Standing Strong

Matthew 7: ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

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Watching my car get towed away was the “last straw.” I no longer had transportation, I no longer had money and I had plenty of bills. I simply wanted to just sit in a corner away from everyone!

• There have been some rough times when I just wanted to give up.
• There have been some difficult times when I felt like nothing was going right.
• There have been some extreme times when it seemed like I had no help and “everything” was crashing to the ground.

Years later I took a leadership course giving me several habits to believe in “me.” Up to this point I had already relied on my intuition so this course was a natural fit. When I completed the course I still felt empty. What happens when a problem occurs that is much larger than the power of “me?” GOD had an answer.

• GOD says to me “Listen to MY words and put them into action.”
• GOD says to me “Build your fortitude on MY promises to protect you.”
• GOD says to me “When you place your trust in ME you will not fall.”

Slowly I stopped depending on my wit and started placing more trust in GOD. I began walking down the scary road of not always needing to know what the future had to hold. When the difficult times came I began to ask GOD how HE wanted to handle the situation rather than springing into action.

Prayer began to pop into my head as the answer rather than the question. GOD is a firm foundation for which I place my trust!

• Are you being blown around by life?
• Do you feel like you have reached your wits end?
• Do you feel like giving up?
• Will you stop relying on your own power and start looking at GOD for your answers?

Trying to Convince

Matthew 7: ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

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Scared half to death I read this passage. I mean who can be sure they are saved if this is written? Also, the statement “Away from ME, you evildoers!” seems pretty permanent.

• It is quite possible for me to act righteous and not be righteous.
• It is quite possible for me to preach about JESUS and not believe in HIS position, power or protection.
• It is quite possible for me to actually drive out demons and perform miracles in JESUS name without believing “in JESUS name.”

Mimicking a follower of CHRIST is still effective because GOD’s word does not return void. In other words, even if I did not believe in what I am saying, the words are still true. I can say “GOD sent HIS SON to save the world” but if I do not believe HE saved me, then I have wasted my words. What can make me sure?

• GOD says to me “But the one who does the will of MY FATHER who is in Heaven will enter.”
• GOD says to me “Follow MY SON for who I AM well pleased.”
• GOD says to me “Be led by the HOLY SPIRIT and all will be well with you.

A sigh of relief came over me when I saw what I overlooked. GOD simply wants me to do HIS will and stop trying to impress the crowds by pretending to hear from HIM. GOD speaks to me daily through HIS word and when it says to stop, keep going or stand up, I need to obey immediately.

GOD wants my total attention and while I am still a bit nervous about this passage, HE enables me to clearly see that I can humble myself to obey HIS will. I do not have to “try to convince” GOD that I am doing HIS will when I am doing HIS will.

• Are you mimicking?
• Do you have dishonorable motives of leading a group or getting rich off of GOD?
• Can you stop using HIS people and seek GOD’s will for them?
• Will you stop siding with humans and ask GOD to lead you with HIS HOLY SPIRIT?

You Will Be Recognized

Matthew 7: ¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

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Lying had become a habit to “fit in.” Whatever the subject, I could come up with a story that showed I had either done it, or known someone who did. Then one of my lying friends said something profound about himself… “I’m lying so much that I had to ask myself, what do I have to gain by this particular lie?”

• Many times I have bared bad fruit.
• Many times I have tried to fit in rather than stand out for good.
• Many times I have desired to be what the crowd wanted me to be and I was on a road to destruction.

Nervous and directionless I placed “fitting in” over GOD’s path. Soon I became the center of attention but to what end? When I finally turned back to GOD, “my” crowd looked at me like I was living yet another lie. BUT GOD saw something different.

• GOD showed me that it is never too late to bear good fruit.
• GOD explained to me that I can stop baring bad fruit and start baring HIS gracious fruit.
• GOD endeared to me that HIS fruit is much better than the world’s fruit.

“Okay LORD I will follow YOUR ways” was my step towards maturity. It took some practice and I failed over and over, but eventually GOD gave me the courage to tell the truth. Once I bared my faults I bared good fruit and GOD was well pleased.

• How are you recognized?
• Do people see GOD when they see you or do they only see you?
• Can you stop trying to bear selfish fruit and seek GOD’s amazing fruit?

Way to Go

Matthew 7: ¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

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“Fun” was what I sought after. I mean “everyone else” seemed to be having “fun” and here I was, by myself, not having any “fun.” I went to church and all I heard was how bad I was and a list of rules I couldn’t follow. “Maybe I should stop going to church and have some FUN!” I thought to myself.

• Sometimes I want what other people have.
• Sometimes I desire what other people are going after.
• Sometimes I crave what the crowd is doing so I can “fit in” with them.

Sex, drinking, and greed were many of the conversations “the crowd” said was okay. It’s okay not to serve GOD or the poor and it’s okay if I believe what I believe and you believe what you believe; was the crowd’s mantra. BUT GOD says something completely different.

• GOD says to me “Enter the narrow gate which is MY SON, JESUS who is the CHRIST.”
• GOD says to me “Stay away from the road to destruction which is listed in MY word.”
• GOD says to me “Find the road that leads to life, namely following JESUS.”

After having ”fun” for a while I found myself at a place where I could not even mention the name of JESUS to anyone around me. “Hypocrite” would be thrown at me if I opened my mouth about GOD because I was not living a lifestyle befitting of HIM, or at least that is what I thought. BUT GOD said something different.

GOD wanted me, in my broken state, to mention how HE rescued me in the “middle” of my sin. HE did not need me to clean myself up in order to mention HIS name. JESUS wiped away my shame and now I can talk freely about my sin without hiding or cowering in the corner. Oh, and by the way, hiding my sin was also me walking on the “broad path.”

• Are you walking on the broad path?
• Are you tired of following GOD’s numerous rules?
• Can you stop for a moment to assess where you are with GOD?
• Do you have hidden sin that you are not admitting to anyone?

What to Ask For

Matthew 7: ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

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New to this “asking” thing, I prayed “Please, please let me win the lottery!” I was sincere and I thought my motives were right because I just wanted to “quickly” help those around me who were in debt, me included. I purchased a ticket and watched zealously. Strangely each number on my ticket was off by exactly one or two. What are the odds?

• There have been many times I asked for the wrong things.
• There have been many times I sought after things that were not good for me.
• There have been many times I knocked on the door that would have led me to my destruction.

Asking, seeking and knocking are powerful, yet dangerous abilities. Sometimes I ask to get into trouble and GOD allows me to do it abundantly, then when I ask to get out of the trial, it seems like HE leaves me there long enough for me to wish I never had asked! What can I ask for?

• GOD wants me to ask for wisdom, knowledge and understanding in order to grow HIS kingdom.
• GOD wants me to seek first HIS kingdom so HE can draw all who seek HIM back to HIM.
• GOD wants me to knock on the hearts of those who have turned their backs on HIM.

Asking for “that” person to be successful or better yet, saved, is what I find being aligned with what GOD wants. If money is required, then I truly have to check my motives to ensure the “ask” is not rooted in all kinds of evil. GOD also wants me to seek out those who are lost. HE then wants me to press on their heart by knocking on the door of their soul.

GOD also knows my needs. HE has granted me stuff, jobs and relationships. HE even showed me the location of my lost keys. HE allows me to ask for anything, but the more I ask for things that align with what HE wants, the more my prayers are answered with “Yes, of course!”

• Are you asking for something GOD does not want you to have?
• When is the last time you asked for something that would enable a person to seek GOD?
• Are you seeking GOD’s kingdom?
• Will you allow GOD to show you how to knock on someone’s heart to accept JESUS as their Savior?

Fixing People

Matthew 7: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

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New at teaching, I stammered through the lesson about sexual purity. At long last, this was now my Sunday school class and we had a great discussion. When class was over a guy shouted from across the room, “Hey we had a great time at the club last night!” This club was known for drunken single people to meet.

• There were times when I used to point out other folk’s flaws.
• There were times when I used to try “saving” people by telling them how wrong they were.
• There were times when I used to say “Do as I say, not what I do.”

Hypocrisy is the main problem with people fixers and I was public enemy number one. “I” had cleaned myself up, why shouldn’t you? “GOD doesn’t like ‘insert sin’” was my hypocritical statement. While the words may have been true, they never included a confession that I too was committing the same sin.

• GOD said to me “Do not judge, or you too will be judges.”
• GOD said to me “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
• GOD said to me “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

When I started looking at my sins I realized a lot of work was needed in my own house. Before I could “fix” someone else, I needed to get help, but where? GOD sent HIS SON to die, raise and live again. HE did this to eradicate my sins and with that truth, I can help someone remove the spec in their eye. Many times I am asking them to remove the plank in my eye.

• Are you complaining about someone?
• Does “that” person or “those” people need to be fixed?
• Why do you spend so much time talking about someone else when you have not admitted to your own sins?

Worry

Matthew 6: ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

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³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

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“Oh no, my life is ruined!” I thought to myself. I started calculating what would happen to my life now that I failed the class. “If  I don’t graduate in this particular major, then I won’t get good paying job, then I will be stuck being a janitor the rest of my life!” was my dramatic line of thinking.

• When I worry I think the worst will happen.
• When I worry I think of all kinds of bad things that could happen.
• When I worry I take it a step further and turn it into panic and start reacting to those who are worried around me.

Worry is an evil incessant foe. It rears its ugly head to distract, not only me, but many around me. It invites its friends “panic” and “fear” to join in on the party and soon I found myself blaming GOD for all my ills. “If YOU would have just given me the answers to the test, then I would not be in this mess!” was my immature thought after not studying.

• GOD says to me “You are more valuable than all the animals I feed daily.”
• GOD says to me “Seek MY kingdom first on a daily basis and MY righteousness and I will feed and clothe you.”
• GOD says to me “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

Tomorrow is GOD’s domain and I have not right to be in it at all. GOD wants me to stay in “today” where have an opportunity to praise HIM, serve HIM and be guided by HIM. A sigh of relief comes out of my mouth as I do not have to think about “tomorrow” for today I seek GOD.

• Are you worried?
• Do you think your worry can change things?
• Can you stop worrying for a few moments and praise GOD so HE can help you think straight?