“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (vs19-21).”
Religion is a heart matter. We are to PRAY, give, and fast in secret, so that God rewards us openly. He declares that our heart is the measure of the person. If our heart is on God’s grace through Jesus Christ, seeking the glory of God and the honor that God gives for Christ’s sake only, then we have salvation. God shall reward our faith, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Pet 1:10-11).
If our heart is upon being seen, popular, or ANYTHING other than God’s glory in Jesus Christ, then our heart is misplaced.
You can go through this world with a right heart, and when your heart is wrong, you can repent, give glory to God’s salvation, and start over.
1. God openly rewards those who seek reward from Him, “But when you do alms (good works), let not your left hand know what your right hand does: that your alms may be in secret: and your Father which sees in secret himself shall reward you openly” (Matt 6:4). You deal with God in Christ, and He rewards that faith with fruit following. He adds to your faith the increase that He sees fit, giving you love, growth, and visions of God.
2. God rewards those who secretly pray, “And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Truly I say unto you, They have their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly” (Matt 6:5-6). We don’t have to be seen by men because the God who answers prayer is mightier than men. We think, “I must influence so and so to make this work”, but REALLY, only God must be influenced – “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he will” (Prov 21:1). If He works on your behalf, then no human being can stop it. Man is like the moth before the flame.
God rules this world and to have His favor, which we have in Christ by faith, is TO HAVE the glory of the King whose ear is OPEN to you. The Psalmist said, “Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy”, and the Lord of glory condescends to help the afflicted, hearing the prayer of ALL that come in His Son’s name.
It doesn’t matter who YOU and I are; it only matters who Christ is and that we deal with God through Him. He is glorified when God is good to you who use His name!!
If our heart is upon being seen, popular, or ANYTHING other than God’s glory in Jesus Christ, then our heart is misplaced.
You can go through this world with a right heart, and when your heart is wrong, you can repent, give glory to God’s salvation, and start over.
1. God openly rewards those who seek reward from Him, “But when you do alms (good works), let not your left hand know what your right hand does: that your alms may be in secret: and your Father which sees in secret himself shall reward you openly” (Matt 6:4). You deal with God in Christ, and He rewards that faith with fruit following. He adds to your faith the increase that He sees fit, giving you love, growth, and visions of God.
2. God rewards those who secretly pray, “And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Truly I say unto you, They have their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly” (Matt 6:5-6). We don’t have to be seen by men because the God who answers prayer is mightier than men. We think, “I must influence so and so to make this work”, but REALLY, only God must be influenced – “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he will” (Prov 21:1). If He works on your behalf, then no human being can stop it. Man is like the moth before the flame.
God rules this world and to have His favor, which we have in Christ by faith, is TO HAVE the glory of the King whose ear is OPEN to you. The Psalmist said, “Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy”, and the Lord of glory condescends to help the afflicted, hearing the prayer of ALL that come in His Son’s name.
It doesn’t matter who YOU and I are; it only matters who Christ is and that we deal with God through Him. He is glorified when God is good to you who use His name!!
3. We are not heard because we talk a lot, live a lot, or do a lot; we are heard by FAITH in Jesus Christ, “But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heath do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matt 6:7). We are not on a “pay as you go” plan or a system that needs EXTRA works on top of Christ.
Any gospel that needs more than Christ reduces His glory, for it says that He accomplished NOTHING without man’s help. The gospel of His grace EXALTS Christ for saving sinners and being ENOUGH cause to bless the wickedest human being alive.
I don’t have a reason in myself, no extra merit, no keeping of the law that is needed. Christ is enough for God to bless without us trying to IMPRESS Him (Heb 9:12-22). We may simply SPEAK unto God in the name of Jesus Christ. We want a clear trumpet sound among brethren, and we PRAY that we may be clear in speech (I Cor 14:13). But, God hears and discerns the simplest words of faith and love.
4. The glory and power are God’s: He does as He sees fit in this world, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. amen” (Matt 6:13). We need ONLY to please and honor Him, we need only to have His ear, and we have more than the KINGS of this world can offer.
Don’t lessen yourself courting the favor of men, shuffling and jiving your way in their presence, and living in fear, when God rules the king’s heart, and sets up kingdoms as He sees fit. When He comforts, none can disturb. Both friend and foe receive everything from the Lord. I don’t have to kiss your feet; I can kiss the Son, and He will make you do exactly as I have prayed, if it is His will and best for His church.
5. The bible doesn’t say much in the new covenant about fasting, but it is good - “Moreover when you fast”, Christ says (Matt 6:16). The scriptures speak of the spiritual fast, the new covenant fast, of Isaiah 58, that when Christ is gone because of sin and sorrow has set in, that we KNOW that we have His love, so we love others, even while we wait for Him to be near. We walk by FAITH and not feelings (Col 3:12-13).
Walking by sight is deception, for we judge God and His word by how we feel or how we’re doing, rather than EXALTING God’s grace to perform what He has commanded.
Rather than say, “I’m not that forgiven because I’m a big sinner”, we must say, “God is SO GREAT in mercy and Christ is SO GREAT in atonement, and the Spirit is SO GREAT to teach sinners that I have obtained mercy and the forgiveness of sins. I am not partially forgiven according to how I feel I deserve; I am forgiven in full according to the word of God, payment of Christ, and the sure confidence given to ALL that believe”. God is only judging us in Christ by whose name we come.
The physical fast of 1 Cor 7, where the husband and wife abstain from sex for a time is not commanded, it is done according to His will, and it is not something that we brag about to gain favor with others. Our religion is FOR God’s glory and seeks reward from God because we believe that there is One higher than the highest who sees.
Any gospel that needs more than Christ reduces His glory, for it says that He accomplished NOTHING without man’s help. The gospel of His grace EXALTS Christ for saving sinners and being ENOUGH cause to bless the wickedest human being alive.
I don’t have a reason in myself, no extra merit, no keeping of the law that is needed. Christ is enough for God to bless without us trying to IMPRESS Him (Heb 9:12-22). We may simply SPEAK unto God in the name of Jesus Christ. We want a clear trumpet sound among brethren, and we PRAY that we may be clear in speech (I Cor 14:13). But, God hears and discerns the simplest words of faith and love.
4. The glory and power are God’s: He does as He sees fit in this world, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. amen” (Matt 6:13). We need ONLY to please and honor Him, we need only to have His ear, and we have more than the KINGS of this world can offer.
Don’t lessen yourself courting the favor of men, shuffling and jiving your way in their presence, and living in fear, when God rules the king’s heart, and sets up kingdoms as He sees fit. When He comforts, none can disturb. Both friend and foe receive everything from the Lord. I don’t have to kiss your feet; I can kiss the Son, and He will make you do exactly as I have prayed, if it is His will and best for His church.
5. The bible doesn’t say much in the new covenant about fasting, but it is good - “Moreover when you fast”, Christ says (Matt 6:16). The scriptures speak of the spiritual fast, the new covenant fast, of Isaiah 58, that when Christ is gone because of sin and sorrow has set in, that we KNOW that we have His love, so we love others, even while we wait for Him to be near. We walk by FAITH and not feelings (Col 3:12-13).
Walking by sight is deception, for we judge God and His word by how we feel or how we’re doing, rather than EXALTING God’s grace to perform what He has commanded.
Rather than say, “I’m not that forgiven because I’m a big sinner”, we must say, “God is SO GREAT in mercy and Christ is SO GREAT in atonement, and the Spirit is SO GREAT to teach sinners that I have obtained mercy and the forgiveness of sins. I am not partially forgiven according to how I feel I deserve; I am forgiven in full according to the word of God, payment of Christ, and the sure confidence given to ALL that believe”. God is only judging us in Christ by whose name we come.
The physical fast of 1 Cor 7, where the husband and wife abstain from sex for a time is not commanded, it is done according to His will, and it is not something that we brag about to gain favor with others. Our religion is FOR God’s glory and seeks reward from God because we believe that there is One higher than the highest who sees.
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