Month: March 2016

Ask, Seek and Knock

“Ask  – it will be given”  “Seek – you will find”  “Knock – it will be opened”.  I wonder how many times I read this verse and think about my own gain.   What if I asked, sought, and knocked for someone else – that it would be given them, that they would find, that it would be opened for them.  Why do I not think about the other person first with the intent of their needs above myself. Certainly I am not  anxious, worried or concerned  every day.  Slow down enough to see the needs of those around us above self and then Ask, Seek, and Knock for their benefit.

Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Isaiah 55:6
“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts

2 Chronicles 15:1
The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord

Do Not Be Anxious

How many times do we fret and worry about that which we have little control over?  Much of our worry can be left in our Fathers hands.  When looking at ourselves in the mirror where do we turn first – to worry and being anxious or to God? I wonder what life would be like if we turned to God first.   These are a few verses from a song  “First” by Lauren Dangle:

Before I bring my need
I will bring my heart
Before I lift my cares
I will lift my arms

Before I bring my need
I will bring my heart
And seek You

Before I speak a word
Let me hear Your voice
And in the midst of pain
Let me feel Your joy

Before I speak a word
I will bring my heart
And seek You

Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life

6:27
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

6:31
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat? ’ or ‘What shall we drink? ’ or ‘What shall we wear? ’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you

6:8
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him

Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

 

Wisdom of this World

We can all point at others who we think serve things of this world.  Yet if I search my self there are definitely areas that remain my master.  Not all of the time but certainly self interest rather than being a humble servant.  A good place to start each day or to end each day would be with Psalms 139 23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!”Matthew 6:23

If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Romans 6:16
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness

James 4:4
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God

Proverbs 28:26
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered

1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God

Treasures in Heaven

Are we really mindful of what we chase after in this life?  Is it one new thing after another, or one new adventure?  How many times can you recall the excitement of that new purchase or adventure and then after a short period the very thing that was to give you satisfaction has lost it’s appeal? All of this is chasing after the wind – hear today gone tomorrow.  There are so many things to distract and pull us away from being a servant of God.  Keep your heart and eyes on Him.  The peace and satisfaction we are seeking can only be found in Him and a life purpose to honor and glorify Him alone.

Matthew 6:19
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

1 Timothy 6:9
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils

6:17
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me

Nothing is Hidden

There is nothing hidden from God.  He knows the intent of our heart.  If our heart desire is to speak, act and live to bring honor and glory to Him  what manner of people should we be?  What directs our actions, reactions, how we live?  We are told out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks.  What are we filling our heart with?  Tomorrow is a day we celebrate the risen Lord.  He is risen and because He lives we have hope and reason to live for the single thankful and humble purpose – to honor and glorify God.

Matthew 6:3
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

6:6
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you

6:18
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you

Job 28:11
and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light

Psalm 10:11
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it

Psalms 73:8
They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know

Luke 8:17
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light

Turn the other Cheek

When was the last time you were hurt by words or actions of others?  What came to mind? How did you handle it?  Retaliation and self justice seem to drive the action we take.  Culture, friends and family can all influence the way we react.  Think about it, if all you hear is someone telling you your whole life that getting even, take no crap from anyone, don’t let them get away with that, etc… why would we act any different.  God gives clear instruction on what to do – turn the other cheek, entrust ourselves to God who judges, enduring hostility against ourselves, do not repay evil for evil.  Do not do what appears right within our culture but what is honorable and right in light of Gods word 

Matthew 5:37
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also

1Peter 2:22
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly

Hebrews 12:3
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood

Romans 12:17
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

Covenant with my eyes vs Lustful Intent

How much does the culture influence our thoughts, desires, and intents?  In the name of “Adult Entertainment” we allow pornography.  In the name of Adult Decision we allow lawful human trafficking in some states and strip clubs in most others.  We allow and frequent restaurant bars that exploit young woman.  What is the purpose of these establishments – it certainly is not for creating a pure heart but rather lust.  Scripture tells us exactly what God thinks of this.

Matthew 5:27
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. ’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart

Job 31:1
“I have made a covenant with my eyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?
What would be my portion from God above
and my heritage from the Almighty on high

Proverbs 6:25
Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes

Peace, or Anger and Division

Sometimes we feel justified in our anger and response to others.  Many times it is because they have hurt us or others in some way.  We have choices to make everyday and one of those is how we will respond to others, how we think of them, how we treat them, how we strive for peace or strife.  How will people see the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ when we are choosing to show darkness of sin in response.  Choose to guard your thoughts and actions.  Pursue peace!

 

Matthew 5:21
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment

Revelation 21:7
The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death

Hebrews 12:14
Strive for peace with everyone, for without holiness no one will see the Lord

Romans 14:19
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding

Galatians 5:19
Now the works of the flesh are evident:sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God

1 Corinthians 6:9
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God

Insight and Instruction

There are many people who claim to have insight and instruct on how we should live and act. It is a slippery slope leading to paths unknown following blindly on the words of someone else without testing it through scripture.  It is not that what they are saying may be right or wrong but rather the reason why we are following the insight and instruction.  How would our lives be different if we not only listened but then followed up by reading God’s word to see what He is saying to our heart.  Our purpose is to live and act, by faith, to bring honor and glory to God. Our foundation must be in and through God’s word and then use it with discernment to test the insight/instruction of others.

 

Matthew 5:19
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven18:4

Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea

1 Corinthians 3:12
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done

1 Peter 1:5
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ