1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
6“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

7“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11So 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.

12“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.  -Matthew 7:1-12

 

It’s time to EAT!

Good morning (or possibly evening)! For many of you it may be very close to 6:48. As our theme is prayer, Pastor David challenged us to EAT each day this week at 6:48AM or PM.

• Exalt
• Ask
• Thank

We chose 6:48 based on our theme scripture – James 4:8 –

So come close to God, and God will come close to you…

As you pray (come close to God) this week, here are 3 thoughts from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount.

1. The Golden Rule

I hope you noticed I added a bit before and after Jesus’ thoughts on prayer.

As the staff discussed the topic of repentance/humility last week, we pointed out how many times Scripture wrapped it around our interaction with people. Humility many times comes because of how we treat and deal with the people around us.

In His sermon, Jesus goes from self-righteous judgment to prayer to the golden rule. I think there is a principle at play there.

Our interaction with people affects how we interact with God.

When we approach God in prayer, we need to be conscious of our heart towards others. Is there unforgiveness? Is there pride? Is there anger? Is there strife?

If we have anything in our hearts toward a brother, sister or enemy, it will keep us from truly connecting with God.

2. Ask.

Matthew Henry has this to say about asking, seeking and knocking –

Ask as a beggar asks alms.

A beggar is totally dependent on the graciousness of the people who pass by. He may be embarrassed, but he asks. Why? He has no other option.

Too many times, we feel we have other options. Approach God in complete dependence. Ask, knock and seek like your life depends on what He doles out.

3. Expect

Here’s where the beggar analogy breaks down. God is so much more than a kindly passer-by dropping a few coins in a cup. He is a good, good Father who delights in answering our requests.

As I write, I reflect on my own children. Often they ask for great things, but I know it is best they wait. Sometimes the wait is a few minutes, hours, days, weeks or years. It all depends on what they are asking for.

I want my 11-year-old to watch television, but I know it’s best if he finish his homework first (a few minutes). I want my 8-year-old to have dessert, but I know it’s best if he waits until after dinner (a few hours). I want my 14-year-old to drive, but I know it’s best she wait until she’s 17 (a few years).

Don’t become discouraged. My children never stop asking. Do the same! Keep asking, and know God will answer at the exact right time. Expect Him to come through!

Is it 6:48?

I look forward to praying with you this week, and I am excited to hear about the wonderful things God does in your lives!

Is it 6:48 yet?

1What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

4You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.  -James 4:1-10

Despite my looks, I really am old [smile]. 35+ years ago, I attended Cross Points Church (then Full Faith Church of Love) as a kid in Children’s Church. At that time, the Children’s Pastor was a man named Tom Blasco.

Pastor Tom was perfect for the job of Children’s Pastor. He was high energy, creative, a ton of fun and just the right amount of crazy. At the time, the kids ministry was cutting edge. We were doing ministry like very few churches were at the time. Pastor Tom was a large part of that success.

At the time, I didn’t understand cutting edge, but I knew fun and excitement. I still remember specific puppets (Tyrone, Mr. T (temptation), Heart and more), characters and even lessons.

One of the lessons burned into my head is from this passage –

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

I must have repeated that phrase a thousand times by the time I left 6th grade. We would say it over and over and over. We would tell the puppets, we would tell the characters, we would tell each other, we would say it for prizes. We knew “resist the devil.”

I don’t remember “humble yourselves”. I’m sure Pastor Tom taught it. I don’t remember it.

Whether you were in Pastor Tom’s children’s church or not, I hope you know it. Humility is the key to this passage. It’s the key to living with Jesus.

Be humble means…

• Resist pride.
• Wash yourself.
• Mourn sin.
• Purify your heart.

This week we’re focusing on the command of Jesus to repent. Repentance only comes through humility. We have to accept we are sinners, broken without Christ’s redemption.

This week, I encourage you to dig into this command. Don’t discount it as something you already know, or pass it off for someone else.

Own it.

James is writing to believers – those who know the truth, yet for some reason have forgotten. This truth is for you and me.

If you search your heart, you’ll be left with two options –

1. Humbly bend your knee to Jesus and repent.
2. Become a friend of the world.

There is no other option.

“So humble yourselves before God.”