Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Life can often be compared to a journey.
The Lord introduces us to the world and it’s there we remain until such time that He deems we should leave it. In between, we travel from day to day building up experiences…realizing blessings…making mistakes…gaining victories.
So if life is truly a journey, what road are you traveling on?
As we turn to our scripture, we see Jesus explain to us that there are really only two paths that one can walk in their life journey…a narrow one or a broad one.
Which one is best?
Well, it certainly isn’t the broad one…that’s for sure. For Jesus tells us that this road leads to destruction. He also tells us something very disturbing.
Many enter the wide gate onto the broad road and travel it.
Why?
Well, let’s think about traveling on a broad road for a minute.
One thing about a broad road…there’s plenty of room to maneuver. You’re not confined to just one way. You can decide to travel on the part of the road you want to. And if there is a road block or obstruction placed in your way, you have plenty of room to navigate around it.
Now that’s apply this to life.
The world offers us lots of options and ways to go. There’s really no shortage. You can select whatever way you want to go. If you run into an obstruction to an option you would like to take, you learn quickly to take a detour around it to still be able to do what you want. You just free wheel through life, never concerned that you might run off the road. You have plenty of wiggle room.
It’s little wonder that it’s this kind of life journey that leads to destruction. This is because the way that Jesus expects us to travel is down a narrow road…a road that He sets out before us through the way he expects us to live. After all, Jesus did say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6)
There’s no wiggle room when living the way Jesus lived. If you decide to travel it, then it’s His way and His way only. You have no choices available except to be obedient and follow His expectations.
So in closing, I ask you…”Are you going down the wrong road?”
Only you can answer that but know Jesus is watching which way you’re going and can help you get back on the narrow road if you happened to get lost and go astray. You need only call on Him.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:7-12
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Today’s passage is one of the better known from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
It’s also one of the most misinterpreted.
Why?
Because the believer who only reads this passage and not others that expound on it will get the impression that the Father is so benevolent that we need only ask, seek and knock and we’ll get from Him our hearts desires. In other words, if we want it, ask for it, knock on His door in heaven and seek His help, He’ll automatically grant our wish and give us what we want. If that were true, I think every man, woman and child on earth would be a believer.
But it doesn’t quite happen like that, does it?
Unfortunately, because people don’t understand the real truth when it comes to asking and receiving from the Father, so many tend to stop believing when they don’t get their own way. They would feel like…I asked…I knocked…I sought the Lord, telling Him everything I needed…and He did nothing. So He obviously doesn’t care about me and the bible isn’t true.
In other words, people adopt a fast food approach to their faith all too often.
“I want it Lord and I want it now. I’ll order at the window and drive up so you can give me my order.”
Maybe this fits you…or maybe someone you know.
So how does the Father handle our requests when we knock, ask and seek?
We need to look at a second passage for that answer. Turn to 1 John 5:14-15 where God’s word tells us this:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
OK…now we are getting somewhere.
For if we’re going to have any confidence that the Lord will consider giving us what we ask of Him, then we had better do one important thing before we ask.
We had better seek His will first.
You see, the Lord is not going to give us anything that isn’t in His will for us. This is where the conflict arises because our wants and God’s will for us are so often two very different things.
Let’s say I have cancer. I might ask the Lord to rescue me from the disease and preserve my life. But maybe the Father has determined that my time has come to leave this world for a better one He has prepared for me.
Maybe I am in financial difficulties and am asking the Lord to remove my debt. But maybe the Father is trying to teach me better money management and so His will is for me to remain in debt for a little while longer so he can help me grow wiser and more responsible.
Maybe I’m having problems in my relationship and I feel like I just can’t stay married to my spouse anymore so I pray that the Father grant me the way to a divorce. But maybe, just maybe, the Lord doesn’t want me to divorce but rather work through the problems and differences in the spirit of salvaging my marriage.
You get the point. The first step to discovering what the Father really wants to give us is to seek His will. For then…and only then, can we know what to ask for and know in confidence that He will provide
With this, it’s fitting to end with the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Yes Lord…Your will be done in our lives.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:7-12
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Today’s passage is one of the better known from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
It’s also one of the most misinterpreted.
Why?
Because the believer who only reads this passage and not others that expound on it will get the impression that the Father is so benevolent that we need only ask, seek and knock and we’ll get from Him our hearts desires. In other words, if we want it, ask for it, knock on His door in heaven and seek His help, He’ll automatically grant our wish and give us what we want. If that were true, I think every man, woman and child on earth would be a believer.
But it doesn’t quite happen like that, does it?
Unfortunately, because people don’t understand the real truth when it comes to asking and receiving from the Father, so many tend to stop believing when they don’t get their own way. They would feel like…I asked…I knocked…I sought the Lord, telling Him everything I needed…and He did nothing. So He obviously doesn’t care about me and the bible isn’t true.
In other words, people adopt a fast food approach to their faith all too often.
“I want it Lord and I want it now. I’ll order at the window and drive up so you can give me my order.”
Maybe this fits you…or maybe someone you know.
So how does the Father handle our requests when we knock, ask and seek?
We need to look at a second passage for that answer. Turn to 1 John 5:14-15 where God’s word tells us this:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
OK…now we are getting somewhere.
For if we’re going to have any confidence that the Lord will consider giving us what we ask of Him, then we had better do one important thing before we ask.
We had better seek His will first.
You see, the Lord is not going to give us anything that isn’t in His will for us. This is where the conflict arises because our wants and God’s will for us are so often two very different things.
Let’s say I have cancer. I might ask the Lord to rescue me from the disease and preserve my life. But maybe the Father has determined that my time has come to leave this world for a better one He has prepared for me.
Maybe I am in financial difficulties and am asking the Lord to remove my debt. But maybe the Father is trying to teach me better money management and so His will is for me to remain in debt for a little while longer so he can help me grow wiser and more responsible.
Maybe I’m having problems in my relationship and I feel like I just can’t stay married to my spouse anymore so I pray that the Father grant me the way to a divorce. But maybe, just maybe, the Lord doesn’t want me to divorce but rather work through the problems and differences in the spirit of salvaging my marriage.
You get the point. The first step to discovering what the Father really wants to give us is to seek His will. For then…and only then, can we know what to ask for and know in confidence that He will provide
With this, it’s fitting to end with the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Yes Lord…Your will be done in our lives.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
WHO IS TO JUDGE?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
Matthew 7:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Let’s not beat around the bush and get right down to the point.
We are a people who like to be judgmental.
We do it all the time, measuring and rating others around us. Maybe it’s their figure or lack there of. Maybe it’s what they’re wearing. Maybe it’s the way they work, act, talk, walk…you get the picture. We like to make a point out of pointing out what is good and bad in others.
The problem is that we do it before we’re willing to take a good hard look at ourselves first.
And that leads to another point.
We’re all flawed.
There is no one who is utterly perfect so we shouldn’t waste our time trying to tear someone else down as we try and somehow elevate ourselves above them. Behavior like that is not of the Lord and only of Satan.
Don’t believe that?
Just remember this word from the Lord…
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
The Lord doesn’t give us that word so that we might choose not do it…just like He doesn’t give us the words in today’s passage to ignore.
For Jesus’ words are clear...crystal clear.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
Sometimes I think Jesus might want to ask us, “What part of ‘Do not’ do you NOT understand?”
For we quickly forget His command and then wonder why we might fall under His disfavor. It’s pretty simple. We fall under His disfavor because He told us we would if we chose to be disobedient.
So when we decide to judge others, Jesus tells us, just as He told His listeners during His Sermon on the Mount, that we can expect to be judged with the measure of judgment that we use. So be careful how much you want to pick someone apart lest the Lord decide to pick you apart equally…and no one wants to be under His judgment.
So before you start to size someone else up and pick out all the places where they fall short of the mark, you had better start looking within yourself (i.e. deal with the plank in your eye), seeking the Lord’s conviction on where you need to change to be the righteous, holy child that He intends for you to be. And when you do that, rest assured that you’ll see the people around you in a whole different light…for you’ll see them just like you…flawed…imperfect…but under the same loving care and lead of the Father who wants only the best for all His children who he made just the way He wanted.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
Matthew 7:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Let’s not beat around the bush and get right down to the point.
We are a people who like to be judgmental.
We do it all the time, measuring and rating others around us. Maybe it’s their figure or lack there of. Maybe it’s what they’re wearing. Maybe it’s the way they work, act, talk, walk…you get the picture. We like to make a point out of pointing out what is good and bad in others.
The problem is that we do it before we’re willing to take a good hard look at ourselves first.
And that leads to another point.
We’re all flawed.
There is no one who is utterly perfect so we shouldn’t waste our time trying to tear someone else down as we try and somehow elevate ourselves above them. Behavior like that is not of the Lord and only of Satan.
Don’t believe that?
Just remember this word from the Lord…
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
The Lord doesn’t give us that word so that we might choose not do it…just like He doesn’t give us the words in today’s passage to ignore.
For Jesus’ words are clear...crystal clear.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
Sometimes I think Jesus might want to ask us, “What part of ‘Do not’ do you NOT understand?”
For we quickly forget His command and then wonder why we might fall under His disfavor. It’s pretty simple. We fall under His disfavor because He told us we would if we chose to be disobedient.
So when we decide to judge others, Jesus tells us, just as He told His listeners during His Sermon on the Mount, that we can expect to be judged with the measure of judgment that we use. So be careful how much you want to pick someone apart lest the Lord decide to pick you apart equally…and no one wants to be under His judgment.
So before you start to size someone else up and pick out all the places where they fall short of the mark, you had better start looking within yourself (i.e. deal with the plank in your eye), seeking the Lord’s conviction on where you need to change to be the righteous, holy child that He intends for you to be. And when you do that, rest assured that you’ll see the people around you in a whole different light…for you’ll see them just like you…flawed…imperfect…but under the same loving care and lead of the Father who wants only the best for all His children who he made just the way He wanted.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Monday, March 1, 2010
WHY WORRY?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:25-34
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Here’s a statement I can make with almost absolute certainty:
We will all worry about something at some time in our life. It happens.
What we worry about may differ but we all will worry about something at some time.
Maybe it will be work related…as you worry about whether you’ll get a project done by deadline, a promotion you have yearned for, or perhaps whether you’ll be able to keep your job at all. So many people are being laid off or just let go these days and the job market isn’t that great. Unemployment is the highest it has been in years. And being out of work can lead to another kind of worry…because we so often find ourselves worried about our finances.
We worry if we’ll be able to pay the mortgage or rent this month or the electric bill or any other number of bills we might be responsible for. It may even get as bad as wondering whether you’ll have enough money to buy food to eat, clothes to wear or gas to drive, that is if you can afford to have transportation.
Then we could start to talk about health worries. Maybe we have become afflicted with some disorder or have been injured in an accident that has left us disabled in some way…maybe even permanently disabled. And even if we’re in perfect health, maybe someone we love…a spouse, a child, a parent…might be suffering, causing us worry about them and their condition.
We could go into any other number of things that might bring us worry or worries partners…stress, anxiety, fear. But you get the point. We have plenty in life that might make us concerned at any given moment in time. And some people are persistently worried which brings on health detriments on its own like depression, high blood pressure or heart disease.
In the end, nothing very good ever comes out of sustained worry.
It’s little wonder then why Jesus chose to teach on this matter…and we get a sense that it was as much of the human condition in biblical days as it was today. Let’s look at our scripture and see what our Savior seeks to say to us on the matter.
As we look at our passage, we find Jesus getting right to the point. For He says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
Jesus is trying to tell us that we tend to allow ourselves to get worked up about things that just aren’t as important as we make them up to be…things that just aren’t worth worrying about.
For He compares those who worry about what they will eat, drink or wear to pagans…those who refuse to believe in the Lord. You see…those who don’t know the Lord, don’t understand that He is the Great Provider of all things and knows what His people need even before they ask.
Simply, the Lord will take care of those who faithfully believe in Him.
To underscore this truth, Jesus uses several examples from nature…birds and lilies.
First the birds of the air.
Jesus tells His listeners that the birds don’t “sow or reap or store away in barns”. In other words, they don’t stash food away worried that there might come a day when they aren’t given anything to eat. No…they know that the Lord will provide and feed them. And so Jesus asks if people aren’t more valuable to the Lord than birds.
Second…the Lord uses lilies to illustrate His point.
He asks the people to “see how the lilies of the field grow”…how they don’t worry about what they will look like and yet “are dressed in more splendor that Solomon ever was. So if the Lord would “clothe the grass of the field” that way, wouldn’t He clothe His people better yet.
So why worry? Indeed, why?
Because we become people of “little faith” way too easy.
And so Jesus takes the time to tell us what we should pursue in life instead of all the worldly things that would bring us to worry and stress and anxiety. He tells us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” because when we do, these things, like what we will eat or drink or wear…”will be given to (us)”.
Always and forever…in life and in death…the Lord will provide and make the way for us.
Friends, indeed… Who can add a single hour to their life through worrying? And conversely another question needs to be asked…How many hours do we relinquish in life through worrying?
These questions spawned by Jesus’ teaching challenge us today…and every day if we take His word into full consideration as we should.
For we serve an Almighty, Omnipotent, Loving Lord who wants the best for us. If we truly trust Him, then we must behave as if we do…and that means to not be stressed, anxious, afraid or worried about anything. Instead, we place our needs and concerns at the feet of the only One able to provide…and when we do, we find ourselves at a place of peace…a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Thanks be to God for His word…His assurances…and His goodness. Truly…praise God from whom all blessings flow…praise Him all creatures here below…praise Him above ye heavenly host…praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:25-34
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Here’s a statement I can make with almost absolute certainty:
We will all worry about something at some time in our life. It happens.
What we worry about may differ but we all will worry about something at some time.
Maybe it will be work related…as you worry about whether you’ll get a project done by deadline, a promotion you have yearned for, or perhaps whether you’ll be able to keep your job at all. So many people are being laid off or just let go these days and the job market isn’t that great. Unemployment is the highest it has been in years. And being out of work can lead to another kind of worry…because we so often find ourselves worried about our finances.
We worry if we’ll be able to pay the mortgage or rent this month or the electric bill or any other number of bills we might be responsible for. It may even get as bad as wondering whether you’ll have enough money to buy food to eat, clothes to wear or gas to drive, that is if you can afford to have transportation.
Then we could start to talk about health worries. Maybe we have become afflicted with some disorder or have been injured in an accident that has left us disabled in some way…maybe even permanently disabled. And even if we’re in perfect health, maybe someone we love…a spouse, a child, a parent…might be suffering, causing us worry about them and their condition.
We could go into any other number of things that might bring us worry or worries partners…stress, anxiety, fear. But you get the point. We have plenty in life that might make us concerned at any given moment in time. And some people are persistently worried which brings on health detriments on its own like depression, high blood pressure or heart disease.
In the end, nothing very good ever comes out of sustained worry.
It’s little wonder then why Jesus chose to teach on this matter…and we get a sense that it was as much of the human condition in biblical days as it was today. Let’s look at our scripture and see what our Savior seeks to say to us on the matter.
As we look at our passage, we find Jesus getting right to the point. For He says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
Jesus is trying to tell us that we tend to allow ourselves to get worked up about things that just aren’t as important as we make them up to be…things that just aren’t worth worrying about.
For He compares those who worry about what they will eat, drink or wear to pagans…those who refuse to believe in the Lord. You see…those who don’t know the Lord, don’t understand that He is the Great Provider of all things and knows what His people need even before they ask.
Simply, the Lord will take care of those who faithfully believe in Him.
To underscore this truth, Jesus uses several examples from nature…birds and lilies.
First the birds of the air.
Jesus tells His listeners that the birds don’t “sow or reap or store away in barns”. In other words, they don’t stash food away worried that there might come a day when they aren’t given anything to eat. No…they know that the Lord will provide and feed them. And so Jesus asks if people aren’t more valuable to the Lord than birds.
Second…the Lord uses lilies to illustrate His point.
He asks the people to “see how the lilies of the field grow”…how they don’t worry about what they will look like and yet “are dressed in more splendor that Solomon ever was. So if the Lord would “clothe the grass of the field” that way, wouldn’t He clothe His people better yet.
So why worry? Indeed, why?
Because we become people of “little faith” way too easy.
And so Jesus takes the time to tell us what we should pursue in life instead of all the worldly things that would bring us to worry and stress and anxiety. He tells us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” because when we do, these things, like what we will eat or drink or wear…”will be given to (us)”.
Always and forever…in life and in death…the Lord will provide and make the way for us.
Friends, indeed… Who can add a single hour to their life through worrying? And conversely another question needs to be asked…How many hours do we relinquish in life through worrying?
These questions spawned by Jesus’ teaching challenge us today…and every day if we take His word into full consideration as we should.
For we serve an Almighty, Omnipotent, Loving Lord who wants the best for us. If we truly trust Him, then we must behave as if we do…and that means to not be stressed, anxious, afraid or worried about anything. Instead, we place our needs and concerns at the feet of the only One able to provide…and when we do, we find ourselves at a place of peace…a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Thanks be to God for His word…His assurances…and His goodness. Truly…praise God from whom all blessings flow…praise Him all creatures here below…praise Him above ye heavenly host…praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, February 28, 2010
WHAT IS YOUR TREASURE?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
Matthew 6:19-24
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
This has been a very difficult month for me.
I have been in Africa for nearly a year, separated from my wife, and was only weeks away from being relieved and returning for a fantastic reunion when the news came.
My relief had a medical condition that was not going to allow him to come here and take my place. And to make matters worse…there was no alternate.
I remember receiving the news and feeling like I had been punched in the stomach. Oh how I missed my wife so much…my best friend…my soul mate…my blessing from God…my Amazing Grace. Oh how I longed to be back with her again…but now I didn’t know when that would be.
So I entered the wilderness of uncertainty. Maybe you’ve been there.
It happens when circumstances turn you upside down and shake the very foundations of your life like an earthquake, leaving you in a place where you are unsettled…damaged…trying to put the pieces back together. I consider myself to be a pretty solid man of faith but even now, I found myself hurting…yearning for home so badly…seemingly numb to what was going on around me.
I’m almost ashamed to confess this but I went on feeling this way for almost two weeks. Word from the States on identifying a new relief and getting me home was not forthcoming. Everything was in process…a process that was nowhere near fast enough for me. My patience reduced with every passing day without some word of resolution…and with it, my faith.
Indeed, Satan can reach down and try and have his way with even the most faithful. He sure was proving it in me.
But then something incredible happened.
In the midst of my hardship, the Lord brought revelation.
For at the end of yet another long work day as I was walking to my room and again feeling so heart-broken as I thought about calling my wife as I do every night…wishing that I could just be there with her and be able to speak face-to-face, the Lord had seen enough. In the midst of yet another pity party, He spoke to my heart and soul and asked me, “Do you desire Me as much as you desire Grace? Does your heart ache for me as much as it does for her?”
I immediately felt convicted. How could I have my priorities so messed up? I have always preached that I never hold my wife higher than I hold my Lord…and yet, I was doing just that. The solution to my problem had been there all along…in the midst of my confusion…in the midst of my anguish…in the midst of my impatience…in the midst of my loss of faith. Through it all and more, the Lord was with me.
You see, I forgot that He promised me He would never leave me nor forsake me. I forgot that He promised me He wouldn’t give me a burden I couldn’t bear. I forgot that I could do all things through His strength.
Yes, I forgot all His assurances because fundamentally, I lost bearing on what my true treasure was in life. Instead of Jesus, it was Grace…and that was where I went astray.
In today’s passage, Jesus continues to teach His followers and hits on the matter of treasures. And as we have seen in His prior teachings, He speaks to what how the world defines something and then reveals His heavenly interpretation…an interpretation that always draws us close to Him, His will and His way.
So what did Jesus say about treasures?
First, he exhorted His listeners to “not store up…treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”
This would be the treasure that many people would vision when you say the word. It conjures up possessions like money or jewels or expensive clothes and cars or other valuables…material items that can perish, deteriorate or be taken away. Even a loved one could be possessed like they belong to us…when the truth is that they really belong to the One we should treasure.
So what kind of treasures are we to store up?
Jesus tells us to “store up…treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
In other words, Jesus is telling us to cherish the unperishable…the treasure we find in heaven.
He is telling us to treasure Him.
To seal this truth, hear the closing words for this message as Jesus says, “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Friends, if we’re truly going to profess ourselves as Christian, then we need remember that Jesus is the only treasure…period. He is the One we are to value above everything else in life. For when we truly do this, then…and only then…will we be assured that He and He alone is in our heart. And when that happens, then everything we are will be of Him…and there will be no room for Satan to have any inroads to your life because He can’t coexist in the same place as Jesus.
Simply, when Jesus is in your heart, Satan can’t be.
Where I erred earlier in this month is that I tried to leave room for Grace and Jesus in my heart. And when I only gave Jesus a part of me, Satan moved in and did his evil. Indeed, we cannot serve two masters…our heart cannot be divided between Jesus and anything else.
And so I ask you today, “What is your treasure?”
Seek your heart and if it’s anything than Jesus, turn to Him today and ask for a change. He waiting to fully enter in and transform you forever, just as he did with me…bringing certainty in the midst of uncertainty…faith in the midst of doubt…love in the midst of pain.
Only Jesus can do that.
There’s no other treasure like Him…anywhere.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
Matthew 6:19-24
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
This has been a very difficult month for me.
I have been in Africa for nearly a year, separated from my wife, and was only weeks away from being relieved and returning for a fantastic reunion when the news came.
My relief had a medical condition that was not going to allow him to come here and take my place. And to make matters worse…there was no alternate.
I remember receiving the news and feeling like I had been punched in the stomach. Oh how I missed my wife so much…my best friend…my soul mate…my blessing from God…my Amazing Grace. Oh how I longed to be back with her again…but now I didn’t know when that would be.
So I entered the wilderness of uncertainty. Maybe you’ve been there.
It happens when circumstances turn you upside down and shake the very foundations of your life like an earthquake, leaving you in a place where you are unsettled…damaged…trying to put the pieces back together. I consider myself to be a pretty solid man of faith but even now, I found myself hurting…yearning for home so badly…seemingly numb to what was going on around me.
I’m almost ashamed to confess this but I went on feeling this way for almost two weeks. Word from the States on identifying a new relief and getting me home was not forthcoming. Everything was in process…a process that was nowhere near fast enough for me. My patience reduced with every passing day without some word of resolution…and with it, my faith.
Indeed, Satan can reach down and try and have his way with even the most faithful. He sure was proving it in me.
But then something incredible happened.
In the midst of my hardship, the Lord brought revelation.
For at the end of yet another long work day as I was walking to my room and again feeling so heart-broken as I thought about calling my wife as I do every night…wishing that I could just be there with her and be able to speak face-to-face, the Lord had seen enough. In the midst of yet another pity party, He spoke to my heart and soul and asked me, “Do you desire Me as much as you desire Grace? Does your heart ache for me as much as it does for her?”
I immediately felt convicted. How could I have my priorities so messed up? I have always preached that I never hold my wife higher than I hold my Lord…and yet, I was doing just that. The solution to my problem had been there all along…in the midst of my confusion…in the midst of my anguish…in the midst of my impatience…in the midst of my loss of faith. Through it all and more, the Lord was with me.
You see, I forgot that He promised me He would never leave me nor forsake me. I forgot that He promised me He wouldn’t give me a burden I couldn’t bear. I forgot that I could do all things through His strength.
Yes, I forgot all His assurances because fundamentally, I lost bearing on what my true treasure was in life. Instead of Jesus, it was Grace…and that was where I went astray.
In today’s passage, Jesus continues to teach His followers and hits on the matter of treasures. And as we have seen in His prior teachings, He speaks to what how the world defines something and then reveals His heavenly interpretation…an interpretation that always draws us close to Him, His will and His way.
So what did Jesus say about treasures?
First, he exhorted His listeners to “not store up…treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”
This would be the treasure that many people would vision when you say the word. It conjures up possessions like money or jewels or expensive clothes and cars or other valuables…material items that can perish, deteriorate or be taken away. Even a loved one could be possessed like they belong to us…when the truth is that they really belong to the One we should treasure.
So what kind of treasures are we to store up?
Jesus tells us to “store up…treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
In other words, Jesus is telling us to cherish the unperishable…the treasure we find in heaven.
He is telling us to treasure Him.
To seal this truth, hear the closing words for this message as Jesus says, “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Friends, if we’re truly going to profess ourselves as Christian, then we need remember that Jesus is the only treasure…period. He is the One we are to value above everything else in life. For when we truly do this, then…and only then…will we be assured that He and He alone is in our heart. And when that happens, then everything we are will be of Him…and there will be no room for Satan to have any inroads to your life because He can’t coexist in the same place as Jesus.
Simply, when Jesus is in your heart, Satan can’t be.
Where I erred earlier in this month is that I tried to leave room for Grace and Jesus in my heart. And when I only gave Jesus a part of me, Satan moved in and did his evil. Indeed, we cannot serve two masters…our heart cannot be divided between Jesus and anything else.
And so I ask you today, “What is your treasure?”
Seek your heart and if it’s anything than Jesus, turn to Him today and ask for a change. He waiting to fully enter in and transform you forever, just as he did with me…bringing certainty in the midst of uncertainty…faith in the midst of doubt…love in the midst of pain.
Only Jesus can do that.
There’s no other treasure like Him…anywhere.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, February 27, 2010
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IN PRIVATE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-18
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Is it just me or does it seem that some of the darkest acts a person can commit are done in secret?
A married man or woman makes arrangements to have romance with another behind the back of their spouse.
Perhaps a married man or woman steals away to a place in their own home to use the internet to access pornography and lust after something other than they have.
Maybe a person waits until just the right moment, when no one else is watching, to take something from another.
Or maybe still, a person fails to tell the truth when they should feeling that no one would ever know the difference if they just remain quiet.
I could go on but you get the point. Things seldom happen that are good when done in secret.
Or at least when we look at doing things in secret from a world view.
In our scripture today, Jesus opens our eyes up to the goodness of doing acts in secret with the focus on acts that are righteous, not sinful.
What should we do in secret? Let’s see what our Savior says.
First, Jesus instructs us to, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them” for such actions will result in “no reward from your Father in heaven.” This is because you sought the favor of man above the favor of the Lord…plain and simple.
As an example, Jesus used something that we all should be familiar with…giving to those in need.
How many times do we do something for someone and then think we have to tell someone about it?
It’s like we have to always have the spotlight shining on us as we proclaim how great we are…and in doing so, we steal the glory away from the One who deserves it most.
So what does Jesus tell us to do?
When we give to the needy, we are to not “announce it…to be honored by men” but rather ensure that our “giving may be in secret”…so that the “Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward” us. It’s all about whose favor you are seeking. The world’s rewards are temporary. The Lord’s rewards are eternal.
Jesus goes from giving to talk about praying again exhorting His disciples, and us as well, to not pray “standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men” but to rather “go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”
Essentially, Jesus asks us why we would ever want to raise our prayers before those who can’t answer them. Rather, prayers need only be raised secretly in the presence of the Lord…the only One who can be our very present help in times of need…the only One who “knows what (we) need before (we) ask him.”
And we need not even wonder what we should pray. For Jesus helps us there by giving us what we commonly know as His prayer…the Lord’s Prayer:
"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Indeed, this should be our daily plea as we come before the Lord, praying in secret:
“Dear Lord, Your will be done in my life on earth as it is in heaven. Give me my daily bread…forgive me my debts and lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil.”
The last item Jesus covers that we should do in private is a spiritual discipline we all should probably participate more in…fasting.
So what does Jesus say about it?
When fasting, He tells us to “not look somber” or “disfigure (our) faces to show men (we) are fasting”. No, instead we are to “put oil on (our) head and wash (our) face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen”. Again, your sacrifice is being made to show your dependence on the Lord to provide for you…not man…so why would you want to publicize your fast to anyone but Him? We should ever be seeking His favor…His reward…His will and way for our lives.
So what should we do in private?
Jesus tells us to give…pray…and fast. And we do it to glorify the Father first and foremost so that he and only He receives the glory He so very much deserves.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-18
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Is it just me or does it seem that some of the darkest acts a person can commit are done in secret?
A married man or woman makes arrangements to have romance with another behind the back of their spouse.
Perhaps a married man or woman steals away to a place in their own home to use the internet to access pornography and lust after something other than they have.
Maybe a person waits until just the right moment, when no one else is watching, to take something from another.
Or maybe still, a person fails to tell the truth when they should feeling that no one would ever know the difference if they just remain quiet.
I could go on but you get the point. Things seldom happen that are good when done in secret.
Or at least when we look at doing things in secret from a world view.
In our scripture today, Jesus opens our eyes up to the goodness of doing acts in secret with the focus on acts that are righteous, not sinful.
What should we do in secret? Let’s see what our Savior says.
First, Jesus instructs us to, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them” for such actions will result in “no reward from your Father in heaven.” This is because you sought the favor of man above the favor of the Lord…plain and simple.
As an example, Jesus used something that we all should be familiar with…giving to those in need.
How many times do we do something for someone and then think we have to tell someone about it?
It’s like we have to always have the spotlight shining on us as we proclaim how great we are…and in doing so, we steal the glory away from the One who deserves it most.
So what does Jesus tell us to do?
When we give to the needy, we are to not “announce it…to be honored by men” but rather ensure that our “giving may be in secret”…so that the “Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward” us. It’s all about whose favor you are seeking. The world’s rewards are temporary. The Lord’s rewards are eternal.
Jesus goes from giving to talk about praying again exhorting His disciples, and us as well, to not pray “standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men” but to rather “go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”
Essentially, Jesus asks us why we would ever want to raise our prayers before those who can’t answer them. Rather, prayers need only be raised secretly in the presence of the Lord…the only One who can be our very present help in times of need…the only One who “knows what (we) need before (we) ask him.”
And we need not even wonder what we should pray. For Jesus helps us there by giving us what we commonly know as His prayer…the Lord’s Prayer:
"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Indeed, this should be our daily plea as we come before the Lord, praying in secret:
“Dear Lord, Your will be done in my life on earth as it is in heaven. Give me my daily bread…forgive me my debts and lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil.”
The last item Jesus covers that we should do in private is a spiritual discipline we all should probably participate more in…fasting.
So what does Jesus say about it?
When fasting, He tells us to “not look somber” or “disfigure (our) faces to show men (we) are fasting”. No, instead we are to “put oil on (our) head and wash (our) face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen”. Again, your sacrifice is being made to show your dependence on the Lord to provide for you…not man…so why would you want to publicize your fast to anyone but Him? We should ever be seeking His favor…His reward…His will and way for our lives.
So what should we do in private?
Jesus tells us to give…pray…and fast. And we do it to glorify the Father first and foremost so that he and only He receives the glory He so very much deserves.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Friday, February 26, 2010
TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:17-48
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever asked the following question, “Why are we doing it that way?” only to receive the answer, “Because that’s the way we have always done it.”
I don’t know about you but I’ve never been a big fan of that approach, mostly because it almost always means that the status quo has been accepted and any chance of change rejected.
Thank goodness that Jesus wasn’t willing to accept the status quo…a status quo that had been established by the religious authorities of the day…the Pharisees and the Sadducees. This status quo had held a hard legalistic line in accordance with Old Testament law although the leaders who proclaimed and enforced the laws were not willing to conform to them in their own lives. This hypocrisy is what bristled Jesus and caused Him to speak out against the religious double standards.
It is in this context that we start looking at our scripture passage today. We find Jesus continuing to teach His followers during His Sermon on the Mount and setting that ease that He wasn’t coming to change the laws of the Old Testament or the Prophets who spoke so many words of truth from God. No, Jesus tells the people that He had not “come to abolish the Law or the Prophets” but rather to fulfill them and I would add this…He came to enhance them and take them to a new level.
You see Jesus respected the Law because the words of the Law were the very words of His Father. And so it is little surprise when he says that the Law will never disappear “until everything is accomplished”. He further upholds the tenets of the Law by condemning anyone who would break “one of the least of these commandments” and teach “others to do the same”, saying that they would be called “least in the kingdom of heaven”. Conversely, anyone who would practice and teach the commands of the Law would be called “great in the kingdom of heaven”. Ultimately, Jesus exhorted the people to make sure their righteousness surpassed the “Pharisees and the teachers of the law” so they might “enter the kingdom of heaven.”
So what was Jesus getting at? How could the people He was speaking to have a righteousness that surpassed the Pharisees and teachers of the law?
It’s simple.
They had to take their righteous living to the next level…and Jesus was ready to show and teach them how?
As we look to the scriptures, we find Jesus using seven distinct examples from the Law and expanding on them to help the Israelites find their way to that higher plane of holy living.
He starts with the subject of murder. The people of Israel knew the commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) and were aware of the judgment that came with a violation of God’s command. But look at what Jesus does. He tells His listeners that “anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” and “anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Whoa…wait a minute Jesus. Are you saying that I can’t even get angry with someone or resort to name calling without being subject to judgment…even the “fire of hell”.
Jesus would say, “Mark…that’s EXACTLY what I mean.”
You see, Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, knew that it wasn’t enough to just attack to act of murder because you can prevent the result if you address its causes first.
Ask yourself this. How many people commit murder every year because they were in a fit of rage against another? Or how many people tease and name call until the victim of their verbal attacks decides to end the harassment for good? Friends, it happens every day.
Jesus knew that it wasn’t just enough to say do not murder. He had to address the causes as well and place the same judgment on those causes to keep people from even starting to go down a road that might lead to murder. Instead, Jesus urged people to reconcile their differences with others…before one would bring an offering…before one would even get into court with an adversary.
You see reconciliation is the polar opposite of murder…and where Jesus expects us to go in all our dealings with others.
After murder, Jesus addresses the matter of adultery. Again, God’s command was well known…”You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) but look what Jesus says:
“…anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus, are you serious? So if a married man or woman looks at a woman and thinks romantic thoughts about them than it’s the same as actually having an affair with them?
Jesus would say that this is right on the mark. Because just as He did with murder, Jesus was getting to the roots of adultery. One must first lust after another with their heart before they will ever physically engage in an adulterous act. Fix the cause and you can prevent the sin from occurring and the commandment from being broken.
After adultery, Jesus looked at the matter of divorce. Sometimes, I think He wrote these words far more for today than he did for the New Testament days He spoke in. For Jesus looked at the base law of divorce and took it to a higher level of accountability. You get the feel that divorce was easy. Just decide you no longer wanted to be married and all you had to do was issue your wife a certificate of divorce. It seems to be just as easy if not easier today.
But Jesus said that divorcing just because a person wants to is not an appropriate reason. No, He offers only marital unfaithfulness as a viable reason to divorce. Outside of that, marriages were to be kept sacred and in the spirit of love that God intended for them. And as we later will read in God’s word, husbands and wives were supposed to build their relationships on the foundation of love (1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 5:21-33).
Jesus goes on to cover oaths. The Old Testament allowed for people to swear oaths as long as they didn’t defile God’s name in doing so. But again…Jesus wasn’t looking to keep the status quo. No…He questioned why one would have to swear an oath at all. Instead, He proposed that one should just “'Yes' be 'Yes,' and…'No,' 'No'”. It was just too easy. Jesus urged His listeners and us as well to tell the truth…straight up…all the time.
So what about the matter of vengeance? Jesus had something to say about that as well.
Again, as He had in prior examples, Jesus referred to what the people knew already. When it came to revenge, the common response was an “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” (Deuteronomy 19:21) In other words, do unto others as they do unto you. Not quite the golden rule.
But Jesus taught something radically different…that a person was not to return the same wrong done to them. If you get struck on one cheek, turn the other to your assailant. If someone wants your tunic and threatens you for it, give him your cloak as well. If a person forces you to walk a mile (as the Roman soldiers often did to the Israelites, then Jesus said to walk two miles instead. And He urged us to give to those who ask to borrow.
So how hard is this teaching to hold to? Not easy. We feel the need to defend ourselves when we are done wrong. And we resist giving to others unless we feel we will be repaid. But Jesus exhorts us to live differently and we can do it…we should do it without question…because Jesus would never lead us astray. He only speaks truth.
Finally, Jesus speaks to us about dealing with those who would be our enemies. The cultural norm was to “love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Leviticus 19:18) but again, Jesus wasn’t about keeping the norm. He was looking for an even better way.
So in going back to His foundation of loving behavior, it’s little surprise that Jesus tells His listeners to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” He would go on to teach that it’s easy to love those who love you and greet those you consider to be your brothers. No…Jesus preached indiscriminate love…a love that is blind and able to look beyond the fault in others.
After all, that’s exactly what the Lord does when He looks at us. He loves us despite our sins. And if he can do that with us, then we need to do that to others.
Or in other words, we are all called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.
Friends, Jesus came to change the world He entered into…and today He still transforms those who read and cling to His words. Those who fail to embrace Him and His way stay mired in the cultural norms. Or in other words, they never rise above the world. But those who make the choice to shed the ways of the world for the new ways of Jesus find themselves where He hopes for them to be…elevated above the world’s ways to the very ways of heaven where their Father lives…perfect and true.
Question: Are you ready to take your life to a new level today?
You need only to buy into the ways of Jesus right here and now to get there.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:17-48
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever asked the following question, “Why are we doing it that way?” only to receive the answer, “Because that’s the way we have always done it.”
I don’t know about you but I’ve never been a big fan of that approach, mostly because it almost always means that the status quo has been accepted and any chance of change rejected.
Thank goodness that Jesus wasn’t willing to accept the status quo…a status quo that had been established by the religious authorities of the day…the Pharisees and the Sadducees. This status quo had held a hard legalistic line in accordance with Old Testament law although the leaders who proclaimed and enforced the laws were not willing to conform to them in their own lives. This hypocrisy is what bristled Jesus and caused Him to speak out against the religious double standards.
It is in this context that we start looking at our scripture passage today. We find Jesus continuing to teach His followers during His Sermon on the Mount and setting that ease that He wasn’t coming to change the laws of the Old Testament or the Prophets who spoke so many words of truth from God. No, Jesus tells the people that He had not “come to abolish the Law or the Prophets” but rather to fulfill them and I would add this…He came to enhance them and take them to a new level.
You see Jesus respected the Law because the words of the Law were the very words of His Father. And so it is little surprise when he says that the Law will never disappear “until everything is accomplished”. He further upholds the tenets of the Law by condemning anyone who would break “one of the least of these commandments” and teach “others to do the same”, saying that they would be called “least in the kingdom of heaven”. Conversely, anyone who would practice and teach the commands of the Law would be called “great in the kingdom of heaven”. Ultimately, Jesus exhorted the people to make sure their righteousness surpassed the “Pharisees and the teachers of the law” so they might “enter the kingdom of heaven.”
So what was Jesus getting at? How could the people He was speaking to have a righteousness that surpassed the Pharisees and teachers of the law?
It’s simple.
They had to take their righteous living to the next level…and Jesus was ready to show and teach them how?
As we look to the scriptures, we find Jesus using seven distinct examples from the Law and expanding on them to help the Israelites find their way to that higher plane of holy living.
He starts with the subject of murder. The people of Israel knew the commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) and were aware of the judgment that came with a violation of God’s command. But look at what Jesus does. He tells His listeners that “anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” and “anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Whoa…wait a minute Jesus. Are you saying that I can’t even get angry with someone or resort to name calling without being subject to judgment…even the “fire of hell”.
Jesus would say, “Mark…that’s EXACTLY what I mean.”
You see, Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, knew that it wasn’t enough to just attack to act of murder because you can prevent the result if you address its causes first.
Ask yourself this. How many people commit murder every year because they were in a fit of rage against another? Or how many people tease and name call until the victim of their verbal attacks decides to end the harassment for good? Friends, it happens every day.
Jesus knew that it wasn’t just enough to say do not murder. He had to address the causes as well and place the same judgment on those causes to keep people from even starting to go down a road that might lead to murder. Instead, Jesus urged people to reconcile their differences with others…before one would bring an offering…before one would even get into court with an adversary.
You see reconciliation is the polar opposite of murder…and where Jesus expects us to go in all our dealings with others.
After murder, Jesus addresses the matter of adultery. Again, God’s command was well known…”You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) but look what Jesus says:
“…anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus, are you serious? So if a married man or woman looks at a woman and thinks romantic thoughts about them than it’s the same as actually having an affair with them?
Jesus would say that this is right on the mark. Because just as He did with murder, Jesus was getting to the roots of adultery. One must first lust after another with their heart before they will ever physically engage in an adulterous act. Fix the cause and you can prevent the sin from occurring and the commandment from being broken.
After adultery, Jesus looked at the matter of divorce. Sometimes, I think He wrote these words far more for today than he did for the New Testament days He spoke in. For Jesus looked at the base law of divorce and took it to a higher level of accountability. You get the feel that divorce was easy. Just decide you no longer wanted to be married and all you had to do was issue your wife a certificate of divorce. It seems to be just as easy if not easier today.
But Jesus said that divorcing just because a person wants to is not an appropriate reason. No, He offers only marital unfaithfulness as a viable reason to divorce. Outside of that, marriages were to be kept sacred and in the spirit of love that God intended for them. And as we later will read in God’s word, husbands and wives were supposed to build their relationships on the foundation of love (1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 5:21-33).
Jesus goes on to cover oaths. The Old Testament allowed for people to swear oaths as long as they didn’t defile God’s name in doing so. But again…Jesus wasn’t looking to keep the status quo. No…He questioned why one would have to swear an oath at all. Instead, He proposed that one should just “'Yes' be 'Yes,' and…'No,' 'No'”. It was just too easy. Jesus urged His listeners and us as well to tell the truth…straight up…all the time.
So what about the matter of vengeance? Jesus had something to say about that as well.
Again, as He had in prior examples, Jesus referred to what the people knew already. When it came to revenge, the common response was an “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” (Deuteronomy 19:21) In other words, do unto others as they do unto you. Not quite the golden rule.
But Jesus taught something radically different…that a person was not to return the same wrong done to them. If you get struck on one cheek, turn the other to your assailant. If someone wants your tunic and threatens you for it, give him your cloak as well. If a person forces you to walk a mile (as the Roman soldiers often did to the Israelites, then Jesus said to walk two miles instead. And He urged us to give to those who ask to borrow.
So how hard is this teaching to hold to? Not easy. We feel the need to defend ourselves when we are done wrong. And we resist giving to others unless we feel we will be repaid. But Jesus exhorts us to live differently and we can do it…we should do it without question…because Jesus would never lead us astray. He only speaks truth.
Finally, Jesus speaks to us about dealing with those who would be our enemies. The cultural norm was to “love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Leviticus 19:18) but again, Jesus wasn’t about keeping the norm. He was looking for an even better way.
So in going back to His foundation of loving behavior, it’s little surprise that Jesus tells His listeners to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” He would go on to teach that it’s easy to love those who love you and greet those you consider to be your brothers. No…Jesus preached indiscriminate love…a love that is blind and able to look beyond the fault in others.
After all, that’s exactly what the Lord does when He looks at us. He loves us despite our sins. And if he can do that with us, then we need to do that to others.
Or in other words, we are all called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.
Friends, Jesus came to change the world He entered into…and today He still transforms those who read and cling to His words. Those who fail to embrace Him and His way stay mired in the cultural norms. Or in other words, they never rise above the world. But those who make the choice to shed the ways of the world for the new ways of Jesus find themselves where He hopes for them to be…elevated above the world’s ways to the very ways of heaven where their Father lives…perfect and true.
Question: Are you ready to take your life to a new level today?
You need only to buy into the ways of Jesus right here and now to get there.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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