Pastic Fruit

Friday, February 10, ‎2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

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

Memory verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Readings: LEVITICUS 8-10 MATTHEW 25:31-46

God Is Not Gold

It is hard to see-with the world always thrusting itself into view. The Divine Hand of God at work around us is difficult to see if we are not looking for it.

There are two things at work here:

John 10:10 New King James Version

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

1.) The thief, the enemy, satan

2.) Free will

Luke 9:23 New King James Version (NKJV)

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

The enemy has disguised well the filth of the world so that it is attractive in so many ways. But:

Matthew 6:24 ►"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Two choices-well, either we serve God or we do not-either we choose daily to serve God or we do not.

If it sounds so simple, then why is sin so pronounced everywhere we look?

We must be looking in the wrong direction?

We are looking to the wrong master. We are so used to seeing and hearing and seeking the rewards of the world, we have been lulled to sleep.

Wake up! Don't just smell the roses-praise the One who made them.

We have seen someone try to take a bite of plastic fruit. Some of it looks so real and good. The world around us is full of plastic fruit. It is everywhere. We are told that if we do this or that, we will be rewarded the finest plastic fruit available.

If we store enough plastic fruit, we will have enough plastic fruit to last until we die.

But we cannot take plastic fruit with us...

Plastic fruit is a petroleum by-product-it is made of something dead.

The divine around us may be hard to see but it is alive and always will be.

Mark 4:9 ►New International Version

Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."

Mark 8:18 ►

Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?

Matthew 13:16 ►New International Version

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Deuteronomy 8:18"But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 8:17-Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.'

Acts 17:7 God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘- We are His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.…

God intends for us to seek Him...

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me my focus on the world.

I choose this day to follow You-me and my house are Yours. Give me eyes that only look for You and Your Glory-to see Your hand at work and follow in obedience.

Master and Creator-mighty God!

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen