Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 26:3, 40:31; Jeremiah 17:7; Matthew 6:18-34

After the Lord Jesus presented the “model prayer” (vv.9-15) as an aide in helping us talk to God the Father in love, devotion, and faith, He turned His attention to the issue of fasting or abstaining from food or a particular activity for a period of time as an act of worship and reverence toward God (Matthew 6:16-18). He stressed the importance of doing any act of worship and prayer in private as a sign of personal interaction with the Creator of the Universe. We are to never “show off our piety” in front of others as some sign of “spiritual superiority” over others whose faith may be new or not as strong in maturity as other believers. Fasting, specifically abstention from food for a time, is to be done in order to discern the will of God and seek what He would have us to do in the same way as prayer.

The Lord Jesus had much to say concerning the issue of possessions (vv.19-24). He never condemned anyone for having riches or other comforts. The issue was making riches into a “god,” trusting in our devices in order to earn money or notoriety. This was the problem with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-30). In all sincerity, He asked the LORD how to earn eternal life, but the truth is that when Jesus got to the root of His inquiry, this young man was not ready to get rid of his possessions in order to follow Jesus. His riches were his “god,” and like many people, when he found out Jesus’ requirements for discipleship, he walked away. Jesus did not go after him, as this ruler was not spiritually ready, and He does not want false converts to follow Him for the wrong reasons.

Again, there is nothing wrong with being wealthy (nowhere in Scripture are there any grounds for socialism as we see it in the world today!). Job, Abraham, David, and Barnabas are all examples of men who dedicated their riches to God and His glory. The trouble, as we see with the young ruler, is that wealth can become the focus of our attention. Jesus taught that it was much better to focus on the eternal treasures of heaven and blessings that God can provide without limitation and cannot be stolen by thieves.

Jesus addressed the problem of worrying about things or situations (vv.25-34). Even the godliest of people can find themselves bound by worry. No one has ever been exempted.

Worrying, no matter what reason we give for it, is rooted in the fact that we do not trust God to meet our needs. Let us be honest. We do not trust Him to care for us, even though the Bible contains numerous examples of how He cared for and protected His people from the wrath of Pharoah and brought them into the Promised Land. He cared for them even when they disobeyed and rebelled against Him and were placed into exile in Babylon as punishment. He preserved them through the parade of empires that began with Babylon and then into Roman rule. He gave them the blessings of mercy and grace. Yet, there is always the specter of distrust and skepticism that gives way to worrying and thinking that we have to get our own selves out of trouble. The Bible says just the opposite.

The Bible teaches that worrying does nobody any good. It never produces incentive or productivity. It doesn’t do our health and well-being any good. Jesus told HIs listeners that if they want to see God’s provision in action, then take the time to see how He provides for the animals. Look at the birds and see that they reap their food from the seeds and plants. If God provides this fare to His creatures, then it is certain that He will provide for us. Worry, in turn, drains us of physical. emotional, and mental reserves that take away our focus upon God, who is the True source of supply.

Jesus called everyone’s attention to the flowers and other plant life. Their variety, beauty, and appearance put anything that King Solomon ever had to shame. If God can create and maintain the flowers and foliage in all their glory, then certainly He will provide us with the clothing we need. He wants us to see that life does not consist of possessions. The old joke is that we never see a funeral hearse with a trailer hitched to the back as if we can “take it with us.” The real concern for all of us is not what we have at the end of our lives but in Whom we have placed our faith and trust to give us the priceless gift of eternal life and salvation.

Jesus Christ is the Source of all true and permanent riches, both material and spiritual. Eternity is too long to realize that all the “stuff” we have now means nothing if we do not have Christ dwelling in our hearts this side of life. If you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, get that issue settled now (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13; 2 Corinthians 6:2). It’s time to take our eyes off ourselves and look to Him for our needs, period.

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

www.youtube.com/@realitycityreview/streams

https://ocosbe.org/donald-whitchard/

Just out of curiosity, when someone states, “Praise The Lord,” I wonder if they are making an off-the-wall comment or if they really mean to praise our Jesus. (ESV – all emphasis is mine)

If they really meant to give praise, glory and honor to the name of our Savior, wonderful. After all, we’re told in Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

On the other hand, Matthew 7:21-23 states, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father, who is in Heaven. On that day, many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do mighty works in Your name? And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you workers of lawlessness.’” The will of the Father is to truly have His Son as your Savior.

Exodus 20:7 is one of the Ten Commandments given by the Father. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” This verse is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:11.

For anyone who would say this was at the beginning of this earth’s existence, and it no longer applies; check out 2 Peter 3:8; “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved; that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” This being the case, if Exodus and Deuteronomy took place about 3,500 years ago, to the Father it would have been the same as about three and a half days ago. Many forget that God created time for humans, and He is not controlled by it.

He also hears our spoken words as well as knows our every thought. For those who say they have not, nor do not, sin daily, we look at Romans 3:23; “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”

Then there’s Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”

The question arises, if we’re all sinners, how can we possibly be forgiven and have eternal life with Jesus? Here’s where we review Romans 10:9-13, “because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…. For the scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Once again, for clarification purposes, Paul states, “with our mouth.” This does not eliminate anyone who is physically unable to speak. The Father reads our minds as if we are speaking out loud. David told Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9, “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”

If we’re all sinners, who can possibly be saved? Please understand God has no illusions about us and knows we are going to fall short. This is why He sent a part of Himself to this earth as the only pure, sinless blood sacrifice for our sins that ever could be made. Our responsibility is to admit what we have done and ask forgiveness.

In 1 John 1:8-10, we have the true mechanics of this. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Personally, I do not want to ever call God a liar.

By the time this earth finally comes to an end, there will be two absolutely unforgivable sins. The first is present right now. Anyone who refuses to receive and accept Jesus as their Savior before taking their last breath here will end up at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. Everyone in that line is bound for the lake of fire with no exceptions, and no forgiveness will be given.

For someone to say they have sinned so greatly that God would never forgive them, they do not know the true power of the blood shed by our Savior at Calvary. When Jesus stated, “It Is Finished,” in John 19:30, He was letting all of us know that the perfect sacrifice had been completed that would be accepted by the Father. This just didn’t cover some sin but every sin we would ever commit. The disclaimer to this is that we must receive and accept Jesus as our Savior and ask His forgiveness for our sins. Then, we are eligible for the 1 John 1:8-10 forgiveness.

A simple statement I heard once: “Know Jesus, Know Forgiveness”; “No Jesus; No Forgiveness.”

The second unforgivable sin will take place during the tribulation/wrath 7-year period. In Revelation 14:9-11, it states that all who take the mark of the beast, signifying they are worshipers of the antichrist who is acting on behalf of Satan, will spend eternity in the lake of fire.

When I think of what my Savior did so that I could have eternity with Him, I realize just how unworthy I have been and really still am. The fact that He loves me so and is willing to forgive all I’ve done causes me to want to absolutely Praise Him! In 1869, Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) wrote a hymn titled, “Praise Him! Praise Him!” It really covers a lot about proclaiming our love for our Savior.

1.)  Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our Blessed Redeemer. Sing, O earth–His wonderful love proclaim. Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory; Strength and honor give to His Holy Name. Like a Shepherd, Jesus will guard His children; In His arms, He carries them all day long.

Ref) Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness. Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song.

2.) Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our Blessed Redeemer. For our sins, He suffered and bled and died. He our Rock, our Hope of eternal Salvation, Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified. Sound His praises, Jesus who bore our sorrows; love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong. (ref)

3.) Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our Blessed Redeemer. Heavenly portals loud with Hosannas ring. Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever: Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King. Christ is Coming, over the world victorious. Power and glory, unto the Lord belong. (ref)

We worship a Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who goes beyond amazing. While our Father could have demanded our love and loyalty, He allows us to make our own personal choice of where we will spend eternity. We are left to decide if we will spend it with our Jesus in eternal Heaven, or with all who refused to receive and accept Him through eternity with Satan and his demons in the lake of fire.

If you have not asked Jesus to forgive you and to be your Savior, now would be a great time to do so. The end of this age is obviously very near its end, and no one should take the chance of not being with the Shepherd.

Please make the best and most important decision of your life. Hope to see you at the Rapture!

huebshman46@gmail.com