jr4624

Persistence. We are taught to continuously seek God's face and His will in all circumstances, to never give up, always persevere. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess. 5:16-18

They are all ways of determining what is God's will. Ask is specifically in prayer we are asking God to give us the blessings that are in accordance with His will. Seek includes other ways of searching for God's face and His will as well. In addition to prayer, some things would be God's Word, other believers, or circumstances. Knock is about trying to find your personal path when there seem to be multiple doors ahead to choose from. God will open the right door or make the path He wants you to take easier. I believe that they are all meant to be ongoing, persistent actions. Seek, however, seems to be inclusive of both of the others, and as such to have more intensity. That we should fervently ask, seek, and knock, and cotinue to fervently ask, seek, and knock to determine God's will in all cases.

They are both animals that are unclean and disrespected. Dogs existed by being scavengers, eating mostly dead things. Pork was forbidden under the Law. Both things were abhorrent to Jews. Holy food has been consecrated to God and pearls are valuable jewels. Both are things you would not want to see given to such unclean, disrespected animals. When the Jews with whom they were trying to share it totally rejected the truth of the Good News. They then went to the Gentiles to share The Message.

It's quite ridiculous to think of someone trying to remove a piece of sawdust from another's eye while he has a huge board obstructing his own vision. I think He is trying to show us how much worse it is to be a hypocrite with no humility than it is to have some small fault or sin. Some small fault or sin that you might perceive in a brother or sister. Our own lack of humility and inability to acknowledge the sins in ourselves. When we have humbled ourselves before the Lord, confessed our own sins and repented of them-after we have taken the plank out of our own eye. When you haven't yet done those things.

On judgement day God will treat us in the same way. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." If we measure out large amounts of super-critical judgement or generous helpings of love and support in our correction of our Christian brothers and sisters, the same will come back to us from God. The same is true for small amounts or stingy helpings of criticism or love. Love, support, gentle correction, and understanding.

Yes, unfortunately. Mostly within my own mind, but I am still not proud of such behavior. I think a lot of times it can be unfounded pride in oneself. We think we see someone doing what they shouldn't or not doing what they should and find it hard to resist comparing their actions to our own. Before we do compare people in such a way we should be very careful to examine our own lives to make sure that we don't have worse problems ourselves. It may also be that their behavior hits too close to home for comfort. We may see the same problem in ourselves and become overcritical of it in someone else because of our own failings. As mentioned above, our own lack of victory over certain sins may cause us to be more critical of others in the same boat than we should be. One very good reason is that you may find yourself in need of the same loving care in the face of failure. If you have been overly harsh or quick to crticize, or if you have been understanding and loving, there is a very good chance you will receive the same type of treatment should the roles be reversed.

It sure seems like He is having a little joke. The point is that it is just as silly for us to worry much about tomorrow as it is to think of tomorrow worrying about itself. "Do not worry about tomorrow."

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." The spiritual seeking after the things of God needed for the survival of our eternal souls is to come before the seeking of the carnal things needed for the survival and comfort of our bodies. If we do seek after the things of God first, and strive to stay in the center of His will, He will make sure we have the things we need to live.

Jesus talks about the pagans to drive home the point that we should live differently from them. Pagans live lives that are self-centered and Christians should live lives that are God-centered. In being self-centered, unbelievers trust only in their own efforts and only credit themselves when things go well. Christians should credit God for the blessings in their lives and trust God for support when things are difficult. When I say "Jesus is Lord of my life", I feel that He has the right to make any claim on my life at any time that He wants to. As I strive to keep God's will in the center of my life, I know that He keeps me right in the center of His will, and He will supply whatever He knows I need to do the work He wants to do through me.

Three. Worry and trust in God are opposites. He told us many times the ways in which He will provide for us, and Scripture is full of examples of Him doing just that for His people. Prudent planning for the future is not the same as excessive worry. We are told here to put our trust in God rather than in our own devices. If we are going to lie awake at night it shouldn't be worrying about tomorrow, it should be meditating on the greatness of God and His ability and willingness to do for us the things He has promised. God is all-powerful and always faithful. How can we worry much if we have faith in that?

Jesus is just saying that the Father has much more concern for the disciples (and our) care than for the wild things of nature in this world, and if He takes such good care of their needs, we can be sure He will provide amply for our own as well. It is certainly not trivial. God's design for us is that He be Lord of our lives. When we submit to Him and live according to His will, He also wants us to learn to trust Him cmpletely and rely on Him for everything in our lives.

Certainly there have been times when money, or the quest of it, or (especially) the lack of it, have come between me and God, me and my family, me and everything else. It has been just a few years since I began to rededicate my life to following Jesus. For many, many years prior to that I lived thinking that I was in good shape running my own life, that I was fine the way I was. We've never had much in the way of things and money, and we often seemed to be chasing it, thinking that if we could just pay off this card or that loan, things would turn around for us. Often (usually?), the things we went into debt for were things we didn't need all that badly. Now, we try to make God's priorities our priorities. When we thought we could run our own lives we didn't realize that one of two people are in control of everone's life. If it's not God in charge in your life, then it is Satan. I don't believe God is telling us that this man is necessarily condemned to hell. It may be that he is a follower of Jesus who had gotten way off track because of **** for money and things. God definitely has seen enough from this man and decided that his life had gone on long enough. If he was a person who professed Christ yet clearly placed personal riches above anything else, he could be doing much more harm for the Kingdom than good, and God might call him home to stop the damage. If this was a case of backsliding or whatever, it seems like we should have been told that, however. Either way. putting money and pursuit of riches ahead of God clearly had a negative impact on his life, and all the more so if he was an unbeliever, because dying in that state is the sin that can't be forgiven.

He is saying that you can't serve money and God at the same time. Sometimes the work of God requires lots of money to do it, and there are people who are gifted with the ability to make that money and give it to God. The difference is in your heart. If you seek money for yourself to feel independent of God and self-sufficient, then it is greed and the love of money that you serve. Yes, clearly some rich people serve God and not money. However, it is very hard, if not impossible, for most of them to overcome greed and the love of their money and things. As Jesus said: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

The Bible tells us that our works will be judged whether they are good or bad and whether we are righteous or not. The good works of the righteous (intercessory prayer, acts of charity, random acts of kindness,etc.) will be sort of credited to our accounts, hence "storing up treasures in heaven." The advantage is that we are submitting to God's authority, admitting our own inadequacy, and doing as He wills, as opposed to putting faith in our own capabilities and belief that we can do anything worthwhile independent of God. In so doing, we gain spiritual riches for ourselves that are eternal in the Kingdom of Heaven rather than the fleeting, transitory, carnal wealth that ends when we die and never does any lasting good for anyone. Many mainline protestants would be made uncomfortable by the concept of rewards because it puts emphasis on works rather than grace through faith. It is true that we don't merit justification or salvation and nothing we do will ever be able to merit them. However, there is more to the story. Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5-7 both say that we are saved only by grace through faith, but the very next verse in both cases says that God created us for good works that He planned ahead of time. Nothing we do can save us, but once Jesus saves us we should have a true change of heart, turn around and follow Him. We should be striving to be as Christ-like as we possibly can. Living our lives as He lived His will include the good works that store up rewards for us in heaven.

It's sort of both literal and figurative. He again is talking about the spirit in which these things are done. If you store enough to get you through the winter, or pay your bills in tough times, that's one thing. If you allow the love of money and the acquisition of things to control your life to the detriment of others, that's something quite different. It's not just hyperbole to make a point, but it is more sort of general than specific. As we have seen all the way through this study, it's about your attitude or the spirit of your intent. It is an old teaching, going back as far as man recorded their interaction with God. We have always been commanded to have no god but God, and not to worship idols. If the love of money and the acquisition of things become the main thing in your life, then that is your idol, a god you put before God

Jesus condemns the man because he thought first, foremost, and only of himself. He should have given the first part to God, and also thought of others less fortunate than himself. It is not the storing up, but the thinking only of himself in light of God's great blessings. The key verse is 12:15:"And He said unto them,'Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he posesseth.'" Jesus is answering a man who wants his share of what his brother has from their father. He wants Jesus to tell the man that the right thing to do is to give up the inheritance. Jesus' answer was probably not at all what the man expected. The general theme of the Sermon on the Mount is to live according to the spirit of the Law, rather than the letter of it. This parable relates to loving your neighbor as you love yourself, and not putting so much value on things carnal rather than on things spiritual.

Because we continually have new sins that need to be forgiven. We are free from slavery to sin, but as humans have a sinful nature. As such we may even do sins that we aren't really aware of that need forgiveness. 1John 1:9 tells us "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." So even though justification is ongoing, we should still confess and ask forgiveness of our sins. God is love. He is all about a love relationship with each one of us. He also is holy, so we must be holy. We are sinful by nature, so to be holy involves His forgiveness. Unforgiveness on our part is to deny the very essence of God. To deny God interferes with the love relationship, which can block the blessings that flow from it. Jesus comes right out and says it in Matthew 6:15: "But if ye forgive not men their tresspasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

We like to think we can run our own lives and be independent. Rugged individualism, a can-do attitude, personal responsibility and indepedence are all seen as admirabile qualities by the world. Admitting your own inadequacy to any task is often seen as weakness. Admitting that we need anyone, even God, often makes us feel weak and as if we have abdicated personal responsibility for our own lives and actions. We need to submit to God's rule and admit to ourselves that we would have nothing, could do nothing, and would be nothing without Him.

We are asking God to manifest His kingdom in us--so that others will see the way we yield to His sovereignty in our lives and in the way that believers submit to Jesus as the Lord of their lives--as well as to hasten the return of Jesus in power and great glory as the ruler of the universe. When we say "Jesus is Lord", we are saying that we submit to God's rule and God's will. We therefore should be asking for God's holy Spirit to put our desires more in line with His rather than our own self- centered agendas and desires. This prayer should affect our daily lives by making us think more about Kingdom concerns and what we can do to join with God in His work and His plan for the redemption of creation.

We hallow the Father's name by always treating His name with reverence, because it's a symbol, a represetation, of God Himself. Once we have confessed Jesus as Lord of our lives, everything we do or say reflects on Him. Our lives are a constant witness, and we need to strive to make them a good witness, not a bad one. Every time we use the Lord's name in a vain or common manner, we are detracting from the glory we should be giving to Him as the provider of everything we need, the creator of the universe who loves us as His children. We come before Him and bow at His feet in an attitude of humility, worship, thankfulness and praise. I try to remember to start every prayer with "thank you" right after I address Him as my Heavenly Father and great and loving God.

Because God wants us to be in a love relationship with Him. The most important part of a healthy relationship is effective communication. It is being able to talk freely to one another, to tell each other how we really feel. It makes sense because in order to strengthen, to deepen any relationship, we need to spend time alone with the other person, talking and listening--paying attention--only to them. No, we are not praying only for ourselves. Prayer is how we communicate with God. When we communicate with any person with whom we are in a relationship, the communication is two-way. We sometimes forget to think of God as a person in that way. Prayer is not just us talking to God, it is also God talking to us. We need to remember that, and remember to listen more than we talk.

Because prayer is communication between us and God. While public prayer is permissable and even necessary in the right circumstances, we should not be doing it the way the Pharisees did, which was meant mainly to impress others with their piety rather than to praise, honor or communicate with God. The very formal, flowery, churchy-sounding prayers, full of the jargon of religiosity, while having a place, especially in church services, can be counter-productive to the development of a productive spiritual and prayer life. Oftentimes people may feel that if they can't do it that way, they can't do it right. Obviously, that type of feeling would hinder development of communication with God, and deeper spirituality.

He tells us to help each other, and I try to do as much as I can without being judgemental. The only thing I will do differently is to try to give as much as I can, of my money, time, talents, and labor. I am also studying for the ministry at present, and I really have no idea where that will ultimately lead me to serve. I only know that I will continue to do the best I can with God's help and pray that He will use me as He sees fit and that I won't be found too terribly lacking. I lost my job of twenty-five years over a year ago, and still don't have a new one, but I know that that is probably not a good reason to not do more. I tell myself that I and my family do what we can, but that is probably not always true. I know that there are many who are in worse shape than we are, and we can help, sometimes more than we do. I'm fairly certain that most of us, if we honestly evaluate or circumstances and excuses could probably say the same things.

All the commands are related to good things that people often do for the wrong motives. Jesus is telling us that we should be doing good works because we love and follow Him, not to be seen by others and to gain status as being better or more religious than they are. The main sin that is being addressed is pride. The antidote is to go to God in private prayer and deepen your love relationship with Him. God will fill you with so much love, the approval and acclamation of others will cease to be a motivation for you. You will do the good things Jesus talks about out of your desire to love as God does, and for His approval, not the world's. Many oganizations use pridefulness in their fundraising efforts. They may put up plaques with people's names on them, or statues, or give progressively nicer gifts for different levels of donation. They may encourage people to go up in front of a crowd to show that they are giving, or even to show how much they are giving. There are many other ways as well, but what they all boil down to is exploiting the human tendency to pridefulness, the need to say "hey look at me! I do way more than you, or him, or her."

He is telling us that through His power, His Holy Spirit, we can love as He loves, not just as we can love in our carnal nature. He is saying that we should aspire to His example, not necessarily that we will always live up to it. We are clearly taught that we are not able to do this on our own. It is only by grace, through faith in Jesus, that we are able to be saved and made holy enough to be in the prescence of God. After we are saved, we spend the rest of our lives growing in our faith, becoming sanctified, so maturity seems to be a good way to say it. The "sinless perfection" that we need can only be reached by having our sins and human imperfections covered by Jesus. Becoming able to love even those who are not our friends is the way we become more Christ-like. In being able to love even those whose actions we hate we show how our change of direction, our difference from the natural man, is the perfection or full maturity of our faith. In this way, Christ's love shines through us to show Him to the rest of the world.