MARCH 18 The Jesus Questions

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

March 18 / Day 19

365 Prayers to JESUS

Jesus, I pray today that Your Spirit will move among all the families and that all hurt and separations will be dissolved so that a Great Healing will begin in each and every family. Lord, there is no hope for mankind if mankind remains removed from those institutions set up by the Creator God and Everlasting Father. Jesus, You said that You and the Father are One and You prayed that we could be One with You and the Father, so Lord that is my prayer today, that Your Spirit will unite all families that we can be One with the Father! 

The Jesus Questions

JQ#4 -  Yesterday we looked at performing what I call “I surgery” as we examined ourselves on the aspect of “judging”. Jesus points out to us that we are in danger of becoming worse off that the one we have tried to be judgmental about when He asks JQ#4 “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3) Jesus immediately followed that question with an identical question just in case we didn’t get it the first time: “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’;and look, a plank is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:4)  Two questions back to back from Jesus and both demand we stop and consider what is happening in our life before we judge what is going on in someone else’s life! The language Jesus uses always makes it clear and in this case Jesus immediately asks the questions and then before waiting for an answer He uses the word “Hypocrite”! He makes it clear that He is calling the one that judges others without first looking at himself the “Hypocrite”! Jesus makes this evident when He states: “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your  own eye…” (Matthew 7:5a) leaving no doubt that the hypocrite is the one that fails to see that we should seek to be righteous before God before we try to judge the righteousness of others. Jesus gives us a reward for doing things as He commands for He states that if we will first examine ourselves “…then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5b) Doing things from the Jesus Perspective keeps our attention on Proper Priorities and that is to keep our relationship with God right as the first order of business, we are to continually examine ourselves and our motives and when we are sure that we have taken care of spiritual business in the order and manner which God commands, then and only then can we be useful in doing God’s work. God always holds those that want to serve Him to a higher standard so we must be aware of the responsibility of being called Christians. Each question points to a Spiritual Standard: JQ#1 - “…glorify your Father in Heaven…” JQ#2 - “…therefore you shall be perfect…” JQ#3 - “…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” and now in JQ#4 - “remove [our own unrighteousness] before we [judge others]…” The next verse I still struggle with and again I ask for comments on Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs…” as it somehow ties in with Matthew 7:1-5??