Afrikan
Post
September
Putting God First: A Study of Matthew 6:19-33 Having Proper Spiritual Priorities Verses 22-23 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
In these verses Jesus talks about our vision. How This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning is your vision? Do you see things clearly and in of the season of Lent. During the 40 days and six focus? When I was growing up, I was the only Sundays of Lent, we remind ourselves of the suf- one in our family without glasses. My sister’s fering and sacrifice that Jesus paid. But we should eyesight is so bad that without corrective lenses, also ask what we can sacrifice for God. These she’s considered legally blind. And my brother verses in Matthew 6 reveal to us how we need to began wearing glasses at a young age. So I was be willing to change our focus and put God first very proud that my eyesight was so good. But as in our life. the years have progressed, I have had to start using reading glasses for things that are close. Verses 19-21 And it helps if I turn on the reading lamp. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves If we want to have clear spiritual vision, we need break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treas- to look through the lens of God’s word and we ures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust con- need to have the light of God’s Spirit shining in sumes and where thieves do not break in and our heart -- let the Bible be our glasses and the steal. For where your treasure is, there will your Spirit be our reading light. Notice how Jesus tells heart be also. us our vision affects the whole body. When we don’t see things clearly, we are in darkness. Jesus The treasures of this world are fleeting, but the adds the words, “how great is the darkness!” If treasures of the next world are eternal. We will you pursue the things of this world, you will live have to spend some time on the treasures of this in great spiritual darkness. world in order to provide for our family and our needs, but Christ’s message is that our real treas- In 1857 John Lange wrote, “...false spirituality ure is in heaven. Let us not spend so much time in always has its root in worldliness: It’s source is earthly pursuits that we neglect the spiritual treas- secretly cherished worldliness; it is essentially a ure that God offers us. manifestation of the carnal mind....” Let us learn to take our eyes off of the world, and place them When I was a teenager, I had an older friend who on Christ. Let us in every endeavor, in every was an avid hunter. He told me about one time activity, and in every moment to put God first in when he was out alone in a quiet, secluded area our life. grown over with vegetation. As he surveyed his pristine surroundings, he wondered if he was the Verse 24 first human who had ever entered this space. He No one can serve two masters; for either he will looked around examining the area, and to his sur- hate the one and love the other, or he will be prise he noticed that covered over with plant life devoted to the one and despise the other. You was the outline of a foundation of some previous cannot serve God and mammon. dwelling. And as he looked further, he noticed what appeared to be the remains of a very old The Greek word used here for mammon means automobile rusted over, sunk into the ground, and worldly riches. There are two masters struggling hidden by trees and bushes. He realized his pris- for control of our time and our commitment -tine area wasn’t as uninhabited as he had imagGod and worldly riches. Whom do you serve? Is ined. Instead, it had been reclaimed by the plants, God more important to you than the wealth and the elements, and the harsh weather. Our posses- the possessions this world has to offer? The treassions in this life are fleeting. ures of heaven far exceed anything we can conceive or imagine. Let us not be torn between two How we spend our time in this life is all a matter masters. Let us be willing to serve God and put of priorities. We can put our own desires and him first. wants first, or we can put God first. Notice that in verse 21 Jesus tells us that “where your treasure Have you ever observed that those who walk the is, there will your heart be also.” The attitude of tightrope at the circus always look straight ahead our heart determines what is important in our life. while on the rope? They never look down at the If God is important in our life, we will want to rope or the crowd. They know that if they were to seek treasures in heaven. do that, they would lose concentration and be in danger of falling. So it is in our Christian walk. Davis wrote, “Oh, my congregation, let us treat We must keep our eyes focused on God and spirigold and silver and precious stones as toys, and tual matters. When we look down at the treasures let us treat moral goodness, spiritual beauty, right- or pleasures of the world, we will surely fall. eousness of heart, Christlikeness, Godlikeness, as Verses 25-26 our only treasures worthy the name!” Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall
The one area that provides young couples with more anxiety and worry than any other is finances. God doesn’t want us to be foolish and not provide for our family, but often we overspend and run up our debts because we are too impatient to wait until we are able to afford the things that we want. The problem is that our priorities are wrong. God doesn’t want us to be seeking the treasures of this world. All we need are the necessities -- food, clothing, shelter. God may bless us and give us the finances to afford more, but as long as God takes care of the necessities, we shouldn’t be anxious about the rest.
Christians spend a large part of their time seeking money and possessions, but God wants us to have a different priority. The futility of riches is stated plainly in two places: here in Matthew 6:20, and in IRS form 1040. Every year at this time, we realize that we are not as rich as we thought we were.
Jesus reminds us to look at the birds of the air. They don’t worry about the necessities of life, and neither should we. God will provide as long as we are faithful to him. He takes care of the birds, and how much more valuable are we who are his children!
2011
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Nollywood Actress Eucharia Turns Evangelist
Eucharia Anunobi
Star actress Eucharia Anunobi has reportedly repented and turned into an evangelist. In the past three years that she has been divorced Matthew Henry points out, “...this is an encour- from her husband, Eucharia has slowed agement to us to trust God for food and raidown in the screenbusiness. ment, and so to ease ourselves of all perplexing cares about them. God has given us life, and The reason behind her sabbatical has given us the body; it was an act of power, it remained hidden to people, as the was an act of favour, it was done without our glamour lady has managed to stay away care: what cannot he do for us, who did that? -- from Nollywood scene. The one time sexy what will he not? If we take care about our woman who liked to dress in skimpy souls and eternity, which are more than the outfits is no longer found in such revealing body, and its life, we may leave it to God to dresses. provide for us food and raiment, which are less. God has maintained our lives hitherto; if some- Going by the information gathered from times with pulse and water, that has answered inside sources, Eucharia has changed her the end; he has protected us and kept us alive. lifestyle, surrendered to Jesus Christ and He that guards us against the evils we are become an evangelist. exposed to, will supply us with the good things we are in need of.” As gathered, the gorgeous actress now moves from one church to the other, preachVerse 27 ing the gospel of the Lord. And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? Her new found faith is said to be taking most of her time, as she has reduced her frequenCan you add one day to your life by worrying cy in movie making business to make time about it? We know that God has appointed a for her preaching activities. time for each one of us. So why do we get so anxious about the cares of this life? Our life is Source: Peacefmonline.com ultimately in God’s hands. We need to realize that, and it will make our life much more peaceful and happy. The Span of Days My days are shorter than a span; A little point my life appears; How frail at best is dying man! How vain are all his hopes and fears! Source:.Hurtingchristian.org
TO BE CONTINUED