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Sun, 27 May 2012 14:35:45 -0400

Tough Love Like For Real

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:18:00 -0400

So continuing my journey through the Gospel of Matthew and whoa is all I can say. Reading chapter 7 was like reading the key to life. It was a duh moment to say the least. I like to post my chapters so you can really read what I’m talking about. Also you may get something completely different from what I got out of it so here’s chapter 7.

A Simple Guide for Behavior

^1-5 ”Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

⁶“Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege.

^7-11“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

¹²“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

Being and Doing

^13-14“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

^15-20“Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.

^21-23“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance— isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

^24-25“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

^26-27“But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

^28-29When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.

Yea so that’s the truth and nothing but the truth, and it hurts! It’s crazy how stuff like this still applies to our personal life. I mean how many of us like to look at how messed up other people are but won’t look twice into how messed up ours are. Nope don’t want my dirty laundry out there forget it! NEWS FLASH GOD KNOWS YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY!!!! Yep folks he knows your little secrets, but here’s what he wants you to do, give it to him. He want you more than anything else in this world, not just the good you, ALL of you. The smoking you, the cursing you, the lying you, the stealing you, ALL OF YOU!! Jesus never judged you, in fact he died for you, so why would you? Why would judge someone else? Look we all do it whether we mean to or not, but I hope this make you more aware of it. God wants you to get right with him. He does want you to help other but more importantly he wants you to grow from the teachings you here.

God has got to be your rock, not someone else, because if he’s not your rock your setting yourself up for a huge let down. I could write on and on about this passage because it is so moving to me! I just love how Jesus just tells it like it is.

I pray that I do this for someone

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:49:35 -0400

I pray that I do this for someone

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Mon, 07 May 2012 16:54:18 -0400

The Faith Walk

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Tough Love Like For Real

A Simple Guide for Behavior

Being and Doing

I pray that I do this for someone

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