Happy Friday everyone. Today I am feeling very blessed. I am gaining confidence in my recovery. I am excited to say that my hard work the last 2 weeks has paid off... I gained 2lbs in return! I generally alternate weight gain or loss by 1/2lb range so gaining 2lbs is really like my body gaining an interval of 4lbs! Glory to God for helping me restore health. This is one of my biggest challenges and goals right now. God is guiding me though. He has created new paths and patterns for me to follow, which I have been, and I am being rewarded in return. The more we give over to God the more we get in return. Today has been a day of giving back for me, it feels very nice to be able to give back to those who have done and are doing good to me. God blessed me with Matthew 7 this morning. This chapter is powerful and has a message for everyone. There are many messages in this passage that I needed to hear today and need to share today so I am going to post the entire chapter and know that if you were led to this post then there is a message in here specifically for you. Let me repeat, there is a message in here for YOU! Please take a moment to read with me and let God guide you to your special message. Accept it as a gift and let the Word of God ring true to your life - creating in you a clean heart, a clean life, a clean start.
Judging Others
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.A Tree and Its Fruit
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7&version=NIV)
