matthew-6

Not Racing Thru Our Faith Race

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I fell asleep for powerful power naps yesterday afternoon – not ON the beach as I intended – but accidentally fell asleep listening to an amazing operatic singer up in the main town center at a free summer concert in the afternoon in my favorite Ocean Grove – in their tabernacle which is as old as the auditorium from the 1890’s – wow great acoustics and wow great singer… And the need for my nap? Not just traveling but VBS this past week and a few doctor’s appointments – and and … and well – my body knew it just NEEDED A NAP… 

She sang AMAZING – world class – and finally in the songs that I might know – well after favorite “Climb Every Mountain” from the Sound of Music – the songs after that I was so VERY tired that I dozed – luckily not embarrassingly – and hoping forgiveness from the woman seated behind me (who knows what she thought!)…

The song lyrics mean so much to me – Climb every mountain –  a dream that will need all the love you can give – every day of your life as long as you live…

YES !  And after my naps – well I was ready to drive home – skipping the ice cream this time – and just felt the peace of that place in my pace…  

This morning now (a beautiful backyard moment for me as I sit under my shade umbrella writing) – those slow down songs creep into my head – “Slowdown, you move too fast – got to make the morning last – just…” That is the Simon and Garfunkel lyric that calls to me this morning as I think about “a slowdown” – people would say this or that about my activities or not – but honestly we simply need to listen to our bodies – listen to our heart achings – be a judge of the season we are in and the weather we get – and MOST of ALL, Listen to God Who KNOWS us and is holding this WHOLE world in His Hands. Yeah… Let us run the race of FAITH at HIS Pace – at our pace – and in THIS place. 

The Race of Faith – Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I find these days that NOT RACING THRU OUR FAITH RACE is my best advice – to myself too. Stop and smell the roses – stop and take a nap for your body – listen to the Lord and even ask Him to repeat it – but then pick up and keep going…

I benefit from preparing sermons and this scripture above, from Paul from Hebrews, just ALSO stuck out at me when I was preparing the 1st Peter 4 sermon for yesterday, about serving as one body – and then Hebrews 6 appeared as the scripture of the day in an email I just got from Bible Gateway… Cool…  And cool that we all have a part and we are to use the gifts given to us. I also benefitted from the preaching to myself – that we (that I) have a part that God picked for me and placed fruit on my vine… 

I then benefited yesterday from online listening to Pastor Joe’s sermon from CC Philly for great teaching (while I was driving back from the beach after meeting friends) which spoke of God urging Moses to do the work that He picked out for him – that God knows us – God knew all our generations before us – that God is with us – that God cares and God dares us to live lives of faith depending upon Him… https://resources.ccphilly.org/SAM1438 Pastor Joe reminded that (Exodus 6) GOD WANTS US TO LIVE OUR LIVES AND YES HE PICKS US TO DO TASKS AND DO MINISTRIES AND DO LIVING FOR HIM…  GOD’S GOT THIS – DON’T BE AFRAID…

That is where I am – where we all could be:

DEPENDING UPON GOD forHE INCLUDES US IN THE PLAN,

And REMEMBER: worrying about tomorrow is a SCAM.

Remember that thinking in unstable ways is the devil of doubt’s SHAM.

GOD’S GOT THIS – STICK WITH HIS PLAN – HE’S THE GREAT I AM !!!

See – me doubting the Plan is a sham and I should not buy into that scam…  God brought me (BROUGHT US) safe thus far – and God has blessed so incredibly – and I do have plans but WILL TRY to remember to try to hold back worry for tomorrow – yes use it as motivation for today – but dig deep in knowing faith – and just now looking at the birds and listening to their morning songs – know that if God takes care of these birds, how much MORE He cares for us. (Matthew 6)

So – a fresh day – a new day – another plan to see where does God take me TODAY… Every day is a new day…

And remember to not STRAY – remember to take a nap if needed – or your body will ANYWAY…

And believe in the POWER of God – and HIS PLACEMENT – and to His Word let us OBEY…

AMEN

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Matthew 6:26-34 NKJV
Jesus said: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

YEAH JESUS YEAH…

Ocean Grove NJ website https://www.oceangrove.org/

Ocean Grove Camp Meeting booklet for the summer events: https://www.oceangrove.org/2026

Whole concert: The Operatic singer Laura Zahn: https://www.youtube.com/live/vCSirvjOi3E?si=OydsGBeaJok8Sv1C

“CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN” Lyrics:

Climb ev’ry mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow ev’ry byway,
Every path you know.

Climb ev’ry mountain,
Ford ev’ry stream,
Follow ev’ry rainbow
Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need all the love you can give
Ev’ry day of your life for as long as you live.

Climb ev’ry mountain,
Ford ev’ry stream,
Follow ev’ry rainbow
Till you find your dream.

Keep Truckin Along, Matthew 6

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On the back door of the tractor trailer in front of me the other night, during stop and go traffic, was some dust writing, a clean clearing of a smear in the corner. Written was “MATTHEW 6:13″… I followed for a while, tried unsuccessfully to capture a good reflecting image. Later I looked up Matthew 6:13 as soon as I safely could… It was a sign for sure, really  all scripture is a good sign to pay attention – yeah – all scripture is good for teaching and reminding.

This one especially Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Ahhhh… good scripture and a prayer, these phrases spoken by Jesus that are captured in Matthew are for teaching the prayer of all prayers – the Lord’s Prayer. And a plea for us to not be in temptation, including the temptation to go it alone without our anchor of the Lord, our wave calmer. And there is a praise of the Lord’s Almighty Glory. 

YES – Matthew is the gospel of identity for new followers of Jesus at the time and for all of us now, and therefore so much great advice in how to live.

Let us know the stability and strength of the Lord. Let us kneel in admiration, asking forgiveness, accepting mercy and His Grace. Let us pray His prayer. Let us keep truckin’ along. 

Amen 

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Jesus said:

“therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. 

Amen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

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Matthew 6

New King James Version

Jesus speaking:

Do Good to Please God

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

The Model Prayer

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.Your kingdom come.Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.