Mathew 7:11 ~ Good Gifts

 

Mathew 7:11

NKJV

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

 

NLT

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

 

God is my Father, He loves me, and I l will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry? Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the in which asking is perfectly natural – Oswald Chambers

 

God is a father—your Father in heaven—who gives good things to those who ask because that's what fathers do. It is in the nature of God to give good gifts to those who make their requests in humility and sincerity. Of course, Jesus will also clarify elsewhere that nobody can come to the Father in this way except through Jesus, Himself (John 6:28–29; 14:6). – Bibleref.net

 

I have prayed with all my heart for someone to be healed and they still passed from the world. I have seen other people healed after praying with the same fervent prayer. We ask ourselves how is this possible? I believe that at times I have prayed in Cory’s will, meaning I was praying for what I wanted, not what God wanted for that person. This goes for anything, or anybody, that we pray for or about. We want to be in step with God, to have our hearts and minds in line with what God wants for His people (us included). God is ready to hear and answer every prayer we have, but to answer in His will…not ours. He will always respond in our best interest, with good things.

 

But, if we’re sitting here in the midst of our grief and hurt…it’s a lot harder to be at peace with the answer we have had for our prayers. We ask questions like, “how can God do this?” and “doesn’t God even care?”  I know, because I have asked those same questions myself. It doesn’t seem fair, and it doesn’t seem right; but there we are…right in the middle of our pain and chaos. This is where our faith needs to kick in. This is where we take stock on what we believe about God and lean into that.

 

So let’s make sure what we believe about God. Do we believe that God is love (1 John 4:8); that He is still the same (2 Peter 3:9); that He is light and has no darkness (1 John 1:5); That joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5); that His way is perfect and we can take refuge in Him (Psalm 18:30); That He will strengthen and uphold us (Isaiah 41:10); That He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5); That He will bring peace in our pain (Philippians 4:7)? I could go on and on about the promises of God.

 

It's hard to remember the promises of God when we are in our pain and chaos; but that’s exactly where we should seek out those promises. God is always faithful and trustworthy and He answers prayer for out good…even when we can’t see it right away.

 

Pray and Rest,

Pastor Cory

Romans 1:20 - All Creation Cries / Hard Truth

 

Romans 1:20

NKJV

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

 

NLT

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

 

I was asked recently the question that I’m sure a lot of folks ask at some point or another. “If someone has never heard about Jesus and what He did, will they go to heaven?”

 

The universal character of this revelation and the clarity of it, leave man without excuse for rejecting it. “Men cannot charge God with hiding himself from them and thus excuse their irreligion and their immorality.” (Lenski)

 

The hard truth here is yes, even if you’ve never heard about Jesus and what He did for us…if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus…you will go to hell. Wait, what? Doesn’t the world tell us that God is love and wasn’t there a Super Bowl commercial that said “Jesus washed feet” (implying that Jesus didn’t judge, which is a whole other thing…Jesus did say “go and sin no more” after He washed feet).

 

But back to verse 20. It says that ever since the world was created, people have seen His creation; and all of this creation points us to the glory of God. Isaiah 55:12 tells us that the mountains and the hills would sing, and the trees would clap. Everything in creation recognizes the glory of God, from the colors of the flowers and birds; to the middle of the ocean when we can feel so small. All this points us to the God. When Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the people began to rejoice, except for the pharisees. When they rebuked Him and the disciples, Jesus said in Luke 19:40, “I tell, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out”  We should look at what is visible around us in nature, what God has made, and be able to arrive at some obvious conclusions about what is not visible. We can add things up and should understand from nature that God has eternal power and a divine nature. David said something similar in Psalm 19:1–6. What kind of power would it take to make the world and all that is in it? To do a thing like that would require "eternal power," or endless power. This should lead us to the conclusion that such a Creator must also be divine and not merely human. He must be God, in other words. Human beings should look at creation and decide there must be a God who made it, a God we must answer to on some level. Again, the whole creation sings of the glory of God.

Except us. We the people have found so many excuses to ignore or deny the glory of God. And the very creation of God has told us that we have no excuse. Those folks who are unrighteous before God don’t want to know about Him, so they try to suppress the truth about God. To some extent, this is true of all of us, since we all sin (Romans 3:23). Paul has shown that God has plainly shown what is knowable about Him to everyone (Romans 1:18–19). How has He done that? This verse answers that it is obvious from what He has made.


We live during a time that some will argue that reaching such a conclusion by looking at nature is not a given. After all, the current theory (that is now taught as fact) about the origins of our universe may lead someone to decide that just the opposite is true: There is no God. God does not accept that argument. This passage is especially important when viewed in context with Jesus' comments in Matthew 7:7–8. God gives every single person enough knowledge that they should seek Him. Those who respond by seeking God will always find Him.

If human beings do not "work out" the basic nature of God from what is seen in creation, and seek Him from there, they are simply "without excuse." They are willfully ignoring the obvious. God insists that He has made it plain to human reasoning and that to decide otherwise is to suppress the truth we know by nature.

(credit to bibleref.net for some of this)

 

All Creation Cries / hard truth,

Pastor Cory

Psalm 1:1 - The Highest Setting

 

Psalms 1:1

NKJ

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

 

NLT

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

 

This verse describes a downward spiral. First is willingness to be influenced by the ungodly, followed by entering into fellowship with them, followed by joining in their scornful attitudes and behavior. Christians today need to lead a righteous life, refusing to be influenced by godless attitudes. Despite the temptations of popularity or comfort, believers should not side with those who disdain God's standards of righteousness. Ephesians 5:7–8 commands: "Therefore do not become partners with [the sons of disobedience]; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." ~ bibleref.net

 

Picture in your mind a thermometer, its only job is to measure the temperature of the room. Bring it from one place to another and, boom, it changes temperature. The definition says, “an instrument for measuring and indicating temperature,” It is influenced by its environment. It doesn’t matter what the room temperature is, it will only join that temperature. What about the thermostat? Its job is to regulate temperature. The thermostat influences its environment. Getting too hot, then the thermostat will kick in the AC; to cold, here comes the heat.

 

The world has crazy influence on us, from TV to social media. This is where the enemy lives. This is where he jacks with us; this is where he lies to us. If we’re not careful, we can start to believe that lie. Because a lie repeated often enough can become truth to the world. It already has in a lot of areas. The call is not to get into our shell and not be around people, we are to be a light to the world. Our call is not to be a thermometer, influenced by the world. Our call is to influence the world, to be that thermostat. To turn on Jesus to the highest setting and just let Him blast all day long!

 

We should know the truth of Jesus and grace; and avoid the lies that the world will throw at you. Be a thermostat not a thermometer!

 

Jesus at the highest setting,

Pastor Cory

Mathew 26:36-38 ~ Watch with Me

Watch Tower in Israel

 

Mathew 26:36-38

NKJV

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

 

NLT

Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.”  He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed.  He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

 

Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony is the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God. ~ Oswald Chambers (emphasis is mine)

 

“My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.”

 

Everyone knows someone who passed away and has felt grief over that loss. Depending how close you were to that person, that grief can be even heavier, even overwhelming. No one can tell you when you’re supposed to be over it, or if you ever will.  All we can do is lean into God and trust that He will walk us through.

 

But, man, that phrase. “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” That sticks hard! Especially knowing that He knew what He was about to go through. I can’t grasp the idea / thought / feeling of being crushed in the spirit; let alone so crushed in the spirit with grief to the point of death. Think about that visual for a minute, read verses 39-44. Jesus said, “keep watch with me” …yet the disciples slept. They who walked with Him for three years; they who saw the miracles; they who saw how Jesus loved people.

 

Keep watch with me, that’s all He asked of them. Yet they slept. I think about how often I slept when Jesus needed me to keep watch. There was that person who needed me to grab a hand and just talk to them, but I slept. Then there was that one the was covered in tattoos that made me nervous, but I slept. There was also one who looked like they had it all together and lived a perfect life, I didn’t know they were dying inside…I slept. Then there was me and the mask I was wearing…I was asleep there too!

 

We need to stop sleeping and keep watch with Jesus, we need each other. We were not meant to go it alone, grab a hand or raise a hand. We all need help, keep watch because His Soul was crushed to the point of death. Our only response to that is hushed worship.

 

“Jesus went to his death knowing that it was his Father’s will that he face death completely alone (Matthew 27:46) as the sacrificial, wrath-averting Passover Lamb. As his death was unique, so also his anguish; and our best response to it is hushed worship.” (Carson)

 

Keep watch with Him.

Pastor Cory

1 Corinthians 6:3 - Judging Angels

1 Corinthians 6:3

NKJV

Don't you know we will judge angels? And if this is so, we can surely judge everyday matters.

 

NLT

Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So, you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.

 

The destiny of redeemed men and women – to one day be higher than the angels and to even sit in judgment of them – must greatly annoy a certain high angel in heaven. He did not want to serve an inferior creature now and did not want that inferior creature to be raised up higher than even him. So, he rebelled against God, and is determined to keep as much of humanity as possible from sitting in judgment of himself. We can imagine the perverse, proud pleasure Satan takes over every soul that goes to hell: “They won’t sit in judgment over me!”

 

Read this in the Enduring Word commentary, think about that last little bit for a minute. I think about every time I stumble in my walk with Christ, how much glee satan gets from that. But that little bit is all he gets about me because I'm covered. My sins have been forgiven; past, present, and future. I'm just tired of giving him even that little bit of glee...

 

Lord, make a faithful follower out of me.

 

The above is a bonus thought. I really want to get back into this idea of believers judging angels. Now I’m not to sure if every angel will be judged or just the fallen angels. I think that it really doesn’t matter to me, though. If that is the responsibility I will have when the time comes, I think I’d better be preparing now. Everyday matters, or ordinary disputes, is what the verse says we should be able to resolve. Unfortunately, this is a struggle at times. Our pursuit of being right will at times override what is right. Here is a truth bomb that applies to me too. You are not always right; I am not always right.

 

We need to seek less of ourselves being right and more of what is right! My “right” is always based on my perception, my attitude, and my heart. What is right should be based on what the Word says. When we base our “right” on God’s perceptions, God’s attitudes, and God’s heart; then ordinary disputes become a whole lot easier. Let’s seek that today.

 

God is right,

Pastor Cory

 

Philippians 2:17 - Poured Out

 

Philippians 2:17

NKJV

Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

 

NLT

But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.

 

“Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted – not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity.” (Oswald Chambers)

 

There was an OT practice of pouring a drink offering in worship after the sacrifice of a lamb, ram, or bull. This was to represent the dedication of the person in worship to God. (Numbers 15:1–10; 28:1–8).  In our verses Paul felt his life in pursuit of God was the same. That even if his life ended in death, it would be poured out in service to God.  At the end of his life, Paul would make a similar statement: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come" (2 Timothy 4:6). The drink offering and death, or end of service, was closely associated.

 

I learned to play poker when I was in third grade. We lived about 25 miles from town, and the bus had to pick up all of the ranch kids in the area. So, we were gettin’ on the bus at 6am and arriving at the school somewhere close to 8am (when the bell rang to start school). So, an almost two hour bus ride led to a lot of time spent learning things that led to bad decisions later in my life. One of those things I learned was poker and when you really believed that you have the best hand, you go “all in” with your bet.

 

The question I would ask you is “are you all in”? Paul talks about being poured and his departure being near. Paul pursued Jesus with everything he had and while his head was not on the chopping block, his heart was. He was ready to give all that he had in service to Christ. That’s pretty radical.

 

I wonder if any of us are to that point? Am I that “all in”? whew! I’m not sure that I’m there. I have doubts and fears that at times have more control over me than I’d like to admit. But, by golly, I want that attitude. I want to be so in love with Jesus that everything in me says, “I’m ready to go, to die is gain!” That’s the thing, though. If I understand my identity and what Christ has already done in my life; then I should understand that if I give my life in service to God…then the next place is being with Jesus in heaven. What could be better than our end game? Let’s get “all in” and get poured out as that drink offering! let’s get in service to the Lord. Serve in your church today.

 

Poured out,

Pastor Cory

Revelations 3:15-16 - Lit!

 

Revelations 3:15-16

 

NKJV

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 

 

NLT

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 

 

Laodicea has the unfortunate distinction of being the only church which receives no positive commentary, whatsoever. Sardis barely earned a hollow reference to a good reputation. Laodicea is charged with being spiritually inert: lukewarm, rather than either hot or cold. This evokes the disgusting sensation of room-temperature water in one's mouth. Jesus heavily criticized this church for being arrogant and apathetic. Rather than being spiritually passionate, they are passive. Instead of being cold, meaning they are more likely to respond to the gospel, they are just familiar enough with God to brush Him off. Jesus still offers a chance for repentance—but He describes Himself as "outside", knocking at the door and expecting them to answer. (Bibleref.net)

 

This morning it was 21 degrees, with a wind chill that put it at 5, at my house. I’ve been in colder places, but it’s been a while. I forget what the cold feels like…it’s been a while since I’ve been in this kind of cold. It got me to thinking about my relationship with the Lord. Man, I always want to be white hot for the Lord, but I’ve been guilty of letting the world wear me down sometimes. And it’s during those times I’ve been a little lukewarm. And to be honest, a “little” lukewarm is a bit like “just a little pregnant”. You are or you aren’t!

 

Spurgeon said, “If you really are God’s people, then serve him with all your might; but if Baal be your god, then serve him. If the flesh be worth pleasing, then serve the flesh; but if God be Lord paramount, then cleave to him.” 

 

There is no middle ground; no fence sitting.  The devil owns the fence, let’s always remember that. Because if we’re sitting on the fence, then we’re lukewarm. And if we’re lukewarm…Jesus said He would vomit us out of his mouth.

 

If you’ve ever vomited (I know, gross subject), then you know once you’ve started…it’s all got to come out. There’s no shutting it off or slowing down. When Jesus vomits us from His mouth, we are out! Completely out!

 

Let’s not be cold or lukewarm, because those get us into the same place. Let’s be hot; on fire; or as I heard a young lady say this weekend, “Keep the fire lit!”

 

Lit,

Pastor Cory

Mathew 6:9-13 - Prayer and Practice

Mathew 6:9-13

 

NKJV

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

NLT

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

 

Is prayer difficult? I remember my old friend who was an English teacher. She always said such eloquent prayers. She said more, and more correct, words in her prayers than I said all day most of the time. It was so intimidating! Unfortunately, it also led me to think that I had to pray like that; that my cry to the Lord had to sound the same as hers.

 

To be clear, that’s foolishness. Prayer is not meant to be difficult or uncomfortable. We make it that way because we sometimes think that we must speak well to be heard by God. In these verses Jesus gives an outline, explaining the right attitudes and components of prayer. It begins by addressing God as Father, declaring His holiness, and asking Him to accomplish His plans on earth. Then Jesus models requests for daily food, forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from temptation and evil. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it?

 

So don’t make your praying difficult. Speak to God like you would speak to a friend. If you struggle with prayer, then use the PRAY acronym to start with:

 

Praise – Worship Him. Acknowledge the greatness of God (You can do this thru music or words)

Repent – Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.

Ask – what are your specific needs and desires? For your church, others, and yourself.

Yield – Surrender control and submit yourself to God.

 

Praying doesn’t have to be hard; it just needs to be often. Will you start today? As my friend Pastor Jack says, “you need the practice and I need the prayers”.

 

Praying,

Pastor Cory

 

Galatians 6:7-8 - Love One Kernel

Galatians 6:7-8

 

NKJV

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

NLT

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

 

“Those who insist on trying to be made righteous before God by the effort of their flesh in following the law will harvest "corruption" or death. In a similar way, those who plant only the seeds of their own sinful desires will also harvest death. Only those who plant God's Spirit, by faith in Christ, will harvest eternal life” – Bibleref.net

 

Up in western Canada they have these huge wheat fields.  Literally section upon section upon sections of wheat. They produce 12% of the world’s wheat. They plant (sow) these huge fields because they expect a big return. In these fields they plant one seed in each little hole they make in the ground (to be clear…they have huge planters that plant hundreds of seeds at a time…But only one per little hole) and that seed produces a plant that has multiple kernels on it.

 

So, here’s the math:

1) Wheat plants, on average, develop about five heads.

2) Each head, on average, develops about 22 kernels.

3) There are an average of 16,000 kernels per pound (727 plants)

 

To me, the lesson here is that what we do and say matters. What we sow in our lives matters. We can affect so many lives with what we pour into others. If we just use the math above, if we pour into and pray for one person; that could possibly affect 700 other lives in the ripple effect. Conversely, if we have a bad experience with one person; that same ripple effect can happen in the wrong direction.

 

I used to tell the students that I taught that all our actions have consequences, good or bad. God will not be mocked. He is just and fair, make no mistake. If we start running down a road that God has told us not to be on…and we get on it anyway…God will let us roll and face the consequences of our actions. And quite possibly we will have a ripple affect that affects others.

 

What we say and do matters…live like it! Pick one person to be kind to today.

 

Love one kernel,

cej