Which Road Are You On?

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14)

Two little verses about gates and roads. One is narrow, the other is wide. I remember from my days in the Highway Planning Department with the NCDOT that car counts were taken on roads and those counts determined how wide the roads needed to be... a little bit of traffic, a 18 foot wide two lane road; a lot of traffic, multiple lanes sometimes 140 feet wide. That seems almost intuitive ...lots of traffic, bigger road. Little bit of traffic, small road.

But what determined the traffic counts? The road went where people wanted to go! Lots of people want to go to Charlotte, big roads. Few people want to go to Boomer, little road. Jesus is giving us a lesson in roadway design. He tells us that there is a multi-lane superhighway that is headed straight to hell and that there is a quaint little two lane country road that leads to heaven. The little road is so quaint and so off the beaten path that only a few people ever find it. Only a very few.

I use Google maps now to find my way to a place that I want to go. I don't just start driving and hope to end up a grandma's house. I don't look for the road that everyone else is on and jump in line and assume that I will get to the beach. I don't look for the nicest roadway and guess that it is the one that will get me home. I go to the source, a road map or a GPS device and I follow the directions that will take me to my destination. (there is hidden meaning in this paragraph)

I believe that Jesus is making two important points in these two verses...first, it takes effort to find the small gate! You don't stumble into it, it is intentional! You search for it and you find it. And secondly, not everyone wants to walk the narrow path. Regardless of the warnings, some people (most according to Jesus) will choose the broad road. They will run headlong into hell because they want to enjoy the ride. The wide road looks so good, it is so wide and there are so many people using it. It must be the fun way.

But Jesus says, "Enter through the narrow gate." He wants us to follow Him. He tells us where the wide road leads. There is no mystery destination waiting at the end of the trip. I am not going to choose my beliefs based on what the most people believe. I am not going to pick my church based on where the most people go. I am not selecting my place to worship by how nice the building is. None of that leads to the narrow gate! The narrow gate is found by the person who searches. His Word is our GPS, our road map and that is where directions are found. That is where we must look to find our beliefs and our church.

Jesus looks us in the eye and says, "choose, wide or narrow." Sometimes the superhighway looks tempting; the wide lanes, the fast moving traffic. That is where my friends are. That is where our family is. "Choose, wide or narrow." Grandma and Grandpa drove that highway; if it was good enough for them, it is good enough for me. "Choose, wide or narrow." As sad as it is, many, no, most will choose the wide road that leads to destruction. What about you? Which road are you on? The good news is God allows u-turns. No matter how long or how far you are on that wide road, He says you can change direction and get on the road that leads to life everlasting. But you must choose... choose wisely!

Ask, Seek and Knock

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." 
- Jesus (Matthew 7:7-12)

How many true askers are there? True seekers? True knockers? Seriously... take a moment and think that through. Most of us give lip service to the idea, but the reality is probably something entirely different.

The word translated "ask" (aiteo) brings with it the idea of beg, crave, desire and even require. "Seek" (zeteo) means to be about, to endeavor, to require and to seek after and "knock" means to rap. Sometimes our English translations leave much to be desired and this is illustrated perfectly by these three little words. Ask, seek and knock fall woefully short of communicating the strong desire and urgency that the original Greek brings to our understanding. Again, I ask, am I a true asker, a true seeker and a true knocker? Are you?

The message Jesus is bringing to those sitting on the side of the hill and to us today is God will reward those who truly ask, seek and knock after Him. In Hebrews 11:6, we are told that God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The occasional asker, who isn't invested in the asking does not need to think that He will respond. The casual seeker will certainly never find and the one who knocks lightly and inconsistently will not find the door opened to him. While we might find that to be inconvenient in our getting what we want, when we want it; it is very consistent with what we know of God's nature. (take a moment to read Luke 18:1-8) 

Jesus then reminds His students that God is the giver of good gifts. He uses the fact that parents give good gifts to their children and that if we as humans know how to give good things to our children... the Father in heaven is quite capable of providing every good thing that we need. "Dad can I have a slice of bread? Nope, chew on this stone! Mom, can we have fish for dinner? Nope, here, hold this snake." If mom and dad understand what we need, surely our Creator is in an even better position to provide for our needs and wants.

He closes His thoughts on this with the Golden Rule... "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you". In other words, get your heart right, be like God! Treat others with respect. Love your neighbor as yourself. Imagine a world where people lived out this single little rule. Every person treating the other person the way they want to be treated. World changing little thought! May it begin with each of us and spread like the flu! I am reminded of the movie "Pay It Forward". One person did something good for another person and asked them to do the same. Then they did good to someone and asked them to do the same and on and on.... may we do it today. Take a minute to watch the video link below.


"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc8ZbVcdHpg

 

   

Speck Inspector or Plank Ignorer

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." -Jesus (Matthew 7:1-5)

Can the Christian not make judgments? Certainly! This is without a doubt one of the most tortured verses in the Bible. It is pulled out by everyone at one time or another to try to put someone in their place (so to speak). "That is wrong!"... "Do not judge!" "They are a bad person."... "Do not judge." You know what I am talking about. Is that the point of this part of the Sermon? Is Jesus really telling His disciples that they are not to make judgments? Certainly not!

Ok, so what is it about? In context, Jesus is dealing with how we treat one another as His followers. He says we are to be lavishly generous with each other and remember that each of us will be judged by the same measure as we use to judge others. That should slow down the desire to decide who is in and who is out. If we are nitpickers towards others, Jesus says get ready for the same treatment. This statement puts me in mind of the Lord's Prayer... "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors".

Once again, Jesus is telling us that it is a heart matter. If we are judgmental towards His people, our hearts are messed up. He reminds us that we have our own faults. We have our own misunderstandings. We have our own sins! He says, "work on yourself, when you get that all taken care of, then you can turn that critical eye on someone else". Doing otherwise is hypocritical. (and none of use want to be like that) The picture here is of someone who fails to see their own faults (the plank), but is focused on the little things in someone else's life. (the speck)

Let's be frank here... I have done that. You have too. It is so much easier to critique others than it is to examine our own lives. Many times the thing that drives us crazy about someone else is the very thing we struggle with ourselves. Jesus doesn't say that we are not to make righteous judgments, rather He calls on us to be patient and gentle with others and to focus on our own issues. It's about humility. It's recognizing that we all live imperfectly, but with the love and support of our brothers and sisters, we can do so in a perfecting way.

I am thankful for a generous God, who gave His Son so that penalty for the plank and the speck are all paid for. Should I do my best to live perfectly? Sure. It honors Him. Am I going to do it? No! We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Love. Support. Encouragement. Acceptance. That is to be the trademark of His people! Leave the judging to the Judge. Surround yourself with people who's hearts are tuned to His heart.

Young ladies, find a young man that has the desire to help you grow closer to God. Young man, search for a young lady that wants to help you be a true man of God. Christian men and women... treat each other with lavish generosity. Be with people that make you a better person, a better Christian. Work on your life and then lovingly, with great care and gentleness help remove the speck from that person you love. That's what He calls on us to do. That is what He did.

Wise or foolish?

Do Not Worry

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Jesus (Matthew 6: 25-34)

I stayed in a boarding house while I was in college. It was me and 12 other college guys sharing one house, two bathrooms and one kitchen. We got to know each other! And we got comfortable with each other... which leads me to tell this story - I had gotten into the habit of sharing my anxiety over tests with my housemates. I would spend days talking about my worries about my grades and how I would do on an upcoming test. I guess I had gone to the well once too often... one day a "friend" finally spoke up and said what I needed to hear. "Dale, if you spent half the time studying that you do worrying, you would be a straight A student." Needless to say, I was taken aback by such honesty. After a few minutes of digesting the comment, I acknowledged that he had given some pretty good advice.

It is easy to fall into that trap... worry. Jesus calls on His disciples to understand that worry is wasted time. "Can you add a single hour to your life through worry?" "Is clothing going to come through worry?" "What about food?" "Drink?" He tells us that God knows what we need and that all the worry in the world will not provide what He knows we need. But there we go again... up at night, ulcers, bad relationships, drug and alcohol use, socially withdrawn... all bad stuff! So why do we do it? Why do we let the concerns of this world crowd out the peace that passes understanding?

Jesus tells us that it is a priority issue. We have the wrong things in the wrong place in our lives. Our jobs are number one. Our spouses are at the top of our list. That new house, new car is what we are working for and we will worry until we get them! Jesus calmly and quietly says, "your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well". He calls on His disciples to put God first, His kingdom, His righteousness... then He says everything that we need will be ours. Sure, some of the things we thought we needed will seem insignificant when we seek His will first and the worries will begin to disappear.

We are not to spend our time thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow is not guaranteed! Stay focused on today. He says that is enough. Today has enough trouble of its' own. That test next week, don't waste time worrying about it, prepare for it while it is still today. When and if that day comes, you will find that you are ready... and without the ulcer.

God knows His creation. He knows our tendency is to think we are responsible for everything. But, He says something entirely different... go to work, do your best, put Him first and everything will work out just fine. He is in charge. Faith. Pure. Simple. Faith. You are His creation. He will take care of you. Trust Him. Get some sleep. Love your family. Enjoy your neighbors. Pour out the drink and flush the pills.

First things first! Kingdom, Righteousness... then, all these things will be added unto you. No worries!

Wise or foolish?

Where's Your Treasure?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." - Jesus (Matthew 6: 19-24)

Where your treasure is... there your heart will be also. Truth! What do you find valuable? How do I spend my time, talent and treasure? Jesus makes it plan (as always), the things you hold as valuable are the things that will take hold of your heart. He is asking me and you to consider where we invest. Take a moment or two and think that through. Where do you spend your days, your evenings, your efforts and your money? The truth behind it all is that if we are honest in our answer, we know what or who owns our hearts.

He gives insight into what most of the world pursues... relentlessly... the things of this world. Wealth, possessions, homes, cars, stuff... that is what the vast majority of people in this nation are focused on. Their hearts are owned by things. I have heard I said that most people love things and use people. God's people love people and use things. He says, "why do you labor for stuff that will either be destroyed or stolen?" He tells us that we can store up treasure that is imperishable, that never fades away. When we consider the options before us, doesn't eternal outweigh the temporary? But none the less, here we go... got to get the new Iphone, must have that new fashion, the latest model car.

Interestingly, Jesus inserts a lesson about the eye in the middle of this discussion. Why would He do that? Why is the eye connected to the treasures we seek? He says, good eye, we are full of light... bad eye, full of darkness. What we see impacts our desires. If we constantly feed our eyes the things of this world, chances are we will want those things. If we are focused on the things in heaven, then we will seek those things. What are you spending your time seeing? What am I feasting my eyes on? He calls us to look to the eternal things, the things that illuminate our lives. (Hebrews 12:1-3; Phil 4: 8-9)

Then He closes out with a truth that should shake us 'til it wakes us. It's either one or the other. It is not both! Sometimes we try very hard to have one foot planted in heaven and one on this earth, but Jesus tells us that only one thing can have our hearts. Both are masters and we get to choose which one is master of our lives. It is a choice that God allows us to make. What we choose will determine what our lives look like, where we will invest ourselves.

I am reminded of a beautiful song by Casting Crowns that deals with the pull of this world... rarely will we make one choice that leads us to choose this world over the next... it's a slow fade... be careful little eyes what you see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk

Fasting and Jesus' Disciples

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
- Jesus (Matthew 6: 16-18)

I haven't fasted in a while, so I begin this blog with personal repentance. I know I should fast, but I don't very often. What makes it even worse... eating a biscuit from Hardees while I am trying to write this blog :-P. Anyway, I will hope to learn something as I study and write... and eat my biscuit.

Jesus begins this section with "And when you fast". Not "if you fast"... "when you fast". So, clearly His expectation is that His followers, His disciples will fast. This isn't a television fast or a cell phone fast, this is about food. Specifically, this is setting aside a period of time to focus on something spiritual and demonstrating your seriousness by doing without food. There is something different about doing without food, some mental/ physical change that occurs. Back to fasting in minute...

In my favorite movie, Driving Miss Daisy, Hoke is hired by Boolie (Miss Daisy's son) to drive Miss Daisy. She is not happy and lets Hoke know it. At one point she asks how much her son is paying him. His reply is the same throughout the movie, "that's between him and me". It was a private matter and Hoke kept it that way. What does that have to do with fasting... read on.

Jesus is calling on His followers to be different than the religious leaders of His day. Evidently, when they fasted, they demonstrated outwardly what they were doing. He says they "disfigured their faces". I can imagine the grimaces and frowns that they used to show others how much pain they were in while not eating. The point of it all was to be seen by others as "holy" people. They were interested in what others thought and not focusing on the purpose of the fast. Jesus says they get their reward here and now... attention/ recognition by people.

He calls on His disciples to fast secretly. It is between them and Him. They were to wash their faces, fix their hair and act normally. No one else was to know, only their Father who is in secret. Fasting is meant to be done privately. It is not a Christian discipline that anyone else should ever see us do. Can a group join together and all do it "privately"? Sure, but make certain that the group understands the basic principle that it is between them and their Father. As with the other truths that He is teaching in the Sermon, Jesus is telling us that this is a heart issue. It is not about outward obedience, it is about a changed heart.  

He promises a reward for those that conduct themselves this way. I don't know what that is and neither do you. He doesn't say, but if it is a reward from God... I want it. If it is from the Giver of every good gift, bring it on!

There are many examples of fasting in the New Testament. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights (Matt 4: 1-9). The Antioch church fasted before they sent out missionaries. (Acts 13: 1-3) The Galatian church fasted before they selected elders. (Acts 14: 21-23) Fasting was a mark of Paul's ministry. (2 Cor 6: 4-10) And Paul taught that fasting was to be a part of our lives. (1 Cor 7: 5) In Luke 2, we meet Anna who was blessed through her fasting and in Acts 10 we learn that Cornelius was fasting when he was told to send for Peter. Fasting is found throughout the scriptures.

It was a part of the lives of the God's people in the Old and New Testament and it is to be part of the lives of His disciples now. Jesus calls on us to deprive ourselves of our desires to demonstrate our seriousness to the Father. There is something special that happens when we fast and pray. Something "supernatural"! We are more in touch with our spiritual side when we set aside the physical. Do you feel that your prayers lack passion and depth, try adding a time of fasting and see if God responds. Want to see a change in your own life, fast and pray. Want to see things change in other's lives, fast and pray. But, wash your face, fix your hair and put a smile on your face. ;-)

Fasting... that's between Him and me!