B-A-C
Loyal
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2008
- Messages
- 11,227
A major theme of the New testament is that we are to keep moving forward, keep growing. To let go of our past, and not to hold on to the things that drag us down.
Luke 9:62; But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Once God puts you in ministry, that's where you need to stay. I once tried plowing a field the old fashioned way. Two horses and an old steel middle buster plow. Talk about hard work.
I was young and in pretty good shape back in those days, but.... It didn't take long to figure out that was hard work. It makes you wonder how people did all this before farm machinery.
Sometimes, doing the work of God.. is hard work. Loving people isn't always easy. Compassion for those who spite you can be difficult. Praying for our enemies can be tough sometimes.
Just talking to selfish immature people can be a trial sometimes. But we told to love one another, and pray for our enemies. Sometimes it gets to be overwhelming. But trials build character
and endurance.
Matt 5:39; "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Matt 5:40; "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
Matt 5:41; "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
Matt 5:44; "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matt 5:45; so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matt 5:46; "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
If we only love those who love us... what reward is there? Even sinners do that. Sometimes the road of life is hard.
Luke 17:31; "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.
Luke 17:32; "Remember Lot's wife.
Luke 17:33; "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
One day Jesus is coming back. When He comes you better be ready. Your lamp better have oil in it. It's too late to turn back now. We all know the story of Lot's wife, she stopped to
look back and got turned into a pillar of salt. Sometimes life is good and we get too attached to things. Lot's wife turned back to reminisce about the "good ole days". Maybe things
she had in her house. Maybe friends she had. But she paid the price for looking back.
Matt 6:19; "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
Matt 6:20; "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
Matt 6:21; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
An old bumper sticker I used to see sometimes said.. "He who has the most toys wins". That seems to be the philosophy of the world these days.
God's been good, I have a nice house, a new car, maybe boat, motorcycle, jet-ski, snow-mobiles, if you' really wealthy maybe a couple of mansions a
yacht and a private jet. But you can't take it with you when you die. All that stuff you spent you're life accumulating is going to someone else when you die.
Luke 12:33; "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
Luke 12:34; "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:35; "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.
Don't get too attached to your worldly possessions. One day they will wear out. It will all turn to rust unless Jesus comes back first. Don't be so busy getting things you want
that you can't do the things that matter to God. There's nothing wrong with having "stuff", but often it gets to the point where our stuff has us. We can't go to church on Sundays
anymore because I have to work overtime to pay for all those toys.
2Pet 3:10; But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
2Pet 3:11; Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
2Pet 3:12; looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
2Pet 3:13; But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
One day everything on this world will be burned up. All the private jets, mansions, yachts, motorcycles, all the huge magnificent sky-scrapers, and all the man made monuments.
The Eiffel tower, the statue of liberty, even the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro. The great pyamids, the St Louis arch, the Sydney Opera house... It's all going to be burned up one day.
Don't get too attached, don't look back.
Luke 12:15; Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
Luke 12:16; And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive.
Luke 12:17; "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'
Luke 12:18; "Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
Luke 12:19; 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'
Luke 12:20; "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'
Luke 12:21; "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
I've seen this happen right before my eyes, a man in our church had about a dozen old antique cars he had for decades. They had already increased in value probably at
least 5 or times for every vehicles. But that wasn't enough, if he waited a little longer, he could get more money for them. He died a few years back. His daughter sold
all those cars off at a fraction of what they were worth, just to get rid of them. What are you holding onto? Where is your treasure?
Luke 18:22; When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Luke 18:23; But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
Luke 18:24; And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!
Some of us aren't rich by the world's standards. But we have things we love. Our pets, our musical instruments, our friends... in some cases even our spouses and children we love more
than we love God. The simple fact is, not all of everyone children will make it. Not everyone's spouse will make it. Not all our friends will make it.
Don't hold on too tight. Don't get too attached. Don't look back.
Luke 9:62; But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Once God puts you in ministry, that's where you need to stay. I once tried plowing a field the old fashioned way. Two horses and an old steel middle buster plow. Talk about hard work.
I was young and in pretty good shape back in those days, but.... It didn't take long to figure out that was hard work. It makes you wonder how people did all this before farm machinery.
Sometimes, doing the work of God.. is hard work. Loving people isn't always easy. Compassion for those who spite you can be difficult. Praying for our enemies can be tough sometimes.
Just talking to selfish immature people can be a trial sometimes. But we told to love one another, and pray for our enemies. Sometimes it gets to be overwhelming. But trials build character
and endurance.
Matt 5:39; "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Matt 5:40; "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
Matt 5:41; "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
Matt 5:44; "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matt 5:45; so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matt 5:46; "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
If we only love those who love us... what reward is there? Even sinners do that. Sometimes the road of life is hard.
Luke 17:31; "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.
Luke 17:32; "Remember Lot's wife.
Luke 17:33; "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
One day Jesus is coming back. When He comes you better be ready. Your lamp better have oil in it. It's too late to turn back now. We all know the story of Lot's wife, she stopped to
look back and got turned into a pillar of salt. Sometimes life is good and we get too attached to things. Lot's wife turned back to reminisce about the "good ole days". Maybe things
she had in her house. Maybe friends she had. But she paid the price for looking back.
Matt 6:19; "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
Matt 6:20; "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
Matt 6:21; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
An old bumper sticker I used to see sometimes said.. "He who has the most toys wins". That seems to be the philosophy of the world these days.
God's been good, I have a nice house, a new car, maybe boat, motorcycle, jet-ski, snow-mobiles, if you' really wealthy maybe a couple of mansions a
yacht and a private jet. But you can't take it with you when you die. All that stuff you spent you're life accumulating is going to someone else when you die.
Luke 12:33; "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
Luke 12:34; "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:35; "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.
Don't get too attached to your worldly possessions. One day they will wear out. It will all turn to rust unless Jesus comes back first. Don't be so busy getting things you want
that you can't do the things that matter to God. There's nothing wrong with having "stuff", but often it gets to the point where our stuff has us. We can't go to church on Sundays
anymore because I have to work overtime to pay for all those toys.
2Pet 3:10; But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
2Pet 3:11; Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
2Pet 3:12; looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
2Pet 3:13; But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
One day everything on this world will be burned up. All the private jets, mansions, yachts, motorcycles, all the huge magnificent sky-scrapers, and all the man made monuments.
The Eiffel tower, the statue of liberty, even the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro. The great pyamids, the St Louis arch, the Sydney Opera house... It's all going to be burned up one day.
Don't get too attached, don't look back.
Luke 12:15; Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
Luke 12:16; And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive.
Luke 12:17; "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'
Luke 12:18; "Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
Luke 12:19; 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'
Luke 12:20; "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'
Luke 12:21; "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
I've seen this happen right before my eyes, a man in our church had about a dozen old antique cars he had for decades. They had already increased in value probably at
least 5 or times for every vehicles. But that wasn't enough, if he waited a little longer, he could get more money for them. He died a few years back. His daughter sold
all those cars off at a fraction of what they were worth, just to get rid of them. What are you holding onto? Where is your treasure?
Luke 18:22; When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Luke 18:23; But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
Luke 18:24; And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!
Some of us aren't rich by the world's standards. But we have things we love. Our pets, our musical instruments, our friends... in some cases even our spouses and children we love more
than we love God. The simple fact is, not all of everyone children will make it. Not everyone's spouse will make it. Not all our friends will make it.
Don't hold on too tight. Don't get too attached. Don't look back.
