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What do you Treasure?

9/26/2016

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21

The verses above come immediately after Jesus' talk about the hypocritical ways of the Pharisees. He talked about their love of being seen doing good deeds, of praying in public and of their need to let everyone know they were fasting. When we take Matthew 6:1-34 in context, it is easy to see that Jesus' message to us is to place our trust in God alone. He is our treasure. Our relationship with Him should have more value to us than any other relationship we have. The Pharisees placed their importance on what the people saw them doing - good deeds, praying in public and fasting. They wanted the people to see how great they were. Their treasure was to receive admiration and praise from others. Their reputations were more important to them, than their relationship with God. So the verse above isn't just above money. It's about what we value most in this life - our jobs, our reputations, our appearance, our "things", our family or friends.

So how do we "lay up" treasures in heaven? What should those treasures look like? They should include time in the Word of God daily, because time spent reading God's Word is well-invested. Through His Word we get to know Him and our relationship grows and deepens. We learn how to abide in Him and in turn, through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, He abides in us and that is where our treasure should be.

If you have no time for Scripture, you have no time for God.
So what do you really treasure?

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The Real Meaning Behind Fasting

9/19/2016

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Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:16-18, NKJV

Did you ever wonder who the hypocrites were that Jesus was talking about or why he called them hypocrites? In most cases he was talking about the Pharisees. There were regular fast times (Leviticus 16:29-31) however, the Pharisees added two fast days that God did not command, Monday and Thursday of each week, as a case of public display and piety. Luke 18:9-14 even mentions these two days of fasting. The Pharisees regarded the practice of fasting as praiseworthy and appeared in the synagogues with sad looks on their faces and wearing mourning garb. They did this to make a point to the people that their “righteousness” and piety was far superior to everyone else.

Jesus said in response to the Pharisees actions to “anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting.” Fasting therefore, is a private issue between you and God. The only fast God commanded as a public display, was once a year on the Day of Atonement. People did fast privately, but it was between them and God. Such as when Jesus fasted when he was in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:1-11).

So why fast at all? What was the point of it? Did God answer the prayers of those who fasted more quickly than over those who did not? Was it some kind of "secret" that got God's attention quicker? For some people, yes it was. Just listen to what God says about those who fasted to gain something from Him.

"Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek Me daily,
And delight to know My ways,
As a nation that did righteousness,
And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice;
They take delight in approaching God.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’
“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And exploit all your laborers.
Indeed you fast for strife and debate,
And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.
Is it a fast that I have chosen,
A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
And an acceptable day to the Lord?

Isaiah 58:1-5, NKJV

When it gets right down to it, God sees the heart of everyone. He knows our motives before we even open our mouths or set out to do anything. The Israelites made a point of letting God know that they were a nation who obeyed His laws and took delight in approaching Him. They reminded God of "how great they were" and in the next breath, complained that they didn't get what they wanted after they "afflicted their souls" (fasted). Truly their hearts were not in the right place. They were like the Pharisee whom Jesus spoke of in Luke 18:9-14, who bragged to God about how great his deeds were and then expected God to honour him for them.

But what is true fasting all about? This is what God says fasting should look like:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:6-11, NKJV

Jesus carried this teaching through to his disciples. He wanted to see a change of character in those who followed him. He taught the need of purity and simplicity of motive in our fasting. Yes, there were times when fasting was needed (Mark 9:25-29) and yes, private fasts were observed by Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) and his disciples. Paul fasted to seek God's guidance (Acts 14:23). But true fasting is about putting the needs of others before your own - to feed the hungry, to house the poor, to clothe the naked, to help those less fortunate. If you can only afford one meal, then deny yourself and give that meal to a homeless person. That is true fasting. Denying oneself food for a day in order to elevate yourself spiritually has no value. The value comes when you truly deny yourself for the sake of another, not so that you can be edified, but so that someone else can be. That's true fasting and it falls in line in regard to what Jesus taught us about denying ourselves (Luke 9:23) and loving others (John 13:34).

Today is Monday Meditations – Please link your faith-based posts below.
Let's encourage one another. Don't forget to visit those who post.

An InLinkz Link-up

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How Jesus Taught Us to Pray

9/12/2016

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Jesus praying in Gethsemane depicted by Heinrich Hofmann

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV

Continuing on with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we now come to the most famous prayer in the Bible - The Lord's Prayer. Jesus has just explained that we are not to be like the hypocrites who make a great show of the fact they are praying to God (Matthew 6:5) and encourages us to pray to God privately. While there are many examples of how Jesus prayed (Matthew 26:39), when he prayed (Mark1:35), what he prayed about and whom he prayed for (John 17), the Lord's Prayer gives us a template for the correct way to approach God and what our prayers should look like.

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed by Thy Name

This opening line shows us how to approach God. The "Our Father" reminds us that God is our Creator, Provider and Protector. That He resides in heaven reminds us that He is King of the Universe. This opening line then, immediately puts us in the proper frame of mind as we come to the Lord in reverence, trust and adoration, with the declaration that His name is Holy or Hallowed. Too often we jump into prayer without taking that first step of humbling ourselves before Him and acknowledging His greatness.

Your Kingdom Come

Our first example of what to pray for comes immediately after acknowledging God's Sovereignty. We are to pray that His Kingdom will Come. What does that mean exactly? It is answered in the next verse.

Your Will be Done on Earth, as it is in Heaven

For God's kingdom to come, we must pray that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, we must pray that the world would recognize God's authority and supremacy, so that His will is carried out on earth the same way it is carried out in Heaven. When I get to this part of the prayer I pray for my friends, family and leaders in government, that God's will be done in their lives on earth, thus furthering His kingdom.

Give us this Day our Daily Bread

We then ask for whatever it is we need for the day. We make our requests known to Him.

And Forgive us our Debts, as we Forgive our Debtors

When we ask the Lord to forgive us our "debts" we are not asking Him to gloss over unpaid loans at the bank. "Debts" in this case, is a metaphor for sin as a "debt," because it demands atonement or reparation. Therefore, we also forgive our "debtors," those who sin against us, because we are all guilty of sin and all of us are in need of forgiveness. It would be hypocritical of us to ask for God's forgiveness of our sins, if we cannot forgive those who have sinned against us.

And do not Lead us into Temptation,
But Deliver us from Evil

Does God lead us into temptation to sin? Certainly not! James 1:13, confirms this. So what does this verse mean? There are two meanings behind this verse. In Greek, the word for temptation is peirasmos and means to try, test, prove, or undergo a trial. However, it also means exactly what it says - temptation - an enticement to sin and sometimes that is, in and of itself, a trial. Scripture reminds us that trials (or temptations) are for our benefit.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12, NKJV)

So here we are essentially asking God to keep us strong when tempted or tested and to deliver us from falling into sin. Again, it is not God who tests or tempts us, but He does allow us to go through these trials so that we can strengthen our faith in Him and grow more and more into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power
and the Glory Forever. Amen.

We close our prayer through praise and adoration of God. Reminding us that He is King and He is in control. We can take comfort in that because no matter how crazy this world gets, no matter how horrible mankind can become as they sink into new depths of depravity, letting sin guide them - our God is still in control. He has a plan and it will be carried out. He will return and His Kingdom will come. That is our hope and it is our future. Making this prayer the perfect model template for reminding us that our God is Holy, Our Father and our King.

Today is Monday Meditations – Please link your faith-based posts below.
Let's encourage one another. Don't forget to visit those who post.

An InLinkz Link-up

0 Comments

​Unlocking God's Word

What do you Treasure?

If you have no time for Scripture, you have no time for God. So what do you really treasure?

The Real Meaning Behind Fasting

How Jesus Taught Us to Pray

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed by Thy Name

Your Kingdom Come

Your Will be Done on Earth, as it is in Heaven

Give us this Day our Daily Bread

And Forgive us our Debts, as we Forgive our Debtors

And do not Lead us into Temptation, But Deliver us from Evil

For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever. Amen.

Archives

Unlocking God's Word

If you have no time for Scripture, you have no time for God.
So what do you really treasure?

And do not Lead us into Temptation,
But Deliver us from Evil

For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power
and the Glory Forever. Amen.