The Kingdom of God-Master Teacher-Matthew 6:10

For the Kingdom of GOD is not a matter of talk, but of power.” 1 Cor. 4:20

Have you had a hard day? Have you been pushed, bullied, lost your way, felt like you blended into the walls and no one cared that you were there? Hold your head up. You are a child of the King! He loves you so much He went the distance for you and paid the ultimate cost for you. He defeated your worst enemy. Someday He will take you away to His home where He sits on the throne and judges the world. If the world is taking you captive, remember you are His beloved.

All that sounds good, but how does it apply practically? Exactly what does it mean to live a victorious life just because we are Christians, and as such have an inheritance in Christ when we can’t even manage to keep our relationships here on earth peaceable, much less handle the daily stresses of life? Why aren’t we conquerors, when the word promises that we’re more than that? Sometimes we’re victims, not victors. At least that’s what it feels like when the world is laughing at us, right?

Take heart. As it says in Hebrews 4:14-16, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 

Practically speaking it really takes adjusting our entire outlook on life. I’m talking about a major paradigm shift from how we think we exist in the context of our life, our history, and our society. It’s taking our Christianity from a moral code of ethics, and putting our citizenship, our social position, and our very identity completely into submission to the sovereignty of God most High, and understanding how completely dependent on Him that makes us. It is to surrender all, without so much as a whimper of protest, as we see all that we’ve invested in being stripped away from us. All because we stand to gain what He has for us, even though we haven’t seen what’s behind door number three, but we know it’s got to be better than what was behind doors one and two. It’s trusting in the LORD, and not ourselves.

As the Master Teacher continued to expound on the approach we ought to take in prayer at the sermon on the mount, He offered three lines that speak to our relationship with the Father while acknowledging His position as King.  

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10

Overall, these three lines of the Lord’s prayer often are over looked and rushed right through without given much thought. Most people would see them as a desire to have Jesus return and establish His kingdom, but why would Jesus be telling the people there on the mount to pray for what was already happening right before their eyes? He was there with them. He was directing them to pray, in such a way as to establish God’s kingdom within them. “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold the kingdom is in the midst of you.” Luke 17:20-21 When we look at the placement of these lines in the prayer, it is clear the first part, as established in the last blog/teaching, was to identify God’s supremacy, and now these lines establish His sovereignty. It is saying, “God, you govern me.

When God established Israel as a people through Jacob, He changed Jacob’s name from ‘Heel grabber’ or what could be translated as one who trips another up, like a usurper or supplanter, to Israel which means “one who triumphs or contends with God.” It was meant to show that Jacob had subjected himself to the will of God. Another translation is “Governed by God.”

In our day to be under the submission of governing authorities has become something to be put down. Our media has made the once honored positions of government fodder for a Roman circus rather than an esteemed and highly sought after position of public service. Instead of the dream being that any young man or woman growing up to be president, it’s easier to change the world by going on a reality television show. At least then the person has a better chance of being admired than a candidate for public office does. Yet, there is a blessing in submission and subjecting oneself to the will of God.

Jacob wrestled with God, holding fast to Him, all night long. If we picture what that must have been like we can compare it to the child who is about to be left by the parent, and the child will not let go. I was a Navy brat. One time, my father had been on the ship for months, and I was about ten-years-old. We lived a few states away because my parents owned a house there, so when my dad came off the ship he would drive back to our house two states from the base, about a fourteen-hour drive. It was a Saturday morning and I was doing my chores, and I heard a knock on the door. I went to the door, and there he was, “Daddy!” I screamed. My poor exhausted father was knocked on his rear as I tackled him. I flew at him, all arms and legs, like a monkey flying through a tree. As soon as he could get up, and I let him go, boom! My sister hit him with the same velocity as I did. She was bigger and heavier than I was. Still, he loved it! My brothers joined the dog pile, and then my mom. I picture Jacob’s wrestling like that. He was going home, and he needed God with him. Just like us kids needed our dad, He wasn’t going to let go until he was assured it really was Him, and he wasn’t alone. He said as much. “Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’” Genesis 32:26.

So, Jesus says to say, “Your kingdom come.” These words are not merely asking God to come and rule over the earth. He is the creator; He does rule over the earth. These three words are much more than that. These three words are both an invitation and a pledge for those who are citizens of the kingdom. When a soldier goes into the service he pledges to defend the country from enemies, both foreign and domestic unto death. This is quite a promise. When we say the words “Your kingdom come” we are basically doing the same thing. We are submitting ourselves totally to the call of the kingdom on our lives. We are saying, “The Kingdom comes first. I’ve counted all as lost. I move toward the upward call of Jesus on my life.” If we aren’t ready to do that, we shouldn’t say it. No soldier wants to be in the heat of battle and have the guy beside him say, “I’m done with this, it’s not what I expected, I’m out, see ya,” and just leave his brothers without cover. Every soldier trains for that moment, and they go in equipped mentally, knowing they might not come out of it. That’s why we owe them our gratitude. And that’s why when we say the words, “Your kingdom come,” even if we view it as when Jesus returns, we should not take it lightly. We must see ourselves as enlisted in the kingdom as well, and as such we must submit.

There is a blessing in submission. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s will being done in the believer’s life is totally up to the believer. Now, let me restate that. For God’s will to be done in the believer’s life, it is totally up to the believer. Why? Because, as it says in Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Love is a choice we make. I encourage you to read Romans 8 with that thought in mind. We must continually choose God, not just once, but every moment of every day. God’s will in our lives can only be done if we’re not in rebellion to it. We are either choosing to do His will or we’re in rebellion. There is no middle ground. People would love to read the first half of Romans 8:28, but they miss the second part, especially the submission part. That’s because people would rather have God working for them instead of having to submit to God. Newsflash—His way is much better and easier. And I can prove it!

Garden of Eden- God’s way- one commandment- Don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but you can eat every other tree, note- before that we could eat of the tree of life, but not after. Man’s way-rebellion to God’s command got us out of the garden, no more tree of life, and more commandments because God now had to warn us because we now ‘know’ what’s good and bad and choose to do bad.

The Wilderness- God’s way- three-day journey across the Red Sea and back to the land of Canaan to inherit the “Land flowing with Milk and Honey”. Man’s way—Barely left Egypt and start complaining, and the moment Moses’ back is turned they form their own god so they can practice whatever they want. Rebellion ensues and they spend 40 years wandering through the desert until the last of that generation  died off.

Taking the land- God gives them the land all way back to the Euphrates and to the North as far as the mountains of Ararat. Israel stops short, due to the years of war, and everyone decides enough is enough, so they stop a third of the way in, as a result Israel is at war with their neighbors throughout their history and is eventually carried off by a people group they could have defeated had they just obeyed in the first place.

Failing to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah- God’s way was to provide for the redemption of Israel as a nation, and in doing so he provided for the ransom of the whole world as spelled out in Isaiah 51-53. Man’s way—to fail to admit Jesus as the atonement for sin and therefore suffer the continual consequence for sin. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire had conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:14-15

 Refusing to call upon the Name of the Lord- God’s way- “For ‘whoever calls on the name of LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 Man’s way--
The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” Psalm 14:1

Living out the will of God requires sacrifice. Jesus said to be his disciple we must pick up our cross and follow Him. We must realize that we are carrying a cross, an object of death to self, and we are taking it to a place where we will be sacrificing as He did, putting aside our sin to take up a new life. This new life can only be found in the kingdom of God, where our King sits on the throne. The blessing of submitting to His authority is knowing that we serve a King who loves us enough to have carried the cross for us to the death we deserved and suffered it for us. It’s Jesus switching his cross for ours, and taking what we deserve to give us His victory. None of the kings of this world would do that for their subjects. Their expectation is for their subjects’ allegiance to be to the death, but not the king’s death but for the king’s gain of worldly wealth and riches, which will perish. Our King’s gain is us, because He loves us.   

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, not any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 

Username: Jesus- The Master Teacher- Matthew 6:9

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” Philippians 2:9

Can you imagine what it would be like if to enter heaven you had to have a username and password, but you forgot it? Imagine the frustration you would feel if there was no forgot username/password available to you. Of course, you try all the old usernames and passwords you could remember, but what if you were immediately blocked from continuing to try, and there was no customer service contact to email you a link to fix it. That name, that one username, would become very important to you if it was linked to your eternal destination. After all, we get upset if we forget our online banking information and suffer the inconvenience of an actual brick and mortar branch to get access to our money. That’s temporary. When eternity is on the line it would be insufferable. It would be… Hell to pay.

Now imagine if you could get anything on the internet, access to anything you wanted, at an amazing speed, without having to surf through the identification firewalls, all because you had a username that you logged on with only once. The world was at your disposal, and every grain of knowledge out there was yours for the asking simply because of the initial keystrokes you made. Google was at your command, nothing was blocked, and every published work that ever existed was at your beck and call, free of charge, just because of the username. What power would that wield? Could you handle it?  Would you resort to feeding your fleshly desires, or your mind, or your spirit? It’s such a temptation, isn’t it?

But what if, that username came with one condition? What if that username belonged to someone else, and you just had access to it? What if when you used it, the navigations you made reflected on that person? Would that make a difference to you? Would it make you feel more or less responsible for your actions?

This scenario is one I encourage us to consider as we go through our lives and act as “Christians”. As we come to the next lesson our Master Teacher calls us to, and we examine only one verse in the Bible, we need to consider   which manner we carry His name into our daily lives.

“Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Matt.6:9

The very idea, at the time, that Jesus gave instruction on how to pray to the multitude was mind blowing, but to take the next step, and to lay out the actual manner of approaching God, the Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with words from their mouths, was something they could not understand. In their culture, it was the priests who spoke to God on their behalf. They gathered in corporate settings or at appointed times to make contrition to God. They needed an intermediary in their worldview, but for the average Jew to pray was something he could only hope to do, but for the most part didn’t expect that he alone could be heard without a priest making intercession for him. Yet Jesus had just told them that God did hear their prayers. The average man sitting there was probably thinking, “Then what do I say to Him?” So, Jesus began to lay it out by taking them to the base, the foundation of the relationship. First, everyone needs to know the username.

          “Our Father,”

          Wow! That is not what they, or we should expect. Jesus calls on the person to have a relationship with the God of the universe, the great Creator, the One who spoke everything into existence, and address Him as Father. What does that mean? If you were blessed to have a good father, it means love and affection, and if you didn’t it means you can finally have what you missed from your fleshly parent. God is the best Father. He lavishes His love on us. “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zeph.3:17 This is the image of a Father who loves His child, and you are that child. Put that into perspective. Wouldn’t that child then reach up to the Father and in love be ready to receive whatever good thing He has for him or her?

          The next two words give further definition to the greatness of God, our Father. “in heaven”. There is something here I want to make clear. Heaven isn’t a place. It’s a presence. It is being in the presence of God. There are places within that presence that we will occupy, but it is to be in the presence of God and not be able to be separated from Him. Hell, on the other hand, is to be out of His presence. Where He is not, I do not want to be. “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Ps. 84:10 

What does it mean to be “Hallowed?” I know it means to be revered and honored, but in the words, “Hallowed be Your Name” what is the point the Teacher is making? We tend to brush over it and say it without ruminating on it. The dictionary doesn’t really give credence to it because in our time we’ve lost the ability to know what it means to honor someone just because of their position. Yet, as believers we are supposed to give honor to those in authority over us, regardless of whether we ‘voted’ for them. “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:1-2 If we can’t be honoring to those we can see, how do we expect to be honoring to the One we can’t see? If we understood the power that His Name wields when we use it, then we could give it the Honor it deserves.

          In Exodus 3:14, Moses asks God who he should tell the Israelites has sent him. And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Why would God choose those two words for His name? The answer is because of the questions we ask Him. “Who’s going to help me with this problem?” His answer, “I AM.”  “How will I pay this bill; make it through this illness; see the end of the situation alone; is anyone there?”  He says, “I AM.”  It’s the perfect Name for a perfect God who loves us perfectly.  For the Israelites their question was, “Who will lead us?”  Isn’t that the same question we ask today? Who will lead us? God says, “I AM.”

      There is no doubt that when you name drop ‘Jesus’ in a public forum it stirs up controversy at the very least, and, more often than not, it will divide people. There are people who will come to blows over our right to say His name, or not to say His name in a school, court, or other ‘public’ building. The Name has power. It was prophesied in Acts 3:38-39 when Gamaliel spoke of him saying, “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” People still react with the same vehemence they did back then to the Name of Jesus. It’s almost as though it’s a forbidden word, yet we hear cuss words dropped in conversation as though it was proper etiquette to use them. Jesus told us this would happen. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20 If it was happening two millennia ago on the heels of the resurrection, why would we expect the enemy to have changed his strategy since then?

          How we act as believers is a direct reflection on our LORD as long as we are claiming His Name as our identity. When you wear that t-shirt with He>I, or the fish symbol on your car, or you blast the gospel music out your windows, you are reflecting Christ, no matter what your countenance is like. If that t-shirt houses an angry, tense body, that car is cutting people off and breaking the rules of the road with total disregard for every other driver, and that music is to drown out the conversations of people around you, then perhaps the vision of what the world sees as Jesus is skewed. We all fall short in our representation of our Lord, but we should strive to be better each time we’re sent out. As the moon, which is just a rock floating in space, reflects the light of the sun, so we should reflect the light of Christ. Sometimes we aren’t so bright, but at other times we make that night is day. Our life username gives or denies us access to more than just what we can find on the internet. But in the light of eternity, what name we place our faith in is where our identity really lies.

 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Col.3:17

The Position of Prayer- Master Teacher-Matthew 6:5-8

 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 1 John 5:14

As you approach the stadium, the concert hall, the school auditorium, or even the church parking lot you think about the time and how inconvenient open seating will be. Lines of people are already forming, and you find yourself praying for a parking spot close to the entrance. Then, viola, there it is, an empty spot that seems to have your name on it, as if an angel was standing guard for you. Answered prayer, you think. Then, you’re in dire straits over the bigger matters in life such as health issues, financial needs, family problems, and you think “why doesn’t God answer me? My prayers don’t’ seem to go any further than the ceiling?” Unanswered prayer, you think. Maybe it’s not that God hasn’t answered in both cases, maybe you’re reception of the answer is just off a little.

I heard a person say that God answers prayers in three ways, “yes, no, and not yet.” I think He answers prayer in one way, “I’ll do what’s best for all concerned.” Sometimes we must walk a great distance and we miss the opening act for a reason. We don’t understand, but God does. Sometimes our prayers for healing go unheeded, and suffering happens, and to us it seems unfair, but God is still at work there too. Sometimes the prodigal does return, and our prayers are answered, and we still doubt the repentant person’s motives, and that doubt causes the person to return to the pig sty because we didn’t see the answered prayer as the answer. We didn’t trust in our own answer, and we changed the answer before accepting the test result. We ask for something, yet when we get the answer, we don’t accept it, because of the position we went into it with. Prayer is positional. It’s a heart check.

Our Master Teacher looked out at the multitude gathered on the mount near the sea of Galilee, and like us, they needed a little check on their position when they entered into prayer, and so as He taught on how to pray He gave instruction on the position we ought to assume when we pray. He said,

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matt.6:5-6

I’ve seen these heathen praying before, and they do like to bring attention to themselves when they pray. There are different types of the hypocritical prayer warriors. There are the loud “In the name of… Halleluia,” and by the time they get to what they were praying for they’ve forgotten the need, so they make things up. Then there are the “I claim it for…” prayer warriors, who go about claiming, binding, and loosing all kinds of things, and then walking away leaving a mess in their wake because they don’t bother to look into the lives of why they’re asking to begin with, but they believe it is their anointing to lay hands on people and pray, as long as it’s during the meeting, but you ask them to pray in the parking lot, and they’ve got to go. Then there is the pray the gossip people. We all know them. They’re the ones that when prayer requests are asked they let it be known we ought to be praying for sister so-and-so because her husband is stepping out on her with sister-so-and-so, followed by an uh-huh, and an amen by her equally prayer gossiping friend who has another juicy request. These hypocrites hurry through the healing prayers by shouting over them, “Yes, Lord! Yes, Lord!” They’re not interested in the actual healing, because then what would they pray for?

Sometimes they can be downright intimidating. Just remember that God knows the heart. He knows why they’re asking, and if they’re truly concerned about the people they’re petitioning on behalf of, or if it’s themselves they care about.

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house- justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14

Have you ever given much thought to the actual act of prayer? It’s a very humbling activity to do. Prayer requires the person to come to the end of themselves and admit they don’t have the power, strength, or ability to do for themselves or for another person. It’s a complete loss of control. It is complete and utter humility. So how then can prayer be prideful? “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3 Some would turn around and say, “But God wants His children to have good things,” and I would agree. God does want His children to have good things, but He is the one who decides what those good things are, not us.

Personally, I do believe that I’ve prayed for things that God has not given me for a great reason, mainly because my Creator knows this creation intimately better than I know myself. He knows I can’t handle what I’m asking for. He knows at what level the temptations will push me over the edge, and yet at what level I need the struggle to grow. See, the thing about growing pains is that they are just that, growing pains. We are growing toward His perfection, daily. I am being created every day, regenerated. As the scripture says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7 In this we can see that the process is continual, and so then our prayer life should be consistently seeking what is next.

But have you ever been in a situation where someone is just talking too much? Is it possible to say too much to God? The answer is yes, when you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.

“And when you pray, Do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows what you have need of before you ask Him.” Matt.6:7-8

When we are young we are taught many things by rote memorization. We are taught our alphabet, our multiplication tables, even patriotism through repeating phrases. It’s necessary to learn things in this manner because it sticks in our memory, but does it stick in our hearts? What happens when we get to a point in our development when we can reason beyond that memorization? While it is true our faith should be like a child’s in that we are to believe with wide-eyed wonderment and trust that God, our Father, is caring for us, He also wants us to mature so that we can make choices. “Come now, and let us reason together, Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red as crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 1:18-20 Our willingness is what drives and motivates our spirit to lock into God. It’s our abiding in him, our junction box that allows that connection of spiritual energy to continue or to be cut off. It’s the free will He created in us. Our prayer life hinges on this. It’s not rote memorization, or chanting He desires to hear. He wants us to express our individuality, because that’s how he created us.

Imagine if you go into an art museum and every single painting is exactly the same painting with absolutely no variation at all. In fact, imagine a world of paintings with no variation at all. Imagine that every art class all over the world teaches every student to paint only that painting. It wouldn’t matter how lovely the masterpiece. It would be about as ordinary and unexceptional as it could be. It just wouldn’t be worth looking at, would it?

So it is with those prayers we repeatedly pray without stopping to mean them. Most among them is the “The LORD’s prayer” which we will be looking at in the next few blogs, so hold on to your hats! I promise, you’ll never say it without meaning again. God wants us to mean what we say, especially to Him. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13 If God, our Father, wants us to not use repeating when we come to Him, then why pray? After all, Jesus also told the story of the widow who pestered the judge to give her justice over her adversary. Shouldn’t we continually ask? He said we should ask, right? Yes, we should ask. But then He says that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask, so why ask? That’s actually a simple answer. Communication is the key to a great relationship. Just because I know something, doesn’t make me party to the relationship unless I’m asked to be a part of it. I can know there’s a wedding, but unless I’m invited to it I’m not a guest. I might know my neighbor is in financial need, but not know how to help unless they ask. God actually knows the need, but He’s not going to bully His way in and override your freewill and step all over your pride. Nope, if you want to do it yourself, He will let you try. And if you get the point where you realize that just maybe this is too big for you, and it’s time to humbly ask for the help, He’ll do what’s best for you.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

James 4:10

  

It's Personal: Master Teacher - Matthew 6:1-4

“Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”

 1 Cor 10:24

Who are you when no one else is looking? Are you looking for the spot light? Are you seeking the approval of others to validate who you are? Is your identity wrapped up with how close or distant you are to others, and how many likes you get on your last post? How we define our self goes to the core of our spirituality. It was the linchpin of the fall of man. “The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen. 3:4-5

 Wanting to be god of our own universe has been our downfall since the beginning, and the cause of losing our identity. We lost our identity. We were assured our position, and had dominion over all living things. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Gen. 1:26-28

The rejection of our identity of who we were created to be goes to the core of every problem we will face in our life. The question is, who are you? When you are alone, really alone, just you and the Creator, are you going to be able to be searchable, or will you be lost without definition because you don’t know who you are in the light of His glory?

The class is called back into session, and the Master Teacher has just told us to pray for our enemies. He’s left us dumbfounded. We are without excuse, with no cards to hold up, but maybe that all too familiar, “But I’m a good person,” that we can fall back on. We can all compare ourselves to someone worse than ourselves. We’ve been doing it since we were kids. Remember the bully who bullied you, and your mother, or some other well-meaning adult, told you to pity him or her because they were probably being picked on too somewhere so they were very insecure. That never helped your own insecurities or freed you from the abuse you suffered, but it did teach you that there is always someone weaker down the chain, or that eventually the bully would meet a bigger bully.  We prayed for our enemy; usually for retribution to be quick in coming. Our Master knows this about us as we think these thoughts. We comfort ourselves by thinking on all the good works we have done, all the accolades we could claim.

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deed before men to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1  

He just took away our brag-imonie, the testimony we give to say how bad or good we’ve become. Now how are we supposed to get any notoriety? WE aren’t. That’s where the identity comes in. If we read this verse carefully we find the marks of identification in the last four words of the verse: “your Father in heaven.”  These words are powerful words, just as they were for the audience sitting on the mount 2000 years ago.

When God the Father called out in the garden of Eden, “Adam, where are you?” after the fall of man. It wasn’t because God the Father didn’t know. It wasn’t some cosmic game of hide-and-go-seek for the Father. It was so Adam would understand, and his eyes would be opened, and he would know there was a difference, and he had positionally changed himself in relationship with God. Adam had made a choice, and he continued to make choices, bad choices. When God asked him the next questions, Adam continued to let sin into the mix by not taking up his role, and blaming not just Eve, but God Himself for the fall.  The man said, ”The woman whom YOU gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate.” Gen. 3:12 (emphasis mine).

I have often wondered what would have happened if repentance would have occurred right then. If Adam would have run to God’s arms and said, “I’m sorry! I did it! I ate that nasty fruit! I disobeyed You, Dad!” If he would have wept bitter tears, and Eve, being a woman, would have joined him in one big family hug of sorrowful crying, I wonder what would have happened? Instead there was just the “Yep, this is what happened, so what are you going to do about it?” The insolence of man’s heart remained. While the art work of the Romantic period might show the downcast Adam going out of garden, I feel it was much more sorrowful for heaven than for earth at the time.

“Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” Matt. 6:2 

Would you give to a charity if it wasn’t a tax write off? Would you volunteer your time to an organization if you didn’t get something back from it at work or if it wasn’t a ‘networking’ opportunity? I recently was honored to write the biography of an elderly woman who spent years volunteering for many organizations, and to my knowledge she hasn’t been honored by a single one. She has worked in their thrift stores, sorting clothing, she’s done community gardening projects, worked on renovation projects, and many other unsung hero type events. She’s always been the behind the scenes person, and she has energy to burn. I was so inspired by her. She continues to give of her time in her eighties, using her hands to do the work, as long as she is able. What would we do without such people? We need these people.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

I so appreciate the people who clean the church, the ones who stay after service and lock up, the nursery workers who make sure the toys are sanitized (I’ve done that job). All the hands that make church happen, they make church happen on Sunday morning, regardless of whether or not they get to Cracker Barrel afterward or if they get to sing on the worship team. Sometimes they’re not even in the sanctuary because they’re in the nursery, or watching your empty car in the parking lot, just so you can go in and hear the word of God. I think of these people who are willing to sacrifice their time and energy when I hear Christians who say they don’t go to church because they find that people who go to church are hypocrites. I hear them say that and I want to hand them a mirror, or I want to walk them through a church when a service is going on, and show them the hypocrites doing those jobs. But, then I’d have to put a mirror in my face too, for all the times the church has asked for help in those areas, and I’ve not wanted to give it.

Men seeking the praise of others will always be there. Who doesn’t like a “good job,” or a pat on the back when they’ve worked for something, but the point is that shouldn’t be the reason we do for others. We should do simply because it needs to be done, without considering ourselves first. This is the mark of the Teacher, and this is the mark of the student as well. In the garden, when man fell, God still clothed him, He still saw to man’s needs, prior to setting him out of the garden. God even gave him instruction how he was to eat so that man would not starve. God still loved, and He wants us to love and put that love into action.

“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Matt.6:3-4

          It’s the things we do without the concern of recognition that are precious to God. As a parent, I can think on those cute things my children did when it was just our family, and those are the things I treasure most. The snuggling moments, the times when my children wanted to brush my hair, or the feel of my child’s arms going around my leg when we were in a crowd. I had a long braid that my oldest son would hold as we walked places. It was the sign that all the younger children were in place, he had everyone in front of him, like a train conductor swinging a lantern to the engineer, and I can remember the feel of that pressure on the back of my head when he took hold of it; the gentle tug that let me know he was there and literally had my back. Those are the secret things that that Father stores in His heart as well. He sees the things you do for His other children without regard for yourself, because it’s just what you do because you’re part of the family.

          God rewards us openly. He lavishes blessings on us because he knows our hearts. He knows the ways of man. He knows that when someone is prospering, people want to know why. I’m not talking about financial gain. I’m talking about being joyous no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.  “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4   The reward of doing good is the joy of the Lord within our souls, and that is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

          Having a spirit of serving is not an easy thing to develop. It requires tough spiritual conditioning. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” 1 Cor. 9:24-27  

Practically speaking we are to pour out to others, but in doing so we reap a harvest of plenty. There is so much to be said about investing in others. Think about it. If you spend your time doing for others, just getting things done for them, be it getting to work and doing all you’re asked in the best way you can, or rising above and doing not just your best but encouraging others to do their best as well, doesn’t it make everyone feel better? If someone is having a hard time, doesn’t it make you feel better to go up and say, “What can I help you with?” Sometimes they need more help than we can give, but we can do what we can, even if it’s to ask for the help they can’t ask for. There is the expression that the Church is the hospital, it exists to cure the sick. The Church does more than that, the Church also is where the Physician does His work. Our reward is to send out more live patients than dead bodies. God has wired us to derive a sense of pleasure when we have helped someone. That’s why we smile when we say, “You’re welcome.”

 Let your light shine before men in such a way that may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matt. 5:16

Love your Enemies- Master Teacher- Matthew 5:38-48

 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

In these tumultuous times, we need a little reprieve from the fear and hate that permeates the airwaves. Those talking heads espouse “news” which is nothing more than rhetoric we are expected to believe. Celebrities who are not experts in any field, and who don’t hold degrees, citing men who have degrees from places we wouldn’t respect if we were to visit their campuses, come across like they know more just because they have a microphone. Drop the mic and realize what is going on. Everyone is backtalking, backstabbing, those things that were once held in high esteem. Some think it’s funny, and others think it’s cool to put down and then kick it while it’s down. What happened to common values and decency? Before we go pointing fingers, we need to realize the ones on our own hand pointing back at us. Church, where are you? Why is hatred and fear running rampant and love and compassion has not hedged the wounds on our society? The church is supposed to be a hospital, not a morgue. Our teacher has not left the room. He’s still with us. The lesson is still ongoing.

Is it hard to love those around you? Probably not since most of us surround ourselves with like-minded and likeable people and avoid people we don’t care to be around. Recently, our church held a fast and prayer time where we met every night to corporately pray. We all “Sunday” know each other, but don’t really ‘know’ each other. Yet, over the past few weeks we’ve come to truly find brotherly affection for one another, and to grow in the love of the Lord toward each other as we’ve shared in prayer. It has made us closer to one another, but more importantly, it’s made us want to share that love with more people than just those present in the room. The Master Teacher has been teaching us, practically, that love is contagious. He shared that with the crowd of believers 2000 years ago on the mount when He taught:  

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give the one who asks, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:38-42

It is hard to comprehend what it is Jesus is saying here. Is he asking us to allow ourselves to be doormats? Well, yes, in a way he is. He’s asking us to do what is necessary to win someone over to the cause. He is not saying not to fight when it’s necessary to fight for righteousness sake. We must remember this Jesus is the Lamb of God, but he is also the Lion of Judah. Exodus 15:3 says, “The Lord is a man of war, The LORD is His name.” A warrior is not someone who goes picking a fight. A true warrior is one who fights when the battle is called for and rests, when there is no need to fight. That is what the Lord Jesus is teaching here. He is saying, if it’s of the flesh, it’s not worth fighting for, but if it is of the eternal, then yes, we will be called to fight for it.  The expression, “Pick your battle” doesn’t apply here. The Lord picks the battle. It’s found in His word. Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “These six things the LORD Hates, Yes, seven are and abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” In short, pride, murder, strife, maliciousness, contentiousness, envy, and disunity within our members and as we reach out to others.

We are called to fight these things, not only in others, but mostly with in our own nature. We are called to wrestle it down daily in our own body and throw it repeatedly upon that altar of sacrifice. Dying to self is exhausting work! It seems like I get one limb tied down and another breaks free, and I cry out, “Lord, help me! I can’t get this old sinful self to lie still! The knots I tie keep slipping!” Maybe it’s because I keep tying the same flimsy knots instead of allowing God to take the cord. When He says, “Put your finger here and I’ll pull it tot,” it works. It’s just hard for me to look that sacrifice in the face, because it’s my face looking back at me, and I see the agony I’m putting myself through. But when God sees it, He sees his Son’s sacrifice to defeat that sin that is dying on that altar, and He knows the necessity of it. I want to set me free, But He says, “It must be done for without it, I cannot be with you, and this old thing will rise up and beat the life out of you.” God knows how to fight, and I just need to fight His way, with love.

We, as believers, must know who how to fight, and the Teacher gave us instruction on that as well. Ephesians 6:13-18 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

We should know the truth of God, which can only come through relationship with our Master Teacher, by sitting in that classroom day in and day out, and doing our lessons faithful, and taking the good and the bad, trudging through our training in all that is required of us. We must suck it in for that girding of the truth, because it’s important we are transformed and not conformed. We will be fitted for that breastplate and learn to wear it even when it chaffs our softer materialists spots we want a little more freedom instead of protection over. The shodding of our feet with the preparation shoes, well, they might cause people to wonder why we’re not wearing the latest style instead of spouting those out of date philosophies, so maybe we’ll want to just kick them right off and play the game barefoot instead and take our chances among the thorns and thistles. Our shield can become a little heavy to carry at times too. Sometimes, we just want to lower it just a little because after all, our helmet is on our head, since we prayed a prayer when we were young, right? Isn’t that enough? Isn’t saying, “Here,” when the roll is called enough for being in school?  Then there’s the whole wielding of the sword of the Spirit training. Isn’t a couple of minutes a day, and knowing John 3:16 enough to pass the test? Let’s admit it. We need some serious attention to our Master Teacher. He’s calling us to attention, and we’d better be giving him our full and undivided attention. His lesson continues as he tells who we’re fighting against.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor, and ‘hate your enemy’. But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48

            By now you might be wondering if I’m asking you to fight or to love. I’m asking you to fight with love; or fight to love with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a battle call. The world is not ready, at this time, to be loved. Imagine the child who is in the middle of a tantrum, and the father of that child picks him up and says to him, “Son, I see you. I know you’re angry. I know you’re scared and afraid, but I’m here now, and I see you. I hear you. It doesn’t matter if the child is wrong or right. What matters to the child is that daddy is there to comfort him. That’s what is going on in the world today. There are so many angry, scared, misdirected people throwing tantrums amid a chaotic world, and the real enemy is wanting to keep them there. Church, we should see them as people, not the enemy, but as victims of the enemy of God.

Before we armored up we were told in Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We’re not fighting people, we’re fighting against systems and ideologies that enslave people. We, the Church, should be looking at these ideologies that seek to destroy life, that hurt and enslave people, and declare war on those, and send in special teams, like Christian SEAL teams that will come in and do rescue missions to get out as many people as possible. The traps of the enemy are meant to kill, steal, and destroy, and they are vicious. We need to use our weaponry and be well trained and reaching for no less than the Well Done from our Master Teacher.

Let’s be practical. What does life look like for the average believer as we go through life:

1.      Fellowship-We first must be in fellowship. No soldier can go into a fight and expect to make it out alone. We need a family of believers. As “out dated” as I’ve heard people say the local church is it is not outdated. If you don’t like your church it’s probably because you’re not plugged into it. If you have a good idea go talk to your pastor. You might find a man who wants more good ideas, and needs a lot more help. Also, get involved with small home Bible study groups. These are people you really do life with and have accountability with for the long term. You can’t know everyone in your church, but if you know a group of people it makes your spiritual family matter to you.

2.      Read your Bible goes without saying, but seriously, if you want to know God then go get Him. He’s right there, but read it cover to cover, and never stop reading it. You might see something one way one time and then see it another way as God guides you through life. Be a Berean and search Him out. You will always be His student.

3.      Pray! Pray all the time, stay in constant contact with Him. Ask Him for the small things and the big things. Be willing to be told yes, and told no, and be told wait, and be told go. Learn to speak during prayer times, but also be willing to listen too.

4.       Worship- Take time alone to have those intimate times with God, with no one else but the two of you. When you’re there with Him remember who He is, and who you are to Him. Your identity is found not in the world, or in who others say you are, but in who the one who created you finds you to be when you find Him.

5.      Serve others- You can die to self much faster if you put self to good use. Practice your religion. And religion, as defined in the Bible, is found in James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” If you’re so focused on feeding the hungry you don’t think about what color your apron is. You think about feeding the hungry. You might just find you enjoy doing it. Fight the good fight of loving others. Remember what love looks like.

 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

 John 15:13

Master Teacher-Your Eyes Say Yes but Your Mouth Says No. Matt 5:33-37

As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.

Ps. 41:12

Integrity, character, honor- are these traits dwindling in today’s pop culture?  It is harder to find men and women who will do what is right just to do what is right without all the accolades and recognition. In a society in which everyone gets a pat on the back just for showing up to get a job done and doing what is expected, why do we think anyone would want to step up if it doesn’t pay off, much less speak up? What leads people to action is words. If we want to change our world we must say something. Nothing can get done without words. Yet at the same time it’s words that get us into trouble too. Our words can also lead to devastating consequences. Words are powerful because by our words our thoughts are revealed.

In this week’s teaching our Master Teacher gives us a heart lesson about the words that come out of mouths, and how carelessly we tend to use them. It’s a much deeper than just a few words. He’s cutting deep here and dealing with an integrity issue. He is saying to us that we need to walk the talk to maintain our integrity, our character, and to be a person of honor. In a world where the bad boys are rewarded with riches and seem to get ahead, and the good people appear to suffer, it’s hard to decide to live this way. Take courage, Christian, this world is not our home. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.” Ps. 37:7-9

            Jesus directs us back to the commandments. It is important to remember why He does this repeatedly. Jesus said, ”Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matt. 5:17 He is not giving us anything contrary to what God has said, but further explaining it, since we haven’t gotten it thus far. A good teacher will go back and show the student why they did wrong, and how to make it right. Since we are having trouble with what we say not matching what we do, Jesus is going to help us to have greater understanding so we can make improvements in this area.

            “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘you shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord’.” Matt 5:33 The live audience on the mount by the sea of Galilee was very familiar with this text. They had heard it many times coming from the mouths of the Pharisees and the temple tax collectors. “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” Num. 30:2 Can’t you just picture the people sitting on the grass with a roll of their eyes, picturing the temple tax collector reciting it with them while they nod their heads? But it is important that we keep our word when make a pledge to God. If we say we’re going too fast for a day, we don’t give up at the first twinge of hunger. If we say we’re going to pray for someone, don’t walk away and not pray for that person. Learn to stop on the spot and pray right there. If we say we’re going to read our Bible’s every day, but we can’t seem to find the time to sit and read, then turn off the car radio and put it on an app and listen to it, or turn off the television for a half an hour and listen to it. If we say we’re going to meditate on God’s word, and we can’t seem to find the time, take time before a meal and tune out the people around us, take out our verse of the day, and read it over and over. Do lunch with God alone in our cars. We need to find the time to get alone with God. We will sneak away with someone we love for a private moment, but we keep God public, or worse, we keep Him at arm’s length, or act as though we don’t even know Him, when the whole time all He wants is time with us, to hear us.

            The Master Teacher knows the importance of the promises we make to the LORD because it reflects our intention. What we base those intentions upon also says something about us.

“But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; not by earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.” Matt. 5:34.

            “Oh, my heavens… what on earth…what in tarnation…” does that sound familiar? We swear by so many things all the time in our frustration with the simplest of things around us. We need to be more mindful of our words. Jesus explains that all of creation is the Lord God’s, so who are we to condemn it? All that God has made should remind us of how great He is. “He who builds His layers in the sky, and has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth—The LORD is His name.” Amos 9:6 A few years ago, while visiting my daughter, we were in Portland, Oregon. We went to a botanical garden and we were walking through a rose display, rather quickly, just reading the signs about what kind of roses were around us. A man watched us for a minute and then shouted at us, “Take the time to smell the roses!” My daughter burst out in laughter at the cliché, but we did slow down and take the time to smell the roses. We discovered that roses do indeed have very different scents. The man, who was not a gardener there, but just another visitor, took a few seconds and pointed out a few of his favorites to us.  In our busy lives we really do forget to take time to smell the roses and in the process, we miss the blessing of the fine aroma God intends for us to enjoy.

            “Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.” Matt. 5:36

             A man’s word is his bond, right? If his word is not worth anything, if his bond is worthless, then what good is it?  To be powerless is a place we all eventually find ourselves in at one time or another regardless of what we think we have control over. It is best to recognize our limitations before we get ourselves into trouble. Over promising what we can’t deliver leads to difficult situations, and for many people the temptation to cover for those limitation leads to lying. Lying is a slippery slope. One lie leads to another, and to another, and to another until finding the truth is almost impossible to do. No matter what we do we cannot make black into white or white into black. As my father always says, “it is what it is, and you can’t make it what it’s not.”  Once something is out of our mouths we cannot take those words back.

            Jesus knows the limits placed on us by our fall from the Master’s plan. He has direction for us to follow to restore us. Until He returns, He gave us grace, and instructions on how to conduct ourselves. When it comes to how to have integrity in our speech He kept it simple:

            “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No”, ‘No.” For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matt.5:37

            The Teacher is saying to walk the talk, mean what we say, and let our actions match our words. If we say we’re going to do something then we need to do it, and if we’re not sure then we need to say we’re not sure. If we’re not going to do it, then say we’re not going to do it.  It’s not enough to say the right things if we can’t follow through with doing the right things.  “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Cor. 13:1 Being articulate and having an expansive vocabulary means little if what we say doesn’t bring others to salvation, but condemns them by our actions. “Therefore, the Lord said: Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.” Is 29:13 & “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” Prov. 17:28 We aren’t to keep silent, however. Jesus commanded us to use our words and our actions. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them in the to observe all the things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matt. 28:19-20

            Since we’ve been given our marching orders, we’ve also been given our message. Jesus has given us not just the what we need to do, but the what to say. “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you should say.” Luke 12:11-12

            We are judged by what we say and the follow through on what we said we were going to do. Our Lord made promises He kept. Since we are expected to reflect Him, and to demonstrate the lessons we have learned, shouldn’t we also be keeping our word?

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips and is a fool. Prov. 28:6