Scripture

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”

Observation

If we listen to Jesus and follow His instructions, we will be wise. This is like someone who builds a house on solid rock. Even when storms come and flood waters rise, it will stand firm.

A person who he hears Jesus’ teaching and does not follow it is like the person who builds a house on sand. This house collapses when the weather turns nasty.

Application

To have a life that prospers and stands resilient in the storms that beset us, we need to build it on the solid foundation of obedience to Christ.

So many people build their lives on bad foundations – like feelings, security, family, human ideology or philosophy and so on. These things are not strong enough to withstand the crises and problems that are inevitable. It is no wonder that marriages are fragile, that society is fractured, and people have no sense of direction.

We must determine in our hearts to follow Jesus in all things. Put God at the top of our list, love for family and friends (even our enemies) next, then we will go a long way to being successful and stable in all of our ways.

Many business people follow the principle of tithing even though they are not christians. God blesses these people because they are building on a solid foundation.

Build your life on Christ. Seek first God’s Kingdom and everything else will come to you.

Prayer

Lord, I want to build on the rock. Show me what I need to change in order to do this. Amen

Scripture

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.”

Observation

We must be wary of false prophets who look like sheep, but are actually wolves. You can judge them by their fruit, like a tree is judged by its fruit. You can judge people by their actions.

Not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord, Lord ” will enter the kingdom of heaven. They will say they prophesied and cast out demons in Jesus’ name, but He will say,”Go away; I never knew you.”

Application

A false prophet is not somebody who sometimes gets a prediction wrong. A false prophet is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That is, a false prophet is not really a servant of Christ, but a tool of the Devil.

Jesus tells us that we can judge such people by their fruit. The chief among these is whether they draw attention to themselves or to Jesus.

There are many people in various ministries who profit from their position. They are in ministry for selfish reasons – money, power or glory. Such people will do everything they can to promote themselves and to increase their own gains at the expense of the people they are supposedly ministering to.

A prophet who charges for his words, or who invites people of the opposite sex for private sessions, or who promotes their own ministry, is a wolf. Stay away from such a person.

Prayer

Lord, please give your church the discernment to tell the genuine prophets and pastors from those who come to devour the flock. Amen

Scripture

“But the gate way to life is very narrow, and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. “

Observation

Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking, and prayers will be answered. If sinful parents know how to give good things to their children, how much more will our heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask.

The way into God’s Kingdom is narrow, and only a few will find it. The road to hell is broad, and the gate is wide open to those who choose it.

Application

God loves us, and His perfect will would be that everyone should be saved. This verse reminds us that only a relatively small number of people will find the way to salvation.

For all of our optimism and celebration of revival and people being saved, it seems that a majority will always choose the way of damnation.

The choice is before us. On Good Friday we recall that Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. But He leaves the choice to us – will we receive His forgiveness or will we continue on the highway to hell?

Jesus died to set us free from sin. It is up to us to say ” yes” to Him.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me. Today I receive your free gift of salvation. Amen.

Scripture

“You will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging others is the standard by which you will be judged.”

Observation

We must not judge other people. That is up to the Lord. He will treat us the way we treat others and in the same way we judge others.

We should not judge others for a speck in their eye when we have a log in our own eye.

We should not waste holy things on people who are not holy and have no desire to be holy. Do not throw pearls to pigs.

Application

The Twitter age has turned out to be exceedingly judgemental and vindictive. People who make the greatest noise about tolerance and inclusion are themselves intolerant and hateful towards those who hold a different opinion to them.

Jesus says that we must not be like this. The way we treat others and the standard we judge others by is the way that God will judge us.

We are the forgiven ones. God gave us mercy when we did not deserve it. Therefore we should show mercy and love to those who do not deserve it from us. Yes, even those who have different opinions to us. That does not mean that we should celebrate sin or be afraid to contest ideas and ideologies. Jesus called out din and heresy when needed. But he also showed love to those who fell short.

Jesus calls us to be open hearted to those who sin, which is everybody. But we must not think that in doing this we have to condone sinful and destructive behaviours.

Prayer

Please help me, Lord, to not be judgemental to other people. Let your grace for forgiveness flow from me to others. Amen

Scripture

“Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Observation

We should not worry about food and drink or clothes. Life is more than the physical body. The birds don’t plant or harvest, but they have enough to eat.

The wildflowers are closed more gloriously than Solomon was. They don’t work or make clothes, but God cares for them beautifully.

We should not worry about our physical needs. Instead we should seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness as our first priority. Then God will give us everything we need.

Application

We live in live in an age of anxiety. When people try to live their own lives and strive to provide for themselves everything they need, the result is is anxiety, stress, burnout.

We were not created to be self-sufficient, but to live in partnership with our Creator. When we stand proudly on our own two feet and declare, “I can I can do it myself “, then we set ourselves up for fear and anxiety.

This also this also brings a wrong focus in our lives. Rather than living at peace with God, and our neighbour, life becomes a competitive striving for survival.

Jesus tells jus to focus on what God wants from us. That will probably involve work of some sort, but it is living in confident assurance that God will provide abundantly for us.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for this for this reminder of your goodness. Please help me to trust you for all that I need all that I need. Amen

Scripture
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steel.”

Observation
When we fast, we should not make it obvious that we are fasting. This is for the admiration of people. We should look normal and not tell anyone so that we can receive a reward from our Father in heaven.

We must not store up treasures for ourselves on earth where they can easily be stolen or degraded. Rather, we should store up treasure in heaven where they will last forever.

Application
The world is constantly pressuring us to spend more and more and to invest wisely for the future.

In a culture that has abandoned God, the only thing to focus on is the physical world; there is no sense of eternity or life continuing after death.

People are consumed by endless acquisition of possessions, as if that is their sole reason for living. Jesus points us to our real destiny in heaven and a radical reordering of our priorities on earth.

When we give to the poor or give generously to support the kingdom of God, then we are storing up treasures in heaven. Being generous and considering the needs of others create a healthy environment for our soul.

Prayer
Thank you Lord for the abundant wealth you have blessed me with. Please help me to store up treasures in heaven and not just on earth. Amen

Scripture

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

Observation

Jesus gives us the model prayer for disciples. The prayer is succinct, not like the prayers of pagans with their endless repetitions and high sounding language.

If we forgive others, we will be forgiven. If we do not forgive others, then God will not forgive us.

Application

To follow Jesus is to imitate him. This should be reflected above all things in our readiness to forgive other people.

If we hold onto the bitterness of past hurts, how can we claim to be following the Lord whose last words on the cross included “Father forgive them” ?

This is easier to do for some people than others. It is also easier to do according to the level of hurt we have experienced. People experiencing violence or sexual abuse will take time to get to the point of letting go.

Regardless, the goal for christians is that we are able to forgive those who hurt us. When we do that, we know that the grace of God is in our hearts and that God’s love will also overlook our own sins.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for your great grace towards me. Please help me to be gracious in being able to forgive others. Amen.

Scripture

“Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him.”

Observation

We must not do good deeds to impress people. Instead, we should give to charity quietly and without fanfare. Do things privately and not for the accolades of men.

When we pray, we don’t do it as a show of piety. Instead we should go to a quiet place to be alone with the Father.

When we pray, we should not go on and on, as if God is impressed by our long-winded prayers. He already knows what we need before we pray.

Application

If God knows what we need before we ask Him, one night ask, “What is the point of prayer?” And if God is sovereign, then all prayer does is let God do what He was already going to do anyway.

Prayer is really for our benefits rather than God’s. When we pray, we are admitting that we cannot do anything and that we are totally dependent on God.

When we pray, we allow God’s Spirit to replace anxiety with peace, fear with expectancy.

When we pray, we do not bend God’s will to conform to our desires. We bend our desires to conform to God’s will.

When we pray, then we are offering ourselves up to God to be used by Him. I express my concerns to Him, and sometimes He tells me what I should do about them.

Above all, prayer is meant to be a two way conversation with the Lord. It is not it is not about dumping a list of demands, but listening for the for the still small voice of God’s Spirit.

Prayer

Lord, please teach me how to how to pray. Allow my prayers to become a means of deepening my friendship with you. Amen.

Scripture

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say, ‘Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! “

Observation

Jesus continues to push home His points about addressing the state of the heart and not just obedience to the law.

So He says that the principle of eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth must give way to a new law in which we do not resist evil people. We should go further than the law demands.

Rather than loving your neighbour and hating your enemies, Jesus says we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. When we do this, we are like our Father who gives sunlight and rain to evil and good people are like. Even tax collectors are kind to their friends.

Application

There is no law in the Old Testament that says we may hate our enemies if we love our neighbours. Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to teach that we have to love people who might not be our natural friends.

Jesus tells us to do the opposite of what the world teaches and our natural inclinations want. To be a true follower of Jesus means that we learn to love people who are nasty or violent towards us.

This is hard, and in our own abilities it is impossible. But as christians we are connected to the Father, the God who is love. He will give us grace to forgive and to love our enemies

Prayer

Lord Jesus, these words are hard to accept. Please give me grace to love those who hate me. Amen.

Scripture

“If your eye – even your good eye – causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

Observation

Jesus takes the commandments and applies them to our thinking and not just our outward appearances.

The Law forbids adultery, but Jesus says if we even look at a woman with lust in our heart, we have already committed adultery. if our eyes causes to sin, we should gouge them out if necessary to avoid hell.

While the law allows for divorce, Jesus says that the only valid reason for divorce is an unfaithful partner.

We must not make a vow. Instead of swearing on something, we should simply say, “Yes” or “No.”

Application

God does not want us to be good just on the outside. He wants to transform our thinking so that the thoughts and desires that lead to sin will not happen.

He warns us of the reality of hell. Those who sin without the forgiveness of God will find themselves in such torment that losing an eye or another body part in order to escape sin seems like a good deal.

Jesus is clearly not advocating self-mutilation as a pathway to holiness. Holiness comes as we constantly commit our minds, hearts, and bodies to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, i confess that I still sin, at least in my mind. Please cleanse my thoughts and teach me how to submit every part of me to you. Amen.