Two ways...

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life; and there are few who find it."--Matthew 7:13-14.  Jesus describing the fact that there are only two paths in life.  One leads to destruction and the other leads to life.  There is only two ways.

Two ways.  Last week I was in Oklahoma spending Thanksgiving with my girlfriend and her family.  During my stay, one thing she mentioned to me was that there were several ways to get back to her house given that there are a series of roads that can be taken that can get you back to the same location.  This may also be true in your town.  You may know a variety of ways to get to the same place such as your house or some other location in your city or town. While there may be many ways in our cities or towns to get to the same place, with eternity, there is only two ways and only one leads to eternal life.

Two ways.  In John 14:6, Jesus tells us He is THE WAY, the truth, and the life (Emphasis added).  The fact that Jesus is THE WAY will serve as our foundation this morning.  Returning to Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus tells us that the way is narrow that leads to life and furthermore there are few who find it.  Every time I hear this verse I think of the times I have hiked narrow trails up in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains.  If one is not careful, it is easy to slip off these trails.  There are at least a couple of reasons the way Jesus calls us to, the way to eternal life, is narrow.  First, it is narrow because like some of the trails I have hiked, we must be extremely careful not to stray and fall off the path.  Second, because it is narrow, as Jesus said, few will find it and in turn walk it.  Fact is because the path is narrow, it is not the easiest way to walk.  But what about the broad path that leads to destruction?  The second of the two ways.

Two ways.  For me, when I am driving, there is nothing I like more than a wide open road especially when it's a back road such as some of the ones I got to drive with my girlfriend while I was in Oklahoma.  There is just something about a wide open road that gives me a sense of freedom from the world.  I must admit driving those roads in Oklahoma with my girlfriend at my side was pure bliss.  But while I think the open back roads of Oklahoma are pretty awesome, the fact is the way that leads to eternal destruction also holds this same appeal for the majority of people in the world.  My question is why?  Well having traveled that road at one point in my life, I can tell you why.  This way holds appeal because for the present, it promises a good time and a certain amount of pleasure.  I am not by any means proud of some of the things I did while traveling that way but I have to admit that at the time I had a lot of fun and had some pleasurable experiences.  This is why the way that leads to destruction is appealing to many.  It promises a good time and for the most part it is an easy road to travel because it does not hold one accountable as the way Jesus calls us does.  We only have two choices.  There are only two ways.

Two ways.  While the narrow way is not always easy and not always necessarily fun, the benefits of walking it are more than worth the difficulties you might encounter along the way.  Walking the way Jesus calls us to makes us into better and stronger people, it creates better relationships and of course it ultimately leads to eternal life.  Personally, when I look at people traveling the broad path, I find myself asking what I was thinking traveling that path.  Because I know what it can lead to, I find myself desiring to bring others over to the narrow path by sharing with them the gospel message of Christ.  So my question to you this morning is what path are you on?  Maybe you are on the broad path and have gotten tired of walking it and want to give your life over to Christ through obedience to the gospel.  Click on the highlighted link to see what that means.  Maybe you have obeyed but have slipped off the narrow way and are wandering.  Getting back on the narrow way is just one decision away.  Maybe you need to repent of a sin in order to get back on the path.  Do not delay, the way that leads to life is just one decision away.

Finally, we live in a society that claims there are many ways to God but may we never forget the words of Jesus in John 14:6 "I am THE WAY, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Emphasis added).  Jesus is the only way that leads to life.  This may sound exclusive to some but the fact is all are welcome to walk this way regardless of race, color, or background.  The gospel message is for all.  What way will you choose?  When contemplating your decision, remember Matthew 7:13-14..."Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."  The choice is yours.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

The Golden Rule...

"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."--Matthew 7:12.  Jesus, giving us a simple yet much needed reminder that we ought to treat others as we would have them treat us.  This is the Golden Rule.

The Golden rule.  This phrase is one all of us have heard at some point in our lives.  Treat others as you wish to be treated or some variation thereof.

The Golden Rule.  In context, Jesus has just gotten done telling us to watch how we judge others.  Additionally, In Matthew 7:7-11, He shows us that we are to depend on God for everything.  This all leads up to Jesus' statement "Treat people the same way you want them to treat you."

The Golden Rule.  Matthew 7 begins by talking about making bad judgment calls or being hypercritical about others.  Lord knows I have made this mistake, even this week as a matter of fact and it's only Tuesday.  If we find ourselves being hypercritical of others, people are going to be hypercritical of us.

The Golden Rule.  In contrast to being hypercritical in Matthew 7:7-11, we find that we ought to be good to people in the same way that God has been more than good to us.  So what do we do?

The Golden Rule.  Jesus also says in Matthew 7:12 that the Golden Rule is the Law and the Prophets.  Everything about what God expects hinges around this command because it ultimately reflects on the greatest commands which are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

To love God is to obey His commands.  So the ultimate question we need to ask ourselves is how are we loving our neighbor?  How are we loving those closest to us?  I really don't have any practical application this morning but just reflect on the questions I just asked.  Even when people mistreat you, make it a point to treat them as God would treat them.  Exercise the fruits of the Spirit which are found in Galatians 5:22-23.  Exercise love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Even when things get tough in your relationships others, exercising the fruits of the spirit becomes crucial.

I leave you this morning with the words of Jesus "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!    

Judgment...

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged."--Matthew 7:1.  Jesus, beginning His teaching on the concept of judging and how we ought to judge others.  Simply put, we are talking about the concept of judgment.

Judgment.  This topic I must admit is one of my soapboxes because this is a verse that has been used and abused and taken way out of context by so many Christians, possibly and probably even myself included.  That being said, the question we need to ask ourselves is what is Jesus really trying to tell us here in regards to judgment?

Judgment.  As we look at Matthew 7:1-5, we see that Jesus gives us some instructions in regards to judgment. In verse 5, Jesus tells us to take the log out of our own eye so that we will see clearly enough to take the speck out of our brother's (or sister's) eye.

Judgment.  The fact is life is full of judgment calls.  Scripture is clear about the fact that we must discern (judge) what is good and what is evil.  Does figuring out what is right and what is wrong not require a certain amount of judgment on our part?  Those who accuse us of "judging" them, are they not making a judgment call themselves by making the judgment that we are judging them?

Here is the point.  We do have to be careful with out judgment calls.  The key to making good judgment calls in regards to our brothers and sisters is making sure you have all the facts straight.  Furthermore, learn to ask questions before jumping to conclusions.  Before making our judgment calls, we must separate our emotional reactions to the situation and use logic, reason, oh and not to mention prayer before dealing with a brother or sister in Christ in regards to any situation.  If we don't go to God and His Word first, we will surely make poor judgment calls and even make situations worse than they need to be.  An unfortunate consequence of this could be severed relationships with our brothers and sisters.

Finally,  remember that with whatever standard we judge, with that same standard, we will be judged.  Ultimately, we need to make sure that the one and only standard we use when making judgment calls is God's divinely inspired Word.  When we do this, this will help us see clearly enough to make accurate judgments of any given situation.  If there is a situation that you are dealing with, my encouragement to you is to go to God in prayer and to His Word before dealing with it.  Doing this will help make the situation so much easier to deal with. I guarantee it.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Don't Worry...

Image courtesy of Africa

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."--Matthew 6:34.  Jesus, building on His teachings about storing up treasures on earth versus storing up treasures in heaven.  The context of today's blog is Matthew 6:25-34.  I encourage you to go back and read the full passage.  Verse 34 is the final verse of this chapter and Jesus closes this teaching off by essentially saying don't worry.

Don't worry.  This concept of worry should be no foreign concept to any of us.  All of us worry about something or maybe even several things.  Some of us worry about money, job security, test grades, our health, our family, our animals, and the list goes on and on.  Because we worry, we need to be reminded of what Jesus tells us here in Matthew 6:25-34.

Don't worry.  What are you worried about right now?  In Matthew 6:25 Jesus says first of all to not be worried about our life as to what we will eat or drink.  We today should be thankful that God has provided even the poorest of people a way to eat and drink here in the United States through different government and even religious food programs.  Even where I attend church services, the Bear Valley church of Christ has a pantry for those who need food that can't afford to buy their own.  So as far as food, those of us living in the United States do not have to worry and bottom line is Jesus tells us not to worry.

Don't worry.  The second thing Jesus tells us not to worry about is our body and what we will put on.  God has also provided this basic need for every human being.  Granted it may not all be name brand but God will always provide our basic need to be clothed.  Reality is who are we to be picky when it is only God who provides the means for us to be clothed?  Especially here in the United States, there is someone who would love to have that old T-shirt you think is ugly simply because they don't have a T-shirt to wear.  Sobering thought to say the least but the bottom line is God provides our clothing so don't worry.

Don't worry.  In verse 26, Jesus points to the example of the birds.  It is amazing to look at birds and how they are taken care of.  For example, the apartment I live in sits in front of a pond.  In this pond, there is a small group of ducks.  They are there every day and they seem to always be taken care of.  Occasionally some of the residents of my complex will take time to feed them but even without that God seems to take care of those ducks day in and day out.  We must never forget that unlike the ducks, you and I are made in God's image.  Some have said that mankind is the pinnacle of God's creation.  If God makes us in His image and as a result loves us in the highest of ways (See John 3:16), who are we to suggest that God won't take care of us? Granted that care may not come immediately and we may have to wait a little bit for it but that does not mean that God will not meet the most basic of our needs such as food and clothing.  So why shouldn't we worry?

Don't worry.  In verses 27-32 Jesus tells us why we shouldn't worry.  In verse 27, Jesus makes the point that worrying does not add a single hour to our lives.  Fact is worrying does not make any given situation better.  If anything, worrying makes it worse.  In verses 28-31, Jesus points to the lilies and grass of the field.  When is the last time you took a look at the beauty of nature itself?  I am fortunate to live among the Rocky Mountains and it still gets me every time at how beautiful Colorado is with all its wonderful mountain views along with the sunsets and sunrises.  Jesus says that if God took care of nature in such a great way, why would He not do the same for us?  Jesus is just drilling the point and saying don't worry!

Don't worry.  So if we are not to worry, what should we do?  Verse 33 is clear.  Verse 33 is contrasted with verse 32.  Verse 32 states that the Gentiles (meaning the pagan world) seeks after all these earthly material things.  However, in verse 33, we see that the follower of God must seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to him.  Matthew 5-7 is all about righteousness and what Jesus is doing here is contrasting man's righteousness versus God's righteousness.  Here in verse 33, we find that we must first allow God to rule in our lives and let Him make us righteous before we even think about going after the other things we want and need.  If we let God rule our DAILY lives day in and day out, there is most definitely no need to worry because we know that no matter what happens, good or bad (and the bad will occasionally happen), He will take care of us even when things seem to be at their worst.

Don't worry.  Finally in verse 34, Jesus says to not worry about tomorrow.  We need to take life one day at a time and let tomorrow take care of itself.  All we have is today.  Do what you can today and let God take care of tomorrow.  So my encouragement to you is this.  I am willing to bet there is something or maybe even someone you are worried about.  Something that could help you overcome this worry is talking to someone about it and getting your worries out of your system.  Of course, prayer is crucial when you are worried about something so if you don't talk to anyone else, by all means talk to God.  He knows what you are going through and wants to help you.  Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.

This morning I leave you simply with the words of Jesus; "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!     

Treasure...

Image courtesy of Stoonn

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."--Matthew 6:21.  Jesus, still speaking about the righteousness that needs to be of God.  Here in the context of Matthew 6:19-24, we are looking at money or treasure and where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. 

Treasure.  Many times when we hear the word treasure, we think of a chest such as the one pictured above full of gold and other precious metals.  However,the treasure chests we see in today's society are vastly different.  As a matter of fact, there is a pretty good chance you have a treasure chest of your own even as you read this. In today's society, treasure chests come in the form of bank accounts, 401k's and other things of that nature.  I just want to say upfront my intention here is not to speak for or against these things but simply to help us all, myself included gain a better perspective on our attitude towards money through the lens of God's inspired word.  Furthermore, we will look at the fact that our treasure is, that is where our heart will be. 

Treasure.  Question, what do you devote the majority of your time to?  More specifically, what do you put the majority of your money towards?  A way to practically figure this out is to take a look at your checkbook or your last bank statement.  Jesus states that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. The fact is what we spend most of our time and money on is an indicator of where our heart is and that is what we treasure most.  

Treasure.  Something we all need to be reminded of is that money is a precious commodity that must be handled with wisdom.  Money, no matter how much or how little we might have is something God has given us and it must be something that is handled appropriately because it ultimately belongs to God and not to us.  This can be difficult for many because we live in a society that teaches us to consume whereas the Bible teaches us that we should produce or "bear fruit."  This includes with our money.  Ask yourself is your money going towards things that only meet your selfish needs or is your money going towards things that will ultimately aid you in furthering the kingdom of God and helping others?  Please don't get me wrong here.  We do need to spend money on ourselves in order to survive from day to day but all I am saying is if all our money is focused on ourselves and none is invested in the Lord and in others, then there is a problem, a heart problem. 

Treasure.  Jesus says where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.  In order to figure out where our heart is, we must ask ourselves where our treasure is.  If our treasure is solely in our bank accounts and our 401k's, we must be reminded that these are the things which thieves can break in and steal and where moth and rust destroy.  When we look back through history, we see how people have lost everything simply for putting their heart and soul into "the almighty dollar."  Again, we need money to get by but when we lose sight of the fact that money is only temporary and can by no means get us to heaven, then there is a problem, a heart problem. 

So my encouragement to you is this.  Take some time and take a look at how you have been spending your money over the last 30 days.  Based on what you find, see if there is anything you can do to change your spending habits in such a way that you could put more money towards furthering the kingdom of God and/or helping others who are in need.  May we never forget the words of Jesus, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! 

Pray this way: Deliver us from evil...

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil."--Matthew 6:13.  Jesus, giving the last part of the Model Prayer.  Again, this is in contrast with how the hypocrites are praying to be seen by men. The prayer is that we might allow God to lead us not into temptation but to deliver us from evil.  I want to break this part of the prayer down into two parts as it will help us gain a better understanding of what Jesus is really trying to say here.

Jesus first says pray that God not lead you into temptation.  An initial question that could come to mind is do we really need to request that God does not lead us into temptation?  This is the wrong question to ask simply because we know from James 1:13 that God does not tempt anyone.  What we need to be asking God to do is to lead us in such a way that we do not fall into temptation.  I am not trying to suggest that we will not be tempted because as long as we are in this world we will be tempted.  One of our constant prayers needs to be though that God leads us in such a way that when we are tempted, He can give us the strength to overcome said temptations.  But why?  One reason is so that He might deliver us from evil.

Deliver us from evil.  As I looked a little deeper into this part of the prayer, the reading should actually be "deliver us from the evil one."  The word for evil here does not refer to the evil of sin but to the one who is "morally destructive" (BDAG 851).  This part of the verse is quite literally referring to Satan himself.  Satan is the one that tempts us day in and day out.  And all the temptations Satan dishes out to us at the end of the day are morally destructive in some form or fashion.

Deliver us from evil.  So what do we do?  Well the answer is simple, we pray!  We pray that God lead us in such a fashion that we are able to overcome temptation.  The end result is that we will be delivered from the one who is morally destructive.  In turn, we will be delivered from that which can bring unnecessary heartache and trouble into our lives.  Temptation is inevitable but the question we need to ask ourselves is how will we respond to it?  How will we respond when the evil one tempts us?  We ask God to lead us away from that temptation so that we might be delivered from the evil one.

Deliver us from evil.  So my encouragement to you is this.  Is there a specific sin you struggle with?  My encouragement to you is take steps to remove that temptation from your sight.  It's a temptation so it requires strength to remove it.  Ask God to give you the strength you need to remove that temptation and then do it!  The end result is that you will be delivered from the evil one and you will ultimately be able to enter eternity with God.  My prayer for all of us is that God may not lead us into temptation but to deliver us from the evil one.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Pray this way: Our debts...

Image courtesy of Renjith Krishnan

"And forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors."--Matthew 6:12.  Jesus, continuing His instructions on how we ought to pray in contrast to the "hypocrites" mentioned in Matthew 6:5.  This third part of the prayer involves the forgiveness of our debts.

Our debts.  Have you ever owed money to people?  Do you currently owe money to people?  Maybe its something as simple as a loan  of just a couple of dollars or maybe its something larger such as a credit card, house, or car payment.  Whatever the case, wouldn't it be nice if your lender notified you that for whatever your reason your financial obligation was forgiven?  Furthermore what if the only condition to that forgiveness of obligation was that you pay that same forgiveness forward to someone who had some sort of obligation toward you?  I am sure you would be happy that your obligation has been taken care of. It would be a load off your back.

Our debts.  This concept of forgiveness is a concept that is at the core of Christianity simply because we do receive forgiveness of our sins through Christ and through Christ alone.  One thing we can glean from Matthew 6:12 as well as other passages in the gospels is that part of receiving forgiveness means we must also forgive others their debts to us.

Our debts.  The word debt here in Matthew 6:12 of course is not referring to a financial obligation but a moral obligation.  This part of the Model Prayer deals with our asking God to forgive us our "debts" or our obligation so the question must be asked, what is the obligation we are asking God to forgive?  The answer is simple, it is the obligation that we owe because of our sin and according to Romans 6:23 the wages of sin is death.  Therefore, because of our sin, our obligation to God because of our sin is our very lives.  But we are also told in Romans 7:24-25 that it is through Christ Jesus that we are set free from "this body of death."  But again, receiving this forgiveness is partly contingent upon our forgiveness of others of their moral obligations or their debts toward us.

Our debts.  So my encouragement to you this morning is simply this.  If their is someone you need to forgive, DO IT!  Again, forgiveness from God is partly contingent on our forgiveness of others.  Another aspect of forgiveness from God is also contingent upon our repentance of our own sin.  So if there is a sin in your own life that you need taken care of, pray this prayer but also repent of that sin and turn away from it.  Most importantly though if you have not done so, we know from Acts 2:38 that repentance is followed by baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  If none of these apply to you, I am sure you know of someone that struggles with forgiving others.  Share this message with them but also continue to examine your own life as sin often creeps in the back door without us noticing.  May the Lord "forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors."

Thanks for taking time out of your morning to read this!

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!
  

Pray this way: Our Daily Bread

Image courtesy of Rosemary Ratcliff 

"Give us this day our daily bread."--Matthew 6:11.  The third part of the Lord's prayer that addresses our needs.  Something we NEED to be reminded of is the fact that God does care about the things we need.  Chances are if you are reading this blog, that in itself is evidence that God has already proven that He cares about your needs.  More about this in just a moment.  The point of this part of this prayer is in order to put our trust in God to supply our needs.  It is putting our trust in God to give us this day our daily bread.  

Our daily bread.  I have yet to meet a person who does not like bread.  Granted, some people like only specific types of bread but as far as bread itself goes, I have yet to meet a person who does not like bread.  Even with people whose diet or some medical condition will not allow them to eat bread, they are so disappointed that their access to bread is limited if not eliminated altogether.  This just shows that even the people who for whatever reason can't eat bread still desire it.  

Our daily bread.  Now of course this verse is not talking exclusively about bread.  Again the point of this verse is to put our trust in God to supply our needs which include our daily sustenance of foods such as bread.  Bread of course was a very common part of meals during the time of Jesus.  The same is true today.  As a matter of fact I am having company over Friday and part of the meal is garlic bread!  

Our daily bread.  As for myself, I am thankful to say that I have never had to worry about where my next meal or where my daily bread was going to come from. I constantly need to remind myself that this is not the case for a lot of people.  Here in the wonderful city of Denver, I don't know how many times I have passed someone on the street asking for food.  Point is we should not only be relying on God for our daily sustenance of food but even in our abundance of food, we need to constantly be thankful that we have the access to food that we do.  

Our daily bread.  One final point, In John 6:35, Jesus says He is the bread of life and the one who comes to Him will never hunger.  In regards to our daily bread, we must not only consider if we are getting enough physical food on a daily basis but are we getting enough of the Bread of Life (Jesus) on a daily basis?  This was part of the reason I started this blog was to help both myself and others get some more of the Bread of Life.  The beautiful thing is that the supply of "bread" that Jesus has never runs out or gets moldy like physical bread does.  If we want access to the Bread of Life, it begins with obedience to the gospel.  But if you are a Christian and want some more of the Bread of Life, you can read Neal Pollard's blog which is known as The Daily Bread.  

With all this being said, my encouragement to you is this.  Given that God will supply our needs, more often than not God uses you and I to supply those needs.  Be God's tool and if there is someway you can help physically feed a hungry soul, do not pass up the opportunity.  Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:42-45 "For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat...Then He will answer them. 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me."  Furthermore, if you know there is someone that still needs the Bread of Life, do what you can to share Christ with that person through something such as a Bible study or even sharing this blog with them.  Finally and simply remember to pray before every meal and thank God for your daily bread.  My prayer is that part of our prayers will always be "Give us this day our daily bread."  

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!       

Pray this way: Your Kingdom come...

"Pray then in this way...Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."--Matthew 6:10.  The second part of the Model Prayer as given by Jesus.  Again, Jesus' instructions on prayer are given as a contrast to how the Pharisees were praying, to be seen by men.  The Model Prayer begins with adoration and then is followed by the request for God's kingdom to come and as a result for His will to be done.

Your kingdom come.  In order to lay some groundwork, the word kingdom in relation to God is used in two primary ways in the New Testament.  First, the word kingdom can refer to the Lord's church as a whole but as is the case in Matthew 6:10, it also refers to God ruling in our lives.

This series of blogs while dealing with the Lord's prayer is also intended to help us all reflect on our prayer lives and also to reflect on what we are praying for versus what we probably should be praying for.  I pray as you read this and the next two to come dealing with this subject, that you walk away encouraged and are able to have a deeper relationship with the Lord through your prayers.

Your kingdom come.  With that being said, I am once again asking you to reflect on the last time you prayed.  If you read yesterday's blog, did you pray and offer God praise and adoration before making any personal requests of Him?  I hope you did.  But what about this part about God's kingdom coming and as a result His will being done?

Your kingdom come.  It's pretty simple.  When is the last time you specifically asked God's kingdom to come in your life?  What I mean is when is the last time you specifically asked God to rule in your life.  Yes, you might be a Christian but letting God rule in our lives is a daily choice we must make even after we obey the gospel.  As a result, based on Matthew 6:10, God's will is sure to be done in our lives.

Your kingdom come.  When we allow God to rule in our lives on a daily basis and make that daily decision to follow Him throughout our day, we make plenty of room for His will to be done "on earth as it is in heaven."  Does this mean that life will always be easy?  Of course not.  Fact is when we make a conscious choice to submit to God, Satan is going to try that much harder to trip you up and cause you to take your eyes off the goal that God has called you to through obedience to His will.

So my encouragement to you this morning is this.  As you pray, ask specifically for God's kingdom or rule to come into your life.  Do this not just today but every day.  As a result you are allowing God to accomplish His will through YOU.  When that happens, incredible things can happen.  Again, I close with the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:9 -- "Pray then, in this way..."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! 

Pray this way: Adoration

Image courtesy of Chelsea H.

"Pray then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven.  Hallowed be Your name." Matthew 6:9.  This is the beginning of a very familiar prayer that most know as The Lord's Prayer.  I have also heard it called the Disciple's Prayer and the Model Prayer.  It is given as a contrast to what the Pharisees were doing who would pray so as to be seen by men.  This will be the beginning of a four part series looking at the different parts of the Lord's Prayer.  We see here in Matthew 6:9 that the prayer begins with adoration and praise toward God.

Adoration.  Stop for a moment and think about the last time you prayed.  Was it all about what you wanted God to do for you?  There is nothing inherently wrong with this as God does care about our wants and our needs but when is the last time you began a prayer by praising God?

Adoration.  I don't think any one of us would disagree we that we serve an awesome God.  Just consider the image above.  A beautiful Oklahoma sunrise sent to me by my girlfriend during the writing of this blog.  If that sunrise is not evidence for how awesome a God we serve, I don't know what is.  But the question we need to ask ourselves is when is the last time we showed adoration toward God in our prayers?

Adoration.  The beginning of this prayer acknowledges two qualities about God.  First, He is our Father and second He is hallowed which means holy.  These are only two of the many qualities to describe the magnificent and awesome God we serve who deserves all the adoration and praise we can give to Him.

Adoration.  So my encouragement to you is this.  Next time you approach God's throne in prayer do as Jesus said, "Pray then in this way."  When you pray just spend time thanking God and praising Him and resist the temptation to just pray for what you would want God to do for you.  Again, nothing inherently wrong with doing so but prayer is about more than just asking God for what we want.  So this morning I leave you with the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:9 -- "Pray then in this way..."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

Deuteronomy: Knowing God face to face...

"Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses whom the Lord knew face to face."--Deuteronomy 34:10.  At the end of Deuteronomy, we read about the death of Moses.  Other than Jesus, there was no one like Moses who had such an intimate relationship with God.  There was no one who had the privilege of knowing God face to face.

Knowing God face to face.  This will be my final Old Testament blog.  Beginning next week we will jump back into the New Testament and continue spending "Quality Time with Christ."  But for now, we can ask ourselves, what can we learn from Deuteronomy and also what can we learn from the relationship Moses had with God?

One of the main themes that runs through Deuteronomy is simply obedience to God's commands.  We mustn't forget that Deuteronomy was a second reading of the law to the sons and daughters of a disobedient generation.  Obedience to follow God is a choice.  Last night I was talking with my girlfriend about the fact that the decision to follow God is not a decision made only once.  Obedience to God is a choice that must be made on a DAILY basis even after one has obeyed the gospel.

But what about this concept of knowing God face to face?  I recognize that at least until we get to heaven's gate, we will never have the privilege that Moses had of seeing God's glory firsthand or having the direct conversations that Moses had with God.  However, is it possible to still have an intimate relationship with God similar to that of Moses? ABSOLUTELY! But how?

Knowing God face to face or developing that intimate relationship with God goes back to that choice.  Developing an intimate relationship with God involves making a DAILY choice to follow Him.  This comes down to putting Him first in even the smallest of our decisions.  It might involve asking ourselves the old adage "What Would Jesus Do?" or "WWJD?"  This might involve choosing to put the interests of another above our own.  Or it might simply involve dropping to our knees and spending some time in prayer.  But most importantly, it might involve us obeying God by repenting of our sins and if necessary being baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of those sins.  

Thanks for reading this series of blogs through the first five books of the Bible everyone.  These are the books of the law. Galatians 3:24 tells us that the law was put in place to lead us to Christ.  Next week we will jump back into the New Testament and continue spending some Quality Time With Christ.   Do not delay in developing (or beginning) your relationship with God.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

God's Call...

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, the time for you to die is near, call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission Him."--Deuteronomy 31:14.  As we approach the end of the Pentateuch (First five books of the Bible), we see God's plan unfolding for God's people.  The people will soon be entering the Promised Land.  Their current leader Moses is about to die so someone else, namely Joshua, must lead the people into the Promised Land.  God's call has gone out to Joshua.

God's call.  One of my instructors at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Bob Turner and so many others such as myself will attest to the fact that there is an urgent need for leaders among the Lord's people.  Bob writes an excellent blog on Leadership called The Leadership Fund.  I would encourage you to check it out.  The point though is that God's call for leaders has gone out so the question we need to ask ourselves, will we be like Joshua who responded to God's call and presented himself before the Lord for service?

God's call.  The last word of the paragraph above was service.  This is where godly leadership truly begins.  It begins with service.  First and foremost, it begins with service to God and then service to others.  Some of the best leaders have been servants.  There was one leader who set the supreme example of servant leadership.  What was His name?  Oh that's right, His name was Jesus!  Jesus Himself stated in Matthew 20:28 that the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.  Jesus responded to God's call and led through service.  But like Moses, Jesus would also die (and most importantly Jesus would be resurrected three days later) and replacements would be needed to carry out Jesus' primary mission which was and is to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  Enter the twelve apostles who would also train others to be their replacements upon their deaths.  It is just a continuing cycle throughout the pages of Scripture.  So what does this all mean to us?

God's call.  The fact is our present leaders will one day be gone.  Even though that will happen in the future, God's call for the leaders of tomorrow is going out TODAY.  Again, the question we need to ask ourselves will we be like Joshua and respond to that call and present ourselves for service both to God and to others?  How will we respond to God's call?

God's call.  So how can we respond to God's call?  How can we practically present ourselves before the Lord for service?  There are several ways we can do this.  Something we could do is volunteer in a particular ministry with your congregation or even better start a ministry with your congregation.  You can also find a particular leader in your congregation and begin some sort of mentorship under him.  Do you feel called to preach and/or teach? DO IT! We are in dire need of men who are willing to preach God's word in a sound way.  Not sure if you are equipped?  Consider looking into attending the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver whose motto is "We Train Preachers."  This is an excellent school that will provide you with tools to preach God's Word.  Bottom line is God's call for the leaders of tomorrow is going out TODAY. How will you respond?

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

The ripple effect...

Image courtesy of zirconicusso

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  So choose life, in order that you may live, you and your descendants."--Deuteronomy 30:19.  Moses, continuing on about the choice laid before the people to obey God's commands.  One thing we can glean from this verse is that the choice made can cause a ripple effect to other generations. 

The ripple effect.  The image above should be a familiar one to all of us.  When an object is dropped in water, it produces a ripple that spreads out over a certain distance in every direction.  One disturbance on the surface of the water disturbs the whole body.  So how does the ripple effect connect to our obedience to God?

The ripple effect.  Notice that Moses tells the people to choose life or obey God not only so that the individual might live but also their descendants after them.  

The ripple effect.  Take a moment to consider what happens in society.  More often than not, the children will take after their parents.  This of course can be a good thing.  However, it can also be a bad thing depending on the choices the parents make as the children are growing up.  What the parents do causes a ripple effect and this can be good but it can also be bad.  Again depending on the choice. 

The ripple effect.  The same is true with us as Christians. And here is what I mean.  Many of my friends will attest to the fact that I am a huge preacher of example when it comes to our faith. What we as Christians need to understand is that when we CHOOSE to disobey God, it is not only our soul we are putting in danger.  Whether we realize it or not, someone else, especially someone from the next generation is ALWAYS watching and looking to our example.  Point is if there is one thing God hates just as much as sin, it is one one person causes another to sin.  Our disobedience to God can cause a ripple effect.

The ripple effect.  But we must not be discouraged because on the flip side of this is the fact that our OBEDIENCE to God can also cause a ripple effect.  Simply making the choice to obey God rather than men will encourage others to do the same and through your one choice, you can make all the difference in the kingdom of God. 

So my encouragement to you is this.  If you haven't already, take some time to find someone that is part of the next generation and make it a point to set a godly example for that person as well as encouraging them to obey God rather than men and point them towards Christ.  In closing, we must remember the words of Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 "...but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity show yourself an example of those who believe."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! 

The choice is ours...

The Choice is Ours--Deuteronomy 30:15-16

"See I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and keep His commandments..."--Deuteronomy 30:15-16.  As we approach the close of the book of Deuteronomy Moses continues to drill the point about the importance of obeying God's commands.  Here two choices are put before the people, obedience to God's commands means life and prosperity.  Disobedience means death and adversity.  And just like the people had a choice, the choice is also ours.

The choice is ours.  Due to the nature of the issue, this morning's blog is going to be a little bit more somber as it quite literally deals with life or death.  With that being said, consider the following scenario.  It pains me when I hear of families that are faced with one of the hardest decisions a person ever has to make and that is to take a dying loved one off a system of life support.  Sadly, my family was faced with a very similar decision in the days prior to my dad's passing.  It was a difficult choice for our family to make but nonetheless the choice was still ours.

The choice is ours.  Take the above mentioned scenario and consider how we might apply it to our walk with God.  Fact is God is our system of life support. We know from Genesis 2:7 that God is the one that breathed life into Adam's nostrils.  How awesome it is to realize that every individual breath we take comes directly from God.  God is our life support system.  But He does not only support our life physically, much more importantly He is also our spiritual life support system.  Continuing in Genesis we know that in Genesis 3:1-24, Adam and Eve were confronted with the same choice that faced the Israelites in Deuteronomy 30:15-16 and they were faced with the choice that faces us today.  It is no secret that they chose wrong.  Adam and Eve chose to "pull the plug" on their spiritual life support system and in turn their physical life support system.  They were separated from God and no longer had access to the tree that gave them eternal life.  Adam and Eve had a choice and today that same choice is ours.

The choice is ours.  The choice we must make is whether or not to obey God.  To obey means life and prosperity.  Does this mean we won't physically die?  Of course not.  Does this mean we will always be prosperous and that life is always going to be easy? Of course not.  However, what obedience does mean is that eternal life is guaranteed and that God will be with us wherever we go through the good times and the bad.  So what about option 2, disobedience?  Deuteronomy 30:15-16 shows us that option 2 means death and adversity.  We know disobedience ultimately means spiritual death and eternal separation from God but how does disobedience lead to adversity?  First of all, a footnote in my Bible says this word adversity can also mean evil.  That being said, take a second to look at the world around us.  Just the other night I was talking to my girlfriend about the issues facing our nation today.  Among the issues I specifically mentioned were abortion and same sex marriages.  While I am all for voting against these issues, voting, while making a difference, does not fix the real problem. These issues are just symptoms of the real problem, a sin problem.  When we look at the world around us, we can see how disobedience to God leads to evil and adversity.  Some of the adversities I have faced have been a result of my disobedience to God.

So, the choice is still ours.  Will we obey God and thereby receive the guarantee of eternal life and ultimate prosperity or will we choose to disobey bringing spiritual death and adversity and evil into our own lives?  The choice is ours.  Ultimately, this choice hinges on one crucial decision, the decision as to whether or not we will obey the gospel.  2 Thessalonians 1:8 tells us what will happen to those who choose wrongly.  The choice is ours.  Make that choice today and believe in what God can do for you through His Son Jesus Christ, repent of any sins you might have in your life and be baptized into Christ for the remission of those sin per Acts 2:38 and Romans 6:3-4.  The choice is ours.  What will we choose?   

Close...

"But the word is very near you, to your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."--Deuteronomy 30:11. As mentioned last week Moses is emphasizing to the people that the commandments of God are not out of reach.  To emphasize the point further Moses says the word is near, it is in their mouth, and it is in their heart.  The point is, the word is close.

Close.  First off I want to say our God is a good God.  One reason for this is because God has made clear what He wants.  He has done this through His Word.  He has made His Word accessible and put it close to us.

Close.  The Israelites heard God's Word from Moses.  They knew what they had to do.  The word was in their hearts and the next step was to observe it.

Close.  So just how close is God's Word?  Well consider the image above.  A dusty Bible.  Maybe your Bible is not literally dusty but seriously consider when is the last time you picked it up outside of church services?  Many times we will go through life fulfilling our Christian duties but as time goes on we just find ourselves going through the motions.  So what is the problem?   We forget how close God's Word really is.

Close.  The problem is although our physical Bible might not be collecting dust, the fact that we are not making time for personal study causes God's Word to collect dust in our hearts and it soon becomes unclear why we are even doing what we are doing when it comes to fulfilling our duties as Christians.  This happens when we forget that God's Word is close.

Close.  Letting God's Word collect dust in our heart can ultimately lead to falling away from Him altogether. Yes we might still make it to Sunday church services and midweek Bible Study but oftentimes without even knowing it, we lose sight of why we are doing it.  Ultimately what happens, as described in Revelation 2:4, we forsake our first love, Christ.

Close.  So my encouragement to you is this.  Make time for additional Bible study this week.  Start small. Start by spending one hour in personal Bible Study.  Maybe study more on last Sunday's sermon.  Maybe start studying something that you have had questions about but just had not gotten around to studying that particular subject.  But most importantly, if you know what God expects you to do to make sure you are in a right relationship with Him, do not delay in responding to the gospel message.  God's Word is close. What will you do with it?

PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Not out of reach...

Image courtesy of photostock

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach."--Deuteronomy 30:11.  Nearing the end of his life, Moses reminds the people that they need to keep all that the Lord has commanded and here in Deuteronomy 30:11. He also makes the point that the commands of God are not too difficult and they are not out of reach.

Not out of reach.  Consider the image above.  I chose it because it shows that two people are reaching out to grab make contact with one another.  The question we need to ask ourselves is are we reaching out to God.  Reaching out to God involves making the choice to obey His commands.  The fact is His commands are not out of our reach.

Not out of reach.  I find it sad that much of the reason some people refuse to come to God through obedience of the gospel is because they think they are incapable of carrying out God's commands. We know God's commands are by no means always easy to carry out but we know from Deuteronomy 30:11 that they are by no means impossible to carry out.  Moses not only tells us that His commands are not out of reach but also that they are not too difficult.

Not out of reach.  Following God's commands involves making a choice.  It involves making the choice to say to ourselves that it might not always be easy, it might require effort on our part but all the same we will choose to obey God's commands.    God is not the kind of God who would give us commands that were impossible to follow.  His commands are not out of reach.

Not out of reach.  So how can we apply this to ourselves?  Well let's take two examples.  In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus tells us that the greatest commandments are to first love God and then to love our neighbor. Both of these involve a choice.  They both take effort.  My encouragement to you this morning is to make that choice.  Make that choice to love God and therefore love your neighbor.  If you want a good definition of what love is consider reading 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.  Remember, these and all the rest of God's commands are not too difficult nor are they out of reach.  

Thanks for reading everyone!

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Our defender...

"For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you."--Deuteronomy 20:4.  Moses, still speaking of the warfare Israel would be engaged in reminds the people that God would fight for them when they went to battle.  God would be their defender.

Our defender.  As I mentioned yesterday, I know the context deals with Israel's physical battles but also we must remember that Ephesians 6:10-17 tells us that today as Christians we are engaged in a spiritual battle.  These are points we will continue to build this morning.  The point though is that God is our defender.

Our defender.  Something I want to point out about this section of Scripture is the fact that even though God would fight the battles Israel still had to go to the battles and do their part.  What we have to realize about how God operates is that while He by no means has to, He chooses to work in partnership with His people.  In the Scriptures, God almost always accomplishes His will through people who are willing to obey and serve Him.

Our defender. So how does this apply to us?  Well obviously we are all going to have to go to battle in our lives in some form or fashion. As long as we are in this world, we will have physical battles but what we have to realize is that our battle is primarily spiritual.  In many ways, the physical trials of life can test our faithfulness to God.  When we come into contact with trials, even though we believe God will "fight the battle" we still have a responsibility to face that battle and do our part in fighting that battle.  We are working in partnership with God in order to carry out HIS will.  Sometimes faith gets misconstrued as sitting back and doing nothing.  This could not be further from the truth.  We can't forget that James 4:17 tells us that faith without works is dead. The attitude we need to have is that although God is our defender, we must still do our part and let God handle the rest.

Our defender.  God is our defender.  Deuteronomy 20:4 tells us that God fights for us for one primary reason, to save us from our enemies.  Today, even as you read this God is ultimately fighting for your soul to save you from our primary enemy, the devil.  This too is a battle where we must do our part.  The battle for our soul is only won through obedience to the gospel and learning to obey everything that Christ has commanded per Matthew 28:18-20.  In this passage, Jesus reminds us He will always be with us even unto the end of the age.

What I want to leave you with is the fact that when you face your battles, do not cower.  Remember God is with you.  Remain faithful to Him.  God is fighting for you.  God is our defender.  He will fight for you in order to save you from your enemies.  Pass these words on.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!    

God with us...

"When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God , who brought you up from the land of Egypt is with you."--Deuteronomy 20:1.  Moses, reminding the people to remember that even when they are outnumbered God is with them when they go in battle.  Of course the stipulation is that they do as God commands.  It's always a comforting thought to know that even when we are outnumbered, God is with us.

God with us.  Now I am aware that the verse above refers to the physical battles Israel would fight in taking possession of the Promised Land.  However, much of the reason God would allow one nation to conquer another in the pages of Scripture is because of the sinfulness of that particular nation.  Therefore, even though the battles were very much physical, because God had a hand in bringing it about, there was also a spiritual aspect to the battle.  Even in spiritual battles, God is with us when we are doing His will.

God with us.  This concept of a spiritual battle is reiterated over and over in the New Testament.  One of the more famous passages regarding this fact is Ephesians 6:12 which states that as Christians our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly realms.  Ephesians 6:10-17 tells us to equip ourselves with the armor of God in order to fight this battle. But the point is that when we are doing His will God is with us.

God with us.  The longer I have been in the ministry, the more real it has become to me that we are indeed in a spiritual battle.  In addition to this, like the physical battles of the Israelites, many times it seems that faithful Christians are more than outnumbered by the ones that the book of Jude calls mockers (Jude 17-18) who mock those who hold to the teachings of Christ as handed down through the apostles and prophets.  The mockers seem to outnumber those of us who are contending for the faith (Jude 3).  While it is true that faithful Christians are outnumbered by these mockers, we must remember that God is with us.

God with us.  That is the encouragement I wish to leave you with this morning.  Contend earnestly for the faith or the teachings that have been handed down by Christ through the apostles and prophets and remember that when we are being faithful to what God has said in His Word, God is with us.  If God is with us, who can be against us?  I would encourage you to read Jude 1-25 and 2 Peter 2:1-22 which describe pretty accurately what we are up against.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!