Worry is a sin.

Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; either he will hate the one and be loyal to the other or he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Worry is a tricky one. Because it doesn't feel like sin. When we are being tempted with worry, it feels so right. We feel justified. We even complain to God (and others) about our worries, feeling like we deserve their sympathies. Don't be deceived, this is pride.

I never thought I loved money. Loving money means greed, sketchy big business deals, swindling, gambling, being a workaholic, being consumed with wealth... right? Well, yeah, but it's also worry. Worry that there won't be enough. Worry that makes you take a job that might not be God's will. Valuing financial security. Sacrificing some of your time that could be spent in the word to do extra work to please your superiors. Living before the eyes of man. Maybe it's simply adding everything up at the end of the month, paying the bills and budgeting whats left without seeking the Lord for what He would have you give first?

Ouch.

Vs. 25, "Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"

Vs. 33-34, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow..."

Worrying about money is serving money. It is giving power to money, letting it be your master. 

Whatever you worry about has power over you.

This will change the way you look at worry. Whenever you are tempted to stress about something, you are actually being tempted (by the enemy) to give it power over you. Resist! Trust the Lord and refuse to worry. Also refuse, outright, to allow anything to steal from your time in the secret place, with the Lord, in the word and prayer. This is what the enemy is after.

Everything we are tempted with, whether it's worry, greed, security, favor of man, better houses or cars or positions, it is all meant to steal away our time of seeking.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Therefore DO NOT WORRY."

This is the litmus test. Whenever you are faced with a pressured decision (something that causes stress or worry and makes you feel like you must take action right away), decide to take time, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Be warned-the enemy will violently oppose this! But every time there is no time to seek the Lord, you are serving something else. Do not be deceived! Seeking God is ALWAYS the right thing to do.

You cannot serve both God and money.

You cannot serve both God and anything else.

Keep runnin'

LM

Our lives of love.

A couple of weeks ago my neighbor of 15 years or so died. Last night I dreamed I was at a show, heading into the ladies room and I met her. She was on her way out I could tell but she stopped and gave me a big hug. She asked if it was Tuesday (it was) and said, "Time doesn't matter up there. Of course, if He wanted it to then it would." And I knew she was talking about heaven. Then she looked at me and said, "You know, the angels are amazed at our lives of love. Not good works! But love."

Then I woke up.

The other night we were doing this song called, He is Yahweh, and the bridge goes like this:

You are holy and eternal     and forever You will reign

Every knee will bow before You     and every tongue will confess Your name

All the angels give You glory     as they stand before Your throne

And here on earth we gather     to declare Your name alone

There will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will say, "Jesus is Lord", every single person alive on the earth at that time. But it won't be because they all become christians. When Jesus comes to take over the earth as His kingdom, His enemies will see Him and there's no denying that He is Lord! It's like waking up in the morning and saying, "The sun is up!" And when every knee bows it will be mandatory obedience. Jesus will be worshiped on the earth when He takes over but sadly, for many it will not be a choice. That's why our voluntary love and worship means so much to Him.

  
  All the angels worship Him because they were created to, and they stand before His throne of glory- how could anyone not worship Him! We were also created to worship Him but we are here on earth, where we declare His glory by faith, from what we know of His word. We live in the midst of darkness, deceit and evil and when we choose to love Him it touches His heart like nothing else!

This life is the only chance we'll have to love Him in the midst of trials and tribulation.

The angels aren't impressed with good works. What a laugh! They are God's messengers and good works (i.e. works of God) are their job description! When heaven looks at our "good works", it's no wonder they appear as filthy, stinky, moldy rags. (Isaiah 64:6) But when they see a choice of voluntary love, sacrificing comfort, serving others, worshiping the Lord and declaring His glory that we've only ever read about, they are amazed.

We amaze the angels!

Take your opportunities to love today. Angels are watching you. Others are looking to you to define the word "christian" for them. God is searching the earth for a voluntary lover...

Keep runnin'

LM