Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Do we ever consider that every time we let sin in our hearts we are allowing our love for the Lord Jesus to grow colder. We are not careful about what we watch on TV. We are not careful about our jokes. We are not careful about our entertainment.
Each time we allow junk into our lives it causes sin to abound. As there gets to be more and more sin then we love Jesus less.
I think that today there is a call to turn from sin to Him. To decide that He is better than anything else to us.
Many of these sins may not be anything super big but they might be distractions. We get so busy and our life gets so loud that we can no longer hear the still small voice.
Matthew 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Amazing that a man would let money keep him from God. This young man comes to Jesus. He wants to know and please God. He answers all the questions right. He is sure that Jesus is going to be pleased. But then Jesus touches the part of him that is most precious.
He lets him know that he will have to love God more than he does his money. The young man so “desperately” wants to know God but not at that price.
He goes away sad. He would have loved to meet God on his own terms but not if it cost him money.
How many of us are in the same position? We want to have God but not if it touches our money.
Matthew 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Jesus is finishing a story with this question. He has told of how a man has been forgiven a very large debt yet is unwilling to forgive another person a small debt.
He is making the point that the forgiven forgive!
We have been forgiven a horrible debt as sinners that deserved Hell. We ought to forgive others like we were forgiven.
Do you have any un-forgiveness in your heart? Are you holding bitterness against someone? Do you want forgiveness from God but delight in holding it over the head of others?
Could today be the day that you decide to empty your heart of all that bitterness? Could you decide to love others and have the same heart that God has had towards you?
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
What an indictment! People who supposedly loved God, worshipping people, church people were only trying to talk a good game. They talked about God. They said that they loved Him. They even honored Him with their lips. They could talk a good game but they didn’t love Him in their hearts.
As I read this verse I ask myself how guilty I am of not loving the Lord from my heart? How much does He consume my hearts and thoughts? How much does He really matter to me?
Do I take the time to spend with Him in prayer and Bible time?
Do I obey what He tells me to do? After all if we really love Him then we do what He tells us to do. We become doers and not hearers only. If we love Him we keep His commandments.
Our time in the Bible each day is not an academic exercise but a desire to find out what He wants and to obey Him.
Do you talk a good relationship or do you have one?
Matthew 12:43-45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
In the story when the evil spirit is kicked out he simply goes around looking for a place to rest. When he doesn’t find one he returns. He finds the old heart where he was, cleaned, swept out, and ready for habitation. He goes and finds 7 other spirits even more wicked than him. He brings them and they all take possession of the man’s heart.
We often think that if we can just quit sinning or break the habit we will have victory. But quitting is just a recipe for more disaster. Instead of quitting we must replace.
If you were to get the devil and sin out of your life you would still not have victory. It would only be a matter of time before the old sin comes back stronger than ever. Maybe that sin will not be what captivates you but another will.
So the answer is that the Holy Spirit take up residence where the old spirits were. The answer is that you replace your sinful habits with spiritual practices. This is taught clearly in Ephesians 4:25-30. We are to put off and replace.
As Christians that seek victory don’t try to stop rather replace. Put off the old and put on the new.
If you have a recurring sin problem I challenge you to replace it with something greater. Change places you go. Change the way you think.
Get busy in something superior and you will not want to return to the inferior.
Matthew 11:16-17 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
Jesus makes a comparison so that the people listening to Him preach can understand how He sees them. He says that they are not reacting to the message. They listen but they do not change. They listen but it doesn’t affect the way they live.
They are like children. They watch the show but nothing changes. Jesus and John the Baptist played instruments but they wouldn’t dance. They tried to get the people to mourn but they wouldn’t mourn.
They had two types of preachers, Jesus and John the Baptist, but they ignored both.
How do you fit into this scenario? Do you come to church, listen to the preaching, and go home to be the same person you have always been?
Do you act like it is because of the style of preaching you are listening to but the facts are that you have no intention of obeying God?
I challenge you as you go to church and hear the preaching to start responding. No wonder church and preaching becomes boring to you. You come to sit and watch a show not hear from God.
You come with no intention of obeying God.
Quit acting like an immature child. Respond to the message!
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
This verse has been my guiding light or north star in many ways over many years now. When given an option of what to do I often ask myself if doing so would be to seek first the kingdom of God or what I want.
I ask myself if the decision that I am making is for me or for Him. I know that God will meet my needs. He always has. I know that He will carry me through whatever comes along.
I don’t trust myself. I will always try to be selfish. I will try to do what is best for me. I will try to add to myself instead of waiting on God to do so.
So I make it a habit to quote this verse when making decisions. It has kept me out of lots of trouble. It has brought me great blessings.
I would like to challenge you to allow this verse to guide your decision making process.
Know that God will add to you what you need if you will but seek Him first.
Quit seeking your own life and let God give you a blessed life!
Matthew 4:20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Jesus comes by. He says simply, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately leave their livelihood and follow Him.
This makes me ask myself several questions about us and our desire to serve God. I hope you will answer these questions and apply them to your life!
Are you willing to leave what you have to serve God or are you more attached to your things than you are to God?
Do you show your love for God and lack of love for your things by giving sacrificially?
Do you obey God quickly when He speaks to you?
Do you take seriously His will for your life?
Do you listen to hear if He is speaking?
Do you try to rationalize the preaching, the teaching, the Bible reading, as being for someone else so that you do not have to take it seriously?
Do you ever think that the reason your spiritual life is cold and you are withdrawn from the things of God could have anything to do with your lack of obedience?
Today you will go into the house of God. Have a different attitude. Enter saying, God if you will speak your servant will listen. Not only will I listen but I will obey.
Following you and being used of you means more to me than anything of the things that you have given me. You speak and I will obey!
Malachi 1:6 A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
Why is it that we are able to honor people that we see and not the God of Heaven? God asks His people where His honor is. Sons honor their fathers, servants their masters, but none for the God who created us, will judge us, and has saved us!
We take God and His wishes lightly. We try to do what our parents want us to do. We show the proper respect for our employers but not to our God.
So here is the application for today, get in His book, read it, practice it. Get into prayer, ask God to direct your paths, consider Him, His will, and what would glorify Him with all that you do. Get into His house, don’t miss church, don’t be late to the services, come to hear from God. Honor God with your time, be diligent to use time for Him, get up early, seek a place to be alone with God, be in church. Honor God with your money, give, spend all your money on things that will please God, do not think that you can do with 90% what you want simply because you gave God 10%/
