Worry & Peace (Matt 24-34)
Many people are primarily concerned that theirs will be a comfortable future. This is a principal that my father passed on to me. That future comfort is dependent on funding our needs and desires, and capitalism is the system that offers everyone an opportunity to achieve this. Meeting the mortgage, rates or rent, the power, phone, transportation, medical, clothing and food, are priorities. Everyone hopes they will have disposable income above the necessities to afford desires. This disposable income is increasingly becoming a distant illusion to young kiwi families. Far too many are feeling the “pinch” of recession and tragedy such as has befallen so many victims of the Christchurch quakes with businesses and jobs in tatters. Believe me I know what it’s like to be disciplined by business failure and by unemployment. I am also familiar with close personal and family problems. I am in no doubt therefore that we at present are going through a period of correction on two fronts, firstly in asset values and secondly in terms of relational values. This correction is for our good.
We have been given two major earthquakes nearby and anyone can see that they have been increasingly destructive even though they have progressively weakened in strength. The first was rated as intense, destroyed infrastructure but not a single life. The second has been less intense, destroyed more buildings and infrastructure and has taken several hundred souls, most of whom will have a dubious future. The majority will be unsaved and according to the scriptures their souls now destined for a most unpleasant eternity even though they were putting all their efforts toward a more comfortable future. To those who were already in the arms of Christ nothing was lost. We, not unlike the Egyptians holding the Israelites captive, have hardened our hearts to God’s message? You ask how in the name of love could the Father throw such death and destruction upon us his children? Well let me ask you if it is love to let multitudes stream into eternal torment in the kind of numbers they have been? Just because a majority don’t believe there’s a Hell does not mean there isn’t. Wouldn’t a loving Father attempt to turn all away? Remember to those now enjoying heaven’s pleasures this disaster is a step up, a good and loving thing.
Jesus says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth (Matt 6:19-21)…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Please remember that it is in the heart that love resides that fulfills the Ten Commandments which judge us. Jesus says, No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other (Matt 6:24)…you cannot serve both God and mammon. Mammon is the personification of riches and Jesus is saying that the pursuit of can rule your life if God does not have dominion. Everything will get out of kilter if not in God’s balance. The Christmas story of Mr Scrooge is a classic tale of miserly indifference to human life while he pursues personal riches. Jesus says, do not worry about your life (Matt 6:25-34)…for your Heavenly Father know all your needs.
One of our greatest threats to us is the enemy’s use of vain imaginings. Satan fiddles with our insecurities and turns them into fears of an uncomfortable future. Jesus says, therefore do not worry about tomorrow… sufficient for today is its own trouble. The Lord said this to me in a different way when I heard, "Do not look too far up the road, just watch what I place at your feet." Remember the fate of the money holder and disciple who for twenty pieces of silver betrayed Jesus, his name Judas. It has not been given to us by God to be concerned what would become of us because it causes us to sin.
We have been given the task of worshiping God through our Lord Jesus Christ and listening to His voice that we might serve his every command. We sin when we do not trust God, overruling His perfect plan for our lives. I say to you not to let money become your god, that place belongs to our Father in heaven. Plan by all means but worrying about future is unbelief. When we reverse our priorities and allow our hearts to be divided we have lost faith in the true God, we have become side-tracked. When we listen to the voice of future worries, heading anxieties and losing our trust in God, allowing the love of riches to inhabit our heart, we have entered in fact into idolatry. The message is to trust Jesus who is in control.
We have been given two major earthquakes nearby and anyone can see that they have been increasingly destructive even though they have progressively weakened in strength. The first was rated as intense, destroyed infrastructure but not a single life. The second has been less intense, destroyed more buildings and infrastructure and has taken several hundred souls, most of whom will have a dubious future. The majority will be unsaved and according to the scriptures their souls now destined for a most unpleasant eternity even though they were putting all their efforts toward a more comfortable future. To those who were already in the arms of Christ nothing was lost. We, not unlike the Egyptians holding the Israelites captive, have hardened our hearts to God’s message? You ask how in the name of love could the Father throw such death and destruction upon us his children? Well let me ask you if it is love to let multitudes stream into eternal torment in the kind of numbers they have been? Just because a majority don’t believe there’s a Hell does not mean there isn’t. Wouldn’t a loving Father attempt to turn all away? Remember to those now enjoying heaven’s pleasures this disaster is a step up, a good and loving thing.
Jesus says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth (Matt 6:19-21)…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Please remember that it is in the heart that love resides that fulfills the Ten Commandments which judge us. Jesus says, No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other (Matt 6:24)…you cannot serve both God and mammon. Mammon is the personification of riches and Jesus is saying that the pursuit of can rule your life if God does not have dominion. Everything will get out of kilter if not in God’s balance. The Christmas story of Mr Scrooge is a classic tale of miserly indifference to human life while he pursues personal riches. Jesus says, do not worry about your life (Matt 6:25-34)…for your Heavenly Father know all your needs.
One of our greatest threats to us is the enemy’s use of vain imaginings. Satan fiddles with our insecurities and turns them into fears of an uncomfortable future. Jesus says, therefore do not worry about tomorrow… sufficient for today is its own trouble. The Lord said this to me in a different way when I heard, "Do not look too far up the road, just watch what I place at your feet." Remember the fate of the money holder and disciple who for twenty pieces of silver betrayed Jesus, his name Judas. It has not been given to us by God to be concerned what would become of us because it causes us to sin.
We have been given the task of worshiping God through our Lord Jesus Christ and listening to His voice that we might serve his every command. We sin when we do not trust God, overruling His perfect plan for our lives. I say to you not to let money become your god, that place belongs to our Father in heaven. Plan by all means but worrying about future is unbelief. When we reverse our priorities and allow our hearts to be divided we have lost faith in the true God, we have become side-tracked. When we listen to the voice of future worries, heading anxieties and losing our trust in God, allowing the love of riches to inhabit our heart, we have entered in fact into idolatry. The message is to trust Jesus who is in control.
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