All posts tagged: Gospel of Matthew

When Prayer Invokes Mercy

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What if prayer had another dimension to it than what we have experienced? What if prayer is way out of the box we’ve placed it in? Sometimes, in our particular corner of Christendom we think that our particular tradition and prayer style is the only one God accepts. In fact , for us, other traditions just don’t measure up. I can say beyond the shadow of doubt that our particular way of praying isn’t the only one that has something worthwhile to say about prayer. If we could just step out of our comfort zones, lean on the Holy Spirit for guidance, we would discover a lot of valuable lessons about prayer in other Christian traditions. Today I want to challenge you to venture out of your comfort zones and try a different approach to prayer. I challenge you to try something fresh and out of the box, out of the norm. Something that will deepen and enrich your prayer life. I have been a Christian for many years now, but have only recently attempted to do a 40 day of prayer and consecration leading up …

I am 100% Recycled Trash

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There is a growing awareness and an increasing effort to recycle in our world today.  It is going on all around us: I read an article some time ago about a house in Colorado called the Earthship. It is not only beautiful, it is also an environmentally friendly, 10,000 square foot home-made of used tires, aluminum cans and other recycled materials. The Earthship is made of junk, but it has been featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Home and Gardens, the Discovery Channel, and PBS. If you want to buy one, it is all yours for only 3.3 million dollars. There are not many things that are not being recycled today:• Recycled paper products• Recycled glass and metal products• Salvage yards recycle car, truck and machinery parts• There are many reports that Habitat for Humanity opened a used building materials outlet   in Denver a few years ago• Even our thrift stores and garage sales are ways people recycle. What am I trying to say to you? God is in the recycling business. He’s been in the business longer than anyone. It …

Overcoming Temptation

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For decades I have applied this battle plan to sexual temptation but hardly at all to the sins of selfishness, anger, self-pity, blaming, and sullenness. I have engaged my will head-on with sexual lust. I have heard Jesus say, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matt. 5:29). Nobody spontaneously tears out his eye. That is an act of will overcoming all kinds of natural disinclination. That’s what I do when any illicit sexual thought tries to gain the ascendancy in my mind. I go on the attack with A.N.T.H.E.M.: AVOID. Say NO! within five seconds. TURN to something magnificent, like Christ crucified. HOLD the pure thing in the mind until the temptation is gone. ENJOY the greater pleasure of the blood-bought promises of God. MOVE on to meaningful Christ-exalting activity. There is nothing passive in my will when the lion of lust comes out of the bushes. I …

Baptism: The triple portion

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I heard the story about a bunch of guys who used to gather together to read their bible every day on their lunch break. They were all from different denominations, so they agreed that they will not make it the goal to change each other’s theological point of view, but will allow the Word of God to do the speaking. One day while reading, they stumbled across a very controversial subject and each man found himself drawn into a deep discussion. But there was one guy in the group who was not an active participant in the discussions. So, he was asked to share his opinion. He sat up , cleared his thought and said, “I really don’t care about what is written in there, I am going to stick with what I’ve been told.” Could it be, that what you have been told about the Holy Spirit does not measure up with what is written about Him in God’s book? In this study post, I encourage you open the book for yourself and explore. …

All In

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We are in a series entitled All In from the book of Mark and chapter 12:30 where it encourages us to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength.” Yesterday we talked about how we can love the Lord with all our heart and it all came down to what or who we hold the dearest in our heart. Today I want to continue with the title – ‘How to love the Lord with all our soul.’ How to Love the Lord with all our soul! The soul as we know is the seat of all affections. The soul loves life. The soul loves the good things of life. It wants to keep you running after the good  things of the world. It wants to keep you hooked on pleasure. The soul wants you pursuing the things of the world. The soul has so much love for money, fame, status, and lots of pleasure. Here is an example from Luke 12:19, 20 of where the …

ALL IN

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I would like to introduce a four-part blog series that I will deliver over the next four days. I am taking my title from Mark 12:30 and I am going to unpack the verse talking about what it means to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. I am praying that it will be a blessing to you. Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength Part 1: How to love the Lord with all you Heart According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. Proverbs 4:23 calls it the “wellspring of life.” The heart is also the seat of the conscience (Romans 2:15). It is naturally wicked (Genesis 8:21), and has the potential to contaminate life and character (Matthew 12:34; 15:18. Therefore, if the heart must love God fully and completely, a few things must …

Christmas Generosity

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Cast your bread upon the water: Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. He who observes the wind will not sow and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 Your giving is going to be a win win situation… someone will truly be blessed and you will be blessed in return as well … …

Revelation: Two Part blog series

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PART I: The 7 Blessings in the Book of Revelation: 1/. rev. 1:3 – Blessed are those who Hear and Do (lk 11:28; John 8:51; 1 John 2:3; Lk 6:43-49 2/. rev. 14:13 – Blessed are those who Die in the Lord (Eccles. 4:2, Heb. 3:14; 2 Tim 4:7 1 cor. 15:18; 1 Thess. 4:16 3/. rev. 16:15 – Blessed are those who Stay awake – stay dressed (Matt. 25:13; matt. 24:42 4/. rev. 19:9 – Blessed are those who are Invited to Sup (Matt. 22:1-14; Lk 14:15; see verse 7) 5/. Rev. 20:6 – Blessed are The Raptured (rev. 14:13 see 20:14; 2:11; 21:8 6/. rev. 22:7 – Blessed are those who Keep the Words, trust, faith in, believe in – see verse 6… 7/. rev. 22:14 – Blessed are those with Washed robes… (rev. 7:9, 13, 14… who has the right to eat of the tree of life? see John 1:11, 12, 13. Who can enter through the city by the gates – the gate represent Jesus… he said broad is the road that leads …

I am not a Morning Person. Liar!

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So, this little motivational post is to discourage people from making excuses about their lack of prayer and devotion in their lives by saying things like ‘I am not a morning person’ when it comes to prayer. Because the question is what do you do with the rest of your time? Have you schedule another time in your day to meet with God on a consistent basis, or are you too busy to make it happen. Are you up on the internet… playing video games… watching movies all night? If you are, a simple change in your daily habits, nightly habits or bad habits could improve your prayer habit.

Close your mouth!

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When I was young boy growing up in my mama’s house there was one phrase I heard over and over again – close your mouth Walter! Well, I wasn’t saying anything, but I had a habit of just keeping my mouth open. So I got the constant reminder to close my mouth. If I could, I would use the same phrase to people who just won’t close their mouth. People who just won’t say anything without using a foul language, a curse word or a vulgar and obscene joke. Sometimes I just want to go – “close your mouth”. I understand, that the tongue is a very difficult thing to tame, and I don’t want to find myself fussing about cursed words with unbelievers. But at least believers should be different from people of the world, cause I think they have and know the truth. I was reminded by the Lord just after I became a believer that my old and worldly ways of speaking was about time to be abandoned, and a new way of …