I get the concept but is it practical?

As the title says, I get the concept but is it practical?

Matthew 6:25-34(NKJV)

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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? 

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 

and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 

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, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

OK, so the concept is don't worry about the everyday stuff.  Just have faith in God.  He knows you need it and he will provide it.

But how practical is it to live like that?  Should be not plan at all? 

That is one of the things I am going to be watching for this time through the New Testament.

Wow, how does that happen?

I just realized that I missed posting all last week.  How does that happen?  Well in my case I have been working two jobs lately and things just got away from me.  Its amazing how quickly and easily that happens.

Oh well, let's reset and get back to it.

I have written before about the "Saintly poor".  Many people, including Christians seem to elevate "the poor" above all others.  They will excuse any and all actions and beliefs of the poor.  They will accord the poor with all of the privileges of those who believe in Jesus, without requiring them to believe in Jesus, because they are "the poor".

Why do you think that is?  Because Jesus said "blessed are the poor".  What people seem to totally ignore is qualifier that Jesus put on that statement.  Jesus specifically said "the poor in spirit".  Jesus wasn't talking about them being financially poor at all!

Matthew 5:3(NKJV)

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit,      For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What was Jesus' first message according to Matthew?

Matthew 4:17(NKJV)

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As I start the Gospels over again I read this.  It made me curious as to what each of the other Gospels say was Jesus' first message.  That is something I will be looking for and comparing as I go through the Gospels this time.

In this case I find it interesting that Jesus' first message was repent.  Something to ponder.

Brood of Vipers

Matthew 3:7-10(NKJV)

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 

and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 

And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 

Why do you think John said that?  He's being pretty judgmental isn't he?  It almost seems like he is going to refuse to baptize them. 

I think the key sentence there is "bear fruits worthy of repentance".  Did John perhaps think that they were seeking his baptism merely for show?  That they weren't really sincere?  That is the way it seems to me. 

If you listen, God will guide you!

Matthew 2:12(NKJV)

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Matthew 2:13(NKJV)

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

Matthew 2:19-20(NKJV)

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 

saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 

Matthew 2:22(NKJV)

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 

Sometimes it is a voice.  Sometimes it is a gut feeling.  Sometimes it is in a dream like the verses above.

Our challenge is to recognize when God is guiding us…and then to have faith and act on it.

Yesterday God blessed me with a new friend.  It was a sales call.  For some reason we just hit it off.  We talked for 4 hours and never even got around to talking about what I was there to talk to him about.

I've shared before about how God speaks to me.  Well this gentleman has had the experience as well.  He asked what it was like when God speaks to me.  I described it and as I was doing so he was smiling and shaking his head yes.  It is the way it has happened to him as well.  It was a great blessing spending the afternoon with this gentleman!

A new focus this time through the NT.

Well I've finished Revelation and it is time to start Matthew over again.  This time I am going to focus on the Promises of God.  The thing I want to do is compare all of the Promises of God that Jesus tells us about in the four Gospels and then compare them to the Promises of God that we find in the other books of the New Testament. 

Should be interesting!

God's respect for free will.

As I am finishing up Revelation again I was struck by this thought.  Read this passage and Ill share what struck me.

Revelation 22:9-11(NKJV)

Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 

And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 

He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

What struck me is God's total commitment to respecting our free will.  Even after Jesus' return, the people living at the time as well as the people born after still have the free will to believe or not believe.  Incredible!

No more sea? I wonder why?

There are several places in Scripture where details seem to be randomly inserted with no additional explanation.  Those sometimes just leave me wonder what the heck?  Here is one of those instances.

Revelation 21:1(NKJV)

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 

It's almost like an afterthought.  Oh by the way, in the new Heaven and the new Earth I am getting rid of the seas.

No explanation of why or anything.  It's just going to happen.  I wonder why? 

Oh well, something else to ponder!  :)

2 resurrections? Yep!

Yep.  You read that correctly.  Two resurrections! 

Revelation 20:4-6(NKJV)

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

I know I had always envisioned one resurrection, everybody rising together.  As you can see from the Scripture above; not true.  There will be two resurrections.  The first one when Christ returns and the second one a little more than 1,000 years later. 

Here is the other thing I noticed.  It confirms something I have written about before.  We are saved by faith but our rewards in Heaven are based on service to God.  Here we see that those who rise in the first resurrection are those who suffered for God.  Those who refused the mark of the beast. 

They rise before the rest.  The other special treatment they get is this.
 

Revelation 20:6(NKJV)

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Those in the first resurrection will be priests of God and Christ and will reign with them in the Thousand Year Reign.  Those who rise in the second resurrection will not receive that honor.  So as I said, not all will be treated equally in Heaven. 

Some might say that isn't fair but to my way of thinking, saying it isn't fair is the same as accusing God of being unjust.  How many really want to make that claim?  Hmm?  :)

"…and in righteousness He judges and makes war."

Who is this verse referring to?

Revelation 19:11(NKJV)

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 

Jesus of course. 

For all of those who think Jesus is a pacifist I call your attention to the highlighted part.  It says very plainly that Jesus judges and makes war.  That is a funny thing for a pacifist to do isn't it?  But it is even better than that.  It says that Jesus judges and makes war righteously! 

Let's take a look at the definition of righteous.

righteous

]adjective

1. characterized by uprightness or morality: a righteous observance of the law.
2. morally right or justifiable: righteous indignation.
3. acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous: a righteous and godly person.

From <http://www.dictionary.com/browse/righteous>

So the wars Jesus wages are morally right or justifiable.  Hmm.  For all of those who say war is NEVER the answer, it appears that Jesus would disagree with you!

Rejoice in others misery???

I ran across this today and found it interesting.  Generally we are told not to take pleasure in the suffering of others.  That isn't a Christian thing to do.  And yet that is exactly what Jesus tells us to do in Revelation 18:20. 

Revelation 18:20(NKJV)

“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

Now let me be clear.  I'm not suggesting that we routinely do this or that we become uncompassionate.  Not at all.  I'm just pointing out that a person is not always wrong or sinful for doing so.  Apparently there are times when it is appropriate. 

Fulfilling God's purpose

I find it interesting that God uses both the saved and the unsaved to fulfill His purpose.  I wonder if those who reject God know or get the feeling that God still uses them? 

Revelation 17:17-18(NKJV)

For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 

And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Just and true are your ways!

Revelation 15:3(NKJV)

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:      “Great and marvelous are Your works,     Lord God Almighty!     Just and true are Your ways,     O King of the saints!

Do you think that is true?  Is God a just God?  Does the outright rejection of God by many people justify God's response to those people?  In other words, is it "fair" that the people who reject God are punished as severely as they are going to be punished? 

I believe that answer is yes!  If you believe that God is the creator of the universe as I do then He wrote all of the rules.  He is the very one who determines what is just and what isn't. 

God gives us free will.  He allows us to use our intellect and make our choices freely.  But that freedom to choose does not protect us from the consequences of those choices.  We will still be held accountable.  I believe that is totally fair because God makes the choice very clear in His word.  The consequences are known up front.  The people rejecting God made their choice knowing beforehand what the consequences would be.  They can't claim "I didn't know" because they did.  Therefore I think it is totally fair.