20151014 KEEP IT SIMPLE

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Matthew 10:9-10 "Don't take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins.  (10)  Don't carry a traveler's bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed. 

These instructions are about trust and faith as you carry the Good News to others. They were not to have a great fund raiser for their own needs before going. They were to take very little with them, in fact they were to take the clothes and shoes they were wearing. Keep in mind that this was a short term mission trip. Never-the-less Jesus instructs them to “accept hospitality.” Whatever was offered they were to receive with gratefulness knowing that a worker deserved to be fed.

They were to present the Good News in the power the Holy Spirit provided for healing and other miracles. Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

I’m going to reiterate this on purpose. They were to go in the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting God to meet their needs and trusting God for the outcome of the work they were doing. This was a very simple approach and yet it worked in spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Do we rely too much on technology and stage production in our services today and not enough on the Holy Spirit? Do we do the same when dealing with individuals, relying more on our intellect and fancy words?

Father in heaven, Paul told us to be being filled with Your Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18b My translation). Help us to understand what that means and position us for empowering from and by You. Help us to yield all our earthly devices to You. I do not doubt that You can use technology to draw others to You, but I also know we must rely on Your power. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

20150820 MAMMON

MAMMON

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (Mammon in the KJV).

I mentioned the word, “mammon” a couple days ago and want to repeat Matthew Henry’s definition here. Mammon is a Syriac word that signifies gain; so that whatever in this world is, or is accounted by us to be, gain, is mammon.

The NLT translates mammon as money, but not all people desire money as much as other things and any desire that competes with God for our attention is mammon. You cannot serve two masters unless they are both in full agreement. The masters of this world are not in agreement with the Master of all.

Again we must go back to repentance which is to agree with God. With that in mind, God believes He knows what is best for us, and His first commandment is that we would have no other gods but Him. So it is our duty of love to Him to agree that He does know best and put Him first above all other things. It is to make Him our only god.

Some would say, “I have no desire to be rich. I just don’t want to have to worry about having enough.” What that really means is, “I want to see that my cupboards are full. I want my refrigerator to be full. I don’t want to have to wait on God to come through tomorrow. I want to know way in advance what tomorrow holds. I don’t want to have trust God.” Ouch!

There is a story about George Mueller at one of the orphanages he started. One morning when the children gathered for breakfast there was no food and no milk in the home. George had the children bow their heads and he gave thanks for the food that God was going to provide that day. He gave thanks in faith that what he hoped for would actually happen (Hebrews 11:1).

As George said, “AMEN” there was a knock on the door. Two deliveries arrived within minutes of each other. One was a milk wagon that had broken down right outside the orphanage. The other was from a bakery that had an over-abundance of bread that morning.

Father in heaven, fill us with faith to trust You. Show us if there are any other desires in our hearts that we bow to as gods. Cleanse us of this sin and focus our eyes on You. Give us undivided hearts that worship You. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!