The day I had heard….. ” Gabe has had a heart attack”  in Africa…
I went to church…. spoke….and came back and literally laid on my bed…
the rest of the day….talking with God, wrestling with flesh…emotions…etc.
The decision to ~  go home, stay….etc.

It took me to a ” deep place with God”

What are my – ” PURE MOTIVES w/ AFRICA ?”
What is the –  ” Reason….why I would stay ?”

a.  what I wanted to do or not to do
b.  what others would think of me
c.  what was genuine –  pure…..” Unto THE LORD”

** RIGHT now in our own lives…… what we are doing today …

~  WHAT IS PURE…..GENUINE….. “UNTO THE LORD ?”

Reading 1 Thess. 1 : 3
These new believers….. their work was produced by FAITH in JESUS
their labor prompted by LOVE FOR JESUS
their endurance by HOPE IN JESUS

Pure motives….. they were “imitators of Paul”
then they – lead others and others – ” Imitated them ”

The Pureness of the gospel…..echoed in all trueness….to others.

It is a sobering, deep, revealing….chapter.
Looking into ourselves……

If someone ( GOD )  were to examine our ” PURE MOTIVES”
of why we want things
of why we do things
of why we LIVE the way we do…..

Where would our trail take HIM/ GOD….in the end…
a.  would it lead to selfishness –  self motivated
b.  would it take HIM to the CROSS…..where HE put HIS SON ~  JESUS .

If we are developing imitators of our own lives :
a. our children ~  our grandchildren…..and they followed us
” inside ~ out “……

Pure motives ?

Man looks on the outward appearance….but God looks on the heart.
He sees……

and honestly….who follows us will see one day too….
for they will either grab and live in :  pure motives
or
they will learn our fallacies :  of serving…what these gentiles came from

serving ” idols”…..which can be self…
vs. 9  – ” THEY TURNED”….” THEY TURNED”…..

It was said:    you have a choice……..” who will BE MY MASTER”
but you do not….
have a choice in ” choosing NO MASTER ”

we will either serve God with and in PURE MOTIVES….
or
we will serve out of ” self “….and our ” small – g – god ”

those close to us…will imitate…..

I pray for my own life…..I will check, double check, daily check…
” what is my motive today, in what I am doing for HIM alone “