What we think is as important as what we do

Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount about our thoughts and attitudes. The Jews knew it was wrong to kill someone, but they didn't think it was wrong to be angry with another.
Matthew 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
In this lesson, Jesus taught them that not only were their words and action regulated by law, but their thoughts were also. He taught that holding a grudge or wishing someone harm was just as bad as hurting them. This is because what we think inspires what we do.
Matthew 15:18-19 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Genesis 6:5 says God destroyed the earth in the flood because every thought the people had was evil. But how can we control what we think? Sometimes, anger, jealousy, envy, etc come to our hearts unbidden. What we must do is recognize them and force ourselves to think differently. When we are mad, we must think calmly. When we are jealous, we must put ourselves in their shoes. We cannot nurse a grudge, or we will be punished ourselves

Memory Work
Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
Proverbs. 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

The Faithful and Wise Servant

Luke 12:35-40 "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning. Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the marriage feast; that, when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most assuredly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them. They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him."
Serving Christ is not optional in the Christian life. Not that salvation is performance-based. We neither gain nor lose salvation based upon our performance. But rather we reveal the quality of our faith by our behavior. If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord, then we will treat him that way. By faith we take on the role of servants, for that is what we are. The role of servant today is better illustrated by a position in the military, as opposed to simply being an employee. It's a 24 hour job and at any time you may face judgement from your commanding officer. You may even be asked to give up your own life.
Employees expect to get paid for their work. But God is not obligated to reward us for good service. For we are slaves to Christ, bought with the price of his blood. We serve because that is our purpose given to us by the Creator. Nonetheless, because He is gracious, he does indeed reward us for our service. But it is not impersonal like paying a salary, but rather out of genuine appreciation for our services. There are those who have the mentality of "What do I get out of it?" They only serve if they see something in it for them. Jesus does encourage such people to serve by pointing out these rewards, but as one matures in Christ, service is seen more as a priviledge rather than simply a means to personal gain.
The illustration of the thief may seem quite in contrast to the master returning. But what he is trying to get at is the element of surprise. It is not that Jesus comes to steal something. There are those who think that Jesus tip-toes in through the window to secretly rapture believers away. But this doens't fit the context. For then the believers would welcome such a thief in to be raptured away. Thieves don't generally break in to steal the owner of the house. And the servants are put in the role of the owner by proxy. The thief in the night illustration is not necessarily one of secretiveness, but one of surprise. Jesus' return is spoken in the New Testament as a single dramatic event, which will not be in secret.

You are the light of the world

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Our Savior Jesus Christ tells us in that we are the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world"—we who are also the weak and the foolish of this world. Mentally, when we hear such praises from God, some of us look both ways and behind, and say, "He must be talking about someone else." We struggle to overcome, and we feel we are always "a day late and a dollar short." Though we wish with all our heart that we were more like God, His image in us seems all the more elusive.
But Jesus did not lie in saying these things. As salt gives food a rich, pleasant taste, we are those who are to give a good flavor to the lives of those we encounter. There should be something in our conduct that shows the fruit of the life to which God has called us.
He goes on to say that, if we are not "radiating with flavor"—reflecting the teachings of God in our lives—what use are we, especially to God Himself? Salt without flavor has no use, and it can even be detrimental to the things it comes in contact with. Maybe its best use is to be put on icy roads, to be ground under the tires of vehicles and then washed away.
In Christ's other metaphor, light illuminates what was once dark; it reveals things that were hidden. Though we may be poor, considered old and over the hill, uneducated and obscure, when we live our lives as He instructs, we are a brilliant beacon to this tired and confused world. Our lives can shine a spotlight on the solutions to many common problems experienced by our friends and neighbors.
Jesus points out that we should not hide our light under a basket, but live it in the open for all to see. We can set a proper example of the abundant way to live. We should give everyone we meet the light of our loving concern, the light of our honesty, the light of joy and peace, the light of godly family relations, the light of good work habits, and all the other rays of light contained in God's way.
In doing this, we will initially bring attention upon ourselves, and this may at times become uncomfortable. Righteousness has an uncanny tendency to bring out the worst in carnal human beings. Ultimately, however, we will glorify God the Father and His Son by it, promoting the cause of the Kingdom of God.

We glorify the Father by bearing the fruit of the Spirit and doing good works, by correctly praising and honoring Him, and by being led to worship Him properly in obedience. We provide a witness to the world when they see in our lives the excellence of God's way and the power and purity of the truth.

The Two Sons

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he didn’t go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

Discussion Questions
Do you have examples from you own life where someone has agreed with you verbally, but only to be "polite" or for whatever reason, but is reality disagreed with you?
What are possible reasons the son didn't do his father's will after agreeing to do it?
Why today do people call Jesus Lord but not do his will?
The ones who simply call Jesus Lord, but not do his will, have they entered his kingdom?
What about those who denied Jesus in the past, but now obey him?

Comments

Jesus was responding to the religious authorities who questioned his own authority to minister. These religious authorities were like the son who said yes, but didn't actually do the Father's will. Notice that the second son "respectably" answer "Sir, I'll go". But true respect is not seen in word alone, but by obedience. There are many such people even in the Christian community, who while reckoning themselves to be religious and question the validity of the ministry of others, don't seriously question whether they themselves are actually doing what God wants them to do. These behave as obedient sons in name only and are likened to those Jesus had spoken of :
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Mt 7:21And so he asks:
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"Lu 6:46In their repenting, the tax collectors and prostitutes were doing God's will. But the religious leaders didn't repond to Jesus nor John the Baptist properly. While thinking of themselves as good, they lacked the necessary humility to respond in repentance. And furthermore their faith was not application oriented, but simply verbal. Even today there are whole churches that don't do much more than make alot of noise. With loud voices they proclaim their love of God, but their behavior may say otherwise.

Jesus: A Short Story

Introduction
So what is the story of Jesus? The story doesn't begin with his birth, and it doesn't end with his death. It begins before the creation of the universe, and it ends after it ceases to exist. His life, death, and resurrection are part of a plan he helped architect.
Being at the right hand of God the Father, he helped to form the world. He was there when God created Adam and Eve. He was there when Adam and Eve walked in communion with God in the Garden.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command not to eat of the forbidden fruit, sin entered the world, and man deserved to die. However, God did not want man to die, and began a plan to rescue man from his sin. His plan became a promise when He made a covenant with Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel. His promise was fulfilled with the birth of a Messiah, the one who would save all people from their sins. His name was Jesus, the Christ, the one foretold by the prophets of Israel, God's chosen nation.
Jesus' Life
Conceived by the Holy Spirit within a virgin woman named Mary, Jesus was born in a barn, a far cry from the Mighty King that Israel was hoping would save them from their Roman conquerors. Aside from many miracles concerning his birth and early childhood, Jesus' life went almost unnoticed until the age of 30. At that time, John the Baptist was proclaiming that people turn from their sins and be baptized with water, a sign of purification, because the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. Regarded as a prophet of God, many people followed John.
When Jesus went to be baptized, John recognized him as the Christ he had been speaking of, the one who's shoes he was unworthy to untie. A dove landed on Jesus, and a voice from Heaven said, "This is my son, of whom I am well pleased."
After that, Jesus began to teach and heal, and perform many miracles. His reputation spread widely, and people began to flock to him. The religious rulers were furious. At every moment, they looked for a time to trap him, to accuse him of something he said. So Jesus spoke in parables, so that his followers would understand, and those against him would be confused. At such times, Jesus refers to himself in these parables as the "Son of Man". However, when religious pharisees and the teachers of the law understood that he was comparing himself to the Son of God, they plotted to kill him.
Meanwhile, the crowds of Jerusalem were planning to make him king. A week before the Passover, they paraded Jesus into Jerusalem on a colt, spreading clothing and palm branches on the ground in front of him, paying him honor. Little did they know that in only a week, they would be shouting, "Crucify him!"
The following Thursday, Jesus had his last supper with his disciples, during which time he warned them that he would be betrayed. He took bread and broke it, telling them, "do this in remembrance of me." He also gave them wine, saying, "this is my blood shed for you." (This is where the tradition of communion started.) That night, while he was praying with three of his disciples in a garden, an army of soldiers came to arrest him.
Jesus was tried in front of the ruling Jewish body, and found guilty of blasphemy, claiming to be God. The following day, he was brought to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. He was charged by the chief priest and elders with insurrection, which is punishable by death. It was Pilate's custom to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd during the Passover Feast. Since Pilate could find no guilt in him, he offered to free Jesus. However, the leaders of the Jews persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
After Pilate washed his hands in front of the crowd, claiming no responsibility, Jesus was crucified on a cross. Above his head hung the inscription "Here is Jesus, King of the Jews", much to the chagrin of the Jewish leaders.
When Jesus died, the sky was turned as black as night, though it was mid-day. A huge earthquake tore the curtain in the temple. The curtain separated the rest of the temple from the Holy of Holies, and only the high priest was allowed to go there to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. The tearing of the curtain was a sign that Jesus had assumed the role of our high priest, having performed the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, through his death on the cross.
Since the prophets had told that the Messiah would rise again after three days, the Jews had the governor post armed soldiers outside the tomb where Jesus lay. In addition, they sealed the tomb with a huge boulder in front of the entrance, in case his disciples decided to steal his body.
On the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus, went to the tomb to anoint his decaying body with spices. When she arrived at the tomb, she found the stone rolled away. Fearing that somebody had stolen his body, she ran back to the disciples. When several of the disciples arrived at the tomb, they went inside and saw Jesus' burial clothes folded where Jesus had laid. They went away believing, for they did not understand before what Jesus had meant when he spoke of his death and resurrection.
When the disciples had left, Mary looked into the tomb and saw two angels in white, one at the foot and one at the head of where Jesus had laid. Turning around, she saw Jesus standing there, although she didn't recognize him. Thinking he was the gardener, she asked where they had put Jesus' body. Jesus said to her, "Mary," and immediately she recognized him. She quickly ran to tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord.
After this, Jesus appeared to the disciples many times before he was taken back up into heaven. But before he left, he made a promise to his disciples: they would receive power from the Holy Spirit, which he would send to them when he left. They would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. As they gazed into the sky, two angels stood beside them and asked, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Coming of the Holy Spirit
When the day of Pentecost came, the disciples were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were God-fearing Jews, from every nation, gathered in Jerusalem. So Peter and the other disciples addressed the crowd about the death and resurrection of Jesus. The crowd was amazed to hear the disciples speak in their own languages, and they were cut to the heart by their message. Those who accepted Peter's message were baptized, and about 3,000 became believers that day.
Jesus did many other things as well. Quoting the last verses of John, "If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." I have done my best to share with you the highlights of his life. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell a more complete story or Jesus' life.
Conclusion: Personal Invitation
It is this Jesus that gives us salvation. He has died for our sins, and bridged the gap between God and man. He lives in the Christian's heart, and gives peace and joy, and assurance of eternal life, through the presence of his Holy Spirit.
To accept Jesus into your life, you must admit that you are sinful, understand that Jesus died for those sins, and that you need to change.

The Tree and its Fruits

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.
Meditation: What do grapes, thorns, figs, and thistles have to teach us about the kingdom of God? The imagery used by Jesus would have been very familiar to his audience. A certain thornbush had berries which resembled grapes. And a certain thistle had a flower, which at least from a distance, resembled the fig. Isn't it the same today? What we "hear" might have a resemblance of the truth, but, in fact, when you inspect it closely, it's actually false. False prophets or teachers abound today as much as they did in biblical times. What's the test of a true or false teacher? Jesus connects soundness with good fruit. Something is sound when it is free from defect, decay, or disease and is healthy. Good fruit is the result of sound living — living according to moral truth and upright character. The prophet Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). The fruits of falsehood produce an easy religion which takes the iron out of religion, the cross out of Christianity, and any teaching which eliminates the hard sayings of Jesus, and which push the judgments of God into the background and makes us think lightly of sin. How do we avoid falsehood? By being true — true to God, his word, and his grace. And that takes character! Those who are true to God know that their strength lies not in themselves but in God who supplies what we need. The fruit of a disciple is marked by faith, hope and love, justice, prudence, fortitude and temperance. Do you cultivate good fruit in your life and reject whatever produces bad fruit?
"Lord, may I bear good fruit for your sake. Help me to reject whatever will produce evil fruit. And help me grow in faith, hope, love, sound judgment, justice, courage, and self control."

God's Word- Our Lifestyle

How do we make God's Word our lifestyle? By applying God's Word to our lives! How do we apply God's Word to our lives?
Let's look at Romans 12: 1-3 to find out how.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Now....How do we apply God's Word to our lives?
1. We are to present our bodies a living sacrifice. How do we do that?
When we present something to someone we are literally saying, "Take this. It's yours. Do what you want with it." This is what we are to do with God.
When we give our lives to God we die to sin and come alive to Him- totally, completely, and whole-heartedly! We need to say, "God here is my life. Take it. It's Yours. From now on I am dead to sin and alive to You. Take my life and do what You want with it. Help me to live according to Your Word."
Everything we say and do should glorify God! Our plans for the future, our goals, and our ambitions need to line up with the Word of God and His Will for our lives for us to be pleasing and acceptable to Him.
2. This verse also says to be holy.
One way we can do that is to be separated from sin and all evil. God's Word even says not to put yourself in a situation where it looks like you are doing something evil. To be holy we have to be dedicated to God and His Will for our lives.
To be acceptable to God we have to give our lives to God and we have to be dedicated to doing His Will for our lives. We need to possess a great passion and desire to live a life of holiness and purity to God. To do this we have to separate ourselves from the world and draw closer and closer to God every day.
3. Do not be conformed to this world.
If you look like the world, act like the world, smell like the world, talk like the world, and dress like the world why would anyone want to be a Christian? If they don't see anything different about you than people of the world, how can you show them that being a Christian is better than living the way the world does?
4. Be ye transformed.
Stop going around trying to "fit in" by dressing like others. Stop trying to "fit in" by smoking. Stop trying to "fit in" by acting the way people of the world do. Stop trying to "fit in" by the way you either laugh at dirty jokes or even tell them. We are not to "fit in" we need to live the difference Jesus makes in our lives!
We must take a stand against the things of this world. This world we live in is full of evil. We have to live in this world but we don't have to partake in the evil that is so prevalent in this world. We need to refuse to yield to the various types of evil out there in this world.
There is so much evil out there that we are constantly surrounded by, greed, selfishness, envy. hate, filthy language, ungodly entertainment, drugs, alcohol, and sexual impurity just to name a few. We are to hate all these things and again TAKE A STAND AGAINST THEM! As Christians we need to, "JUST SAY NO!" to all these things.
Our minds need to be transformed from our humanistic way of thinking to God's Divine way of thinking. How is this done? By reading and meditating on the Word of God!
5. Renew your mind
How do you renew your mind? By the Word of God! We need to read and study God's Word DAILY! We need to fill our minds with God's Word on a daily basis. When we renew our minds with the Word we will see God's Will for our lives. Everything we need to know is in the Word. God's Word has transforming power to transform our lives no matter what our circumstances are. Do you see how important the Word of God is to our lives?
Did you know that what you dwell on or think about is what rules your life? Well it does! When you think about something long enough you give in to that thought whether it is good or bad. So we MUST guard what goes into our mind diligently. The only way to do that is to fill your mind with the Word of God.
What do we dwell on or think about day in and day out? Do we think about the races? Do we think about the stock market? Do we think about what others think about us? Do we think about what they expect out of us? Do we think about everything but God?
What about God? Where does He fit in at in our thoughts? Do we think every day about what God expects of us? Do we think about the good things of God? Do we meditate on the Word of God?
If we fill our minds with the Word what comes out will be pleasing and acceptable to God. The Word will come out in our actions, in our words, the places we go, etc.
Meditating on the Word of God and applying God's Word to our lives is what will transform us into the person God wants us to be. When our lives are transformed and our minds renewed to be what God wants then we can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
6. Not to think more of yourself than you ought to.
We have got to get rid of PRIDE! Not one of us here is any better than anyone else! God loves us all equally. He doesn't love you any more than He does me and He doesn't love me any more than He does you! That is a lot of people's problem they get to thinking "I am doing this and I am doing that" when it is GOD doing those things. But they get self in the way and that is when they fall. God's Word says pride cometh before a destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
God has given us all the same opportunity and the same saving faith. We should not boast or brag about what WE have done. We should brag about GOD!
So in closing it is important that you get this into your spirit....God's Word is to be our lifestyle!
If we present our bodies a living sacrifice to God, strive to be holy, not be conformed to this world, be transformed or changed, renew our minds with God's Word, and get rid of pride we can live the lifestyle God wants us to live as His children.

Our Merciful Father in Heaven

Luke 11:13 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" In these words, our gracious Father who is in heaven, permits us to decide an important point by the conviction of our own consciences. He appeals to our feelings as parents, in order to encourage our hope, and enliven our confidence. "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?" (Luke 11:11). If a hungry child come to a father, saying, "Father, I am starving for want, give me bread to eat;" would the father (unless he were worse than a brute) give his child a stone, to mock him? "Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion," to destroy him? Certainly not. "How much more shall your heavenly Father," whose affection for His poor sinful children is so infinitely superior to yours for the offspring of your bodies, "give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

I am a poor, ignorant sinner. I want to know myself as a sinner before God, and as exposed to His just indignation. I want to know Jesus Christ as a Saviour to my poor soul; for to know Him is life eternal. But this saving knowledge I can only derive from divine teaching. God has promised His Holy Spirit, to lead the poor ignorant sinner, that feels his ignorance (for that is the point), into all truth necessary for his comfort and salvation. "O Lord, let Thy Holy Spirit be my teacher."I am a poor helpless sinner. I find I have no power to believe on the Son of God. Yet faith in Him is essential to salvation. My conscience is distressed on account of my sins. I want to "know him, and the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10). But I can no more believe, by any mere exertion of my own powers, than I can make a world. God has promised His Holy Spirit, to create faith in the heart of every humble suppliant. "O Lord, help me to believe, to the peace of my conscience, the joy of my heart, the sanctification of my nature, the salvation of my soul, and the eternal glory of Thy Name."God giveth His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. We can do no good, we can do nothing but sin, and so destroy ourselves, without His special assistance. Do you feel you want it? And do want and absolute necessity drive you to a throne of grace for this comprehensive blessing? Do you ask as a hungry child asks his father for bread? Are you sensible of your ignorance, so as earnestly to seek His divine teaching; and of your helpless state, so as to ask help of God? "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). Consider, God cannot break His Word. If you have asked without receiving, it is because you did not ask in earnest. You do not feel your want. Ask of God to give you to feel your wants, and then He will supply them; ask Him to teach you to pray. Come to Him as a poor, ignorant, helpless child, for "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3).

"Lord, give unto us this childlike spirit."

THIS IS HOW WE MISS OUT SOMETHING CALLED 'LIFE'

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.

QUESTIONS: 1. What were the five words?

2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWER: The husband just said ' I am with you Darling'. The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' . Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think. MORAL OF THE STORY:

This story is really worth reading. ..... Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know.

By this way we miss out something called L.I.F.E

Choosing Our Master

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and man. "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 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? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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 men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." (Matthew 6:24-34)
Meditation: What does "serving two masters" and "anxiety" have in common? They both have the same root problem -- being divided within oneself. The root word for "anxiety" literally means "being of two minds". An anxious person is often "tossed to and fro" and paralyzed by indecision. Fear of some bad outcome usually cripples those afflicted with anxiety. It's also the case with someone who wants to submit to God but also live according to the world's standards of success and fulfillment. Who is the master in charge of your life? Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things -- the love of money or possessions, the power of position, the glamor of wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth or possessions" or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires". There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from the slavery of sin and fear. That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus uses the illustration of nature — the birds and the flowers — to show how God provides for them in the natural order of his creation. How much more can we, as his children, rely upon God's providential care? God is utterly reliable. In the Lord's Prayer we are reminded that God is our provider when we pray: Give us this day our daily bread. What is bread, but the very staple of life and symbol of all that we need to live and grow. Anxiety is neither helpful nor necessary. It robs us of faith and confidence in God's help and it saps our energy for doing good. Jesus admonishes his followers to put away anxiety and preoccupation with material things and instead to seek first the things of God — his kingdom and righteousness. Anxiety robs the heart of trust in the mercy and goodness of God and in his loving care for us. God knows our needs even before we ask and he gives generously to those who trust in him. Who is your master -- God or mammon?
"Lord, free me from needless worries and help me to put my trust in you. Make my first concern your kingdom and your righteousness. Help me to live each day with trust and gratitude for your providential care for me".

Love your enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father In heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father In heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV)
We are not at war, so we don’t have enemies. But we have people who in their word or action: Abuse us, Bully us , Are contemptuous of us, Use us despitefully, Envy us, Harm us, Malign us, Persecute us, Spiteful to us, Threaten us, Wound us.
These people can be considered as our enemies.
What do we do with them? Our natural self is:
To retaliate in kind
To hit back with “a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye.”
To seek revenge
To look for an opportunity to do them more harm
But Jesus Christ instructs the Christians to “Love your enemies” and what He teaches can be done. He doesn’t instruct the impossible! It is a definition of what the attitude of the Christian should be towards other people.

What does this mean? The first thing, of necessity, is that our treatment of others must never depend upon what they are, or upon what they do to us. It must be entirely controlled and governed by our view of them and of their condition. Clearly that is the principle which He enunciates. There are people who are evil, foul and unjust; nevertheless God sends rain upon them and causes the sun to shine upon them. Their crops are fructified like the crops of the good man; they have certain benefits in life, and experience what is called ‘common grace’. God does not bless only the efforts of the Christian farmer; no, at the same time He blesses the efforts of the unjust, the evil, the unrighteous farmer. That is a common experience. How does He do so? The answer must be that God is not dealing with them according to what they are or according to what they do to Him. What is it, if one may ask such a question with reverence, that governs God’s attitude to them? The answer is that He is governed by His own love which is absolutely disinterested (unconditional). In other words, it does not depend upon anything that is in us, it is in spite of us. ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ What made Him do it? Was it something loving, or lovely, or lovable in us or in the world? Was it something that stimulated the eternal heart of love? Nothing whatsoever. It was entirely and altogether in spite of us. What moved God was His own eternal heart of love unmoved by anything outside itself. It generates its own movement and activity---an utterly disinterested (unconditional) love.

This is a tremendously important principle, because according to our Lord that is the kind of love that we are to have, and the love that we are to manifest with respect to others. The whole secret of living this kind of life is that man should be utterly detached. He must be detached from others in the sense that his behaviour is not governed by what they do. But still more important, he should be detached from himself, for until a man is detached from himself he will never be detached from what others do to that self. As long as a man is living for himself, he is sensitive, watchful and jealous; he is envious and is therefore always reacting immediately to what others do. He is in intimate contact with them. The only way to detach yourself from what others do to you is that you first of all detach yourself from yourself. That is the principle.

Secondly: ‘Do good to them that hate you’, which means benevolent actions for spiteful actions. When somebody has been really spiteful and cruel to us we must not be the same to them. Rather we must respond with actions of benevolence. Though that farmer may hate God, and is unjust, and is a sinner, and has rebelled against Him, God causes His sun to shine upon him and sends the rain that is going to fructify the crops. Benevolent actions for cruel ones.
Lastly: ‘Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.’ In other words, when we are being cruelly persecuted by another person, we must pray for them. We must get on our knees, and talk to ourselves before we talk to God. Instead of being bitter and harsh, instead of reacting in these terms of self and in a desire to get our own back, we must remind ourselves that in everything we do we are under God, and before God. Then we must say: ‘Well now; why should this person be behaving like this? What is it? Is it something in me, perchance? Why do they do it? It is because of that horrible, sinful nature, a nature which is going to lead them to hell.’ Then we should go on thinking, until we see them in such a way that we become sorry for them, until we see them as going to their terrible doom, and at last become so sorry for them that we have no time to be sorry for ourselves, until we are so sorry for them, indeed, that we begin to pray for them.
This is the way in which we should test ourselves. Do you pray for people who persecute you and who use you despitefully? Do you ask God to have mercy and pity upon them, and not to punish them? Do you ask God to save their souls and open their eyes before it is too late? Do you feel a great concern? It is that which brought Christ to earth and sent Him to the cross. He was so concerned about us that He did not think about Himself. And we are to treat other people like that.

In order that we may be quite clear as to what this means and involves we must understand the difference between loving and liking. Christ said: ‘Love your enemies,’ not ‘Like your enemies’. Now liking is something which is more natural than loving. We are not called upon to like everybody. We cannot do so. But we can be commanded to love. It is ridiculous to command anyone to like another person. It depends upon the physical constitution, temperament and a thousand and one other things. That does not matter. What does matter is that we pray for the man whom we do not like. That is not liking but loving him.

People have stumbled at this. ‘Do you mean to say that it is right to love and not to like?’ they ask. I do. What God commands is that we should love a man and treat him as if we do like him. Love is much more than feeling or sentiment. Love in the New Testament is very practical---‘For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.’ Love is active. If, therefore, we find we do not like certain people, we need not be worried by that, so long as we are treating them as if we did like them. That is loving, and it is the teaching of our Lord everywhere. We have some glorious examples of it in the New Testament. You remember the parable of the Good Samaritan told by our Lord in response to the question ‘who is my neighbour?’ The Jews traditionally hated the Samaritans and were their bitter enemies. However our Lord tells us in the parable that when the Jew was attacked by thieves and robbers on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem, several Jews passed by and did not help him. But the Samaritan, the traditional enemy, went across the road and cared for him and did everything for him. That is loving our neighbour and our enemy. Who is my neighbour? Any man who is in need, any man who is down through sin or anything else. We must help him, whether he is a Jew or a Samaritan. Love your neighbour, even if it means loving your enemy. ‘Do good to them that hate you.’ And our Lord, of course, not only taught it, but He did it. There we see Him dying upon the cross, and what has He to say about those men who condemned Him to that, and who drove in the cruel nails? These are the blessed words that come from His holy lips: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’
It also became the teaching and the practice of the apostles everywhere in the New Testament. How foolish to say that the Sermon on the Mount does not apply to Christians now but refers to the future, when the kingdom comes. No, it is for us now. Paul says: ‘If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink’, which is exactly the same teaching. It is everywhere. And the apostles not only taught it; they lived it. Look at that wonderful man, Stephen, being stoned to death by cruel, foolish enemies. These were his last words: ‘Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.’ He has reached the level of his Master; he is loving, as God in heaven loves this sinful world. And, thank God, the saints throughout the centuries have done the same. They have manifested the same, glorious, wonderful spirit.
Are we like that? This teaching is for us. We are meant to love our enemies and to do good to them that hate us and to pray for those that despitefully use and malign us; we are meant to be like this. I go further; we can be like this. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love and joy and peace, is given to us, so that, if we are not like this, we are without excuse and we are doing great dishonour to our great and gracious Lord. But I have a word of comfort for you. For unless I am greatly mistaken, every person confronted by these things feels at this moment condemned. God knows I feel condemned; but I have a word of comfort at this point. I believe in a God who ‘maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust’. But the God whom I know has done more than that; He has sent His only begotten Son to the cruel cross of Calvary that I might be saved. I fail; we all fail. But, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

The Two Builders

"Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:21-28)
Meditation: When Jesus told the story of the builders he likely had the following proverb in mind: When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand form for ever (Proverbs 10:25). What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool humans with our speech, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is — with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2). There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we are tested. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you injury or embarrassment? A true person is honest and reliable before God, himself, and his neighbor. His word can be counted on. What foundation is your life built upon?
"Lord, you are the sure foundation upon which we can build our lives and live securely. Give me wisdom and strength to live according to your truth and to reject every false and erroneous way. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only."

The Prodigal Son

Once there was a very wealthy man who had two sons. The younger son came to his father and demanded his share of the inheritance. The father gladly split the assets and gave the younger son his share.
A few weeks later, the younger son packed his bags and journeyed to a very distant land. He spent his money lavishly on friends and wild parties. Within a very short time, he had squandered every penny of his inheritance. His new friends abandoned him and he was alone in a foreign land.
At the same time, a great famine spread throughout the land. There was no work and very little food. The younger son became desperate and took a job feeding pigs – the most humiliating job he could possibly get. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the scraps that he fed them.
After many days, he finally came to his senses.
“How many of my father’s servants have more than enough to eat while I am starving? I will return to my father and ask him to forgive me and make me one of his servants,” said the younger son.
So the young son headed home.
While still a distance from the farm, the father saw his younger son approaching. The father sprinted across the field and threw his arms around his son and kissed him.
“Father I have sinned. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Please make me one of your servants,” said the younger son.
But the father would have none of that. He told the servants that had followed him to bring a robe to put around him, a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. He then instructed them to prepare a feast to celebrate his son’s return.
“My son was dead, but now he is alive! He was lost, but now he is found!” announced the father.
The servants prepared a massive celebration with food, music and dancing. Out in the fields the older brother heard the noise.
The older brother grabbed a servant and asked,
“What is happening?”
“Your father is celebrating the return of your brother,” said the servant.
The older brother was very angry and refused to attend the party. His father came out to the field to talk to him.
“Please come and join the celebration,” said the father.
“All these years I have served you and I have never even thrown a party,” said the older son. “But this son of yours who has wasted his inheritance in a far away land is treated as an honored guest!”
The father put his arm around his older son and said, “You are always with me and all that I have is yours. But we must celebrate. Your brother was dead, but now he lives! He was lost, but now he is home!”

Some Things To Think About
The Prodigal Son is one of the best parables in the Bible illustrating God’s love for sinners. The father represents God and his great compassion for sinners who repent. The younger son represents any and all people who have drifted away from God’s love and protection. The older son represents anyone who might let pride or resentment stand in their way of rejoicing with God and His angels on the return of someone lost. Don’t ever look down on sinners or new Christians. Remember that we were all sinners at one time. And besides, wouldn’t you prefer to celebrate than to sulk outside?
The older son did everything right. In fact, he was very proud that he was the one who stayed behind and obeyed his father. But he let that pride blind him to all the benefits of being his father’s son. All that his father had was his. All he had to do was ask. He could have had a celebration every night! His brother returned and received all the blessings a son could ever desire. The older son could have experienced the very same thing, but he really didn’t know all that his father would do for him. Make sure you know all your rights as a child of God. You don’t want to miss anything that God has provided for you!
Just like the older brother didn’t realize all that was his, the younger brother didn’t understand what he was leaving. Instead of staying with his father and enjoying all the benefits of being his father’s son, he wanted something else. He thought there would be an even more exciting life for him away from his father. But all he found was suffering and want. Always remember that God has the very best planned for you. It is up to you to ask and receive all the blessings that are yours as a child of God.

THANK YOU

Two simple, one-syllable words; what power, joy, comfort, and assurance they convey and what pride, ingratitude, and selfishness their absence reveals.
Our "thank you" primarily is to the Lord for all things! Paul uses some form of the word thirty-seven times in his epistles. Our Lord is the first cause of every blessing - He is the source of all grace and mercy. "In everything we give thanks."
However, I am troubled that the words are so seldom used among men in the home, in the church, on the street, through the mail, over the phone and to one another in general. Not that any believer's labor of love or work of faith is done for either praise or reward, but what a disappointment to give, serve, and labor for the comfort 'and well-being of others only to have that effort ignored or unappreciated to the extent that it is never mentioned. And what a loss of confidence and admiration to be ignored and taken for granted by those whom we have held in such high esteem that we have shared our homes, our possessions, our food and our time with them.
"Thank you" may be a simple phrase, time-worn, and common; but when it is not present, it reveals a weakness of character, pride of heart, and an absence of the grace of God in the heart.
Thank you for thinking of me, praying for me, and letting me be your friend - I need friends! Thank you for your care, your consideration, and your kind words - I need encouragement Thank you for your smile, your warm greeting and your welcome ear - I need someone to talk to! I just want you to know that you are appreciated and I thank you!

Let Us Be Kind

No personal trait of Jesus Christ is more obvious in the Gospels than his kindness. I am especially impressed with Jesus' kindness to people who did not usually receive kindness -- little children, women, the poor, the sick, the physically or mentally impaired. Jesus was also kind to sinners -- people with a history of failures and flops. Because Jesus reveals God to us, this also shows us the heart of our God (John 1:18). God is kind to undeserving sinners, which includes all of us. His kindness prompts our repentance (Rom. 2:4). The gospel itself is called "the kindness of God" (Titus 3:4). Because God is kind to us, we must be kind to each other (Eph. 4:32).
Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit and a mark of a spiritual person (Gal. 5:22). It makes us useful to God and fruitful for him (2 Pet. 1:7-8). Those who truly serve God are kind to others -- Paul cites kindness as a mark of his apostleship (2 Cor. 6:6). You may hold me accountable as an elder (presbyter) and spiritual shepherd (pastor-teacher) to be kind -- and the same is true of all your other spiritual leaders. We are not worldly "bosses" or CEO's. Remind us of that if we forget it. You may rightly expect all your ministers to be kind. Kindly point it out (to them) if they are not. We all are sinners who sometimes slip -- but by the transforming power of God's Spirit, we can all become better than we now are. In short, let us all be kind to one other, tenderhearted, forgiving each another, just as God in Christ has forgiven us all and has shown us his kindness. God expects no less.

Who is Jesus?

According to John 1:14, Jesus became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Why is His humanity so important? In Hebrews 4:15, Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are. As such, Jesus can sympathize with our weakness as humans. What can we learn from the way Jesus handled temptation? According to 1 John 3:5, Jesus came to earth in human form so that He could die a physical death and take away our sins. How would we all be affected, if we had no potential for escape from our sins? Jesus is the key to membership in God’s family. When He stooped to our level by becoming a man, He made it possible for us to relate to Him and for God to relate to us through Him.
Who is Jesus? He Was 100% God

Who is Jesus, and how was it possible that Christ’s human body held the whole deity and glory of God?
According to John 1:1-3, Jesus existed from the beginning. From the beginning, Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. Here, the Bible establishes the inseparable nature of Jesus and the God of the Universe. The following verses provide further evidence that Jesus is 100% God:

Highlights of Christ's Time on Earth & the verses: ·

Miracles: Luke 7:22 ·

Eyewitnesses to His perfect life: Matthew 16:13-17 ·

Fulfillment of Prophecy: Matthew 13:14, Luke 24:44 ·

Jesus' own identification/claim: John 10:30-38, Matthew 16:13- 17, Mark 14:61-64 ·

Claims of Christ's followers: Hebrews 1:8, Colossians 1:16, John 12:40 (quoting Isaiah 6:1-10) ·

Resurrection: Luke 24:39, Mark 8:31, Acts 17:32

Jesus is the key to membership in God’s family. When He established His deity by rising from the grave, He made it possible for us to have forgiveness from sin and a renewed relationship with God.
Who is Jesus? He is the Way to Heaven

Who is Jesus, and why is He the only path to salvation?
In John 14:6, Jesus declares: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Why is it important to know that NO other religious leaders throughout history have ever made these claims? According to Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” How does this contrast with other world religions which are based on “works” versus faith in Jesus and the resurrection? If we can’t build a relationship with God by doing good deeds or repeating rituals, what must we do? Acts 4:12 is clear, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”