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Christian
Education Pre-K-12
Richmond Academy
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It Matters
My online search for “things that matter most to people”
surveys revealed these results: Money, School, Family, Time, Health, Ecology,
Sex, and Music. It was alarming not to have found Religion, and or Relationship
with God, among the other categories. In a nation whose motto has long been “In
God we trust,” it should be hard to get past all the info about God in relation
to things that matter to people; but instead, it is hard to find surveys that
include God mattering to people at all. No matter the online consensus, the fact
of the matter is that there is only one Almighty God and that His Son Jesus
Christ is the Lord of everything. Believing that Jesus is the Lord of everything
is first step to finding out what really matters about everything. If we believe
that Jesus is Lord of everything, then we will want to know what He has to say
about everything that really matters.
John 8:31-32 (KJV) “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If
ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; (32) And ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Absolute Truth should also be at the top of the real list of things that matter
to people. A large percentage of people want truth to be according to their
opinion, but that is actually saying that they want to be God. If we chose to
operate in our own personal version of truth, we will fall short of allowing
Jesus Christ to be Lord of our lives; and then we will fall prey to many evils.
Luke 11:9-10 (KJV) “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (10) For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened.”
We must seek truth, and not just assume that we already have all the answers. We
need truth for every situation and circumstance daily. Even if we memorized the
entire Bible, we would still lack the depth of interpretation and application
that can only be found by seeking the Author. The modern religious self-help
activists live by this motto: “God helps those who help themselves,” but the
absolute truth in the matter is that God will make the way when we seek Him and
follow Him. When we live in a monetarily affluent society, it is easier to get
caught up on doing things our way. In fact. money itself could be ranked as the
leader among the many top ranking natural powers in our realm, and the love of
it is truly the beginning of all evil. These days there is not much that money
can’t buy. It has been said, and sung that money can’t buy us love; but that
would depend on a proper interpretation of love. One of the greatest deceptions
about worldly love and money is that they somehow should be allowed to have
power over us. If we fall into that philosophy, we will soon find ourselves
stealing both money and love in some inordinate manner. We must be keen and take
notice when anything influences us to commit unrighteous acts, and we must press
into the Truth lest we fall to the mastery of the lower and base powers.
Matthew 6:24-33 (KJV) “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the
other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (25) Therefore I say unto you, Take no
thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body
than raiment? (26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do
they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye
not much better than they? (27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit
unto his stature? (28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies
of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: (29) And yet I
say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of
these. (30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is,
and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye
of little faith? (31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all
these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
It matters that there are so many people who are deceived and blinded to the
Truth. It matters whether or not we are willing to seek the Truth. It will make
a difference if we walk in the Truth and share it with others who need it so
desperately. Perhaps if we were more prepared and eager to share the Truth with
others, we might be stronger in the faith ourselves.
-Kurt A. Thurston
March Newsletter
2008 | Saved With Difficulty
Pastor's
Journal 2007 | It Matters
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Biblical
Counseling for Leaders
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