Tag Archives: Matthew

Stumbling blocks to spiritual growth (part 2)

Posted on February 7, 2014 by | Comments Off on Stumbling blocks to spiritual growth (part 2)

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A couple of weeks ago, I posted the first part of this devotional topic. For those of you who are regular readers of mine, you know that God has placed a burden on my heart to teach Christian discipleship as a means to help others to reach a deeper, richer, more fuller faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Back in January, I began to think about the things in my own life that have held me back from true spiritual growth.  What I came up with were things that not only kept me from spiritual growth but kept me from enjoying the fullness of my faith.

The first post of this series was on January 17th and covered two areas of Christian life that can become spiritual stumbling blocks for younger Christians. These were:

  • We are tempted to return to our old lifestyle
  • We are not obedient in following the Lord Jesus Christ in baptism

Any one of these two can stop our spiritual growth in its tracks.  Unfortunately, there are a lot more things that can keep us from true spiritual growth and from my experience, rarely is it just one area of our life that keeps us from enjoying spiritual growth and the richness of fellowship we can have with the Lord Jesus Christ.  As I mentioned in the first devotional of this series, there are several things that keeps us from having the spiritual growth we should want to have.

We do not have an active and meaningful prayer life:

When I first accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, I didn’t understand the importance of prayer.  Sure, the first church I attended, First Baptist Church of Perkinston, had a great pastor and Sunday school teachers, but for someone who did not grow up in a Christian home, the only real model for prayer I really had been from Sunday morning services when I began regularly attending and what was demonstrated on Wednesday night.  Sure, the television offered the world’s version of prayers which was often done with a mocking, ridiculing attitude.  It was not until sometime in 1997 that I really began to understand what God wants for our prayer life.  During a devotional reading, I came across this passage: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him (Matthew 6:6-8).

What I noticed was that God does not want Christians to have a “canned” prayer life.  He does not want us to say the same prayers over and over.  He does not want our prayers to be memorized and recited as many of us had to recite Shakespeare for our high school English classes.  Our prayer must include our heartfelt praise for God, as even Paul and Silas demonstrated: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them (Acts 16:25). We all know the story – out of their praise and prayers, God lifted them up.  God delivered them.  How many times in my own life have I called upon God and failed to give him the praise and honor; even in my distress, God has been there to deliver me, to bless me, and instead of showing gratitude through prayer, I acted like it was His “divine duty” to rescue me.  When we use canned prayers, our prayers will contain canned praise.  Our praise is then no longer from our hearts.

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The things of which we need to “take heed” (part 2)

Posted on February 6, 2014 by | Comments Off on The things of which we need to “take heed” (part 2)

mens-bible-studyAs I introduced yesterday’s devotional, I shared how I do my personal morning devotionals.  When I do my morning Bible study, I use a daily devotional, one chapter of the book of Proverbs, and two chapters of Bible reading. Yesterday morning, as I was reading in the sixth chapter of Matthew a phrase I’ve read many times suddenly caught my eye: Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:1; emphasis added).  As I continued my personal devotional time, I noticed that there are fifteen distinct things that the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles Peter and Paul tell us that we must “take heed.”

Yesterday’s devotional focused on the first four verses where that phrase is found.  Before I share the next four verses where the phrase “take heed” is used, Here’s a brief summary of the first four verses that use that particular phrase, Christians have been told to take heed of:

  • Making sure we give to others as led by the Spirit without drawing attention to ourselves.  This is found in Matthew 6:1.
  • We do nothing to any child that might prevent them from accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This is found in Matthew 18:10.
  • We do not let others lead us astray from our faith.  This is found in Matthew 24:4.
  • We need to truly listen and make sure we are careful in judgment; whatever standard we set for others will be the standard we are held to.  There is also a responsibility and duty required of us – the more we learn about our faith, the more accountable we are to do it.  This is found in Mark 4:24.
But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them (Mark 13:9).

Jesus knew that at any time and in any kingdom (or nation) on this world, there would be those who would, because of Satan’s influence, want to destroy the church and silence the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The warning from the Lord Jesus Christ continues: And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost (Mark 13:10-11).  It should not take us by surprise when we hear stories of Christians facing persecution for their beliefs; in fact, there is a website, www.persecution.org, filled with stories of people who face persecution and in some cases, martyrdom for the cause of Christ.  Jesus even told his early followers, The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil (John 7:7) and If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (John 15:19).

As demonstrated by Christ’s teaching, if as people, we are called in front of our government to explain our faith, Jesus has told us that the Holy Spirit will provide us with what we need to say.  We have the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ that not only will the Spirit guide us during these times, but a reminder recorded in two of the gospels: And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do (Luke 12:5) and again, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). When we do come to the point to where we are brought before the governmental officials seeking out our faith, we should not fear them; sure they can order our deaths or imprison us, but that is the extent they can do.  Jesus promises his children, But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God (Luke 12:7-8).

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is (Mark 13:33).

One thing that is clearly taught in the New Testament is that we do not know when the Lord is returning for us.  Jesus continues in this particular passage, For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch (Mark 13:34-37). As Christians, we are to be ready for his return at any moment.  Jesus taught during his earthly ministry that I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left (Luke 17:34-37).  This passage clearly shows that we all will be doing something when Jesus returns.

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The things of which we need to “take heed”

Posted on February 5, 2014 by | Comments Off on The things of which we need to “take heed”

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When I do my morning Bible study, I use a daily devotional, one chapter of the book of Proverbs, and two chapters of Bible reading.  This morning, as I was reading in the sixth chapter of Matthew when a phrase I’ve read many times suddenly caught my eye: Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:1; emphasis added).  I decided to do a Bible study on that two-word phrase, mainly out of curiosity, to see how it is used in scripture.  As I began to study this phrase, I began to learn some interesting lessons from that small little two-word phrase.

The phrase take heed is used fifteen times in the New Testament and is not found anywhere in the Old Testament. According to Dr. Ed Vallowe in his book, Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics, fifteen is scripturally significant since it is always connected with rest.  Vallowe states that fifteen is always associated with deliverance or salvation and is a concept that is demonstrated because three times, the children of Israel rested on the fifteenth day of the month as found in the book of Leviticus 23:6-7, Leviticus 23:34-35, and Esther 9:20-22 (1). As I continued my study, I began to notice are fifteen distinct things that the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles Peter and Paul told believers that they must take heed of. While not commonly used today, the phrase “take heed” simply means to pay special attention to or to be on the lookout for whatever is being described.  Here are the first four things of the fifteen that as Christians, we must pay attention to:

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:1).

It’s pretty straightforward that we are not supposed to draw any attention to ourselves when we do give to others in their time of need.  When we make a big spectacle of our giving, we take the emphasis off of God.  Instead of God’s generosity being the focus of the gift, as demonstrated through our ability to give, we place ourselves ahead of God. In the next three verses, Jesus warns that when we place ourselves as the source of blessings, we will get the rewards (whether good or bad) of man.  

No one likes admitting they need help; often a good deed given in anonymity to them not only serves as a demonstration of God’s love for them, but it can also ease the feelings of guilt or shame associated with the need.  If that same person was given a gift by someone who would turn to brag on themselves, not only could it create a situation where the person in need feels that they owe a debt to the giver, but could also serve as the beginning for contention within the local congregation.  Jesus tells us to do them secretly and uses the image of us doing something with our right hand that the left hand does not notice – in other words, seek not the accolades of men, give in private and do not make a spectacle of your giving.  Allow God to bear witness of your deeds, the condition of your heart at the time of the gift, and allow God to be the one that openly blesses you for your obedience to Him.

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 18:10).

It is hard to believe but some people are extremely uncomfortable around children or do not wish to be bothered by children.  Unfortunately, this attitude is carried with them throughout all that they do.  As a former volunteer and a professional with a youth-serving non-profit organization, I often heard volunteers complain about the youth of the program.  In the past, I have even been in churches where members openly complained about the youth in the church – the messes they make, the damage the older kids do, the waste of floor space in the building that a nursery causes, and so on.  Again, the Lord Jesus Christ is pretty straightforward in his teaching that as Christians, we are to do nothing that could discourage or cause children to not come to the Lord Jesus Christ.  As adults, we need to do whatever we can to bring those young children boldly to the feet of Christ.

Imagine standing in the chamber of the Great White Throne, with all the hosts of Heaven watching, while angels explain to the King of kings and the Lord of lords that some ill-spoken word, deed, or action by you said to that person brought before the throne was the reason they rejected Christ.  Imagine the brokenheartedness of the Heavenly Father as He gazes over to see you, a child of his, bought by the blood of the Lamb – and the very cause this person before Him now is awaiting the final judgment and be sentenced to the lake of fire.  It is after the Great White Throne judgment of God that the apostle John wrote, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Revelation 21:4). It’s a painful reality that many of us will face as we see those who we could have shared the gospel with, could have been a better example of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to get condemned to eternal punishment.  What a day of great sorrow that will be!

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