. Seek to be faithful not popular.
Jesus continued to explain by a parable of the labourers in Mathew 20:1-16 .
Verse 16 show that Jesus was explaining how the last shall be the first.
Examining the parable, we see in the morning people were given job and the agreement was the days wages. Others joined at 0900, others at 1200, others 1500hrs they were told they would be given a fair pay. At 1700hrs he went and called others to the work but only told them to go into the vineyard but didn't make an agreement with them. At 1800hrs they were all called and the last were paid first and they were given a whole days wages and so on until they reached the first. And they expecting to be given extra since 'they beared the whole days labour ' they were disappointed for being given also the whole days wages and their complain was; "why do you make us equal to these who only worked for one hour?
Do you have such a complaint to God?
For example; I have been born again for 20 years and have been serving faithfully in the Lord's vineyard Lord, and you have not given me such and such gift which you have given to brother so and so and He has only been born again for just one year?
What is your attitude as you are serving?
Do you suppose you are a very important person?
Paul warns in Gal 6:3; "if you think you are a somebody when you are not, you are deceiving yourself" and in Rom 12:3 He says we shouldn't think of ourselves more highly that we ought to think.
God must be everything, He must increase and we must decrease. John 3:30
Which direction have you been going? Are you becoming smaller and smaller in your own eyes and Christ becoming Greater and greater or is it vice versa?
You are blessed to be a blessing
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@blessed mambo
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