Thoughts I Can't Sing

Standards

Jews in Jesus’ day would never forgive anyone for something more than 3 times. Peter, in Matt 18:21, asks Jesus how many times we should forgive people when they sin against us. He asks “up to 7 times?”
7 times is more than double what the Jews lived by, so Peter probabaly thought “yea, Jesus is gonna be proud of me for being so forgiving.”
Then Jesus in Matthew 18:22 says “nope, 7 times 70.”

This is a reminder that we can’t use our own standards to measure how closely we are living to Gods standards. Comparing ourselves to people falling shorter than us does nothing for us. Regardless of how well we think we’re doing, God wants more. More forgiveness, more grace, more holiness, etc etc. There is always more.

Eternal Perspective

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must DENY THEMSELVES and take up their cross and follow me.’” - Matthew 16:24 

So many times I’ve made excuses to myself by saying things like “well that’s just who I am” or “that’s just the way I am.” I was just born timid, terrified of confrontation, and void of self-confidence. How can I ever tell people about or show people Jesus when I am who I am? By realizing that’s not who I am. That’s not who God created me to be. That’s me “in the flesh” and I have to deny that part of me.

Just before this verse, in verse 22, Peter reacted to Jesus predicting his own death by basically saying “no way! They will have to go through me first!” This seems to be a very noble reaction that shows how devoted he is to Jesus. But Jesus responds with “get behind me Satan.” Satan. That’s harsh. Basically a demon had gotten Peter to react how he did. Tho his reaction seemed right, moral, loving, etc.. it was straight up demonic. Because it was Peter reacting with a mind of man, not God. Which resisted God’s plan.

Following Jesus sometimes means throwing out your human instinct, reasoning and intellect. Sometimes your flesh will fight you with everything it’s got to keep you thinking like a man. I mean who in the world would hear Jesus say “I’m gonna suffer and die at the hand of these people” and respond with “oh yea, sounds great! I’m ready to see your plan come to full fruition by way of your slaughtering!” Apparently someone closer to God than Peter… and myself.

Thinking like God and not like man can prove very difficult. But that doesnt change the fact that we are called to do it.

Matthew 10:37 is one of the hardest scriptures to grasp for me.
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

I love my daughter more than anything, but if I put her even slightly above (or equal to) Jesus, then I am not worthy of Jesus. To love my daughter more than Jesus is sin and is me thinking like a man.

Starting today I’m going to double check every thought. I’m going to take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5) and make sure it is from the mind of God and not my own. I will do my best to have an eternal perspective. Everything I do, say and think will only be done, said or thought if it impacts eternity and my eternal reward.

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” - Matthew 16:27

By denying myself and thinking like God (from an eternal perspective) I will not only be more effective for God on earth but I will also be storing up more rewards in heaven. I don’t want to just get there. I want God to be happy with me when I do get there.

Here’s to getting a “well done” and not just a “well… you made it.”

Neither Here Nor There

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.
- Matthew 14:28, 29 (NIV)

There has been many times in my life where I have thought to myself “God if this is you, show me” or “let me know” or “show me a sign” or “make it obvious to me” etc. Most of the time it hinges on God doing something. God if this is you… I need you to do _(fill in the blank)_ to let me know. What does that tell me about myself? I don’t know God enough and I don’t believe fully that he can do “all things” through me. If I did… I would be more like Peter. I would say “God, even though my sight of you is vague, I know your voice… and I know that I can accomplish the impossible with you.. so if this you.. tell me to come to you.” Then, like Peter, I would actually have the boldness to go for it.

Matthew says the disciples were rowed out a “considerable distance.” John says “three or three and a half miles.” Mark says “the boat was in the middle of the lake.” The disciples had gone out, without Jesus, on rough waters, battling the waves in a row boat… and we find them right smack in the middle of the lake. As far from either shore as possible. Neither here nor there. Stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Mark 6:48-49 says “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because they all saw him and were terrified.”

Jesus saw them struggling. It doesn’t say how long he let them struggle but we at least know He allowed them to for a little bit. Then, when the time was right, he “went out to them.” Funny thing about the Mark account.. it says Jesus was about to pass them by. But I thought he was going out to aid them?! Well, he was going out to be with them… which results in the aid. But he was about to pass them by?!

“But when they saw him.” He wanted to be seen. He wanted them to take notice. To realize they needed help and to see it coming.

God will come to us when we need him. However he might not be waving banners, flashing neon lights or screaming for our attention. He will likely come in the most unexpected way, half hidden by wind and waves, and cloaked in the chaos of a storm. To see him, we have to be looking. Jesus WILL come when we need him, but it IS possible for us to miss him.

After they saw him it says they were terrified. Sometimes the way God reveals himself to us can be scary. Maybe not haunted house scary but scary nonetheless. When God shows himself we often end up either experiencing change, finding things out about ourselves that we don’t like or being told to follow him somewhere we don’t understand. All pretty terrifying.

Luckily he says “take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.” So basically “hey, it’s me.. I got this.”

Then, Peter tests both Jesus and himself. He proves that it is indeed Jesus while simultaneously proving to himself that nothing is impossible with Jesus. “If its you, tell me to come to you.” Jesus could have just climbed in the boat and said “tadaaa!” But he only got close enough to the boat for the disciples to barely see him and for Peter to be courageous enough to come to him.

Jesus comes to us often expecting us to meet him. He will come just close enough for us to vaguely see him there. But we will have to step out and meet him. Which requires faith and courage. The key thing here is after Jesus said “come”.. Peter actually went.

We cant just camp out in fear and uncertainty and expect God to jump in the boat with us and save the day. He has to first be acknowledged.. then he must be pursued. Why is it so hard to do the pursuit part? Cuz he walks on the dad gum water during crazy storms! He doesn’t make it much of a habit to hang out in fields of flowers and call us to lay with him on a pillow top mattress. How much would we have to trust him to do that?! He wants us to rely fully on him. Which means we first must be helpless, broken, lost, confused, uncomfortable, etc etc.

Peter of course doubted and started to sink. Jesus immediately saves him and they climb into the boat. After that, the winds died down and according to John 6:21, “immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” They were in the middle of a 6 or 7 mile wide lake, during a crazy storm. The minute Jesus steps foot inside the boat, the wind stops and they miraculously reach their destination on the other side. It just took recognition, boldness and faith (from Peter) to go out and meet him.

Thanks + Trust > Asking

“And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”
- Matthew 14:19 (NIV)

We all probably know this story. Actually I’ve heard it so much, when I came to it this morning I was going to skip over it and go straight to reading Matthew 15. But God thumped me in the forehead.. so I read it again. Of course this time I noticed something particular.

Jesus didn’t say “Lord, make this little plenty” or “provide food for thousands with this amount for few.” He just gave thanks. Which tells me that apparently Jesus knew that the Power of giving thanks plus trusting God to provide is greater than the results that come from begging God for help or answers. If asking were greater, he would’ve asked. I mean come on, he’s Jesus.

Thanks + Trust > Asking

Yes “Ask and you shall receive” (Matt 7:7). However, if you fully trust God and if you are really seeking God so much that you know how he works and what kind of things he wants.. you don’t even have to ask. For instance, I don’t have to ask God to provide my family with what we need to live cuz I know God and I KNOW he wants that for us. So I don’t ask to receive that. I just trust him for it and I thank him for it.

There is a quote floating around a lot lately that I like. “What if you woke up today with only what you thanked God for yesterday?” Well put anonymous stranger!

In Matthew 14:19 God provided food for the thousands after Jesus thanked God for the small amount they had. The following is what happened the next day after Jesus had walked on water and all that:

“The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread AFTER the Lord had GIVEN THANKS.”
- John 6:22, 23 (NIV)

John made sure to mention again that the place they were near was the place where a miracle happened After Jesus gave thanks. A lot of the times we say things like “Where is God now? I don’t understand why he hasn’t given me ___. I need it!” or “I’ve been asking God forever for ____ and He hasn’t given it to me yet!” Then we quote “ask and you shall receive.”

We accompany our dissatisfaction and frustration at God with complaining, whining, and the good old scripture quote. As if we are calling God out on his screw up. “Did you forget about This scripture God?!”

All the while God is sitting there saying “Um.. I’ve given you all kinds of stuff. I’ve given you every single good thing you have and have ever had. Did You forget about That? And I’ve got no sort of a thank you for any of it.”

How would you feel if you poured your love and wealth out on someone daily.. and all you got in return was complaints about what you have yet to give them. You’d probably stop giving completely right? Well, considering ALL good things come from God (James 1:17) including life, breath, etc… it’s a good thing God doesn’t react to us the way we would. Cuz we’d be dead.

With all that said… yes, ask God for things but do not fail to recognize what he has already given you. Take time to thank God for all those things. And remember that a lot of the time, thanking God and trusting God will go a lot farther than constantly asking things of him. He is after all God. He knows what you need, what is best for you, the desires of your heart, etc. He is good and he has your best interest in mind at all times. So trust him for that.

“Gve thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

A Prophet Without Honor

Ever wondered why you can more effectively get your point (especially about spiritual things) across to a complete stranger or just an acquaintance? Someone outside your camp has no idea where you’ve been, what you’ve done, etc. They don’t know your mom and dad or what kind of grades you got in high school. They’re unaware of your achievements or the fact that you haven’t ever really achieved much worthy of mention. All they know is, you bring them truth that they need to hear.

Maybe you never really get outside your circle much. Well then, who would you take more seriously when they offer you an encouraging word from scripture or revelation they’ve had? They guy you grew up with and know everything about, or a well respected pastor from a other town who’s great spiritual reputation precedes him? Or even a stranger who comes out of nowhere and hits you with a timely and much needed word?

Jesus said “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” (Mark 6:4 NIV)

So with all that said, lots of us have family and close friends who either are nonbelievers or just struggling in whatever way. We often get frustrated, anxious, or guilt-tripped cuz we can’t seem to say or do the right things to help them or lead them to the right place. Yes we should live rightly in front of them and yes we should take every opportunity to speak truth into them. However, maybe even more fervently we should pray that God would send them someone outside of their circle to reach a part of the that we can’t.

Sometimes (a LOT of times) that means letting go. You can’t hold someone down and force feed them scripture or headlock them into submission to God. Not letting them out of your sight won’t help either. Your influence is good, but your constant presence and watchful eye may not be so much. Trust God to do to it his way. He wants to see our family members and close friends do a 180 more than we do, and He is actually capable of making it happen… If we will just stay out of his way.

So, live right in front of them, remain a positive influence and be willing to be a refuge. But sometimes you gotta get out of their face, quit breathing down their necks, and trust God through prayer that he will send someone who can truly make an impact. You play a part, just maybe not the main role.

- Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith (Matthew 13:54-58 NIV)

- Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, (Luke 18:1 NKJV)

We’ve Struck Gold

Imagine you come across a gold mine. A literal mine full of gold that has yet to be tapped into. This mine however is in a field owned by someone else. What do you do? Considering the contents of the mine is worth infinitely more than every single thing you own, it would make sense to keep knowledge of it to yourself long enough to sell everything you currently have and buy the entire field from it’s owner. Then, you get to work on mining the treasure.

Mining for gold by yourself in a mine previously undiscovered could possibly be the most labor-some thing you could ever do. And obtaining the mine will cost you literally everything. But, the treasure found deep within it and the possibility of what it could produce in your life is too great to leave hidden.

That treasure and those possibilities would even be enough to make you not only willingly but Joyfully go completely broke to work your butt off.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matthew 13:44 NIV)

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matt 3:2), however in order to reach out and grab it, you have to let go of everything else. Salvation is a free gift. All the things of God and the Kingdom however require work, sacrifice and ultimately everything you have. The good news is once the free gift of salvation has truly been accepted, you will joyfully give up everything. Once you truly recognize what lies in the gold mine, you see how worthless all your stuff is in comparison.

Next to the things of the Kingdom.. your pride, dreams, ambitions, intentions, security, comfort, etc all turn into complete garbage.

Ammunition (verses)

Got some “Ammunition” from Bobby Conner the other night (definitely gonna be memorizing these jokers):

Ammunition:
Prov 3:5-6
Prov 4:23
Prov 30:5
- (Psalm 19:7)
Prov 17:22 
Psalm 37:4
Phil 4:6-8
Psalm 46:10-11
Psalm 16:11
Psalm 118:24
Psalm 34:8
Eph 2:21-22
Psalm 145:1-8

The Abundance

You’ve probably heard people say “out of the heart the mouth speaks.” I grew up hearing that alot. Something’s missing from that tho.

“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of THE ABUNDANCE of the heart the mouth speaks.” - Matthew 12:34 NKJV

The Pharisees had just accused Jesus of casting a demon out of a man by using the power of satan. That verse was part of his response to them. After calling them the offspring of venomous snakes he basically says that he would expect no less from them than that accusation. Jesus sees the heart of man, so since he could see what was in their heart, he knew what would come out of their mouth. “I see how jacked up your heart is.. with that kinda evil in there, you couldn’t speak good things if you wanted to.”

They spoke not only from their heart, but out of the overflow of it. The same goes for those who speak good. It comes from the overflow, not just the mere contents. A good way to check the status of your heart is by examining your speech. Your topic of conversation, attitude, outlook, etc. (or go look at your past 10 facebook statuses) Know that whatever that is, is not only in your heart, but overflowing from it.

Picture a cup so full of water that its running all over the place. What you speak is not what’s in the cup, but what’s coming out all over the table. There might be a little love, compassion, and joy in the cup… kinda hangin out on the bottom. It may not be completely devoid of it. It may even be floating around in the middle, just close enough to the top for you want Want to love, Want to have joy, and Want to be compassionate… there just isn’t enough of it to overflow. Ask God to take your good intentions and desires and make them overflow.

The verse just before this says “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.” - Matthew 12:33 NKJV

Speech is part of your fruit. Along with character, deeds, etc. People love to say “don’t judge don’t judge don’t judge.” But what about 1 Corinthians 2:15? “But he who is spiritual judges all things.” We aren’t God and we can’t pass judgment on people’s eternal fate, but we should have discernment to make judgments on character based on fruit. Being too careful and trusting anyone and everyone, so not to pass judgment, will just lead you right into believing garbage spoken out of the overflow of corruption. Make sure the people you are following have the right fruit. If not, run in the other direction.

And if anyone ever pulls that whole “hey, don’t judge me.. The bible days don’t judge” thing… you can say “the bible also says know a tree by its fruit. I’m not judging you. I KNOW you by the fruit you are bearing. Which is ____.” For example, don’t let an adulterer tell you how to have a happy marriage. His fruit says he has no idea.

So, all that to say… Ask God to make you overflow with things of Him and also to give you discernment to see the fruit of others so you won’t fall under the direction of a doofus.

Faith Or Bust

“Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.” - Matthew 12:13 NKJV

The guy in this verse had a withered / shriveled / paralyzed hand. Different versions use different words, but they all basically mean the same thing. This dude’s hand didnt work. At all. Jesus of course heals him. The way he does so is interesting tho. He 

Obedience = Promises

I read some familiar and often referenced scripture this morning. However, I also noticed a frequently overlooked part of the passage. 

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29 NKJV

As you may (or may not) know, the yoke refers to laboring with oxen. (This is the part we have probably heard a million tim