Your treasure is where your heart is

Verses: Luke 12 : 22 - 34

My thoughts about the verses:

God will provide.  This is a very hard concept for many of us to take at heart.  We accept that God can do things, but we believe that God cannot do all things.  The problem is that we have a hard time allowing God to have complete control of our well-being.  We pick and choose when we ask God into our life.  We limit God's power by the way we respond to the miracles that happen in our life.

We have to take into consideration that God provides all nutrients that we need.  We are as worthy as the bird that doesn't have a way of storing up a food supply.  Yet, when it is hungry God provides what it needs.  We have to realize that God not only provides the food our body needs but the spiritual nutrients that we need to grow and become the people God wants us to be.

We have to understand that God provides our shelter.  Think about this moments when an animal needs a safe place to sleep and live God provides them shelter.  If God is so caring for any animal does it not make sense that God will do that for us also.  Yet, the shelter provided goes beyond our human needs but our eternal needs.  God knows that there will come a time when we pass from this world to the next.  When that time comes God has provided us the greatest shelter as long as we are willing to accept the gift that is freely given.

God not only provide our earthly needs but also our spiritual needs.  God will provide peace and comfort.  God will provide healing and security.  God does not leave us alone in our times of need.  If we fully focus on God our needs will be met.  God knows where are treasures are stored.  If we focus on God then we are putting our treasures in Heaven.  If we focus on Earthly needs we are putting our treasures in Earth.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for the endless love that you show us.  Thank you for providing all of our daily needs.  Thank you for providing all of our spiritual needs.  Help us to keep our heart focused on you. Help us store our treasures in Heaven not in Earthly goods.  In the name of the Most High we pray. Amen

Questions:

Where are your treasures stored?  Are you focusing on God?  Are you willing to accept that God can provide all your needs?

Store your treasures in Heaven

Verses: Luke 12 : 13 - 21

My thoughts about the verses:

It is amazing how many people think if they have everything on Earth that their needs are truly met. They worry about food, shelter clothing and the need to have these met.  They seek out love of someone to fulfill their needs on Earth.  Yet, does this actually satisfy them.

In actuality what I want you to consider is that it isn't what you do on Earth that makes you happy but what you store in Heaven.  When you do not worry about worldly goods and concentrate on spiritual needs you start to move closer to God.  When you realize that it is your spiritual needs that must be met you will soon learn that other needs are also met.  You have to put your trust in Heaven and the gift is freely given by God.

The truth is that God can call us home at any moment.  We have to understand that if you concentrate on fulfilling your needs on Earth you will miss the most important part of the story.  Let us remember that what you store on Earth will be lost in Heaven.  It is the things that we do for Heaven that will be there when we get there.

Putting God second  is pushing God away from you when you need the spiritual guidance.  Yet, if you put God first your spiritual needs will be met.  You might still be striving to reach the day to day needs. Yet, when you get to Heaven you will have no fears because you did the right thing on earth.

As I write this I keep thinking of my close friend who passed last night.  She would be telling all of us that her riches have been gained.  She loved God with all of her heart and will be missed for a long time.  Yet, I feel as if she had a way of talking to us right now she would say don't be said I am finally home and whole.  Judy would also be praying that we would continue to put God first.  If we hadn't accepted God or haven't been putting the beloved Savior first she would be praying for us to find the peace she has found.

This is dedicated to my mentor and friend Judy Dale.  May she rest in peace.  For all of us that loved her may we find comfort in knowing she is not suffering and that she is with her precious Savior.  May we all find comfort in this today

Prayer:

God thank you for loving us.  Thank you for freely giving your life so that our spiritual needs are met  Help us put others out of the picture so we can concentrate on you.  Help us forget to hold back our lives from you.  Help us store goods in Heaven and not worry about what we get here on Earth.  In the Name of the Most High we pray.  Amen

Questions:

What treasures are you trying to store up?  Are you more worried about the things that you can get here on Earth?  Are you concentrating on storing good deeds in Heaven?  Would Jesus call you foolish if he come back today because of the way you have lived your life?  Are you living like the foolish rich Man or are you living the life of a wise Christian?

God will take care of us

Verses: Luke 12 : 1 - 12

My thoughts about the verses:

People often question God about love when things are going wrong.  We accuse God of not loving us and letting bad things happen.  We tend to think that if God truly loved us then we would never have bad things happen in our life.  The fact is that God does love us through all things.  Just because we are Christians and loved by God doesn't mean that bad things will not occur.

I love the fact that Jesus points out that he knows the number of hairs on our body.  Think about this moment we have a God that loves us so much that even the hair on our bodies are important.  If God is willing to know that small of a detail how great our God truly is.  Just because things go bad doesn't mean that God doesn't love us.  It means that we are challenged with something to grow closer to God.  We have to understand that the fact that we go through hard times doesn't mean we are not loved it just means that God knows that we can handle what is coming.  If it is too much God will be there to help us carry the burden.

Jesus continues to point out that God protects the small sparrow.  That God is there even when this small creature suffers.  With this being said isn't t easy to realize that God will be there for his chosen people.  Anyone that accepts God in their life is more important than the little sparrow.  In fact, Christ came to set us free.  This should be enough evidence that God loves us.

When things get rough do not get angry with God instead realize that God is there showing you love.  No matter how hard it feels it will be okay.  God will be there to help us through and we will be able to survive all things that come our way.  God loves us enough to allow Jesus to die on the cross to take away our sins.  This in itself is more than anyone has ever done for us.  So always remember God will take care of us.

Prayer:

Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for being there when things get rough.  Thank you for carrying the weight that we cannot carry.  Help us to focus on you so that we can always be around you and accept you for who you truly are.  Help us give our struggles over to you.  Help us remember your love for us.  In the name of the Risen Savior we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Do you understand the love of God?  Do you feel protected no matter what happens in your life?  Do you accept that God loves you more than anything?  Do you accept that God doesn't allow things that are bad in our life?  

Woe to those that do not live a life dedicated to God

Verses: Luke 11 : 37 - 54

My thoughts about the verses:

It is important to note that even though at this moment Jesus is addressing two groups head on there are many lessons that we can learn from.  In fact, this message holds true to us today.  Every time we go outside the teachings of God we are bringing the wrath of God on us.  God wants to shed love freely to us but there are times that we walk in the wrong direction missing what God has called us to do.

The first thought is that of cleansing the outside of our body.  We worry a great deal about the way we look.  What makes us look special so that we can be attractive to others.  Yet, we neglect our inner self.  We forget to pray to God.  We forget to study the word of God.  Instead of taking care of what is truly important we concentrate on the foolishness of the Earth.

The second is due to the way we give our tithe.  People give their best and are proud of what they have given to the Church.  Yet, they do not show justice and love to others.  They believe the money and other offerings will be enough.  They miss that charity to others in the way of a comforting smile.  They miss the point of standing in solidarity with groups that are marginalized.  The fact is that God not only wants our financial talent but our emotional tithe.  When you are truly working for Jesus your heart should ache when you see people suffering.  your desire should be to help them get better by doing whatever it takes to show them the love of Jesus.

Many of us walk with pride for what we do at our local churches.  We forget that we are no better than the rest of the people that need forgiveness.  We believe our title gives us a right to look down on others.  We assume that they are not as faithful to God.  If they were why do they come to the service and not volunteer to great capacity.  We forget that everyone is in a different stage of their life.  There are those that are leaders and those that are followers.  People who feel that they are not looked down on or treated unjustly from the leaders will be more helpful to the leader.  Yet, if you treat them bad they will turn away from you. We should treat others with respect at all time.  Jesus makes it clear that the one that  has the least will be the greatest.  I often wondered about that but think of it this way if you are on the top you have a tendency to lose focus and are doing your service for different reasons.  Yet, if you have very little and are participating to the extent that you can you are truly doing it out of dedication of God.  You are not looking for honor and praise from others instead you want to grow closer to your Savior.

How many of us put so much on one person to carry events or lessons yet do not take on that burden to make it easier for them.  We want things to occur yet, we want others to do it.  We see what can happen when things are completed yet we do not lift a finger to make it happen.  Instead we direct from the sidelines.  Because we believe our job is just to be the leader not the person that needs to do any of the work.

The next one is hard for many to understand the correlation.  I want you to think back to the one person in your life that you can truly say they lived the will of God.  Now ask yourself this question what did you learn from them and continue today?  It is easy to remember the things that they did for God and others.  Yet, the question is did their help and encouragement for others continue in our life.  Or are we just marking their death and allowing the things that they taught us to be buried or released from our friendship.

The last part is probably the easiest for us to understand but often the hardest to follow.  We are given knowledge about the one that came to save us and set us free.  We are told to share that news and to spread the love with the entire world.  We did not have the key to the knowledge it was actually opened and given to us by our Savior.  Yet, we keep it to ourselves.  Sometimes we feel that were inadequate to share our stories.  We sometimes feel that people will judge us for our actions when we tell them about our love for God.  Sometimes we even feel that we can give away our knowledge and not retain any for ourselves.  Yet, God teaches us one lesson the spreading of the news is our responsibility. When we freely share the good news God will plant that key in the other person’s life.  It may not be the time that they turn it but because we shared the news they do have the background knowledge to one day be free.

Simply to sum all this up in one short sentence is very easy.  Love God and spread the love of God to the world without expecting return.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for loving us.  We thank you for the knowledge you have given to us so freely.  Help us to live a life that will show you honor.  Help us put our selfish needs behind us and work on the ultimate mission.  Help us become people that love others and you with all our heart.  In the name of the one who has made us whole we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Are you living a Godly life?  Are you putting your needs before the needs of the one that has made you free?  Are you helping those that are around you found their saving grace?  Is there something that you must change to live closer to God?

Be Filled with the Light of the Savior

Verses: Luke 11 : 33 - 36

My thoughts about the verses:

My partner taught me this wonderful saying that the eyes are the gateway to the soul.  If you look into someone’s eyes you can learn a lot.  People can hide a lot from people but their eyes cannot hide the truth.  Ever since the moment I heard this saying the first thing I look at is someone’s eyes.  I can tell when a person is hurting inside.  I can tell when someone is hiding something from me.  I can also tell when they have great joy in their life.

Eyes are not deceiving if a person truly loves God there is a twinkle that no one can take away.  No matter their circumstances they are moving into a much closer relationship to the one that has made them whole.  Their eyes show a twinkle of joy even when they are enduring pain and suffering.  It is a look of peace that no one can take away from them.

Think about a candle once lit it shines brightly.  You cannot hide the light because it is the light of Jesus within you.  If you have every been without lights in your home you can appreciate that flashlight or candle that is burning giving you rays of hope.  We need to know we will not stumble and fall when we have the light.  That you can continue on with your normal day activities with a simple glowing light.

I know that I have experienced the loss of power several times.  We are lucky enough to own an older house.  One too many lights or appliances on and the breaker are going to let us know.  It is fun sitting in light and all of a sudden everything goes dark.  The first thing we have to do is find the flashlight which is always in a set location in the house.  Then it is off to the outside of the house where our breaker box is located.  I often say that it took a genius to put the box on the outside nothing like stumbling around in a rainstorm trying to find the mystery breaker that needs to be turned on.  In those moments you appreciate the light from that single beam of the flashlight.

The light within us is what leads people to an understanding of God.  I suffer from several debilitating illnesses that strike without warning.  Yet, God has given me many ways of coping.  I often go to prayer first asking God to take away the pain, the nausea or the dizziness.  Then reach out for the medicines that God has helped man to event that solves the issue.  When my spell is over, I thank God for giving me peace.

Prayer:

Thank you God for sending the bright shining star into our life.  Thank you for being here when we need you most.  Dear God we ask that you help us show your love to others.  Help us to keep the flame that you ignited in our hearts shining.  Let us be a beacon of hope and love to those that see us.  We ask that you help us keep the twinkle in our eye that shows other how much we love and depend on you to make our life whole.  In the name of the Eternal Flame we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Do you let your light shine?  Are you willing to share your story with others?  Are you willing to face situations because you know that God will provide the way?  What do you need to do today to strengthen the light that beams out of your soul to those around you?

The Need to Repent

Verses: Luke 11 : 29 -32

My thoughts about the verses:

I read this and immediately go to that moment where God sends Jonah to Nineveh.  Instead of going to Nineveh he runs away in the other direction.  God redirects him and gets him to Nineveh with a little help of a fish.

Jonah was afraid that he would be ridiculed or even killed in Nineveh.  The city was unruly and did not believe in  the power of God.  Yet, instead of the response that he was expected the leaders accepted Jonah.  They repented from their sins and trespasses.  They also grew closer to God.  Their whole city changed because they understood the power and forgiveness of God.

I can only imagine the people hearing this story.  Jesus was telling them that they were like the people of Nineveh.  Yet, they were not listening to the warning that was been told to them.  They were only hearing what they wanted to hear and not accepting that Jesus was there to save them.

Just like Jonah and warned the city of Nineveh Jesus was preparing us a way to be saved.  The only true way to be saved is to build a relationship with God.  Putting your trust in a loving and forgiving God. Outside of these you are leaving yourself open for judgment.  Think on this thought for a moment. If God loved one city enough to send a prophet so that they could turn from their evil way would that not is so for us.

Jesus also points out that the situation is much different.  Jonah was nothing more than a mere man that reluctantly told the warnings that God had sent him to tell.  Yet, on the other hand Jesus was a willing spirit ready to perish so that we could be truly free.  This in itself makes the concept much bigger than what happened in Nineveh.  If you are willing to see Jesus as the saving grace then you are made free. Yet if you hold onto your beliefs and not follow God you are setting up yourself to be judged.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for loving us when we were tarnished.  We thank you for sending Jesus so that our transgressions may be erased forever.  Help us dear Savior walk closer to you.  Help us go out into the world telling your story.  In the name of the Holy One we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you accepted Jesus in your life?  Have you repented for the transgressions that have separated you from the freedom that God so freely gives?  What can you do to help others find a way to connect with the love and grace that God wants for all people?