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TOMORROW’S TROUBLES

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We only worry about 3 days of our lives; YESTERDAY, TODAY or TOMORROW. Since last weeks article looked at letting go of YESTERDAY, let’s see how to handle the worries of TODAY & TOMORROW.

Everyone, at one time or another has had anxiety about some future event. We worry about making our payments, our health, or facing someone that we need to face. There are more emergency room visits & heart attacks on Sunday night & Monday morning than any other day of the week. Why? Because people are worrying about tomorrow. (I confirmed this on a recent hospital ER visit.) People are dying to go to work.

Jesus had much to say about worry over TOMORROW’S things; “Take therefore no thought for the morrow:” [Mat 6:34].  The command is for us not to fret over tomorrow, but did He give us any instructions as to how? I think He gives 2 steps, and we find them in the same passage of Mat 6:25-34.

THE REMEDY TO REDUCE WORRY

The FIRST thing we learn about reducing stress & worry is in finding PERSPECTIVE. Jesus gives 3 examples to help us gain perspective.

  • 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? [v26]
  • Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [v27]
  • And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [v28]

These 3 examples are there for us to have PERSPECTIVE on life. As faithful children of God, we can trust in His promise of care [cf. Psalm 37:25; 1Pet 5:7].

The SECOND thing we learn about reducing stress & worry is in taking PRIORITIZED ACTION. Jesus said it this way,

  • But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [v33 emphasis mine seb]

This remedy is so simple that we overlook its great power. He is teaching us about having the right PERSPECTIVE and then taking PRIORITIZED ACTION. When a person devotes himself to “seeking the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,” that person will discover the prescription from the creator on how to live, how to survive this life and how go to heaven.

Without His guidance we’re left to worry & stress over how to wander through a broken world. Jesus continues saying, “Sufficient for today are its own troubles.” [v34] This is just another way of telling us to have PERSPECTIVE and to take PRIORITIZED ACTIONS. The only affect we have on tomorrow are the activities we do today. If we seek God’s way of doing things, we’ll have made the best use of today giving the best chance for tomorrow.

This strategy helps us to better understand what is meant in James 5:14; “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

The context is about concern over tomorrow’s work without having PERSPECTIVE about the frailty of life and taking notice of the PRIORITIZED ACTION needed today. That FIRST action must be getting ourselves right with God. Paul reminds the child of God, “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. [2Cor 6:2b]

Would you desire peace today with release from worry? Prepare today to go to heaven and make that the first decision you make each day. Having PERSPECTIVE and deciding on a PRIORITZED ACTION, then all the rest of your decisions will have already been made. You’ll be free to concentrate on, enjoy & fully live each and every day.

Whether tomorrow comes or not, you’ll have done the very best you could possibly do. If it comes, it will begin on the very best possible footing, His righteousness.

If it doesn’t come, you’ll have ended today on the very best possible footing, having sought the kingdom of God and obeying the gospel.

—-spencer

Watching the Son

The Preacher 1 Comment

…while they looked stedfastly toward heaven…

On August 21st millions of Americans will be gazing into heaven as North America experiences a Total Solar Eclipse that crosses the U.S. in a way that hasn’t occurred since 1918. Everyone in the contiguous United States will experience at least a partial eclipse, with totality being along a 70 mile wide path from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. The window of opportunity to view the eclipse will be about two minutes and 40 seconds, a very narrow window indeed.

Looking directly at the sun, as we’ve all learned, can be extremely harmful to your eyes. You must never look directly into the sun without ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses.

There is a word of warning, without the ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses, you will permanently damage your eyes. Some may say, “I have some really dark sunglasses.” These simply won’t do. You must have the official ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses.

There are also fake solar eclipse glasses being sold as authentic ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses. The problem is so bad, that Amazon has issued warnings regarding the false claims of some vendors.  Attempting to view the eclipse through these non ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses will also cause you to lose your eyesight.

BUY YOUR GLASSES TODAY

There’s one more problem. If you wait until the eclipse begins, and you don’t already own a pair of these ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses, there will be no opportunity to buy them. At the time of this writing (1 week before the eclipse), the ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses are already sold out online. If they were available online, the ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses would never arrive on time. By the time the Total Solar Eclipse begins locally, the retail shops will also be sold out. IT WILL BE TOO LATE. Even if there are a few ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses, a 2 minute window is not enough tme to go and buy them. You must have your ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses now.

I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE ECLIPSE

You may be saying to yourself, “self, why is Spencer taking so much bulletin space to tell us about the eclipse and why isn’t he telling us something pertinent to our salvation?” I hope you realize by now, though I find the Total Solar Eclipse interesting, I’m using this phenomenon as an opportunity to warn everyone.

You see, one day the SON will return to earth from Heaven. This is a promise that the Apostles heard as the stood gazing into the sky when Jesus rose into heaven. “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” [Acts 1:11]

If we have not already ‘purchased’ CERTIFIED access to the Kingdom of Heaven, when He returns, IT WILL BE TOO LATE!. [cr. Mat 13:44-46] This same Jesus, for whom we gaze into the sky, said it this way in Matthew 24:1-13…

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Jesus said, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” [John 14:6]. He then said in vs 15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Further on He said, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” [John 15:14] Then, before He went into heaven, He told us what to do to prepare BEFORE His return…

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16