FEBRUARY 18 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#05-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#5 “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:8)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

FEBRUARY 18  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#05-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   JQ#5  “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:8)

049 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Praise You Lord for Your Great Love. Lord, as we seek to be more like You in every thing we do or try to accomplish with our lives that have been “crucified with Christ”, may all our actions reflect the Love for mankind by which You both lived and died, and then the Glory by which You were risen from the grave! Lord, please let us be aware that death is nothing but a gateway to eternity because You Lord defeated both death and the grave, and Your Victory came through Love and Obedience, which is my prayer today, that I may Love as You loved and be Obedient to the Father’s Will as You were Obedient, that the Father’s Mercy and Grace will flow freely in my life!     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

FEBRUARY 18  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#05-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   JQ#5  “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:8) Jesus warned us at the end of His Lesson on JQ#4 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine…” (Matthew 7:6) as He concluded His Lesson on “judging others”. I mentioned that this verse always makes me uncomfortable — I also mentioned that this “do not judge” Lesson Jesus taught has been “hijacked” by those seeking political power to advance their personal agenda, a humanistic agenda that has “re-defined” certain commandments of God by re-defining the meaning of words associated with those commandments and one of those words was “tolerance”. I grew up understanding the meaning of “tolerance” as adults “putting up” with some unacceptable childish behavior publicly until it could be “corrected” privately so that the unacceptable behavior would not be repeated in public again! That was how the “community” viewed “tolerance” and it was based on a common Moral Standard that was taken from God’s Holy Word and through the common Moral Standard there was “unity” in the community. No one had to “judge” others because they clearly understood behaviors that were “Right” and behaviors that were “Wrong” because those behaviors were already established by the common Moral Standard given to us by a Holy Eternal God who does not change, nor will He ever change therefore the “Right” and “Wrong” behaviors will eternally be “Right or Wrong”!  Only by all men living under the same Eternal Moral Standard given to society for the “Good” or “Right Thing” for society will our society truly “not judge others” by any standard other than that Eternal Moral Standard given by God Himself and has already proven itself to be beneficial to society when incorporated into our culture. Our legal system no longer recognizes the Holy God as the Moral Standard Giver therefore the legal system defines through legislation what is “best” for society, not based on a Holy Eternal God but by mortal men seeking to be like God and these self seekers establishes through government an un-holy legal system of doctrines of men that redefine terms like “tolerance” and legislates (from the bench) a woman’s “right” to take the life of an unborn child. The problem Is that these doctrines are determined by the “ruling” political party which is in a continual change of flux as each party seeks to remain in power! “Abortion” used to be considered to be illegal because it involved taking the “life” of an “human fetus” that had not reached the stage of development where it could survive outside the womb — but today’s definition of the term  “fetus” has be changed to the “products of conception” because it is easier to discard “products” than it is to discard a “human fetus” but regardless of the definition of terms associated with “abortion”, it is still a “human mother” that with the contribution of a “human father” has conceived a “human fetus” in her womb and if God’s “miracle” of life is left unaltered the “human fetus” which has its “God-given life” in it, the “human fetus” will continue its journey as an individual “human being” to the point where it will exit the womb. This “human fetus” does not become a “human baby” at the point of birth, it is “human” before it is born!!! In fact, the moment that the sperm fertilizes the egg and God has blessed that union with “life” it is “human”. Consider that when the “human baby” is born, if it is left on its own, it will die without that help of other “humans” until it reaches an age that it can provide for itself, which is several years old — so if “abortion” is “OK/Legal” because the “human mother” that is providing protection and assistance to the “human fetus” in her “human womb” decides she is inconvenienced by the pregnancy, then why can’t the court declare it “OK/Legal” for  “human adults” who can take care of themselves decide it is inconvenient for society to take care of “human children” who can’t take care of themselves? If it is legal for the “human mother” to determine that the “human child” in her “human womb” is unwanted the why shouldn’t it be “legal” for her to decide the same once the “human fetus” has exited the womb but is still not wanted?!?!? That is what happens when a society lets men seeking power define what is “legal” without using God’s Holy Moral Standard to make their decisions. Abortion is only accepted today because God and His Holy Moral Standards have been removed from the decision making process in our courts and legal systems and our ideal of “Right” and “Wrong” are determined not by a Holy Eternal Unchanging God but by the vacillating “opinion” of 4 or 5 people that have been appointed by a political administration with the “good” of the political party in mind — in other words the Holy Moral Standard has been “thrown to the dogs” and the Holy Sanctity of Life is a “pearl of great worth” that has been consumed by swine and the results for our society is a new definition of a “woman’s right” to the life of her unborn child. Jesus moves us straight into the solution by His next statement leading up to His next Question by introducing some “success” principals: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Jesus made a simple plain statement of “Spiritual Truth” and He immediately adds: “For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:8) This is clearly an inclusive statement Jesus makes: “For everyone…”. Please note that Jesus is not telling us to take our requests to the Supreme Court of the United States but Jesus is telling us to refer our case to The Supreme Judge of the Universe — God in Heaven!!! The whole intent of the Gospel is that all will be included into the kingdom. But, in order to be “included” we must learn the simple rules which God has chosen and God always makes it perfectly clear that if we perform the actions God asks of us, we will get the predetermined results that He has established in His Eternal Moral Law. This is called the Law of Choice and Consequence established by the Creator and all laws apply to everyone, just like we all experience “gravity” and “…the rain falls on the just and the unjust…”. We all can enjoy and depend on the sun coming up each morning, all because God has said that is the way He has determined that it will be. God in His Mercy has been Gracious in letting us know that He has given us Freewill in our lives and we are free to make our own “choices” but we are not free to determine the “consequence” of our actions because the result of our choices has already been determined by God so that “everyone” will have the confidence that God has determined “consequences” for the “True Good” of mankind and we should use His Consistency of results to make an “informed decision” based upon on “constant” and “irrevocable consequence”. The Law of Choice and Consequence is simple and applies to “everyone” and God makes it perfectly clear that we are free to “chose” our actions but He reserves the right to dictate the “consequence” of the action we chose to perform. This section is a simple set of “Actions=Results” as we read “Seek=Find, Ask=Given, & Knock=Open”. God shows His Goodness by telling us the results of our choice and then He gives us some “Blessed Assurance” when He asks JQ#5: “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:9)  Apply the Law of Choice and Consequence to this section in Matthew 7:7-14 and you’ll easily answer the LORD’s Teaching Questions. If God is the “Giver of Life” and has established the Laws governing the entire universe, should we not listen to how the Holy God who Jesus calls “our heavenly Father” defines such terms as “Life”, “Death”, “Abortion” and “Tolerance”?!?!?!? 

FEBRUARY 17 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#04-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< 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)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

FEBRUARY 17  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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)

048 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, each day as I start my day with the thought of “Jesus”, there is a Peace that cannot be explained but LORD I need no explanation and that amplifies my Peace. There is no name like the Name of Jesus and there are no thoughts like thinking about Jesus! Each morning as I rise and go to Your Holy Word there is an eternal Hope for my life and then I write the Name “JESUS” and my soul knows that You are the Light of men and that Your Light is THE  LIFE. Jesus forgive me of my daily shortcomings and carry me until I finally become One with You, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

FEBRUARY 17  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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 is the Master Teacher and He has been Teaching these first four Lessons in a specific order therefore He has a specific overall objective for each Lesson builds upon the last Lesson and then points us to the next Lesson while keeping us focused in the direction of the “Light” of "understanding" that He is leading us to. This section on “Judging” has been a struggle for me and my spirit feels violated by the world. Jesus was always Teaching Lessons that are universal in that every soul of every generation can apply His Teaching to their daily lives. I know that every thing that I read about in God’s Holy Word points to Jesus and when we focus on Jesus we can see God’s love being poured out on all generations through the Great Sacrifice and Obedience of the Only Begotten Son yet when I read a command from Jesus as written in Matthew 7:6 I struggle with the command, not because I struggle with following Jesus but I struggle with the fear that I am not understanding the True Lesson Jesus is trying to teach when He says “Do not give what is holy to the dogs…” (Matthew 7:6)!! Yesterday the Holy Spirit led me consider that this new age of unbelievers are in the process of “re-defining” the “Moral Standard” by which we “judge” our actions and it is through that process of “re-defining the Moral Standard” that they have removed all that is “Holy” from the judgment process thereby making the Moral Standard relative to the reigning political thought of what is best for the political beast to retain power! I gave two instances: (1) Abortion and (2) Same Sex Marriage. If we look at “Abortion” from its “re-definition” then we see that the politics of abortion is what is driving the re-definition of  abortion which is now defined from the political viewpoint which in our modern society is “the woman’s right to choose”. There is a great conflict with God’s word with this modern re-definition of “abortion” as the “woman’s right”??  God grants each individual life and God does not give the “right” to take that “life” from the individual God gave life to. Only by taking the “Holy” aspect away from life can they “re-define” abortion! You cannot show a single abortion that has not deprived an individual of that individual’s “God given right to life”!! The same is true with “Same Sex Marriage” — Two people of the same sex have been given by those seeking political power the “legal” right to marriage but there is no way that same sex couples can enter into “Holy Matrimony”. The political “re-definition” of marriage has had the “Holy” element of marriage removed therefore “Holy Matrimony” is impossible when “Holy” has been politically removed!  Again this has been done to “re-define” those terms that have always kept our moral compass pointing to the “Truth” of God. Jesus is teaching us on “judging” in Matthew 7:6 that we must not abandon God’s Laws and we should always “judge” as led by the Holy Spirit of God and not by some “re-definition” of men seeking to remove that which is “Holy” from the “Moral Standard” as determined by God as to the True Definition of “Right and Wrong”. God is Eternal and His Holiness is as unchanging as God Himself and His Holiness must not be removed from the laws of our society — for without God’s Standards which are “Holy”, we are left with man’s standard which is “fallen” from God’s Holiness and we are left with a un-Holy Godless Society without a Moral Compass for our Guiding Light — and where there is no “Light” to guide us, we always end up in darkness! Tomorrow we will start looking at JQ#5 in Matthew 7:7-12 which will return “Holy” to our judgments.

FEBRUARY 16 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#04-03 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< 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)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

FEBRUARY 16  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-03 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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)

047 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord this is my prayer, of all the things I could be doing and all the places I could go, I have chosen to start each and every day by writing the Name above all names — JESUS! Lord, over the years as I have tried virtually every thing under the sun, nothing has ever given me peace nor made me a better person than calling on  the Name of Jesus! There is Truth and there is Hope, and there is the Assurance that what God has said He Will Do, He Does — Lord, Your Word is Holy and Your Way is the True Path of Righteousness so I pray for Your Guidance and Your Presence to lead me forward.     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

FEBRUARY 16  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-03 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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 started this section by giving us a command to “Judge not…” (Matthew 7:1a) and there is a gnawing in my spirit that is linking this command to today’s new age definition of “tolerance”. Like so many other words used to control our thought process by whoever it is that thinks that the average man cannot think for himself, the new meaning of “tolerance” does not carry the same meaning that I grew up with. These verses from the Holy Bible are being used against Christians in this new age of “tolerance” as we are accused of being “intolerant” if we don’t accept people that have made different life choices than we as Christians have made under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and living a life as commanded by God Himself. When we look at “tolerating” people, the new age definition has rewritten the definition to mean that we completely accept them without passing “judgment” on them and have been led to believe that “total acceptance” is the “right thing” to do and they are using this command from Jesus “not to judge others” as proof that Jesus would have accepted them. The problem I have with that thinking is that if we “tolerate” the ungodly as defined by God Himself then we are putting man’s definition of “tolerance” above the Godly Moral Standard and effectively have made “Tolerance” our new god as we substitute God’s Moral Standard with new age “total acceptance” of every type of behavior in the name of “new age tolerance”! We have allowed our society to climb out on a very slippery slope by “accepting” without question the new definitions that are being imposed on our social philosophy. Two instances: (1) Abortion and (2) Same sex marriages. When did we as a society drop our Moral Standards based on God’s word and allow a government appointed representative body of 9 people (all lawyers) to decide what is “morally acceptable” by a simple majority of as little as 5 people and declare the behavior “legal” for millions of people? We as a society have allowed the establishment of a new godhead in the government that is “appointed” by the current administration and we are letting them use whatever political standard they chose to establish what is morally acceptable for our entire society?! “The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth…” (Isaiah 40:28) and yet the government in their thirst for “power and control” will soon be passing legislation to outlaw the use of God’s Moral Standard and new laws will be written to support this new moral standard based on this new definition of “Tolerance”! Talk about a “double standard” —they will outlaw the Bible first but then use it to justify their new “Tolerance” law because Jesus said “Judge not…” !?!?! This discourse on letting the world establish the Moral Standard is in my opinion the result of Christians “… giving what is holy to the dogs…” and “casting our pearls before swine” because I see the future of Christians (if we stay on this slippery slope) “trampled under [the government’s feet]” as they “turn and tear [Christians] to pieces…” (Matthew 7:6) Surely we must “educate” the government that “judge not” is to be applied to everyone that is not God, and that includes the entire government, elected and appointed! If we abandon God’s Moral Standard and replace it with a “opinion” from the “supreme court” comprised of “appointed” justices that cannot use God’s Moral Standard to make a decision, then there is no justice!!! 

FEBRUARY 15 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#04-02 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< 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)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

FEBRUARY 15  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-02 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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)

046 of 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 for the good of the family 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 You, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit of God!     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

FEBRUARY 15  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-02 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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 is the Great Physician and the only One qualified to do “I surgery” (see February 14) and successfully remove the “speck” in our brother’s eye and the “plank” from our own! As we examined ourselves on the aspect of “judging” as we began looking at JQ#4, Jesus points out to us that we are in danger of becoming worse off ourselves than 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 (JQ#4a & JQ#4b) from Jesus and both demand we stop and consider what is happening in our life before we stop and judge what is going on in someone else’s life! The language Jesus uses always makes it clear what His meaning is 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 and resolve our own issues  “…then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5b) Jesus is saying if we do not judge others then He will give us discernment to actually help others instead of judging them! Doing things from the Jesus Perspective keeps our attention on Proper Priorities and it is only Proper Perspective when we 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 and help others instead of judging others. 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 JESUS 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 - “do not judge…” but [remove our own unrighteous] “plank” from our lives before we try to [remove the unrighteous] “speck” from theirs.” The next verse I still struggle with and I pray for God to direct my heart on Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs…” ——— does it somehow tie in with Matthew 7:1-5??

FEBRUARY 14 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#04-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< 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)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

FEBRUARY 14  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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)

045 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Praise Your Holy Name for You Lord have given up more than anyone will ever give up and You did it out of Pure Obedience to the Father’s Will and Master Plan for all mankind. Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the Plan of Salvation. Let us not question why God chose Jesus as the Only Way to enter into Holy Fellowship with the Father, but let us instead be joyful and rejoice that God has prepared The Way for a sinner to be saved! Jesus is the Name and the Way to Eternal Life with the Father and the Way to live more abundantly on this earth. Lord, I choose to live with You in heaven and pray to be always focused on the Way to get there.     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

FEBRUARY 14  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#04-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   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 has so far asked us with His first three Questions: (JQ#1) to consider that we have been made in the image of God and therefore in God’s Plan for mankind He has decided that we through our daily lives are to represent Him as the “salt” and the “light” of the earth and (JQ#2) our attention is directed towards separating ourselves from the world, not to isolate ourselves but to let our “light” shine through the darkness in the world — our “light” is to be Powered by God’s greatest gift to mankind, His “Love” which He desires to bestow on the world. In order to make our “light” shine brightly we have to “Love others” like God “Loves” us. Then (JQ#3) Jesus asked us to look around at how God has taken care of His world and has provided so abundantly for His Creation and answer honestly “Is not life more than bread, and the body more than clothing?” which if we do answer honestly we will see that the world is “physical” and in a “fallen” state but through God we can see the “Spiritual” world and the possibilities of “Hope” that exist through following God’s Plan for the “Spiritual” life which He offers freely to all that will “believe” and have “Faith in God and His Plan for Man”. That brings us to the next question (JQ#4) Jesus places before us, and Jesus with (JQ#4) does in the same manner with this 4th Question what He did in teaching us about “Worry” in (JQ#3) by starting out with an imperative statement of Truth: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1) Jesus is very clear on how He feels about us judging others, and it only takes Jesus 2 well placed words to say all that needs to be said about “Judging” in this verse as He states “Judge not…” and then He uses 5 more words — “…that you be not judged…” for a total of just 7 words to teach us all we need to know to pass a spiritual test on “Should we judge as Christians?” If we stop and listen to what Jesus is Teaching on “judging” then we could answer “Why” we should refrain from “judging others”. Jesus continues this important section on “judging others” which boils down to adjusting our attitudes spiritually to promote a positive attitude from others in the next verse: “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7:2) What may seem obvious on the “physical” surface to our worldly eyes may need to have the surface scratched “Spiritually” a little for that “digging deeper study” on “judging others” by our worldly viewpoint.  Jesus does make it clear what our initial action should be 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) Every time I read this section I get the impression that the Holy Spirit is telling me that if I observe something in someone else that makes me want to “judge them” then I should immediately run to a mirror and look to see what I am doing in my own life that generated that erroneous feeling? I always call this section “I surgery” or “me surgery” because I believe that Jesus is telling us that we should operate on ourself to be acceptable in God’s eyes before we should operate on someone else so they are acceptable to us. Jesus is telling us that there may indeed be a “speck” in my brother’s eye but if I try to take God’s place and pass “judgment on” the “speck” in my brother’s eye but in “Reality” from God’s perspectiveI have effectively blinded myself by inserting a “plank” in my own “I” and just as we cannot save someone else from their sins (because only Jesus has that Power to Save) it is our responsibility to share the Gospel of Jesus with them — I apply the principal of letting the “I” Surgeon do “I” surgery” to this “speck removal operation” — we are not to perform the “I” surgery operation on our brother, but we should point them to Jesus and let the Great Physician do what only He can. This is a difficult Question/Lesson so we should look closely at what Lesson the Master Surgeon has to Teach us in this section on the subject of “I surgery”. 

FEBRUARY 13 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#03-05 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#3 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

FEBRUARY 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#03-05 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   JQ#3  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

044 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Praise, Glory, Honor to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the Only Name by which man can be freed of his natural sin. Lord Jesus, every time we see a cross, our first thought should be of the Great Sacrifice of the Divine Innocence, and the second thought should be that the cross is empty!! The empty cross should remind us that God loved us enough to put His Only Begotten Son on the cross but also that God loved His Son so much that He did not leave Him there! The empty cross and the empty grave express the full measure of God’s Love for us and the Resurrection is God’s Eternal Covenant with sinful man. Praise you Lord, for “It is Finished!” (John 19:30)     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

FEBRUARY 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#03-05 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   JQ#3  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25) Jesus concludes His Lesson on “worry” (JQ#3 - Matthew 6:24-34) with His Advice that we should not seek “things” of this world “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [God knows we have need of] shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:33-34)   The answer to the  (8) “Why worry?” Jesus Questions in the JQ#3 section is simply to accept the fact that depending on “self” is useless but if we trust Jesus and follow His commands then we will quit worrying about useless things of this world and use all our mental facilities to grow our “Faith in Jesus” and accept what God has in store for our day-to-day lives and our eternal future. The Holy Spirit started me out on my personal Spiritual Journey to God in 2004 with Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” and whenever I feel I am being deprived of some worldly possession, the Holy Spirit uses Matthew 6:33 to turn my focus away from self and back on the Savior and my physical worries melt away — it worked in 2004 and remains TRUE today! There simply is no room in “Faith” for “worry” as the foundation of “Faith in God” is built upon “Trust in God” — “Worry” is simply wrong in the spiritual realm because “Worry” is constructed wholly on “Distrust” and there are NO reasons not to “Trust God” , therefore we should accept with full Faith in God what Jesus commands us: “Therefore, DO NOT WORRY…” (Matthew 6:34) The great thing about the Teachings of Jesus is that He always takes some worldly action or attitude and shows us how to put it into the “proper Spiritual perspective” and use the new perspective to grow in Jesus Himself! Jesus is the original author of “Do as I do” because everything He Taught, He Lived, and just like when at the Last Supper Jesus Himself “Broke the Bread” with His own hands and stated “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer…” (Luke 22:15)  Jesus not only was stating by His actions that He was willing to “Suffer” for us, He was being our “Living Example” — “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14) If Jesus had not lived the Perfect Sinless life there would have been plenty of people that would have pointed out to everyone that this Man claiming to “be God” was just a sinner like everyone else because one sin would have disqualified Jesus from being God and if Jesus had sinned even the smallest sin or been imperfect in even the slightest that there would have been no way could Jesus have commanded us “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) This command can also be used as a “prophecy” as Jesus teaches us that if we will become like Him, then we will be made perfect like Him, “just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” The point in learning from Jesus is to be like Jesus, and to abide forever with Jesus and our “Father in heaven” where finally after all our earthly mistakes we will at last achieve our “Spiritual” goal and be given the heavenly prize of eternal “Worry Free” life. It is “Good News” to know that God knows all our sins and has provided a way that all our sins will be forgiven — it is in the knowledge that Jesus has Redeemed us from all our iniquities that we should listen to JESUS when He Lovingly Teaches us “Do Not Worry” for our “heavenly Father” God Himself has “Good Plans for all our tomorrows”!!! 

FEBRUARY 12 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#03-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#3 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

FEBRUARY 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#03-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   JQ#3  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

043 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, I’m feeling pretty “rough” with this “cold” but I thank You for strengthening me enough spiritually for me to get out and finish my physical jobs. Lord, I trust You in all things and certainly in physical sickness because You are the Great Physician! Lord, I place my “health” (both spiritual and physical) into Your Healing Hands, give me the courage to accept whatever TRUTH You have in store for me!    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

FEBRUARY 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#03-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<<   JQ#3  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25) Jesus not only teaches us the “obvious” and “immediate” Truth of God with each Question/Lesson, yet, if we are observant and trusting enough, Jesus will reveal simple everyday Truths of God associated with each Lesson — but we must slow down and meditate on the Question to see the Big Picture of the Truth of God that Jesus by His Lifestyle and choice of Questions and the order in which He asks them, teaches us that Deeper Truth of God that is not seen by just rolling down your window as you drive by the Truth while you are hurrying to get to the next “physical” thing in our day-to-day world. For instance, while writing this blog on JQ#3 I am experiencing one of the worst colds I can remember and it struck me as very apropos that as I am “enduring” the worst cold I can ever remember having in my life that I would be studying a section on “worry”!?! Jesus makes it perfectly clear that all our needs will be supplied by Jehovah-jireh the Great Provider with everything we need to eat and to wear but also we will be supplied with every “need” we have in our day-to-day lives to endure the physical world and this is done through God adjusting our “perception” of the world which is a “Deeper Truth of God” that we often miss — by God adjusting our “perception” (spiritual) and leaving the physical world as is, God proves the superiority of the “Spiritual” over the “physical”!!! Jesus uses His “Teaching Questions” in this section to make us understand that God didn’t just make us and toss us out on our own but that He is able to feed all His Creation and if God provides for “the birds of the air” then He will take care of Mankind whom God Created after His Own Image. Jesus asks three questions in a row that leads to His fourth and all these Questions work together to place our “Faith in God” center stage. Follow these questions: JQ#3b “Are you not of more value than [a bird]” (Matthew 6:26b) — JQ#3c “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matthew 6:27) — JQ#3d “So why do you worry about clothing? (Matthew 6:28a) — Then Jesus wraps up the obvious by making us compare ourselves to the “wisest” man that ever lived, Solomon, who was given everything there was that could be possessed in the physical world and yet for all his wisdom and resources not even Solomon could array himself like God clothes the grass in the field! The scorching thing for me is that Jesus ends this section with JQ#3e “…will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30) Jesus wraps up with stating simply “do not worry” and especially “do not worry” over JQ#3 f, g, & h “what to eat”, “what to drink” or “what to wear” which are all physical things. Jesus then makes His Main Point for the Truth of God contained in this section with two statements: (1) “… the Heavenly Father KNOWS you need these things” (Matthew 6:32) and (2) “But SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…” (Matthew 6:33-34a) So when I read this passage and answer the simple questions I find myself worrying less about my physical needs and concentrate on growing my “Spiritual” muscle — which can only be strengthened by exercising our “Faith in Jesus”!