Matthew 6- Our Father Which Seeth in Secret

As I was reading Matthew 6, I noticed a pattern. When dealing with the hypocrites, whose desire was to be seen of men, He mentioned “Our Father Which Seeth In Secret.” In fact, He did this 3 times! Each time, as He spoke of different religious practices, He compared man's way versus God's way. I think He had a point for us to learn.

In the area of alms, or giving, let us remember that this is a good thing, and it's a thing we ought to do. Man's Way is to bring attention to the fact that we give. The pharisees had somebody sound a trumpet before them. This brings everyone's attention to their so-called good deeds. Jesus said, “They have their reward.” He says this because they only seek their own glory, and that is all they will get. He then instructs us in God's Way. He said, “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.” This is a figure of speech. Our desire should be that no one see our good deeds. Why? So that our alms may be in secret. Why is that? Because “thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”  Oftentimes we seek to do well and it seems that all of our good deeds go unseen. I can tell you that NO GOOD DEED GOES UNSEEN. I think it's awesome that Our Father, which seeth in secret, sees them. And best of all, He will reward thee openly. Kinda ironic, don't you think? That is God's way.

For the sake of time, I will highlight the two other times that Jesus speaks of our Father which seeth in secret.

PRAYER

Man's Way- Desiring to pray in public, with the intent to be seen of men. Also charactarized by vain repititions and much speaking.

Man's Reward- They are seen of men

God's Way- Jesus said to enter your closet, shut the door, and pray to God (not to others to be seen). Remember the fact- God knows your needs before you ask Him. Jesus gave an example prayer we know to be “The Lord's Prayer.” It is a fairly short prayer, which contrasts the vain repititions and much speaking.

God's Reward- He will hear your prayer and reward you openly.

FASTING

Man's Way- They fast, but they look very sad and disfigure their faces so that everyone will know that they have fasted.

Man's Reward- They may LOOK spiritual to the undiscerned, but they appear as hypocrites to others.

God's Way- Wash your face, anoint your head- Basically, clean yourself up. The goal here is to not appear as if you have fasted. You should not want the attention of others.

God's Reward- God will see your sacrifice, and he will reward you openly.

CONCLUSION

I can't help but to point out that after these three things, Jesus then speaks on laying up treasures in Heaven. Perhaps these are the rewards that God will openly give us? No thief will ever steal. When you do things to be seen of others, it might make you look good, or it could make you look like a hypocrite. Either way, your glory will only last a short time. When you do the right things for the RIGHT REASONS, God sees everything that you do. Remember that God loves to reward you openly. Jesus then states that “No man can serve two masters: For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.” Think on these questions:

When we do good things in this world, why are we doing them?

Are we doing them with the secret desire to be seen of men?

Or are we doing them in secret, so that our Father, which seeth in secret, will see them?

Who is your master?

May 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,
May is here and time is summer will be here before we know it! We hope that each of you are doing well. God is good, even when we don't know it! Last month was a very busy month for us. We were involved in meetings, fellowships, and missions conferences in SC, VA, NC, TN, and GA. One week, we were actually scheduled to be in 12 services! April was a good month to us, as 2 more churches took us on for monthly support, 2 others have committed financial support, and many others will prayerfully consider us as their financial situation allows.

While April was a very busy month, it was quite taxing physically. I (Jeremy) had a very rough week with some stomach problems. I eventually decided to see a doctor. After a shot was given to settle my stomach, I was able to recover with some medication over the next week or so. Praise the Lord! I am now back at 100%! Michelle has taken up the hobby of making bows and hairclips for the girls who visit our table in the churches we visit. Lila loves meeting all the people in the churches we are in. Every time she sees another baby or child, she gets so happy and squeals with excitement! One church gave her a bag with her name on it with clothes and many other things she will surely enjoy. We are very grateful for all the people who have been so good to us!

This month, we began making plans for our next trip to Nicaragua. We will also have much more time to spend on calling churches and filling up our schedule for the rest of the year. Thank you for all of your prayers. This month, please pray for the following:

     -That God will help us to be an encouragement to the people we come across.

     -That God will open doors and help us get into the churches of his choosing.

     -That God will continue to raise up laborers with a burden for lost souls here in US as well as the rest of the world.

In Christ,
Jeremy and Michelle Blanz

April 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

It is already time for our April prayer letter, and as I reflect upon what God has done throughout March, it reminds me of how good God is. Last month was a very busy month for us. We drove over 4,500 miles to be in scheduled meetings and missions conferences in nine churches throughout FL, AL, TN, and even NJ. We were involved in everything from teaching Sunday School, singing, preaching, Children's church, visitation, and many other things. One new church began supporting us last month, and others have committed to supporting us in the future. We also were able to book more meetings in AL, NC, VA, and MA.

Although missionary deputation involves lots (and I mean lots) of traveling and hard work, it also has some perks. Because we travel to so many places, we are able to see places that we would otherwise never be able to see. We were able to see historic Philadelphia, eat a real Philly Cheesesteak, visit New York City, and even take a brief family trip to Lookout Mountain. We were also able to visit some family for a few days while we were in TN. Lila is now 6 ½ months old, 15 lbs, and is much more mobile than ever before. She is loved and adored at every church we go to.

Thank you for those who prayed specifically for our safety last month. We drove through some bad storm systems last month, and one of the towns we were in was devastated by a tornado the night before we arrived. Please pray for the following:

1. The families that were impacted by the tornadoes.
2. That God will continue to give us safe travels
3. That God will help us seize every opportunity to share the Gospel
4. That God will help us raise the support we need to get to Nicaragua.

In Christ,

Jeremy and Michelle Blanz

March Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you have had a great start to your year this January. January has been a slow month in some ways, but a very busy month in others. This month, we were able to spend some time in at home in Jacksonville with our friends and family as well as take care of some things we can't do while on the road. Everyone really enjoyed getting to see how much Lila has grown and developed. She now “talks” all the time and grabs at everything she can see! It has also been good to attend our home church and be involved in sharing the Gospel here at home!

In January, we had a lot less traveling than we are used to. While we had scheduled meetings in Alabama and Florida, most of our time was spent trying to fill our schedule for 2012. As far as scheduling is concerned, January was the most productive month we have ever had! Throughout the month we have scheduled 21 meetings in the states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia! Although we now have a nearly full schedule for the next 3 months, we also have many meetings booked throughout the rest of the year. In January, we also saw 2 new supporting churches and 1 more that has committed to begin support next month.

Over the last month, God has given me more of a burden to pray for the churches and people we come into contact with. We believe that God still answers prayer and that “with God all things are possible.” As we look into the coming months, we need God more than ever! Please pray for:
1. That God will enable churches to support us in Nicaragua.
2. That we will be able to fill our calendar for 2012.
3. That God will use us while we are on deputation.
Thank you for your prayers!


In Christ,
Jeremy and Michelle Blanz

January Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas! As we enter into the new year, we ask that God will do amazing things in us and through us in 2012. December has given us a slower deputation schedule than usual due to all of the Christmas festivities. Thankfully, that has given us small window of opportunity to rest and recover before picking up in our travels again. Michelle, Lila, and I were able to see family in both GA and FL. We spent Lila's first family Christmas at home. We have tried to establish good family traditions such as reading the Christmas passage and taking time to thank God for his love in giving us His only begotten Son, Jesus.

During December, we were in 3 scheduled meetings in GA and SC. Beginning on a Saturday night before our first meeting, we experienced a car problem that we are still trying to get fixed. Because of this, our engine will cut off and not start for several hours before we are able to start it and drive again. After several visits to the mechanic, we are still trying to get the problem properly diagnosed and fixed. We thank the Lord it is not caused us to cancel any meetings, and also that it did not happen during a much busier time for scheduled meetings! In January, we will have at least 1 more church that will begin supporting us. There are also several churches that are potential supporters, which may begin supporting us soon.

As we begin this new year, please pray for the following:
1. That God provide support needed for us to serve God in Nicaragua.
2. That God will help us get our car fixed in time for our January meetings.
3. That we will be able to book many meetings and conferences in 2012.
4. For God's guidance and help in raising our new family.

Thank you for your prayers! God bless each of you!

God is Good! Even When Things Seem Bad!

This weekend, God used something unexpected to build my faith. Saturday night, while we were in Atlanta preparing for a meeting in Newborn, GA, I left Michelle and Lila back where we were staying so I could go get some dinner to bring back to them. After I made a quick trip to the dollar store, something took me by surprise... My car wouldn't start. It seemed that the battery was strong, and it seemed like the engine was trying to start, but no success in the car starting. This was a surprise, because the last time I started the car, there was no problem. So now, I am stuck somewhere unfamiliar in Atlanta where I know nobody, while my wife and daughter are stuck at the hotel.

As I tried to figure out what to do, I prayed and asked the Lord to guide me and get me home safely and hopefully allow me to get my car running so I won't have to cancel 2 church meetings the next day. As with any car problem, when you don't know what the problem is, you should try the easiest and most common solutions first. After asking several people for help jump-starting the car, I found a man who would try to help. However, we had no success. After he left, I decided I would try once more before trying to find a mobile mechanic. As I turned the key, VROOOM! The car started right up with no hesitation. In complete amazement, I praised the Lord, and then got to thinking, "How do I know it will start again?" I then decided to drive back our room for the night, so in case it wouldn't start again, I would be where I needed to be. As I drove back, the check engine light was on, and the transmission very, very hard. This concerned me, as transmission repair can be anywhere from $1,000-2,000 easily. Once I got back to Michelle and Lila, I assured her everything would be okay. After talking to her, I decided to give the car another shot. This time, the car started fine, and the transmission was smoother. After a lap or two around the parking lot, I gave it another shot. The third time, the car started fine and transmission now shifted perfectly. Praise the Lord, things were now on the right track!

I then went to an auto part store for a free computer scan, and discovered the problem. Sensors! It turns out some sensors were "misbehaving" and causing my car quite a problem. The car would not start because a sensor couldn't detect that the car was in park. The transmission wasn't shifting right because another sensor couldn't detect the speed properly. After leaving the part store, the check engine light went off, and the car behaved perfectly again. The next day (Sunday), we were able to make it to both of our church meetings without a problem, and Monday we were able to make a safe, problem-free trek home. Praise the Lord! Things looked horrible on Saturday night, and things could have been really bad. Whether the Lord fixed our car, or just allowed us to make it to where we needed to be, it shows that the Lord is good! After doing some research, I have found that other people have had this problem, to have it disappear for years before ever giving them a problem again.

My point in writing this is to encourage whoever is reading this. There will be times when you don't know what's going on, and it seems that everything is going wrong. Despite your circumstances, know that you have a good God! Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His Purpose." Whatever it is that happens, know God is good and that He is allowing these things to happen for a reason. In this case, I believe God is teaching me to trust in Him more and more.

November/December Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We trust that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for! We were able to spend some time with Jeremy's family in GA as well as Michelle's family in TN. We thank the Lord for the family that He has given us. Last month, one of the churches we were in took up a love offering to replace our broken CD player in our car! Praise the Lord, we now have a new CD player and things needed to install it in the near future. I thank the Lord for giving me a faithful, loving wife and a beautiful baby girl! Lila is growing quickly and can now play with toys, roll over, and do all kinds of “baby talk.”

November was a busy month for us. We were scheduled in 8 churches, including 2 missions conferences, in VA, SC, and GA. We thank the Lord for a vehicle that has given us little to no problems! Last month, we were able to see 2 people come forward to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior! Praise God! As of the end of November, we are now at 25% of full support. After being in so many churches the last 2-3 months, we anticipate that to go up quickly.

Please pray for us as we set out to do what the Lord has called us to do. While we are raising funds to go to Nicaragua, we must remember that deputation is a ministry in itself. There are many opportunities to share the Gospel with the lost around us. Please pray that we will take advantage of those opportunities so that lives will be changed and God will be glorified. Please pray that the churches we have been in will be able to support us in going to Nicaragua. Please also pray for the people in Nicaragua. After the last election, it appears they will remain under the administration of Daniel Ortega. God bless each of you, and may you have a wonderful Christmas this year!


In Christ,

Jeremy and Michelle Blanz