Kingdom of Heaven

What are you holding back from the Lord?  What is obtaining the kingdom of heaven worth to you?  Are you holding on to things you know that you shouldn’t be?  Are you totally sold out to the Lord or are you straddling the fence having one foot in the kingdom and the other in the world?  Are you willing to give everything up to obtain the kingdom of God?  Is gaining the kingdom of heaven the most important thing in your life?  Take some time and examine these questions.

There are a couple of Parables that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13:44-45 that relate to this subject.  In the first one Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field.”

The second Parable Jesus said, “Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Is this the way you feel about the kingdom of God?  In these two Parables one man found a treasure and one man found a pearl of great value.  To these men these things were worth more than anything they had even to the point that they were willing to give up everything they owned to possess them.

Was Jesus saying that you could buy the kingdom of heaven?  No, He wasn’t.  What He was saying was the kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything you can possess and that you should be willing to give up everything you have to gain it.  Your salvation and your access to the kingdom of heaven are the most important treasures you will ever have. Jesus wasn’t saying that we had to sell everything we have, it was the heart that He was more concerned with.  Would we be willing to give up everything or do the things we own have such a hold on us that we wouldn’t be willing to give them up?  If you think about the disciples, they left everything and followed Jesus.

It says in Mark 10:28, “Then Peter began to mention all that he and the other disciples left behind. ‘We’ve given up everything to follow you,’ he said.” In verses 29–30 Jesus replied, “‘Yes,’ Jesus replied, ‘and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.” (NLT)  There are many missionaries that have done the same thing.  They will have great rewards here and in the life to come they will have eternal life as well, praise God!

So the question is would you be willing to give up everything you have if the Lord asked you to or would He have to pry them from your hands?” Just remember if we put anything before the Lord it can become an idol. So hang on to everything you have with an open hand and put the kingdom of God first in your life and treat it like it is the greatest treasure that you have because it truly is, then you will be blessed.  Have a great day! God bless!      

Have You Been Shaken

The Bible says in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Question:  What does this verse mean to you?

Question:  How do you feel when you get caught speeding or in some other offense and have to go before a judge?

Years ago I think there was a certain amount of fear not knowing what the outcome would be.  There seemed to be much more respect then there seems to be today.  People took it much more seriously knowing that the judge had the final decision in what was going to be their fate.  I remember years ago having to go to court for various reasons and I was always a little scared and very nervous.  When I stood in front of the judge I was very respectful.  It wasn’t a time to take anything for granted or to be disrespectful in any way.  This judge held my fate in his hands and I knew it and I wasn’t about to do anything that would jeopardize or compromise my situation.  Another thing I think is different today is the dress code, so to speak, men wore suits and ties, sometimes men would shave their beards and go in the court room clean shaven trying to make themselves look better out of reverence and also respect.

Today reverence and respect seem to be foreign words replaced by self-esteem.  When you have too much self-esteem you can easily fall into pride and arrogance.  You become self-reliant needing no one else because you think you have all the answers and everyone should respect you and your ideas.  Then your head can get so puffed up that you look down on everyone else respecting no one.  A certain amount of self-esteem is good but there needs to be a balance in everything.  While kids are being dumbed down in school, one thing they do get bombarded with is self-esteem.  

A few of the things they should be learning in school, such as manners, reverence, respect for others, and many other things are not being taught.  They also need to be taught that getting ahead takes commitment and dedication and just plain hard work not just receiving handouts.  These things need to be taught in the home as well as in our schools.  When I was a young boy I had many chores I had to do like weeding a garden, which seemed like an acre to me at the time.  I also cut and stacked wood after throwing it down in the cellar.  I had to shovel coal, and also take the ashes out.  I was taught respect the hard way and I was also taught that I had to work hard to support myself.  Even in my freaky, drugging, and drinking days I respected my parents and other people and these things weren’t caught they were taught.

I said all this to say this; we have people coming into the church with these kinds of attitudes.  When we stand before the Lord someday, and we all will, there will be no excuses, no games, and no disrespect but there will be reverence and fear.  This will be the last judgment and the books will be open and there will be a holy hush.  A lot of people don’t want to hear about a vengeful God, no, they only want to hear of a God of love.  The Bible says in Hebrews 10:30, “For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” (NKJV)

I think about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, when they lied to Peter and the Holy Spirit they both fell down dead and it said in verse 11, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”  God isn’t our ‘homey,’ no, He is the Creator of the universe and he needs to be reverenced and feared.  The fear of the Lord isn’t a bad thing, it is a good thing.  It will help you to resist sin.  There are many verses that talk about the fear of the Lord.  When people feared the Lord they repented of sin and lived godly lives.  The people that live sinful lives are those that have no fear or respect for Him.  

I have a few more verses I want to add here, they are in Ecclesiastes 12:10-14, “The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.  The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd.  Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.  Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.  Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”  

So which one are you?  Something to think about, it is very important, it may make the difference of where you end up someday.  Have a great day and may God bless you.                   

Sleeping On Your Watch

One of the reasons I thought of this title was because while I was praying about this tidbit I feel asleep.  The Bible says that, “We should be watching and praying.”  It is so important that we stay alert and pray that temptation will not overtake us.  We need to pray and ask for discernment so we will not be deceived by the evil one.  The Word says in 1^st Peter 5:8, “Be careful!  Watch out for attacks from the devil your great enemy.  He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some victim to devour.” (NLT)

This reminds me of the disciples when they were praying in the garden with Jesus before His Crucifixion.  Jesus had gone with His disciples to the Mount of Olives and in the garden He told His disciples, “Pray that you will not be overcome by temptation,” you can find this in Luke 22:40.  Then in verse 46 after He was done praying Jesus found His disciples sleeping and said, “Why are you sleeping?  Get up and pray otherwise temptation will overpower you.”  

I know that many times we are just like the disciples.  Our intentions are good but we do not follow through.  We end up falling asleep instead of praying then when we fall into temptation we sometimes blame it on everyone else or our circumstances and it was nothing but our own fault!  How many times have we fallen into temptation because of our lack of prayer?  I have heard that, “The road to Hell is lined with good intentions!”  

Question:  do you spend time with the Lord every day or are you sleeping on your watch and falling into temptation and wondering why?  If Jesus reprimanded His disciples for sleeping when they should have been praying, then it was very important and it is also very important to us.  Why did He tell them to pray?  Because He loved them and He knew without a prayerful life and without being prayed up they couldn’t overcome in their walk of faith.  If you don’t pray it is like saying that you can make it on your own and you don’t need the Lord’s help.  What is that called?  Pride, and it will cause you to fall every time.  The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  

I think this may have been Peter’s problem, read this very carefully I don’t want you to miss this!  Jesus said to Peter very plainly in Luke 22:31–32 “Simon, Simon satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you Simon that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers.”  What Jesus said to Peter seemed to just fly over his head.  Satan wanted to destroy Peter completely but Jesus was praying for him, and what did Jesus pray for, that Peter’s faith would not fail.  Jesus was telling Peter that He would fall into temptation and that he would also repent.  How did Jesus get that discernment?  He prayed and spent time with His heavenly Father!  How do I know that Peter didn’t get it?  Because of his next statement in verse 33 Peter said, “Lord I am ready to go to prison with you and even to die with you.”  Peter didn’t think about what he was saying, he often seemed to stick his foot in his mouth, so to speak, and this was no exception.  I think most everyone knows the rest of the story how Peter denied the Lord three times then went out and wept.

How many times have we acted like Peter?  We read the Word but then when the temptation comes we fall into it because we haven’t been faithful to pray.  Reading and knowing the scripture aren’t enough, we need to pray and ask the Lord to keep us from temptation and give us discernment in what we should do to avoid it.  If you think you can live a life of faith without praying and spending time with the Lord regularly, you are just kidding yourself and you are also being deceived.  

So if you are not doing these things, start doing them today and see how your life will become more fruitful and temptations will become less and less as time goes on.  Praise God!  Then you will be able to resist the devil and he will have to flee from you!!  Have a great day and God bless you!          

Jesus Wept

The shortest verse in the Bible says that, “Jesus wept,” in John 11:35.  What caused Jesus to weep in this situation?  In this particular verse Jesus wept because of the compassion He had for Mary and the other people that were with her because they were so sad about Lazarus’ death, he was Mary’s brother and Jesus’s friend.  Jesus didn’t have to weep over the death of Lazarus because He knew what He would do to glorify Himself and also His heavenly father.  Could Jesus have prevented this from happening?  Sure, He knew that Lazarus was sick and He could have gone to heal him before he died, but He chose not to.

Jesus never did anything on His own and He never got ahead of His heavenly Father’s will.  Jesus was always obedient to God, his Father, and waited on Him before He made any decisions.  Jesus’ weeping shows His humanity and His concern for all those He loves which includes the whole human race.  This was a situation that Jesus could solve and He did when He raised Lazarus from the dead.  Just think about the joy that took place because of what Jesus did.

We all may agree that Jesus can do all things, but there are some things that He won’t do and these things are still breaking His heart.  Two of them are; He won’t tolerate sin and He won’t take away our free will. 

There are many people standing at the crossroad today and they need to make a choice, some will make the wrong choice and some will make the right choice.  I believe it breaks Jesus’ heart when anyone makes the wrong choice.  If these people could see through spiritual eyes the suffering, pain and humiliation Jesus experienced while being prepared and then suffering on the cross for them, I think they would make the right choice.  This choice can only come through faith, not by sight, in the One that they are rejecting.  In 2 Peter 3:9 it says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.  No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (NLT)  I believe there is sadness in heaven over everyone that dies without putting their trust in Jesus.  I think rejecting Him is one of the easiest ways to cause Jesus to weep.  

We have this precious promise in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.”  Also in John 3:17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (NKJV)  Jesus may have wept over many things that are not recorded in the Word but to reject Him after all He went through for our redemption has to be the one thing that makes Him the saddest.

If you feel the Lord drawing you today, I hope you will not reject the call. Don’t make Jesus weep because of your rejection of Him.  The Bible says in Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”  (NKJV)  You will never be sorry if you receive Him as your Lord and Savior.  If you repent of your sins and ask the Lord to forgive you, instead of weeping, there will be rejoicing in Heaven, praise God.

The Lord helped me to write a song the other day about a party going on in heaven every time a sinner repents of his sin and receives Jesus.  I don’t think it will ever make the top ten charts but it was a real encouragement to me and I hope this tidbit is an encouragement to all who read it.  You have a great day and don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!

What Is Going On?

I read some verses this morning and they got me thinking about some things I want to share.  Why are so many Christians so insecure?  Why are so many of us trying to please others, including me, when the person we need to please is the Lord?  Why do we constantly beat ourselves up thinking that someone is mad at us or that they don‘t like us?

We judge so many situations that we really don’t know everything about.  I think part of the reason is that our security lies in people and what they think of us.  Someone looks at us in a way we don’t understand and right away we think they don’t like us.  The truth is that you will never make everyone happy and not everyone is going to like you.  Not everyone in your church, or any church for that matter, is truly a Christian and some are babes in Christ.  There are many reasons why people come to church and they are not all good ones.  Our enemy also comes to church he knows the scriptures and has been trying to distort them for years.  

It is so hard for people to be, or feel, rejected by anyone.  I have heard it said that you can say nine good things to someone and one negative thing and most people will meditate on the negative one.  It seems to me that these things were ingrained in our thinking for years and we can’t seem to shake them.  

I know in my situation I didn’t feel loved when I grew up and so I am always looking for confirmation and acceptance from others.  In the process of growing up the way I did it seemed to bring on emotional and psychological problems.  When I was truly committed and dedicated to the Lord many years ago, I was delivered from many things, praise the Lord, but these two things seemed to hang on and torment me.  I remember what I was like before I was committed to the Lord and it seemed I disliked most people, but when I think back I don’t think that was the case.  It was that I didn’t want to get close to anyone for fear of losing them.  I didn’t seem to be able to hang on to anything or anybody for very long.  I have lived that way for many years and am just lately getting a handle on it.

Some things seem to have to be spoken and confessed before the deliverance comes.  I try to be transparent about myself because anything else is phony, as far as I am concerned.  Because of the way I was raised, I felt I always needed the pat on the back and the confirmation that I was doing a good job and that people liked me.  It still bothers me when I think someone doesn’t like me, but it doesn’t seem to bother me as much as it once did.  I feel this way, if you are truly born-again, in time you will love others and if you don’t maybe you need to examine yourself to see if you are really in the faith.  

The Bible says, “You will know them by their love.”  Christians are not perfect, and each one is dealing with their own set of problems, so we need to give each one the benefit of the doubt.  When we feel like we have been snubbed or rejected by someone, whether it be a Christian or not, we need to try to sit down with the person and talk things out, we may be surprised at how many times we have misjudged people.  I have been hurt by many people in the church but I have to forgive them if I expect to be forgiven and so do you.  My response is that I choose to forgive them and ask the Lord to help me love them, and I hope this will be your response as well.

When you are in a ministry and you don’t feel appreciated remember these words in Luke 17:7-10, “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’?  No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat.  Then you can eat later.’   And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do?  Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”  (NLT)

I’m not saying that anyone should just be taken for granted but if you feel you are, or have been unappreciated, remember you will receive your reward from the Lord in this life and the next if you don’t give up and throw in the towel living in bitterness and unforgiveness.

The choice is up to us I hope we all make the right one.  May the Lord bless and keep you and encompass you with His presence and His peace and joy.  Have a great day!!