Matthew 6:2 (KJV) A Most Uncomfortable Question

Matthew 6:2 (KJV)

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

As I read this chapter, I am impressed by the challenge our Saviour places before the people: God? Or not?

Do you believe He is? Do you believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him?

These were very religious people. Their very identity rested in their religion and in its roots in the true and living God.

But identity does not always equal genuine faith.

That’s the challenge.

To live as believers versus truly acting on faith.

We see it all around us.

• People who pray for earthly rather than heavenly results.
• People who lay up treasures on earth rather than in heaven.
• People who do not want God’s kingdom to come, but believe it already has.
• People who labor and fret over earthly pleasures as if there were no eternity.
• People who seek to add things to this life as though they expect no life hereafter.

The question is: God? Or not?

The unredeemed man has it settled in his mind—there is no God. He has seen no evidence to convince him and, frankly, he has seen little evidence that the majority of professing believers are convinced.

God? Or not?

That’s the challenge.

Where do you stand when measured against Matthew 6?

#Matthew6 #GodOrNot #FaithOrReligion #SeekGodFirst #HeavenlyTreasures

A Most Uncomfortable Question: God… Or Not?

What do you think? Are Christians today more likely to live as believers or to act on faith? Leave a comment below and join the conversation. 

For more Bible studies, devotionals, books, and resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Matthew 6:2 (KJV) A Most Uncomfortable Question

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxKmagEqH8WqfVQmh7gQHEf2MjwB8-R01u?si=2J2rEo7dbtjV-QK7

Matthew 5:29-30 (KJV) The Impossible Standard of the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:29-30 (KJV)

And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

I’ve come to view the Sermon on the Mount as a sort of New Testament version of the Mosaic Law. The fact is, we simply could not fully obey this message. There are portions of it that are so far above the capabilities of our corrupt human nature that, honestly, some Christians have determined that Jesus must not have been talking to us, or at least not to us in this age, relegating it either to the Jews or to the Tribulation economy.

Though the sermon continues through chapters 6 and 7, I think the highlight—the axle around which this message spins—is found in:

Matthew 5:48 (KJV)

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

This is an impossibility!

Jesus' original hearers must have been reeling by this point.

• Pluck out your eye?
• Cut off your hand?
• Be ye therefore perfect?

I am reminded of a New Testament truth concerning the Old Testament Law.

Galatians 3:24-25 (KJV)

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

That, I believe, is one of the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount. We can't do this. (Don't take that as an excuse to dismiss these teachings.) If this is the expectation, if nothing less than the perfection of our Father is accepted, what shall we do?

Matthew 7:24-25 (KJV)

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Build on the Rock.

Build on Christ.

Don't place your hope in what you do at all. Place your hope in Him, in His death for your sins, in His burial with your sins, and most of all in the power of His resurrection in victory over your sins.

#Matthew52930 #BuildOnTheRock #ChristOurHope #SermonOnTheMount #FaithNotWorks

The Impossible Standard of the Sermon on the Mount—and the Hope Jesus Gives

What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “Be ye therefore perfect”? Have you ever struggled with the impossible standard of the Sermon on the Mount? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

For more Bible studies, devotionals, books, and resources designed to help you build your life on Christ, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Matthew 5:29-30 (KJV) The Impossible Standard of the Sermon on the Mount

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxRTbRbQ4zGZ1fBLDDQndzdbh_IuJKTKJC?si=l2kfdygZX96Tw5bE

Matthew 4:17 (KJV) The Foolishness of Preaching

Matthew 4:17 (KJV)

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

I’ve been a preacher of the gospel for over 42 years now. While I am thankful to have been called of God and to have had so many blessed opportunities in the ministry, I have preached in many of these United States from coast to coast. I’ve preached to large crowds, in smaller churches, and in several meetings with international attendance.

I have been humbly blessed to see souls saved, men surrender to preach, families restored, and churches planted. I’ve had the incredible privilege of helping secure the sale of a college campus in Southern California and the purchase of a new one in Oklahoma City.

I am awed at how blessed my life in the ministry has been.

Then, at the right time, when I sensed a burden to focus more on writing, God had—really without my even realizing it—provided in such a way that I could step aside from pastoring, move to a small town where my son pastors, and pursue this next venture of faith.

Having said all of that, I can also say that the Bible does not exaggerate when it calls preaching foolishness. It is humbling. It exposes a man to the multitudes who hear him. The preacher is laid bare before the congregation, leaving him vulnerable to both their agreements and disagreements.

As one disgruntled man told me years ago, “I’ve had disagreements with you many times over the years. This was the last straw.” Every sermon potentially adds another straw to the convictions of our congregation, never knowing when the next message may become “the last straw.”

Here’s the point.

Jesus left heaven, became man, and “began to preach,” laying Himself bare before men.

There came a day when He preached His “last straw,” and they crucified Him.

But what they did not know was that by killing Him, they were releasing the greatest form of liberty any man will ever know: liberty from sin and freedom of conscience.

#Matthew417 #PreachTheGospel #RepentAndBelieve #LibertyFromSin #FaithfulPreaching

The Foolishness of Preaching: Lessons from the Preacher

Have you ever had a sermon become your "last straw"—or your turning point? Leave a comment below and share your experience. 

If this devotional encouraged you, visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible studies, daily encouragement, comics, and Christ-centered resources.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Matthew 4:17 (KJV) The Foolishness of Preaching

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxt94rcQDmYWFFPOvNFeScGZLZZwXUlcwz?si=s-uByuepqpeg5RrT

Matthew 3:8-12 (KJV) The Baptist's Warning We Need to Hear Today

Matthew 3:8-12 (KJV)

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Rocks and trees; wind and fire.

I remember reading a book many years ago on developing a holy imagination. One must have the ability to think in types and pictures to grasp much of the meaning of the Word of God. It is not that the Bible is to be taken allegorically. It is to be interpreted literally, using a historical-grammatical interpretation, just as we would a letter from a friend or loved one.

But there are things in the Bible meant to be hidden from those who choose not to see.

And there are things in the Bible meant to be revealed by the Holy Spirit of God only when one is genuinely ready to receive them.

Our text is speaking of a true relationship with God.

Christianity is not about rites, rituals, or religious acts. The terrifying reality (our God is a consuming fire) is that there is no "one-and-done" ordinance we perform to secure our place in heaven.

Christianity is about life. It is about fruit. It is about who you are—or rather, who you have become—after you have met the Lord.

Religious activity without that life is as dead as a rock.

Unless the life flowing through it is of God, it is good for nothing but the fire pit.

An assembly of professing believers can then be likened to a field of wheat. At some point it will be threshed. That which is genuinely saved will be gathered into the Lord's presence. The rest will blow away—but not into nothingness. It will be carried into unquenchable fire.

Religion is nothing to trifle with. Heaven or hell is on the line.

John was not willing to pacify the crowds with good words and religious celebration. He wanted them to know the Lord and warned them of the consequences of not knowing Him.

#RepentanceAndFruit #FaithThatProduces #JohnTheBaptistPreachedIt #ReligionOrRelationship #HeavenOrHellDecision

The Baptist's Warning We Need to Hear Today: Are You Producing Fruit—or Practicing Religion?

What do you think? Is Christianity primarily about religious activity, or is it about a life changed by Christ that produces spiritual fruit?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.

For more Bible studies, Christian encouragement, and practical teaching from God's Word, visit marvinmckenzie.org and explore hundreds of free resources designed to help you grow in your walk with the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Matthew 3:8-12 (KJV) The Baptist's Warning We Need to Hear Today

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxicP7zVYooQ_o1GJqbAFFb_S4KD1Ffgci?si=vy8HpStYdxGWDiSZ