My husband and my son bought me some tulips for Easter. They are pink and beautiful. Today my husband sent me a picture of the tulips on the window sill in the sun. The flowers were wide open. The blooms really love the sun and open up to that light. It was like the light pulls them open wide.
This picture of the open tulips made me think of how Jesus is called "the Light of the world". What happens when we accept Him and fall in love with His light? We open our hearts to Him and His teaching and leading. We live each day wanting more and more of that light. We bloom in His light just as my tulips did. We bloom through prayer and studying and hearing the Word.
A step further.....what happens when it is a dreary day? The tulips won't open as much because the light of the sun is not present. The same happens for us when we have sin and junk in the place of our Savior. When we have unconfessed sin in our heart it's like a dreary day. We can't have the Light to keep us open. We are all closed up and feel miserable.
But the next day the sun is out again and we can have the light and bloom once again. Once we get the sin out of the way we can be in fellowship with our Father once again.
I always love when the sun is shining. I feel more happy when the sun is out. And on my lunch break at work I find a spot where the sun is shining through the window and sit right in it. I take it all in for that half hour. God is good. The sun warms the earth and makes the flowers bloom. It can make us bloom too......if we are receptive to it.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Matthew 15
Matthew 15.....
Here the religious leaders were holding on to traditions instead of the truth of Gods word.
Verse 8 is from Isaiah 29:13.
This is telling us that people will talk a lot but their hearts tell a different story. Remember God can see our hearts and know when we talk it's from our heart or not.
Verse 11.... It's not what goes in our Mouth that makes us unclean......but what comes out of it. Think of how many times during a day you say things that aren't godly. Maybe a cuss word here and there or gossip about someone......that is what this verse is saying.
Our hearts are dirty and contain evil thoughts. Such thoughts as....
Murder
Adultery
Sexual immorality
Theft
False testimony (lying)
Slander (making false statement about someone)
All these things are a heart issue.....not a clean or unclean issue.
Verse 21-28..... The woman was not a Jew. She knew Jesus had come for the Jews and knew she wasn't included in the healing she could perform. However she had great faith in Jesus and her daughter was healed.
Verse 32.....Jesus had compassion on the people. I love this word. I live that no matter the state of the people or how Jesus felt in the moment, he always had time and compassion on these people. In that compassion for them he fed the crowd so they wouldn't be hungry. He fed 4000 with 7 loaves and a few small fish.
This is telling us today that if we take the small amount we have and give it to God, watch how He uses it. Never doubt the power of our God by giving Him what little we have.
Jesus miracles always brought glory to his father.
Here the religious leaders were holding on to traditions instead of the truth of Gods word.
Verse 8 is from Isaiah 29:13.
This is telling us that people will talk a lot but their hearts tell a different story. Remember God can see our hearts and know when we talk it's from our heart or not.
Verse 11.... It's not what goes in our Mouth that makes us unclean......but what comes out of it. Think of how many times during a day you say things that aren't godly. Maybe a cuss word here and there or gossip about someone......that is what this verse is saying.
Our hearts are dirty and contain evil thoughts. Such thoughts as....
Murder
Adultery
Sexual immorality
Theft
False testimony (lying)
Slander (making false statement about someone)
All these things are a heart issue.....not a clean or unclean issue.
Verse 21-28..... The woman was not a Jew. She knew Jesus had come for the Jews and knew she wasn't included in the healing she could perform. However she had great faith in Jesus and her daughter was healed.
Verse 32.....Jesus had compassion on the people. I love this word. I live that no matter the state of the people or how Jesus felt in the moment, he always had time and compassion on these people. In that compassion for them he fed the crowd so they wouldn't be hungry. He fed 4000 with 7 loaves and a few small fish.
This is telling us today that if we take the small amount we have and give it to God, watch how He uses it. Never doubt the power of our God by giving Him what little we have.
Jesus miracles always brought glory to his father.
Glory
Been reading and studying and talking about the Glory of God.....
Well....what is glory anyway? And how can we give God the glory He deserves?
Glory is giving God the highest praise and honor. God is perfect. Glory is the never ending beauty and greatness of His many perfections.
What we need to realize is God doesn't need us to give Him glory, but it's what we are to give Him. Even though we are sinners.....he still wants us to give Him His glory. We are to glorify Him in all circumstances. What baffles me is how a holy God would want me....a terrible sinner.....to give Him praise? How can I be worthy of such a great thing? Yet he accepts it and loves to get praise and worship from us.
I thought of something awhile ago.......we hear the statement "everything happens for a reason".....
I've been convinced that the only reason we need to be concerned with anything happening to us is for our God to get His glory though us in that situation. Even in our bad time.....he should still get His glory. He is still on the throne of heaven and deserving of such high honor.
We always want to know why? Why did this person get cancer? Why did that person have an accident? Why did that man get elected into office? Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why do we have pain? Why do we get stressed? Why.....why......why.....
In talking with a friend last night, asking why is ok, but if we do get an answer to the why's of our life, I feel it only creates more questions. If we get the one question answered then we have to ask 6 more to go along with the first one. It only creates more distraction from our God. It only makes us not give Him his glory until we get the answer we want anyway. This cycle is never ending and in it proves we don't really trust our God. How is it we can trust Him for our salvation, but simple day to day things we seem to have a real hard time doing.
He is so great and all He wants is to be first in our lives. He wants us to love Him above all else....including our family. He wants us to trust Him for all our needs. He wants us to give Him glory anyway when we are hurt and mad and happy and sad.......all these times we can honor him.
This life here on this earth is temporary......we seem to get too attached and comfortable and make this life all about self. We are way off in doing this. This life is preparation for the next where we will praise and glorify our God day and night. Our life today should be all about God and making sure we give Him his due glory. In doing this we can then love Him better and love other people better too.
Well....what is glory anyway? And how can we give God the glory He deserves?
Glory is giving God the highest praise and honor. God is perfect. Glory is the never ending beauty and greatness of His many perfections.
What we need to realize is God doesn't need us to give Him glory, but it's what we are to give Him. Even though we are sinners.....he still wants us to give Him His glory. We are to glorify Him in all circumstances. What baffles me is how a holy God would want me....a terrible sinner.....to give Him praise? How can I be worthy of such a great thing? Yet he accepts it and loves to get praise and worship from us.
I thought of something awhile ago.......we hear the statement "everything happens for a reason".....
I've been convinced that the only reason we need to be concerned with anything happening to us is for our God to get His glory though us in that situation. Even in our bad time.....he should still get His glory. He is still on the throne of heaven and deserving of such high honor.
We always want to know why? Why did this person get cancer? Why did that person have an accident? Why did that man get elected into office? Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why do we have pain? Why do we get stressed? Why.....why......why.....
In talking with a friend last night, asking why is ok, but if we do get an answer to the why's of our life, I feel it only creates more questions. If we get the one question answered then we have to ask 6 more to go along with the first one. It only creates more distraction from our God. It only makes us not give Him his glory until we get the answer we want anyway. This cycle is never ending and in it proves we don't really trust our God. How is it we can trust Him for our salvation, but simple day to day things we seem to have a real hard time doing.
He is so great and all He wants is to be first in our lives. He wants us to love Him above all else....including our family. He wants us to trust Him for all our needs. He wants us to give Him glory anyway when we are hurt and mad and happy and sad.......all these times we can honor him.
This life here on this earth is temporary......we seem to get too attached and comfortable and make this life all about self. We are way off in doing this. This life is preparation for the next where we will praise and glorify our God day and night. Our life today should be all about God and making sure we give Him his due glory. In doing this we can then love Him better and love other people better too.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Matthew 14
Matthew 14.....
The Herod mentioned here is not the same Herod as in Mtthew 2. Herod had 4 sons and this Herod mentioned here was one of his sons.
Verse 3-5.....Herod put John the Baptist in jail because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herods brother, Philip. Herodias was married to one man....yet another man wanted to marry her. John the Baptist told the other man it's not lawful ( meaning in the Jewish law) for her to be with another mans husband. This man wanted her to leave her current husband for him and john told him it was wrong. So for that the king Herod out john in prison. Verse 5 says the king wanted to kill him but he was afraid to since the people thought he was a prophet.
Verse 6-12 is very sad.....and it goes to show just how selfish and how bitterness can make us make ugly decisions.
Verse 13.....catch this here.....Jesus heard about john and did what? He went to be alone. Jesus and john were cousins so I'm sure the news of his death wasn't a shock because he was God....but he was human and was probably experiencing the grieving process. But look at verse 14.....again crowds of people found him and I love the point in this verse. Jesus had compassion on them. All of them.....the whole crowd. Even in his distressed state he was still compassionate for others.
How many times do we just want to be left alone? I know I do.....and when I am by myself is usually when my mind wanders to places it shouldn't. But what happens when someone needs me? I feel better to help someone or pray for them in their need. Being around other people helps us stay on track. It helps us stay connected to each other.
The story of feeding the 5000+ people is one we should read slow and let sink in. Here Jesus provides all that they need in the moment. He showed them they could trust him.....even though they had very little to go around. Thinking about my own life......we don't have much these days as far as material things.....but we are never hungry or cold or unclothed. Our God takes care of our needs.
Verse 23.....again Jesus goes off alone to pray. We all need quiet time with our God. We all need to be
alone to pray now and then. If Jesus needed that time With the father then we do too.
This story of Jesus walking on water is our first encounter with Peter. I love Peter. He reminds me of myself. I will explain more of that as we go along and learn more about him.
Verse 27.....Peter is afraid and Jesus tells him not to be.
This storm could have killed these men in the boat. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus all was well.....but the second he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink.
How true is this for us today? How many times so we try to do things on our own and we begin to sink in the storm? All we need to do is keep our eyes on Jesus and he will carry us through the storms of our life. Focus......just focus.
The Herod mentioned here is not the same Herod as in Mtthew 2. Herod had 4 sons and this Herod mentioned here was one of his sons.
Verse 3-5.....Herod put John the Baptist in jail because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herods brother, Philip. Herodias was married to one man....yet another man wanted to marry her. John the Baptist told the other man it's not lawful ( meaning in the Jewish law) for her to be with another mans husband. This man wanted her to leave her current husband for him and john told him it was wrong. So for that the king Herod out john in prison. Verse 5 says the king wanted to kill him but he was afraid to since the people thought he was a prophet.
Verse 6-12 is very sad.....and it goes to show just how selfish and how bitterness can make us make ugly decisions.
Verse 13.....catch this here.....Jesus heard about john and did what? He went to be alone. Jesus and john were cousins so I'm sure the news of his death wasn't a shock because he was God....but he was human and was probably experiencing the grieving process. But look at verse 14.....again crowds of people found him and I love the point in this verse. Jesus had compassion on them. All of them.....the whole crowd. Even in his distressed state he was still compassionate for others.
How many times do we just want to be left alone? I know I do.....and when I am by myself is usually when my mind wanders to places it shouldn't. But what happens when someone needs me? I feel better to help someone or pray for them in their need. Being around other people helps us stay on track. It helps us stay connected to each other.
The story of feeding the 5000+ people is one we should read slow and let sink in. Here Jesus provides all that they need in the moment. He showed them they could trust him.....even though they had very little to go around. Thinking about my own life......we don't have much these days as far as material things.....but we are never hungry or cold or unclothed. Our God takes care of our needs.
Verse 23.....again Jesus goes off alone to pray. We all need quiet time with our God. We all need to be
alone to pray now and then. If Jesus needed that time With the father then we do too.
This story of Jesus walking on water is our first encounter with Peter. I love Peter. He reminds me of myself. I will explain more of that as we go along and learn more about him.
Verse 27.....Peter is afraid and Jesus tells him not to be.
This storm could have killed these men in the boat. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus all was well.....but the second he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink.
How true is this for us today? How many times so we try to do things on our own and we begin to sink in the storm? All we need to do is keep our eyes on Jesus and he will carry us through the storms of our life. Focus......just focus.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Trucks
I got into a discussion once with a truck driver. I asked him what kind of truck he drove and he said a Peterbilt 379. I told him I like the Kenworth W9. We talked awhile about trucks and makes and driving over the road. After about 5 minutes he asked me how I knew so much about trucks. I had to laugh.....I told him my dad has always driven truck. He knows how to drive all makes And models and all construction equipment. My brother had the same love of trucks growing up too. Then I marry a man who loves trucks as much as, if not more than my dad. And we raise a son that only wanted to drive truck since he was 3 years old. I've picked up more truck terms over the years than I Thought.
Mack B61 (my dad favorite )
Kenworth T800
International Eagle
Gear shifting patterns
Different grill shapes and sizes are specific to different models
Cabover
Reefer
CDL.....class A and B
Mack super liner (my husband favorite)
Cummins
Diesel
Bob tail
Pre trip
Kenworth W9 ( I love the look of this one )
I could go on and on....haha
When I got married my husband, Dustin, always wanted his CDL.....on our wedding day a friend told him of a job that would train him to get his class A. So Saturday we were married and Monday he went for the interview and started on Tuesday. He was so happy. My dad helped to train him even though they didn't work at the same company. They spent Saturday's together learning the way.
Then in 2014 my son, Zachary, graduated high school. He's only ever talked of driving truck as the only thing he's ever wanted to do. So one day after work he went and took the permit tests and passed and he got a job with my dad. My dad got to train his own grandson for his dream! He couldn't be more proud that Zach is now working by his side carrying on the truck driving tradition.
Recently a friend of ours was in a transition of jobs. Zach told him that maybe he could work with
him and get the CDL. Randy was speechless. Randy called my husband daily and talked of the tests. The CDL permit tests are very difficult and aren't easy to pass......but he and Dustin and Zach spent some time together studying and talking of the tests. I remember the day Randy passed the tests. He called Dustin again and was so excited of what God had done for him. He talked of getting on his knees and praying for wisdom as he went in to take the tests. When God helped him he was in awe of what our God will do for us when we ask. Now my dad is training him to learn the way of truck driving. Getting the CDL is like a car license in that you need a permit first then go for a driving test. My dad trains a lot of people for the driving part of the test.
I stand back and watch how God has worked in each of these men's lives. First in my dad who is awesome at what he does and is able to help others along the way......God gives each of us special desires and gifts.....all different. My husband has trained men over the years as well to pass the tests......and one day I'm sure my son and randy will do the same. God is good. He knows just what and who to bring into our lives at just the right time.
Matthew 7:7 tells us to ask....see....and knock.
We ask and it's given to us....as long as it's in Gods will
Seek Him and he will show us. Look forward to Him showing us the answers
Knock on the door to open it through persistant prayer.
Mack B61 (my dad favorite )
Kenworth T800
International Eagle
Gear shifting patterns
Different grill shapes and sizes are specific to different models
Cabover
Reefer
CDL.....class A and B
Mack super liner (my husband favorite)
Cummins
Diesel
Bob tail
Pre trip
Kenworth W9 ( I love the look of this one )
I could go on and on....haha
When I got married my husband, Dustin, always wanted his CDL.....on our wedding day a friend told him of a job that would train him to get his class A. So Saturday we were married and Monday he went for the interview and started on Tuesday. He was so happy. My dad helped to train him even though they didn't work at the same company. They spent Saturday's together learning the way.
Then in 2014 my son, Zachary, graduated high school. He's only ever talked of driving truck as the only thing he's ever wanted to do. So one day after work he went and took the permit tests and passed and he got a job with my dad. My dad got to train his own grandson for his dream! He couldn't be more proud that Zach is now working by his side carrying on the truck driving tradition.
Recently a friend of ours was in a transition of jobs. Zach told him that maybe he could work with
him and get the CDL. Randy was speechless. Randy called my husband daily and talked of the tests. The CDL permit tests are very difficult and aren't easy to pass......but he and Dustin and Zach spent some time together studying and talking of the tests. I remember the day Randy passed the tests. He called Dustin again and was so excited of what God had done for him. He talked of getting on his knees and praying for wisdom as he went in to take the tests. When God helped him he was in awe of what our God will do for us when we ask. Now my dad is training him to learn the way of truck driving. Getting the CDL is like a car license in that you need a permit first then go for a driving test. My dad trains a lot of people for the driving part of the test.
I stand back and watch how God has worked in each of these men's lives. First in my dad who is awesome at what he does and is able to help others along the way......God gives each of us special desires and gifts.....all different. My husband has trained men over the years as well to pass the tests......and one day I'm sure my son and randy will do the same. God is good. He knows just what and who to bring into our lives at just the right time.
Matthew 7:7 tells us to ask....see....and knock.
We ask and it's given to us....as long as it's in Gods will
Seek Him and he will show us. Look forward to Him showing us the answers
Knock on the door to open it through persistant prayer.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Matthew 13
Matthew 13.....
Can you imagine the large crowds that keep gathering around Jesus? Makes me think of celebrities. Back in the day I was a huge Def Leppard fan......I had all the cassette tapes, Tshirts, posters on my wall, and joe Elliott was the lead singer ( and I could have watched him all day on MTV) I'm sure they had big crowds around them too.....but Def leppard is no Jesus and neither is Joe Elliott. Yes....they could sing and entertain and joe looked good with long hair .....but there is no comparison to Jesus. Jesus is God and could heal and save people. Celebrities can't do any of that.
Anyway....Jesus told a lot of parables. Parables are a story that is to teach us a lesson. Sometimes his parables are hard to understand.....but they are meant for us to dig deeper and find the meaning. The story of the sower......well...in the spring we sow seeds and plant gardens. Here Jesus is talking about his word....the Bible and how we do or don't let it impact our life.
Basically this parable is telling us we need to be like the man planting his seeds on the good soil (the Bible) and it produces a big crop and is fruitful. We need to be wise with our learning and application of Gods word in our life.
Verse 14-15 is from Isaiah 6:9-10
Verse 23 is what we all need to strive to be.....we need to spend time with God in his word and in prayer.....then we will be fruitful and produce well for His glory.
Parable of the weeds.......Christians have to live among non-Christians in this world. We can make such an impact on them. We need to be the light of Jesus to draw them to Him. An explaination of the weeds is found in verses 36-40 of this chapter.
Parable of the mustard seed....the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. One time when we had youth group I bought a container of mustard seeds. I still have the container if you'd like to see just how small they are. My husband and I put a small amount in some kids hands for them to see the size. Some decided to be funny and eat them....my son was one of them and then felt sick afterward. Anyway this is the smallest seed and yet it grows to the biggest plant. This parable is telling us that Christians are among the minority in the world. Yet Christians will grow and expand the gospel to all nations.
Verse 35 is from psalm 78:2
Parable of the hidden pearl and treasure......the kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything.
Parable of the net.....angels will come at the end of the age to separate the wicked from the righteous.
Verse 54....Jesus hometown is Nazareth.
The people there are questioning Jesus. They don't understand who he is. He knew their lack of faith and verse 58 tells us he didn't do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. What a shame.
Can you imagine the large crowds that keep gathering around Jesus? Makes me think of celebrities. Back in the day I was a huge Def Leppard fan......I had all the cassette tapes, Tshirts, posters on my wall, and joe Elliott was the lead singer ( and I could have watched him all day on MTV) I'm sure they had big crowds around them too.....but Def leppard is no Jesus and neither is Joe Elliott. Yes....they could sing and entertain and joe looked good with long hair .....but there is no comparison to Jesus. Jesus is God and could heal and save people. Celebrities can't do any of that.
Anyway....Jesus told a lot of parables. Parables are a story that is to teach us a lesson. Sometimes his parables are hard to understand.....but they are meant for us to dig deeper and find the meaning. The story of the sower......well...in the spring we sow seeds and plant gardens. Here Jesus is talking about his word....the Bible and how we do or don't let it impact our life.
Basically this parable is telling us we need to be like the man planting his seeds on the good soil (the Bible) and it produces a big crop and is fruitful. We need to be wise with our learning and application of Gods word in our life.
Verse 14-15 is from Isaiah 6:9-10
Verse 23 is what we all need to strive to be.....we need to spend time with God in his word and in prayer.....then we will be fruitful and produce well for His glory.
Parable of the weeds.......Christians have to live among non-Christians in this world. We can make such an impact on them. We need to be the light of Jesus to draw them to Him. An explaination of the weeds is found in verses 36-40 of this chapter.
Parable of the mustard seed....the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. One time when we had youth group I bought a container of mustard seeds. I still have the container if you'd like to see just how small they are. My husband and I put a small amount in some kids hands for them to see the size. Some decided to be funny and eat them....my son was one of them and then felt sick afterward. Anyway this is the smallest seed and yet it grows to the biggest plant. This parable is telling us that Christians are among the minority in the world. Yet Christians will grow and expand the gospel to all nations.
Verse 35 is from psalm 78:2
Parable of the hidden pearl and treasure......the kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything.
Parable of the net.....angels will come at the end of the age to separate the wicked from the righteous.
Verse 54....Jesus hometown is Nazareth.
The people there are questioning Jesus. They don't understand who he is. He knew their lack of faith and verse 58 tells us he didn't do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. What a shame.
Monday, March 21, 2016
Opportunity
We are all given opportunity each new day. Opportunity to love....opportunity to show kindness......opportunity to be all our God has for us to be. Opportunity to pray for situations in our life......
But what happens when we fail? What happens when opportunity is right in front of us and we run? Or we go another way? Or we react a bad way?
Today that happened. I had an opportunity to tell my coworker how much I appreciate her.....I had an opportunity to be kinder to a stranger......I had opportunity to not get upset when I was yelled at.....but all these things I failed to do. I could go on and on....but guess what? We don't have to beat ourself up for what we didn't do. We can learn and grow from our missed opportunities. No tomorrow isn't guaranteed, but we can still strive to do better in the moments we are given. I have learned recently that God is in full control of this life and all that goes on. Each opportunity we are given is not by accident, but by His divine intervention.
But what happens when we fail? What happens when opportunity is right in front of us and we run? Or we go another way? Or we react a bad way?
Today that happened. I had an opportunity to tell my coworker how much I appreciate her.....I had an opportunity to be kinder to a stranger......I had opportunity to not get upset when I was yelled at.....but all these things I failed to do. I could go on and on....but guess what? We don't have to beat ourself up for what we didn't do. We can learn and grow from our missed opportunities. No tomorrow isn't guaranteed, but we can still strive to do better in the moments we are given. I have learned recently that God is in full control of this life and all that goes on. Each opportunity we are given is not by accident, but by His divine intervention.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Matthew 12.
Matthew 12......
The sabbath is a day ordained by God for rest. The Old Testament goes over all the laws concerning the sabbath. The 10 commandments tell us to remember the sabbath and keep it holy. Basically this is a day to rest and focus on our God. The religious leaders had a lot of do's and dont's for the sabbath. Here in the beginning of chapter 12 the leaders were telling Jesus that picking grains from the fields was against the law to do on the sabbath. Jesus continues to tell them they have it all wrong. He quotes Hosea 6:6 in verse 7.
Continuing on.....the man with the little hand comes to Jesus on the sabbath. The leaders were watching and waiting to see if Jesus would heal him on the sabbath. Jesus tells them in verse 12 that it is ok to do good on the sabbath. Jesus restored his hand and the leaders went to form a plan to kill Jesus. Jesus was a threat to the leaders. They didn't appreciate him coming and taking their place as far as teaching about God.
Verse 15....Jesus is aware they want to kill him. So he leaves and keeps healing people. He also warned them not to tell anyone who he was. Why do you think he would tell them not to tell?
Verse 17- 21 is found in Isaiah 42:1-4
When I give the verses of the Old Testament to reference.....that means a prophet already spoke of these things now coming to life in Jesus times.
Verse 24.....Beelzebub is another name for satan.
The leaders thought Jesus was driving out demons from people because he was satan.....or they wanted everyone to believe that.
Verse 25.....if Jesus knew their thoughts.....he knows ours too.
If a city or a household or a church or a corporation is divided against itself......meaning if they are not in agreement with each other as far a Jesus is concerned.....it will not stand. It will fall apart.
Verse 30.....he who is not with me is against me.......Jesus is telling us here're cannot ride the fence. We cannot have one foot in the world and one foot with him. It's all or nothing. He is jealous and won't share our heart with anything or anyone else.
Verse 34.....what comes out of our mouth is what is stored up in our hearts.
This is a scary thing....we may be able to fool people, but God sees our hearts and eventually what's in them comes out for everyone to hear.
Verse 36....we have to be careful with our words. Our repentance to God because of our words and asking him to forgive our unkind words will be erased by his forgiveness. But left on our own without asking for forgiveness from our Savior, we will give explaination for what we said.we have to be very careful to be totally devoted to Jesus. We can't fake it with him.
Verse 38....The people were always looking for signs. Aren't we the Same today? Don't we always want solid proof of everything?
Verse 50.....this is proof that God is eternal, and by doing His will and following him we are His family. Being in Gods family by obedience is more important than being in our human families in earth. Salvation is not by works. Doing Gods will is evidence of our salvation by grace.
The sabbath is a day ordained by God for rest. The Old Testament goes over all the laws concerning the sabbath. The 10 commandments tell us to remember the sabbath and keep it holy. Basically this is a day to rest and focus on our God. The religious leaders had a lot of do's and dont's for the sabbath. Here in the beginning of chapter 12 the leaders were telling Jesus that picking grains from the fields was against the law to do on the sabbath. Jesus continues to tell them they have it all wrong. He quotes Hosea 6:6 in verse 7.
Continuing on.....the man with the little hand comes to Jesus on the sabbath. The leaders were watching and waiting to see if Jesus would heal him on the sabbath. Jesus tells them in verse 12 that it is ok to do good on the sabbath. Jesus restored his hand and the leaders went to form a plan to kill Jesus. Jesus was a threat to the leaders. They didn't appreciate him coming and taking their place as far as teaching about God.
Verse 15....Jesus is aware they want to kill him. So he leaves and keeps healing people. He also warned them not to tell anyone who he was. Why do you think he would tell them not to tell?
Verse 17- 21 is found in Isaiah 42:1-4
When I give the verses of the Old Testament to reference.....that means a prophet already spoke of these things now coming to life in Jesus times.
Verse 24.....Beelzebub is another name for satan.
The leaders thought Jesus was driving out demons from people because he was satan.....or they wanted everyone to believe that.
Verse 25.....if Jesus knew their thoughts.....he knows ours too.
If a city or a household or a church or a corporation is divided against itself......meaning if they are not in agreement with each other as far a Jesus is concerned.....it will not stand. It will fall apart.
Verse 30.....he who is not with me is against me.......Jesus is telling us here're cannot ride the fence. We cannot have one foot in the world and one foot with him. It's all or nothing. He is jealous and won't share our heart with anything or anyone else.
Verse 34.....what comes out of our mouth is what is stored up in our hearts.
This is a scary thing....we may be able to fool people, but God sees our hearts and eventually what's in them comes out for everyone to hear.
Verse 36....we have to be careful with our words. Our repentance to God because of our words and asking him to forgive our unkind words will be erased by his forgiveness. But left on our own without asking for forgiveness from our Savior, we will give explaination for what we said.we have to be very careful to be totally devoted to Jesus. We can't fake it with him.
Verse 38....The people were always looking for signs. Aren't we the Same today? Don't we always want solid proof of everything?
Verse 50.....this is proof that God is eternal, and by doing His will and following him we are His family. Being in Gods family by obedience is more important than being in our human families in earth. Salvation is not by works. Doing Gods will is evidence of our salvation by grace.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Matthew 11
matthew 11.....
Jesus gave his disciples instructions and now they are ready to go. Jesus stayed in the town of Galileeto preach and teach the people there.
John the Baptist is in prison at this point.......we will get to why later, but he got word that Jesus was ministering. He sent his disciples.....yes john had his own disciples.....to see what Jesus was up to. John had preached the coming of the messiah in chapter 3. (He knew the messiah was coming to bring judgement to the people.....but he didn't think it was a healing and miracle ministry. John thought he may have misunderstood Jesus mission.) (This is what my bible notes say)
Verse 10 is from Malachi 3:1
Verse 11-19.....Jesus is telling the Crowd that they are all wrong in their interpretation of John the Baptist and of Him.
Verse 20-24.....the account of the city of sodom is found in genesis chapters 18 and 19. These verses in Matthew are telling us that Jesus performed miracles in the cities listed yet the people didn't come to repentance for their sin after having witnessed the miracles. Jesus is telling the people that what happened to sodom is no match for what will happen to them if they don't change their ways. The sin in these cities was great and Jesus is letting them know they need to repent or be punished. It's the same for us. We need to repent and come to Christ in this life so we can have eternity with him and avoid eternal punishment. We need to repent and come to Jesus because we love him.
Verse 25....the father has hidden things from men yet revealed them to little children. Now.....the religious leaders are the men who had things hidden from them. They had the scriptures of that time, but did not have the Holy Spirit. These men were supposedly wise, but the little children (Us)
were Jesus followers and the father revealed himself to them through Jesus. Today we have the Holy
Spirit to reveal the father to us through his word.
Verse 27.....this verse is amazing.....no one knows the Father except through the Son. And only those chosen to know the Son will know Him. You see.....the father chooses who will know him and who won't. This is hard to grasp because other places in the Bible tell us that God wants everyone to come to repentance for no one to perish. We see here that the father chooses who he will reveal himself to. He's done this all over the Bible. We are all born with a knowing of our father whether we ever accept him or not. Deep down we all know and are held accountable for that knowing.
Verse 28-30.....any burden we have can be made lighter by our savior. We just need to tell him about it and ask for his help. He can handle whatever we may need. He can handle it all at once so we don't have to.
In my own prayer time the other day i know that I am not relying on Him like I should. I know I need to tell him my struggles so he can help me. I am weak and tired....but these promises here tell me he will give me rest. We all need rest. We all need the rest only Jesus can give.
Jesus gave his disciples instructions and now they are ready to go. Jesus stayed in the town of Galileeto preach and teach the people there.
John the Baptist is in prison at this point.......we will get to why later, but he got word that Jesus was ministering. He sent his disciples.....yes john had his own disciples.....to see what Jesus was up to. John had preached the coming of the messiah in chapter 3. (He knew the messiah was coming to bring judgement to the people.....but he didn't think it was a healing and miracle ministry. John thought he may have misunderstood Jesus mission.) (This is what my bible notes say)
Verse 10 is from Malachi 3:1
Verse 11-19.....Jesus is telling the Crowd that they are all wrong in their interpretation of John the Baptist and of Him.
Verse 20-24.....the account of the city of sodom is found in genesis chapters 18 and 19. These verses in Matthew are telling us that Jesus performed miracles in the cities listed yet the people didn't come to repentance for their sin after having witnessed the miracles. Jesus is telling the people that what happened to sodom is no match for what will happen to them if they don't change their ways. The sin in these cities was great and Jesus is letting them know they need to repent or be punished. It's the same for us. We need to repent and come to Christ in this life so we can have eternity with him and avoid eternal punishment. We need to repent and come to Jesus because we love him.
Verse 25....the father has hidden things from men yet revealed them to little children. Now.....the religious leaders are the men who had things hidden from them. They had the scriptures of that time, but did not have the Holy Spirit. These men were supposedly wise, but the little children (Us)
were Jesus followers and the father revealed himself to them through Jesus. Today we have the Holy
Spirit to reveal the father to us through his word.
Verse 27.....this verse is amazing.....no one knows the Father except through the Son. And only those chosen to know the Son will know Him. You see.....the father chooses who will know him and who won't. This is hard to grasp because other places in the Bible tell us that God wants everyone to come to repentance for no one to perish. We see here that the father chooses who he will reveal himself to. He's done this all over the Bible. We are all born with a knowing of our father whether we ever accept him or not. Deep down we all know and are held accountable for that knowing.
Verse 28-30.....any burden we have can be made lighter by our savior. We just need to tell him about it and ask for his help. He can handle whatever we may need. He can handle it all at once so we don't have to.
In my own prayer time the other day i know that I am not relying on Him like I should. I know I need to tell him my struggles so he can help me. I am weak and tired....but these promises here tell me he will give me rest. We all need rest. We all need the rest only Jesus can give.
Friday, March 18, 2016
This week
This particular week of the year is always a challenge in my house.
March 14th my husband's father passed away (in 1993)
March 15 my great aunt died (in 2008....she was 97)
March 17 my son was born (1996)
March 17 my husbands mother passed away (2004)
This year......we know of 2 more people that died on the 14th. My sons birthday is a bright spot the week. But every year it's a challenge because my husband misses his parents. Not that he wants them to come back as they both died having known the Lord and are in heaven, but he still misses them.
With the job I have in the ER I see illness and death. I can't say it's easy to deal with but it's a learned adjustment. There are coping skills needed to get through the loss of the day and continue on with the rest of the shift. I look at death differently now than I used to. Not in a bad way....just different. I am grateful to God that I can be there for a family of someone who needs me at that moment they lose a loved one.
My mother in law was a beautiful lady. As she was dying there was no place on earth I wanted to be than right with her in those last weeks of her life. She had the love of Jesus pouring out of her in those last months. I think of her often and how her illness and the love she had for Jesus helped shape who I am today. It's truly amazing how God uses people and situations to draw us to His will. That thought About Him blows my mind. Had I not be available to be with her in those last weeks, things may have gone a different way......but God knows what we need and who he needs to use at just the right time. Amazing.
I never got to meet my father in law as he had passed before my husband and I got together. Everyone says how he was a wonderful man with a caring, giving heart. I will meet him one day when my savior brings me to His side in glory.
Death is not the end.....it's only the beginning of an eternal life that is beyond our comprehension! Are you ready? Are you living for God in accepting His son for your savior? Accepting him or rejecting him is the only decision we make in this life that matters. All the rest of the decisions we need to make on this earth are temporary......but deciding for or against Jesus has eternal effects. Jesus died to save us all. Jesus wants us to love him and live each day for Him.
March 14th my husband's father passed away (in 1993)
March 15 my great aunt died (in 2008....she was 97)
March 17 my son was born (1996)
March 17 my husbands mother passed away (2004)
This year......we know of 2 more people that died on the 14th. My sons birthday is a bright spot the week. But every year it's a challenge because my husband misses his parents. Not that he wants them to come back as they both died having known the Lord and are in heaven, but he still misses them.
With the job I have in the ER I see illness and death. I can't say it's easy to deal with but it's a learned adjustment. There are coping skills needed to get through the loss of the day and continue on with the rest of the shift. I look at death differently now than I used to. Not in a bad way....just different. I am grateful to God that I can be there for a family of someone who needs me at that moment they lose a loved one.
My mother in law was a beautiful lady. As she was dying there was no place on earth I wanted to be than right with her in those last weeks of her life. She had the love of Jesus pouring out of her in those last months. I think of her often and how her illness and the love she had for Jesus helped shape who I am today. It's truly amazing how God uses people and situations to draw us to His will. That thought About Him blows my mind. Had I not be available to be with her in those last weeks, things may have gone a different way......but God knows what we need and who he needs to use at just the right time. Amazing.
I never got to meet my father in law as he had passed before my husband and I got together. Everyone says how he was a wonderful man with a caring, giving heart. I will meet him one day when my savior brings me to His side in glory.
Death is not the end.....it's only the beginning of an eternal life that is beyond our comprehension! Are you ready? Are you living for God in accepting His son for your savior? Accepting him or rejecting him is the only decision we make in this life that matters. All the rest of the decisions we need to make on this earth are temporary......but deciding for or against Jesus has eternal effects. Jesus died to save us all. Jesus wants us to love him and live each day for Him.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Matthew 10
Matthew 10.....
Jessica....here we go!
First of all, Jesus gave authority to 12 men to get rid of evil spirits in people, heal disease, and sickness too. (Verse 1).
Jesus called his 12 disciples....a disciple is a learner who becomes a follower. Being a disciple of Jesus we learn from him and follow him .....and these 12 men learned from Jesus.
1. Simon (called Peter.....Peter became a great leader of the Christians as we will see later in the New Testament)
2. Andrew (peter's brother)
3. James
4. John (James brother)
5. Philip
6. Bartholomew ( also called Nathanael)
7. Thomas
8. Matthew ( the tax collector where Jesus ate dinner one night)
9. James
10. Thaddaeus
11. Simon the zealot (zealots were a group who wanted to overthrow the roman rule of Israel....he was probably in this group before meeting Jesus)
12. Judas Iscariot ( who later betrayed Jesus.....we will read all about this soon)
Jesus gives these disciples instructions. They are to go to the lost ones in Israel. Before Jesus death he wanted the good news of his kingdom to be for the Jews. After his resurrection.....the good news was for the Gentiles as well.
Verse 17..... Jesus is telling them to be on guard. He knows they could get beat up and ridiculed by men when they are preaching and healing in Jesus name.
Verse 18-20.....Jesus says WHEN you are arrested......there is guarantee they will end up arrested for Jesus sake. He's telling them here not to worry about what they will say to the judge.....the Holy Spirit will speak through them.
Verse 22.... All men will hate them because of Jesus.
Verse 28.....don't be afraid of those who can kill a body, but be afraid of those who can kill a soul. This verse is telling us we need to respect God!
Verse 30.....even the number of hairs on our heads are counted. Think about how much hair we lose on a daily basis. Our number of hairs changes all the time. Yet our God knows how many we have ant any given time.
Verse 32.....this is simple.....acknowledge Jesus to men and he will acknowledge us before the father.
Verse 37-40......Jesus is saying that he has to have top priority in our life. We are to give total surrender to him alone. We are to love him above our parents....our spouse.....our kids.
Taking up our cross daily is making a total commitment to him....daily. We want our own way. We want to sin, but Jesus is telling us to take our cross.....think about what we will do and put him first instead of what we want. This is the first mention of the cross. A cross was looked as an instrument of death. This symbol here is telling us that our total commitment should be to Christ.....even unto death. We must fear God.....not fear as in being totally afraid of him, but fear in total respect. When we respect someone of authority, we respect them.
All these words Jesus spoke to the disciples before they went out to minister to people are written for us today. His word is alive and active. We need to trust and obey what's written for us.
Jessica....here we go!
First of all, Jesus gave authority to 12 men to get rid of evil spirits in people, heal disease, and sickness too. (Verse 1).
Jesus called his 12 disciples....a disciple is a learner who becomes a follower. Being a disciple of Jesus we learn from him and follow him .....and these 12 men learned from Jesus.
1. Simon (called Peter.....Peter became a great leader of the Christians as we will see later in the New Testament)
2. Andrew (peter's brother)
3. James
4. John (James brother)
5. Philip
6. Bartholomew ( also called Nathanael)
7. Thomas
8. Matthew ( the tax collector where Jesus ate dinner one night)
9. James
10. Thaddaeus
11. Simon the zealot (zealots were a group who wanted to overthrow the roman rule of Israel....he was probably in this group before meeting Jesus)
12. Judas Iscariot ( who later betrayed Jesus.....we will read all about this soon)
Jesus gives these disciples instructions. They are to go to the lost ones in Israel. Before Jesus death he wanted the good news of his kingdom to be for the Jews. After his resurrection.....the good news was for the Gentiles as well.
Verse 17..... Jesus is telling them to be on guard. He knows they could get beat up and ridiculed by men when they are preaching and healing in Jesus name.
Verse 18-20.....Jesus says WHEN you are arrested......there is guarantee they will end up arrested for Jesus sake. He's telling them here not to worry about what they will say to the judge.....the Holy Spirit will speak through them.
Verse 22.... All men will hate them because of Jesus.
Verse 28.....don't be afraid of those who can kill a body, but be afraid of those who can kill a soul. This verse is telling us we need to respect God!
Verse 30.....even the number of hairs on our heads are counted. Think about how much hair we lose on a daily basis. Our number of hairs changes all the time. Yet our God knows how many we have ant any given time.
Verse 32.....this is simple.....acknowledge Jesus to men and he will acknowledge us before the father.
Verse 37-40......Jesus is saying that he has to have top priority in our life. We are to give total surrender to him alone. We are to love him above our parents....our spouse.....our kids.
Taking up our cross daily is making a total commitment to him....daily. We want our own way. We want to sin, but Jesus is telling us to take our cross.....think about what we will do and put him first instead of what we want. This is the first mention of the cross. A cross was looked as an instrument of death. This symbol here is telling us that our total commitment should be to Christ.....even unto death. We must fear God.....not fear as in being totally afraid of him, but fear in total respect. When we respect someone of authority, we respect them.
All these words Jesus spoke to the disciples before they went out to minister to people are written for us today. His word is alive and active. We need to trust and obey what's written for us.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Matthew 9
Matthew 9....
Notice in verse 2 Jesus says that the paralyzed mans sins are forgiven. He is letting him and us know that our forgiveness of sin is much more important than the physical state of our body. It could have been that the mans sin did cause the paralysis of his body too. It is unclear if that is the case, but a possibility. Anyway....the forgiveness of sin is extremely important.
Verse 3....the leaders thought he was talking against God.
Notice in verse 4 Jesus knew their thoughts! If he knew theirs....he knows ours too. How many times I wish my thoughts were more pure than they are.
Jesus did tell the paralyzed man to get up and walk.....and he did! This was a miracle and the crowd praised God.
Verse 9.....Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were knows for ripping people off so they were pretty much hated by the community. There was no bigger offense than to be a tax collector......in the eyes of the people there. The religious leaders could not understand why Jesus would waste his time on such sinners. The religious leaders were too good to eat and keep company with tax collectors. Notice Matthew got up and followed Jesus. Also notice Jesus telling thr leaders the sick need the doctor....not the healthy. He came here for the sinner to be well. He came for forgiveness of sins.....not to build up the righteous. The sinner is made righteous through Him.
Verse 13 is from Hosea 6:6
Verses 16-17 let us know how a newness can only come from Jesus in our life.
Verse 20.....all she wanted to do was touch Jesus coat. She had faith that he would heal her just by touching his garment. Wow. And the girl wasn't dead!
All through this land Jesus is doing miraculous things to heal. Notice how every time how he says it's their faith that heals them. Makes me wonder how much faith I really have. Do I believe he can heal? I like to believe I do.....but I have to let everything to Him according to his will. Remember these people that he healed had faith but it was His will that they be healed as well. He used that faith to show us he can do what he needs to to get His glory.
Verse 34.....the Pharisees are saying he's from satan because he can drive out demons. Oh my....
Love verse 36.....he had compassion on them. He healed them, ate with them, loved them because he had compassion for them. He has the same compassion for us. We are loved by Him and he is compassionate for us too. Because he is cimpassioate for us we need to show the same to others.
Vera 37.....the workers are few.....meaning there are few who want to work for Him and spread His gospel to others and help them grow. The harvest (people) is plentiful.....but those willing to work the harvest aren't that many. We need to pray for more workers.
Notice in verse 2 Jesus says that the paralyzed mans sins are forgiven. He is letting him and us know that our forgiveness of sin is much more important than the physical state of our body. It could have been that the mans sin did cause the paralysis of his body too. It is unclear if that is the case, but a possibility. Anyway....the forgiveness of sin is extremely important.
Verse 3....the leaders thought he was talking against God.
Notice in verse 4 Jesus knew their thoughts! If he knew theirs....he knows ours too. How many times I wish my thoughts were more pure than they are.
Jesus did tell the paralyzed man to get up and walk.....and he did! This was a miracle and the crowd praised God.
Verse 9.....Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were knows for ripping people off so they were pretty much hated by the community. There was no bigger offense than to be a tax collector......in the eyes of the people there. The religious leaders could not understand why Jesus would waste his time on such sinners. The religious leaders were too good to eat and keep company with tax collectors. Notice Matthew got up and followed Jesus. Also notice Jesus telling thr leaders the sick need the doctor....not the healthy. He came here for the sinner to be well. He came for forgiveness of sins.....not to build up the righteous. The sinner is made righteous through Him.
Verse 13 is from Hosea 6:6
Verses 16-17 let us know how a newness can only come from Jesus in our life.
Verse 20.....all she wanted to do was touch Jesus coat. She had faith that he would heal her just by touching his garment. Wow. And the girl wasn't dead!
All through this land Jesus is doing miraculous things to heal. Notice how every time how he says it's their faith that heals them. Makes me wonder how much faith I really have. Do I believe he can heal? I like to believe I do.....but I have to let everything to Him according to his will. Remember these people that he healed had faith but it was His will that they be healed as well. He used that faith to show us he can do what he needs to to get His glory.
Verse 34.....the Pharisees are saying he's from satan because he can drive out demons. Oh my....
Love verse 36.....he had compassion on them. He healed them, ate with them, loved them because he had compassion for them. He has the same compassion for us. We are loved by Him and he is compassionate for us too. Because he is cimpassioate for us we need to show the same to others.
Vera 37.....the workers are few.....meaning there are few who want to work for Him and spread His gospel to others and help them grow. The harvest (people) is plentiful.....but those willing to work the harvest aren't that many. We need to pray for more workers.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Matthew 8
Matthew 8.....
I'm trying to imagine the large crowds that followed Jesus. chapter 7 told us he spoke with authority. So.....did crowds follow after him because of that? I'm thinking they followed after him because they wanted something. Like the man in verse 2 with leprosy. Leprosy is a contagious skin disease. People with this condition were not considered clean so they were outcasts. Jesus was willing to touch him and he healed him of his disease.
Verse 4 is interesting in that Jesus tells the man not to tell anyone. My notes say it's because Jesus didn't want his ministry hindered by too much publicity being given to his miracles.
Verse 5 a centurion is a roman military officer in charge of about 100 soldiers. He aske Jesus for help of his paralyzed servant. The centurion realized he didn't deserve to have Jesus come into his home. The centurion knew Jesus had great authority, that all he needed to do was speak and the sick man would be healed. His breath and words are enough.....no touching needed.
Verse 10 Jesus says this centurion had great faith....and he's found no one with this much faith. This man was not a Jew. People are either Jewish or gentile. Basically if your not a Jew you are a gentile. I am a gentile and so are most of the people I know. In these times the word of God was given to the Jews. Gentiles weren't given the word until later. Verse 11 is telling of how Jesus and heaven is for gentiles too.
Verse 17 is from Isaiah 53:4
Verse 18-22....Jesus wants wholehearted followers. These men wanted to take care of some things before they followed him. The man talked of following after he buries his father but his dad may not have been close to death. Basically this man wanted to wait for his fathers death, get his inheritance, and then follow Jesus. Jesus don't work that way. When he calls we must follow......not later....NOW
Jesus calms the storm....without drama...or worry. How many storms do we encounter regularly? Do we ask him for help? Do we accept the storm? Do we realize that nothing comes to us that he hasn't ordained to happen? Do we realize he's in full control of this life? All these questions keep us from questioning and worrying about anything in this life. Just as Jesus says "you of little faith why are you afraid"? He wants us to fully trust him and not be afraid. Being afraid and worrying means we are relying on our own self and we then act like we don't need a savior.
Verse 29.....the demons recognize who Jesus is. One thing to remember......demons are satan's workers. They know Gods word and they know who Jesus is. They try to trick us, but we have to be quick to recognize who and what they are doing. The demons knew Jesus and going into thr pigs would be better for them....so Jesus granted their request. They were afraid of Jesus. Jesus always wins.
I'm trying to imagine the large crowds that followed Jesus. chapter 7 told us he spoke with authority. So.....did crowds follow after him because of that? I'm thinking they followed after him because they wanted something. Like the man in verse 2 with leprosy. Leprosy is a contagious skin disease. People with this condition were not considered clean so they were outcasts. Jesus was willing to touch him and he healed him of his disease.
Verse 4 is interesting in that Jesus tells the man not to tell anyone. My notes say it's because Jesus didn't want his ministry hindered by too much publicity being given to his miracles.
Verse 5 a centurion is a roman military officer in charge of about 100 soldiers. He aske Jesus for help of his paralyzed servant. The centurion realized he didn't deserve to have Jesus come into his home. The centurion knew Jesus had great authority, that all he needed to do was speak and the sick man would be healed. His breath and words are enough.....no touching needed.
Verse 10 Jesus says this centurion had great faith....and he's found no one with this much faith. This man was not a Jew. People are either Jewish or gentile. Basically if your not a Jew you are a gentile. I am a gentile and so are most of the people I know. In these times the word of God was given to the Jews. Gentiles weren't given the word until later. Verse 11 is telling of how Jesus and heaven is for gentiles too.
Verse 17 is from Isaiah 53:4
Verse 18-22....Jesus wants wholehearted followers. These men wanted to take care of some things before they followed him. The man talked of following after he buries his father but his dad may not have been close to death. Basically this man wanted to wait for his fathers death, get his inheritance, and then follow Jesus. Jesus don't work that way. When he calls we must follow......not later....NOW
Jesus calms the storm....without drama...or worry. How many storms do we encounter regularly? Do we ask him for help? Do we accept the storm? Do we realize that nothing comes to us that he hasn't ordained to happen? Do we realize he's in full control of this life? All these questions keep us from questioning and worrying about anything in this life. Just as Jesus says "you of little faith why are you afraid"? He wants us to fully trust him and not be afraid. Being afraid and worrying means we are relying on our own self and we then act like we don't need a savior.
Verse 29.....the demons recognize who Jesus is. One thing to remember......demons are satan's workers. They know Gods word and they know who Jesus is. They try to trick us, but we have to be quick to recognize who and what they are doing. The demons knew Jesus and going into thr pigs would be better for them....so Jesus granted their request. They were afraid of Jesus. Jesus always wins.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Sunday
Today I missed church.....today I had to work.
Days like this are rewarding but at the same time I feel disconnected. I am rewarded with a job I love.....being able to work with amazing people.....And my job is more than a job to me, it's a way of life. God knew what he was doing in putting me there.
But at the same time I feel the disconnection from not being with my church family for worship.
I try to look for blessings in each Sunday I am at my job. Blessings like meeting someone for the first time....someone who needs me to hold their hand and comfort them as they are sick.....a coworker asking me to pray for a situation......a time to reflect on how God can use me in spite of my shortcomings.....a place to help people feel better.
My church is very important to me. I spend a lot of time there. In worship.....in meetings....in Bible studys......being the custodian......spending time with a lovely lady studying together Sunday mornings before church starts......asking tons of questions to my pastor and other mature Christians......being with my family......it's a lot, but that is my home. When I can't be ther I feel like I'm missing something. Like I'm out of sync with my church family.
I have to remember His plans are different than my plans. That I'm just where i need to be each and every day.
I am thankful to God for all he has given me. I am thankful for the people he has in my life to help me grow and I am thankful for a job that is not just a job....but a place I truly enjoy being at.
Days like this are rewarding but at the same time I feel disconnected. I am rewarded with a job I love.....being able to work with amazing people.....And my job is more than a job to me, it's a way of life. God knew what he was doing in putting me there.
But at the same time I feel the disconnection from not being with my church family for worship.
I try to look for blessings in each Sunday I am at my job. Blessings like meeting someone for the first time....someone who needs me to hold their hand and comfort them as they are sick.....a coworker asking me to pray for a situation......a time to reflect on how God can use me in spite of my shortcomings.....a place to help people feel better.
My church is very important to me. I spend a lot of time there. In worship.....in meetings....in Bible studys......being the custodian......spending time with a lovely lady studying together Sunday mornings before church starts......asking tons of questions to my pastor and other mature Christians......being with my family......it's a lot, but that is my home. When I can't be ther I feel like I'm missing something. Like I'm out of sync with my church family.
I have to remember His plans are different than my plans. That I'm just where i need to be each and every day.
I am thankful to God for all he has given me. I am thankful for the people he has in my life to help me grow and I am thankful for a job that is not just a job....but a place I truly enjoy being at.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Matthew 7
Matthew 7....
Judging others.....well here we are told that the way we judge people is how we will be judged as well. We need to look at our own sin and deal with it before telling others about their sin.when we have our own sin out of the way by confessing it to our God...we can then help hold other Christians accountable when we se them in sin. We need to help each other get back on track with God in a loving way.....being harsh with someone isn't how we need to go about it. We all have our hang ups and we just need to love and encourage one another to stay on track. The christian life was never meant to be a solo adventure. We can't do it alone....we need others to help us.
It's telling us that we aren't to judge hypocritically....however we do need to use discernment. We need to see people's character and look for the fruit they produce if they profess to be Christians. If character doesn't line up with their profession of faith as a Christian we need to reevaluate them.
Ask,seek,knock..... We are to ask our God for our needs not our wants.
Verse 12....is the Golden Rule.
Verse 13-14....the wide gate is the way of the world. If we love the world and things of this world, this gate will lead to distruction (hell). The narrow gate is the one we find when we have the heart conversion to follow Jesus. This gate is small and only a few find that gate that leads to Him. Makes me wonder how many people really think they are Ok with their christian walk the way it is? That makes me wonder if there are professing Christians who never really have been converted to Christ? According to these verses only a few find it. Salvation is by grace alone, but the christian life is not an easy one. We need knowledge, truth, repentance, submission to Christ, and be willing to obey His word.
The fruits are listed in Galatians 5:22-23.....once we accept Jesus these traits are produced in Us by the Holy Spirit. By this list we can discern if people are walking the walk or just talking thr talk.
A tree and its fruit.....watch here for false teachers and people who claim to love Jesus but only want
to destroy. In Jesus day the religious leaders thought that just because of their status they would enter heaven. Here we see it's not the case. Being devoted to Jesus is a total surrender and a heart issue. He looks at and judges all we do by our heart.
to destroy. In Jesus day the religious leaders thought that just because of their status they would enter heaven. Here we see it's not the case. Being devoted to Jesus is a total surrender and a heart issue. He looks at and judges all we do by our heart.
Verse 24-28.... It's not enough for us to hear Gods words we must put them into practice. Living by His word is like building a house on rock. It's firm and will withstand the storms that come at it.
Hearing his word And not using them in our life is like building a house on sand. When the storms come we get blown out and washed away.
Verse 29.....Jesus followers were amazed at him because of his teaching as he taught with authority! Of course he had authority.....he was God in the flesh. So awesome!!
Friday, March 11, 2016
Matthew 6
Matthew 6....
First of all we are called to do righteous things for Christ....but we aren't to make a big production or brag about what we do it what we give the needy. We are to be discreet about it and let God see what we do for Him. This is a way of building treasures in heaven.
Prayer....to be done in secret.....alone with our God. You don't have to close your eyes but the focus is communion and talking to God....just you and He. Some try to be loud and bold and want everyone to hear them praying. Jesus says here that this is a wrong way to pray.
Verse 8....our father already knows what we need before we ask him. This is comforting. This makes me know that my life is figured out and I don't have to figure it out on my own.
Verses 9-13 is the Lords Prayer. Most have memorized this. This is a model of how we should pray each time we talk to God.
First we should pray and know our father is in heaven.....his name is hallowed (holy)
His kingdom come.....one day His kingdom will rule
His will be done.....willingly submitting to Gods plan and purposes for my life
On earth as in heaven
Give our daily bread......out NEEDS....not our wants
Forgive our debts ......sin
Forgive those who sin against us.....don't hold a grudge or be bitter with others
Lead us not to temptation.....help us not to give into the temptations we face each day
Verse 14-15....if we do not forgive others....God will not forgive us.
Verse 19-24.....store treasures in heaven. This earth and everything in it is temporary. Don't get too attached to it. Storing up things for eternity will be much more beneficial to us.
Big one here!, verse 25-34.....worry is sin! Jesus is talking here and tell us NoT to worry about ANYtHiNG.....if we do we are not trusting Him.
Definition of worry.....a small trickle of fear that cuts through our mind until all other things are not thought of it what we worry about. It consumes our mind and every being. Jesus is telling us here not to worry about anything. He has it all figured out.
First of all we are called to do righteous things for Christ....but we aren't to make a big production or brag about what we do it what we give the needy. We are to be discreet about it and let God see what we do for Him. This is a way of building treasures in heaven.
Prayer....to be done in secret.....alone with our God. You don't have to close your eyes but the focus is communion and talking to God....just you and He. Some try to be loud and bold and want everyone to hear them praying. Jesus says here that this is a wrong way to pray.
Verse 8....our father already knows what we need before we ask him. This is comforting. This makes me know that my life is figured out and I don't have to figure it out on my own.
Verses 9-13 is the Lords Prayer. Most have memorized this. This is a model of how we should pray each time we talk to God.
First we should pray and know our father is in heaven.....his name is hallowed (holy)
His kingdom come.....one day His kingdom will rule
His will be done.....willingly submitting to Gods plan and purposes for my life
On earth as in heaven
Give our daily bread......out NEEDS....not our wants
Forgive our debts ......sin
Forgive those who sin against us.....don't hold a grudge or be bitter with others
Lead us not to temptation.....help us not to give into the temptations we face each day
Verse 14-15....if we do not forgive others....God will not forgive us.
Verse 19-24.....store treasures in heaven. This earth and everything in it is temporary. Don't get too attached to it. Storing up things for eternity will be much more beneficial to us.
Big one here!, verse 25-34.....worry is sin! Jesus is talking here and tell us NoT to worry about ANYtHiNG.....if we do we are not trusting Him.
Definition of worry.....a small trickle of fear that cuts through our mind until all other things are not thought of it what we worry about. It consumes our mind and every being. Jesus is telling us here not to worry about anything. He has it all figured out.
Matthew 5
Matthew 5.....
The Beatitudes. Beatitudes means blessings. These blessing from God go way deeper than chasing happiness in material things on earth.
V 3...poor in spirit means we are not self sufficient. That we recognize we can't do things on our own.
V4...mourn here is for our sin. We should grieve the sin that separates us from our God.
V5....meek means gentleness
V7....mercy is not getting what you do deserve.
V12....if people insult us because of Jesus we are living rightly. We are on good company with past prophets!
V13....salt is a preserver. As Christians we are the salt of the earth. Preserving Jesus and his name and glory to generations to come.
V 16....light shines through us....Jesus love we can show others. Don't hide it as this is the best example of Him we can give.....especially those who aren't so nice to us.
Murder...v21....murder is wrong but anger and bitterness against someone is the same as murder.
Adultery....v 27.....looking at someone lustfully is the same as adultery. Same as cheating in your heart.
Divorce...v 31...only divorce for marital unfaithfulness.
Oaths....v 33...don't say "I swear to God" as a way of getting people to believe you. Our character should tell others our yes is yes and our no is no.
Eye for eye....v 38... This was a law for civil cases.....not personal retaliation.
Love for enemies....v 43...when we love the unlovely....that's where people see Jesus in us. Loving the lovely is easy, but the unlovely is hard....but necessary.
V 48....be perfect....we will never be perfect until we get to heaven. Jesus is perfect and his word is perfect....so that is his standard. He knows we are sinners and died for us to be made perfect oNe sweet day!
The Beatitudes. Beatitudes means blessings. These blessing from God go way deeper than chasing happiness in material things on earth.
V 3...poor in spirit means we are not self sufficient. That we recognize we can't do things on our own.
V4...mourn here is for our sin. We should grieve the sin that separates us from our God.
V5....meek means gentleness
V7....mercy is not getting what you do deserve.
V12....if people insult us because of Jesus we are living rightly. We are on good company with past prophets!
V13....salt is a preserver. As Christians we are the salt of the earth. Preserving Jesus and his name and glory to generations to come.
V 16....light shines through us....Jesus love we can show others. Don't hide it as this is the best example of Him we can give.....especially those who aren't so nice to us.
Murder...v21....murder is wrong but anger and bitterness against someone is the same as murder.
Adultery....v 27.....looking at someone lustfully is the same as adultery. Same as cheating in your heart.
Divorce...v 31...only divorce for marital unfaithfulness.
Oaths....v 33...don't say "I swear to God" as a way of getting people to believe you. Our character should tell others our yes is yes and our no is no.
Eye for eye....v 38... This was a law for civil cases.....not personal retaliation.
Love for enemies....v 43...when we love the unlovely....that's where people see Jesus in us. Loving the lovely is easy, but the unlovely is hard....but necessary.
V 48....be perfect....we will never be perfect until we get to heaven. Jesus is perfect and his word is perfect....so that is his standard. He knows we are sinners and died for us to be made perfect oNe sweet day!
Matthew 4
Matthew 4.....
Jesus here is being tempted in the desert for 40 days and nights. Temptation is not a sin.....it's only sin once we give in to the temptation.
Verse 4....Jesus answers satan by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.
Verse 6....satan says IF you are the son of God. He knew he was the son already. Satan also quotes the word in this verse from psalm 91:11-12.
Verse 7....Jesus answers again from Deuteronomy 6:16
Now verse 9....right here Jesus could have avoided the cross. Satan rules this earth and Jesus could have his kingdom here without the cross at all. However Jesus knew Gods plan wasn't for him to have the kingdom this way and we would have no forgiveness of sin if he gave into satans temptation. He could have bowed before satan and no one would have even seen it......but Jesus knew not to give in.
Verse 10...Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:13.
One thing to catch here is both Jesus and satan know Gods word. Remember this when you are tempted and being told lies.
After the Angels came to him Jesus began his ministry. It lasted 3 years. He is starting to choose his disciples.
Verse 15-16 is from Isaiah 9:1-2
Verse 17....Jesus preaches repentance. Repentance is when we acknowledge our sin....confess it to God and turn from it. You cannot be saved without repentance. This verse supports that.
Jesus starts his ministry healing people and choosing some of the disciples. Notice how the men he chooses drop their current lifestyle to follow Jesus anywhere he wants to take them?
Jesus here is being tempted in the desert for 40 days and nights. Temptation is not a sin.....it's only sin once we give in to the temptation.
Verse 4....Jesus answers satan by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.
Verse 6....satan says IF you are the son of God. He knew he was the son already. Satan also quotes the word in this verse from psalm 91:11-12.
Verse 7....Jesus answers again from Deuteronomy 6:16
Now verse 9....right here Jesus could have avoided the cross. Satan rules this earth and Jesus could have his kingdom here without the cross at all. However Jesus knew Gods plan wasn't for him to have the kingdom this way and we would have no forgiveness of sin if he gave into satans temptation. He could have bowed before satan and no one would have even seen it......but Jesus knew not to give in.
Verse 10...Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:13.
One thing to catch here is both Jesus and satan know Gods word. Remember this when you are tempted and being told lies.
After the Angels came to him Jesus began his ministry. It lasted 3 years. He is starting to choose his disciples.
Verse 15-16 is from Isaiah 9:1-2
Verse 17....Jesus preaches repentance. Repentance is when we acknowledge our sin....confess it to God and turn from it. You cannot be saved without repentance. This verse supports that.
Jesus starts his ministry healing people and choosing some of the disciples. Notice how the men he chooses drop their current lifestyle to follow Jesus anywhere he wants to take them?
Matthew 3
Matthew 3....
John the Baptist was Jesus cousin.
Verse 3 is from Isaiah 40:3
Ok this guy ate wild honey and locusts for meals..,...how weird, but important. His simple lifestyle of living in the desert and eating insects was an example of him being a humble guy. He wasn't out to impress anyone....just live life without self indulgences.
Lots of people came to john for baptism. His baptism was for sin cleansing.
Verse 7... A lot of the religious leaders were coming to see what john was doing and questioning him. They were mad cause they felt they were the only righteous ones to do any religious work for God. Here John tells them to back off. They felt they earned salvation just by being so religious but that isn't the case. Salvation is not a birthright we get just because we are born into a certain family.....but a relationship with Jesus...( I know you already know that....but the leaders of that day didn't)
Verse 11.....John tells them he baptized with water for repentance of sin. He tells them Jesus is coming who will give the Holy Spirit one day and Jesus is more powerful than anyone.
Verse 13.....Jesus wants baptized by John. John finds this weird since Jesus is Jesus and he never sinned so he doesn't need it....but we do. Jesus set the example for us. He never asks us to do anything he didn't or won't do.
I love verse 16-17.....heaven opens and God speaks about His son. How beautiful!
And this very moment the Trinity is here. It speaks of the Son, Father and Spirit all aT once.
John the Baptist was Jesus cousin.
Verse 3 is from Isaiah 40:3
Ok this guy ate wild honey and locusts for meals..,...how weird, but important. His simple lifestyle of living in the desert and eating insects was an example of him being a humble guy. He wasn't out to impress anyone....just live life without self indulgences.
Lots of people came to john for baptism. His baptism was for sin cleansing.
Verse 7... A lot of the religious leaders were coming to see what john was doing and questioning him. They were mad cause they felt they were the only righteous ones to do any religious work for God. Here John tells them to back off. They felt they earned salvation just by being so religious but that isn't the case. Salvation is not a birthright we get just because we are born into a certain family.....but a relationship with Jesus...( I know you already know that....but the leaders of that day didn't)
Verse 11.....John tells them he baptized with water for repentance of sin. He tells them Jesus is coming who will give the Holy Spirit one day and Jesus is more powerful than anyone.
Verse 13.....Jesus wants baptized by John. John finds this weird since Jesus is Jesus and he never sinned so he doesn't need it....but we do. Jesus set the example for us. He never asks us to do anything he didn't or won't do.
I love verse 16-17.....heaven opens and God speaks about His son. How beautiful!
And this very moment the Trinity is here. It speaks of the Son, Father and Spirit all aT once.
Matthew 2
Matthew 2....
The Magi were not religious at all. They were astrologers. They saw the star.....God put the star there and they saw it and wanted to see Jesus.
King Herod was threatened by baby Jesus. He wanted all the praise and power so he called his men asking them where Jesus was born. Verse 6 is from Micah 5:2 if toy want to see who's they knew where Jesus was at his birth.
Verse 8....the king wanted the magi to report to him when they found Jesus. He claims he wanted to worship him too....but that was a lie. Verse 11....the came to a house and saw a child. The magi would have rode about 800-900 miles on donkeys. Jesus was probably about 2 years old until they got to Him but God led the way with the star for them to get there. They were warned to go home a different way because Herod was looking to kill Jesus.
Verse 18 is from Jeremiah 31:15
Herod wanted to kill all boys age 2 and under because he wanted Jesus dead. He figures if he kills all the boys he has a chance to get Jesus then too because he didn't know where exactly he was.
Verse 23 is from Isaiah 53:3.....tells of the word despised is the same as a Nazarene. A Nazarene is someone from Nazareth and it was not good status to be from there.
The Magi were not religious at all. They were astrologers. They saw the star.....God put the star there and they saw it and wanted to see Jesus.
King Herod was threatened by baby Jesus. He wanted all the praise and power so he called his men asking them where Jesus was born. Verse 6 is from Micah 5:2 if toy want to see who's they knew where Jesus was at his birth.
Verse 8....the king wanted the magi to report to him when they found Jesus. He claims he wanted to worship him too....but that was a lie. Verse 11....the came to a house and saw a child. The magi would have rode about 800-900 miles on donkeys. Jesus was probably about 2 years old until they got to Him but God led the way with the star for them to get there. They were warned to go home a different way because Herod was looking to kill Jesus.
Verse 18 is from Jeremiah 31:15
Herod wanted to kill all boys age 2 and under because he wanted Jesus dead. He figures if he kills all the boys he has a chance to get Jesus then too because he didn't know where exactly he was.
Verse 23 is from Isaiah 53:3.....tells of the word despised is the same as a Nazarene. A Nazarene is someone from Nazareth and it was not good status to be from there.
I'm here!
Creating this blog was something I've been wanting to do for some time......and I finally figured out how. Some friends and I are reading through the New Testament....one chapter a day. I will post notes from the chapter each day, but feel free to add more. I need to learn too. This is a way we can learn and grow together.
starting this with Matthew 1.......here are the notes.
Matthew 1....
This is the list of people in Jesus bloodline. They are all people from the Old Testament. Sometime we can go over who is who and why they were significant in Jesus bloodline. The most amazing thing is that not all of them were upstanding citizens in the community. Some were poor.....some were murderers and adulterers. Again this list shows God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things.
V. 18-19....Mary gets pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph and she were not married yet but pledged to be married. In those days an engagement could only be broke off if they filed for divorce. This is the divorce he is talking about in v. 19. If he went and filed for a divorce Mary could have been stoned for getting pregnant out of wedlock.....even though they didn't ever have sex. I guess he was ashamed of her to be his wife if she wasn't a virgin. He didn't realize yet the Holy Spirit put the baby there.
The angel comes and tells Joseph to go ahead with the plan of marriage....that God put the baby there and it would all be ok.
V22-23....look up Isaiah 7:14......this verse shows where Jesus birth was known about years earlier.
She and Joseph got married and she had the baby boy. They did what God said in naming him Jesus. V25.....and Luke 2:21 are similar.....if you want to check it out.
starting this with Matthew 1.......here are the notes.
Matthew 1....
This is the list of people in Jesus bloodline. They are all people from the Old Testament. Sometime we can go over who is who and why they were significant in Jesus bloodline. The most amazing thing is that not all of them were upstanding citizens in the community. Some were poor.....some were murderers and adulterers. Again this list shows God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things.
V. 18-19....Mary gets pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph and she were not married yet but pledged to be married. In those days an engagement could only be broke off if they filed for divorce. This is the divorce he is talking about in v. 19. If he went and filed for a divorce Mary could have been stoned for getting pregnant out of wedlock.....even though they didn't ever have sex. I guess he was ashamed of her to be his wife if she wasn't a virgin. He didn't realize yet the Holy Spirit put the baby there.
The angel comes and tells Joseph to go ahead with the plan of marriage....that God put the baby there and it would all be ok.
V22-23....look up Isaiah 7:14......this verse shows where Jesus birth was known about years earlier.
She and Joseph got married and she had the baby boy. They did what God said in naming him Jesus. V25.....and Luke 2:21 are similar.....if you want to check it out.
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