JESUS CARES; DO YOU?

Matt. 9:36-38 He felt great pity for the crowds who came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.”  NLT

       The Lord has a heart for people in need. He cares about our problems. He cares that we often can’t solve them on our own. He cares that we often wander around grasping for answers and often live without help or hope. The Lord loves us and His heart goes out to us. He has great pity for us.

      The Lord calls us to likewise have a heart for one another. We need to see those around us who are in need. We need to likewise pity those who have no hope or help. We need to love others enough to pray on their behalf. We must realize how great the need is all around us. We must ask the Lord to send people to those in need who can help them and when He leads, we need to be willing to be the feet to our prayers.

     There is an ample amount of people in need all around us. There is far more work to do than there are workers to do it. No matter how much good we are able to do, we will never be able to do enough. Pray for the Lord to raise up more workers. Pray that He will send people to those in need who can help them. Pray that the Lord will help us to not have sinful thoughts towards other workers in the harvest field.

       Sadly, we find ourselves often squabbling amongst ourselves and finding fault with one another while those around us wander around in darkness without a Shepherd. We become jealous and judgmental of co-laborers instead of partners with them in the Gospel. We insist that they enter into our comfort zone before we will work alongside of them.

      May the Lord forgive us for our sinful ways. May He unite us together at the foot of the cross and send us out together into the harvest field to reach whomever we can for their souls’ sake. May He keep us from being more of a hindrance than a help to reach the world we live for the Gospel.

DOCTOR'S ORDERS

Matt. 9:12-13 When he heard this, Jesus replied, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor--sick people do!”  Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ˜I want you to be merciful; I don’t want your sacrifices.’ For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.”  NLT

      Are you now good enough?  Do you see yourself as better than most and not in need of help?  Do you consider yourself healthy before the Lord?  Are you okay with your spiritual life?  If so, you need to reread today’s Scripture.

       People go to the doctor when they are sick, when they know they need help to get well again.  We understand that doctors know more about sickness than we do and how to treat it.  We understand that without the doctor’s care, we will only get worse and not better.  The same thing holds true in our spiritual lives.

      The Lord cannot help anyone who thinks they don’t need help.  We must see ourselves as needing a Savior and Lord.  We must see ourselves as we really are, naturally born sinners before God.  We must understand that we can never be good enough on our own.  We must know that even if Jesus is our Savior, we are not ever going to be good enough to stay connected with God without Him.  We cannot strike it out on our own and find our way home to heaven.  We need Christ at work in us every moment of our lives.  To be disconnected with Christ is certain death for the soul.  We can never slack off in our pursuit of Him.  Unless we see ourselves as unhealthy and in need of Christ’s constant attention and care, we will die.

        Looking honestly in the mirror of God’s Word shows us just how sick we really are.  God’s Word reveals our imperfections.  It shows us what we need to be working on in our lives.  It shows us just how much we must rely on the working of Christ and His Spirit within us.  It shows us that we need to be good patients and co-operate with Him by obeying His instructions.

      Jesus came to call us to repentance and a life of dependency on Him.  Do you see yourself as good enough or in need of our Physician’s constant care?

HOW SICK ARE YOU?

Matt. 9:12-13 When he heard this, Jesus replied, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor--sick people do!”  Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to be merciful; I don’t want your sacrifices.’ For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.”  NLT

      How do you look upon yourself?  Do you see yourself as spiritually healthy?  Are you doing alright in your walk with the Lord?  Do you think you have all your bases covered? 

      Let us pause a moment and reflect about this.  Isn’t it true that none of us are perfect?  We all know our strengths and our weaknesses.  We focus on our strengths and think we are in good shape.  Yet, when we think about our weaknesses, we realize we are not as well as we thought we were.  We hear, read and meditate on the Word and recognize our sinfulness.  We know we are guilty of not being whom we could and should be in Christ.  We do well in some areas but not so well in others.  Be honest with yourself; it’s true isn’t it? 

      We tend to skim over those things which convict us.  We don’t pause and let the Spirit apply certain portions of Scripture to our hearts because our pride doesn’t want to admit we are guilty.  We don’t like humbling ourselves before God and confessing sin which is exposed.

       Yet, the Lord says that that is precisely why He came.  He came to call us to himself.  He came so that we would see ourselves as sinners and go to Him for repentance and help.  He came so that we would let Him work in us to make us healthier.  He came to forgive us, make us stronger, engage us in the battle for our spiritual health, and make us fit for His kingdom. 

        I challenge you today to let the Spirit of Christ reveal your sin to you and convict you of it.  I challenge you to take an honest look at your soul and admit you are not as well off as you try to convince yourself and others that you are.  I challenge you to let the Spirit help you day by day to be the person in Christ God wants you to be.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

Matt. 7:21  “Not all people who sound religious are really godly.  They may refer to me as “Lord,” but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.”  NLT

       There is a difference between good people and godly people, between religious people and godly people.  It’s fairly easy to be who we really are not.  We can act the part but be far from it.  What separates the godly from the ungodly is the relationship they have with Christ.  Godly people are those who have given Christ their hearts and strive to live holy lives.  They are a people who are changed from the inside out and not just on the outside.

      People who consider themselves to be religious and good often call Jesus, Lord, but they will not make it to heaven.  We can do a lot of things in Jesus’ name and live to think about it in hell.  When Jesus is Lord, we obey God.  There is a constant effort to do what pleases God.  A godly person knows what God expects them to do and strives to do it.  Faith is real when actions back up one’s words.

      We need to take a careful look in the mirror and consider whether or not we are living in obedience to God’s commands.  We cannot pick and choose which ones we want to do.  Partial obedience is really not obedience at all.  A godly soul does not have divided loyalties.  He gives the Lord all of his heart, mind and soul. 

WHAT IDENTIFIES YOU?

Matt. 7:20  “Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced.”  NLT

      What kind of life we live reveals who really controls our lives.  We do not have to do all the things the world does in order to be under Satan’s control.  We can be “good people” in the eyes of the world and go to hell when we die.  In fact, I believe most people fall into that category.  What makes a person good and acceptable to God is not what we do; it is in whom we put our trust.  Without putting our trust in Christ, we may do much good in the world, but we will lose our souls. 

      It doesn’t matter what we profess to be; if our living doesn’t match up to our profession, we are not who we claim to be.  We cannot live in fellowship with Christ and fail to produce godly fruit.  A child of God shows the characteristics of God in his life.  God is holy and His children show evidence of holiness in their lives.  The only way to really know what that means in practical terms is to open up God’s Word and take note of what He says about how we are to live.  A closed Bible results in ungodly living.

       Good fruit is only produced on properly nourished trees.  There has to be amble amount of necessary ingredients for it to grow and produce.  It is the same with our souls.  We must feed our souls what they need in order for them to grow and produce.  We must be vigilant in what we allow our souls to feast on.  No one can properly take care of your soul for you but you.  A neglected soul will produce bad fruit that is of no eternal value at all.  Only a soul that produces good fruit will see God.

     When properly taken care of, our souls will produce much good fruit that brings honor and glory to Christ.  You are what you produce. 

FEW IN HEAVEN

Matt. 7:13-14  “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.  The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.  But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow and only a few ever find it.”  NLT

       There is only one way to enter into God’s Kingdom and that is through Christ.  God has made no other provision for our salvation.  He is the doorway and He will not let any enter who does not embrace Him as their Savior and Lord. 

      Most people do not embrace this truth.  They try to find another way into heaven.  They believe Satan’s lies that there has to be another way.  They refuse to see themselves in need of Christ.  Most people want nothing to do with God’s way.  They convince themselves that their own way is good enough.  Most people will remain on the outside looking in and will never know what heaven is like on the inside. 

       Only a few people will enter into heaven.  Only a few will humble themselves before Christ, confess their sins, and seek His forgiveness.  Only a few will strive to live life God’s way.  God’s way is the pathway of holiness.  It is a path where one is constantly changing, being conformed into the likeness of Christ.  Only a few will persevere to the end and enter into heaven.

       Contrary to the teaching of many, the way to heaven is not easy.  It is not easy to stand strong for truth in a world that hates the truth.  It is not easy to stand alone on righteousness when those around you are encouraging you not to.  It is not easy to be looked down on and sometimes harmed because you dare not compromise on godly living.  It is not easy to proclaim the Word of God to a people who do not want to hear it and will make life miserable for you if you do.  It is not easy, but it’s the only way to heaven.

       Be different than most.  Put your faith in Christ alone and let Him be your righteousness and holiness before God.  Put your faith in Christ and let Him make you fit for heaven.  Be among the few who will enter through heaven’s door.  You will be eternally grateful you did.

PERSISTENCE IN EVERYTHING

Matt. 7:7-8  “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.” NLT

       Persistence is everything. We often fail because we give up too soon. We can never do our best when we give up too soon. Anything worth doing is worth doing right until completion. We deprive ourselves and others of much good because we don't discipline ourselves enough to finish what we start.

      When it comes to prayer, persistence is an absolute must if we are going to see any answers from God. Jesus said we must keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. Yet, many of us do that and still do not see God providing what we ask for. Why? Let me suggest a couple of things to think about.

      One of the benefits of constant praying over a matter is that it helps to align ourselves up with the mind of God over matters. Why do we ask the Lord for what we ask Him for? If we pray with submissive hearts, we will want what the Lord wants more than we will want what we want. Often, we come before God with an attitude. We need to approach Him with a desire for Him to change our wants into His wants.

       Another hurdle we must learn to overcome is patience with God. The Lord is not bound by our timetable. He does what He does in His perfect timing. If He were to act like we want Him to, the result would not be what we want it to be. We need to understand that the Lord works things out according to His plan and by means of His infinite wisdom. We don’t always understand what the Lord does in order to answer prayer. Sometimes changes need to be made in us, others, or circumstances. Sometimes He must say no because we ask for things that are not doable because Father knows best.

       Keep on praying and you will learn the secret of answered prayers.

LOG REMOVAL

Matt. 7:3-5 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye when you can’t see past the log in your own?’  Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye, then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”  NLT

      We don’t think much about our own issues when we criticize or judge others.  It’s not too hard to convince ourselves that we don’t have any issues, or if we do, that they don’t really matter.  We are easily led into the trap of seeing ourselves in a positive light and others in a negative one.

      Jesus instructs us to look inward before we look outward.  An honest look at ourselves through the lens of God’s Word quickly reminds us of just how far short we fall from God’s standards.  None of us can honestly say we don’t have issues, that there is no sin in us. 

       Jesus instructs us to take our issues to God before we attempt to address the issues others have.  Only the pure in heart have the right to confront others with sin.  Think about this a moment.  I wonder how many professing Christians actually live this out.  It is easy to pull out our Bibles and point out the sins of others.  It’s another thing to pull out our Bibles and let God point out our own sins.  I wonder how we would act differently when confronting others if we were to spend time before the Lord in repentance first.  I suspect we would be a lot more compassionate and gracious.

      Jesus reminds us that it’s hypocrisy for us to intervene in someone’s life without first dealing with our sins before God.  Don’t let Satan deceive you in this.  All of us are sinners and need to let Christ purify our hearts before we stand in judgment over others.

STOP JUDGING OTHERS

Matt. 7:1-2 “Stop judging others and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged.”  NLT

       If you are like most of us, judging others comes easily.  We tend to be critical of those who don’t measure up to our expectations.  We do it mainly because it makes us look at ourselves in a positive light.  We think of ourselves as better than he who falls short.  As long as we see the faults and failures of others, we don’t see our own.

       The Lord tells us not to be that way.  People catch on quickly and will in turn judge us.  No one is perfect and all of us are good targets for judgmental spirits.  We do reap what we sow.  If you don’t like being on the tail end of criticism, then don’t criticize others.  None of us are perfect and are targets for being judged. 

       Instead of being judgmental, we are called to be a people of grace, love and forgiveness.  We are to be kind towards others and not look down on them.  Sure people mess up and sometimes royally, but who are we to make a big deal out of it and rake someone over the coals for it?  We can correct someone out of kindness and love instead of judgmental spirits. 

       If you find yourself being quick to judge, ask the Lord to help you do what is right in His eyes.  Ask Him to forgive you and give you a spirit of love and grace.  Ask Him to hold you accountable for your spirit and help you act in a more acceptable way.

CONDITIONAL PROMISE

Matt. 6:32b-33 “Your heavenly Father knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”  NLT

       If is a very important word in our vocabulary.  It speaks of conditions.  The result depends on the performance.  It is noteworthy how many times God uses the word in connection with His promises. 

       Here the Lord promises to take care of us every day of our lives, IF we live for Him and make His Kingdom our primary concern.  The Lord’s promise is not a blanket statement for all who profess Him as Savior of life.  We must live for Him and make His Kingdom our main focus in life. 

      We cannot live for Him and have other agendas in our lives.  The Lord must be our main focus.  He will not share our loyalties.  Living for Him means that we take a back seat to Him.  We live to honor Him.  We desire that He gets the glory and not ourselves.  We commit ourselves to not only being like Him, but to being ambassadors for Him in the world.

       Making the Kingdom of God our primary concern means that we are one with the Lord in His agenda.  We are seeking out the lost that they may be saved.  We are determined to do all we can do to make a difference for Christ in the world.  We are so tied to God’s agenda that it is all we live for.  We live for what is before us and not what is around us. 

       The Lord’s promise is to supply every need of our lives when our living is right.  There is nothing lacking in His provision.  He lovingly provides what we need and lovingly withholds from us what we want when it conflicts with what is good for us.

       Is the Kingdom of God your primary concern in life?

ENOUGH ALREADY

Matt. 6:25  “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, or clothes.  Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing?”  NLT

       It seems to be what we do best.  We spend our lives consumed with trying to get enough food, drink, shelter, or clothing.  Everything we do revolves around it.  And for most of us, having enough is not enough.  We always strive to have more than enough so that what we have will be enough in case something unexpected comes our way.

      Jesus is saying here to not work for the necessities of life; He is saying don’t worry about whether or not what you have is enough.  He is saying that life is so much more than what we have.  He is saying that if we understand what life is really all about, we will be content with what we have and what we have will be enough.

      Life doesn’t consist of our food, clothing, drink, shelter, or anything else we might obtain in this world.  Life consists of how we relate to God.  Life is having a relationship with God.  If we don’t have a relationship with God, we are dead.  In other words, real life is spiritual and not material.  We can have all the riches of earth and not be spiritually alive. 

       If you are blessed with much, use what you have to bring God honor and glory with thanksgiving from your heart.  If you don’t have much, be content with what you have with thanksgiving and use what you have for God’s honor and glory.  Trust God and He will supply all your needs.

ONLY ONE MASTER

Matt. 6:24  “No one can serve two masters.  For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money.”  NLT

       We live in a very materialistic world.  We measure life in terms of things we have or want to have.  We spend most of our lives pursuing things that will all turn to dust someday.  We measure our worth in terms of things.  We deem those who have more than we do successes and those who have less failures.  We become slaves to materialism and it often blinds us to the fact that real life is spiritual in nature.

       Long after our “stuff” is gone, we continue to exist.  God gives everyone a soul that lives on eternally.  We prepare for the continuation of life after death by how we live life.  When we attach ourselves to that which we can see, we damage our souls.  We cannot be devoted to the things of earth or this life at the expense of our souls and expect to see God someday.  God will not take a second seat in our lives.  If He is not first in our affections, He can have no fellowship with us.

      God commands us to love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul.  We cannot do that by treating our souls lightly.  We must understand that taking care of our relationship with God must always be our number one priority in life.  In reality, nothing else matters.  We determine whether we will have a God-filled eternity or a godless eternity by the way we live and what we live for.  You can’t have it both ways.  You cannot attach yourself to the things of earth and God at the same time.  A divided loyalty is no loyalty to God at all. 

WATCH WHAT YOU WATCH

Matt. 6:22-23  “Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light, and plunges you into darkness.  If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!”  NLT

     What do you look at?  What we see affects our souls.  When we are gazing on unholy things we are letting unholy things enter into our souls.  No matter how righteous a person may be, he is affected by the things he looks at.  Satan is a master at bringing to mind evil things that we have looked at in the past.  He uses those things to harass us and if possible to lead us into sin.  He is relentless in haunting us and robbing us of the peace and joys of salvation.

      A pure eye is one that focuses on things that are good for the soul.  The Apostle Paul instructs us to dwell on those things that edify the soul (Phil. 4:8).  We can control much of what we dwell on.  We must take responsibility for this because what we do dwell on will either make us holy or unholy.

      We need to be discerning.  Darkness sometimes masquerades itself as light.  What may seem to be alright may not be alright at all.  How many times have you watched a program or movie that was captivating and generally a good story that had some things in it that you knew were not right or wholesome but you chose to watch them anyway?  What we watch often helps form our worldview.  Unless we are on our toes and are able to protect ourselves from that which is not truthful or helpful, we will be soon led astray.

        Be discerning.  Don’t believe everything you read or watch.  There are wolves in sheep’s clothing everywhere.  Think for yourself and prayerfully consider what you choose to believe.

A PURE EYE

Matt. 6:22  “Your eyes are a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul.”  NLT

      We live in a world that is very visual.  We look at all kind of things.  We are drawn to those things which appeal to our eyes.  Satan exploits our visual senses relentlessly.  He knows that what we see impacts the desires of our hearts.  He knows that the most effective way to get us to sin is through our eyes.  What we gaze upon determines what we lust after. 

      What we let ourselves gaze upon does matter.  We determine the condition of our souls by what we dwell on.  If we gaze upon sinful things, we will develop sinful desires.  If we dwell on godly things, we will develop godly desires.  It is why being students of the Word is so important to us.  The more we fix our gaze on the Word, the more we will think and act Biblically. 

      You alone are responsible for what you let your eyes feast on.  You can’t get away from this truth.  What are you looking at, the things of the world or the things of God?  What are you reading, things that edify your soul or what leads you into sinful thinking?  What are you putting into your soul, pure or impure things?  It does matter what you gaze upon. 

      If you are having trouble looking at the right things, make a covenant before God today that you will not yield to the temptation to gaze upon those things which would lead you into sin. 

      Then, do your part and look away from those things that tempt you.  Avoid being in a place that draws you into sin.  Avoid reading things that draw you in.  Avoid watching things that draw you in. 

       You can do it with Jesus as your Lord.

WHAT DO YOU TREASURE?

Matt. 6:21 “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts well also be.”  NLT

      What do you treasure most in your life? Before you answer that, consider this. We treasure that which consumes our time, thoughts, and energy. We pursue diligently what we treasure. We treasure most what we work the hardest at obtaining. We consider our treasure to be worth whatever sacrifices we have to make in order to get it. What we treasure can change, depending on circumstances or stages of life.

      If you were to rate the things you treasure most in life by the amount of time and energy you put into obtaining it on a scale of 1-10, where would the Lord rate? Are you more concerned about other things than you are the Lord? We can’t avoid seeking after other things in life, but are they of more value to us than the Lord? Be honest. What are you investing your life into obtaining?

      We can profess our allegiance to Christ all we want to, but unless our words are backed up by our lives, they don’t mean a thing. The Lord knows where He fits into your life’s priorities, and so do you. Do you need to get your priorities straight? 

       Your heart is where your treasure is.  What means the most to you: your spouse, children, job, hobbies, recreation, career, church, faith?  You value the most what you do the most.  You think about those things that you value the most.  If the Lord is not your most valued treasure, your heart is not right with God.

MANDATORY FORGIVENESS

Matt. 6:14-15 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But, if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  NLT

       Forgiveness is not an option; it’s a necessity for all who want to have a relationship with God.  If we don’t have tender and merciful hearts that are willing to forgive those who wrong us, God will not show us mercy and forgive us.  Does that get your attention? 

       Forgiveness is one of the fruits of godly love.  It is natural for those who are living in fellowship with God.  An unwillingness to forgive means that there is a sin issue going on it the heart.  It is contrary to the nature of God to not forgive. 

      Forgiveness is not conditional.  There is no offense that we can claim is unforgiveable.  It is not easy to forgive someone who hurts us.  Our natural reaction is to withhold forgiveness until the offending party tries to make things right by apologizing for what has been said or done.  However, as God’s children, that is not what we should be doing.  We should take the matter before the Lord and allow him to help us have a forgiving heart. 

       Our response is to forgive regardless if it is sought for or not.  We are responsible for our reaction, not someone else’s.  We must forgive and let the Lord handle the rest.  Refusing to forgive is sin.  It stops the flow of God’s love in us.

       If someone has wronged you and hurt you and you haven’t forgiven them, ask the Lord right now to soften your heart.  Don’t let the matter stand between you and the Lord.  No matter how hard it may be to do, determine in your heart that with God’s help, you will forgive.  Ask the Lord to give you the willpower to forgive.  At first, you may only be able to forgive with your mind.  But if you persist, the feelings will follow.  The status of your soul before God depends on it.

SINCERELY PRAY

Matt. 6:7-8 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him.”  NLT

      Words don’t mean much if they don’t come from the heart.  We may pray and pray and pray, but if we aren’t sincerely praying from the heart, we are just making a lot of noise.  We may impress other people by our praying, but our praying falls on deaf ears.

      There are some people who repeat the same prayers over and over again.  Some people don’t know how to pray any other words than what they have been taught.  When I was a kid, “Now I lay me down to sleep…..” was a prayer I repeated over and over again.  At meal time many will say a simple prayer of thanks that they say every time.  Some people will repeat a certain chant they have been taught.  It doesn’t matter how many times we may repeat these prayers, if they do not come from a heart connection with God, they are meaningless words that don’t reach the ears of God.

       God knows our hearts before we even pray.  He knows our needs and wants us to express them in words.  He wants to hear the expressions of our hearts, not our mouths.  For God, it’s all about relationships.  He doesn’t want to be talked at; He wants to be talked to.  If you find yourself praying the same prayers over and over again, you need to stop it now.  You need to talk to the Lord as you do to your friends.  You need to speak from your heart and not just repeat the same things over and over again. 

      The Lord hears and answers the prayers spoken from a sincere heart.

UNSEEN PRAYING

Matt. 6:6  “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.”  NLT

       Jesus is speaking out strongly against showing off our religion.  He is making it very clear that a person of genuine faith does not need to promote it or broadcast it.  Genuine faith shows naturally through the way we live and speak. 

      We like to be around people who really know how to pray.  There is just something that seems to set them apart from us.  We equate how they pray with the godliness of their hearts.  What we don’t often consider is that how a person prays doesn’t always tell the true story of their heart.  Just like people can imitate faith without being saved, people can imitate prayer without being right with God, or even saved. 

      Jesus here emphasizes the importance of private prayer.  When we pray when no one is around, it is noticed by God.  God hears us when we pray from a genuine heart, no matter who may, or may not, hear us when we pray.  In fact, there is great value in prayer without words.  We can be surrounded by a great host of people and pray without anyone knowing it.  The Lord listens to the heart more than He does the words. 

     Words sometimes simply fail us.  There are times when we don’t know what to say or how to say it.  But, the Lord knows.  When we lift our hearts to Him without words, He hears us and answers our prayers.  Reach out to the Lord and He will reach out to you.  Don’t pray to be heard by man; pray to be heard by God.  If others hear you when you pray and join you as you pray, it is good.  It is also good if only you and God hear you when you pray.  

       Praying to be heard by man are not prayers heard by God.

REGULAR PRAYING

Matt. 6:6 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.”  NLT

      This is a lesson on prayer that we dare not ignore.  It is so easy to pray to impress instead of to beseech God.  There is a part of us that wants to be well thought of.  We want others to look at us and be impressed by how “spiritual” we are.  We like to “wow” others by the way we speak and pray.  Let’s be honest.  It’s true, isn’t it?  Some people pray more to impress others than to honestly beseech God.  They turn up the passion in public that they otherwise don’t have in private.

     Jesus instructs us to not pray just to be heard by others.  We should be people of prayer always.  We need to pray in private.  There are far too few of us who get alone with the Lord to pray.  Prayer should be a priority of our lives.  All of us should spend time alone with the Him away from the ears of others. 

      The desire to pray flows from the heart.  A lack of prayer in our lives indicates that we are not in a right relationship with God as we should be.  You want to spend time with whom you love.  If you love the Lord, you will want to spend time with Him. 

     We should have a daily plan to pray and to pray with a purpose.  Prayer is far more than an add-on to our agendas.  It is essential to our agendas.  It is foolish to jump into living without first drawing from Him who lives eternally.

      If you don’t get alone with the Lord on a regular basis, I encourage you to change your ways right now.  It is essential for spiritual health.  You will never grow in your love for God without a consistent prayer life.  You will never notice God working in your life if you don’t pray.  You will never know the thrill of victory in Jesus without praying. 

FOR GOD'S GLORY

Matt. 6:1 “Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.”  NLT

      It seems like much of the Church has gotten pretty careless in this area.  With the ready accessibility of mass media, there are so many who want to broadcast for the world to see their good deeds.  There is so much self-promotion going on in the Church that one has to wonder what is really going on. 

      We like to be noticed and we want others to be attracted to us.  We want others to want to support our endeavors.  We want to be the popular church in town.  We want others to know what we are doing. 

      In light of our verse today, I wonder what the Lord thinks about the way we do things.  I wonder how many of us do things that go unnoticed.  I wonder if the Lord is pleased with our doings or if He has a problem with what we do because of why we do them. 

      We like to be admired, but if that is what motivates us in what we do, we are in deep trouble with the Lord.  The praise of man will be the only reward we get for our labors.  And, if we are not careful, feasting on the praise of others may cause us to drift away from the Lord and make it difficult to find our way back.

      Whatever you do in the name of Christ, be sure you do it for the Lord’s glory and honor and not your own. 

RECONCILIATION THEN PRAY

Matt. 5:21-24  “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”  NLT

      The thought that really jumps out at me is that of being reconciled with others before we approach God in worship and prayer. There is no way that we can live at peace with everyone. There are simply some people who will refuse to let things go and live in peace. The Lord is not saying that we must first resolve all human conflict before we can approach Him.

      What He is saying is that we must not harbor anger or sinful thoughts towards others in our hearts. We must be willing to let go of the hurts others have caused us and forgive them without reservation. We can’t control the emotions or thoughts of others, but we can control our own. God will not let us draw near to Him if we bring sinful thoughts or emotions with us. We must first approach Him by way of the cross and seek the forgiveness of Christ. Also, if the problem is us, we must not only ask the Lord to forgive us, we must go to the person we have hurt and seek their forgiveness.

      One of the reasons why so many prayers go unanswered and peace eludes us is that we don’t obey the Lord in this. The Lord expects His children to get along. If they have personality clashes, they must learn how to live with each other in a civil and God-honoring way. We may not be the best of friends with everyone, but in Christ we are kinfolk. We must learn the language of love. We must not let our differences alienate us and keep us from sharing the love of Christ together.

      Like any good parent, God will not tolerate uncivil behavior amongst His children. They must learn how to iron out their differences and live in peace with one another.  Our peace is at stake—our peace with each other and our peace with God. 

LAW FULFILLED

Matt. 5:17-18  “Don’t misunderstand why I have come.  I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets.  No, I came to fulfill them.  I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved.”  NLT

      Keeping the law of God has created all kinds of confusion in the Church.  There are some who insist on living by the letter of the law.  There are some who want to discard the law altogether.  And there are those who are somewhere in-between.  How do we resolve this issue that so often divides the Church?

     Much of our confusion stems from the fact that we don’t properly understand the relationship that the law has with grace.  The law was given to show us our need for grace.  In the law we discover that we are all sinners and that we cannot be good enough to save our souls.  It is impossible for anyone to live totally obediently to the law.  We all fall short and the sooner that we admit it, the better off we will be.

       Grace is God doing something to help us meet the demands of the law.  We are saved by grace, not by keeping the law.  There is saving merit only in the life, death and resurrection of Christ, not in the law.  The law shows us what holy living is like and Christ makes living holy lives possible. 

       The law is very useful for showing us how God expects us to live.  The standards of God are high and unattainable without Christ living in us.  Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit after He went back to heaven to guide us, instruct us, and enable us to live holy lives.  He helps us to be able to apply the law to daily living.  Christ met the demands of the law and now He is with us to live by it without the bondage and condemnation it brings to those who fail to live by it.

     You will never get to heaven on the shirttail of the law.  Jesus is the only one who can get us into heaven.  There is no alternative to repentance.  Live in Christ and you will meet all the demands of the law for holiness and you will make it to heaven when you die.           

HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL, NO!

Matt. 5:15-16 “Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”  NLT

       It cannot be done.  If there is light, it will shine and others will see it.  By the very nature of its existence, light is seen.  The issue is not whether or not it will be seen; it’s where it will be seen and by whom.

      A light that shines only in one’s house only benefits those in the house.  Outside of the influence of the light there is darkness.  We, who are in Christ, are lights in the world.  So, we must consider where we are letting our lights shine.

       In order for light to be effective it has to shine in the darkness.  We need to take our faith out of the church and into the world.  We must shine in the workplace, in the coffee shops, in the businesses we frequent, in the places we go for entertainment, in the homes of our friends, and wherever we may go.  A light that is turned off does no good at all.  It is Christ who gives us light and if we are living in Him, we cannot turn Him off.  If we are not letting our lights shine, we are in essence saying that we are ashamed of our Lord and being identified as one of His.

       The same thing holds true for what we do.  Our deeds reflect our faith.  It should be obvious to all by the things we do that we belong to Christ.  Our actions often speak a whole lot louder than our words.  We should be seeking to honor and bring glory to the Lord in all we do in the world.

       Our witness and our works reflect Christ in us.  They do honor Christ amongst men.  They inspire others to look to Christ who is the source of our lives.  When we let our lights shine in the world, God is praised in heaven and on earth.