FAITH BEFORE WORKS

 

FAITH BEFORE WORKS

Matt. 15:10-11 Then Jesus called to the crowds and said, “Listen to what I say and try to understand. You are not defiled by what you eat, you are defiled by what you say and do.” NLT

Practice trumps procedure. It is not the rules and regulations that we try to keep that make us right with God; it’s what comes out of our hearts. The heart determines what we say and do. If the heart is not right with God, it doesn’t matter how strict a person may be in his behavior. We are not holy because we act or talk a certain way.

This can be a very difficult thing to balance out in our lives because we know that our works are essential to our faith. We tend to do the right things because we know that is what pleases God. The danger comes in when we get the idea that we are saved because we do those things. Rather, we are to do what we do because we are saved. We are made righteous in Christ alone. Our relationship with Christ is what motivates us to do what pleases God.

If you are relying on how you are living for your salvation, you need to humble yourself before Christ and let Him be your salvation. You cannot make it to heaven based on how “good” of a person you are. Jesus alone can make us righteous before God. If it were any other way, Jesus died in vain. There would have been no reason at all for Jesus to come to earth. Everything we know and understand about God, life, and salvation would be a lie. If works could save us then there would be no such thing as forgiveness or true peace with God.

Jesus is THE way, truth, and life and no one will ever be made righteous and holy before God except by Him.

DECEPTIVE FAITH

 

DECEPTIVE FAITH

Matt. 15:8-9 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.” NLT

I wonder how many people fall into this category. I often have wondered how many people who go to church and are involved in it really are honoring the Lord in their lives. It’s easy to talk the talk of salvation. It’s easy to give the Lord praise and thanks. It’s easy to tell of what the Lord has done and even what He means to us. But, what we say is not always what is really in our hearts. We can go through the motions and be very deceptive to both others and ourselves.

How can we really know that we are right with God? I believe this is probably the most crucial question we can ask of ourselves. God clearly tells us that if we really do love Him we will obey Him. So therefore, we must determine whether or not we are really obeying Him. The only way we can know is for us to know what He commands us to be and do. We must evaluate ourselves in light to God’s Word. There is no room for debate on this. What God says we must do.

We often make up our own rules for Christian living. We determine what we can live with and what we can’t. We adjust what God says to fit our comfort levels. We try to legislate faith instead of living by it. We tend to impose our standards on God’s standards and if there is a conflict, our ways generally win out.

All of God’s commands are doable when we live fully surrendered lives to Christ. He gives us the power and will to do them. He changes us so that we humbly strive to conform to His ways and not our own. We learn to live in Christ’s righteousness and trust Him to work out His holiness in us. Honoring God in our lives is simply letting Jesus be our Lord and living to please Him.

DON'T LOOK AWAY

 

DON’T LOOK AWAY

Matt. 14:29b-30a So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. NLT

When you are looking around you, you are not looking ahead of you. It sounds simple enough, but it’s hard for us to do. We are prone to notice most all that which is crashing in around us. We see the magnitude of our storms. We become overwhelmed by all that is going wrong and that is all we can think about. Instead, we should be keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.

When we keep our focus on Jesus, the storms lose their strength. They may not go away, but their impact on us is minimized. As long as we are focused on the Lord, we understand the bigger picture of life. We understand that our storms will pass away, that there is always something better in store for us if we persevere through them.

Peter did not give a thought to the possibility that what he was doing was impossible. All he thought about was Jesus and His invitation to come. He did not consider the fact that he might not make it to Jesus. All that mattered was getting out of his comfort zone and going. We need to be just as willing to go to Jesus when He calls us.

Peter had the faith, but he made a very bad mistake. He took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the storm and the impossibility of what he was trying to do. Peter was shaken by what he was trying to do and believed the lie that he could not do it. He began to sink and fail the test of his faith. Yet, to his credit, Peter understood where his help came from. He called out to Jesus and was not turned away.

When we call out to Jesus He hears us and answers our call. He is able to help us, no matter how big the storm is we are in. All we need to do is take a hold of His hand, hold on tight, and let Him take us out of our storm.

AFRAID? FOCUS ON JESUS

 

AFRAID? FOCUS ON JESUS

Matt. 14:25-29a About three o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. But Jesus spoke to them at once, “It’s all right,” he said, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you by walking on water. “All right, come.” Jesus said. NLT

Has life ever frightened you, really frightened you? Usually, we get scared the most when the unexpected happens and we think we are in danger. Circumstances can really overwhelm us. We get ourselves into situations that we can’t handle, and we imagine the worst. We don’t see any way that it can be good, and we get scared of what might happen. It causes us to pull back or run away from our circumstances.

Yet, there is Jesus. For those of us who know Him, there is nothing to fear. His very presence reassures the soul and calms our fears. When we fix our thoughts and hearts on Him, there is a peace that takes over and enables us to put things in their proper perspective. Instead of seeing the bad that might be, we see the good that is.

When we fixate on the Lord, we begin to see ourselves as able to do what we thought was impossible. We no longer fear what is going on around us, we step out boldly where we have never stepped before. No matter how stormy things may be, with our eyes fixated on Jesus we can handle them. It’s when we take our eyes off the Lord and look at the storms and what we are trying to do that we begin to sink and drown.

Jesus bids you to step out into the stormy waters and take His hand. Trust Him and you will overcome. You can do it because the Lord says you can.

AND THEN, JESUS CAME

 

AND THEN, JESUS CAME

Matt. 14:24-27 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had arisen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “It’s all right,” he said. “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” NLT

In verse 23 we find Jesus praying. Have you ever wondered what He was praying about? Was He praying for the crowd He had just sent home after feeding them physically and spiritually? Was He praying for himself because by now He surely must have been exhausted? Or, was He praying for the disciples? Perhaps He asked our Father to send them a storm to help them believe and trust in Him. Perhaps He prayed for them because He knew they would be in trouble and needed His help. Perhaps they would need the strength to endure until He got there.

I believe Jesus does pray for us ahead of our difficulties in life. He knows what we need even before we need it. He knows what lies ahead of us and works to prepare us for it. He never lets us face life’s struggles defenseless or lacking the resources to deal with them.

We find the disciples in trouble. Perhaps you have been there as well. It is no fun to be in a situation that you can’t control and threatens your very existence. I am sure by now the disciples were at the end of their ropes. They simply did not know what to do. They were helpless and by now hopeless. And then, Jesus came. I can understand how they became scared. His appearance was totally unexpected and very unusual. After all, wouldn’t you be scared to be at the end of your rope and then all of a sudden, see Jesus appear walking on water to come and help you? And, don’t overlook the fact that it was 3:00 in the morning.

Jesus did not leave His disciples helpless or hopeless. He came to their rescue. He waited until they were ready for His help, and then He showed up. He came to them in their hour of need and spoke words of comfort and peace. He reached out to them to help them out of their trouble. There is no time in which He is not available to help those who call on Him.

Don’t wait until you exhaust all of your strength and resources before you let the Lord help you. When you find yourself heading for trouble, call on Him right away. Save yourself a lot of grief and pain. Let the Lord lead you out of your trouble and give you the comfort and peace you need. He will do it if you let Him.

LISTEN, LEARN, LOSE

 

LISTEN, LEARN, LOSE

Matt. 13:11-12 Then he explained to them, “You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.” NLT

Not every child of God gets it. In fact, most don’t seem to get it at all. Most seem to be content with very little understanding of the deeper things of faith. Most do not dig very deep into God’s Word on their own. Their Bible knowledge is confined to what they may learn from Sunday School or a Sunday sermon. If they are really ambitious, they may even learn some things from a group Bible study. But, few believers are students of God’s Word on their own so they miss out on much of the deeper truths of the Word.

In order to learn the things God wants us to know, we must be open to what He wants to teach us. We must want to learn before we will learn. The more open we are to learning, the more we will learn and understand. Spiritual growth and maturity only happens when understanding takes place. The more we grasp of God’s Word, the more God gives us. There is no shortcut to spiritual growth. We must desire to learn and put in the time and effort to learn.

Jesus made a very sobering statement in this passage today. He said that if we are not listening, what we do have will be taken away from us. We may hear what God is saying, but if we aren’t paying attention to it, we will lose what understanding we have. Is He saying that we will lose the faith we have if we don’t listen to Him? Maybe. Remember, He is speaking to His disciples here.

The key point is that we must not get the idea that learning is an option for the believer; it is an absolute necessity. If we are not learning, we are dying. We will never survive spiritually if we are not listening to what God is saying and seeking to understand and live it. We cannot remain faithful on our own; we must avail ourselves of all the resources God provides for us that we can.

JUSTIFIED SPEECH

 

JUSTIFIED SPEECH

Matt. 12:36-37 “And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then, either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”  NLT

I pray that today’s verses will grab your attention. I know how easy it is to say things you later regret. I have often spoken words in haste or under duress that I should not have said. I have spoken words against others that I should not have done. I have said things to others that I should not have. It is hard to guard the tongue! Does that justify us? No. Jesus said what He meant and meant what He said. Therefore, we must pay attention and deal with ourselves in this area of our lives. So, what can we do?

First of all, we must admit we have a problem. It will do us no good if we deny the fact that we fail to always speak in love and kindness. It is what it is and we must own up to it. We sin in this area of our lives. Next, we must understand our helplessness. We can’t control our tongues by sheer willpower.

We must take our problem to the Lord. Only Jesus can forgive us for having loose tongues and only Jesus can give us renewed hope that we can gain victory over our sin. We must stay in close touch with our Lord. Every time we sin, we must flee to Him. We must not give up the battle. If we want victory, we have to fight the good fight and win as many battles as we can. We will not gain total victory in the flesh, but we can make progress.

Gaining victory over our loose tongues is not a hopeless endeavor. What comes out of our mouths is rooted in our hearts. When our hearts are right with God, we will be able to produce better and more productive fruit from our lips.

Don’t skip over this issue. Jesus said that how we speak and what we say will carry great weight on Judgment Day. Keep your soul right with God and your words will be right before God.

WORDS REFLECT THE SOUL

 

WORDS REFLECT THE SOUL

Matt. 12:35-37 “A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” NLT

What we say matters to God. What we say is a reflection of what is in our hearts. A godly heart speaks good things and an evil heart speaks evil things. God hears what comes from our mouths. He holds us accountable for the things we say and on Judgment Day we will answer to Him for them. Does this truth bother you at all? It should cause all of us to stop and think about what we say, how we say things, and why we say them.

What we say is also a reflection of what is in our hearts. Notice what Jesus says about it. We speak what is in our hearts. If we use vulgar words it indicates that sin is in our hearts. If we are careless in how we use the Lord’s name, it indicates that we have a careless regard for Him. If we speak negatively about others it indicates that we are not driven by godly love. If we speak harshly it means that we are not seeking peace and the well-being of others.

We are not perfect, but certainly we can do a much better job of how we speak and act. We must strive to be godly for we will be judged by God for how we do it. We dare not think lightly about this. God demands that we live rightly before Him. We can do it if we let Jesus be our Lord and not just our Savior. Is Jesus your Lord?

YOUR SPEECH MATTERS

 

YOUR SPEECH MATTERS

Matt. 12:35 “A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil hear.” NLT

Your speech matters. Who you really are in relationship with God comes out of your mouth. This is a truth that many don’t seem to get. I know of many professing believers who do not speak like a child of God should speak. They use the Lord’s name loosely. They sometimes use the vernacular of the world. They are quick to speak out in disgust or anger. They talk people down. They stretch the truth when it’s convenient for them to do so. They do these things while proclaiming to love the Lord and are often heard praising Him in worship and witnessing for Him.

How can this be? Can we do these things and have hearts that are right with God? Jesus says no we can’t. He says that what comes out of our mouths indicates what is in our hearts. If a person is really a child of God, what comes out of his mouth will be good. If what comes from the mouth is not good, then the person is not really a child of God. It cannot be both ways.

We must listen carefully to what comes out of our mouths. Is it obvious to those who hear us speak that we are children of God? Do we speak words of kindness and love? Do we speak of the Lord with respect and reverence? Do we speak the truth always? Do we speak encouraging or discouraging words? Are we careful about what comes out of our mouths?

We may be able to fool others with our words, but we will never fool God. He hears what we say and judges the heart accordingly. Our words do matter a great deal. If you are having trouble with what is coming out of your mouth, humble yourself before God and repent for out of the heart the mouth speaks.

HELP OR HINDRANCE?

 

HELP OR HINDRANCE?

Matt. 12:30 “Anyone who isn’t helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” NLT

Is what you are doing with your life helping or hindering the cause of Christ? In light of Jesus’ statement, we are doing one or the other. This should cause us to stop and look at what we do with our time and lives. While we can get carried away with our self-examination, I do believe we need to be aware of what we are doing in light of Christ’s role in our lives.

Our life purpose should be always to advance the Kingdom of God while we are here on earth. There is no greater purpose for life than this. We do various things with our lives, but we should share a common purpose. Life isn’t about what we may be able to accumulate or accomplish in the world; life is what we can do to work with Christ to reach the world for Him.

Jesus went so far as to say that if we aren’t working with Him, we are working against Him. It is easy to see how that is true for the believer and unbeliever, but we don’t see it as easily when we look at the life of the believer. It’s not unusual to do very little with our faith to advance the Kingdom of God. We want faith and all its benefits, but we don’t want the work that goes with it. If we aren’t working with Him, we are working against Him. Strong words to ponder today.

If you aren’t working out your salvation in the world you are actually opposing Christ. Do you need to make some changes in your life today?

THE LORD'S DAY

 

THE LORD’S DAY

Matt. 12:11,12 And he answered, “If you had one sheep, and it fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you get to work and pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” NLT

I have always been careful on how I handle the Lord’s Day. There are a lot of differences in our opinions on what we can and cannot do in it. Each of us must let the Lord guide us in this. What concerns me the most is that for many of us, the Lord’s Day is not looked upon as being any different than any other day of the week. We have no qualms about what we do. We fill it with so much activity that we are ill-prepared to begin another work week. We don’t let our bodies or souls rest long enough to be refreshed. We don’t give much thought to honoring the Lord or letting the Lord’s Day be a day of worship and rest. In fact, many of us aren’t bothered much at all if we don’t even make it to church to worship Him.

You have to let the Lord guide you in this, but I would challenge you to at least take into consideration what the Lord says in His Word about remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy. Regardless of which day you choose to set aside in your week for a day of rest and worship, it is clear to me that the Lord requires that we do it. To not have a Lord’s Day in your week is an act of disobedience. It is sin.

Jesus said that it is okay to do good on the Sabbath. He does not say that we can do anything we want to do. We need to carefully consider the good that we do or don’t do. If what you do serves no good eternal purpose, then I challenge you to wait before the Lord about it and let His Spirit guide you as to whether or not you should continue to do what you do.

You have to let the Lord guide you in this, but I would challenge you to at least take this into consideration. If we don’t give our souls time to refocus on the Lord and appreciate the life He gives us to live, we will dry up and wither away in our faith. We need to set aside a day to be renewed in our souls through praise, thanksgiving, and meditation on His Word. You cannot keep your soul healthy unless you do.

A LIGHTER LOAD

 

A LIGHTER LOAD

Matt. 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” NLT

There are a couple of thoughts I want to share with you about this very familiar passage of Scripture. First, in order for us to find relief for the burdens we carry in life, we must come to Christ. We all struggle with life’s burdens. It’s not easy to live in this world. Various things happen to us to weigh us down. We get tired of all the struggles. The only way we are going to be able to handle them effectively is to go to Christ and put them on His shoulders.

As we unload on the Lord our burdens, it is imperative that we don’t pick them up and try to carry them some more. It is foolishness to think that we can continue to handle things on our own just because we have prayed. By faith, we have to let the Lord work things out. He is quite capable of handling whatever we give Him. It is a waste of time to pray over something and then act as if we had never prayed. The Lord says He will take care of us and work out all things for good for us, so why don’t we believe Him?

Another thing we must do is to let the Lord teach us. Let Him teach you about trust. Let Him teach you about His compassion for you and His ability to help you. Let Him teach you about the benefits of letting Him be your burden bearer. Let Him teach you that the way He handles things is perfectly fitted for you. You may not understand what the Lord is doing to help you, but in time you will. You may not think that He has taken up your burdens, but He has. You may want to pick them up and help Him, but don’t. You may feel like trusting in the Lord with your burdens is a waste of time, but it isn’t.

The Lord will help you if you will let Him. What keeps you from doing that? Whatever it is, get rid of it. You will be glad you did. The longer you try to carry your load, the heavier it will get and the wearier you will become. Let Jesus take the load from you today.

JESUS CAN HELP YOU

 

JESUS CAN HELP YOU

Matt. 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” NLT

I don’t know what kind of a burden you are carrying today. Your heart may be loaded down with sorrow or grief over a loved one. You may be concerned about your job or finances. You may be under attack by someone who doesn’t like you. You may be concerned about some health issue. You may be loaded down with guilt and shame over sin in your life. Whatever burden that you may be carrying around with you today, hear the words of Jesus. Let them grab hold of you.

Jesus has the power and heart to help you. He wants to take the burden off your shoulders and carry it for you. He wants to replenish your depleted soul. He wants to give you the strength and desire to continue on. He wants to show you how you can move forward in your life once again. He wants to embrace you in His love. He wants to show you that it is true, He will never give you more of a load to carry than you are able to do.

Jesus wants you to know that today if you will let Him, He will do the heavy lifting for you. He will make your load lighter so that you can do it. He will see you through this tough time of your life. Things may seem to be too much for you and you may feel little hope of things not changing. Let me leave you with this truth. Never doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light. Truth never changes no matter how dark things may get. What the Lord promises to do for you, He will do. You have His Word on it.

LIVING FOR JESUS?

 

LIVING FOR JESUS?

Matt. 10:32-33 “If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven.” NLT

There is not much to say about this truth. The only issue I would raise is whether or not we are doing it. Are we proclaiming Christ or denying Him? You cannot live in a neutral zone. Your life is either reflecting Christ or it’s not. You are transparent. People see who owns you. It shows up in the way you live. Your actions and works are determined by who rules your heart. You can easily determine how healthy your soul is by taking an honest look at your life.

You will deny the Lord if you are embarrassed or ashamed of Him. Whenever you let people hinder your witness, you are more concerned about their opinions than those of Christ. You deny the Lord when it makes you uncomfortable. You deny Him because you lack a passionate love for Him. You deny Him when you fear man more than you do God. You deny the Lord when you get too busy to properly take care of your soul.

The Lord is not a badge you can put on and take off when it is convenient for you. You are either all into Him or you are not. Our witness for Christ is being noted and recorded in heaven. Do you acknowledge Him as your Savior and Lord every chance you get, or do you do it only when it’s convenient for you to do so?

Living for Jesus never takes time off, it is not a part-time endeavor. Living for Jesus means we live for His honor and glory in all we do, not for ourselves. Living for Jesus means we are engaged with Him. It means that we seek Him and live in constant need of Him. Are you living for Jesus today?

IT'S HARVEST TIME

 

IT’S HARVEST TIME

Matt. 9:37-38 He said to his disciple, “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

Can you see the harvest field? Do you know that most of the people you see around you are going to go to hell unless they come to Christ? Do you realize that the sheer number of people going to hell is so great? Does it concern you at all that hell is going to be populated with people you know and rub shoulders with daily? Do you think much about the seriousness of the matter?

We don’t preach and talk about hell much anymore. We may not actually come out and deny that it’s real, but by our actions and lack of discussion about it, we are in fact denying its realness. Hell is not a place anyone will want to be at. It is eternal torment for those who reject Christ as their Savior. It is a place of no escape and no relief. It is a place where there will be an eternal and loud cry of anguish over lost opportunities to accept Jesus. Scripture reveals it is a place of eternal hellfire and brimstone, unequaled in pain and suffering.

It should concern us that people we know are going there. There aren’t enough people who are concerned enough about them to warn them. There aren’t enough people today who are speaking up about hell and the lost soul of man. Pray and ask the Lord to raise up more voices to tell them. Ask the Lord to lay it upon the heart of more preachers and teachers of the Word to include the truthfulness about hell and the lostness of man’s soul.

Today is the day of salvation. Right now is when man has the opportunity to be saved. We don’t know when the Lord is coming back or when He will shut the door on some soul’s chances to be saved. Ask the Lord today to send more workers into the harvest field.

Perhaps He is waiting for you to pray so that He may send you. And, if He does, don’t say no to His call. The souls of many are at stake. The harvest field is where you are at: where you work, shop, entertain yourself, your home, church, wherever people are at.

People everywhere need the Lord. Ask the Lord to help you do what you can in your harvest field.

JESUS CARES; DO YOU?

 

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

 

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?

 

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?

 

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.

Godly people are easily identified by their holy lives. They strive to not sin. They strive to please God by honoring Him in all they do. They bear fruit that is consistent with the character of God. Godly people don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

Are you living a godly life? Can you honestly say that you are obeying God?

WHAT IDENTIFIES YOU?

 

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 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. So, are you taking good care of your soul? Are you watering it and fertilizing it daily? Do you make sure that it gets plenty of Sonshine so that it can be holy and a bearer of much good fruit?

FEW IN HEAVEN

 

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 IS EVERYTHING

 

PERSISTENCE IS 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.

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

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

The key to answered prayer is persistence in prayer. God doesn’t want us to see prayer as a magic lamp that when we rub it we instantly get our wishes. Prayer that produces results is a persistent process of waiting before the Lord. So often, we have not because we give up on what we are asking for. We lack the commitment to the process. We are instructed to keep at it.

When we pray, we are seeking God’s favor, not trying to impose our will on His. We should want God to address our concerns according to His will and not ours. We don’t know what is best for us, or others, much of the time. We lack the wisdom and information God has. We must trust in the promise of God that He will do what is best for us as we pray.

Persistence in prayer is sometimes needed for our sake. We need to not waver in our trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness. We need to develop greater faith and praying faithfully is one way we do that. We will be persistent with those things which matter the most to us.

We also need to know that the timing of the Lord is often different than ours. Sometimes it takes a long time to bring the events of life together in order to see our prayers answered. Our praying affects many lives and God works in each life in the proper time and way in order to answer our prayers. Sometimes we don’t ever get to see the results of our praying. Some prayers take years to answer. We submit to God’s timing and ways when we pray.

Always remember that God is good, loves us, and desires to do that which is good in our lives always. We pray in faith and trust that how the Lord answers our prayers is always right, even when He denies us our requests. Persistent prayer aligns us up with the will of God.

LOG REMOVAL

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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 just 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.

Yes, work is essential. He who does not work if he is able is not worth much. God does not condone moochers. Work is good for the body, mind, and soul. Work for your daily needs and for the honor and glory of Christ. But, don’t live to work. Enjoy the life God has given you to enjoy. Do your part and the Lord will do His. Trust God with your efforts and He will supply all your needs.

ONLY ONE MASTER

 

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

 

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

 

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.