Matthew 7:1-2

New Living Translation (NLT)

Do Not Judge Others

7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

 

Jesus tells us to examine our motives and conduct instead of judging others. The traits that bother us in others are often the habits we dislike in ourselves. Our untamed bad habits and behavior patterns are the very ones that we most want to change in others. Do you find it easy to magnify others' faults while excusing your own? If you are ready to criticize someone, check to see if you deserve the same criticism. Judge yourself first, and then lovingly forgive and help your neighbor.

 

Joe

Matthew 6:14-15

New Living Translation (NLT)
 

¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Jesus gives a startling warning about forgiveness: if we refuse to forgive others, God will also refuse to forgive us. Why? Because when we don't forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means {see Ephesians 4:32 below}. It is easy to ask God for forgiveness, but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us for sin, we should ask ourselves, "Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?"

Ephesians 4:32

New Living Translation (NLT)
 

³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Joe

Matthew 6:5-6

The Message (MSG)

Pray with Simplicity

⁵"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? ⁶"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

(Some people, especially the religious leaders, wanted to be seen as "holy," and public prayer was one way to get attention. Jesus saw through their self-righteous acts, however, and taught that the essence of prayer is not public style but private communication with God. There is a place for public prayer, but to pray only where others will notice you indicates that your real audience is not God.)

When I first became a Christian, I would attend a prayer group where a few families would get together with the intention of seeking God. There was this person who would attend the group that would pray an elaborate prayer. He would always pray first and would literally spend 1/2 hour in prayer...quoting scripture as he prayed. He seemed to pray everything that we discussed before the prayer time. As a new Christian, I was impressed with how he prayed, but I was also inimidated by his praying. I usually stayed silent because I knew my prayer {that I thought God put on my heart} was not good enough. As I read and study this scripture, I now realize that he was praying for recognition from men, not from God.

Joe

Matthew 6:3

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

³ But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

 

When Jesus says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, He is teaching that our motives for giving to God and to others must be pure. It is easy to give with mixed motives, to do something for someone if it will benefit us in return. But believers should avoid all scheming and give for the pleasure of giving and as a response to God's love.

 

Here's a question I would like for you to think about...

 

Why do you give?

 

Joe

Matthew 5:38-42

The Message (MSG)

Love Your Enemies

^38-42"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. Instead Jesus said we should do good to those who wrong us! Our desire should not be to keep score, but to love and forgive. This is not natural - it is supernatural. Only God can give us the strength to love as He does. Instead of planning vegeance, pray for those who hurt you.

Joe

"The Our Father"

The Our Father


Growing up Catholic, the "Our Father" or "Lord's Prayer" was beat into our heads...


Here is the version that I would recite...

Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen

I think there is more to this prayer than reciting it word for word. When we pray, we need to keep God the focal point. We should not pray out of duty. Prayer should not be a ritual or obligation. I feel that Jesus gave us these words as a guide for our prayers. The "Our Father" needs to be personalized. I am going to attempt to break it down line for line and then adapt it into a personal prayer between God and I.


Our Father...
First of all we need to be relational. We are His children, He is our Father. Pray with real expression and feeling. Cry out to Him...Father, Abba, even Dad.


Who art in heaven...
Father you reign from heaven, but you also love us, take care of us and protect us from heaven. But not only from heaven...thanks to the gift of your Son and the workings of the Holy Spirit, you live in our hearts. You are here with us all the time.


Hallowed be thy name...
Honor the name of God! Holy is your name. Your name is Holy, Mighty, Worthy. Your name is above all names. Your name is a strong and mighty tower. Your name is my refuge and my strength.


Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done...
I know this is a reference to God's spiritual reign when God establishes the new heaven and new earth, but I use this section of the prayer in a different way. If you read through the "Our Father", you won't find a place where you are prompted to tell God your concerns. This is how I interpret this part... I am a member of the Kingdom of God, and I come before Him seeking His will in my life. His will for my concerns, my wants, and my needs. I also praise God in this part for the things He has done for me.


On Earth as it is in heaven...
Here we get a glimpse of heaven. We will depend on God for all our needs in heaven as we do here.


Give us this day our daily bread...
God, you are our provider. You clothe us, feed us, sustain us. Spiritually you feed us through your son Jesus, who is our daily bread. Father give us more and more of your son everyday. Let people see Him in us.


Forgive us our trespasses...
If we confess our sins and repent, God will forgive us. But...there's a catch, see below.


As we forgive those who trespass against us...
God will forgive us in the same manner we forgive the people who have sinned against us. We need to first learn how to forgive in order to be forgiven by God.


Lead us not into temptation...
God does not lead us into temptation, but sometimes He allows us to be tested. We need to pray for God to protect us from the situations that may cause us to sin.


But deliver us from evil...
We need to ask God to protect us from Satan. If Satan ever gets his hands on us, God will rescue us if we ask Him.


Amen
Our way of saying thank you to God! We are thanking Him for hearing our prayers!


Here's how I pray..


Father... Abba...

Thank you for watching over me from heaven. Thank you for sending your Son to die for me. Thank you for the guidance of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for living in my heart!

You are Holy Father! I call upon your name in my times of need. Your name is my comfort, my protection. Thank you Father.

I come before you seeking your will, not mine in my life. You know best for me Father. Help me in my realtionships. Help me at my job. Guide me throughout my day.

Continue to provide for me. Give me what I need to survive. Thank you for your son, who is my daily bread. Father I want more and more of Jesus. Let Him fill me up to the point where there is an outflow of Jesus. I pray that people will see Jesus coming forth through me.

Father, I come before you with the things I did wrong. Please forgive me for what I have done. Father help me to turn away from my sin. Father give me the strength to forgive the people who have wronged me. Help me to repair the broken relationships in my life.

Lord, keep me away from the situations that draw me in. Protect me from the things that tempt me. Help me to flee those things, to run far away from them.

Lord, if I fall, and Satan gets his grip on me...reach down and pluck me from his hand. Wrap your loving arms around me.

Thank you Father for hearing my prayer.



This week I am challenging you to pray in the way that Jesus taught us to pray. Be natural when you pray. Pray simple. Focus on God. I promise, you will be blessed.

Have a great week...

Joe

Have you thanked your Pastor lately?

Hebrews 13:7

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁷ Remember your leaders who taught you the Word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

Every morning I send out my "Today's Verse"( a bible verse that I email daily ) to a group of my friends. Last week as I was reading my Bible, searching for a verse to publish, I came across Hebrews 13:7. It got me thinking about the pastors who have touched my life over the years. These are the people who helped make me the Christian man I am today through their teachings and through the example their lives have been to me. Here's a sampling of some the things I learned from their words and actions.

Pastor Dave
As you were preaching one day, you said something that had really stuck with me. You said,"if you are not for Christ, then you are against Him". It made me think about the Church in Laodicea whom Jesus called "lukewarm" in the book of Revelation. They were neither hot nor cold for Christ. Jesus told them that He would spit them out. We can't follow God halfway, it's all or nothing.
Pastor Dave, I wish I could thank you today, but the Lord took you home 3 years ago. You are missed greatly.

Pastor Leland
What a teacher you are! It was over 8 years ago that I sat in your church and heard you preach. Your teachings are still fresh in my mind. You would dissect the Bible with the precision of a surgeon explaining each part until I understood. More important than your words, were your actions. You not only preached the Word, you lived it. You followed what James said in James 1:22... "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." During the lowest time in my life, you walked with me and guided me through. You laughed with me, you cried with me. Thank you for your part in shaping my life. Thank you for being my friend when I had none.

Pastor Michael
I got to sit under you during a time of healing in my life. You brought my worship of God to a new level at a time when I could not thank God enough for what He had done in my life. During your sermons, you would stop and walk up to the keyboard and praise God with song. That told me that we need to worship God throughout our whole day, in all circumstances.
You gave me the opportunity to lead a men's group and to speak at a men's retreat. Thank you for getting me out of my comfort zone. I was truly blessed by the opportunity to share my struggles.
Most importantly, you taught me that the Kingdom of God was bigger than the church we attended. That God's work extended past the four walls of the church we sat in each Sunday. Thank you Pastor Michael.

Pastor Brad (VT)
Pastor Brad, it was only a short period of time that I was privileged to attended your church. During that time you taught me Bible principles that I saw take place in my life. My favorite was "the favor of God results in the favor of man." Like Joseph in the book of Genesis, I saw things fall into place because I had the favor of God. The sale of my business, finding a job where God wanted me, these were all a result of God's favor.
Pastor Brad, you believed in me. You gave me the confidence to be a effective worker for God. Thank you Pastor Brad for still believing in me and for your constant encouragement.

Pastor Brad (DE)
You picked up where Pastor Brad (VT) left off. You not only believed in me, you put me right to work! You tapped into my gifts right away...you saw gifts that I never knew I had. Kid's church, small group leadership, hospitality room, ministry leadership team...never did I think I could do these things. You even encouraged me to write a blog.
You took the time to explain some things that I misunderstood. Things that were holding back my spiritual growth.
I am excited to serve with you, and to see where God is bringing Northlife Community Church. Thank you Pastor Brad!


So, today I am challenging you ...

We all have a Pastor or Christian leader that has been a positive influence in our lives. Take some time this week to thank them. Drop them an email, a note, even a text message. Be specific, let them know how they helped direct you, how they helped shape you into the Christian man or woman you are today.

Have a great week!

Joe
(If you want to receive the "Today's Verse" that I email daily, email me at joemenei@gmail.com.)