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Radical Forgiveness

http://bible.com/116/mat.6.14-15.nlt
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Observation
Am I standing proud? The mountains will be laid low and pushed into the sea.

Am I kneeling at the foot of the cross? Seeking His will in my life,  surrendered to the Lord, repenting of my sins, loving Him above all, denying myself and in doing so – finding my new life that is renewed and alive and blessed.

Am I kneeling before my brothers,  washing their feet,  serving them and loving them? Paying attention to their needs on the same level as my own?

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Prayer or Liar

http://bible.com/116/mat.6.7-8.nlt
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

http://bible.com/116/1jn.1.8-10.nlt
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Observation
Why am I praying? Am I praying because I think that I know what I need and I’m telling God what I need?

Really?

Really?

Do I even hear what I am saying if that is my perspective?

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“For Reward” is NOT “For God”

http://bible.com/116/mat.6.3-4.nlt
But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Life Application
It’s easier to do what’s right when we gain recognition and praise. To be sure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with no thought of reward. Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity (Matt 6:4), prayer (Matt 6:6), and fasting (Matt 6:18). Those acts should not be self-centered, but God-centered, done not to make us look good but to make God look good. The reward God promises is not material, and it is never given to those who seek it. Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving sacrifice. With your next good deed, ask, “Would I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?”

Personal Observation
Sometimes it is hard for me to gauge the true intentions behind what I say and do. I look at things like sharing my journal publicly and being involved in various other witnessing/evangelistic efforts, and I begin to question myself. What are my true motives? Am I just wanting others to see me and recognize and acknowledge me? Or am I wanting others to know a closer walk with God themselves?

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We aren’t playing peek-a-boo

http://bible.com/116/mat.5.14-16.nlt
You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Life Application Devotional
Can you hide a city that is sitting on top of a hill? Its light at night can be seen for miles. If we live for Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. We hide our light by (1) being quiet when we should speak, (2) going along with the crowd, (3) denying the light, (4) letting sin dim our light, (5) not explaining our light to others, or (6) ignoring the needs of others. Be a beacon of truth-don’t shut your light off from the rest of the world.

Observation
We are on vacation this week with family.  We are talking a break from our normal work and circles of people. We get to play games with our daughter, all kinds of new games. But she’s 4 and a half now,  so no more peek-a-boo. It’s all new games as she grows and learns new things each year,  the vacations change little by little. And it’s very different from the precise schedule of our busy week of life at home.

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God type blessings

http://bible.com/116/mat.5.11-12.nlt God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.  Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
image

Observation
I see people twist this message so horribly that it is no wonder that people are confused by all of the false teaching out there. I hear people twist the beattitudes into a “if you do this,  you will receive blessings” – as if God provided a magical recipe book for worldly prosperity. How deep into the darkness will the wolves lead the goats to slaughter?

It does not say “if you suffer, then you will receive blessing as compensation for your sufferings”. No, it says that God bless you WHEN these things happen to you. The sufferings are the blessing.

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He sees you, what does He see in you?

http://bible.com/116/psa.33.18.nlt
But the Lord watches over those who fear Him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
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Observation
He watches over me. Just think about that for a moment. Hear it like a child.

The Lord watches over me.

Let’s step outside of the familiar religious attitude of listening with our minds,  and let’s hear this message with our young,  new hearts.

The Lord watches over me.

Yes, everything I do. Even every word I say. Even every thought that enters my mind. The Lord watches over me.

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