August 23rd 2015
Are You Living Like You’re
Dying!
Matthew 26:41 (NIV)
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Lyrics from a song I heard recently, entitled “Live Like You’re Dyin!”
Well I finally read the good book, and took a good long hard look at what I’d do. If I could do it all again. And then.
Like tomorrow was a gift and you’ve got eternity to think about what you do with it, what could you do with it, what can I do with with it, what would I do with it?
Do you live each day as though it is you’re last day to be living on this earth? Many of those reading this may know, the words to this song, but maybe you do not really identify with the sentiment of it. In this song the writer has been given some very bad news, and their life is going to soon end. As Christians we are chided to live our lives in this way too. In this song the premise is for this person to do things they have wanted to do, but they were too busy to complete their “bucket list,” so to speak! We do have eternity to deal with, but we must depart this life to enter that realm.
In the selected verse Jesus is praying for a reprieve from God His Father to take away the cup, or the requirement for Jesus to die for our (your) sins. Jesus chose some Apostles to accompany Him, when He went away to pray, and each time when He returned they were sleeping. If you had been chosen to go with Jesus to pray, would you be able to stay awake? When you attend a worship service at the church of your choice, do you worship Jesus? Are you awake to the possibility of being there to adore Jesus, and to thank Him for dying in your place?
Do you "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Jesus taught His disciples how to pray at their request. And of course, He taught them the prayer we refer to as The Lord’s Prayer. In this prayer Jesus warns them about being tempted by Satan, and thus being led astray. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:13) Many people do not really believe that there is an entity roaming this earth that is intent on causing you to lose your immortal soul. Even though Jesus not only talked about Satan, Jesus even met with him, and was tempted by Satan.
In this prayer Jesus taught us, it also makes clear that our forgiveness is predicated on our ability to forgive the people who may sin against us in some way. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’" (Luke 11:4) This is a very difficult command to follow, as forgiveness can be hard to do for us human beings. If someone does something that really hurts us it is very difficult to forgive them. It may help to remember what Jesus said about how we may be judging the offenders motives, and condemning their actions directed against us. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37) Is there someone you need to forgive? We are told the burden is taken off the person who is forgiving, not the one being forgiven!
Satan always tells us not to forgive anyone who has offended us, and when we believe it, then we can be shackled to our unforgiving attitude, and thus, trapping us in our attitude of superiority over the person who we do not want to forgive. Most of us likely believe that we cannot forgive and forget something that someone did to us. Please remember that is exactly what Jesus did for us to save us from our sins. Jesus’ sacrifice offers to us grace to cover our sins. So we should try to consider offering our grace to someone who has offended us.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. (2 Peter 1:3-9)
We are all tempted to not be willing to offer forgiveness and there may be someone who is unwilling to forgive you for something you did to them. As for you, work on your ability to forgive and forget any offences that have been perpetrated on you, and try to communicate with anyone who you may have offended in the hope of gaining their forgiveness, which will release them from being burdened by their inability to forgive.
Paul wrote about temptation and how we can get relief through the faithfulness of God to help us find a way out, so we can avoid falling to such a temptation. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1Corinthians 10:13) Therefore, stand up for Jesus, and He will not let you down!
Rely on the Holy Spirit, because “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Matthew 26:41 (NIV)
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Lyrics from a song I heard recently, entitled “Live Like You’re Dyin!”
Well I finally read the good book, and took a good long hard look at what I’d do. If I could do it all again. And then.
Like tomorrow was a gift and you’ve got eternity to think about what you do with it, what could you do with it, what can I do with with it, what would I do with it?
Do you live each day as though it is you’re last day to be living on this earth? Many of those reading this may know, the words to this song, but maybe you do not really identify with the sentiment of it. In this song the writer has been given some very bad news, and their life is going to soon end. As Christians we are chided to live our lives in this way too. In this song the premise is for this person to do things they have wanted to do, but they were too busy to complete their “bucket list,” so to speak! We do have eternity to deal with, but we must depart this life to enter that realm.
In the selected verse Jesus is praying for a reprieve from God His Father to take away the cup, or the requirement for Jesus to die for our (your) sins. Jesus chose some Apostles to accompany Him, when He went away to pray, and each time when He returned they were sleeping. If you had been chosen to go with Jesus to pray, would you be able to stay awake? When you attend a worship service at the church of your choice, do you worship Jesus? Are you awake to the possibility of being there to adore Jesus, and to thank Him for dying in your place?
Do you "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Jesus taught His disciples how to pray at their request. And of course, He taught them the prayer we refer to as The Lord’s Prayer. In this prayer Jesus warns them about being tempted by Satan, and thus being led astray. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:13) Many people do not really believe that there is an entity roaming this earth that is intent on causing you to lose your immortal soul. Even though Jesus not only talked about Satan, Jesus even met with him, and was tempted by Satan.
In this prayer Jesus taught us, it also makes clear that our forgiveness is predicated on our ability to forgive the people who may sin against us in some way. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’" (Luke 11:4) This is a very difficult command to follow, as forgiveness can be hard to do for us human beings. If someone does something that really hurts us it is very difficult to forgive them. It may help to remember what Jesus said about how we may be judging the offenders motives, and condemning their actions directed against us. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37) Is there someone you need to forgive? We are told the burden is taken off the person who is forgiving, not the one being forgiven!
Satan always tells us not to forgive anyone who has offended us, and when we believe it, then we can be shackled to our unforgiving attitude, and thus, trapping us in our attitude of superiority over the person who we do not want to forgive. Most of us likely believe that we cannot forgive and forget something that someone did to us. Please remember that is exactly what Jesus did for us to save us from our sins. Jesus’ sacrifice offers to us grace to cover our sins. So we should try to consider offering our grace to someone who has offended us.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. (2 Peter 1:3-9)
We are all tempted to not be willing to offer forgiveness and there may be someone who is unwilling to forgive you for something you did to them. As for you, work on your ability to forgive and forget any offences that have been perpetrated on you, and try to communicate with anyone who you may have offended in the hope of gaining their forgiveness, which will release them from being burdened by their inability to forgive.
Paul wrote about temptation and how we can get relief through the faithfulness of God to help us find a way out, so we can avoid falling to such a temptation. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1Corinthians 10:13) Therefore, stand up for Jesus, and He will not let you down!
Rely on the Holy Spirit, because “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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