Lord, Lord....

 Matthew 7:21–29 (ESV): 

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” 

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. 

Even those who talk about Jesus, do good things, work hard for the Church, are involved in miracles and can explain the gospel may not make it to heaven. This is what God's own son, Jesus, is saying. Even those who may have witnessed miracles, signs, wonders, incredible answers to prayer and spiritual freedom coming to others may miss out on the Kingdom of God. How is that possible? Those who seem to have incredible experiences of faith, even prestigious leaders, preachers and worshippers that you admire may not be as close to God as they seem. They might be gifted, sing beautifully, work hard, speak or teach well, serve or give sacrificially but be in danger of missing out on entering God’s house and even be rejected, why? 

Do you see the argument the people put forward in this piece of Scripture? “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” The things that they have been involved in they believe are their own doing. “did we not…” the emphasis is on them, not on God. It is almost like they use the name of God or His Son as a magic word rather than The Name that is above all names which carries all authority, love and power. They belittle the name of The Almighty and increase their own self worth, “did we not…”. The attitude of those who Jesus does not recognise is that they are somebody important - they have done good and great things in God's name. They take the credit for prophesying, casting out demons, and doing mighty works. The credit they take for themselves, they do not give the glory to God. Instead they become great in their own eyes.

Yet it is God who has allowed these people to witness miracles of salvation, hearing His voice, and people freed from demonic powers. However they have not recognised that it is God’s power that achieves these things. Those Jesus rejects are those who take the credit for the works of God and falsely believe in their own worth and importance in God’s realm. Their attitude is that, yes maybe they do believe in God, but they also believe in the power and capability in themselves too. Rather than crediting God with the incredible things they have had opportunity to be involved with or witness, they believe in the power of ME. Are you in the same danger as them? 

Do you REALLY believe that God has done the things you have witnessed, heard about and been involved in? Do you credit God with the works in your life and the lives of others, or are you taking some of the acclamation and gratitude for yourself? Only you and God know what you secretly think, so it is worth being honest with yourself now before you end up face to face with Jesus! For he will either welcome you or reject you dependent upon how you have lived your life. 

Only you and God know the truth. 

Does God really get the glory in your heart and mind or are you holding back some for yourself? Jesus says about such people, “I never knew you; depart from me”. Instead of investing in the glamour and acclaim of works and wonders, are you investing your time getting to know Jesus? Does God really get the priority in your life? It is the simple things like prayer and obeying Scripture, keeping your word, adjusting your life to honour God more, learning to love others as Jesus did. The understated, often unnoticed commitments that you make in your everyday life that show if you are someone who really knows Jesus. Like how you spend your time, make decisions, or what your priorities are. These reveal if God really is King in your life and if you are honouring and taking time to get to know Him. 

Does God get your gratitude and your time? Is he allowed to challenge your decisions and attitudes in order for you to become more Christ-like? Do you live in more fear of Him than anyone or anything else?

Those who make an effort to get to know Jesus, learn to walk and talk like him will be recognised and welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. Are you living like you want to be there?

Judge not

 Matthew 7:1–6 (ESV): 

“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. 

None of us likes to think that we are hypocrites or judgemental. Yet, so often we are. When people do things different to us, have alternative views, different cultural expectations or behaviours, speak differently, or just seem odd to us, we judge them. It is often not intentional, and we don’t like to think that we do, but if you really think about it, you know that you tend to have prejudices, biases and these are all elements of judging people - having expectations about someone or a group of people because of your limited understanding, experience or common ideas. 

You have expectations of how people should behave and talk. This is borne out of a combination of the culture, background and values that you have and the belief system that you follow. These ideals that you have for your own life are often unknowingly put onto those around you. You are used to certain mannerisms and patterns of behaviour, and this influences your acceptance and view of other people. It often causes you to see the ‘specks’ in them that are different, maybe because you do not have them or show them as obviously. Instead you have logs in your eyes which prevent you from seeing those people clearly. 

I grew up with a cockney accent, dropping all my ‘hs’ ‘ts’ and any other letter that i could. When i moved to another area no-one could understand me, and regarded me as somewhat common. I decided to change the way i spoke to be understood and integrate better. When i moved back to the area i had grown up in my accent had changed. I got a job and my new colleagues told me after a while that they did not expect to get along with me because i spoke “too posh”. Sometimes you can’t win! I was judged by the way i spoke in both places. In one i was too common and regarded initially as not very intelligent, in the other i was too posh and seemed above the place i was living in simply because of the way i spoke. It may seem a silly thing, but this is what it is like to see specks in people. Assumptions are made based on common ideas, expectations, beliefs and experience. I had been judged by those around me and they made assumptions about my intellect, personality and character based upon the way i spoke. In all actuality, the way we speak has very little to do with those things or the character we have. The same is true for the 'specks' we see in others. They do not make up the whole person, there is more to them than the difference or awkwardness that you seem to see so easily.

It is often the small things that we judge people for; how they speak, move, look, habits they have, routines they keep. decisions they make, or even where they come from. It is not right or fair, yet you probably do it. We all do. So, before you make a decision about someone else, take time to consider your own quirks, behaviours, manner of speaking and values that you have. Would some of those seem odd to others? I am not saying that you should change, but you need to recognise that you too will make different decisions and say different things to those around you. You will have mannerisms, routines and patterns of behaviour that others will probably look at and think odd. These are specks or maybe even logs that others could see in you, you have just got used to living with them, other people haven’t. So take this into consideration when you come into contact with others. Make every effort not to judge them because you would do things or say things differently. You too have specks that you do not even realise are there and i am sure you would not want to be excluded or treated differently because of them.

Jesus is the only one who never had any specks or logs which blinded him. Yet he learnt not to judge those around him. He recognised that this was not his job. His job was to be human and display the grace, love, hope and forgiveness of God to those he encountered, no matter the logs or specks he could see in their lives. That is your job too. If you are someone who loves God, you need to be loving in thought, deed and word to the people you come into contact with, not judgemental. Remember that each person is made in the image of God just like you are. Jesus loves people, God created them wonderfully and fearfully just like He made you. So do not let any specks or logs blind you to these truths. People may be difficult for you to understand, but don’t let that prevent you from trying to develop a rapport with someone. Do not try to fix the ‘problems’ you see in the lives of others without first checking if it is actually a problem that needs solving, and that they actually want help with it. Even then you may not be the right person to help. They might have a speck in their eye and you may have a log! It could be that what you see in them is just a difference that doesn’t even require a solution. Some times you can step into the lives of others and see what they ‘need’ to do according to your own values, beliefs and experience. Yet that is not something you should impose upon them. You can help, guide and suggest things, but only if you are invited to. Be aware that the difference and oddness you see in others, they probably see in you too!

Remember, Jesus came, lived and died for other people just as he did for you. He had every right to point out everyone’s logs and offer to help remove them, but he didn’t. Instead he showed love and acceptance, and he waited for people to approach him. Jesus invites us in, hangs out with us, and points us to the Loving Father in Heaven, not to the specks or logs in our eyes. Can you do the same for those in your life?

Ask

 Matthew 7:7–11 (ESV): 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 

When you approach God with your needs and wants, He will give you good things. Jesus does not promise that you will get everything that you want, but he does assure you that God will give you good gifts. For God is a fantastic Father, better than any of us earthly parents. Yet even as imperfect parents we try to do the best for our kids. So, how much more does God seek your best interests

When my children were younger and were hungry, they might ask for cake or sweets, especially if they saw me baking! That was not what they were often given, but i would give them something to eat, maybe an apple or some toast. It is not precisely what they asked for, but they had their need met and what they had is better for them in the long-term. God is the same with you. He can see that some of the things you ask for are like sweets or cake, which will ultimately not satisfy you and will not do you good in the long-term. Therefore He will provide what you actually need. God makes a better choice for you than what you would ask for yourself. God knows you. He knows how you are made and what you need. He knows what is best for your maturity and wellbeing. He is being a better parent than you ever could be for He actually sees your future and knows how you are made, the things you need and the things you don't. You may think that you are too old to be parented. You are not. In God's eyes, just like children in ours, you have a lot of growing up to do. I mean in His eyes you are still a baby when you consider that God has years without end! 

God is being a good father to you, will you accept His leadership even when you do not like it or agree with it? Good parents do not always give their children what they want when they want it. for they see the benefit of patience, and of different gifts. Are you trusting and patient when you ask God for things? When God next answers your prayers in an unexpected way, what will be your response? I encourage you, do not get grumpy, instead be grateful. God is giving you something better than what you requested. He is investing in your life for the long-term, not the short-term benefit that you are concerned about. He can see what you can’t, and He loves, guides and answers you as Hs beloved child. Do not be afraid to ask God for things, just don’t expect to get the answers that you want, for God cares about you and knows you more deeply than you can fathom. You can trust Him to give you what is best. For He can do immeasurably more than you ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). You can trust Him to give you good gifts; God will open doors for you and provide your needs, just ‘ask, and it will be given to you’.

How to stop worrying

Following on from the previous passage where Jesus was challenging people to consider who they were following - God or money, and to contemplate where there treasure is, Jesus speaks about not being anxious about the everyday things like the things money can buy, food and clothing. 

Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV): 

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

Do you get worried or anxious about everyday matters? Jesus tells you not to. I know it is not that easy to just switch it off though! I used to be full of worries, i would "worry about worrying" as my parents tell me. Yet, over the years and decades, I have learnt to trust God more than the concerns of this life. I did it by doing as Jesus recommends in this passage, “consider the lilies of the field…” Instead of focusing on the things that cause concern, focus on how God has created, and takes care of what He has made like the birds, flowers and trees. Really take time to consider them. How they are created, their beauty and complexity as well as how they are provided for  - not just to survive, but to thrive and multiply. 

Then think about what God has already done in your life, in the lives of others and throughout history, and remember that He is still the same today, and He will be tomorrow. He is The One you can unshakeably trust. He has proved His worth. So what have you got to worry about in comparison to this Almighty God?! Reframe your mind to think about Him more than the things that concern you. 

As a young christian full of fear, having someone I could always talk to, who tells me they are my friend, and who cares about all the things I care about, was a revelation. I learnt to pray about the things that caused me to worry, and i worried all the time, so God was busy listening! I would question decisions i had made, ones i hadn’t, things i had said and not said, if people were upset with me, liked me, what i had done or not done. My whole life was constant worry, so to realise that there is a God that cares about me and likes to talk with me even about the things i fretted about but never spoke to others about was a huge relief. I talked to God about all of these fears and concerns, and He listened. I learnt to read the Bible and try to understand it. I thought about passages like this one, and saw from my observations of life that God does indeed take care of the flowers and birds, and he says, “are you not of more value than they?”! So, if God says that He is taking care of all of these things, and He says I am worth more than that, who am I to worry? I often cannot solve the problems and concerns I face. I cannot make any difference in some situations. However I can talk to a God who can. So can you. Although Jesus says not to be anxious, you can talk to God about it and ask Him to relieve your fears, and you can trust that He will do it. God doesn’t mind you talking about such things with Him, He will listen. Once you have spoken with Him, remind yourself of the truth. Look at who He is, what He has done, and is doing in the world around you. Then you will realise the bigness of your fears is overshadowed by the mightiness, power, love, care and greatness of God. 

God knows what you need and He is providing your sustenance and every breath right now, as well as caring for the creatures and creation that He has made. So learn to look at the power, capacity and care of God your Father. Train your mind to think of such things and allow the truth of God’s ability to fill your mind and thoughts rather than those anxious ones. Your heavenly Father feeds and clothes, so take Jesus’ advice and “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” then you will have nothing to worry about!