The Heart of the Matter...

“…Take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward [reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)

“…and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal. But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:18-21)

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in). Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?” (Matthew 6:24-25)

“For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given to you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:32-34 )

God took me to these verses today and I can see how we need to be more eternity minded in our everyday lives. We often can find ourselves seeking after things that aren’t going to last. We want the latest clothing styles, or just new clothes that we aren't tired of, or this certain food that we’re really craving right now. We do need clothing and food to live, but it says here, that’s not what we’re to seek after. God knows we need clothes to wear and food to eat. Our focus though is to be on the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, or His way of being and doing right. (We don’t measure what is right by the culture around us or even what we think and the standards we’ve set for ourselves. We measure what is right by His way of being and doing, which is found in the Bible.)

We are not to be anxious or uneasy about our lives. We are to seek the Kingdom of God. Then all these things will be given to us. When we are actively pursuing the Kingdom of God, and not worrying about our own lives, God has no problem getting everything together that we need. It is not like He needs our worrying to know what we need or to be able to get it for us. In fact our worrying can actually be hindering God’s work in our lives. When we completely surrender to God, each area of our lives, He has the freedom to put everything in order and provide exactly what we need- the perfect fit for that area.

Our focus is to be on eternity, not here on earth. If you’re familiar with teaching on giving, often times we tend to think about what God will do for us when we give. Well, sure, it’s true that we receive a harvest when we plant, and we should expect a harvest, but that isn’t to be our main focus. Here it talks about storing up treasure in heaven. So, yes, there is a harvest on earth that allows us to keep sowing more and continuing the cycle, but we’re storing up treasure in heaven- where it won’t be lost, stolen, or destroyed.

We can’t take things with us when we die, we have to send them ahead, and get it taken care of before we die. Getting people saved, giving, and so on, all have to be done before we die…and that sends our treasure to heaven. And if your treasure is in heaven, that’s where your heart will be too! However, if your treasure is on earth, that’s where your heart will be…and this world is not worth setting your heart on…it will all fade away. Take your energy and this time that God has given you and store up treasure in heaven. You’ll find that it is worth the effort.

quote to think about...

"Your perspective of yourself will determine the possibilities you pursue." ~Mike Evans

Here are a few of my thoughts on the quote:
Do you see yourself the way God sees you? Do I see myself the way God sees me? What possibilities would we pursue if we did?

What are your thoughts on this quote?

Belonging to Another...

There is so much I want to share with you, on this new topic, that I’ve decided to be merciful to you and start a series instead of posting the whole thing at once. So, let’s dive in…

“Do you not know, brethren- for I am speaking to men who are acquainted with the Law- that legal claims have power over a person only for as long as he is alive? For [instance] a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is loosed and discharged from the law concerning her husband. Accordingly, she will be held an adulteress if she unites herself to another man while her husband lives. But if her husband dies, the marriage law no longer is binding on her [she is free from that law]; and if she unites herself to another man, she is not an adulteress.
Likewise, my brethren, you have undergone death as to the Law through the [crucified] body of Christ, so that now you may belong to Another, to Him Who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. When we were living in the flesh (mere physical lives), the sinful passions that were awakened and aroused up by [what] the Law [makes sin] were constantly operating in our natural powers (in our bodily organs, in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh), so that we bore fruit for death. But now we are discharged from the Law and have terminated all intercourse with it, having died to what once restrained and held us captive. So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life].” ~Romans 7:1-6

I like that comparison. It says it so clearly.

We belong to someone else! Because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and the fact that we died with Him, we belong to Another- Jesus Christ.

When we died through Jesus Christ, we died to the law and we no longer have to act like our bodies tell us to or whatever our natural desires are…we are no longer in bondage to those desires, as if we have no control to keep ourselves from doing things we shouldn’t, and that part of us maybe doesn’t even want to do. We used to even produce death in our lives through these actions and attitudes. However, now, we don’t have to obey our own natural desires, but we can live obeying God. We can live by the Holy Spirit telling us what to do in newness of life. We’re not trapped in an old life; we have new life through Jesus Christ! We can bear fruit for God! =)

So, think about it. How does knowing that you don’t belong to what you used to be bound to change the way you think? How does knowing you belong to Another- Who really loves you- change the way you think?
You know something? When you change the way you think with what the Bible says, called renewing your mind, it affects how you act… and it affects all of your life. Change the way you think, the place where you make decisions, to fit with what God says about you and how He sees you, and you’ll find you act differently. So, instead of trying to force yourself to “fix” things in your life, start on the inside and let the change flow naturally out of you, as God works in your life.

Are you being followed?

Here’s another thought that goes along with the previous post. Check out this verse:

“Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.” Psalm 23:6

In the world we live in, there can be a lot of danger. Have you ever felt like someone was following you with harmful intentions? I don’t know about you, but I have. Really there wasn’t anyone there who wanted to harm me.

But think about this, “…goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life…” That sounds good to me! I have goodness following me! There is mercy following me! There is unfailing love following me!

Have you ever had a friend who said, “I’ve got your back.” That’s encouraging. It helps relieve some pressure from the situation. You know that you’re not alone, right? Well, goodness, mercy, and unfailing love have my back. How cool is that!

When we’re living for Jesus Christ, we can know that He has our back. Look at this:

“Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” Isaiah 58:8 (Amplified)

There is a comfort in knowing that GOD has your back. Also, goodness, mercy, and unfailing love are following you. As you go through your week, think about that. You are being followed, but it’s a very good thing!

Enemies?

I was thinking about this the other day. Take a look at this verse:

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.” Psalm 23:5

Many people have this Psalm memorized, but have you thought about this? “…in the presence of my enemies.” Well, I don’t know of any people who are my enemies. I don’t about you. For the guy who wrote this Psalm, there were real enemies who were seeking his life. For me, well who or what are my enemies?

So, I started thinking about this. My enemies are invisible to my natural eyes. My enemies are things like fear, doubt, and deception. Your enemies may be different.

“You prepare a table before me…” So, in the midst of these enemies, God has prepared a table for me- even in the presence of fear, doubt, and deception.

What are you enemies? Do you see the banquet that God has prepared for you, even in the presence of your enemies? He’s spread the table before you.

It kind of changes your perspective when you see God’s provision spread out before you.
Sure the enemies may still be there, but the focus doesn’t have to be on them. It’s like, “Come on, there’s a banquet in front of me! Everything I need is right there!”

I’m completely provided for. The answers to my questions are there on the table. The weapons I need to fight those enemies are on the table. The nourishment that I need is there. The peace I need is there. On and on it goes…

What do you need? Look at the table that God has spread before you in the midst of your enemies. Step up and enjoy. Through Jesus Christ we are victorious!

No human reason...

I read this today and it really spoke to my heart, I hope it helps you too.


“[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.” ~Romans 4:18-21 (Amp)


“When I am in a battle, knowing what God has promised but still experiencing attacks from doubt and unbelief, I like to meditate on Romans 4:18-21.

When God tells us something or asks us to do something, the faith to believe or do it comes with a word from God. It is ridiculous to think that God would expect us to do something without giving us the ability to believe we can do it. Satan knows how dangerous we are when our hearts are full of faith, so he attacks us with doubt and unbelief. It isn’t that we do not have faith; it is just that Satan tries to destroy our faith with lies.

…God places dreams and vision in the hearts of His people; they begin as little “seeds.” Just as a woman has a seed planted into her womb when she becomes pregnant, so we become “pregnant,” so to speak, with the things God speaks and promises. During the “pregnancy,” Satan works hard to try and get us to “abort” our dreams. One of the tools he uses is doubt; another is unbelief. Both of these work against the mind.

Faith is a product of the spirit; it is a spiritual force. The enemy does not want your mind to agree with your spirit. He knows that if God places in you the faith to do something, and you get positive and start consistently believing that you can actually do it, then you will do considerable damage on his kingdom.

I encourage you to be assured in your faith that God will follow through with what He has promised you by His Word. Get His promises into your mind; think about them; and let your faith increase.” ~Joyce Meyer, The Everyday Life Bible, p1809


Doubt and unbelief are our enemies. Another one of these enemies is fear. We cannot allow them to have control in our lives. Their goal is to keep us from fulfilling the destiny God has for our lives. It is not worth it to allow them to speak into our lives. Too much is at stake! It Is not only about me and my own life, or you and your own life; it is about possibly millions or billions of people who God has planned for you or I to influence by His power.

Did you notice that even though Abraham could see the facts that he and his wife were beyond childbearing years and he had no human reason to hope, his faith didn’t weaken? He didn’t doubt God’s promise but he was completely confident that God was big enough and strong enough to keep His word and do what He had promised. What an example for us!

We too can be completely confident in God- He will do what He has promised to do. Is there something that God has told you in His Word? You can stand on it. You can believe it. Follow Abraham’s example.

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” ~2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJ)

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” ~Luke 1:37 (NKJ)

There is no situation beyond God’s help. There is nothing too hard for God. Nothing.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” ~Deuteronomy 31:6 (Message)

Hang on!

“I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:1-5)

I cannot escape this idea of abiding in God…so this is a continuation. God keeps telling me to abide in Him. This is an excerpt from my journal that I believe could apply to you as well.

“Abide in Me and I in you- fruit just naturally come forth. You never see a grape being forced into existence- it all happens easily and naturally because of the connection between the vine and the branches. It’s not a difficult thing. Even so, when you just simply abide in Me and I in you things happen easily and naturally- without strain. So, don’t concern yourself with what others think and with pleasing them. Seek to please Me- obey and abide. If I tell you to let go of something, let Me prune it off and don’t try to hold onto it. This pruning will allow more fruit to come forth. If I graft something into you life, don’t resist it. Let My Spirit flow through you to bring life and fruit to that area as well. I know the amount you can handle and how to bring forth the most fruit. I desire fruit, in it My Father is glorified. So, abide in Me and let My words abide in you. Meditate on My words. Speak My words. Let them produce life in those around you, and in you. Abide and bring forth fruit. As simple at that. I have much for you to do, but you first must learn to abide in Me. Without that essential element, you won’t produce the fruit you and I desire.”