So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. – Matthew 5:23,24
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:13
Why is that we don’t believe? When our hearts are hurt, we run, we hide, we push others away, but we don’t believe. God has called us to forgive. God has called us to love. God has called us to love even in the hardships and the hurts and when we are sinned against. He has called us to love when love is not returned. He has called us to love our enemies. He has called us to this, not because we are capable of loving or bearing the hurt and pain and suffering, but because He is our refuge and He knows our hurt and pain and our broken heart. And He knows what it takes to heal our hearts. It takes being near Him and making Him our refuge. When we push others away and choose not to forgive, we disobey God, who has called us to grow in love, and we run away from trusting God to be our shelter in the pain. We cannot fully heal till we have forgiven. And even in those situations where it seems impossible to forgive, there is a God full of compassion, who longs to walk along side with us, who longs to hold us and to be with us and to give us the strength to live. We can live our lives seeking to protect ourselves or we can allow God to protect us to be our shelter. So do we believe? Our we willing to trust, and to love, and to forgive?
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." – Matthew 18
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. – Luke 6
Read this : Love is worth fighting for
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Scripture verses - trust when afraid
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
--Psalm 62:8
--1 Peter 5:6,7
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
--Philippians 4:6,7
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
--Luke 12:32
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
--Matthew 6
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
--Isaiah 41:10
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Christianity is not exclusive
“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’”
“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Some have said that Christianity is exclusive. I don’t believe this. . .
Christ asked for another way. Jesus asked God, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me”. Christ was in agony as he prayed, so much so that He sweated blood. If there was another way, he wanted it. And if it were possible, it would have been done, for Christ's prayer would have been answered, by a Father who loved his Son. Christ went to the cross and experienced God’s wrath because it was the only way to bring about our salvation. There was no other option. Our salvation was bought at a great price. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God loved us and did what it took to save us by paying a high price, the only price, He gave His Son, so that whoever believes in Christ should not perish but have eternal life.
Yes, Christianity does say that only those who are in Christ will be saved and those outside of Christ will experience everlasting torment. But this is not exclusive. The calling is not exclusive, it is for everyone who comes. What should be said is that it is the only way and the greatest way for the salvation of mankind. and instead of being exclusive, it is God making a way for anyone and everyone who believes in Christ. His arms are open wide and He calls out, “Come”. And anyone who hears His voice and does come is accepted.
“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Some have said that Christianity is exclusive. I don’t believe this. . .
Christ asked for another way. Jesus asked God, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me”. Christ was in agony as he prayed, so much so that He sweated blood. If there was another way, he wanted it. And if it were possible, it would have been done, for Christ's prayer would have been answered, by a Father who loved his Son. Christ went to the cross and experienced God’s wrath because it was the only way to bring about our salvation. There was no other option. Our salvation was bought at a great price. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God loved us and did what it took to save us by paying a high price, the only price, He gave His Son, so that whoever believes in Christ should not perish but have eternal life.
Yes, Christianity does say that only those who are in Christ will be saved and those outside of Christ will experience everlasting torment. But this is not exclusive. The calling is not exclusive, it is for everyone who comes. What should be said is that it is the only way and the greatest way for the salvation of mankind. and instead of being exclusive, it is God making a way for anyone and everyone who believes in Christ. His arms are open wide and He calls out, “Come”. And anyone who hears His voice and does come is accepted.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Strong Tower
IV. Its effect on our lives
Day 6
We have seen that Christ saves us and sanctifies us. So how do we respond?. . . By faith.
Psalm 121
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in."
We do not look to ourselves for anything. We look to God for everything.
Where is your faith?
Who do you depend on to live the Christian walk, to keep your going out and your coming in, to keep your life?
Who do depend on to fight sin, to minister, to fight the fight of the faith?
Do you believe that He is your strong tower?
Additional readings: Psalms (all of them) J, The Psalms are a good place to learn about faith.
Video – You are my strong tower
Matthew 8:23-27
"And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?""
Day 6
We have seen that Christ saves us and sanctifies us. So how do we respond?. . . By faith.
Psalm 121
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in."
We do not look to ourselves for anything. We look to God for everything.
Where is your faith?
Who do you depend on to live the Christian walk, to keep your going out and your coming in, to keep your life?
Who do depend on to fight sin, to minister, to fight the fight of the faith?
Do you believe that He is your strong tower?
Additional readings: Psalms (all of them) J, The Psalms are a good place to learn about faith.
Video – You are my strong tower
Matthew 8:23-27
"And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?""
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Christmas
Merry Christmas
I wrote this from thinking about the holidays and how I have to go to a family where Christ is not celebrated or is wanted. And I know many of us are in similar situations. I also wrote this just because of life in general and from my experiences with ministering to others. I hope this brings some encouragement to hold on to the vision that the Lord has laid before us:
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” . . . In a whisper, God was on the move. . .
God came into the world . . . in the mundane and in the midst of glory. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” (Matthew 1:23). “And she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:7). This babe, God in flesh, did not come into comfort or safety, but instead He chose not to be sheltered from the reality of this world and to became acquainted with sorrows, grief, and suffering. In His life, He did not turn His head from these things, but went to those who were broken hearted, hurting, blind, sick, and in bondage.
This gives me hope in this world where we preach the glory of the Kingdom, in the midst of a fallen and ugly world; a world that, at least for my part, most of the time does not make sense, a place where we are not protected from the reality of life. There are hard family situations, hard friendships, and hard circumstances. We witness to people whose hearts seem so hardened and darkened and held captive by sin. We walk with people through addictions. We persevere in prayer for those in bondage. We suffer with those who suffer. And we see the sickness of this world.
Our place in this world is as our Lord’s was, not in greatness or comfort, but in the poverty of laying our lives down for the gospel. As the scripture says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8
I do not know about you, but I need a gospel like this that meets the gates of hell, that meets the world as it is and does not put any façade on it. It is a comfort to know that we have a gospel, and a Lord, that does not hide from the reality of this world but is able to touch the brokenness, hurt, bondage, and suffering. And in this we can cry out, “He is with me. He is with me.”
This does not mean that there is not beauty and joy. At Christ’s birth, glory came to earth. Let us not forget, that in the midst of the manger was a King, so beautiful. Whose heart would not be gripped with tears at the site; it stirred angels to sing? The manger makes it all the more beautiful, not less so. In its meeting the world in reality, it presents a beauty that is real and relevant. It is not so lofty that it cannot be reached, but instead comes down to reach us. It is this beauty and joy that He presents in us as we give the gospel to others. So let us not look for comfort or safety, but let us pursue beauty and love and truth and a vision and a dream bigger than our own: something that is real.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
I wrote this from thinking about the holidays and how I have to go to a family where Christ is not celebrated or is wanted. And I know many of us are in similar situations. I also wrote this just because of life in general and from my experiences with ministering to others. I hope this brings some encouragement to hold on to the vision that the Lord has laid before us:
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” . . . In a whisper, God was on the move. . .
God came into the world . . . in the mundane and in the midst of glory. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” (Matthew 1:23). “And she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:7). This babe, God in flesh, did not come into comfort or safety, but instead He chose not to be sheltered from the reality of this world and to became acquainted with sorrows, grief, and suffering. In His life, He did not turn His head from these things, but went to those who were broken hearted, hurting, blind, sick, and in bondage.
This gives me hope in this world where we preach the glory of the Kingdom, in the midst of a fallen and ugly world; a world that, at least for my part, most of the time does not make sense, a place where we are not protected from the reality of life. There are hard family situations, hard friendships, and hard circumstances. We witness to people whose hearts seem so hardened and darkened and held captive by sin. We walk with people through addictions. We persevere in prayer for those in bondage. We suffer with those who suffer. And we see the sickness of this world.
Our place in this world is as our Lord’s was, not in greatness or comfort, but in the poverty of laying our lives down for the gospel. As the scripture says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8
I do not know about you, but I need a gospel like this that meets the gates of hell, that meets the world as it is and does not put any façade on it. It is a comfort to know that we have a gospel, and a Lord, that does not hide from the reality of this world but is able to touch the brokenness, hurt, bondage, and suffering. And in this we can cry out, “He is with me. He is with me.”
This does not mean that there is not beauty and joy. At Christ’s birth, glory came to earth. Let us not forget, that in the midst of the manger was a King, so beautiful. Whose heart would not be gripped with tears at the site; it stirred angels to sing? The manger makes it all the more beautiful, not less so. In its meeting the world in reality, it presents a beauty that is real and relevant. It is not so lofty that it cannot be reached, but instead comes down to reach us. It is this beauty and joy that He presents in us as we give the gospel to others. So let us not look for comfort or safety, but let us pursue beauty and love and truth and a vision and a dream bigger than our own: something that is real.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Thursday, October 11, 2007
"As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yeilds, in one case a hundred fold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." --Matthew 13:1-23
This parable gives me much hope for the hard hearted and those who seem to be distracted by this world. It gives me a confidence to preach the Gospel. The reason I have hope is that there is good soil. Soil is made good by being worked on by the Farmer. The soil is broken of its hardness, the rocky ground is cleared, and the weeds are taken out. It gives me hope because God can take a hard, rocky, weedy heart and prepare it for the Gospel. And when the soil is good, the Gospel will bear fruit. The scripture says that He can take a heart of stone and make it flesh. God's work on a man's heart is effective. And so I do not loose hope in preaching the Gospel, for I know that it has the power to penetrate men's hearts.
This parable gives me much hope for the hard hearted and those who seem to be distracted by this world. It gives me a confidence to preach the Gospel. The reason I have hope is that there is good soil. Soil is made good by being worked on by the Farmer. The soil is broken of its hardness, the rocky ground is cleared, and the weeds are taken out. It gives me hope because God can take a hard, rocky, weedy heart and prepare it for the Gospel. And when the soil is good, the Gospel will bear fruit. The scripture says that He can take a heart of stone and make it flesh. God's work on a man's heart is effective. And so I do not loose hope in preaching the Gospel, for I know that it has the power to penetrate men's hearts.
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