Alone with God

Matthew 14:22-24

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:22-24&version=NIV1984)

Remember the setting?  Jesus had just found out that his cousin was beheaded and He had tried to be alone but a crowd was their wanting His attention so He spoke to them so long that they needed food so He performed a miracle feeding more than 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish.  Now I call that a long day!  Have you ever had a long day where you just wanted to be alone?  I am sure it doesn’t compare to the long day that Jesus had.  So let’s look at what He did.

It says that He retreated to a mountain.  Awwwww, the Colorado mountains are a great place to retreat to!  I know, He wasn’t in the Colorado mountains but that is what I think of when I hear the word “mountains”!   Have you ever gone into the mountains and spent time with the Lord?  I can tell you from experience, it is magnificent.  As a child, teen, and adult, I attended camp in the mountains of Colorado.  It was fun being around the people but we also had our quiet time where we could go by ourselves and find a spot to have time with the Lord.

Going to the mountains doesn’t get us any closer to God but being around His beautiful creation, taking in the fresh air, smelling the pine trees, hearing the birds sing, just slowing down and recognizing that He is the creator of all makes you feel a little bit closer to Him.  Just a thought, but maybe the mountains are just a little taste of Heaven, Jesus was homesick so He retreated to a place that was just a little like home.  Or, maybe it was the only place He could find where people would not follow Him.  It is hard work climbing a mountain and not many people are willing to take that uphill climb.  Much like life wouldn’t you say?  So many will follow Jesus until they begin the ascent up the rough rugged road of life and then they just stop and don’t follow anymore.  Whatever the case may be, Jesus was on the mountainside by Himself.

Note it the scriptures why He went to the mountainside by Himself, to pray.  Jesus didn’t want to just be alone, He wanted to spend time with the Heavenly Father.  Even though Jesus is God incarnate, a part of Him was not there with Him and He had to have communion with Him. Just like those of us who have the Holy Spirit indwelling in us but Jesus and the Father are not directly with us like the Holy Spirit is.  What is Jesus and the Father doing?  Let’s look at Hebrews 7:22-28, New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

²³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶ Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%207:22-28&version=NIV1984)

Jesus, our high priest, not someone who is weak but someone who has strength.  Not someone who has to continually find ways for us to be forgiven, but the one who paid the price for all eternity for our salvation.  Wow, He is strong, He is blameless, and He is forever.

Although Jesus is not physically here on this earth with us, He has sent to us a part of Him that is and that is the Holy Spirit.  Let’s look at Romans 8:26 -27, New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:%2026%20%2027&version=N1984)

If you read the verses before this you will find that life is not always going to be perfect but we have a future hope that is.  If you read the verses following you will find that God works out everything for the good.  We find that God is with us and that no one can do anything to separate us from Him.  Yet, just like Jesus needed to retreat to that mountainside to spend time with God, so must we do the same.  Jesus, God incarnate, needed that alone time, probably anticipated that alone time, longed for it, and so must we. The Father knows our inner most being, He searches our hearts.  How much do we know Him?

Seek Him and find Him, learn to know Him through your quiet time with Him.  Be it on the mountainside, in your prayer closet, or in your easy chair, make sure you have that quiet time with Him.  If it was important for Jesus all the more it is important for us.  Remember what God says in Psalm 46:10 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984), ¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2046:10&version=NIV1984)

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Bring it to Him

Matthew 14:15-21

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

 ¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

 ¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

 ¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

   ¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:%2015%20-%2021&version=NIV1984)

Remember the setting, Jesus has just found out that His cousin had been beheaded.  He withdrew to mourn, the people followed, and He had compassion.  Now He has talked to them for so long that it is time to go eat.  The disciples tell Him to send them away so the people can eat.  Was it the people the disciples were concerned about or were they tired and ready to go eat themselves?

So many times I think that we have a tendency to think about ourselves while trying to cover it by saying we are concerned for others.  We get tired and worn out.  We want someone or something to ourselves.  I would think the disciples probably had many questions for Jesus as well.  Were they going to be the next to be beheaded?  Was this an isolated incident or were others going to be innocently executed because of their faith? This had to be a scary time.  Maybe the disciples wanted to be able to ask Jesus these questions.  Maybe the disciples were ready to sit and rest for a little while, ready to shut their eyes, ready to just have a little peace and quiet. But take note of what Jesus had them do.  He had them gather the little food that was there, bring it to Him, distribute it, and pick up the pieces.

What is Jesus asking you to do today? Are you tired, ready for some peace and quiet, ready to shut your eyes and rest, ready for everyone to go home?  Maybe He is asking you to bring what you have to Him.  If you do, He will give you what you need in order to serve Him and bring glory to His name.  Our focus needs to not be on what we don’t have and it doesn’t need to be on others and what they don’t have, it needs to be on the One who provides all.  When we bring our trials, sorrow, concerns to Him, His provisions will be enough to satisfy us.  For when we bring Him glory, we will have joy.

Seek Him, find Him, glorify Him, in all you say and do.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Reactions

Matthew 14:1-14

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

 ¹ At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, ² and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

 ³ Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, ⁴ for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.

 ⁶ On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much ⁷ that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted ¹⁰ and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹² John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

 ¹³ When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:%201%20-%2014&version=NIV1984)

Just last night my husband and I along with his brother and his wife sat down and watched David Platt presenting through a simulcast a message on suffering.  For six hours we participated in a study of the Bible and worshipped with believers from all over the United States and several other countries.  They said that there were 50,000 participants in the event.   We listened and took notes on what it means to suffer for Christ.  How many of us, especially in the United States, have ever truly suffered for our beliefs in Christ? 

John the Baptist, persecuted and executed because he stood up for what he believed.  He is the one that leaped in his mother’s womb when he heard the voice of Mary, the one whom God chose to conceive His son.  Coincidence?   Absolutely not!  He is the one that prepared the way of the Lord, the one who preached repentance, the one who baptized many including Jesus!   He was thrown into jail because he spoke against sin, specifically the sin of Herod who slept with his brother’s wife.  As you read, Herodias convinced her daughter to ask for his head.  Don’t you think her daughter would have rather had something a little more elegant than a man’s head?  At any rate, Herod ordered the execution. 

Let’s take a closer look at Herd.   Have you ever noticed that he was a coward?  Someone spoke against him, he knew he was wrong, and instead of correcting his error he had that person thrown in jail only to execute him later. He didn’t kill him at first because he was afraid of the crowd.  He wasn’t afraid of God, he was afraid of the crowd!  Wow, the only thing this man had a heart for was himself!  If you look down in verse 9 you will see that when the daughter ordered the head, Herod was distressed.  Not because he was going to have to kill him but he was afraid of how the crowd would react.  We see Herod once again in Luke 23: 1 -23  ¹ Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.”

 ³ So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

   “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

 ⁴ Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

 ⁵ But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

 ⁶ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷ When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

 ⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2023:%201%20-%2012&version=NIV1984)

Note that Herod is still all about himself.  He wanted to see Jesus because he wanted to see miracles.  He didn’t really want to know Jesus, just wanted to see what He could do.  Herod and his men mocked Jesus.  Herod wasn’t afraid of Jesus, he was afraid of the people. 

Have you ever been in a situation that you felt it was better to not to do or say anything than to admit you are a follower of Christ?   Were you afraid of the crowd?  If you were, you should not be.  There is nothing we can do to stop the good and perfect will of our Father in Heaven.  I think it is interesting that he thought that Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected yet he chose to observe this day by mocking Jesus and sending Him back to Pilot.  I also find it interesting to note that Pilot and Herod became friends that day.  They had something very much in common, they both executed men of God.

What is more important than the reaction of Herod was the action of Jesus after the execution of John the Baptist.  I have included these verses in our study today.  I believe it is important to see how Jesus reacted.  Jesus withdrew, He needed His space, He needed to mourn the loss of the one who prepared the way for Him.  These verses show me that even though He was God incarnate, He had feelings just like we do.  He was hurt at the news of the loss of His cousin.  I find that fascinating because it shows me that Jesus, taking on the very form of man, is able to know exactly how we feel in times of sorrow.  He  withdrew from the crowd and mourned.  Now, the crowd saw Him and followed Him.  I have to think of those popular people that can’t seem to get away from the crowds.  But Jesus, unlike many of the celebrities, did not run and hide but had compassion on them and came to their side and ministered to them. 

This is how we too should live our lives.  We should mourn when mourning is warranted, withdraw from the crowd and draw close to God, but, when the crowd needs us to show God to them, we need to quickly wipe the tears and begin to minister.  This is the example that Jesus gives to us.  Seek Him, know Him, love Him, and show that love to others.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Faith is Believing

Faith is Believing

Matthew 13:53-58

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

 ⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. ⁵⁴ Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵ “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at him.

   But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

 ⁵⁸ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:53-58&version=NIV1984)

Often times I have wondered what it must have been like for Jesus growing up.  He was the oldest son in this family and was most likely favored for being so.  Above all else, He was the son of God and His parents do it. He didn’t sin so He must have never gotten punished for anything.  The most trouble He got in was probably the time that He was at the temple and not with His parents.  I have known of parents leaving their child sleeping in the pew at church thinking the other one had gotten them but never have I heard of a parent forgetting their child only to find them sitting on the steps at the temple and amazing the teachers of the law.  I have often wondered if Jesus got blamed for doing things just because His brothers and sisters were sick of Him being so perfect.  I am sure they had a different perspective thought when they saw Him being crucified on the cross, knowing all along that He did not deserve this punishment. 

The only indication that I have that life might not have been perfect in Joseph, the carpenters home, is the verse 57 where He mentioned not only the hometown but also the home.  This tells me that not all of His family was particularly pleased with in perfect being.  They did not all honor Him even in His own household.  Maybe that is one reason that He didn’t drop everything to come to their side when they made a visit to Him while He was ministering to others. 

The verse that really stood out to me though was the last verse.  He did not do many miracles in His hometown because people did not have faith.  Even though they had seen Jesus grow up before their very eyes, they did not see Him as the Son of God.  There are many people who have grown up being taught about this amazing God but yet they too are blinded and have no faith. 

I can only minutely relate to Jesus.  I was raised in the same town in which I now live.  For a short time I worked as an interim consultant for our State Department of Education and I had people calling me from across the State to ask questions of me.  I presented teaching strategies to participants from across the State including presentations to graduate students at two major colleges in our state and worked with other professionals on some intense studies.  I spent some time in Washington, D.C., as well as Little Rock, Arkansas where I networked with people from across the United State as a part of an advisory board.  People were interested in what I had to say and actually listened to me and heeded my recommendations.  Yet, in my own town, I have found that people are not as receptive to my instruction.  They would call people in from the other parts of the State who would give the same advice as what I had already given.  Why is it that sometimes the people we care about the most are the ones that could care less about what we have to say?  To me, that makes no sense at all.  It happens in our families and in our churches as well as the workplace.  You would think people would understand that those closest to us are the ones that will go to the ends of the earth to help yet we have to call in the expert that knows nothing about us and get their opinion on the “important” matters.  I can sense the frustration that Jesus must have felt but that is not why He performed very few miracles there.  He didn’t perform them because they didn’t ask.  If you notice in the Bible Jesus healed those who had enough faith to ask or enough faith to touch the hem of His clothes in order to be healed.  They had enough faith to lower their friend into the house from the rooftop but in Jesus hometown they didn’t ask because they didn’t have faith.

What about us?  Do we have faith enough to ask?  Or are we the ones saying that Jesus would never provide us with a miracle?  If we don’t ask, it is a sign of lack of faith and the miracles will not happen.  What are you afraid of today?  Sometimes I think we are afraid that we might not get the answer we want when we ask and yes that is a lack of faith.  For you see, faith is believing, believing that God will do what is best for us in all circumstances.  The miracle is not getting what we ask for but knowing that all that He does is for the good.  I can remember questioning why God wouldn’t bring my sister back to life for me for just a short while so I could talk to her.  Can you imagine the therapy I would have had to go through if I would have claimed that I got to see my sister and talk to her?  Wow, He protected me and my faith has become stronger through that.  I remember asking Him to heal my mother and He did.  Not in the sense that I wanted but He gave her the ultimate healing when He took her home to be with Him.  Joseph, a man of such great faith, did not get to ever go back to his homeland to live, his bones were carried back over 400 years after his death, but he had faith that God was in control.  As you seek Him, I pray that you will have faith to put your faith in Him and Him alone.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Hidden Treasures

Hidden Treasures

Matthew 13:52

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:%2052&version=NIV1984)

As I thought about this verse I had to wonder exactly what Jesus meant by this passage.  Since Jesus begins with “therefore” I had to go back and look at the previous verses that I covered in my last blog.  Jesus was talking about the man that found the treasure and the pearl.  How one sold everything in order to buy the field with the treasure and another one sold everything in order to purchase a pearl. 

Let’s first look at who He is speaking of, “the teacher of the law”.  Many students do not realize that their teacher had to be a student before they could teach.  I think some of them are oblivious to the fact that their teachers had to learn before they could teach.  As I looked at scripture regarding “teachers of the law”  I came across  Acts 5: 33-39 ³³ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. ³⁵ Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. ³⁶ Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷ After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸ Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”  (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%205:33-39&version=NIV1984)  This teacher of the law had seen people come and go that were not of God but now is counseling the others to not fight with God.  If this is not God then it will soon end was his counsel.  This man knew the law full well and knew that blasphemy was punishable by death yet he encouraged the people to let these men of God go.  I believe that he must have had insight to the Kingdom of Heaven because he brought out a concept that others must not have thought about, they could be fighting against God and they sure didn’t want to do that!

Let’s look at another place where the teachers of the law are mentioned.  This time they are interacting with Jesus.  It was several years prior to Jesus saying the words as recorded in Matthew 13 , around 20 years in fact when Jesus was a mere boy of twelve.  The account can be found in Luke 2: 41 -47.   ⁴¹ Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202:%2041%20-%2047&version=NIV1984)  Jesus, the Son of God is sitting with some men who are teaching him but the funny thing is, even at twelve years of age, He is the one teaching them.  He was asking questions and understanding concepts that were even difficult for them to answer or understand.  Do you think the Kingdom of God was revealed to these teachers at that time?   Even though these were teachers of the law they were amazed at the knowledge of a twelve year old boy.  That same boy grew and became strong and was full of wisdom (Luke 2:40).  This young boy not only brought new ideas, He brought hope to His people.  He showed His love to everyone including those who were not Jews, the poor, the needy, the downcast, brokenhearted, and He didn’t teach just one concept, the law, but He taught that loving God was above all the most important commandment and loving your neighbor was the second most important law.  He changed the outcome of all of our lives by His presence on this earth.  He gave everything in order to bring glory to the Father and to bring salvation to each of us. 

If we have obtained the pearl or the treasure in the field we should be great students who can teach others about this amazing Son of Man.  If we read our Bibles we will learn many new concepts that are not really new at all but somehow keep getting hidden in the Word.  You can never know everything in the Bible so my challenge to you is to read it and find some treasures that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven or any other subject you feel the Lord would want you to search.  You will find in the Word many hidden treasures just waiting to be found.  Seek Him with all your heart and learn something new about our Heavenly Father and the Kingdom of Heaven, as you search His word.

Where is Your Treasure?

Matthew 13:44-52

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

    ⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

   ⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

    ⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

   ⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

   “Yes,” they replied.

 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:44%20-%2051&version=NIV1984)

Have you ever gone treasure hunting?  I haven’t gone but I have heard of those that do, they generally get hooked on it.  Like Geo-Cashing, they go off coordinates to find hidden treasures much like the old fashioned treasure maps.  They have clues along the way and when they find the treasures they leave their mark and go on to the next treasure.  I haven’t figured out who hides the treasures and post them for others to see.  I guess sometimes they keep the treasures and sometimes they just make some type of indication that they found it.  Seems like fun but if you don’t get anything in return, I don’t know what the use of finding it would be unless you just enjoy bragging rights.

When I first read Jesus words today, I couldn’t help but think about geo-cashing except when the man found the treasure in the field he went and sold everything he had and bought the field because he wanted it so much.  He didn’t go out and tell others where it was at, he hid it and went and sold everything.  Likewise, the merchant who wanted the fine pearl went and sold everything so he could have the finest.

Is Jesus saying that we must sell everything to become a part of the kingdom of Heaven?   I believe what He is saying that when we truly seek Him we will find the most precious treasure that we have ever seen and that we will want to rid ourselves of the unnecessary things of life and be totally sold out for Him.  When we are in possession of the most valued pearl, we want nothing less than to keep it and we will sell everything in order to do so.  Does that mean we must live as poor people?  How do you qualify poverty?  Do you remember the blog on being hungry and thirsty?  If not you may want to review it at http://seekinghimwithallourhearts.blogspot.com/2011/11/are-you-hungry-and-thirsty.html.  God wants nothing more than for us to empty ourselves, in essence, sell everything in order to live for Him.  If something is causing us to lose our focus on Him then we need to rid ourselves of it so we can once again be led by Him, not the world.  We should live an abundant life through Him. 

When I was the principal of a charter school my students would tell me that I was rich.  Taking into consideration how many of them were raised and thinking about where they lived, I am sure it appeared to them that I was “rich” but I would always tell them that it is not money that makes us rich.  My faith in the Lord and Savior is what makes me rich.  Rich to me is living a full life with joy in all circumstances.  It does not mean that I have to have a huge beautiful house and drive a fine car but it means that in everything I do I recognize that it is not by my power but the power of the One that lives within me.  Selling everything that I have means that I hold nothing back for my worldly pleasure but give it all to Him in order to have in my possession that precious pearl called the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is a daily evaluation of life.  Anything that I hold dearly needs to be lifted up to Him and given to Him.  I need to ask Him daily, “In what way do the things that I do, say, and own bring glory to you Father?”  If I see that it is only bringing earthly pleasure to me, then it is most likely an earthly treasure not a Heavenly treasure.

Have you ever felt that  God will bless us with earthly possessions because we are good people and we deserve it?  Maybe you wanted a certain car or a big beautiful house and you prayed about it and got it. I myself find that a vehicle can bring me more satisfaction than it brings my Lord unless I use it for His glory.  My vehicle can be used to bring God glory by letting others borrower it to go and   learn more about our Lord and Savior, such as church camp or a Christian concert or I can use it to take someone to a doctor’s appointment, or to travel to another place in order to share the Gospel.  But, if that vehicle is something that sits in the garage, something that I take hours at a time washing and polishing, and it is used only for my pleasure, then, I think it is an earthly treasure that I am trying to make a Heavenly treasure.  I can talk all I want about how God allowed me to have it but in the end it was purchased for my pleasure and it will remain an earthly treasure.  The same goes for a large house.  I have always wanted a large house.  I think they are beautiful and along with that large house I have always wanted one of those kitchens that look like something that would be in a 5 star restaurant.  But if that house remains empty and God is not spoken in that house it only satisfies my earthly desires.  If I have to work overtime in order to maintain a large house and spend more time cleaning it than spending time in the Word, what use it that house to me?  I am content to live in my humble abode and bring glory and honor to Him by serving God through serving others in my home.  In our church service today the pastor gave a message so similar to this blog that I was simply amazed.  He used Luke 6:20 - 26

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

   “Blessed are you who are poor,
   for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
   for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
   for you will laugh.
²² Blessed are you when men hate you,
   when they exclude you and insult you
   and reject your name as evil,
      because of the Son of Man.

   ²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

   ²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
   for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
   for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
   for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
   for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%206:%2020%20-%2026&version=NIV1984)

The pastor pointed out that it does not matter what we own, larger or small, if we find ourselves focusing more on ourselves than on our Lord, we are going to be classified as “rich”.  ALL that we have must be given to Him, just as the man that found the pearl and sold everything else so that He could have that pearl.

Continuing on in the scripture for today we see in verses 47 – 51 that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net with the good fish and bad fish which will be sorted in the end and the bad fish will be thrown into the fire and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  I would rather have Jesus, be true to Him, than to have everything in this world.  Listen to this song and ask yourself, “Where do I belong?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOtsB4O1p3o  We should never be satisfied with this world but continually be seeking the Kingdom of Heaven with all our hearts.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

 

Good Seeds or Weeds

²⁷ “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

²⁸ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

²⁹ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:24%20-%2030&version=NIV1984)

Jesus explains this parable when the disciples ask Him to. 

Matthew 13: 36 – 40

³⁶ Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷ He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

⁴⁰ “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:36%20-%2043&version=NIV1984)

In this scripture Jesus is telling us that we are going to have to live amongst weeds in this world.   At some point the people of this world, who choose to do evil will be pulled out and only the true sons of God will remain.  As I read this scripture I had to think of not only the outside world but the world inside our churches today.  It was the same for Jesus, if you recall, at one point He went to the temple and turned over the tables of those who were there to make a profit.  He told them to get out because this was a place for prayer not for robbers, Matthew 21:12 – 13,  Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’^[a] but you are making it a ‘den of robbers. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2021:%2012%20-%2013&version=NIV1984) It seems to me that we are trying to attract the outside world into our churches.  Yes, we want the lost to find the Savior but at times I believe we might let our standards drop just a little to try to get them inside the door.  Those who are attracted to the Lord and Savior should do so because of the prompting of the Holy Spirit not by the music we play, the clothes we wear or the hip pastor that we may have.  We should be living a life full of the Holy Spirit that others see and want.  We should be telling others of the love of our Father and showing them the way, not telling them about our cool praise team or the dynamic minister.  The heart of the church should be about praising our Lord and Savior, urging fellow believers to know more of our Lord and Savior, spurring each other on to spread the Good News, and encouraging one another as we live a life where weeds seem to come in and try to choke us of our joy.  Yet, in today’s society we seem to be trying to attract the world to the church rather than to Christ.  We have changed the process of worship to meet society needs and wants, we have tried to make the church look like the world with all of its worldly pleasures all in the name of spreading the Gospel.  In essence, we bring in the weeds into the fellowship of believers.  Stop Sheila, what are you saying?  Shouldn’t we be sharing the Gospel with everyone, shouldn’t we want these people to come to church?  Of course we want to spread the Gospel but what I am saying is nothing more than what Paul said in I Corinthians 5:6-11,

 ⁹ I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹ But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. ¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³ God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Often times we look at the early church as our example as the Lord was adding to their numbers daily, as the scripture tells us in Acts 2: 42 – 47, ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202:%2042-47&version=NIV1984)

What I want you to take special note of is that they were obeying the Lord, meeting together, seeking Him, and HE added to their numbers.  It was not because of some new program or some dynamic speaker it was because they had glad and sincere hearts.  They weren’t grumbling because they had so much to do in the church they were praising God, their lives were about serving Him.  Wow, that is a lesson to be learned.  Yet even at that, they had those who were not living the life the Lord would have them to live and the weeds began to grow. There was sexual immorality among them, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards, greedy, and swindlers.

Satan wants nothing more than to take hold of the church like he has taken hold of this world.  The church is a place where Christian can be set apart from the world.  Yes, we should want the Lord to add to the numbers, yes we want more people to see the truth and be set free but are we going out and sowing or are we allowing the weeds to come in and choke us out?  If you think I am incorrect, go to Revelation 2 and read what the Lord had to say to the seven churches.  I believe that if we are really honest with ourselves we can each identify our churches with at least one of those churches that He is speaking to.   

It is my firm belief that if we truly seek Him with all our hearts, we will begin to not only see the example that we are to follow but we will become that example to others through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Seek Him with all your hearts and bring glory to Him in all you say and do.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila