What Jesus Did! - Looking in the Mirror First

"Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your brother's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? Why do you say to your brother, 'Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye'?

Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You are a hypocrite. First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your brother's eye. - Matthew 7:3-5 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

Jesus reminds us that we often pass judgment on others to keep from examining ourselves. This is wrong. In fact, it is obnoxiously and hypocritically wrong in God’s eyes. Before we start removing someone else's sawdust, we had better get our own blinding 2x4 plank out of our way. It's ridiculous for us to spend so much time finding all the little things that are wrong with others while we ignore our own huge problems. Let's address our own problems, weaknesses, sins, and inconsistencies before we start trying to "fix" anybody else!

PRAYER:

Almighty and compassionate Father, you have been so patient and kind with me. You provided Jesus as the sacrifice that purifies me from my sin. You sent your Spirit to help complete your work of maturing me. Please bless me as I try to be honest with my own failures, sins, and shortcomings. I don't want to let Satan use discouragement from my failures to embarrass or alienate me from you or your people.

But Father, neither do I want to pretend they are not there and leave them un-addressed by your grace and at odds with your righteousness. Please work in me your holy will and produce in me your holy character and not find the faults of others to keep from dealing with my own. In the holy name of your Messiah and my Savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

So do you think that you can judge those other people? You are wrong. You too are guilty of sin. You judge those people, but you do the same bad things they do. So when you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty. God judges the people that do those wrong things.

And we know that God's judgment is right. You also judge the people that do those wrong things. But you do those wrong things too. So surely you understand that God will judge you. You will not be able to escape. God has been very kind to you. And he has been patient with you. God has been waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don't understand that God is kind to you so that you will change your hearts and lives. - Romans 2:1-4

"I will tell you the kind of special day I want--a day to make people free. I want a day that you take the burdens off people. I want a day when you make the troubled people free. I want a day when you take the burdens from their shoulders. I want you to share your food with the hungry people. I want you to find poor people that don't have homes, and I want you to bring them into your own homes. When you see a man that has no clothes--give him your clothes!

Don't hide {from helping those people}; they are just like you." If you do these things, your light will begin shining like the light of dawn. Then your wounds will heal. Your "Goodness" (God) will walk in front of you, and the Glory of the Lord will come following behind you. Then you will call to the Lord, and the Lord will answer you. You will shout to the Lord, and he will say, "Here I am." You should stop making troubles and burdens for people. You should stop using bitter words and blaming people for things. - Isaiah 58:6-9

Brothers and sisters, a person in your group might do something wrong. You people who are spiritual should go to the person who is sinning. You should help to make him right again. You should do this in a gentle way. But be careful! You might be tempted to sin, too. Help each other with your troubles. When you do this, you truly obey the law of Christ.

If a person thinks that he is important when he is really not important, he is only fooling himself. A person should not compare himself with other people. Each person should judge his own actions. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done. Each person must accept his own responsibility. - Galatians 6:1-5

What Jesus Did! - Good Eyes

"How you look at other people makes you the kind of person you are. If you look at people and want to help them, you will be full of light (goodness). But if you look at people in a selfish way, you will be full of darkness (evil). And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst kind of darkness.
- Matthew 6:22-23 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

In baseball, having a "good eye" means that the batter doesn't swing at bad pitches, only "hittable" strikes. In life, having a good eye means that our hearts focus on the right things, or better yet, the Right One, rather than letting our eyes wander over and covet many things that can't buy them happiness. We refuse to swing at any of Satan's "unhittable" pitches!

Focusing our spiritual sight, our lives, on the wrong things always leads to ultimate unhappiness and destruction. That kind of sight is never satisfied with what it has; it has an insatiable appetite to possess, acquire, and achieve more. Such an attitude ultimately robs life of joy and replaces the Father and his Kingdom with trinkets and temporary toys.

PRAYER:

O precious Holy Father, help me keep my sight focused on what is good. I want to focus on you, your grace, and your Kingdom. You alone have the meaning of life. Fill me with your light. In the name of your Son and my Savior I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that God has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. - Ephesians 1:18

"Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: "The One who is holy and true is saying these words to you. He holds the key of David. When he opens something, it cannot be closed. And when he closes something, it cannot be opened. - Revelation 3:7

Some of the Pharisees were near Jesus. They heard Jesus say this. They asked, "What? Are you saying that we are blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were really blind (without understanding), you would not be guilty of sin. But you say that you see (know what you are doing). So you are guilty." - John 9:40-41

What Jesus Did! - Redeeming Insult

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, don't stand against an evil person. If someone hits you on the right cheek, then turn and let him hit the other cheek too. - Matthew 5:38-39 (ERV)


THOUGHT:
Jesus' words draw us to the values of our Heavenly Father. Rather than passively accepting evil, we are to overcome evil with good. We are to work redemption in the face of mistreatment like the suffering servant in Isaiah who suffers, serves, and redeems in the face of attack and ridicule. Jesus reminds us that we are to redeem rather than to try to get even. A slap on the cheek in Jesus' day was more a social insult than a physical injury. In our day, we seldom slap someone on the cheek to embarrass or humiliate that person. Instead, we shoot them a "zinger," cut them down sarcastically, or tell a joke at their expense. This is out of bounds for believers. Such talk does not accomplish the redemption God has called us to share with others.

PRAYER:
Holy and patient Father, please strengthen me so that I will look for ways to redeem those who shame and humiliate me. I know that vengeance will only poison my heart and alienate me from the insulting party. Give me grace to react with kindness even toward those who are unkind to me. In the name of the one who did not rebuke his accusers I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:
Don't let evil defeat you. You should defeat evil by doing good. - Romans 12:21

The Lord knows everything, even what happens in the place of death. So surely the Lord will know what happens in the hearts and minds of people. - Proverbs 15:11

When you talk, don't say any bad things. But say things that people need--things that will help other people become stronger. Then the things you say will help the people who listen to you. And don't make the Holy Spirit sad. The Spirit is God's proof that you belong to God. God gave you that Spirit to show that God will make you free at the right time.

Never be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt other people. Never do anything evil. Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you in Christ. - Ephesians 4:29-32

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Daca nu ai retinut, ar fi bine sa mai citesti inca odata! ...cel putin pe mine m-au shocat...mai ales cuvintele din Efeseni..."never be...never do...never...". Spor la practica ! :)

Asta implica moarte sigura: moarte a instinctelor naturale de a te mania, de a te razbuna, de a raspunde cu aceeasi moneda...dar pt ca sa ai puterea sa faci asa ceva, adica sa raspunzi cu dragoste, avem nevoie sa ne umplem de dragostea lui Dumnezeu, sa ne amintim ca eul nostru a murit, iar in noi traieste Isus! ...si Isus...a facut asa cum predica!

Tu si cu mine suntem reprezentantii, ambasadorii lui Dumnezeu. Cum? Aratand viata lui Hristos in noi sub indrumarea lui Dumnezeu, puterea Duhului Sfant, avandu-L pe Isus in inima.
Chiar ma gandeam odata: "Doamne, de ce nu ai facut mai multe persoane, copii identice cu Fiul Tau, si sa le pui in fiecare parte a pamantului?"...si raspunsul a venit: "Chiar asta Am facut din cei care au acceptat, pentru ca Eu nu fortez pe nimeni!"...extradordinar...sa fi copie "xerox", identica a lui Isus...asta e scopul lui Dumnezeu pt noi.

Bineinteles asta nu inseamna negarea sau renuntarea la personalitatea ta, la caracteristicile specifice fiecaruia dintre noi...pentru ca asa a avut Dumnezeu placerea...ca fiecare sa fie unic! in modul in care arata, vorbeste, gesticuleaza, merge, priveste, canta, alearga, invata...etc.

Si mai mult de atat...degeaba incerci si te chinui prin propria putere sa fi ca Isus. Asta cu siguranta e esec!

Si atunci ce avem de facut? Raspuns intr-un singur cuvant: iubeste! Iubeste-l pe Dumnezeu, cauta sa Il cunosti si cere-I Lui sa te invete.spune-I cu cuvintele tale: "Doamne, vreau sa Te cunosc sa Te iubesc, sa Te caut din toata inima Ta. Vreau sa cunosc planul Tau pentru viata mea si vreau sa Il implinesti. Vreau sa iti gasesti placere in mine. Ceva nu e bine in viata mea. Tot caut, tot caut sa gasesc un sens , sa gasesc fericire adevarata si netrecatoare. Invata-ma cine este Isus si ce a facut pentru mine. Iti multumesc pentru ca vei imi vei raspunde. Amin!" Cum si unde sa Il cauti? ...foarte simplu: In Cuvantul LUI: Biblia.
Dumnezeu abia asteapta sa Il chemam in ajutor, si doreste nespus de mult ca noi sa Il cautam din toata inima...pentru ca doar atunci El se va lasa gasit.

El te va invata, te va sfatui , iti va descoperi gandurile (cateva :) din ele ) pentru tine, te va invata cine este Isus , El va lucra in tine caracterul Lui Hristos, va aduce in viata ta oameni care sa te ajute, sa te indrume, o biserica in care sa poti creste in dragoste si in cunoastere, frati, surori, o slujire cu abilitatile date de El!

Totul incepe cu a-L cauta si a-L dori din toata inima ta, cu toata puterea si mintea ta...o dedicare si ascultare de 100%...

Dumnezeu e ineficient intr-un singur loc din univers:...atunci cand este lasat pe locul 2 in inima si viata ta.

El vrea sa fie prioritatea ta, dorinta ta suprema, fericirea ta, desfatarea sufletului tau, belsugul tau, pacea ta, Prietenul tau, Tatal tau, Pastorul tau, Marele tau Preot, iubitul inimii tale...El vrea sa fie totul pentru tine, Singura Persoana de care ai nevoie, in orice moment alaturi de tine, mangaierea ta, sprijinul tau, Stanca in care sa te ascunzi, Turnul tau de scapare, Cetatuia ta, Adapostul tau, sursa de energie, de putere, de curaj, de dragoste, de hrana, de viata !

Ieremia 29
11. Caci Eu stiu gandurile, pe care le am cu privire la voi, zice Domnul, ganduri de pace si nu de nenorocire, ca sa va dau un viitor si o nadejde.
12. Voi Ma veti chema, si veti pleca; Ma veti ruga, si va voi asculta.
13. Ma veti cauta, si Ma veti gasi, daca Ma veti cauta cu toata inima.
14. Ma voi lasa sa fiu gasit de voi, zice Domnul,

What Jesus Did! - Shock!

If your right eye makes you sin, then take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. - Matthew 5:29-30 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

Although treated as an antiquated concept in much of Western society, sin is very much a concern to Jesus. Sin is dangerous because it harms us in our walk with God. Sin is dangerous because, through us, it can cause others to sin. Sin is dangerous because our sin directly hurts others. Sin is disastrous because it separates us from God. Jesus wanted to get his disciples' attention. He wanted us to know that sin is horrid and dangerous. So he uses language that is best described as hyperbole to shock us into realizing that we must deal with sin in our lives.

We must deal with it seriously and get rid of it.

Jesus elsewhere emphasizes that sin is what comes from the heart and causes the actions on the outside. It seems to me unwise to think he is speaking literally here since he goes to great lengths to emphasize that mere external changes don't create lasting change in us. What is needed is an internal change that works itself out into the external lifestyle. Just because God is gracious doesn't mean he takes sin lightly. We must never presume upon grace and use it as an excuse to keep falling back into the same old sinful failures. Jesus wants us to deal with the sin in our lives today.

PRAYER:

Holy and righteous Father, I do not want to take my own sin lightly. Neither do I want to let it defeat me. Please empower me to put to death the misdeeds of the body as you promised. Please help me keep from taking my sin lackadaisically. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

- Colossian 2:21-23

It is the evil things a person wants that tempt that person. His own evil desire leads him away and holds him. This desire causes sin. Then the sin grows and brings death. - James 1:14-15

But the bad things a person says with his mouth come from the way a person thinks. And these are the things that make a person wrong. All these bad things begin in a person's mind: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, lying, saying bad things against other people. - Matthew 15:18-19