Hello everyone,
I hope you're having a great day.
Today we're going to read Matthew 5 and 6.
I will read it without saying the verse numbers so it flows more smoothly.
We're going to start with prayer and then we'll get reading.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for today.
Thank you that we have the opportunity to read your word and to learn more about you and about how we should live our lives.
I pray today that we'll get something new from what we read and that you will just guide us through your word.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Matthew chapter 5 When you demonstrate tender mercy,
For tender mercy will be demonstrated to you.
What bliss you experience when your heart is pure.
For then your eyes will open to see more and more of God.
How joyful you are when you make peace.
For then you will be recognized as a true child of God.
How enriched you are when you are persecuted for doing what is right.
For then you experience the realm of heaven's kingdom.
How blessed you are when people insult and persecute you and speak all kinds of cruel lies about you because of your love for me.
So leap for joy since your heavenly reward is great.
For you are being rejected the same way the prophets were before you.
Your lives are like salt among the people.
But if you,
Like salt,
Become bland,
How can your saltiness be restored?
Flavorless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled on by others.
Your lives light up the world.
For how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop?
Who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place?
Instead,
It's placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light.
So don't hide your light.
Let it shine brightly before others so that your commendable works will shine as light upon them.
And then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.
If you think that I've come to set aside the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets,
You're mistaken.
I have come to bring perfection,
All that has been written.
Indeed,
I assure you,
As long as heaven and earth endure,
Not even the smallest detail of the law will be done away with until its purpose is complete.
So whoever violates even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in heaven's kingdom.
But whoever obeys them and teaches their truths to others will be called great in heaven's kingdom.
For I tell you,
Unless your lives are pure and full of integrity,
Then the religious scholars and the Pharisees,
You will never enter heaven's kingdom.
You're familiar with the commandment taught to those of old.
Do not murder or you will be judged.
But I'm telling you,
If you hold anger in your heart toward a fellow believer,
You are subject to judgment.
And whoever demeans and insults a fellow believer is answerable to the congregation.
And whoever calls down curses upon a fellow believer is in danger of being sent to fiery hell.
You deserve,
If you only love the lovable.
Don't even the tax collectors do that?
How are you any different from others if you limit your kindness only to your friends?
Don't even the ungodly do that?
Since you are children of a perfect Father in heaven,
Become perfect like Him.
Examine your motives to make sure you're not showing off when you do your good deeds,
Only to be admired by others.
Otherwise,
You will lose the reward of your heavenly Father.
So when you give to the poor,
Don't announce it and make a show of it,
Just to be seen by people,
Like the hypocrites in the streets and in the marketplace.
They've already received their reward.
But when you demonstrate generosity,
Do it with pure motives and without drawing attention to yourself.
Give secretly and your Father,
Who sees all you do,
Will reward you openly.
Whenever you pray,
Be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on the street corners.
Believe me,
They've already received their reward.
But whenever you pray,
Go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God,
Praying to Him in secret.
And your Father,
Who sees all you do,
Will reward you openly when you pray.
There is no need to repeat empty phrases,
Praying like the Gentiles do,
For they expect God to hear them because of their many words.
There is no need to imitate them,
Since your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him.
Pray like this.
Our beloved Father,
Dwelling in the heavenly realms,
May the glory of your name be the centre on which our lives turn.
Manifest your kingdom realm and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth,
Just as it is in heaven.
We acknowledge you as our provider of all things we need each day.
Forgive us the wrongs we have done,
As we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
Rescue us every time we face tribulation,
And set us free from evil.
For you are the King who rules with power and glory forever.
Amen.
And when you pray,
Make sure you forgive the faults of others,
So that your Father in heaven will also forgive you.
But if you withhold forgiveness from others,
Your Father withholds forgiveness from you.
When you fast,
Don't look gloomy and pretend to be spiritual.
They want everyone to know they're fasting,
So they appear in public looking miserable and dishelved.
Believe me,
They've already received their reward.
When you fast,
Don't let it be obvious,
But instead wash your face and groom yourself,
And realize that your Father in the secret place is the one who is watching all that you do in secret,
And will continue to reward you.
Don't keep hoarding for yourselves earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves.
Material wealth eventually rusts,
Decays,
And loses its value.
Instead,
Stockpile heavenly treasures for yourself that cannot be stolen,
And will never rust,
Decay,
Or lose their value.
For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.
The eyes of your spirit allow revelation light to enter into your being.
If your heart is unclouded,
The light floods in.
But if your eyes are focused on money,
The light cannot penetrate and the darkness takes its place.
How profound will be the darkness within you if the light of truth cannot enter?
How could you worship two gods at the same time?
You will have to hate one and love the other,
Or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You can't worship the true God while enslaved to the God of money.
This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life.
For all that you need will be provided,
Such as food,
Water,
Clothing,
Everything your body needs.
Isn't there more to your life than a meal?
Isn't your body more than clothing?
Consider the birds.
Do you think they worry about their existence?
They don't plant or reap or store up food,
Yet your Heavenly Father provides for them each with food.
And aren't you much more valuable to your Father than they?
So which one of you,
By worrying,
Could add anything to your life?
And why would you worry about your clothing?
Look at all the beautiful flowers of the field.
They don't work or toil,
And yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was robed in beauty like one of these.
So if God has clothed the meadows with hay,
Which is here for such a short time,
And then dried up and burned,
Won't he provide for you the clothes you need,
You of little faith?
So then,
Forsake your worries.
Why would you say,
For that is what the unbelievers chase after.
Doesn't your Heavenly Father already know the things your body require?
So above all,
Constantly seek God's kingdom and his righteousness.
Then all of these less important things will be given to you abundantly.
Refuse to worry about tomorrow,
But deal with each challenge that comes your way,
One day at a time.
Tomorrow will take care of itself.
Amen.
Thank you for joining me today.
I hope you enjoyed the reading,
And I hope you have an amazing day.
God bless.
