Ordinary Time: Monday, July 3, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Numbers 22:1-21

We see in this passage that there are forces working against God's will and they will do anything they can to gain victory. Paul says that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of evil in the world. As Christians, we must realize that there are powerful spiritual forces at work against God, against the Church, and against God's people. The Devil would love it if you did not take this seriously, or just think that this is something that we preachers think about. CS Lewis put it like this this:

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.

Today, as you try to be faithful to God in all that you do, there will come temptation, there will come problems, their will come all of these things that try to to take your mind off of God. Do not let them. That is what the evil one wants. Realize today, that there is a spiritual war going on all around you, like it or not. Realize that there are forces that would long to destroy you and destroy God's work in you. Do not let them. Remember, in the power of God, we can stand. But, only in His power can we stand, not in our own.

New Testament Lesson

Romans 6:12-23

Paul says today that we are slaves to righteousness. That means that we don't live for ourselves. We are tempted to think in that life that do what we want to do, and that is all that matters. As Christians, this is not so. We are not put here to live for ourselves, we are put here to live for God.

We are slaves to righteousness. That means, if you are a Christian, you are bound to obey God. He is your master. You are not your own master. If you are living for yourself, and yourself alone, you really need to look within your own life, for a Christian cannot live for themselves; they live for God.

Today, who are you living for?

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 21:12-22

Notice, the teachers of the law were not praising God for healing, they were upset about what was being said. The children were saying things that they didn't want to hear, so they did not notice the miracles that Jesus Christ was doing.

Sometimes, aer we so upset about trivial things that we miss the miracles God is performing? Do we sometimes focus on things that don't matter and miss the power of God. Do we pay more attention to earthly slights than we do to heaven blessings? Are we more upset over an accidental word than a person saved? The teachers of the law didn't like what was being said, and they missed God's work in their midst.

Yesterday at church, were you more focuses on things that didn't matter, or upon worshiping God? (Notice, I assumed you were at church. If you are a Christian, you should be with God's people on Sunday.) Yesterday at church, were you paying more attention to trivial things, or the preaching of the Word? The teachers of the law are not the only folks that can miss what God is doing because they are paying attention to things that aren't the most important.