Selfless; Day636

And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, [Ps. 89:27.]  Revelation 1:5

Selfless
”Selfless-having no concern for self;  Selflessness is the act of sacrificing ones own interest for the greater good.”
It is hard to measure why Christ decided to go through all the pain and suffering at the cross.  I don’t think there will be anyone on earth who can do the same knowing that the end of the journey is death.  Going through a sacrifice of something in life is just as comparable to the act of going through the cross.  We have the opportunity to bear the cross everyday and yet most of us, we choose not to. We have done a few sacrifices in life and we know that it was difficult but having an example of selflessness in front of us in the way Christ did it for us will make us at least imitate the action [although it takes courage and practice].  There is really no need for us perform any physical sacrifices anymore.  If there is a need for it, then Him going through the cross is fruitless.  So what else can we do then?  Well, we can believe what He did and claim the fact that the blood He shed for us is enough. We can also mimic His selfless act in a small way everyday.
Some examples:
1. Listen more
2. Talk less and with meaning
3. Act with grace
4. Be forgiving
5. Share what you have to humanity expecting nothing in return [time, knowledge, resources]
6. Execute our purpose in life

Quadrant I-Urgent and Important
1Mile Swim
TPM Meeting
Plan for Nova/APC Reliability Improvement

Reading List
Sharepoint 2010 Search Pro, p200

24Hour Report
0300, End of Sleep,
0310, Coffee
0430, Study Revelation 1:5 [read more]

Barnes on Rev 1:5 –
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness – See the notes on Rev_1:2. He is faithful in the sense that he is one on whose testimony there may be entire reliance, or who is entirely worthy to be believed. From him “grace and peace” are appropriately sought, as one who hears such a testimony, and as the first-begotten from the dead, and as reigning over the kings of the earth. Thus, grace and peace are invoked from the infinite God in all his relations and operations: as the Father, the Source of all existence; as the Sacred Spirit, going forth in manifold operations upon the hearts of people; and as the Son of God, the one appointed to bear faithful testimony to the truth respecting God and future events.
And the first-begotten of the dead – The same Greek expression – πρωτότοκος  prōtotokos – occurs in Col_1:18. See it explained in the notes on that passage. Compare the notes at 1Co_15:20.
And the prince of the kings of the earth – Who has over all the kings of the earth the pre-eminence which kings have over their subjects. He is the Ruler of rulers; King of kings. In Rev_17:14; Rev_19:16, the same thought is expressed by saying that he is the “King of kings.” No language could more sublimely denote his exalted character, or his supremacy. Kings and princes sway a scepter over the million of the earth, and the exaltation of the Saviour is here expressed by supposing that all those kings and princes constitute a community over which he is the head. The exaltation of the Redeemer is elsewhere expressed in different language, but the idea is one that everywhere prevails in regard to him in the Scriptures. Compare Mat_28:18; Mat_11:27; Joh_17:2; Eph_1:20-22; Phi_2:9-11; Col_1:15-18. The word “prince” – ὁ ἄρχων  ho archōn – means properly, “ruler, leader, the first in rank.” We often apply the word “prince” to an heir to a throne who is not invested with absolute sovereignty. The word here, however, denotes that he actually exercises dominion over the rulers of the earth. As this is an authority which is claimed by God (compare Isa_10:5 ff; Isa_45:1 ff; Psa_47:2; Psa_99:1; Psa_103:9; Dan_4:34), and which can only pertain to God, it is clear that in ascribing this to the Lord Jesus it is implied that he is possessed of divine attributes. As much of the revelations of this book pertained to the assertion of power over the princes and rulers of this world, there was a propriety that, in the commencement, it should be asserted that he who was to exert that power was invested with the prerogative of a ruler of the nations, and that he had this right of control.
Unto him that loved us – This refers undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus, whose love for people was so strong that nothing more was necessary to characterize him than to speak of him as the one “who loved us.” It is manifest that the division in the verses should have been made here, for this commences a new subject, not having any special connection with what precedes. In Rev_1:4, and the first part of this verse, the writer had invoked grace from the Father, the Spirit, and the Saviour. In the latter clause of the verse there commences an ascription of praise to the Redeemer; an ascription to him particularly, because the whole book is regarded as a revelation from him Rev_1:1; because he was the one who especially appeared to John in the visions of Patmos; and because he was to be the great agent in carrying into execution the purposes revealed in this book.
And washed us from our sins in his own blood – He has removed the pollution of sin from our souls by his blood; that is, his blood has been applied to cleanse us from sin. Blood can be represented as having a cleansing power only as it makes an expiation for sin, for considered literally its effect would be the reverse. The language is such as would be used only on the supposition that he had made an atonement, and that it was by the atonement that we are cleansed; for in what sense could it be said of a martyr that he “had washed us from our sins in his blood?” How could this language be used of Paul or Polycarp; of Ridley or Cranmer? The doctrine that the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin, or purifies us, is one that is common in the Scriptures. Compare 1Jo_1:7; Heb_9:14. The specific idea of washing, however – representing that blood as washing sin away – is one which does not elsewhere occur. It is evidently used in the sense of “cleansing” or “purifying,” as we do this by “washing,” and as the blood of Christ accomplishes in respect to our souls, what washing with water does in respect to the body.