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Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

2/27/2020

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In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus astounds the crowds with His preaching, today I would like to focus on the famous verse:
'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.' Matthew 6:33

The 'all these things' specifically refers to food, drink, clothing, a spouse, a home, a job etc all the things we need in life. 

The Old Testament book of Haggai others a great illustration as to what happens when people fail to put God first. In chapter 1 verses 2 though to 13 the people of Judah are putting their own well-being first and are neglecting the works of the Lord and
God basically says look how hard you're working and yet you are not getting ahead. It's as if you are putting your wages in a bag full of holes! God is not only refusing to bless them, He is actively working against them.
Let's read...


 '2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built. 3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. 9 Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord. 13 Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord.' Haggai 1:2-13
 

Just as these people were doing, many seek after their own prosperity and desires first and are more interested in their own welfare. But we should always put the things of God first.
We should put The Lord Jesus Christ first.

If God is against you, if God is not blessing you, you simply can not get ahead.
You will fail. You will experience one set back after another.
But if we seek first the kingdom of God, He will bless us.

Many people go to college or university to learn a trade or skill set that will allow them to make a living and d
on't get me wrong I am for working hard to get ahead 'Six days shalt thou labour,'
the Bible says, 
But we need to first learn how to live our lives and then focus on how to make a living.

If you know how to live you will always be able to make a living.

God knows of our needs. He knows we have bills to pay and that we need food and shelter and He promises to provide for us when we walk with Him. 

Many people, Christians even, will put their career first. Once again, I'm not saying not to study hard and strive for a better job, 'learn the skills to pay the bills as it where' what I'm saying is before you do all that, pray to God daily, read your Bible daily, do some kind of evangelising (reaching the lost) or work within the Church and put the Lord first.

God can make you fail in any aspect of life.
In verse 5 of our chosen chapter God says 'consider your ways'
Verse 7 He says  'consider your ways.'


We've all had times in our lives where God has just blown upon our plans (verse 9)
Sometimes God will not let us succeed at something to keep us humble, yes that can happen too, but most of the time when you fail in life it's because you're not right with God.
I can tell you from experience (when I wasn't considering my ways and had my priorities all wrong) that if God doesn't want you to succeed at something, there is nothing you can do to get ahead.
No matter how hard you work or how good you think you are, If God wants you to fail you're going to fail. God can blow upon your plans anytime He wants.

If God is working against you it is impossible to succeed.
Whereas if God is with you and is blessing you it is impossible not to succeed.

In verse 13 when the people repent (change) it pleases the Lord and He simply says those beautiful words  'I am with you' that is all we need in life! God to say 'I am with you.'

From there the spouse you've always wanted, the home you need, the ability to earn an income that will provide your essential needs will be given to you. 

Don't get so busy with the things of this world that your walk with God suffers. God is the one that gives you the power, talent and ability to succeed. I'm not talking about some fake prosperity gospel that says 'hey touch the screen and send in $1000 and God will bless you!' I'm saying that if you do right by God and put Him first then God will provide for you your everyday needs.

God will give you what you need. He will give you the talent and ability to do well at work and get ahead in life. I've experienced more of His blessings recently myself, as I've learned to put God firmly in first place in my life.

If God says I'm with you that is all you need. '...If God be for us, who can be against us?' Romans 8:31 If God is on your side nothing can fail, nothing can end in defeat for you.

So we need to spend more time working on cultivating our walk with God rather than trying to get ahead on our own merits.

Many people might think I just want to do a few things in my life first and seek the Lord later on.
But the Bible says '
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,' if you're a young person reading this don't put off getting saved now thinking you can do so down the track. Remember '...seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you' Get your priorities right!

If you're not saved, get saved today. Make the decision to call on the Lord Jesus Christ as your saviour by putting all your trust and faith in what He has already done for you and you will be given eternal life. If you're saved but not putting God first in your life then now is the time to do so.

Don't neglect the local Church, in the New Testament it's not a physical building but a group of believers. Don't get so busy with the cares of this life that you neglect your true purpose and your walk with God. You need God's blessings.
If God is on your side you are always going to conquer. You will always have the victory.

As we see in verse 11 God can make farms fail to produce, He can send droughts and floods whenever He chooses.
If people forget the Lord God they are in danger of suffering any number of disasters in their lives.
Get right with God and all things you need will be added to you.

...all things work together for good to them that love God,

Finally, It's not just the things we do in our actions that counts but how we feel in our heart.
God needs to have the preeminence in our hearts and minds.
He must increase and we must decrease.

God must come first. If you're a Christian that should be the first way you identify yourself.

In my case Christian first, husband second.
Christian first, son second.
Christian first, brother second.
Christian first, friend second.
Christian first, business owner second,
Christian first, soccer coach second etc etc


'He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.' Matthew 10:37
This is a clear command in the Bible, to put God first, in doing so you will become better at those other things as God will bless you.

God love us, He cares about us. He wants to bless us.
It is an incredible thing we enter into when we get saved, we enter into a loving relationship with God who truly loves us and wants to see us succeed.


'But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.'
Philippians 4:19



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God's Plan B for our lives

2/1/2020

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When I was young, I did a lot of stupid things. Nothing exceedingly wicked or sinful but just stupid, dumb things that unsaved people do. I guess my philosophy was to eat, drink and be merry.
I tried to live life well, stay in the present and to do right unto others and hopefully they would do right unto me in return. I always believed in God but didn’t truly know Jesus Christ.


I was brought up in a lukewarm Christian environment, officially our religion was Anglican, but in real terms we would only occasionally discuss religious matters on special occasions like Christmas and Easter, meanwhile all the school’s I attended were very secular.


For years I suppose you could say I prayed to a God I didn’t truly know. God of course, in His foreknowledge knew I would come to Him by faith later on and so I strongly believe He kept me safe and protected in those early years of my life.
​
So, I didn’t have a solid grounding or a strong foundation to anchor myself to, subsequently I didn’t see things through the lens of faith and made the mistakes that any lost, young person with a fair amount of freedom would make.


I used to go out and party and drink alcohol not because it was really that fun or entertaining but as a way to try and fit in and be accepted, likewise I used to think that chasing female attention at parties and bars was ok as that was a vehicle to potentially meet a girlfriend who may end up being my wife, I kind of thought there was always some random element to meeting Miss Right but it never worked out that way for me.

There is a Paul Kelly song that says I did all the dumb things and I can totally relate to that song!    
I even pawned my rings as it where, if it meant I could go out with my friends on a Friday or Saturday night rather than staying in, saving what money I had, reading a book, doing something productive, taking stock and waking up refreshed the next day.
I seemed to have a fear of missing out. Really what I was missing out on was a loving relationship with Jesus and a group of committed Christian friends to help guide me through.


Naturally, there was a fair share of disappointment and failure as well, but I say to you don’t just throw in the towel after every major failure. For God always has a Plan B for our lives.

You may have missed out on God’s perfect will for your life, but God can always use you.
You may have done irreparable damage, but there is always a place to for you in His Family, in the Church, in this great community of believers.

Look, whether you like it or not God is going to use you one way or another.                       
Whether that be to use you as a kind of byword as how not to live your life, for example If you’re not saved and are living a worldly, sinful life God may use you to demonstrate to a Christian looking in, how not to do things or if you’re a saved believer, serving God and trying to live your best life possible, He may use you as an example of someone living life well, according to His ways. He may bestow extra blessings on you if He feels it will draw more people to Him.

This is the God we serve; He is a God of love; He is a God of wrath and He is also a jealous God.

‘(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.’
Deuteronomy 6:1

 
Now there are consequences for our actions, for instance a divorced person could not still be the Pastor of a Church. For the Bible says ‘A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;’ 1 Timothy 3:2
Some people mistakenly think that plan A is still on the table, when they have moved past that option now.

God is the perfect judge so your Plan B might not be someone else’s Plan B but there is always hope though prayer and repentance when you’re a child of God.

The story of Samson is a great illustration of someone who messed up big time and missed out on the ultimate rewards in his physical life but in the end, he defeated his enemies and so God’s plan B for him still worked out well.

‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.’ Proverbs 24:16

To the saved person who is perhaps backslidden, I want to encourage you to get back up and get right with God. You can serve Him in a different capacity than you once envisaged but get up and get back in the fight for we are outnumbered down here, and we need you!

I say to you, don’t go back to the trash. There is still so much work to do in reaching the lost and many rewards for you should you come back onboard.

To the unsaved person, I say please, before it's too late, come to God through Jesus Christ and secure your eternal destiny today.
We serve a risen saviour He’s in the world today!

I may of done a lot of stupid things in my younger life, things that I am sorry about and regret and I’m sure there were lots of good things I did too, but the one thing I got 100% correct was calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I’m here to tell you that there is nothing as exhilarating or liberating as being in fellowship with the Lord and walking in the light with Him. There is nothing more enlightening than having the Holy Spirit inside you leading you into all truth. I now have God’s very own DNA running through my veins and you can have it too!

‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Romans 10:13

My friend, Jesus didn’t just pay for the sins you’ve already committed, You might have moved passed God’s perfect plan for your life and that's ok, Jesus paid for sins you will commit past, present and future.
'But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.' Romans 5:8
​

When Jesus Christ died on that cross over 2000 years ago, you hadn’t committed any sins or done anything wrong yet! My point is His sacrifice covers every sin you’ve ever committed or ever will if you’ll simply call upon Him by faith alone. Just accept His free gift, and except it through faith, this is the Good News. This is the Gospel.


If someone gives you a gift and you agree to receive it there is no work on your behalf involved.    You simply accept the free gift, receive it gratefully and enjoy the fruits of it. That is the best picture of Salvation I can give. God offers you a gift, completely paid for and you receive it.

It is that simple. The very moment in time you call on Christ as your Saviour is the moment you are set free from the bondage of sin. All your sins then, past, present and future are forgiven.
‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ Ephesians 2:8-9


Once you make that call by faith alone through trusting in Christ alone you enter God’s Family.
You are saved and can never lose your salvation. It’s done! You will no doubt still sin, mess up from time to time and God will have to bring you down a notch or two when you do, but you have been reborn, regenerated spiritually and have complete security in Christ.


‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
Romans 8:38-39


And to end with a bit more of my own testimony, I’m sure that if all had of gone perfectly in my younger life and someone had of given me the Gospel of Jesus Christ at a young age, I would have lived life very differently. Maybe I would have married young, had kids and gone onto pastor some idyllic Country Church somewhere! But likewise, I wouldn’t have met the people I did and had the experiences I’ve had so far. I wouldn’t have met my wife who I love, be able to attend and serve in a great Church and perhaps wouldn’t live in such a beautiful place as I do now.
God has been so very generous to me throughout my life, particularly after coming to Him through the Blood of His Perfect Son, almost 4 years ago now.


So maybe this life as some kind of Singer/songwriter, Evangelist and Preacher is God’s plan B for me. Well it’s a very good Plan B and I thank Him daily. And I know that I’m going to be a lot better at getting people saved if I’m living a better/cleaner life myself.

​If I mess it up though I’ll be sure to get back up again and have a go at Plan C, Plan D, Plan E etc and this is the message I’d like to finish with here, if you’re a Christian and you’re still breathing God’s air, God can still use you mightily.
So why not go and give a lost person the Gospel today? Pull them out of the fire and show them God’s incredible and life changing Love.


‘Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.’
2 Corinthians 9:15

 

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    Written by Phillip Ragan

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