The Two Sides of Fear

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

Ac 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

 

Cornelius… a godly man who was a Gentile  who believed in the existence of a higher power. This “higher power” was to be feared. The word in the Greek is phobeo, from which we get the English word “Phobia.”

 

His idea of God was not a reverence for God but an alarming sense of fear!  When he thought of God, he was fearful of what God could  do to him and so he sought to please Him with good moral conduct that included generous almsgiving. Certainly  that would appease this phobia producing God!

 

God noted the misguided faith of Cornelius and determined that Cornelius had to be straightened out. He needed to see the “grace” side of God But there was more straightening out to do with the misguided notions of Peter concerning the Gentiles.

 

So, as the old saying goes,  God kills two birds with one stone as He sends Peter to Cornelius (the Gentile) to share the gospel and overcome Cornelius’s one sided fear filled view of God and Peter’s one-sided misguided view of the Gentiles!

 

When all was said and done, Cornelius and all the others gathered in his house are baptized by Peter, Their sins washed away in the waters of baptism, their phobia regarding God as a shaking in your boots kind of God, now come alongside the tempering grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness  of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

The Psalmist tells us of this “right” fear of God in Ps 130:4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. (revered, worshiped)

 

The holiness of God is never to be discarded, but because of Jesus we (Gentile and Jew alike) are allowed to approach God without terror through the blood of Jesus.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Keenly Interested In You

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

1Pe 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

 

Last time, we looked at the word “casting” in this verse. It means “to throw” and in order for anything to be a throw, it must be released from your grip.

 

But what are these “cares” that we are to release to Jesus? Again I went to the Strong’s Concordance to find out what these “cares” are. The word “cares” here means “distractions.”

 

That’s an eye opener. Cares are those distractions that live rent free in your thought life. They will often interrupt your daily routine, and set you off on a bunny trail of worry. This verse from 1 Peter goes a long way in helping to deal with these distractions.

When they pop up, remember to throw them at Jesus and remember He is eager to take them from you.

 

Why?

 

Because He “cares” for you.

 

And the word “cares” here means that He is “interested” in you! Imagine that! The Creator of the universe is “interested” in you. So when “distractions” show up today, know and believe that Jesus is interested in whatever is distracting you!

 

Pray the Holy Spirit will be quick to remind you of this verse. Restate it this way: “Throwing all my distractions of Jesus because He is keenly interested” in me.”

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

 

Throwing Vs Casting

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

1Pe 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

We have a small group of people who gather every Tuesday night for an hour of prayer at my home church. The immediate goal is to learn some things that God’s Word teaches us about prayer and of course to implement what we have been taught in our daily lives.

 

This week, we will be learning about God’s gracious invitation to cast our burdens onto Him as we learn from this verse in 1 Peter.

 

First of all, we need to know about casting, I think that the word casting  needs to be clarified. Fishermen cast their line into the water, but they don’t leave it there. They retrieve it, over and over again.

 

In that sense, “casting” is the perfect word  for many. We cast our burdens onto the Lord then reel them back in, time after time after time.

 

According to my “Strong’s Concordance though, the word used for casting means “throwing.” Do you see the difference? Put a football or baseball in your hand and throw it. It’s not a throw until you release it from your hand.

 

Think of your cares, your burdens as a ball. Throw them at Jesus confident that He will catch them and bear them with you. He said, in Mt 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

 

Let Him help you ease the burden and give your concerns a rest.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

The Prayer of the Beef Jerky Heart

 Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

Ps 119:83 For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, Yet I do not forget Your statutes.

 What a lament! I have been struggling of late to hear from God in my morning devotions. It’s been like a spiritual famine. My heart has become like a dried up piece of beef jerky, (a wineskin in smoke) but I am in good company as the Psalmist here was going through his own spiritual famine.

 

I think spiritual famines come upon all of us at one time or another. We read, we pray and it’s like the heavens turn to brass. It is the spiritual equivalent of a natural famine spoken of in De 28:23 "And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron.

 

What to do? God is still there! His Word has not lost any of its power. The psalmist here admits that he is in a dryspell, but he resolutely tells God that he will wait it out and while waiting, he will continue to follow God’s guidance (statutes)

 

Those guidelines found in God’s Word are there for a purpose. They help to keep us on the right path no matter the season.

 

They are that “lamp unto our feet” mentioned in Ps 119:105 NUN. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments.

 107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. 108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD This is the prayer of the beef jerky heart.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Post election results

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

Da 2:21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

 

On this morning after the presidential election in America, it appears Donald Trump was the winner and will return to the office that he held from 2016-2020.

 

Some of you will gloat, (please don’t) others will grumble, (please don’t) rather, based on this scripture from Daniel,  and  Ro 13:1 we ought to be thankful, and we ought to view all election results through the lens of the Word of God!

 

Rom 13:1 Says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

 

And incredibly,  not one ruler or king is immune to the will of God! God is able to turn the heart any which way He chooses. Pr 21:1 assures us, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

 

In the meantime let us pray for the winners! Pray that the Lord would grant wisdom and knowledge to all elected officials! Pray as we are encouraged to do in 1Ti 2:1-4 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

The Lord concerns Himself with the leaders of the land and their policies. Be thankful for them.  Pray for an atmosphere conducive to a quiet and peaceful life in the land. which are marks of the followers of Christ, and above all pray and work for revival in America for it is God’s ultimate desire that all men, Republicans, Democrats  and all others to come to the knowledge of truth.

 

The knowledge of God’s truth is simply this: We are all sinners in need of a Savior and God sent His only Son into the world for that purpose, Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Stones Have Ears

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

How many of you remember the “Pet Rock” craze of 1975? The rocks sold for 4 dollars apiece and came with a custom cardboard box complete with ventilation  holes and straw bedding imitating a pet carrier. The fad lasted six months and an  advertising executive (Gary Dahl) sold more than a million of them, becoming a millionaire overnight.

 

I want to spend a little time today on stones. Did you know stones have ears?

 

In Jos 24:27 – Joshua used a stone as a witness to a covenant that the Lord had made with the Israelites. He set the stone up by an oak tree and said, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God."

 

That stone heard what God had promised and what the people had promised and if God chooses, this stone could be called upon on the Last Day to testify!

We shouldn’t be surprised that God is able to call upon stones as witnesses! Jesus said in Lu 19:40 "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

 

Not only do rocks have ears, they can speak as well!

 

Makes me wonder about those stones the men were planning to toss at the woman caught in the act of adultery. They must’ve said something like “drop me.” Or “put me down!” Because none of them were without sin!

 

We pick up the story in  Joh 8:10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"  11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

 

Those stones on  the ground testify that He did not condemn the woman and they also heard His charge to the woman to not commit adultery again. Go and sin no more.

 

As Ro 8:1 says, “ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

 

The Path of Love

 Ps 119:33  Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.

As I read this portion of Scripture I found myself wondering why are statutes plural and “way” singular? Why didn’t the Psalmist say I shall keep “them” (the statutes) to the end instead of I shall keep it? Same thing in verse 35 concerning the commandments!

 

The answer is fairly simple. The “way” or “path” of the Lord is love! The statutes and commandments are guidelines to keep us on the path of love!

 

In Mt 22:37 Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

 38 "This is the first and great commandment. 39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

 

Jesus narrowed the ten commandments from 10 to 2, and the two can be summed up in one word….love!

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

 

Obedience without love is ice cold pharisaical legalism and it profits nothing. No wonder the Psalmist  asks the Lord to keep him on the path of love!

 

Similarly, love without commandments is no holds barred hedonism.

 

Do you want to know how you are doing concerning the way of love? Look in the mirror of God’s Word. Jesus said  “if you love Me keep My commands.”(Jn 14:15)

 

The commandments are a measuring stick of your love of God and love of man. They show us how to demonstrate love to both.;