Jesus Calms the Storm
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
It was pointed out to me lately that our culture has this "Jesus, fix it" mentality. That's not completely horrible because Jesus does answer our prayers and rescue us from distress sometimes. But the problem is, that's not ALL He is and does. We are missing the most major piece when that is all that comes to mind when we think of Jesus! What about the fact that He died for my sins, and because I have accepted Him as my Savior, now I am following Him rather than He follows behind me fixing the problems in my life.
As a follower of Jesus, I desire to be changed. I desire to be stirred. I don't want to stay the way I am because I have come to learn that my ways are not naturally good! I am not! I am selfish, judgmental, and prideful 100% of the time by nature. And...so are you.
So, when we decide to follow the doctrine of Jesus (and doctrine seems too light because even men have doctrine), He will begin to smooth in us that which He finds rough. He's constantly providing ways to sand us down in order that we might look more like Him in our words, thoughts, and actions.
So here in this passage of scripture, the men are sailing along while Jesus is sleeping. A storm so great comes that even grown men are afraid (picture a hurricane with me here). They are absolutely terrified! They wake Jesus saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” They didn't even ask, they just assumed that they were about to die, and they didn't ask because they weren't sure about the identity of the man in the boat with them. They refer to Him as "Lord," yet they don't really "get it" yet.
So these men are absolutely terrified, sweating bullets, very anxious, maybe even crying, and Jesus doesn't come to them, wrap His arms around them and say in a sweet, comforting, "Oh, I'm sorry you're afraid. Let me fix it for you. I didn't mean for you to be so nervous and upset." Instead, He turns to them and says, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” What?! He didn't even appologize for not stopping the storm sooner, or for making them experience such turmoil for a bit? They really thought they were about to die! No, He is more concerned that they don't believe the man in the boat with them is in control. He is more concerned about their lack of faith in Him.
He then turns to the sea and rebuked the winds! I can't do that, can you? The original word implies that His words to the winds were short and curt, as if he told them to "shut up!" And then, "it was completely calm." Wow!
Jesus' main concern was not about their safety. He was mostly concerned with their faith in Him!
Are you experiencing a storm right now? Perhaps instead of just asking the Lord to calm it, you should first examine your faith. Do you really KNOW the man in the boat with you? Do you know that He is right beside you in the boat? Do you understand that He has the power and authority to calm the biggest storm with just a word? I urge you to stop focusing only on the storm, as the disciples did, but to shift your focus to the One who has the power to stop the storm. For what does He want to use this storm in your life to do in your heart? Ask Him! There is a purpose in your pain, my friend.
I included the heading of this section above, "Jesus Calms the Storm" (which is not part of actual scripture -- men made those for organizational purposes) to point out that even the headings of our Bibles often point to a "Jesus, fix it" mentality. Perhaps the heading should read instead of "Jesus Calms the Storm" it should read, "Jesus Reveals Our Weak Faith," or "Jesus Causes the Storm in Order to Point Out Disciples Lack of Faith."
It's not about our safety, my friends. It's about our security and faith in Him. Do you trust Him and His purposes? If you refer to Him as "Lord," perhaps this is the day to examine, Do I really believe He is who He says He is? Do I really believe He will do what He Says He will do?
He is the Lord, and there is no other.
Coffee with Jesus
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Matthew 8:18-22 (Counting the Cost)
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Have you ever felt abandon, misunderstood, or lonely because of your belief in Christ? Or perhaps some wrong has been done to you and you are battling with getting your own justice versus what Christ would have you do which is allow God to decide what just payment will be. I'm wondering, where did we get the notion that once we became a Christian all of our problems would be lifted and life would be easy? I can tell you where I learned it: the church. It's not fun to preach on the topics that don't sound nice and pleasing to us. For the most part, I've heard a pretty big feel-good gospel. Yet, Jesus NEVER preached that!
In fact, in this small passage, two of my biggest fears were shaken and they both have to do with being alone.
The teacher of the law WANTS to follow Jesus, and we would think Jesus would say, "Oh, fantastic! I'm so excited! This is great!" But instead, he answers the man with two warnings. Warnings! I certainly don't see the words, "it will be easy." Let's take a look...
Jesus' first reply is, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” What He's saying is that even the smallest creatures have somewhere to call "home" but God in the form of man has no where and no one. He was from Nazareth, but they wanted nothing to do with him; even his own family members thought He was a little nuts (Mark 3:21; Mark 6:2-3; Matt. 13:54-56). Who do you have if even your own family and community think you're crazy? I am comforted by my "home". As a kid, my childhood home meant safety for me. Now, my home is a place of refuge, rest, and restoration. And my community is life-giving to me: friends, friend's parents, co-workers, my church. Imagine if ALL of that was stripped away because people thought you aren't really who you say you are? When I really stop to think about that, I realize that no matter what I might feel in terms of loneliness, abandonment, or injustice, I know that Jesus experienced it EVEN MORE. So, here he is warning us...a comfortable life is not really in the picture when you follow me. People you love may abandon you. Do you still want to follow me now?
The second warning He gives is to another disciple who says he wants to follow Jesus, but first he needs to go bury his dead father. Jesus replies, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Right there is some of the discomfort that comes with following Christ. It sounds so incredibly cruel! But, what we need to know is that that phrase was often used back then to buy a little time. More than likely, the man's father was not even ill yet! So, Jesus response is telling the man, "Don't procrastinate!" If you are going to follow Him, now is the time! There will always be "something" that could keep you from doing what the Lord asks of you. But when I read that literally as a teenager, I thought, "I could never leave my parents to follow the Lord, if that's what it's asking me to do." I was so incredibly close to them, I wasn't willing to give that up. Whether or not that is the meaning of this text or not, I was still in sin. No one can serve two masters! As much as I loved my parents, I needed to love, trust, and serve God more. When my mom died, I had a new understanding to why Jesus might have said that: my mom was gone, so now who was the better person to serve and follow? Jesus! He knows what he's saying to us! It's okay to love our family, but they cannot hold a position higher than He does in our hearts and allegiances! So, his warning to us here is...Do you really want to follow me? It means placing me before all the people in your life, even those you love the most, and you need to do it NOW. Do you still want to follow me now?
There is a high cost to following Christ. There is! He's never told us differently. But the comfort and promise we have is that we can, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut. 31:6, 8). Just two verses apart, God says practically the same thing! When you say the same thing back-to-back, we can be sure that you REALLY mean it, and you're repeating it for emphasis. Same with the Lord. He wants you to know that you CAN survive without a "home" and without a "family" or without certain "comforts" because He will be with you, and we can trust His plan!
This doesn't mean you have to pack up and leave your family today. But I ask you to search your heart, and see if you have any allegiances, or dare I say idols, that you are putting before the Lord? Our families, jobs, and even our ministries have a sneaky way of creeping up a little too high on our ladders sometimes. Confess it! Tell the Lord this morning that it is only Him that you want to follow and serve ask Him to lead you in the right direction.
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Have you ever felt abandon, misunderstood, or lonely because of your belief in Christ? Or perhaps some wrong has been done to you and you are battling with getting your own justice versus what Christ would have you do which is allow God to decide what just payment will be. I'm wondering, where did we get the notion that once we became a Christian all of our problems would be lifted and life would be easy? I can tell you where I learned it: the church. It's not fun to preach on the topics that don't sound nice and pleasing to us. For the most part, I've heard a pretty big feel-good gospel. Yet, Jesus NEVER preached that!
In fact, in this small passage, two of my biggest fears were shaken and they both have to do with being alone.
The teacher of the law WANTS to follow Jesus, and we would think Jesus would say, "Oh, fantastic! I'm so excited! This is great!" But instead, he answers the man with two warnings. Warnings! I certainly don't see the words, "it will be easy." Let's take a look...
Jesus' first reply is, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” What He's saying is that even the smallest creatures have somewhere to call "home" but God in the form of man has no where and no one. He was from Nazareth, but they wanted nothing to do with him; even his own family members thought He was a little nuts (Mark 3:21; Mark 6:2-3; Matt. 13:54-56). Who do you have if even your own family and community think you're crazy? I am comforted by my "home". As a kid, my childhood home meant safety for me. Now, my home is a place of refuge, rest, and restoration. And my community is life-giving to me: friends, friend's parents, co-workers, my church. Imagine if ALL of that was stripped away because people thought you aren't really who you say you are? When I really stop to think about that, I realize that no matter what I might feel in terms of loneliness, abandonment, or injustice, I know that Jesus experienced it EVEN MORE. So, here he is warning us...a comfortable life is not really in the picture when you follow me. People you love may abandon you. Do you still want to follow me now?
The second warning He gives is to another disciple who says he wants to follow Jesus, but first he needs to go bury his dead father. Jesus replies, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Right there is some of the discomfort that comes with following Christ. It sounds so incredibly cruel! But, what we need to know is that that phrase was often used back then to buy a little time. More than likely, the man's father was not even ill yet! So, Jesus response is telling the man, "Don't procrastinate!" If you are going to follow Him, now is the time! There will always be "something" that could keep you from doing what the Lord asks of you. But when I read that literally as a teenager, I thought, "I could never leave my parents to follow the Lord, if that's what it's asking me to do." I was so incredibly close to them, I wasn't willing to give that up. Whether or not that is the meaning of this text or not, I was still in sin. No one can serve two masters! As much as I loved my parents, I needed to love, trust, and serve God more. When my mom died, I had a new understanding to why Jesus might have said that: my mom was gone, so now who was the better person to serve and follow? Jesus! He knows what he's saying to us! It's okay to love our family, but they cannot hold a position higher than He does in our hearts and allegiances! So, his warning to us here is...Do you really want to follow me? It means placing me before all the people in your life, even those you love the most, and you need to do it NOW. Do you still want to follow me now?
There is a high cost to following Christ. There is! He's never told us differently. But the comfort and promise we have is that we can, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut. 31:6, 8). Just two verses apart, God says practically the same thing! When you say the same thing back-to-back, we can be sure that you REALLY mean it, and you're repeating it for emphasis. Same with the Lord. He wants you to know that you CAN survive without a "home" and without a "family" or without certain "comforts" because He will be with you, and we can trust His plan!
This doesn't mean you have to pack up and leave your family today. But I ask you to search your heart, and see if you have any allegiances, or dare I say idols, that you are putting before the Lord? Our families, jobs, and even our ministries have a sneaky way of creeping up a little too high on our ladders sometimes. Confess it! Tell the Lord this morning that it is only Him that you want to follow and serve ask Him to lead you in the right direction.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Matthew 8:1-16 (Humility and Belief)
When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
Immediately, this passage tells us that people were following Jesus. Remember the last verse of chapter 7 said, "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." THAT is why they are following Him. They are following Him because of His teaching. They are challenged and intrigued, and He hasn't even started healing people yet! So many times our culture views Jesus as their vending-machine Jesus, asking for whatever they want for their own benefit and "trusting" that Jesus will do that for them. I'm not saying He doesn't sometimes do the things that we want, but I sure hope we know how much MORE He is than just our "problem-fixer."
Jesus healed many people in this passage: the leper, the centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and the demon-possessed. A stranger, a leader, a friend, and the "crazy." I don't see any discrimination there.
And I love the leper's inquiry of Jesus. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”" The man, who was considered to be the dirtiest of them all, CAME to Jesus. He didn't expect that Jesus would come find him. Then, he humbly knelt before Him. How often do we humbly kneel before God? I mean really...get on our physical knees and physically place ourselves in a position of humility (kneeling). We need to remember who we are...and who we are not. Isaiah 47 talks about this attitude of, "I am, and besides me there is no other." Who should be saying this? God! Because that would be true of Him! But in Isaiah, it's the people saying it! Oh my, how our Western culture has it wrong! We think we should be able to order, plan, and run my life any way I want. But oh, to look at our hearts and see how far they are from the Lord at times. The leper doesn't demand anything of Jesus -- he knows who the real I AM is here. Instead, he says "if you are willing, you CAN make me clean." He knows Jesus has the power to do it, but he's not pushing is own agenda on the Lord. Have you been pushing your own agenda lately? Step back, examine your heart, then lay your desires at the feet of Christ and wait for His timing. The leper showed humility and belief.
The centurion beseeches Jesus on behalf of his servant who was in great suffering. Right there, I know something about this man. He was praying on behalf of his servant! He was not too prideful to think that he was above his servant, and he has empathy toward his servant because of his great suffering. He, too, goes humbly to Jesus and asks with belief. Jesus says that He will go with him to heal the suffering servant, but the centurion replies, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Wow! What faith! And do we know how much we do not deserve Christ? We sure do think we deserve a lot of things -- including a Starbucks coffee on the way to work this morning because it's cold and wet outside. But, in our sin, we do not deserve Christ! Yet, He loves us, and we believe in Him and have relationship with Him anyway.
In verse 16, he drove the spirits our with A WORD. One word. Talk about authority! He can do whatever we ask of Him; yet, sometimes He has a different plan, and we do have to trust that plan.
But I challenge you this morning, to see if your heart is in the posture of humility first as these men's hearts were. Before you go asking for things, remember who He is. WE are HIS servants, not the other way around.
Then we must believe! James 1:5-7 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord..."
Humility and belief. Remember who you are not, and remember who God is.
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
Immediately, this passage tells us that people were following Jesus. Remember the last verse of chapter 7 said, "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." THAT is why they are following Him. They are following Him because of His teaching. They are challenged and intrigued, and He hasn't even started healing people yet! So many times our culture views Jesus as their vending-machine Jesus, asking for whatever they want for their own benefit and "trusting" that Jesus will do that for them. I'm not saying He doesn't sometimes do the things that we want, but I sure hope we know how much MORE He is than just our "problem-fixer."
Jesus healed many people in this passage: the leper, the centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and the demon-possessed. A stranger, a leader, a friend, and the "crazy." I don't see any discrimination there.
And I love the leper's inquiry of Jesus. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”" The man, who was considered to be the dirtiest of them all, CAME to Jesus. He didn't expect that Jesus would come find him. Then, he humbly knelt before Him. How often do we humbly kneel before God? I mean really...get on our physical knees and physically place ourselves in a position of humility (kneeling). We need to remember who we are...and who we are not. Isaiah 47 talks about this attitude of, "I am, and besides me there is no other." Who should be saying this? God! Because that would be true of Him! But in Isaiah, it's the people saying it! Oh my, how our Western culture has it wrong! We think we should be able to order, plan, and run my life any way I want. But oh, to look at our hearts and see how far they are from the Lord at times. The leper doesn't demand anything of Jesus -- he knows who the real I AM is here. Instead, he says "if you are willing, you CAN make me clean." He knows Jesus has the power to do it, but he's not pushing is own agenda on the Lord. Have you been pushing your own agenda lately? Step back, examine your heart, then lay your desires at the feet of Christ and wait for His timing. The leper showed humility and belief.
The centurion beseeches Jesus on behalf of his servant who was in great suffering. Right there, I know something about this man. He was praying on behalf of his servant! He was not too prideful to think that he was above his servant, and he has empathy toward his servant because of his great suffering. He, too, goes humbly to Jesus and asks with belief. Jesus says that He will go with him to heal the suffering servant, but the centurion replies, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Wow! What faith! And do we know how much we do not deserve Christ? We sure do think we deserve a lot of things -- including a Starbucks coffee on the way to work this morning because it's cold and wet outside. But, in our sin, we do not deserve Christ! Yet, He loves us, and we believe in Him and have relationship with Him anyway.
In verse 16, he drove the spirits our with A WORD. One word. Talk about authority! He can do whatever we ask of Him; yet, sometimes He has a different plan, and we do have to trust that plan.
But I challenge you this morning, to see if your heart is in the posture of humility first as these men's hearts were. Before you go asking for things, remember who He is. WE are HIS servants, not the other way around.
Then we must believe! James 1:5-7 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord..."
Humility and belief. Remember who you are not, and remember who God is.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Matthew 7:24-29 (The Rock and the Sand)
Dear friends, listen to these words to you today from your Lord. He is speaking this to you! This is the Truth of who He is and what He says to us in His Word.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."
All of these things we've talked about in the book of Matthew come from Jesus. They are His words and His wisdom that is unlike anything this world has to offer.
The time has come. You've heard what He's asked you to do, how He's wanted you to sacrifice, how He's encouraged you to spend your time, as well as what He's asked you not to do. And now is the time to stop making excuses, stop living in fear (His perfect love drives out our fears, dear ones), and stop waiting until the timing is right. The time is now.
Obey Him.
If we do what He says, He promises that we will be like a house built on Rock, and not on sand. We will not be washed away with the pounding of life's storms because our Hope is sure in Him. You can trust Him! His commands are the most excellent way to live, and they will not leave us feeling empty or abandoned.
Whatever He's asking you to do, I pray that you would take the step today and do it.
This passage says he spoke with authority -- not referencing scripture like the priests would do -- but just speaking as if He is it. And He is. Make sure you are following His authority in your life!
Start today -- start building more of your life on The Rock. I promise you -- you won't be sorry.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."
All of these things we've talked about in the book of Matthew come from Jesus. They are His words and His wisdom that is unlike anything this world has to offer.
The time has come. You've heard what He's asked you to do, how He's wanted you to sacrifice, how He's encouraged you to spend your time, as well as what He's asked you not to do. And now is the time to stop making excuses, stop living in fear (His perfect love drives out our fears, dear ones), and stop waiting until the timing is right. The time is now.
Obey Him.
If we do what He says, He promises that we will be like a house built on Rock, and not on sand. We will not be washed away with the pounding of life's storms because our Hope is sure in Him. You can trust Him! His commands are the most excellent way to live, and they will not leave us feeling empty or abandoned.
Whatever He's asking you to do, I pray that you would take the step today and do it.
This passage says he spoke with authority -- not referencing scripture like the priests would do -- but just speaking as if He is it. And He is. Make sure you are following His authority in your life!
Start today -- start building more of your life on The Rock. I promise you -- you won't be sorry.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Matthew 7:13-23 (Narrow Gate)
“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."
It's not just enough to say that we know the Lord, because if our motives and heart are evil and self-seeking, Jesus will not recognize us. We can't just do things for ourselves and our glory and say that we're doing them for God. Don't attend church just so you can put it on you spiritual resume!
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
"Only He who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven..." How do we know God's will for us to do? We read the Bible. How do we know if we're doing it right? Jesus says we'll produce good fruit. "The Fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..." (Gal. 5:22). That's the "proof".
Let's not be satisfied with just good-enough when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. Don't think that you're okay because you're doing what everyone else is doing -- everyone else is on the WIDE road! I hope you are on this journey with me because you want to KNOW Him and to learn to LOVE Him more each day. We will never be finished as long as we are on this earth. Keep pressing on to learn more and to become more like Him each day. Don't give up! Don't let just going to church be enough. Pour out your life for Him and for the people around you. And if you feel that you're the only one around you doing that, take heart. You're probably on the narrow road.
Sometimes Scripture is figurative, but sometimes it is as plain and straight-forward as it could be. Today's verses are those. Is there a literal, metal "gate" that we walk through to get to Jesus? No. But what is said about that gate could not be put more simply.
Enter through the narrow gate. That's a command, and it's left to us as our choice. We have to make the choice to pick the narrower, smaller, less-traveled, less-popular gate.
Why? Because "wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction." I'm not sure Jesus could have said it any more plainly. It's a warning! If you don't choose the narrow gate, destruction will befall you. Many enter through it, He says. Now, Jesus has known ALL the people that ever existed, so when He says 'many', we know that 'many' represents a lot of people.
BUT...here comes the contrast..."small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." When I picture the word 'narrow,' it is in stark contrast to the word 'wide'. I would naturally believe that narrow compared to wide might be one-tenth the size of "wide," but then He says that only a FEW will find it. A "few" to me is like the 3 peanut M&Ms I eat out of a bag of 100!
It is not our place to judge the salvation of those around us -- only God can judge people eternally -- but He wouldn't tell us this if He didn't want us to think about it. Just because you are going to church, doesn't mean you have eternal life with Christ in Heaven.
We can know if people really love the Lord by the fruit in their lives. Look at what Jesus says next: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.It's not just enough to say that we know the Lord, because if our motives and heart are evil and self-seeking, Jesus will not recognize us. We can't just do things for ourselves and our glory and say that we're doing them for God. Don't attend church just so you can put it on you spiritual resume!
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
"Only He who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven..." How do we know God's will for us to do? We read the Bible. How do we know if we're doing it right? Jesus says we'll produce good fruit. "The Fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..." (Gal. 5:22). That's the "proof".
Let's not be satisfied with just good-enough when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. Don't think that you're okay because you're doing what everyone else is doing -- everyone else is on the WIDE road! I hope you are on this journey with me because you want to KNOW Him and to learn to LOVE Him more each day. We will never be finished as long as we are on this earth. Keep pressing on to learn more and to become more like Him each day. Don't give up! Don't let just going to church be enough. Pour out your life for Him and for the people around you. And if you feel that you're the only one around you doing that, take heart. You're probably on the narrow road.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Matthew 7:7-11 (Good Gifts)
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
When I say, "Think about God," what comes into your mind? For me, it's a whole mix of things at different times: provider, protector, devoted, delight...and also disciplinarian, deserter, and destruction. There have certainly been times when I was feeling so in-love with my Lord, and other times when I have been so angry at Him for things in my life. This is a very important question: what really comes to mind when you think of God today? I recently read where A.W. Tozer said, "what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Why? I would imagine our view of God impacts everything we do, say, think, and value. Our view of God does 100% determine everything!
When my mom was dying, the Lord showed me a verse I had never seen before. It's always a delight to me to come across a new verse or passage of scripture and think, well, when did they put that in there? That's the thing about reading the Bible -- it never gets old. It is living and active, my friends. Anyway, the verse He showed me was Psalm 62:11, "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." I needed to cling to those truths with all my might as I faced the torrential battering of my soul those long months. Despite what was happening around me, I could know that God, my God, is strong (stronger than anything I was battling, and He had the power to stop it), and even more than that, He is loving (and He would not allow anything to happen that wasn't part of His plan in working for the good of those He loves). We must remember this, Christ Followers! That is who our God is!
What else is true of our God? Well, according to the above verses today, He is a good gift-giver! The only caveat is that we have to ASK, SEEK, or KNOCK. What does that mean? It means we are not going through life passively, expecting God to just fill our plates and do everything for us. He will give generously, but we need to be asking, seeking, and knocking. James 4:2 reminds us that "you do not have because you do not ask." I know sometimes I have been afraid to ask because I wonder if God will really give me what I ask. But look at this above verse, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" We are evil. Our motives are selfish most of the time, and yet, occasionally, we can give really good gifts to the people we love. If WE can give good gifts, imagine how good the gifts are that our loving Lord can give us...if we ask.
I remember when Josh and I were looking for a house, and I told God my little list of things I wanted in a home for our family. We kept being denied different houses throughout our search, and I thought Lord, what are you doing?! Then, we found the one we now live in (but that wasn't without a 9 month wait while living with my family), and He blessed us ten-fold -- including my favorite kind of tree that lines our back fence! If He cares about even these little, trivial things, how much more do you think He wants to bless you in the big things?
So, what do you REALLY want today? I just read Harry Potter last night as I was falling asleep (yes, I've boarded the bandwagon), and in Book 1 as I was reading last night, Harry finds a mirror that shows your heart's deepest desire: Harry got to see his family he never knew standing all around him and smiling and waving at him. So I ask you: what's your heart's deepest desire? Is it a financial need, a relational need, a ministry need, a family need, a vocational need? Maybe you just need a friend? Maybe you need to be able to pay your bills this month? Maybe you just need a vacation and a time of rest? Maybe you're desiring to do something for Him but you don't know how? Pray, my friend. Ask Him to give you what you need. Pour out the desires of your heart to Him, your heavenly Father who loves you. Whether it's a need or just a want, seek Him and ask. Let Him prove to you who He is.
Then, maybe the next time you think about God, the phrase that will come to mind will be generous gift-giver.
Remember your Lord, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17
He is a good, loving, and generous God, my friends. Let Him bless you today! Keep your eyes open.
When I say, "Think about God," what comes into your mind? For me, it's a whole mix of things at different times: provider, protector, devoted, delight...and also disciplinarian, deserter, and destruction. There have certainly been times when I was feeling so in-love with my Lord, and other times when I have been so angry at Him for things in my life. This is a very important question: what really comes to mind when you think of God today? I recently read where A.W. Tozer said, "what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Why? I would imagine our view of God impacts everything we do, say, think, and value. Our view of God does 100% determine everything!
When my mom was dying, the Lord showed me a verse I had never seen before. It's always a delight to me to come across a new verse or passage of scripture and think, well, when did they put that in there? That's the thing about reading the Bible -- it never gets old. It is living and active, my friends. Anyway, the verse He showed me was Psalm 62:11, "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." I needed to cling to those truths with all my might as I faced the torrential battering of my soul those long months. Despite what was happening around me, I could know that God, my God, is strong (stronger than anything I was battling, and He had the power to stop it), and even more than that, He is loving (and He would not allow anything to happen that wasn't part of His plan in working for the good of those He loves). We must remember this, Christ Followers! That is who our God is!
What else is true of our God? Well, according to the above verses today, He is a good gift-giver! The only caveat is that we have to ASK, SEEK, or KNOCK. What does that mean? It means we are not going through life passively, expecting God to just fill our plates and do everything for us. He will give generously, but we need to be asking, seeking, and knocking. James 4:2 reminds us that "you do not have because you do not ask." I know sometimes I have been afraid to ask because I wonder if God will really give me what I ask. But look at this above verse, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" We are evil. Our motives are selfish most of the time, and yet, occasionally, we can give really good gifts to the people we love. If WE can give good gifts, imagine how good the gifts are that our loving Lord can give us...if we ask.
I remember when Josh and I were looking for a house, and I told God my little list of things I wanted in a home for our family. We kept being denied different houses throughout our search, and I thought Lord, what are you doing?! Then, we found the one we now live in (but that wasn't without a 9 month wait while living with my family), and He blessed us ten-fold -- including my favorite kind of tree that lines our back fence! If He cares about even these little, trivial things, how much more do you think He wants to bless you in the big things?
So, what do you REALLY want today? I just read Harry Potter last night as I was falling asleep (yes, I've boarded the bandwagon), and in Book 1 as I was reading last night, Harry finds a mirror that shows your heart's deepest desire: Harry got to see his family he never knew standing all around him and smiling and waving at him. So I ask you: what's your heart's deepest desire? Is it a financial need, a relational need, a ministry need, a family need, a vocational need? Maybe you just need a friend? Maybe you need to be able to pay your bills this month? Maybe you just need a vacation and a time of rest? Maybe you're desiring to do something for Him but you don't know how? Pray, my friend. Ask Him to give you what you need. Pour out the desires of your heart to Him, your heavenly Father who loves you. Whether it's a need or just a want, seek Him and ask. Let Him prove to you who He is.
Then, maybe the next time you think about God, the phrase that will come to mind will be generous gift-giver.
Remember your Lord, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17
He is a good, loving, and generous God, my friends. Let Him bless you today! Keep your eyes open.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Matthew 7:1-6 (Judge Not)
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you."
May I be really honest with you? Judging comes easily for me. Even my Myers-Briggs personality test ends in a J, which stands for judging. (I know that test isn't necessarily referring to this passage, but still...). I am quick to judge. I don't know if that was always so. Yet, I also know in the Christian community it becomes easy to judge when we have a standard set before us according to Christ, and it sure is a lot easier and less painful for us to recognize the short-comings in other people than it is to look deeply at our own life. We are puffed up people, aren't we?
Jesus knows this about us. That's why He said, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite..." He knows this about us. And we sure do have plenty of opportunities these days don't we? Oh my, suddenly because of the Internet and Facebook, we can decide whether something is worthy of being "liked" just by clicking a button. We can make comments on articles, photos, and news stories and judge whether they're good or not, and then we can even judge the comments left by OTHER people. This is a startling reality for me: we act like God when we play those roles! I'm not saying don't even leave a comment anymore, but just think about the comments that you see sometimes -- people leave their opinions when its really not their place to decide!
Let me be clear, there is a difference between judging and having discernment. In verse 6 even, Jesus wants us to discern the difference between people who are dogs and pigs verses other people. We are to make discerning, wise choices. Those of you with teenagers would certainly want your teens to make discerning choices about which friends they'd choose, right? And that's a good thing! But the reason Jesus gets so upset when we judge others is because we should "first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." While we are so busy judging others for the sake of feeling better about ourselves, we are completely overlooking the great sin in our own life! Many of the "sins" that other people commit that bother me the most are the same ones that I struggle with or have struggled with, too. If we can take the LOG out of our own eye, then we can clearly see the SPECK in our brother's eye for what it is, and then we might be able to have MERCY on them. Show mercy.
Don't you want God to have mercy on you? We have offended The King, my friends! Daily, hourly, we do something that is less than perfect in front of our Lord who IS perfect! Our hearts are dark at times, and even the kindest person you know is very capable of some of the ugliest sin. I hope and pray we can recognize that about ourselves. Yet, when I see God one day, do I not want Him to have mercy on me for what I have done and the attitudes I have carried? "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." If we can't show mercy to others today, how can we expect God to show mercy to us? He is a just God, and don't we always want Him to be "fair"? He will be just when it comes to judging us, too.
Our society tells us that we can judge whatever and whomever we want, and God tells us to only judge ourselves, because the root of our judgement is in our own pride. Oh, how prideful I am.
So what should we do to please God instead? When it comes to how we should view other people, it's quite simple (though not always easy):
"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)
May we be just, merciful, and humble today. That's all. Lord, teach us how.
May I be really honest with you? Judging comes easily for me. Even my Myers-Briggs personality test ends in a J, which stands for judging. (I know that test isn't necessarily referring to this passage, but still...). I am quick to judge. I don't know if that was always so. Yet, I also know in the Christian community it becomes easy to judge when we have a standard set before us according to Christ, and it sure is a lot easier and less painful for us to recognize the short-comings in other people than it is to look deeply at our own life. We are puffed up people, aren't we?
Jesus knows this about us. That's why He said, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite..." He knows this about us. And we sure do have plenty of opportunities these days don't we? Oh my, suddenly because of the Internet and Facebook, we can decide whether something is worthy of being "liked" just by clicking a button. We can make comments on articles, photos, and news stories and judge whether they're good or not, and then we can even judge the comments left by OTHER people. This is a startling reality for me: we act like God when we play those roles! I'm not saying don't even leave a comment anymore, but just think about the comments that you see sometimes -- people leave their opinions when its really not their place to decide!
Let me be clear, there is a difference between judging and having discernment. In verse 6 even, Jesus wants us to discern the difference between people who are dogs and pigs verses other people. We are to make discerning, wise choices. Those of you with teenagers would certainly want your teens to make discerning choices about which friends they'd choose, right? And that's a good thing! But the reason Jesus gets so upset when we judge others is because we should "first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." While we are so busy judging others for the sake of feeling better about ourselves, we are completely overlooking the great sin in our own life! Many of the "sins" that other people commit that bother me the most are the same ones that I struggle with or have struggled with, too. If we can take the LOG out of our own eye, then we can clearly see the SPECK in our brother's eye for what it is, and then we might be able to have MERCY on them. Show mercy.
Don't you want God to have mercy on you? We have offended The King, my friends! Daily, hourly, we do something that is less than perfect in front of our Lord who IS perfect! Our hearts are dark at times, and even the kindest person you know is very capable of some of the ugliest sin. I hope and pray we can recognize that about ourselves. Yet, when I see God one day, do I not want Him to have mercy on me for what I have done and the attitudes I have carried? "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." If we can't show mercy to others today, how can we expect God to show mercy to us? He is a just God, and don't we always want Him to be "fair"? He will be just when it comes to judging us, too.
Our society tells us that we can judge whatever and whomever we want, and God tells us to only judge ourselves, because the root of our judgement is in our own pride. Oh, how prideful I am.
So what should we do to please God instead? When it comes to how we should view other people, it's quite simple (though not always easy):
"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)
May we be just, merciful, and humble today. That's all. Lord, teach us how.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Matthew 6:25-34 (Fifty-Three Cents)
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Well, here we are again. The Monroe Family output is more than its input this month. I didn't think we'd be this tight again for a really long time. I can remember the last time we felt like this: it was about 18 months ago. Josh had just changed jobs, and I was waiting for a permanent spot at the school where I was teaching, which was supposed to be coming up at the end of March. We were living off of my little daily wage. Then, I was told that they weren't going to fill my spot -- at the end of the month I would be unemployed...again. I needed gas for my car, so I went to fill up but my card was declined. I went to the bank to put in the small check I had received from tutoring, but apparently we were already in the black, because even after putting the check in, we only had positive 53 cents. Fifty-three cents! That was all we had between the two of us! I immediately pulled into the parking lot and bawled for about three hours. Life was piling up, and I could not get out from underneath it. Why couldn't I trust that God would take care of me?
The next day, we received our tax refund check in the mail. It was later than we'd expected; yet, God knew His timing. Three days later, I was also hired full-time with the school system...at last! That's not to say I didn't have to do a little fighting on my own behalf, but I was hired nonetheless. I remember feeling foolish because I hadn't trusted God even when the fire was getting hot. Isn't that the goal? To stay faithful to God even when our circumstances fit into some form of the word suffering? I am sad to say that faithfulness was not my immediate response. So, I learned my lesson, and I keep that little bank receipt that says fifty-three cents in my journal, and Josh and I will say to each other "fifty-three cents" when things are getting tight from our perspective because we know God will provide. He always does! Yet how quickly I forget.
I had forgotten. It's been 18 months, and I think it's safe to say that Josh and I were beginning to feel pretty self-sufficient. Until three weeks ago. Three weeks ago, we had some major expenses...some expected and some unexpected. Regardless, I find myself in the same spot as I was 18 months ago, but thankfully, not once have either of us doubted God's provision this time. We are choosing to remember what He taught us last time. It sure is humbling though, and that's okay, because I really could use a good dose of humbling most days. God has provided again, but this time around it's without all of our anxiety and worry before His provisions come. My sister Haley is living with us and pays us for the food she eats here, and if it weren't for her, I also would have run out of gas on the way home last night. So, let us not think that God is always going to provide in the way of some big fireworks show...last night, God provided when I asked Haley to borrow $10 and she very willingly said 'sure!'. She also paid for my dinner.
Finally, Pay Day is today. We made it through a really tight month, and once these bills get paid, it looks like next month is going to be equally as tight until we can get all caught up. But what my former sufferings have taught me about God is that He is faithful, good, and loving, and He WILL provide for our needs (and sometimes even our wants...like my Jimmy Johns dinner last night). We have nothing to fear, my friends. Nothing! Not even death. Our pride may be hurt, but that's not a bad thing. Our comfort may be stretched, but that's not a bad thing. In the meantime, our faith in God and our capacity for compassion will increase.
The passage above starts with "Therefore." If we look in the verses previous, we see the passage from yesterday on Our Treasure. Putting these two passages together, we get the bigger picture: when we get our perspective on our treasures right, we will have reason to not be anxious. We will have peace.
I can't urge you enough, dear people. Trust Him! He will not fail you. In the midst of your turmoil, He will change you if you draw closer to Him. What you are going through right now is for your benefit because of His great love for you. That's the truth. So whatever it is, you need not be anxious. Your God can do a lot with just fifty-three cents.
Well, here we are again. The Monroe Family output is more than its input this month. I didn't think we'd be this tight again for a really long time. I can remember the last time we felt like this: it was about 18 months ago. Josh had just changed jobs, and I was waiting for a permanent spot at the school where I was teaching, which was supposed to be coming up at the end of March. We were living off of my little daily wage. Then, I was told that they weren't going to fill my spot -- at the end of the month I would be unemployed...again. I needed gas for my car, so I went to fill up but my card was declined. I went to the bank to put in the small check I had received from tutoring, but apparently we were already in the black, because even after putting the check in, we only had positive 53 cents. Fifty-three cents! That was all we had between the two of us! I immediately pulled into the parking lot and bawled for about three hours. Life was piling up, and I could not get out from underneath it. Why couldn't I trust that God would take care of me?
The next day, we received our tax refund check in the mail. It was later than we'd expected; yet, God knew His timing. Three days later, I was also hired full-time with the school system...at last! That's not to say I didn't have to do a little fighting on my own behalf, but I was hired nonetheless. I remember feeling foolish because I hadn't trusted God even when the fire was getting hot. Isn't that the goal? To stay faithful to God even when our circumstances fit into some form of the word suffering? I am sad to say that faithfulness was not my immediate response. So, I learned my lesson, and I keep that little bank receipt that says fifty-three cents in my journal, and Josh and I will say to each other "fifty-three cents" when things are getting tight from our perspective because we know God will provide. He always does! Yet how quickly I forget.
I had forgotten. It's been 18 months, and I think it's safe to say that Josh and I were beginning to feel pretty self-sufficient. Until three weeks ago. Three weeks ago, we had some major expenses...some expected and some unexpected. Regardless, I find myself in the same spot as I was 18 months ago, but thankfully, not once have either of us doubted God's provision this time. We are choosing to remember what He taught us last time. It sure is humbling though, and that's okay, because I really could use a good dose of humbling most days. God has provided again, but this time around it's without all of our anxiety and worry before His provisions come. My sister Haley is living with us and pays us for the food she eats here, and if it weren't for her, I also would have run out of gas on the way home last night. So, let us not think that God is always going to provide in the way of some big fireworks show...last night, God provided when I asked Haley to borrow $10 and she very willingly said 'sure!'. She also paid for my dinner.
Finally, Pay Day is today. We made it through a really tight month, and once these bills get paid, it looks like next month is going to be equally as tight until we can get all caught up. But what my former sufferings have taught me about God is that He is faithful, good, and loving, and He WILL provide for our needs (and sometimes even our wants...like my Jimmy Johns dinner last night). We have nothing to fear, my friends. Nothing! Not even death. Our pride may be hurt, but that's not a bad thing. Our comfort may be stretched, but that's not a bad thing. In the meantime, our faith in God and our capacity for compassion will increase.
The passage above starts with "Therefore." If we look in the verses previous, we see the passage from yesterday on Our Treasure. Putting these two passages together, we get the bigger picture: when we get our perspective on our treasures right, we will have reason to not be anxious. We will have peace.
I can't urge you enough, dear people. Trust Him! He will not fail you. In the midst of your turmoil, He will change you if you draw closer to Him. What you are going through right now is for your benefit because of His great love for you. That's the truth. So whatever it is, you need not be anxious. Your God can do a lot with just fifty-three cents.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Matthew 6:19-24 (Treasures in Heaven)
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys 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. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! "No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money."
I've been challenged this week to read Scripture not the way our culture tends to read it, but how a God-glorifying life should read it. Many in our current culture read scripture this way:
1) Read the Bible that looks good to me.
2) Decide what I think about what it says.
3) Figure out how to apply it to my life.
But don't we see how these three steps are not focused on God or the Bible and what it says, but rather on "me, I, and my".
Instead, I want to challenge myself and all of you to read scripture this way:
1) Read the Bible.
2) Obey it.
We don't need to read into it, figure out what we think about what it says, and then figure out if we want to apply it to our lives. We just need to OBEY it. And we can obey it in confidence because we know that God's plans are for our GOOD. His boundaries are for our benefit!
So let's take a look at what today's passage says:
We are not to store or 'lay up' treasures here. That's hard to do in a very materialistic and self-centered society. And it doesn't have to be material treasure always -- it can be the praise of man or the approval of a certain person that we're after. It could be a job, a relationship, or...a material possession that we treasure. But we are not to store those up here! They will be gone in the blink of an eye. Just ask the man I met today who lost his ability to walk 30 years ago in a car accident. I was asked to go visit him, and I was told beforehand that he was a paraplegic. Not knowing him, I braced myself for someone who was maybe pretty down because here he was in a hospital with really bad bed sores and infections BECAUSE of his inability to walk.
But instead, I opened the door to a voice that sounded upbeat! I saw him lying in his bed, and he smiled at me from across the room as I walked in. He was such a joy to talk to -- and until 5 minutes ago, we were complete strangers! After about 30 minutes of visiting with him, I asked him what it was like for him to learn that he'd never walk again. He said that within two weeks of receiving that news he learned two things: 1) He was still the same person -- same personality, same intellect, same sense of humor -- but he just couldn't walk anymore. Then he added with a smile, "Walking is over-rated anyway." And 2) He said his friends didn't leave him. People weren't going to abandon him just because he couldn't walk anymore. He said the nurse working with him 30 years ago would get angry because his friends stayed well past "lights out" and she would have to kick them out because they were all just having to much fun and it was time for them to go!
I was flabbergasted. I cannot imagine losing my ability to walk...and do you know why? I've been treasuring my ability to walk a little too much. I was believing the lie that if I couldn't walk, life would probably be miserable. But ask my new friend from today, and he'll tell you that walking is over-rated! Why can he say that? Because he's stored up treasures that are worth more and will last longer than these feeble legs of ours. He has invested in his relationship with Jesus, so he KNOWS who he is...even without his legs. And he has invested in his relationships with people, so he KNOWS how to love people and life...even without his legs.
It was a joy to be with him today. An absolute joy. As always, I went to serve him, but he really served me and taught me where my treasure should be. Honestly, God could take away my ability to walk tomorrow, He really could, and from my new friends example, I know I would be okay because I have let go of the "treasure" label when I think about walking. Instead, I want to TREASURE my time with the Lord every morning, and I want to TREASURE the people in my life whom I love and desire to do life with as well as the strangers I encounter in a day!
The last line of this passage is "You can't serve God and money," and I would say that maybe money is not your treasure...maybe it's your ability to walk. But whatever it is, we must give it up. What do you really want to TREASURE? Let me challenge us to start taking the steps toward that treasure instead...because really, whatever your "treasure" is, it's over-rated anyway. :)
I've been challenged this week to read Scripture not the way our culture tends to read it, but how a God-glorifying life should read it. Many in our current culture read scripture this way:
1) Read the Bible that looks good to me.
2) Decide what I think about what it says.
3) Figure out how to apply it to my life.
But don't we see how these three steps are not focused on God or the Bible and what it says, but rather on "me, I, and my".
Instead, I want to challenge myself and all of you to read scripture this way:
1) Read the Bible.
2) Obey it.
We don't need to read into it, figure out what we think about what it says, and then figure out if we want to apply it to our lives. We just need to OBEY it. And we can obey it in confidence because we know that God's plans are for our GOOD. His boundaries are for our benefit!
So let's take a look at what today's passage says:
We are not to store or 'lay up' treasures here. That's hard to do in a very materialistic and self-centered society. And it doesn't have to be material treasure always -- it can be the praise of man or the approval of a certain person that we're after. It could be a job, a relationship, or...a material possession that we treasure. But we are not to store those up here! They will be gone in the blink of an eye. Just ask the man I met today who lost his ability to walk 30 years ago in a car accident. I was asked to go visit him, and I was told beforehand that he was a paraplegic. Not knowing him, I braced myself for someone who was maybe pretty down because here he was in a hospital with really bad bed sores and infections BECAUSE of his inability to walk.
But instead, I opened the door to a voice that sounded upbeat! I saw him lying in his bed, and he smiled at me from across the room as I walked in. He was such a joy to talk to -- and until 5 minutes ago, we were complete strangers! After about 30 minutes of visiting with him, I asked him what it was like for him to learn that he'd never walk again. He said that within two weeks of receiving that news he learned two things: 1) He was still the same person -- same personality, same intellect, same sense of humor -- but he just couldn't walk anymore. Then he added with a smile, "Walking is over-rated anyway." And 2) He said his friends didn't leave him. People weren't going to abandon him just because he couldn't walk anymore. He said the nurse working with him 30 years ago would get angry because his friends stayed well past "lights out" and she would have to kick them out because they were all just having to much fun and it was time for them to go!
I was flabbergasted. I cannot imagine losing my ability to walk...and do you know why? I've been treasuring my ability to walk a little too much. I was believing the lie that if I couldn't walk, life would probably be miserable. But ask my new friend from today, and he'll tell you that walking is over-rated! Why can he say that? Because he's stored up treasures that are worth more and will last longer than these feeble legs of ours. He has invested in his relationship with Jesus, so he KNOWS who he is...even without his legs. And he has invested in his relationships with people, so he KNOWS how to love people and life...even without his legs.
It was a joy to be with him today. An absolute joy. As always, I went to serve him, but he really served me and taught me where my treasure should be. Honestly, God could take away my ability to walk tomorrow, He really could, and from my new friends example, I know I would be okay because I have let go of the "treasure" label when I think about walking. Instead, I want to TREASURE my time with the Lord every morning, and I want to TREASURE the people in my life whom I love and desire to do life with as well as the strangers I encounter in a day!
The last line of this passage is "You can't serve God and money," and I would say that maybe money is not your treasure...maybe it's your ability to walk. But whatever it is, we must give it up. What do you really want to TREASURE? Let me challenge us to start taking the steps toward that treasure instead...because really, whatever your "treasure" is, it's over-rated anyway. :)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Matthew 6:16-18 (When You Fast...)
“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."
Fasting. Now here's the topic on everyone's mind...NOT! Wow, when I saw that word this morning I thought to myself, I'm not sure I have ever heard a single sermon preached on this topic. It's as if our society thinks that fasting is not necessary anymore. Yet, we'll fast from desserts in order to lose those last five pounds, or we'll fast from greasy foods in order to lower our cholesterol. We know how to deny ourselves certain things...but we do it for ourselves, our health, our appearance.
Fasting in the Bible according to the Message is, "when you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God."
I remember when I was a teenager, my dad did a 40 day fast. Remember, Jesus did that once (at least), too, so my dad wasn't being completely nuts...or so I thought. All I can remember about it was that he juiced vegetables all day long, and he would sit with us as a family at the table while we ate roasted meats and just watch. We knew what he was doing, but we weren't supposed to really tell people because he didn't want that attention. Then, toward the end of the 40 days, people started asking my mom and me if he was feeling well...he was wasting away! That's all that comes to mind. But when I think about my dad and his faithfulness in getting up to meet with God at 4:30am most mornings, being an example and a leader in our family all those years, I can't help but think of that season of life when he denied himself all pleasure that comes from food and drink, with the intention to be filled with the Lord instead. What an example.
And it is a season. I know that about fasting. It's not meant as a life-style, but whether or not we will do it is not necessarily a question in Jesus' mind. He says, "When you fast..." Okay, well, when should I fast?
In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat orders the people to observe a fast when an enemy army was upon them. He told the people to seek the Lord for guidance. My Bible note below says, "by separating themselves from the daily routine of food preparation and eating, they could devote more time to prayer and considering their own sin." And isn't that what hunger pangs do to us? They remind us that we are in need. We need food, and we need God! Do you have any enemies upon you today? Do you need to be still before the Lord, like we talked about yesterday, and devote extra time to prayer, humbling yourself before your God who loves you?
In Ezra 8, Ezra leads the people on a 900 mile journey on foot. Before the journey, Ezra told the people to fast and humble themselves before their God. "We prayed that He would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled...so we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer" (vs. 21, 23). We may not be walking 900 miles, but I know my life has been full of many journeys and adventures. Ezra and the people knew that they were going to begin a journey, but before they did, they fasted and prayed. I can't imagine they just fasted and prayed only for an afternoon. How wise of them to slow down (for maybe a few days) and be still before this crazy new season in their lives. I can imagine that they gained some fresh perspective from the Lord! Are you about to begin a new season in life? A new job, new relationship, new priorities? Perhaps it would be wise to slow down for a couple days and deny yourself some of life's physical pleasures in order to be even more full of Him before you begin?
With the crazy fall schedule I told you I have yesterday, I'm wondering if it might be time for me to not speed up to try to get everything done, but to slow down and focus on Jesus so that I can really soak in what He wants to teach me and to know the priorities He has for me in this season. I invite you to join me in this. There are no rules -- it's just you and Him. Do you hear Him calling you away to focus on Him right now? Don't be too busy that you let this stirring in your soul go unnoticed.
Fasting is a discipline. It may not feel good at first, but stick with it because "your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Fasting. Now here's the topic on everyone's mind...NOT! Wow, when I saw that word this morning I thought to myself, I'm not sure I have ever heard a single sermon preached on this topic. It's as if our society thinks that fasting is not necessary anymore. Yet, we'll fast from desserts in order to lose those last five pounds, or we'll fast from greasy foods in order to lower our cholesterol. We know how to deny ourselves certain things...but we do it for ourselves, our health, our appearance.
Fasting in the Bible according to the Message is, "when you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God."
I remember when I was a teenager, my dad did a 40 day fast. Remember, Jesus did that once (at least), too, so my dad wasn't being completely nuts...or so I thought. All I can remember about it was that he juiced vegetables all day long, and he would sit with us as a family at the table while we ate roasted meats and just watch. We knew what he was doing, but we weren't supposed to really tell people because he didn't want that attention. Then, toward the end of the 40 days, people started asking my mom and me if he was feeling well...he was wasting away! That's all that comes to mind. But when I think about my dad and his faithfulness in getting up to meet with God at 4:30am most mornings, being an example and a leader in our family all those years, I can't help but think of that season of life when he denied himself all pleasure that comes from food and drink, with the intention to be filled with the Lord instead. What an example.
And it is a season. I know that about fasting. It's not meant as a life-style, but whether or not we will do it is not necessarily a question in Jesus' mind. He says, "When you fast..." Okay, well, when should I fast?
In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat orders the people to observe a fast when an enemy army was upon them. He told the people to seek the Lord for guidance. My Bible note below says, "by separating themselves from the daily routine of food preparation and eating, they could devote more time to prayer and considering their own sin." And isn't that what hunger pangs do to us? They remind us that we are in need. We need food, and we need God! Do you have any enemies upon you today? Do you need to be still before the Lord, like we talked about yesterday, and devote extra time to prayer, humbling yourself before your God who loves you?
In Ezra 8, Ezra leads the people on a 900 mile journey on foot. Before the journey, Ezra told the people to fast and humble themselves before their God. "We prayed that He would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled...so we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer" (vs. 21, 23). We may not be walking 900 miles, but I know my life has been full of many journeys and adventures. Ezra and the people knew that they were going to begin a journey, but before they did, they fasted and prayed. I can't imagine they just fasted and prayed only for an afternoon. How wise of them to slow down (for maybe a few days) and be still before this crazy new season in their lives. I can imagine that they gained some fresh perspective from the Lord! Are you about to begin a new season in life? A new job, new relationship, new priorities? Perhaps it would be wise to slow down for a couple days and deny yourself some of life's physical pleasures in order to be even more full of Him before you begin?
With the crazy fall schedule I told you I have yesterday, I'm wondering if it might be time for me to not speed up to try to get everything done, but to slow down and focus on Jesus so that I can really soak in what He wants to teach me and to know the priorities He has for me in this season. I invite you to join me in this. There are no rules -- it's just you and Him. Do you hear Him calling you away to focus on Him right now? Don't be too busy that you let this stirring in your soul go unnoticed.
Fasting is a discipline. It may not feel good at first, but stick with it because "your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Matthew 6:5-8 (When You Pray)
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!"
Prayer has always been a tough one for me. I'm not easily devoted to the discipline of quieting myself long enough to bend my knees and say everything I can possibly think of to God. Then, I feel guilty about this. I know I'm not the only one who feels that way, because a woman with whom I work approached me a couple weeks ago and worried because she could never seem to find time to pray long prayers either, and she felt that that was what she was supposed to be doing.
I really feel that again this is an area where satan really has a tight grip on us. We are believing the lie that long prayers equal spiritual maturity, and therefore, short prayers can be equated with the opposite. But long prayers for the sake of long prayers are quite far from what God really wants from us! The above verses say, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" Our words and Christian-y phrases mean nothing to God. You know when someone is trying to butter you up, don't you? In the same way, there is no reason to try to butter God up because this says He already knows what we need even before we ask Him!
Similarly, to our giving that we talked about yesterday, our prayers should not be done for all to see, but rather "when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." Again, He rewards what is done in secret, where no one can see but Him. Here's the part that's hard for me...going away by myself (but, I'm an extravert and I don't like being alone)..., shutting the door behind me (Oh no, I might miss something and be left out)..., and praying (but I have laundry to do, dishes to wash, and a coffee date with a friend in an hour). Oh, I am a mess.
Somehow, I have already packed my fall schedule so full that my weeknights (Monday through Thursday) are pretty much booked. I already have a weekly Tuesday night commitment, a weekly Wednesday night commitment, and an every-other Monday night commitment. That leaves Thursdays, which Josh and I have designated as our "date night" for this semester. Now is when you can ask me, "Molly, when are you going to have time to be with the Lord in quiet?" Hence the tears I cried with Josh last night....why do I do this to myself? Our conversation was "it's all GOOD, but is it all beneficial RIGHT NOW?" I am falling into the trap of being "too busy." I can see now that all the commitments I made for this semester were probably not my best choice. When will I have time to just sit in the quiet and let the Lord's presence sink into my soul?
In the seventh century, Issac the Syrian wrote about "stillness" which he summarized as, "a deliberate denial of the gift of words for the sake of achieving inner silence, in the midst of which a person can hear the presence of God. It is standing, unceasingly silent and prayerfully before God." The prayers Jesus recorded in the New Testament are surprisingly short; yet, in places like the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed all night long. I wonder how much of that night was Jesus practicing "stillness" before the Lord. I love the phrase from Issac that says "unceasingly silent." For a busy-body like me, silence is difficult. It really is. I feel the need to fill the space with something. But "unceasingly silent" gives me the picture that no matter what, I will remain silent. God is patient, so as I'm babbling to Him, He doesn't need to interrupt me. But, when will I expect Him to speak to me if I'm never quiet?
This is a challenge to me. Wow. I need to find some time weekly to just remain unceasingly silent before the Lord. Maybe that's what our culture, myself, and my co-worker need to hear. Maybe we are trying too hard to say long prayers, when really we need to learn to just be silent before the Lord.
Let me close with our verses today in the Message translation:
"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace."
That's what should be remembered when you pray...
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!"
Prayer has always been a tough one for me. I'm not easily devoted to the discipline of quieting myself long enough to bend my knees and say everything I can possibly think of to God. Then, I feel guilty about this. I know I'm not the only one who feels that way, because a woman with whom I work approached me a couple weeks ago and worried because she could never seem to find time to pray long prayers either, and she felt that that was what she was supposed to be doing.
I really feel that again this is an area where satan really has a tight grip on us. We are believing the lie that long prayers equal spiritual maturity, and therefore, short prayers can be equated with the opposite. But long prayers for the sake of long prayers are quite far from what God really wants from us! The above verses say, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" Our words and Christian-y phrases mean nothing to God. You know when someone is trying to butter you up, don't you? In the same way, there is no reason to try to butter God up because this says He already knows what we need even before we ask Him!
Similarly, to our giving that we talked about yesterday, our prayers should not be done for all to see, but rather "when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." Again, He rewards what is done in secret, where no one can see but Him. Here's the part that's hard for me...going away by myself (but, I'm an extravert and I don't like being alone)..., shutting the door behind me (Oh no, I might miss something and be left out)..., and praying (but I have laundry to do, dishes to wash, and a coffee date with a friend in an hour). Oh, I am a mess.
Somehow, I have already packed my fall schedule so full that my weeknights (Monday through Thursday) are pretty much booked. I already have a weekly Tuesday night commitment, a weekly Wednesday night commitment, and an every-other Monday night commitment. That leaves Thursdays, which Josh and I have designated as our "date night" for this semester. Now is when you can ask me, "Molly, when are you going to have time to be with the Lord in quiet?" Hence the tears I cried with Josh last night....why do I do this to myself? Our conversation was "it's all GOOD, but is it all beneficial RIGHT NOW?" I am falling into the trap of being "too busy." I can see now that all the commitments I made for this semester were probably not my best choice. When will I have time to just sit in the quiet and let the Lord's presence sink into my soul?
In the seventh century, Issac the Syrian wrote about "stillness" which he summarized as, "a deliberate denial of the gift of words for the sake of achieving inner silence, in the midst of which a person can hear the presence of God. It is standing, unceasingly silent and prayerfully before God." The prayers Jesus recorded in the New Testament are surprisingly short; yet, in places like the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed all night long. I wonder how much of that night was Jesus practicing "stillness" before the Lord. I love the phrase from Issac that says "unceasingly silent." For a busy-body like me, silence is difficult. It really is. I feel the need to fill the space with something. But "unceasingly silent" gives me the picture that no matter what, I will remain silent. God is patient, so as I'm babbling to Him, He doesn't need to interrupt me. But, when will I expect Him to speak to me if I'm never quiet?
This is a challenge to me. Wow. I need to find some time weekly to just remain unceasingly silent before the Lord. Maybe that's what our culture, myself, and my co-worker need to hear. Maybe we are trying too hard to say long prayers, when really we need to learn to just be silent before the Lord.
Let me close with our verses today in the Message translation:
"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace."
That's what should be remembered when you pray...
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Matthew 6: 1-4 (When You Give)
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 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. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
When I walk up to someone's house and see the word BEWARE on their door or fence, it causes me to pause. From my experience, that word is usually followed by the words "of dog" and can only mean that there is a vicious animal close by who could cause harm. In this passage, I hope the use of the word 'beware' causes us to pause as well. It is used as a warning.
Jesus calls us to "beware of practicing [our] righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them." See, I am a self-proclaimed people-pleaser. This is not something I am pleased to admit, but it is true. I long to please others for the sake of getting on their good side and having them like me. It's a slippery slope, people-pleasing, because it's easy for me to hold other people in the same esteem that I should only place God. Yet, only God should be the audience of who I am trying to please. He should be the ONLY one. The slippery slope of it all is that people-pleasing can easily turn to "hypocrite" which is the term used in the following sentence in this passage. "When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others." A hypocrite is someone who does good acts for appearances only -- not out of compassion or other loving motives. I used to think that term could only describe the Pharisees, but yet, I find how quickly my motives can turn, too.
Do you notice how no where in this passage, does Jesus command us WHAT to give to the needy, WHEN to give to the needy, or to WHICH of the needy we should give? What I find most interesting about these four verses on the topic of "giving to the needy" is that it has very little to do about the needy and completely to do about my heart.
We think we are being sneaky when we look good on the outside to others, but inside we are feeling all puffed up because our minds are reeling with how great someone must think we are because of what we did. And yes, "man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:8). The men who will like you one day and ignore you the next, judge you by what they see on the outside because that is all they are capable of seeing. But, your Lord, who loves you and made you, sees the deepest parts of our hearts and motives. He is the One I want to try to please.
And this does not return to us void. If I practice my righteous acts for the sake of other people seeing, the "beware" will happen: "then you will have no reward from your father in heaven." When we do our good deeds for the praise of others, Jesus says, "Truly, they have received their reward." That's it! That's all we'll get for doing that good deed -- a few nice words from an acquaintance. Rather, we are to give our gifts and do our kind acts in private. "And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." We don't know exactly what that reward will be, but I can tell you that it will surely be better than the fleeting praise of fickle friends!
Our gift-giving, generosity, and acts of kindness should not be done so that we look good, my friends, but so that God looks good. He is pleased more by our pure hearts and our devotion to Him than by the amount of our gift-giving.
May this be our prayer today from Psalm 139 as we continue seeking a heart like His:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!"
When I walk up to someone's house and see the word BEWARE on their door or fence, it causes me to pause. From my experience, that word is usually followed by the words "of dog" and can only mean that there is a vicious animal close by who could cause harm. In this passage, I hope the use of the word 'beware' causes us to pause as well. It is used as a warning.
Jesus calls us to "beware of practicing [our] righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them." See, I am a self-proclaimed people-pleaser. This is not something I am pleased to admit, but it is true. I long to please others for the sake of getting on their good side and having them like me. It's a slippery slope, people-pleasing, because it's easy for me to hold other people in the same esteem that I should only place God. Yet, only God should be the audience of who I am trying to please. He should be the ONLY one. The slippery slope of it all is that people-pleasing can easily turn to "hypocrite" which is the term used in the following sentence in this passage. "When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others." A hypocrite is someone who does good acts for appearances only -- not out of compassion or other loving motives. I used to think that term could only describe the Pharisees, but yet, I find how quickly my motives can turn, too.
Do you notice how no where in this passage, does Jesus command us WHAT to give to the needy, WHEN to give to the needy, or to WHICH of the needy we should give? What I find most interesting about these four verses on the topic of "giving to the needy" is that it has very little to do about the needy and completely to do about my heart.
We think we are being sneaky when we look good on the outside to others, but inside we are feeling all puffed up because our minds are reeling with how great someone must think we are because of what we did. And yes, "man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:8). The men who will like you one day and ignore you the next, judge you by what they see on the outside because that is all they are capable of seeing. But, your Lord, who loves you and made you, sees the deepest parts of our hearts and motives. He is the One I want to try to please.
And this does not return to us void. If I practice my righteous acts for the sake of other people seeing, the "beware" will happen: "then you will have no reward from your father in heaven." When we do our good deeds for the praise of others, Jesus says, "Truly, they have received their reward." That's it! That's all we'll get for doing that good deed -- a few nice words from an acquaintance. Rather, we are to give our gifts and do our kind acts in private. "And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." We don't know exactly what that reward will be, but I can tell you that it will surely be better than the fleeting praise of fickle friends!
Our gift-giving, generosity, and acts of kindness should not be done so that we look good, my friends, but so that God looks good. He is pleased more by our pure hearts and our devotion to Him than by the amount of our gift-giving.
May this be our prayer today from Psalm 139 as we continue seeking a heart like His:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!"
Friday, September 2, 2011
Matthew 5:17-48 (You Have Heard...But I Tell You...)
Jesus was certainly Light to a dark world. Just like we mentioned yesterday, He lived many areas of His life in opposition to what the world says to do. And we are to do likewise. Mediocre is not enough in the Kingdom of Heaven! Why do we let ourselves be okay with a "C" when we should be striving for an "A+"? My friends, we need to daily "press on toward the goal", as Paul says! How often do we measure our "success" by another sinner? This is what Jesus is trying to tell us here: don't compare yourselves to the other people around you, but compare yourself with My standard.
There are six specific areas that Jesus addresses as we wrap up Chapter 5, and each of them has a contrasting statement, "You have heard...but I tell you..." These are examples of what it means to live not solely in opposition to the world, but to go above and beyond -- to live exceptionally for the sake of Christ. This is the call for ALL of us -- not just people who've been Christians a long time, but for all who want to follow and serve Him. I think these are the perfect examples of when God says in Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are my ways your ways," He really means it.
I highly recommend that you pull this section of scripture up on your phone or computer right now so you can read all the details for yourselves and soak in Jesus' words. Here is what you will find Him saying:
On the subject of murder: It's not enough to just avoid killing people, we must also avoid anger and hatred -- because that is the same as killing them in your heart. Reconcile with one another.
On the subject of adultery: It's not enough to avoid having sex with someone who's not your spouse, we must also keep our hearts from lusting and daily work to remain faithful -- whatever it takes!
On the subject of divorce: It's not enough to stay legally married, we must also live out our marriage commitments by working to solve conflicts with our spouse. God is in the business of restoring that which is broken.
On the subject of oaths: It's not enough to keep an oath, we must also avoid casual and dishonest promises to God and people. If you say you're going to pray for someone, do it!
On the subject of revenge: It's not enough to seek justice for ourselves, because God is just and will fight for us. We must show mercy and love for others, including those who have wronged us. (Whew, that's hard to hear.)
On the subject of loving others: It's not enough to love the people who are easy to love, we must also love and pray for our enemies. By praying that they might come to know and love Christ, we can "cast our cares on Him knowing that He cares for us," and remove the focus from ourselves and our problems!
These are six ways to think like Christ, as told by Jesus Himself. In fact, He means these and all the other commandments so much, that just before He began this list, He said in 5:19, "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."
We cannot be blase about what we are commanded to do. We cannot see the ways the world lives and be okay with living that way for ourselves. We must "be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). This is our life-long calling.
Lord, I know I'm not perfect, but help me to just keep stepping one step closer toward You every day.
There are six specific areas that Jesus addresses as we wrap up Chapter 5, and each of them has a contrasting statement, "You have heard...but I tell you..." These are examples of what it means to live not solely in opposition to the world, but to go above and beyond -- to live exceptionally for the sake of Christ. This is the call for ALL of us -- not just people who've been Christians a long time, but for all who want to follow and serve Him. I think these are the perfect examples of when God says in Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are my ways your ways," He really means it.
I highly recommend that you pull this section of scripture up on your phone or computer right now so you can read all the details for yourselves and soak in Jesus' words. Here is what you will find Him saying:
On the subject of murder: It's not enough to just avoid killing people, we must also avoid anger and hatred -- because that is the same as killing them in your heart. Reconcile with one another.
On the subject of adultery: It's not enough to avoid having sex with someone who's not your spouse, we must also keep our hearts from lusting and daily work to remain faithful -- whatever it takes!
On the subject of divorce: It's not enough to stay legally married, we must also live out our marriage commitments by working to solve conflicts with our spouse. God is in the business of restoring that which is broken.
On the subject of oaths: It's not enough to keep an oath, we must also avoid casual and dishonest promises to God and people. If you say you're going to pray for someone, do it!
On the subject of revenge: It's not enough to seek justice for ourselves, because God is just and will fight for us. We must show mercy and love for others, including those who have wronged us. (Whew, that's hard to hear.)
On the subject of loving others: It's not enough to love the people who are easy to love, we must also love and pray for our enemies. By praying that they might come to know and love Christ, we can "cast our cares on Him knowing that He cares for us," and remove the focus from ourselves and our problems!
These are six ways to think like Christ, as told by Jesus Himself. In fact, He means these and all the other commandments so much, that just before He began this list, He said in 5:19, "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."
We cannot be blase about what we are commanded to do. We cannot see the ways the world lives and be okay with living that way for ourselves. We must "be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). This is our life-long calling.
Lord, I know I'm not perfect, but help me to just keep stepping one step closer toward You every day.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Matthew 5:14-16 (Being Light to a Dark World)
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
This world is so dark. I didn't really come to realize this until my sophomore year of high school when some high school boys gunned down their fellow students and teachers during a school day -- it was to be the first of many school shootings to follow (that's dark). And the reason they did it was because they were bullied at school and felt completely alone in the world (that's dark). Then, in the library, after they had slain so many others, they ended it all by slaying themselves (that's dark.) Our nation was dumb-founded by this tragedy, and yet, in the midst of it all, I also learned what a light we, as followers of Jesus Christ, can be. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, a story came out which shone light: Rachel Scott, a known Christian, had been shot in the leg. One gunman came over and asked her if she still believed in God. "You know I do," she answered, after which she was fatally shot in the head. It had been a while since America had heard of such a martyr, and her story spread like wildfire.
We are the light of the world. We are to shine light, Christ, into the darkness of this planet. When we become followers of Jesus, we are committing to be this light, and there is placed on us, according to scripture, an expectation that we will shine.
In John 9:5, Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." But He no longer walks on this earth, and the job is now left to us. Just as light is the opposite of darkness, we are called to behave, think, speak, and hope in the opposite ways of the world. We are to give light (Christ) to everyone this passage says! Our families, co-workers, neighbors, and strangers are to notice a difference in us because of the transformation Christ has done in our hearts and the hope we now have in Jesus. And it does say 'everyone'. I know you're thinking of that one person who just drives you nuts, but the Lord can give you what you need to be light in their world, too.
It is so easy for us to become passive, just living out each day with the intention to get home and get in front of the T.V., like much of our society. But when we flip on the auto-pilot attitude, satan has won. He has deceived us into thinking that who we are in Christ and what we know about Christ doesn't really matter all that much. Trust me, I'm not saying this is an easy calling! But what I'm learning is that being a light makes a difference to the people I am around, and it makes a difference in my life as I see God using me to work out His purposes in the lives of the people around me. It is so exciting!
What does this look like for us? May we not hide our lights by being quiet when we should speak, going along with the crowd, denying The Light (Christ), letting sin dim our light, not explaining our light to those around us, or ignoring the needs of others. We are the ones who shine the spotlight on Jesus -- its all about Him. We do the work, give the care, pray the prayers, take the food, smile the smiles, visit the broken, and share the gospel, and then we leave the results to Him.
The people in your life need you to do this for them. They are looking for some light in a dark world and finding a false light in all the wrong places. But Jesus is saying to you today, "You are the light of world. Show them who I am."
Why could Rachel Scott answer, "You know I do" to the gunman? Because even before her death, she was a light to people around her. Everyone knew who she served because of her words and actions. Wherever you go today, with whomever you encounter, let them see a light in you. And may you point them to The Light, Himself.
This world is so dark. I didn't really come to realize this until my sophomore year of high school when some high school boys gunned down their fellow students and teachers during a school day -- it was to be the first of many school shootings to follow (that's dark). And the reason they did it was because they were bullied at school and felt completely alone in the world (that's dark). Then, in the library, after they had slain so many others, they ended it all by slaying themselves (that's dark.) Our nation was dumb-founded by this tragedy, and yet, in the midst of it all, I also learned what a light we, as followers of Jesus Christ, can be. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, a story came out which shone light: Rachel Scott, a known Christian, had been shot in the leg. One gunman came over and asked her if she still believed in God. "You know I do," she answered, after which she was fatally shot in the head. It had been a while since America had heard of such a martyr, and her story spread like wildfire.
We are the light of the world. We are to shine light, Christ, into the darkness of this planet. When we become followers of Jesus, we are committing to be this light, and there is placed on us, according to scripture, an expectation that we will shine.
In John 9:5, Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." But He no longer walks on this earth, and the job is now left to us. Just as light is the opposite of darkness, we are called to behave, think, speak, and hope in the opposite ways of the world. We are to give light (Christ) to everyone this passage says! Our families, co-workers, neighbors, and strangers are to notice a difference in us because of the transformation Christ has done in our hearts and the hope we now have in Jesus. And it does say 'everyone'. I know you're thinking of that one person who just drives you nuts, but the Lord can give you what you need to be light in their world, too.
It is so easy for us to become passive, just living out each day with the intention to get home and get in front of the T.V., like much of our society. But when we flip on the auto-pilot attitude, satan has won. He has deceived us into thinking that who we are in Christ and what we know about Christ doesn't really matter all that much. Trust me, I'm not saying this is an easy calling! But what I'm learning is that being a light makes a difference to the people I am around, and it makes a difference in my life as I see God using me to work out His purposes in the lives of the people around me. It is so exciting!
What does this look like for us? May we not hide our lights by being quiet when we should speak, going along with the crowd, denying The Light (Christ), letting sin dim our light, not explaining our light to those around us, or ignoring the needs of others. We are the ones who shine the spotlight on Jesus -- its all about Him. We do the work, give the care, pray the prayers, take the food, smile the smiles, visit the broken, and share the gospel, and then we leave the results to Him.
The people in your life need you to do this for them. They are looking for some light in a dark world and finding a false light in all the wrong places. But Jesus is saying to you today, "You are the light of world. Show them who I am."
Why could Rachel Scott answer, "You know I do" to the gunman? Because even before her death, she was a light to people around her. Everyone knew who she served because of her words and actions. Wherever you go today, with whomever you encounter, let them see a light in you. And may you point them to The Light, Himself.
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