The No-Secret to Conquering Worry

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Matt R.

Matthew 6:25-34 are very near and dear to those of us who are tempted to worry.  The first statement of Matthew 6:25 is rather shocking, “Don’t worry about your life!”  Christ then lists many of the areas were are tempted to worry about everyday.

What I never noticed about this passage is the connection it has to the preceding context in Matthew 6:24.  The first phrase of 6:25 binds these two verses together (“For this reason”).  The passage on worry is sandwiched between two strong statements about serving God as your top priority (Matthew 6:24, 33).

The “no-secret” to conquering worry is serving God as your chief ambition in life.  When you do, God says He will take care of the details along the way.

When those “worrys” pop up your first line of defense is prayer (Philippians 4:6-7).

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Keep Jesus Above The Rest

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Matt R.

Luke 9:33-35 And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah” — not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”

A Lesson from the Transfiguration
The Father will not let Jesus share common worship or levels of reverence with other humans. The Father’s declaration runs directly against Jehovah’s Witness doctrine of Jesus, “He is just like us, just a little more advanced.” May we see Jesus as fully man while at the same time fully God (Philippians 2:5-8).

Let us not let the greatest human scholars or theologians of our day or the past find the same level of authority as Jesus. The Roman Catholic pope is neither, but many place his ex cathedra declarations on the same level as Bible! The Father’s message is “Listen to Jesus!”

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Thoughts On Our Savior’s Incarnation

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Matt R.

Anbetung der Hirten (Adoration of the Shepherds) (c. 1500–10), by Italian painter Giorgio da Castelfranco

On Philippians 2:5-9

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
 

Christmas should remind us to live for the best interest of others.  In the Person of Christ, God willfully took on the limitations of human nature for the good of all mankind (1 John 2:2).  B. B. Warfield encapsulates this thought in the following quote:

“So far is Paul from intimating, therefore, that Our Lord laid aside His Deity in entering upon His life on earth, that he rather asserts that He retained His Deity throughout His life on earth, and in the whole course of His humiliation, up to death itself, was consciously ever exercising self-abnegation, living a life which did not by nature belong to Him, which stood in fact in direct contradiction to the life which was naturally His!” (The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, “The Person of Christ”, Vol. 4; p. 2339.)
 

What an amazing challenge to us to do the same (Philippians 2:3-4).  Every moment of every day choosing to sacrifice my “rights” and desires for the benefit of others.  Are you building up and edifying others with your actions and words, or tearing them down (Ephesians 4:29-32).  Thank God for another person of the Trinity who lives inside us to enable us to this end (Galatians 5:22-23).

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God Knows!

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Matt R.

God’s providence is at work in every aspect of our lives. The Book of Exodus is a clear reminder of how God is at work bringing all the details of life together to accomplish His plan.

As Moses under the inspiration of God recounts the details of the nations condition (Exodus 1:1-22) as well as his own illegal birth (Exodus 2:1-10), he carefully highlights the movements of God’s sovereign hand even in the face of man’s sin (Exodus 2:11-15). Through every detail of the seemingly ordinary events of life, God is at work preparing a man to accomplish His plan.

Chapter 2 ends with a summarizing statement concerning Israel’s condition (Exodus 2:23), and His knowledge of their condition (Exodus 2:24). God hears the sighing and crying of His children! Let the pressures of life amplify your cries to God! He hears your “groaning” produced by the pressures of life! He remembers His unconditional obligation to you (“God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”). He sees your financial strain, health issue, difficult decision, and takes notice (literally “knows”) every detail about what you are going through.

Praise God His knowledge propels Him to action in our lives! Israel was not where He wanted them to be (bondage in Egypt). The hardness of Pharaoh, or the complaining of Israel, could not keep Him from accomplishing His eternal plan in their lives, or in yours!

If you are looking for an encouraging Book to read, I heartily recommend Exodus!

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When Rats Eat Your Treasure

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Matt R.

Out of the uncertainty in financial markets, especially in Greece, comes a great illustration of the biblical principle of Matthew 6:19-21. The following illustration is taken from a recent news article.

“One senior investment banker is more blunt: “People are scared that the government doesn’t know what it’s doing.” He tells a story about an acquaintance who took out €30,000 (Euro = $42,546), wrapped it in a bag and stashed it in his garage. “The bag had previously had some food inside,” he says. “So it attracted rats, who ate the notes.”"

So much better to lay up our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20-21)!

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