WHERE'S YOUR TREASURE?

Text: Matthew 6:19 (CSB): “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.”

According to one survey of over 4,000 people, Americans are more cynical today than ever before. We don’t trust politicians or the economy and many are suspicious of the church. One of the raps that churches have today is that they’re always asking for money.

That reminds me of a story about the mother who was hysterical because little Jimmy had swallowed a quarter. She turned to her husband and screamed for him to call a doctor. So he picked up the phone, but instead of calling the doctor, he decided to call his pastor. The wife was upset and said, “We don’t need the pastor, we need some medical help!” To which the husband replied, “Hey, our pastor can get money out of anyone!”

Since I know what I’m up against when tackling the topic of money in church, I hope to persuade you that it’s important to hear what the Bible has to say.

You see, according to Jesus, money is a spiritual issue. And, since it’s a spiritual issue, we need to address it for at least three reasons.

1.     The Bible has more to say about money than almost any other subject.

2.     Giving will help us get to where we’re going as a church.

3.     There are incredible benefits to giving.

The topic of money is both personal and theological. I’ve come across three different theological perspectives in my conversations with people.

First, there is what is called Poverty Theology. This imbalanced view teaches that we should have a disdain for possessions. Some who hold this position would say that it’s wrong to have excess money and things. Then, there is what is called Prosperity Theology. This teaching wrongly assumes that prosperity is the reward of the righteous. This cause and effect relationship implies that if God is happy with you, He will bless you financially. If He’s not pleased with you, you won’t be blessed with possessions.

So, I am going with what can be called Proper Theology. The proper way to view our possessions is that they are a trust given by God that we are responsible to manage. Everything belongs to Him and we are to serve as stewards whether we are blessed with a lot or with a little.

Before we jump into our text for today, let me make a couple observations.

§  We all struggle with materialism. Money magazine has declared that money is now the #1 obsession of Americans.

§  We’re not comfortable with the struggle. If we’re honest, we don’t really like materialism’s mantra.

§  John Stott put it this way: “We cannot maintain a life of extravagance and a good conscience simultaneously. One or the other has to be sacrificed. Either we keep our conscience and reduce our affluence by giving generously and helping those in need, or we keep our affluence and smother our conscience. We have to choose between God and money.”

Jesus realizes that most people struggle with managing money -- that’s why He devoted much of His teaching to this critical area of life.

He dealt with money matters because money matters.

In this passage, Jesus challenges us with the question, “Where is your treasure?”

As we look at this topic in the Sermon on the Mount over the next few days, Jesus helps us find the answer by giving us four tests. We will discuss one of these tests each day.

HYPOCRITE OR HUMBLE FASTER

Text:  Matthew 6: 16-18 (CSB): “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Yesterday we talked about the meaning and purpose of Fasting.

Should we as Christians fast? That is an individual choice and decision. However, as you reread our text verse this morning, consider that Jesus didn’t say if you choose to fast. He says “Whenever….” He is indicating that we are to fast. So often people will misuse the Spiritual Discipline of fasting – they may even seek to impress people that they are super spiritual by fasting. Jesus in this part of the Sermon on the Mount addresses his Disciples about the contrast between the internal and the external. He once again gets to the bottom line – the motive behind our actions.

Jesus starts by looking at the wrong motive for fasting, and He does this by condemning the ones who do it for an outward show – once again He calls them – Hypocrites.

Look again at Matthew 6:16 (CSB) - “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.” Jesus states that they disfigure their faces to show people they are fasting. Their outward show was to receive the approval of men. They were “play-acting” to receive the praises of people. They were not truly seeking God. They were putting on an external show and did not have the right motive.

So, Jesus gives the Disciples a picture of one who had the right motives for Fasting. He described a Humble believer who fasted with an internal heart for God. Let us reread Matthew 6: 17 – 18(CSB): “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

They comb their hair and wash their faces so only God knows what they are doing. They had the inward attitude that they were focusing on God alone. They were dealing with Him. They had the proper attitude that was conformed to His purpose. They were seeking to be equipped for the battle waged against Satan. They sought insight into God’s direction – help to know the will of God.

Notice the last thing Jesus says about this – then the Father rewards them. They were not fasting intending to persuade God to change His mind. They were not seeking to be more acceptable in God’s eyes. They were not seeking to lose weight.

Fasting – a little known and practiced part of the Christian Church today from the abuses of the past and the misconception that we have to eat three meals a day. Prayerfully consider if God is calling you, this Nation, this World to return to the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting. However, remember that this still comes back to the heart attitude and not an outward show.

FASTING - WHAT IS JESUS TALKING ABOUT?

Text:  Matthew 6: 16-18 (CSB): “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

We are continuing our study in the Book of Matthew of the Sermon on the Mount. We have seen that Chapter 5 deals with the internal part of the Kingdom and Chapter 6 deals with the external part of the citizen of the Kingdom. Chapter 5 deals with the righteousness we are to possess as Kingdom citizens, and chapter 6 shows the righteousness we are to practice.

Both emphasize the motive behind our behavior.

Now we are going to look at the topic of fasting. Not one most of us today don’t want to think about. But, today let us think about the basics of how to fast, and tomorrow we will see Jesus’ contrast between the hypocrites and the humble.

Let’s start with some background information. The Hebrew word “tsom” means self-denial, and the Greek word “nesteia” refers to self-denial. Some scholars believe that this concept started with the loss of appetite that accompanies great distress and duress. It is a natural expression of grief for many people.

We need to consider what Fasting is not intended to do. It is not intended to persuade God to change His mind. It will not make you more acceptable in God’s eyes. And a Biblical Fast is not done to for weight loss.

On the other hand, realize what Biblical Fasting is intended to accomplish. Fasting prepares us to have the proper attitude and to conform us to His purpose in any situation. Fasting cleanses us both in body and soul. Fasting equips us for the battle we wage against Satan. Fasting gives us insight into God’s direction – helps us know the will of God.

(One word of caution – beware of physical disabilities that would prohibit one from doing it. Be sure to check with your Doctor before taking part in a fast.)

There are different kinds of fasts in the Scriptures.

§  Normal fasts – abstain from food but not water – Matthew 4:2 – “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”

§  Partial fasts – limitation of diet – some foods – Daniel 1: 12 – “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

§  Absolute fasts – both food and water – Ezra 10: 6 – “Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.”

§  Private fast – as Jesus refers in this passage to his Disciples.

§  Congregational fast – Antioch – Acts 13:2 – “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

§  National fast – for a corporate need – 2 Chron. 20:3 – “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”

In the last few days, it may have been that you have participated in National Fasting for the chaos and crisis that this world has been going through.

Tomorrow we will finish our topic of Fasting with a look at this passage where Jesus compares between the Hypocrites and the Humble.

AMEN AND AMEN

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) - “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ¹For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

We will conclude our study of the Model Prayer of Jesus today. We have spent a number of days taking a closer look at the 9 points that Jesus gives us. His disciples saw the power He had from the time He spent praying. So, they asked Him to teach them how to have this. We saw the points so far:

1.     Faith

2.     Worship

3.     Expectation

4.     Submission

5.     Petition

6.     Confession

7.     Compassion, and

8.     Dependence.

That brings us to the final point, #9 – Acknowledgment – (6:13b) “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.^”  As you have seen the footnote each day, many of the earlier manuscripts of the book of Matthew does not have this in them. It may be that a scribe at some point added it as a praise for what he had seen. But, many of the documents do contain it. And, for many, many years people have been memorizing it with this addition. So, I am going to include it in our devotion.

This could mirror an early song of praise to God. It fits with the prayer of David in the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles (29:11). It is a fitting closing to the teaching of this Model. He ascribes what is being taught to the Holy God. We started with an understanding of Who we are praying to, and how we should view Him. This comes full circle as we close. The Kingdom is the territory subject to the rule of a king, in this case, it is the Kingdom of God – the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. The passage ascribes “power” to God. The Greek word   – dýnamis – and means strength, power, and ability. I have often heard that we get our word Dynamite from this. We also get our word Dynamo form it. A dynamo is a machine that produces power – continuously. Our God is a dynamo, He is continuous power and strength.

The passage also ascribes glory to God. This is from the Greek word – dóxa – and means splendor, majesty, an exalted state. This is the root word for the hymn the Doxology. Doxology means a study of Glory. And all Glory belongs to God and God alone.

We must include the aspects of adoration, submission, petition, repentance, and praise to God in our prayers.

We end with the word Amen. When used at the end of a statement it means so it is, so be it,  and may it be fulfilled. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues to the Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed, had offered up solemn prayer to God, the others responded Amen, and thus made the substance of what was uttered their own. May we end this short study on the Model Prayer echoing this word.

Amen and Amen.

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¹ Many of the older manuscripts  omit this last phrase of the prayer. I am including it because of the popularity of the way we say the prayer.

THE EVIL ONE TEMPTS

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) - “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ¹For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

In this Model Prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples give us an outline, and a deeper understanding of our ability to talk with the Father. We have come through 7 of the 9 points that Jesus makes. Today, we will briefly look at point #8 – Dependence – (6:13a) “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

Temptation. We honestly cannot go through one single day without facing at some point at least one temptation. It is the bane of mankind. It is a weapon of Satan designed to derail us in our walk with Jesus. When we use the word, we are talking about the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy. Temptation is NOT sin. However, it is the modus operanti of Satan to lead us into sin.

Satan knows that he cannot take our salvation away from us. But, he works hard to tarnish or destroy our reputation as a Christian in the world around us. Just because we become aware of a temptation, it does not mean that we have sinned, however, Satan will use them to guide and lead us into the act of sin. So, Jesus teaches us to pray that God would deliver us. The term means to be rescued. It might be like being trapped in quicksand and we are seeking Him to pull us out.

In the traditional wording of the Model Prayer, we pray for God to deliver us from evil. Evil is all around us. The better translation is to be delivered from the evil one. The Greek language has ways of making their word show full meaning. In this case, the Greek word – poneros – is set up in a special way. In fancy terms, it is a genitive, singular, masculine adjective. It speaks of a person. This usually denotes a title in the Greek. Hence Christ is saying, deliver us from "The Evil", and is probably referring to Satan. 

So, today, train yourself to be aware of the temptations that the Evil One is bringing before you. Then seek God to rescue from succumbing to them.

Tomorrow, we will complete the dissection of this Model Prayer that the Lord gave to His disciples.

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¹ Many of the older manuscripts  omit this last phrase of the prayer. I am including it because of the popularity of the way we say the prayer.

RELEASED TO RELEASE

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) - “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ¹For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

So far, we have looked into 5 of the 9 points that Jesus presents in the Model Prayer. Today we will consider two more points – Confession and Compassion.

Let us start with #6 Confession – (6:12a) “And forgive us our debts.” We need to on a daily basis keep short accounts with God. Every one of us sin on a regular daily basis. We are not capable in this life to live sinlessly. If we could, we wouldn’t need Jesus. He is the only one who has walked this world perfectly sinless. The word we have translated as debts is a word that means that which is justly or legally due, sin, offenses. In other words, it is the daily acts of sin that we commit or omit. We are guilty. And, we cannot pay the penalty – the price is too high. So, we come to God in our daily prayers and seek His forgiveness. The word means to let go, to remit, to keep no longer. We ask God to remove the daily acquired stains. It is like our clothes. We daily get them dirty, and in turn, they need to be washed. Our being gets dirty on a daily basis, and God will clean us up.

In turn, in our prayer, we seek to release others of their offenses against us. He gives us point #7 Compassion – (6:12b) “As we forgive our debtors.” He reemphasizes this in verses 14 and 15 of this passage - “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Realize that this does not mean our salvation is dependent on this – that would be a works salvation. Trespasses is the Greek word paraptooma here and means a stumbling aside or false step – lapse or deviation from the truth – the word only used in Matthew.

The idea is that it means that our fellowship with the Father is based upon our fellowship with others. We cannot understand and accept the compassion and forgiveness of God, if we do not provide it for those who we have dealings with.

Today, ask Him to release you, and take time to release others of the debts that we have accumulated. Releasing others will help us understand God’s release of us. Try it.

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¹ Many of the older manuscripts  omit this last phrase of the prayer. I am including it because of the popularity of the way we say the prayer.

PETITION YOUR NEEDS

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) - “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ¹For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

So, Jesus models for us the Who and How we approach God. He encourages us to have a Hope. And in verse 11 He addresses what we usually consider prayer to be. He addresses our Petitions to God. This point #5 – Petition – (6:11) “Give us this day our daily bread.” Briefly, let us break down four major aspects in this point. They are Give, Day, Bread, and Daily.

So, Jesus in His Model, shows us that we can come to the One in whom we have faith, realizing His Holiness, and within the scope of our being a part of producing His Kingdom here on Earth with the needs that we have.

He starts with the phrase “Give us….” The Greek word used here means to supply, to furnish, to grant to someone. We are asking that God grant to us, to supply for us, to furnish for us something we need. If we have approached God in the proper way (the preceding points) then we as His children can freely ask for Him to supply our needs.

The phrase “this day…” means exactly that. This very day. Not tomorrow or next week, or next month But, we need this request now. The need is immediate. Not a long term goal, not a pipe-dream, not a wishful future – but the need is immediate.

Then He makes sure that we can understand what we are petitioning God for. He says
Bread. Bread was used in the Scripture as meaning any type of food that would nourish the body. It was symbolically representing anything that was a genuine need. You see, yes, we can ask God for our wants, but remember He promises to fulfill our needs. Sometimes as a bonus He gives us our wants. So, “This very Day we need you to supply our genuine needs” would be one way of saying this.

Finally, notice the word – Daily. Not all month’s, not all year’s, not for my life, but the immediate need. We are asking God to grant us what we need at the moment. And then, tomorrow we will ask Him to meet the need of that moment. One way of looking at this is that God wants us to remember that we are constantly in need of Him. We cannot do anything without Him. We must continually rely upon Him.

So, today, what immediate petitions are you bringing to Him? Are you fully trusting Him? Are you submitting to Him? Do you have faith in Him to supply your need for the moment?

Next we will see the points of Confession and Compassion. See you tomorrow.

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¹ Many of the older manuscripts  omit this last phrase of the prayer. I am including it because of the popularity of the way we say the prayer.

EXPECTING AND SUBMITTING

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) - “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ¹For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Faith and Worship. The first two parts of this Model Prayer that Jesus gives to us. Who and How we are to come to the Father. Today, we start to move into the body of this example of prayer. Jesus begins to help us see what we can pray for when we have the right faith and worship God in the right attitude.

His next point, #3 is Expectation – (6:10a) “Your kingdom come.”

Matthew is writing to portray Jesus as the Messiah – the King they were promised by God in the Old Testament. And, if Jesus is the King, then there must be a Kingdom. And, Jesus’ Kingdom is the Kingdom of His Father. A kingdom is the territory of the King. And, the desire that we bring before the Father is that His Kingdom becomes established. This Kingdom that exists in Heaven is what everyone who is a child of God should be longing for. We live in the kingdom of the world – with its evil and perverse establishment. We desire the pure, the holy, the wonderful kingdom that only comes with God. It is what is often referred to as the Biblical Hope. In the Scriptures, Hope is not wishing or desire, it is a confident expectation. It is a realization that it will be fulfilled. Thus we are praying that He will establish this Kingdom now, in us.

And, in conjunction, that means that we must be #4 in Submission – (6:10b) “Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” What do we mean by will? Here it means God’s desire and pleasure. It means that we are willing to submit to His will, we are seeking to bring about His desires, His pleasures in the here and now. “It is” is not in the original Greek. The words were added by the Translators to help us read and understand the passage. Literally in the Greek, it says, “On earth as in Heaven.” We are seeking God to take control. For God to establish “Heaven on Earth.”

Today, consider that the only way that God’s Kingdom will be on earth is if we live like the Kingdom Citizens we are. We are to represent Heaven in our lives to those around us. Are we willing to submit and let God fully live through us? This is also a reminder to us that Jesus is coming again to establish on Earth His Kingdom. We need to be ready for His return, and when we pray this, we are asking for Him to come back. Are you ready? Is there anything in your life that needs to become different if He was to show up today?

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¹ Many of the older manuscripts omit this last phrase of the prayer. I am including it because of the popularity of the way we say the prayer.

TO WHO ARE WE SPEAKING?

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) - “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ¹For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

As we dissect this model, we can see nine points that Jesus gives us. We started yesterday with the first point – Faith. Today, let us consider point #2 – Worship – (6:9c) “Hallowed be Your name.”

If our faith is in the right place when we come to pray to the Father, then that will automatically lead us to Worship. What is worship? Is it the song time in the morning church service? That can be. Is it the Sermon? Part of it. Giving our tithes and offerings? That is also a part. So, what IS worship? Worship is defined as an ardent devotion; an adoration; to regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion.

In this text, Jesus said, “Hallowed be Your name.” The word “hallowed” in the original Greek is from the root word we translate “holy.” When we worship God, we are to acknowledge that He is Holy. In Jesus’ day when you referred to a person’s name, you were signifying that whole person. Their very being. So, the very person of God is Holy. The word literally means to separate or to purify. To be Holy means that someone or something is separated. Separated from what? In this case, God is Holy, separated from all sin and evil. He is pure, without spot or blemish. So, in a sense, we are acknowledging in our worship that God is perfect in all ways. We are saying, “Holy is your person.”

We start our time with God by acknowledging our faith in Who He is and then acknowledge our worship of How He is.

Today, stop and consider how you approach God? Do you place your faith in Him? Do you recognize who He is? When you realize the Holiness and Majesty of Almighty God, would that make a difference in your view of Him? How you talk to Him? How you treat your relationship with Him? Ponder that today, and we will move to the next point in Jesus’ Model Prayer tomorrow.

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¹ Many of the older manuscripts  omit this last phrase of the prayer. I am including it because of the popularity of the way we say the prayer.

HOPE IN THIS WORLD - PART 4

Text: Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Paul encourages us in Romans 5:1-5 (CSB) that we are a people of HOPE. Listen to God’s Word – “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Emphasis added).

The circumstances around us can be frightening. They can be discouraging. They can be confusing. We may be overwhelmed. However, as Children of God, He wants us to Trust Him. He wants us to have courage, faith, and HOPE.

So, how can we have hope when everything looks hopeless? In the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because these challenges cause us to do three very important things. We should be doing these daily, but we tend to forget.

As we continue to consider how in the midst of the world upheaval we can be bearers of hope to both ourselves and others we said that the first thing we need to do is Rely on God’s Presence. The next thing we must remember is to Rely on God’s Provision. Today we will consider that we must Rely on God’s Power.

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9b, ESV). (Emphasis added)

What is your weakness? Maybe it is a son or a daughter that hasn’t quite turned out the way you thought he or she would. A job situation that has gone awry. A medical diagnosis that has scared you. Maybe, like Paul, it is also insults, hardships, or persecutions. Maybe it is fear, confusion, and lack of courage with the present world chaos. Whatever it is, Paul says he will boast in those things because when we are weak, the power of Christ rests on us.

The greater the enemy comes at you, the greater Jesus is in you. (Say this with me)

Maybe you hear voices telling you to just quit, give up, and let it go. God says, Don’t stop, when you are weak, then he is strong.

Remember the greater the attack against you, the greater Christ is in you, but you have to rely on His Presence, His Provision and His Power. Today, take a moment to write down what you are suffering from or struggling with and place it in an envelope. On the outside, write, “God’s got this, and He is transforming me.” Now when that challenge comes to mind remember to rely on Him. Look at that sealed envelope and say – “God’s Got This!”

You see, the Power to defeat the fear and chaos inside is Jesus.

Do you see the pattern that God gives us to defeat the fear and turmoil in the world? How we can have Hope and deliver that HOPE to the world around us.

Rely on God’s Presence – JESUS. Rely on God’s Provision – JESUS. Rely on God’s Power – JESUS.

We are facing unsure times.  We may feel overwhelmed by the World. This chaos didn’t start in a day, nor will the fear and panic stop in a day. As His Ambassadors to this world, we are being called about being the voice of reason, peace, and calmness. We need to be bearers of the Good News that we can Rely on God’s Presence even in the “shadows.” We must remember that we have the provision of God. And, both of these areas are Jesus. How can we be sure? Remember that we determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

Grace is not an Abstract idea, it is a person, and that person is Jesus. We are His, and He will take care of His own.

Join me in daily praying for God to intervene in this situation and bring out His purpose and plan for us and mankind. And now share with everyone you see that even in the shadow, we can rely on His Presence – the Light – and God’s full Provision – and God’s Power – Jesus.

HOPE IN THIS WORLD - PART 3

Text: Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Paul encourages us in Romans 5:1-5 (CSB) that we are a people of HOPE. Listen to God’s Word – “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Emphasis added).

The circumstances around us can be frightening. They can be discouraging. They can be confusing. We may be overwhelmed. However, as Children of God, He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to have courage, faith, and HOPE.

So, how can we have hope when everything looks hopeless? In the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because these challenges cause us to do three very important things. We should be doing these daily, but we tend to forget.

As we continue to consider how in the midst of the world upheaval we can be bearers of hope to both ourselves and others we said that the first thing we need to do is Rely on God’s Presence. Today we will consider that the next thing we must remember is to Rely on God’s Provision.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7 (CSB), Paul reveals that he has suffered from a “thorn in the flesh.” “Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself.” There are many ideas of what this “thorn” was, but God left it vague so that we can put our circumstances in this lesson. It can apply to our situation today.

In that case, God was so concerned about Paul not becoming proud he allowed this to happen to him to prevent him from becoming conceited. In our current situation, God is saying to us that his grace is sufficient, and even when we feel weak, he is making us stronger than we have ever been. We must live every day – not by our feelings but by the facts. And the facts are that God has provided us with everything we need.

We need to grasp the understanding that His grace is not an abstract idea. It is the person of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The hell the world is going through may be the very circumstance God uses to take us to a whole new level. Yesterday we saw that the Light is Jesus. Today, see that all we need is Jesus. Are you seeing a pattern in what God is showing us? We have God’s Presence and God’s Provision. And they are both Jesus.

This chaos didn’t start in a day, nor will the fear and panic stop in a day. As His Ambassadors to this world, we are being called about being the voice of reason, peace, and calmness. We need to be bearers of the Good News that we can Rely on God’s Presence even in the “shadows.” We must remember that we have the provision of God. And, both of these areas are Jesus. How can we be sure? Remember that we determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

Grace is not an Abstract idea, it is a person, and that person is Jesus.

Join me in daily praying for God to intervene in this situation and bring out His purpose and plan for us and mankind. And now share with everyone you see that even in the shadow, we can rely on His Presence – the Light – and God’s full Provision – Jesus.

HOPE IN THIS WORLD - PART 2

Text: Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Paul encourages us in Romans 5:1-5 (CSB) that we are a people of HOPE. Listen to God’s Word – “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Emphasis added).

The circumstances around us can be frightening. They can be discouraging. They can be confusing. We may be overwhelmed. However, as Children of God, He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to have courage, faith, and HOPE.

So, how can we have hope when everything looks hopeless? In the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because these challenges cause us to do three very important things. We should be doing these daily, but we tend to forget.

So, today, we will pick up where we started on Wednesday – remembering how to be Hope in this World today.

The first thing we need to do is to Rely on God’s Presence. Go back and reread the first text today – Joshua 1:9 above.

See the circumstances – Moses is dead. Joshua has been picked to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Behind him was a giant of a man – Moses. In front of him a giant of a task – bringing the nation into the Promised Land. Think he might have felt a little inadequate? I believe as he was contemplating this assignment he was afraid, doubts, and a lack of confidence. So, God comes and speaks words of encouragement to him. He is talking to us today in the midst of this world upheaval.

When Paul encourages us to rejoice in suffering does not mean celebrating when bad news comes. But, it does mean that we can believe that God is doing a redemptive work.  This word “redemptive” means that God does not waste a hurt or disappointment. He is using them to shape and build us into the image of Jesus, which is his highest passion. (Read Romans 8:29)

When we go through suffering, we often pray and seek God more intensely than at other times. Some of my greatest times of growth have been when I’ve reached the end of my resources and all I have left is Jesus. God uses suffering to make us rely on His presence.

In Psalm 23:4, David writes that he does not fear because God is with him. He relies on God’s presence, and it brings him strength and comfort. Remember that for there to be a shadow, there has to be a light. I don’t know what your “valley of the shadow of death” is, but I do know who the Light is that is walking with you in that valley. That Light is Jesus.

In another Psalm, David reveals that one of the reasons for his joy is that he is forgiven: “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven whose sins are covered (Ps. 31:1, NIV). We don’t determine God’s love for us based on good or bad circumstances. We determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

This didn’t start in a day, nor will the fear and panic stop in a day. As His Ambassadors to this world, we are being called about being the voice of reason, peace, and calmness. We need to be bearers of the Good News that we can Rely on God’s Presence even in the “shadows.” How can we be sure? Remember that we determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

Join me in daily praying for God to intervene in this situation and bring out His purpose and plan for us and mankind. And now share with everyone you see that even in the shadow, we can rely on His Presence – the Light – Jesus.

SPRING HAS SPRING

Matthew 6:34 (CSB) - “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

About this time of year, somebody inevitably says, “Spring has sprung; the grass has ris’. I wonder where the flowers is.” When I checked, I learned that the author of that quote is unknown and I also discovered that the common saying questions “where the birdies is,” rather than flowers. Anyway, that little poem keeps coming to mind, because the winter this year has been so warm.

The flowers have ris’. Daffodils and crocus began blooming in the middle of February. Flowering bushes are now showing color, tree buds are ready to burst open, and the grass is greening up. The Yellow cloud of pollen will soon be spreading.

I love Spring. For many, it is their favorite season of the year. I love the green grass, the splashes of color from flowers, birds returning, and farmers plowing their fields. But this year, it’s hard to be sure Spring has truly sprung.

A long cold spell and big snow could still come tomorrow. How do you know when Spring has sprung when the warm days outnumbered the cold days all winter long?

One year, I saw the first fully-opened daffodils in early February. When I saw that cluster of bright yellow shining on a dreary winter day, I grieved. I wanted to tell them, “It’s too early! Go back to sleep before a cold snap comes, wilts your sunny heads, and cuts short your brief time of glory.”

But the cold snap never came and more and more flowers bloomed. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy many of them. I was too anxious about a hard freeze killing them. As weeks passed, I realized Spring arrived early that year.

But I missed it. Rather than enjoying the season, I was anxious all the way through it. I felt robbed. I purposed then to never let that happen again. I can’t stop an early Spring, but I can choose to enjoy it.

It’s made me realize that there are other things in life that we might not fully enjoy in the moment. Instead, we worry about the future. How many times have we moaned our loss as we thought of our children going to school for the first time, departing to college, or for married life? Our grief over anticipated separation steals the enjoyment of the day.

Some people are hampered at work because they fear losing their job. Likewise, a diagnosis of a debilitating illness can rob today’s pleasure, because we’re anxious about what tomorrow might bring. We seem oblivious to the fact that fretting steals our energy, life, and joy. Nor do we realize that it doesn’t alleviate the pain and struggles of tomorrow. Anxiety about what might happen is not only pointless, it’s counterproductive.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus tells us, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Indeed. When we’re anxious, we add tomorrow’s trouble to today. Truly, each day already has enough trouble of its own.

Consequently, let’s enjoy this Spring. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m relishing in the life and beauty of today— fluffy clouds against a deep blue sky, greening lawns, waving daffodils, singing birds, colorful bushes, and treetops tinged red from opening leaf buds. All of nature is proclaiming the season.

Spring became official today. New life is breaking forth, and we need to enjoy every minute.