Matthew 7:12 11.25.21
SCRIPTURE -Matthew 7:12
“Therefore, in Everything you do, be careful to treat others in the same way you’d want them to treat you, For that is the essence of ALL of the teachings of the Law and the Prophets.”
OBSERVATION
Jesus is concluding His Sermon on the Mount with a few Key Points. HE tells His followers to Ask (and Keep on asking), Seek (and Keep on seeking), Knock (and Keep on knocking)—-explaining that Everyone who earnestly AND persistently prays for what is needed to live the life Christ has called us to—-WILL receive it!
“Ask, and the Gift IS Yours. Seek, and you WILL discover. Knock, and the Door WILL be Opened For you.” (Matthew 7:7 TPT)
UNDERSTANDING
Therefore….is an Important word to pay attention to in the Bible. It is a “connecting” word.
In this case, Jesus is Connecting verse 12 with the preceding verse. Therefore, be careful to treat others in the same way you’d want to be treated yourself.
How often have you given thought to what Jesus called “The Second MOST important commandment? “Love your neighbor (others) as you love yourself.”
We know it so well. Even those who aren’t believers know this verse. Perhaps this is the basis for why non-believers view believers as hypocrites. Maybe they are not seeing this command observed.
So, if I am to Love others AS I love myself— what would loving myself actually look like?
In simple terms,
Loving myself would have to be MORE than NOT gossiping. My Love would need to SHUT it DOWN from others—Then, (because I Love myself) My Love would need to go further to speak out the positive and good I know to be true.
Loving myself is MORE than remaining neutral in any situation. My Love will need to STAND UP and BY others who need encouragement and kindness. My Love will need to fight to Bring UNITY to the Body of Christ.
The best way to TEST whether an action is beneficial to others-
is whether we would want to receive it ourselves.
Christ wants us to Understand that This Love is not something we are capable of on our own. We need Jesus. Therefore, we must keep asking, seeking, and knocking.
LIFE APPLICATION
Am I Treating others the way I want to be Treated?
Christ’s Love is reflected in us as His Children, when we are Treating Others as we ourselves would like to be Treated.
Heavenly Father,
I am asking, seeking, and knocking for YOU to pour YOUR Love into me. Your pure, generous, merciful Love. I am so Thankful this Thanksgiving for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Desert Streams and the Pastoral Staff…for Pastor Gary and Pastor Levi and for Pastor Warren and Justin and for Robin and so many who have taught me so much. Help me live my life loving others the way You call me to—with this simple test, “Is this how I-myself would want to be treated?”
In your Holy Name I pray. amen.
-Tina Kudelka
Joshua 1-11.24.21
Scripture
Joshua 1:9 NLT
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Observation-What does it say?
Moses has just died, and God calls on Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River, to the land God has promised their ancestors. God reminds Joshua to be strong and courageous when leading the people, and to obey all the instructions that Moses passed along to him. If he is able to do that, he will be able to succeed in whatever he does. For the Lord God is with him wherever he goes.
Understanding-What does it mean?
What’s there to fear if God has your back?
Be strong and courageous. Words spoken multiple times not only in this chapter, but throughout the Bible. Words that I have spoken and verses I have used multiple times this month when praying over someone, or even when I was encouraging my daughter. So what’s the deal with the Bible using this phrase so many times? What is God trying to tell me? What it tells me is we have nothing to fear if we trust God, love God, and honor His ways. It tells me that as long as you’re His children, (adopted into the family of God by believing in His son Jesus Christ), we have nothing to fear because He is with us. It tells me since this phrase is used throughout His Word, it stands firm and true, and to know that God doesn’t break His promises.
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”-Romans 8:31b
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”-Romans 8:28
Life Application
The safest place to be is wherever God calls you to be.
I would always admire people who serve in ministry overseas in dangerous parts of the world. Or those who chose to serve in prisons amongst the “evildoers”. I mean aren’t they scared? But if there is one thing this passage should remind me is if God calls me someplace, and I follow His calling, it’s the safest place I can be. God will provide me with my every need to fulfill His mission. Sure it may take me out of my comfort zone, but I know it will stretch me and grow me in my faith, as I heavily rely on Him for my every need. So what am I waiting for? There’s a neighbor He’s asking me to talk to, or a family member I need to share with. Time to be strong and courageous, and confident knowing that God is with me every step of the way.
-Moses Gaddi
Matthew 5-10.23.21
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 5:3
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."
OBSERVATION:
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them the beatitudes. The key lessons from the sermon on the mount describe the traits that Jesus desires for all of His followers to have.
UNDERSTANDING:
Because the beatitudes are contrary to society's typical way of life, following them can be very challenging UNLESS we rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.
At first glance, we may think that the Scripture, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" is contrary to how God wants us. Doesn't God want us to be rich in spirit, not poor?
Jesus said that there is a spiritual poverty that He wants us to seek. When we are humble before God, (recognizing our own spiritual emptiness and poverty), it makes it easier for us to understand what He means by being poor in spirit. "Often the richer we are in things, the poorer we are in our hearts." (Billy Graham). When we come to the Lord, we must realize that spiritual pride is something God opposes, but when we humble ourselves before God, He gives us... grace!
LIFE APPLICATION:
Lord, I repent of my self-sufficiency. I pray that my heart will be humble before You. I yearn for You, and hunger and thirst for more of You. Thank You for the spiritual fulfillment that comes from obeying You, and applying Your Word to our lives. I pray I will depend more and more on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide my life, and that Your love will be reflected in and through me. I also pray that I will demonstrate the beautiful qualities that come from living according to Your beatitudes.
-Robin Orefice