I love these verses. The world tells us to gather wealth and possessions, but Jesus says that we should store up treasure in heaven instead. For a long time, I didn't really understand what that meant. Earthly treasures are things like money, gold, material possessions and other valuables. But how do you store up treasure in heaven? I think every time that you pray, worship, read your Bible, serve others and do things for God’s glory, you are storing up treasure in heaven.
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Anything that involved denying your comfort is very counter-cultural in today's society. Jesus said 'when' you fast, not 'if' you fast, so he assumes that Christians will fast. The purpose of fasting is to deny yourself something so that you can spend time with or serving God. I have practiced fasting by missing dinner on Bible Study nights. Fasting isn't easy, but it's worth it.
Matthew 6:1-4 says, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 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.
When we do something kind, we want to boast and tell other people about our good deeds.If we do, our reward is our good reputation. But Jesus that if we do our good deeds in secret, God will reward us. I think a reward from God is far better than human recognition. Challenge: Do as many anonymous random acts of kindness as you can this week. Matthew 5:43-48 says, You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’ But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that! You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
The world says that we should love our friends and hate our enemies, but God’s way is counter-cultural and says we should love our enemies. Jesus says that if we only love our friends, we are no different to the rest of the world. Loving each other, including our enemies is what sets us apart. Let's be honest, loving your enemies is hard. Here are some verses from the Bible that tell us how to do it: PRAY FOR THEM Matthew 5:44 Pray for those who persecute you. DO GOOD TO THEM Luke 6:27 Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. BLESS THEM Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. The Greek word for bless used here literally means to say good things about them. Hating people doesn't just hurt them, it harms your soul too. So love your enemies - it's good for God, good for them, and good for you. When we're angry or upset with someone, our natural instinct is to grumble and complain about them. The Bible says to bless them and speak well about them instead of cursing them. |
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