E�{D7�R0�͏�]i�v��aVm��c�ρh�/�\����|-]]&FU�fGP$�r^��)��Ş#����[i o�B�|��Q���1�KΊ ���;�t�-���ވu��0��c�$��1 ��a��:�����cV���C��%( It is an impossibility. After the 40 days, He begins His ministry. �;_B �\�7+��%���ļ���������ؚ����9]elOOV���>!��}.a�Ⴅ�=�M�s��%R��k���Y�v>��$�#?���8]¦Bp�#��z9l��P��T��E��z��º�u���i����k! During his battle with brain cancer, the Lord made it clear to him that he would die. We can give our minds over to a lot of things, for instance, to our jobs - and there is a place for that. Notice how many active words Paul uses in Colossians 3:1-17 to describe what a Christian must be doing: Paul makes sure we understand that we must actively participate in order to grow. I was so angry at Him for not answering my prayers to heal my abusive marriage because I did not believe in divorce, that I told God I was going to not follow Him anymore. endstream endobj 54 0 obj <>stream It remains important and right in the Christian walk. Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'". That is doing something. This allows us to better understand Christ’s intended meaning. Yet ultimately, in order not to override our choice in the matter, God will allow us to slip away unless we repent and actively seek Him and ask for His Spirit. The rest of the chapter tells why God is not there, why what they were doing is unacceptable to Him, and what He will do about it. This is repeated throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testament. Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Self-righteousness is the opposite of what God desires. 1Peter1:3-5 states, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God desires we search for Him — but even more so than cravings for sweets. Because faith is indispensable to a good relationship with God, its importance cannot be overemphasized. Some commentaries note that the ancients believed that light entered a person through the eyes, the "windows" of the body. Seeking God's Righteousness, Pride, Humility, and the Day of Atonement, The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Eight): Conclusion (Part One), Seeking God (Part One): Our Biggest Problem, Differentiation between godly and ungodly, The Beatitudes, Part Four: Hungering and Thirsting After Righteousness, Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness. Amos 5 and the Feast of Tabernacles. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33. Uncover the lies that are destroying your life. How can a person be one with God without seeking Him? Thus, a Christian has a choice of spiritual nourishment that he can take into himself: He can choose sinless, healthful bread or sinful, corrupting bread. The Bible uses the word bread to mean "that which is taken into the body and provides nourishment." 5 Prayers For God to Direct Our Next Steps. The biblical word "faith" is most synonymous with the English word "trust." The picture with this post is of the mountains around the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus was ministering. Notice the Bible's consistency on the value of human life apart from God: » Ecclesiastes 1:2-4: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Copyright © 2020, Bible Study Tools. Seeking Him above all else indicates trust in our God when it could easily be misplaced elsewhere. Sometimes the Bible clearly states what pride produces. Or, if you have watched a sports game on television, you might have noticed a sign proclaiming John 3:16. We are seeking. It causes a person to resist God rather than seek to be like Him. Matthew 4:23 and 24, describe His audience, “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel (good news) of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. When we take time to seek and memorize Bible verses, we’re prepared at a moment’s notice to cast off temptation with the truth, strength, and righteousness of God. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. Jesus states more than a simple command that pinpoints the worries of this world. PraisePeople like praise. In short, there is no comparison! Power ignites when we offer thanks in times of good and bad, trial or otherwise smooth situations. None of these is wrong, but the Bible's use of "righteousness" is both specific and broad—so broad that in some places it is treated as a synonym of salvation itself (Isaiah 45:8; 46:12-13; 51:5; 56:1; 61:10). He will try to get our attention back where it should be—on Him and His righteousness—through trials or other circumstances. Those who are doing these things are encouraged that they will be rewarded. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue. Change ), 1–Healing Begins by Transforming Painful Memories, 5–Finding Painful Memories and Healing Issues, MEEKNESS, HUMILITY, AND GENTLENESS Issues, Healthy Thinking and Behaving from Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, A Plan for Living a Completely Healed Life, And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel (good news) of the kingdom and. But our Father wants to meet with us personally, and He often does that through Scripture. And simply, He encourages you and I to seek Him above all else. Thanksgiving plays a role in God’s kingdom, and with wisdom, we offer it. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. A few years ago, a friend of mine passed away. Here the term righteousness has the sense of seeking all of God's spiritual blessings, favor, image, and rewards. ThanksgivingPsalm 100:4 also indicates we enter His gates with thanksgiving in our heart. What is at the core of your delight? Seeking God (Part One): Our Biggest Problem. What can he think about? If I find that I’m too busy trying to make money or gain position, get ahead, or just check out and do nothing rather than being consistently in God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, and service to Jesus, then I’m not seeking first the kingdom. Because He knows that nothing compares to Him — not cars, money, other gods, addictions, or people. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. So, you need to put off your sinful thoughts and put on His character of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. Pride colors all he thinks concerning morals and ethics. We should not seek to find revenge against those who sin against us, but leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:17-21). John W. Ritenbaugh Is it a part of my environment? If our only interest is the immediate gratification that the world has to offer, we are indeed saying, "What profit is the Kingdom of God to me now?" Jesus urges single-mindedness! Our Father, who is love and far more trustworthy than man, encourages us through Matthew 6:33 and other Bible verses to keep an eternal perspective even as we cross each day off of our calendars. Read my amazing testimony in Trust God to Keep His Promises. If you have never turned to Jesus for forgiveness of your sins, seek him and he will save you and give you eternal life. At first, the question "What is righteousness?" P.S. Wait a minute! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven (the kingdom of God) for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  By believing that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God (see Romans 8:11), then His Spirit dwells in us, and we are born again by His Spirit. All others end up somewhere else. Undoubtedly, the most important element in this passage, due to its impact on most of the instruction in the chapter, is the mention of Bethel, Beersheba, and Gilgal in verse 5. And, when we are saved through grace by faith in Jesus Christ, Ephesians 2:6 states that God, “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”  So, to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is for our advantage and a matter of priority and position. The Beatitudes, Part Four: Hungering and Thirsting After Righteousness.