"WDJS?"

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock".  Matthew 7:24

We have all heard the phrase- What Would Jesus Do?  We have also heard- What Did Jesus Do?  This morning I want to talk about another one-- What Did Jesus Say? 

Everything that Jesus said is of great importance-- a matter of life and death, and eternity.  Sadly, most people who sit in church week after week can't tell you what Jesus said.  They don't know.  They don't know for themselves.  They rarely pick up a Bible to read it.  For most, their Bible stays in the car from one Sunday to the next or in the same place they put it after church until time to go to church again-- unopened and unread.   For others it sits on a shelf collecting dust.  Most folks depend on the preacher or some other person to tell them what the Bible says.  They don't have a clue.  That is why so many are confused about the scriptures and don't know the difference between an "old wives tale" and a scripture verse.

So, just what did Jesus say?  He said to love your enemies.  Pray for those who use you.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Blessed are you when men shall persecute you for His sake.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Don't do your alms before men to be seen of them.  Forgive others so you can be forgiven.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Turn the other cheek, go the second mile.  Take no thought for tomorrow.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.  Get the log out of your own eye.  Do not lay up treasures on earth, but lay up treasures in heaven.  You can't serve two masters-- you can't serve God and money.  Give to God what is God's.  If you love only those who love you, you have no reward.  Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord" will enter into heaven. 

 

Of course, He said much, much more but this was a good place to start.  These words that I quoted to you were basics from His sermon on the Mount.  He ended that sermon by telling us how important it is that we hear what He says and do what He says.  He said that if you hear what He says and does what He says you will be like a wise man who builds his house upon a rock.  When the storms of life come, when you have to give an answer to others about your faith, when you stand before Him on Judgment Day, you will have something to stand upon and will not fall.  But if you don't hear and do them, you will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  You will have nothing to stand upon.  How will you have a firm foundation if you won't even read His word or find out for yourself what He said?

 

Have a great day.  What did Jesus say?  Do you even know?  Do you know for yourself?  Are you trying to find out?  You should! 

 

"Touch Him"

"And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole".  Matthew 14:36

In the story of the woman with the issue of blood and in the lives of many others who pressed in to touch the hem of Jesus' garment, they were all healed of their infirmities.  These were real, literal physical healings.  But there is something "symbolic" that we see from these accounts.  It is the "touching of Jesus".

When was the last time you "touched Jesus"?  We can't touch Him in a physical sense like they did, but we can touch Him, nevertheless.  When we go into our place of prayer, that is the best opportunity we have to touch Him.  But too often in prayer we are too rushed to wait for that "touch".  Or all we are interested in is presenting our "wish list" and having it fulfilled.  When this is all that the time of prayer is to us, we are robbing ourselves.  

When they physically touched Him, virtue flowed into their bodies.  That virtue was so powerful that it healed every disease they had-- regardless of how horrific it was, incurable it was or how long they had been plagued with it.  If we would spend time waiting in His presence to "touch" Him, His virtue would flow into us and bring that which we need.

It would give us the peace and joy we need.  It would give us wisdom and grace.  It would empower and strengthen us.  It would enlighten us and give us clarity.  It would bring healing to our minds and emotions. It would remove fear, worry, anxiety, confusion, depression and bring deliverance from the bondages that ensnare us.  And it can still bring healing to our bodies.  All that we need is still in His presence.  We just have to be willing to reach out and touch Him to get it.  

Have a great day.  When was the last time you touched Jesus?     

"The Place Of Rejoicing"

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it".  Psalm 118:24

There are many days when I get up that I don't know what the Lord would have me to do that day.  I don't know in which direction He might lead me to go or to where He might order my steps.  Even on the days that I know what I will be doing-- going to work, visiting at the nursing home, buying groceries, etc.-- I still don't know what "specific task" He might want to direct me to do. 

While I don't always know what I am to do each day, I do know one thing I am to do-- rejoice and be glad today.  When I don't know what else I should do to fulfill His plan for my life, I know I am to rejoice.  When I rejoice, I am in His will.

I can rejoice, and will rejoice, in spite of difficulties, in spite of heartache and in spite of trials.  I can rejoice for many reasons.  Where do I start?  I woke up this morning, for one.  I have my right mind.  I am sitting here at this computer.  But more than that, I can rejoice because my name is written in the Book of Life.  I have peace with God through Jesus Christ.  I know that He is with me and will never leave me.  I can enjoy unbroken fellowship with the Father.  His Spirit who guides me is dwelling in me.  I have His word to guide my steps.  I have His joy that is unexplainable.  I am living in His grace and He supplies all my needs.  I can spend time rejoicing because of His goodness toward me.  

Maybe you are wondering-- "What would You have me to do today, Lord?  Where would You have me to go?"  While you are waiting for Him to show you something specific, you already have some direction-- go in the direction of rejoicing.  Go to that wonderful place of rejoicing in Him and His goodness. 

Have a great day.  If you aren't sure what the Lord wants you to do today, one thing He wants you to do is rejoice. 

"It Will Speak"

This morning I felt impressed to share the 23rd Psalm with you, without any commentary or opinion.  I believe that there are times we need to just read the scriptures and let them speak to us.  We need to read them and then meditate on them.  We need to allow it to minister to us by itself.  

Read this Psalm and re-read it and let the Lord Himself speak to you in a personal way through it.

Have a great day.  When we read the scriptures, we need to let them speak to us.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.   He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever".

"Buttered- Up"

"A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin".  Proverbs 26:28

This word won't apply to everyone this morning specifically, but it is something we all need to know and can learn from.  The specific word for someone who is reading this is--- you are being "buttered-up".  Someone is trying to get on your good side.  They are trying to get close to you.  They are trying to gain your trust and confidence, but they have an ulterior motive behind it.  They are not what they appear, and things are not as they are trying to make them appear.  In short, they are manipulating you into believing a lie so you will come over to their side and do what they want you to do.    

Flattering lips, what we call "buttering-up" is a tool of manipulation.  Not every good thing that someone says to us and about us is a form of manipulation-- some are sincere.  It is what lies behind the words.  It is about what they want and can gain from it.  It is the motive of their heart behind what they are saying and doing that constitutes the difference.     

The serpent in the garden said "flattering" words to Eve.  He told her what she wanted to hear.  He appealed to the desire of her heart.  But his motive was not to "help" Eve or give her something that would make her "happy" and "fulfilled".  It was to advance his own agenda.  He wanted the place of God.  He wanted what God had given Adam and Eve.  It wasn't about "her".  It was about "him".  His own greedy, selfish and evil desire. 

So, for all of us.  We must guard against being "butter-up".  We must guard against listening to flattering words.  We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us be discerning so that we will know the difference between flattery and sincerity.  If we will, we won't believe the lies and fall for the deception and manipulation like Eve did.  In the end it didn't benefit her, it was her ruin.

Have a great day.  Beware when people start "buttering" you up.