Blessings

  Matthew 5:1-12 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible...oh, how I love Jesus!

 "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." King James Version

Never Enough

“Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter,” Isaiah 56:11, KJV

Imagine living in a beautiful home built near many of your favorite attractions. Whether it’s in the busy metropolis or in a quiet area of the suburbs, it is home to you. The foundation is just as you wanted it, the master suite, the corner bedrooms, and the spacious kitchen. Then you go over to a neighbor’s house and see that they have a pool and theater room. Now you want that too.

So, you add on that theater room which never crossed your mind before. And you have that pool installed even though it over extended your budget. You are now satisfied, so you think. Then the neighbors get a brand new outdoor grill that costs a pretty penny. Oh my, you’ve got to have that too because it’s the “in” thing now.

You sit down at your computer, searching for a place where you could buy that new grill and run across an advertisement about starving children. You look away briefly, contemplating whether or not you should donate that money you were going to use on the grill. You find that the yearly cost to feed ten children is less than half of what you want to spend on the grill that you never really wanted. You ponder, but then decide to get the grill anyway. Others will donate for that cause, you say.

Or consider that a new cell phone has just come on the market. You don’t need a new phone, but you’ve got to have it because there are new bells and whistles on it that your old phone does not have. Almost instantly you remember that you just got your phone last month and it works perfectly fine. You didn’t need to upgrade it for work purposes, you didn’t need it for homemaker duties, but because it costs more it must be better. Sadly, you recently deleted a voice message from one of your friends who needs a loan for a water bill due at the end of the week.

There’s always going to be a flashier car, a larger home, a more expensive ring, but does that mean that it’s for you? And then some may ask God, well, why didn’t you give me what I asked for? You said in your word that you would supply all of my needs according to your riches and glory. I imagine God bringing to their attention the nice home, but it was not enough, the theater room, not enough, and the pool that He may not have wanted them to get, but He allowed—still not enough.

Whatever happened to the days before cell phones and gas grills? Whatever happened to the days before computers and HD television sets? It seems as if the more we are given, the more we want. With all of this, it’s still never enough.

“And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man's life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing [a]overflowing abundance or that which is [b]over and above his needs.” Luke 12:15, AMP

Additional Reference: Exodus 20:17, Proverbs 27:20

House of Prayer or Den of Thieves?

“Come get your supernatural blessing!” Have you ever heard that phrase before? Or, “give your five hundred dollar sacrificial seed offering for your breakthrough?” Of course the amount varies, usually more than five hundred dollars, but the concept is the same. And what is this about chicken dinners and bake sales to keep the church doors open? What is this? What ever happened to just plain obedience? To obey is better than sacrifice. If people paid their tithes and made offerings, nobody would have to put a crowbar in their palms to get it out. Now, I am not saying that it is wrong to have events or programs to raise money for specific outreach projects. Nor am I saying that charging for the production of sermons and radio broadcasting is wrong because I don't believe that it is. But what I am saying is that the house of God should focus on Him and not our personal agendas.

It seems as if we’re in an era of “right now” deliverance—the “gimme” syndrome. Now, it is true that God does deliver instantly and has full capabilities to bless those whom He chooses when He chooses for He is sovereign. But what are we doing for Him? We want Him to do all of these things for us, but nothing for Him. God is not a prostitute where we can pimp Him. He is not on some street corner holding His hand out for money. He does not need our money (which by the way is His anyway). He desires our faith and trust...our love.

Look at the expression of love He poured out for us, His only begotten Son... to be beaten, ridiculed, lied on, talked about, and disgraced. All of this and some still reject Him. I didn't understand how so many people wanted to go to heaven, but rarely wanted to go to church. Then a friend of mine enlightened me. She said that they don't want to go to heaven; they just don't want to go to hell. Hmm, hell, now there's a thought. Are we serving God just because of danger of hell or is it because He is God? He is good, He is awesome, He is a deliverer, He is “I AM”. Do we think about it only when we see a hearse backing up with someone in it we many know, or on a daily basis to wake up in the morning and say, “Lord, make this day what you would have it to be, letting your will be done, not my own”?

What are we asking God for that He hasn't given us already? He said that He'll provide all of our needs. Needs, not wants, well I've already talked about that in the Grace and Mercy blog post. Are we seeking money, things, fame, or are we after God's heart? Check out Psalm 37:4. That's what it means to delight yourself in the Lord, and He'll give you the desires of your heart. What do you desire? I desire more of God, more of His presence; I just want to be next to Him because He is everything to me.

Romans 8:27, KJV, states, “And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” So, whatever we ask for must line up with God’s will. It does not matter what supernatural anything that you may give, if you're not living right, the Holy Spirit isn’t going to even take that to God. It says it right there in His word, according to His will.

But Jesus summed it up best in this passage of scripture: "And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the House of Prayer? But ye have made it a Den of Thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him: for they feared Him, because all the people was astonished at His doctrine." Mark 11:15-17, KJV

Does His doctrine astonish you?

Grace and Mercy

Have you ever ministered to someone with AIDS? Have you ever fed or clothed the homeless? Have you ever visited the sick and shut in?

These are just a few questions to consider the next time you get a clean bill of health, put on new clothes (or old for that matter), sit down in a restaurant (or at home) for a nice meal, or lay in bed with the flu (and you had someone to care you). If you have, you understand how humbling these moments can be. You understand how much it means to the person on the receiving end. Often, we can get complacent with the "little" blessings that God gives to us, not realizing that there is someone out there who doesn't have the basic necessities in life. Many times, tears come to my eyes when I see others in pain...I thank God every day for His continued grace and mercy. It could have been me.

It is good to fellowship with like believers and attend church every week, but is that all we're doing for God? Or is that really for us? Giving back a portion of what God has given to us does not stop at finances. We love Him, so let's show Him. In Matthew 25: 35-36 (Amplified), Jesus says, "For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me. I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.”

This video describes in film what I've just posted in words...please view.

http://www.myfaith.com/musicvideo.php?vid=ac0f24765#comments

Music Video Code by MyFaith