The Oil Change

Matthew 7:13–14

Rob Dale — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:25 +0000

¹³“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. ¹⁴But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

The Narrow Way

With these words, Jesus begins to close the “Sermon on the Mount”. For the past two chapters, he has been speaking about what it means to live life as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, life as a Christ follower. Now, he begins to wrap up his message, and he does so by pointing out what would have been obvious to his listeners: his way is not the most common way.

I love hanging around people who have just begun a journey with Christ. Their excitement and joy over discovering that God loves them exactly as they are is intense. Everything is new, fresh, and full of wonder. Often, they will say to me, “Why doesn’t everyone follow Christ?” Of course, there is no easy answer to that question.

Some don’t follow Christ because they haven’t heard the message of his love. It’s up to us to share the message of grace with those we know who haven’t heard. After all, if we don’t tell them, who will?

But others don’t follow Christ because it demands submitting to God. He’s God, I’m not. It means giving up one’s own desires, passions, and dreams and choosing to follow what God has for us. In the end, it’s the best thing one can do, but for many, the cost seems to great.

Jesus was narrow-minded. He refused to allow people to come to him on their terms … their way. The pathway to experiencing the Kingdom of Heaven has only one entrance. It passes through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Every other way leads to destruction. Every other way leaves us empty, frustrated, and alone. And yet, over and over, I see people try so many other ways to experience all that Jesus promises we can experience as citizens of God’s kingdom.

Some don’t like how black and white Jesus makes this. In the end, too bad. God isn’t looking for our input on how we come to him. If you want to enjoy the blessings and promises God invites us to experience, we must do so on his terms. Period.

My prayer: God, thank you for providing the way back into relationship with you. Thank you that I can experience everything even though I can bring nothing to the equation. Yes, the way is narrow, but it is also amazing. I choose the narrow path. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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Matthew 7:12

Rob Dale — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:00:56 +0000

¹²“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

The Golden Rule

It might come as a surprise to some of you to learn that the “Golden Rule” can be found in the teachings of most major religions. However, it is usually recorded in the negative. In other words, in most religions, the rule is stated this way: “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you.”

So, when Jesus quoted it from the positive perspective, his listeners would have taken notice.

I love how Jesus does that. And then, he does something incredible … he suggests that this one statement sums up all the laws of the Old Testament. Over 600 different laws, and Jesus says you can some them up by simply doing for others what you’d hope they’d do for you.

Could you imagine if people lived their lives this way? If we actually treated people the way we’d hope to be treated? Everything would change.

That guy you judged without ever getting to know him? You’d hope someone who take time to learn about you and give you the benefit of the doubt.
That homeless guy who smells bad? You’d hope someone would feed you, help you, treat you like a human being.
That person holding up the line in the grocery story? You’d hope someone would understand the hell you’ve faced that day, and how you were distracted by your circumstances and forgot to have your money ready at the cashier.

In other words, if we treated people the way we hope they’d treat us, we would be slower to respond and quicker to learn from them.

My prayer: Lord, it seems so simple, and yet it is so hard to live life this way. I need your help today. I choose to treat every person the way I hope others would treat me today. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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Matthew 7:7–11

Rob Dale — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:05:12 +0000

⁷“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? ¹⁰Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! ¹¹So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Effective Prayer

Prayer can be a confusing thing to some people. After all, there are so many facets to a healthy prayer life. If you attend our “Discovering Spiritual Maturity” class, you’ll learn about some of the aspects of prayer. Things like worship, confession, intercession, and declaration. On the surface, it can seem so complicated.

But when you really simplify it, prayer is communication with God. Think of it the way a child interacts with his parents. In a good, healthy home, a son interacts in a very special way with his dad (I recognize that some reading this, including me, didn’t have that kind of relationship with dad. However, we all know how it should be). In some ways, the son idolizes dad, and approaches him with a sense of reverence. Dad can do anything. Yet, at the same time, the son comes to dad with a total abandonment and love, believing he is fully protected and secure in the presence of Dad.

That is how we should approach God. And yet, we often make it so complicated. We posture ourselves, speak in a “spiritual” voice, and try to impress God with our words and deeds. And yet, God sees through all of it and simply smiles.

God wants to bless us. There are times when I think of something my kids would enjoy, and I just go out and do it. It’s unexpected to them and the surprised joy their experience makes my heart sing. But, there are other times when they will come to me with a request. I evaluate what they are asking for, consider whether it really is best for them, and whenever possible, love to meet their request. I enjoy blessing my children with what they ask of me.

God does to. Of course, he is wise enough to know when answer yes to our request would not be the best thing for us. But, he does take delight in blessing us with the little things in life. So, why be afraid to ask? In today’s passage, Jesus encourages us to ask. It’s not a bother to God when his children come to him and say, “Daddy, can I …?” He delights in that beautiful relationship.

My prayer: Father, it’s incredible that you take notice of the small things in my life. With all that goes on around the world, you are able to zero in on a father/child relationship with me. Amazing. Today, I do the same. I focus in on that beautiful relationship with you. And yes, I ask for … Amen.”

Until tomorrow

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Matthew 7:1–6

Rob Dale — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:00:15 +0000

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ²For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

³“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? ⁴How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

⁶“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Judging Others

In one sense, Jesus seems to be contradicting something he’ll talk about a little later on in this chapter. As we’ll read in a few days, Jesus will tell us that we are to judge a person’s “fruit” — their actions. On one hand, he tells us not to judge others, and then shortly after, he suggests that it’s important for us to examine the behaviour of others.

What’s the deal?

I think the whole area of judging is a confusing one for most people. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has said to me, “The Bible says we shouldn’t judge, so I think it’s wrong to tell others how to live their life.” The problem is that statement is untrue. Let me explain.

I think it’s dangerous when we try to “judge” a person’s spiritual state. No one knows the heart of a person except for God. Only He can say if someone is spiritually right with him.

However, when it comes to a person’s behaviour, we can judge. We should judge. However, we should keep in mind a couple of things that Jesus points out in today’s passage:

The criteria we use to judge someone is the same criteria we will be judged. In other words, if we want to be shown mercy then we should use mercy as the basis for how we view others. In other words, when we make a mistake, our hope is that others will be understanding, loving, and supportive of us. Therefore, that should be our first response when the shoe is on the other foot.
We must recognize that we mess up too. The most dangerous view upon which to judge is the self-righteous one. When we see ourselves as better than someone else, we will be more harsh with our opinions of them. But, when we recognize our own failures (the log in our eye), we will be far more understanding of the shortcomings of others (the speck in their eye).

Jesus is making it clear. Mercy trumps judgement. Our first response to anyone we interact with should be grace, love, and mercy. Not judgement, criticism, condemnation.

That’s why he says what he does in verse six. In Jesus’ culture, a powerful spiritual truth was referred to as a “pearl.” Jesus finishes up this section by calling his words on judgement a pearl, one that should be highly valued and not thrown before those who would warp it into something it was never meant to say.

My prayer: Lord, it’s so easy to be hypocritical in this area. I am quick to judge others by a different standard than the one I want to be judged by. Forgive me for being so critical and condemning at times. I ask you to help me see everyone through the lens of mercy and grace. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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Matthew 6:25–34

Rob Dale — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:00:32 +0000

²⁵“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

²⁸“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

³¹“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³²These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

³⁴“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Worry

We all know that worrying is bad for us. It affects our health, our productivity, how we treat others, and certainly our ability to trust God. We also know that worrying doesn’t change anything. You can worry all night and yet the issue is still there.

At some point, we have to settle the question in our hearts: Do we trust God or don’t we? That’s exactly what Jesus is trying to say in this passage. Jesus is clear: God will take care of those who trust him.

Now, Jesus isn’t saying that we don’t have a role to play. I’ve met people who don’t make any effort to find a job or pay their bills. When asked about it, they reply, “I’m not worried cause God will take care of me.” Ummm, no. He won’t.

God expects us to do our part. Our faith and trust in him must have feet. We do what we can do. But in the end, we recognize that God is in control. Just as he cares for the birds in the air and the flowers in the fields, he will take care of us. He loves us more than those things and is ready to do what seems impossible in our eyes.

So, trust him. If you are facing something that seems overwhelming right now, trust God. I know it sounds like a simple cliche, but there is such power in trusting God with all the things we face. Nothing is too difficult for him.

My prayer: Lord, I choose to trust you today with the things I cannot change in my life. Whether it’s finances, or a relationship that is in need of healing, I trust you. Instead of worrying about what is out of my control, I will do my part and leave the rest with you. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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Matthew 6:19–24

Rob Dale — Sun, 13 May 2012 05:00:21 +0000

¹⁹“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

²²“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. ²³But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

²⁴“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Money

Did you know that the Bible speaks about money more than any other subject. I knew it, you might respond. All they want is my money.

Actually, that’s not true. What Jesus wants is all of you, including your money. He wants you to hold nothing back. He wants you to trust him with every part of your life. Your health, your desires, your family, and yes, your money.

Do you remember when you were a kid and someone gave you $5? It was a big deal. It wasn’t that long ago that my daughter’s eyes would light up when I handed them a $5. As they get older, it takes bigger bills to get those eyes to go wide. Even the $100 that might impress my daughters doesn’t do a heck of a lot for me. The older we get, the more we want.

1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” Notice it doesn’t say that money is the root of all kinds of evil. It says the love of money is.

We need to guard our hearts. It’s too easy to worship money. When we do, it controls us (just like anything that we worship can). Instead of using money to achieve all that God has called us to experience, we begin to ignore the call of God in order to gain more and more moolah.

My prayer: God, it is easy to want more. Help me to be content with what I have. When money comes my way, I want to always see it as a blessing from you. A blessing I receive so that I might be able to bless others. I begin with my tithe, which I freely give back to you. But, I choose not to stop there. Instead, I will use what I receive to honour you in all areas. Amen.

Until tomorrow

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Matthew 6:16–18

Rob Dale — Sat, 12 May 2012 05:00:12 +0000

¹⁶“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. ¹⁷But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Fasting

I realize that some of you reading these devotionals may not really understand what fasting is. Let me offer a very simple explanation of this spiritual discipline. Fasting is when you decide to abstain from something in order to devote more time to spiritual things. Usually, this involves skipping a meal or a number of meals and devoting that time to prayer, Bible reading, etc.

Jesus doesn’t say, if you fast. He says, when you fast. In other words, Jesus assumed that his followers would practice this spiritual discipline.

Fasting was common in Jesus’ day. For many of the Jewish people, it was seen as a way of getting spiritual “brownie points”. Again, their religious belief was that you had to perform certain rituals and follow specific regulations in order to be accepted by God. And so, when they would fast, they would cover their faces with ashes, and walk around as if they were in mourning. Fasting was a sacrificial practice and they made sure everyone knew that they were sacrificing food in order to gain God’s approval.

Jesus comes along and teaches something radically different. You don’t have to do anything, including fasting, in order to be accepted by God. In fact, it’s already taken care of. You ARE accepted by God. And so, when you fast, see the discipline not as a ritual to gain God’s approval, but as an act of surrender and celebration of all that God has done for you. Fast a meal, or a couple of meals, and dedicate that time to celebrating what God has done in your life. That’s why he tells them to wash their faces and comb their hair. Other translations speak of pouring oil on your head. All of these things are done during seasons of celebration. They are done when you’re going to a party, not when you’re in mourning. Jesus is suggesting that fasting is an act of celebration with God.

My prayer: Lord, I can be guilty of ignoring this spiritual practice. And yet, it seems clear that fasting can be one of the most rewarding, intimate disciplines I can experience with you. When I fast a meal, I am recognizing that you are more than enough, and your presence can sustain me. Thank you for being my everything. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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Matthew 6:13–14

Rob Dale — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:00:37 +0000

¹⁴“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Forgiveness

It’s interesting to see just how many commentaries skip over these two verses. What Jesus says here seems to be so tough. If God’s grace is not based on anything that we do, then how can Jesus say that we can’t be forgiven if we don’t first forgive.

I’m not sure that’s exactly what he’s saying here. I do believe that God’s grace is extended freely. It is not based on anything we do (or don’t do). It is completely based on what Christ did for us.

However, God knows what unforgiveness does to us. It consumes us. Dominating our thoughts and actions. We become slaves to the bitterness and angry that flow out of unforgiveness. Left unchecked, that unwillingness to forgive a wrong done to us will cause us to be unable to receive forgiveness from others, including God. Our hearts grow hard and our eyes become blind to the notion of grace.

I’ve seen it happen far too often to far too many people. It’s why the Bible is so clear on this: we must extend forgiveness to others. It’s not so that they can get off without consequences. It’s so that our hearts can be free of the wrong doing they may have done against us.

Forgiveness is as much about us as it is about the person who has done the wrong. It’s hard to see that when we are in the midst of the hurt, but it’s such a clear principle in Scripture.

If you are holding bitterness or unforgiveness toward someone, release it. Be free from it. So that you might experience freedom.

My prayer: Lord, it’s hard sometimes. I don’t want to forgive some of the things done against me. And yet, when I look at you, I see someone who was mistreated, falsely accused, condemned to die. And yet, you forgave. You forgave … me. Give me the strength to forgive others. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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Matthew 6:9–13

Rob Dale — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:00:19 +0000

⁹Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,may your name be kept holy.
¹⁰May your Kingdom come soon.May your will be done on earth,as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today the food we need,
¹²and forgive us our sins,as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³And don’t let us yield to temptation,but rescue us from the evil one.

The Lord’s Prayer

I didn’t grow up in a tradition where we recited this prayer. Heck, I didn’t grow up in any religious tradition. And so, there was a time when I would shake my head at those who did recite this prayer, as if the words found within it were a magical formula.

I’ve changed my tune on this one a little bit. Today, when I hear people recite the words of this prayer, I find myself joining in. There is something beautiful with what Jesus says within these words.

Having said that, it was never Jesus’ intention for us to recite a prayer. Far too many people quote these words, but never stop to think about what is being prayed. It has become a formula for many people.

Jesus wasn’t giving us a script to recite. He was showing us that prayer was a personal conversation with God, our father. And, he was demonstrating the different aspects of prayer.

We find in these words statements of worship, submission,provision, compassion and protection.. This prayer begins with worship to God, the Holy One. It moves into submission to his will in our lives. We then find a prayer for the needs we experience. Next is prayer for those around us. Finally, there is prayer for strength when temptation comes.

Do your prayers include all of these elements? Not every prayer needs to have every thing found here, but these are all things we should be praying about from time to time. Why not take a few minutes and consider each of these areas. Pray them.

My prayer: God, thank you for who you are. You are worthy of all worship. Throughout this day, I pray for your will to be done in my life. May I not be caught up in my own desires, but rather in doing what you’ve called me to do. You know my needs. I pray that you would provide all that I may need this day. Bless those I come into contact with. Help me to represent you well. And guard my heart against the things that try to steal it away. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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Matthew 6:5–8

Rob Dale — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:00:57 +0000

⁵“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

⁷“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.⁸Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

Prayer

There is nothing that a Christ follower can do more to succeed spiritually than prayer. Prayer is our lifeline to God. It is the key to experiencing his presence. And yet, far too many Christians admit to having little or no prayer life. Why do we struggle so much with prayer?

I think it’s because we make it too complicated. Jesus takes time to focus in on prayer and how to pray. Tomorrow, we’ll look at “The Lord’s Prayer”, but today’s passage challenges us on how we perceive prayer.

Jesus isn’t speaking against corporate prayer times. He isn’t saying that we should never pray publicly. What he is saying is that public prayer shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity to show off how spiritual we are. I’ve seen that happen. Some people like to “preach pray”. Their prayers are sermons. If you listen to what they’re saying, you realize that they are not really talking to God, they’re preaching at people who are listening to the prayer. It’s a show.

We should see prayer for what it truly is: communication with God. Notice I didn’t say “to” God, because prayer goes both ways. When we pray, we should make time to hear from God as much as we spend time speaking to God.

Jesus speaks about finding a private place to pray. Old Timers called this their “prayer closet”. For some, it was a literal closet! The point is that we need to have those moments during the day when we shut out everything else and focus in on our relationship with God. A place where the distractions are minimized so that we can engage with God. Do you have such a place? If not, why not start?

My prayer: Lord, it’s actually quite amazing. You are the Creator of all things. There are Billions of people who want to talk with you every day. And yet, you have time for me, if I will make time for you. Wow. Forgive me that I don’t seem to pray enough. That other things come in and distract my attention. Today, I ask that you would be my distraction. Let your presence overwhelm me throughout my day. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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