THINE IS THE KINGDOM

Oh, Lord, my God, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!





Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

I have always had this thing about getting my reward from man. Man looks at the outside of us, but God looks at the inside of us. I want my reward from the Father. I was reminded of this today when I was looking at Matthew 6 which says:

TAKE HEED THAT YOU DO NOT YOUR ALMS BEFORE MEN, TO BE SEEN OF THEM: OTHERWISE, YOU HAVE NO REWARD OF YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. THEREFORE WHEN YOU DO YOUR ALMS, DO NOT SOUND A TRUMPET BEFORE YOU, 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.

I don't even like for them to keep a record of my giving (or not giving) at the church. I have known some preachers in my day that checked those records to see who to favor and who not to favor. That is so wrong!

Matthew 6 continues BUT WHEN YOU DO ALMS, LET NOT YOUR LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHT HAND IS DOING: THAT YOUR ALMS MAY BE IN SECRET: AND YOUR FATHER WHICH SEES IN SECRET HIMSELF SHALL REWARD YOU OPENLY.

He continues in the 5th verse about prayer - AND WHEN YOU PRAY, YOU SHOULD NOT BE AS THE HYPOCRITES ARE: FOR THEY LOVE TO PRAY STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUE AND IN THE CORNERS OF THE STREETS, THAT THEY MAY BE SEEN OF MEN. VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD. BUT YOU, WHEN YOU PRAY, ENTER INTO YOUR CLOSET, AND WHEN YOU HAVE SHUT YOUR DOOR, PRAY TO YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET; AND YOUR FATHER WHICH SEES IN SECRET SHALL REWARD YOU OPENLY.

BUT WHEN YOU PRAY, USE NOT VAIN REPETITIONS, AS THE HEATHEN DO: FOR THEY THINK THAT THEY SHALL BE HEARD FOR THEIR MUCH SPEAKING. BE NOT YOU THEREFORE LIKE UNTO THEM: FOR YOUR FATHER KNOWS WHAT THINGS YOU HAVE NEED OF, BEFORE YOU ASK HIM.

Isn't it funny the things you remember. My mom and I used to go to the Church of Christ when I was a small child. I was always acting up in church. She used to say she spent more time on the outside of the church with me than on the inside, so she became very strict on me and my nephew, Bo. She carried a little switch in her purse and if we didn't behave in church like we should, she would switch us all the way home, which was about two blocks.

She taught me to make things with a hankerchief and my most blessed relief was when I would fall asleep and miss it all.

I remember there was a guy named 'Sleepy Cox,' and you guessed it - the reason he was called 'Sleepy' was because he slept through church every service. But even as little as I was I can remember that when they asked 'Sleepy' to pray, he was right on it.

The other fellow I remember was ol' Brother Dickson. When he did the dismissal prayer, you could count on being there another thirty minutes. He would go on and on and on and I would be so weary of his praying. I was ready to go slid down the banisters in the front of the church.

Jesus prayed the model prayer to teach us to pray. He prayed:

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 FOREVER.

AMEN.

Have a great weekend!

Charlotte