Day 8
John 3
Reading through this passage, we see that this mainly speaks about being born again. The only way you can be born again is to repent of your sins, believe on the name of Jesus, and accept Him as your personal Savior AND LORD. No, like Jesus told Nicodemus, you can't go back into your mother's womb and be born again that way, but being born again of the Spirit of God, you become a new person in Him, old things are passed away (washed away by the blood of the Lamb) and behold all things are new. When we are born again, we become a NEW CREATION. Sometimes its hard to understand what that totally means, but the best illustration is that of the butterfly. Seeing a caterpillar crawling on the ground, and then weeks later, when we see that beautiful butterfly flying around, we don't even recognize the caterpillar for what it has become. Sometimes we just see the butterfly and forget it was once a butterfly. So it is with us when we are born again. When we become a new creation, lots of times those who have known us before will remark, "you are not who you use to be, I don't know who you've become."
http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/life-cycle
God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus to die for our sin, so that He could turn us into someone beautiful by His living presence in us. God is not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL would have everlasting life. Sometimes you hear the question, why would God send anyone to hell. We have to remember hell was not made for mankind, it was made for Satan and all the fallen angels. It was only when Adam and Eve gave into Satan's temptation that hell opened up to mankind, and then every person born under the sun was given a choice. A choice to either believe that All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God, that sin separates us from God, and the only way we can find our way back to God the Father, is through His Son, Jesus Christ or we have the choice not to believe.
When Jesus died on the cross, He bought us back from Satan's rule. We can choose not to believe and receive the full wrath of God for our sins, and be eternally separated from God. Scripture tells us that whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. It is so simple, but Satan's lies keep many from believing the truth of God's Word.
Simply said, John 3:34-36 NIV
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
So the only way to keep from receiving the penalty for our sins is to believe in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/acts/2.html
Acts 2:36:39 (NLT)
36 So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!" 37 Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles -- all who have been called by the Lord our God."
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Parables of Jesus
Day 7
Reading through this chapter first, a question popped into my head that I never thought of before. Why did the shepherd go after the sheep and not the father after the son? I think the answer to that lies in verse 2 when the Pharisees and teachers of the law were arguing with Jesus about Him eating with sinners.
While meditating on this, I realized in the three parables (the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son) they all had one thing in common...they had lost something of great value. In the "Quest Bible" notation, it gave an answer to my question.
The Quest noted that the younger son had to find his own way home, though diligence was made in the parables of the sheep and the coin. The difference it says was that the coin and the sheep wasn't able to return without help, but people can choose to return or not. The Quest notes that it was highly irregular for a son to claim his inheritance before his father's death and that a less loving father could have had his son stone to death for such a rebekllious attitude. It notes that the son's terrible offense to his father illustrates the depth of the offense sinners give God.
I think that is probably the best analogy of the difference. It wasn't that the Father didn't want and long for his son to be at home, but he had to wait patiently for the heart of the son to return home.
Sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side, and especially when we were younger, in our teens and early twenties, we all can probably relate to wanting to get out on our own. We as parents need to instruct our children in righteousness, and train them up in the way they should go. But there is a time that comes we have to let our children go and let God work in their hearts just as He did in ours. When our children get to adulthood, we may not always like their choices, but we can still love them, just like Jesus did us, despite our choices He didn't like. Scripture tells us, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." So we too need to find it in our hearts to be merciful to a wayward son or daughter or even those who have made choices we don't agree with, and let them know our love is constant for them.
One thing the prodigal learned during his absence from home, was how good he had it back home. And as his circumstances humbled him, he was able to get a true understanding of this.
Now when we get to the elder son in the parable, we find him being in a rage of jealousy when the Father gives the wayward son a giant welcoming home party on his return. He had had the Father's attention all that time the prodigal son was gone, reaping all the beneifits of being in the Father's house, yet was angry when the prodigal returned for more. He was angry that the brother had already gotten all the inheritance which was a double portion, and now he had come back for more. The Father wasn't even considering the loss of the monetary value his prodigal had imposed on him; He just rejoiced that his son's heart had changed toward him and he had returned home. Evidently the Father loved his son very much, because even though his son had left demanding his inheritance, which would have been 2/3 of his Father's estate, the Father loved his son more than he loved his estate.
The Quest notes, "The forgiving love of the Father in the parable symbolizes the divine mercy of God, and the older brother's resentment is like the attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who opposed Jesus."
Let us always rejoice with the return of those who are lost and are found! Even the angels in heaven rejoice at one sinner who repents, shouldn't we?
Reading through this chapter first, a question popped into my head that I never thought of before. Why did the shepherd go after the sheep and not the father after the son? I think the answer to that lies in verse 2 when the Pharisees and teachers of the law were arguing with Jesus about Him eating with sinners.
While meditating on this, I realized in the three parables (the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son) they all had one thing in common...they had lost something of great value. In the "Quest Bible" notation, it gave an answer to my question.
The Quest noted that the younger son had to find his own way home, though diligence was made in the parables of the sheep and the coin. The difference it says was that the coin and the sheep wasn't able to return without help, but people can choose to return or not. The Quest notes that it was highly irregular for a son to claim his inheritance before his father's death and that a less loving father could have had his son stone to death for such a rebekllious attitude. It notes that the son's terrible offense to his father illustrates the depth of the offense sinners give God.
I think that is probably the best analogy of the difference. It wasn't that the Father didn't want and long for his son to be at home, but he had to wait patiently for the heart of the son to return home.
Sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side, and especially when we were younger, in our teens and early twenties, we all can probably relate to wanting to get out on our own. We as parents need to instruct our children in righteousness, and train them up in the way they should go. But there is a time that comes we have to let our children go and let God work in their hearts just as He did in ours. When our children get to adulthood, we may not always like their choices, but we can still love them, just like Jesus did us, despite our choices He didn't like. Scripture tells us, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." So we too need to find it in our hearts to be merciful to a wayward son or daughter or even those who have made choices we don't agree with, and let them know our love is constant for them.
One thing the prodigal learned during his absence from home, was how good he had it back home. And as his circumstances humbled him, he was able to get a true understanding of this.
Now when we get to the elder son in the parable, we find him being in a rage of jealousy when the Father gives the wayward son a giant welcoming home party on his return. He had had the Father's attention all that time the prodigal son was gone, reaping all the beneifits of being in the Father's house, yet was angry when the prodigal returned for more. He was angry that the brother had already gotten all the inheritance which was a double portion, and now he had come back for more. The Father wasn't even considering the loss of the monetary value his prodigal had imposed on him; He just rejoiced that his son's heart had changed toward him and he had returned home. Evidently the Father loved his son very much, because even though his son had left demanding his inheritance, which would have been 2/3 of his Father's estate, the Father loved his son more than he loved his estate.
The Quest notes, "The forgiving love of the Father in the parable symbolizes the divine mercy of God, and the older brother's resentment is like the attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who opposed Jesus."
Let us always rejoice with the return of those who are lost and are found! Even the angels in heaven rejoice at one sinner who repents, shouldn't we?
Friday, August 27, 2010
Sermon on Mount Part 2
Day 6
Matthew 6
Jesus had lots to say to the people when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It is amazing how the apostles remembered so many details, so I think there must have been someone taking notes. Do you like to take notes. Whenever I am in a service of any kind, I like to have my pen and paper ready because I don't want to miss a gold nugget of truth that the Lord really stirs in my heart during a sermon, teaching, etc. So I hope when you sit down and read the Word, you too will have a pen and paper beside you so that when the Holy Spirit illuminates a word to you, you too can write it down, meditate, apply it to your life and pass it on to others.
One of the first things Jesus talks about in Matthew 6 is giving to the needy. Truly in being a born again Christian one of the greatest proofs of our changed hearts is a generous spirit. One of the things we learn in this scripture here is that when we give to others without announcing it to everyone, our heavenly Father will reward us. If we go around bragging about what we give to others, then the praise of others will be our reward. I know our Heavenly Father's reward is much greater than a pat on the back, or a word of acknowledgement from someone else, so I pray that I can walk in this truth in a greater capacity.
When Jesus talks about praying and fasting, He is expressing the importance again of not doing our acts of kindness proudly, but humbly. All we have comes from Him anyway, so anything we give comes from His hand, one way or another. If you notice in all three instances (giving, praying, and fasting), Jesus expresses the importance of doing it in secret. I have seen God do amazing things when I have prayed and fasted about certain situations without the person even knowing about it. And one of God's rewards He gave me was JOY. JOY in seeing a life-changing prayer answered. I could give many examples, but then I would be going against what the Word is telling me to do here.
If we become so focused on the temporary, taking care of things on earth, we can lose focus on the permanent, the things in heaven. This is a real challenge in our day and time. With so much to do and so little time to do it in, we can become inundated with the cares of this life. The Parable of the Sower in Matthew13:22 tells us even if we are hearing the Word and we are so pressed down with this life's troubles, we will not produce fruit from the Word we hear.
Matthew 13:2 (NIV)
The one who received the seed that fell among thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this lie and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
So we must guard our hearts. We must trust ALL our life to His provision, direction, and care. If we try to do it all on our own, the cares of this life will pull us down into a pool of hopelessness which once there, it is hard to bring ourselves out. I believe there is a place of no return without the power and presence of God in our lives, that is deadly. It is better to cry out to God for help before we find ourselves in that place.
One of the most astounding verses in this passage is Matthew 6:22-23.
Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light withing you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
When I read this scripture, it makes me think of another scripture in 1 John 1:5-7.
1 John 1:5-7 (NIV)
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If a person has been given or understood something the wrong way, receiving that as truth, then the light they think they have is one of the darkest. When a person gets to that place, they generally don't know they are there. Now that is scary! Deception is deadly. A person who is deceived doesn't know they are deceived and that is why those with the Truth, the Word of God, with correct understanding are responsible to pull others that have fallen into that pit of darkness out into the Truth. Jesus said that He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. HE IS THE TRUE LIGHT, and if we are true born again believers, that TRUE LIGHT is WITHIN us, and we need to let HIM SHINE BRIGHTLY to others.
So don't worry about what you are going to eat or wear or how you are going to deal with the problems of tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, so let us cast our cares on Jesus today so that our JOY might be FULL. He said if we have need of anything, we are to ask that our JOY might be FULL. So ASK<BELIEVE<RECEIVE!
John 16:23-24 (NIV)
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your JOY will be complete.
(King James Version says, Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask and ye shall receive, that your JOY may be FULL.
Matthew 6
Jesus had lots to say to the people when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It is amazing how the apostles remembered so many details, so I think there must have been someone taking notes. Do you like to take notes. Whenever I am in a service of any kind, I like to have my pen and paper ready because I don't want to miss a gold nugget of truth that the Lord really stirs in my heart during a sermon, teaching, etc. So I hope when you sit down and read the Word, you too will have a pen and paper beside you so that when the Holy Spirit illuminates a word to you, you too can write it down, meditate, apply it to your life and pass it on to others.
One of the first things Jesus talks about in Matthew 6 is giving to the needy. Truly in being a born again Christian one of the greatest proofs of our changed hearts is a generous spirit. One of the things we learn in this scripture here is that when we give to others without announcing it to everyone, our heavenly Father will reward us. If we go around bragging about what we give to others, then the praise of others will be our reward. I know our Heavenly Father's reward is much greater than a pat on the back, or a word of acknowledgement from someone else, so I pray that I can walk in this truth in a greater capacity.
When Jesus talks about praying and fasting, He is expressing the importance again of not doing our acts of kindness proudly, but humbly. All we have comes from Him anyway, so anything we give comes from His hand, one way or another. If you notice in all three instances (giving, praying, and fasting), Jesus expresses the importance of doing it in secret. I have seen God do amazing things when I have prayed and fasted about certain situations without the person even knowing about it. And one of God's rewards He gave me was JOY. JOY in seeing a life-changing prayer answered. I could give many examples, but then I would be going against what the Word is telling me to do here.
If we become so focused on the temporary, taking care of things on earth, we can lose focus on the permanent, the things in heaven. This is a real challenge in our day and time. With so much to do and so little time to do it in, we can become inundated with the cares of this life. The Parable of the Sower in Matthew13:22 tells us even if we are hearing the Word and we are so pressed down with this life's troubles, we will not produce fruit from the Word we hear.
Matthew 13:2 (NIV)
The one who received the seed that fell among thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this lie and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
So we must guard our hearts. We must trust ALL our life to His provision, direction, and care. If we try to do it all on our own, the cares of this life will pull us down into a pool of hopelessness which once there, it is hard to bring ourselves out. I believe there is a place of no return without the power and presence of God in our lives, that is deadly. It is better to cry out to God for help before we find ourselves in that place.
One of the most astounding verses in this passage is Matthew 6:22-23.
Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light withing you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
When I read this scripture, it makes me think of another scripture in 1 John 1:5-7.
1 John 1:5-7 (NIV)
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If a person has been given or understood something the wrong way, receiving that as truth, then the light they think they have is one of the darkest. When a person gets to that place, they generally don't know they are there. Now that is scary! Deception is deadly. A person who is deceived doesn't know they are deceived and that is why those with the Truth, the Word of God, with correct understanding are responsible to pull others that have fallen into that pit of darkness out into the Truth. Jesus said that He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. HE IS THE TRUE LIGHT, and if we are true born again believers, that TRUE LIGHT is WITHIN us, and we need to let HIM SHINE BRIGHTLY to others.
So don't worry about what you are going to eat or wear or how you are going to deal with the problems of tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, so let us cast our cares on Jesus today so that our JOY might be FULL. He said if we have need of anything, we are to ask that our JOY might be FULL. So ASK<BELIEVE<RECEIVE!
John 16:23-24 (NIV)
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your JOY will be complete.
(King James Version says, Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask and ye shall receive, that your JOY may be FULL.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sermon on the Mount Part 1
Day 5
Matthew 5
Really the Beatitudes or the "Blessed Be's" in the Sermon on the Mount are quite explanatory.
The list of the blessed are as follows:
1 The poor in spirit
2. Those who mourn
3. The meek
4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
5. Those who are merciful
6. Those who are pure in heart
7. The peacemakers (not peacekeepers)
8 Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake
The blessings of the blessed are as follows:
1. The kingdom of heaven
2. Comfort
3. Inherit the earth
4. Filled
5. Mercy
6. See God
7. Be called Sons of God
8. The kingdom of heaven
Notice that the kingdom of heaven is given to two kind of people: those who are poor in spirit (humble) and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. So if we want God to display the kingdom of God through us, we must have a humble heart and not be afraid of what people say or do against us because we declare the name of Jesus. Be glad that we are accounted worthy to be called names and insulted because of the name of Christ Jesus. If we get into a pity party, we miss out on the fullness of the blessing of the kingdom of God. It is Satan who wants to steal our JOY, so be alert and when you are persecuted for Christ's sake, REJOICE. Being in the family of God is the greatest blessing; it's above what we could ever imagine or think.
So we need to shine our light...the light of Jesus within us so that others might find their way out of the sea of darkness in this world. We are like a lighthouse, beaming our lights out into the stormy night, and as the Holy Spirit draws others to Himself, He draws them to Jesus who lives in each one of us who have invited Him to come and live in our hearts. When they respond to the light, we can open our hearts to them, and lead them out of the darkness into the light of His Word, His Truth...........for Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
We find Jesus not abolishing the law but fulfilling the law. There is much difference between abolish and fulfill. Abolish means to "end the observance of", while fulfill means "to render full, complete." In the Quest Bible, it says, "With his sin-free life and sacrificial death, Christ perfectly kept both the letter "and" the spirit of the law. Other than Jesus, no once can perfectly obey God's law.
In Ephesians 2:15 note in the Quest, it says, "Christ's life and death met the requirements of Old Testament law. At the same time, Christ's death and resurrection removed the law as an obstacle to coming to God, replacing it with salvation by faith in Christ's finished work."
In Matthew 5, we see that it is not only those who kill someone with a gun, knife, or any other way, is the one who murders. Jesus plainly said that if anyone is angry with his brother (can be sister too) will be subject to God's judgment. Or if we call someone a fool, the same. To call someone a fool was to label someone as worthless, even hopeless, and we all have worth in God's eyes. He plainly tells us if we have a problem with someone or we know they have a problem with us, that if we are giving a gift at the altar, we are first to go to them and make things right before bringing our gift. If we don't settle things quickly, then we will fall into God's judgment.
Jesus plainly explains that you don't have to commit the physical act of adultery to have committed this act. But just to look after someone lustfully, is to have already committed adultery in your heart. It seems many who may judge others in this sin, could easily have committed it themselves, at one time or another. Jesus explains that it is better to have no eyes than to have eyes and continue to lust after another.
Jesus hates divorce, but loves the divorced. It is because one or both of the people who are married becomes hard heartened towards the other, refuses to forgive the other, generally that dictates divorce. Moses allowed divorce in the Old Testament for this very reason. God's will is for restoration, but for restoration in a marriage, both husband and wife have to be working towards that. Otherwise, one person cannot make a marriage. One cannot control another person's decision. You cannot take a person where they do not want to go.
When we tell someone we will do something, it is best not to make a vow or oath, because our word should be good enough to make the promise stand. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. To keep your heart pure, your words need to match your heart. It is ok to have boundaries, and saying no to something you really don't want to do is better than saying yes with a "I don't want to but I'll do it" attitude.
If someone is mean to us, we should be kind to them. When we go in opposite spirit, we shake up the kingdom of darkness. Loving our enemies is hard on our own, but with God's love within us, His grace empowers us to do so. It isn't easy, next to impossible, on our own. The Quest Bible tells us, "The law called for retaliation, but Jesus calls for reconciliation." How we need desperately to get that in our spirits!
Having read through this passage for several days, as there is so much to meditate on. I pray that God will grace me to be able to become what we are yet to be, walking in His perfect will, every hour of every day. I pray the same for you.
Joy and Blessings in HIM!
Matthew 5
Really the Beatitudes or the "Blessed Be's" in the Sermon on the Mount are quite explanatory.
The list of the blessed are as follows:
1 The poor in spirit
2. Those who mourn
3. The meek
4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
5. Those who are merciful
6. Those who are pure in heart
7. The peacemakers (not peacekeepers)
8 Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake
The blessings of the blessed are as follows:
1. The kingdom of heaven
2. Comfort
3. Inherit the earth
4. Filled
5. Mercy
6. See God
7. Be called Sons of God
8. The kingdom of heaven
Notice that the kingdom of heaven is given to two kind of people: those who are poor in spirit (humble) and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. So if we want God to display the kingdom of God through us, we must have a humble heart and not be afraid of what people say or do against us because we declare the name of Jesus. Be glad that we are accounted worthy to be called names and insulted because of the name of Christ Jesus. If we get into a pity party, we miss out on the fullness of the blessing of the kingdom of God. It is Satan who wants to steal our JOY, so be alert and when you are persecuted for Christ's sake, REJOICE. Being in the family of God is the greatest blessing; it's above what we could ever imagine or think.
So we need to shine our light...the light of Jesus within us so that others might find their way out of the sea of darkness in this world. We are like a lighthouse, beaming our lights out into the stormy night, and as the Holy Spirit draws others to Himself, He draws them to Jesus who lives in each one of us who have invited Him to come and live in our hearts. When they respond to the light, we can open our hearts to them, and lead them out of the darkness into the light of His Word, His Truth...........for Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
We find Jesus not abolishing the law but fulfilling the law. There is much difference between abolish and fulfill. Abolish means to "end the observance of", while fulfill means "to render full, complete." In the Quest Bible, it says, "With his sin-free life and sacrificial death, Christ perfectly kept both the letter "and" the spirit of the law. Other than Jesus, no once can perfectly obey God's law.
In Ephesians 2:15 note in the Quest, it says, "Christ's life and death met the requirements of Old Testament law. At the same time, Christ's death and resurrection removed the law as an obstacle to coming to God, replacing it with salvation by faith in Christ's finished work."
In Matthew 5, we see that it is not only those who kill someone with a gun, knife, or any other way, is the one who murders. Jesus plainly said that if anyone is angry with his brother (can be sister too) will be subject to God's judgment. Or if we call someone a fool, the same. To call someone a fool was to label someone as worthless, even hopeless, and we all have worth in God's eyes. He plainly tells us if we have a problem with someone or we know they have a problem with us, that if we are giving a gift at the altar, we are first to go to them and make things right before bringing our gift. If we don't settle things quickly, then we will fall into God's judgment.
Jesus plainly explains that you don't have to commit the physical act of adultery to have committed this act. But just to look after someone lustfully, is to have already committed adultery in your heart. It seems many who may judge others in this sin, could easily have committed it themselves, at one time or another. Jesus explains that it is better to have no eyes than to have eyes and continue to lust after another.
Jesus hates divorce, but loves the divorced. It is because one or both of the people who are married becomes hard heartened towards the other, refuses to forgive the other, generally that dictates divorce. Moses allowed divorce in the Old Testament for this very reason. God's will is for restoration, but for restoration in a marriage, both husband and wife have to be working towards that. Otherwise, one person cannot make a marriage. One cannot control another person's decision. You cannot take a person where they do not want to go.
When we tell someone we will do something, it is best not to make a vow or oath, because our word should be good enough to make the promise stand. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. To keep your heart pure, your words need to match your heart. It is ok to have boundaries, and saying no to something you really don't want to do is better than saying yes with a "I don't want to but I'll do it" attitude.
If someone is mean to us, we should be kind to them. When we go in opposite spirit, we shake up the kingdom of darkness. Loving our enemies is hard on our own, but with God's love within us, His grace empowers us to do so. It isn't easy, next to impossible, on our own. The Quest Bible tells us, "The law called for retaliation, but Jesus calls for reconciliation." How we need desperately to get that in our spirits!
Having read through this passage for several days, as there is so much to meditate on. I pray that God will grace me to be able to become what we are yet to be, walking in His perfect will, every hour of every day. I pray the same for you.
Joy and Blessings in HIM!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
One Day in the Life of Jesus
Day 4
Mark 9
How do you think you would have felt to be either Peter, James or John, when Jesus led them up to a high mountain to witness not only His glory, but two of the greatest patriarchs in the Old Testament? I think that I would have been so excited. Jesus request for me to keep quiet about this experience would probably have been the hardest to keep. But with Jesus being on His Father's time table to have shared it before time would have been disobedient, and it would have caused a lot of flack so that Jesus would have had even a harder time accomplishing the will of His Heavenly Father. Also as the notation in The Quest said "it would only increase the clamor for the sensational and not the more desirable change of heart."
I think I might have been like Peter too (seems like we have a lot of things in common) that I too would have loved to camp there on the mountaintop in the Glory of God. Even today when I experience the awesome presence of God, I just don't want to leave. But I believe we experience His presence so strongly at times so that we can remember in hard times, His presence gives us JOY for the JOURNEY. We can be more victorious in every battle we face when we are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
In the last part of Mark 9, we see Jesus operating in the gifts of the Spirit. One man had recognized the reason his little boy was having seisures and being thrown all over the place was the result of an evil spirit possessing the child. He recognized it, but was powerless to do anything about it. But he also reconized that Jesus had the power.in which Jesus did cast it out. Jesus gives all believers authority to do the same.
Mark 16:16-18 (NIV)
He said to them, " Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
My first encounter with a situation like this was at a small church I attended years ago. A lady had been having ear problems for years and years. Having sat under the teaching of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and briefly after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I began praying at home for this lady, One night when we were in a heavy presence of the Lord, I was kneeling at a pew praying and heard the Holy Spirit say to me, "Go and whisper the name of Jesus in her ear" So I promptly got up from my pew, went over to the lady, and did what the Spirit spoke. When I did, the lady sort of shrieked and was lifeless. So lifeless, I thought she was dead. But after she realized the pain was gone, she began to thank and praise the Lord for His healing. That was one of my first encounters with evil spirits. But like Jesus said to the disciples once, rejoice that their name was written in heaven, which is far more important than knowing that the demons are subject to the authority Jesus has given to us over them. However,that is why we do not fear the enemy. God has equipped us with weapons of warfare to give us victory, not defeat. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind
We must be careful with our actions not to cause another person to sin. If our actions are not Christlike, then we will lose our saltiness and will not be beneficial in bringing others into the kingdom of God.
I pray that God will give us His grace to walk in the Spirit, every moment of every hour of every day. Lord help us I pray.
Mark 9
How do you think you would have felt to be either Peter, James or John, when Jesus led them up to a high mountain to witness not only His glory, but two of the greatest patriarchs in the Old Testament? I think that I would have been so excited. Jesus request for me to keep quiet about this experience would probably have been the hardest to keep. But with Jesus being on His Father's time table to have shared it before time would have been disobedient, and it would have caused a lot of flack so that Jesus would have had even a harder time accomplishing the will of His Heavenly Father. Also as the notation in The Quest said "it would only increase the clamor for the sensational and not the more desirable change of heart."
I think I might have been like Peter too (seems like we have a lot of things in common) that I too would have loved to camp there on the mountaintop in the Glory of God. Even today when I experience the awesome presence of God, I just don't want to leave. But I believe we experience His presence so strongly at times so that we can remember in hard times, His presence gives us JOY for the JOURNEY. We can be more victorious in every battle we face when we are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
In the last part of Mark 9, we see Jesus operating in the gifts of the Spirit. One man had recognized the reason his little boy was having seisures and being thrown all over the place was the result of an evil spirit possessing the child. He recognized it, but was powerless to do anything about it. But he also reconized that Jesus had the power.in which Jesus did cast it out. Jesus gives all believers authority to do the same.
Mark 16:16-18 (NIV)
He said to them, " Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
My first encounter with a situation like this was at a small church I attended years ago. A lady had been having ear problems for years and years. Having sat under the teaching of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and briefly after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I began praying at home for this lady, One night when we were in a heavy presence of the Lord, I was kneeling at a pew praying and heard the Holy Spirit say to me, "Go and whisper the name of Jesus in her ear" So I promptly got up from my pew, went over to the lady, and did what the Spirit spoke. When I did, the lady sort of shrieked and was lifeless. So lifeless, I thought she was dead. But after she realized the pain was gone, she began to thank and praise the Lord for His healing. That was one of my first encounters with evil spirits. But like Jesus said to the disciples once, rejoice that their name was written in heaven, which is far more important than knowing that the demons are subject to the authority Jesus has given to us over them. However,that is why we do not fear the enemy. God has equipped us with weapons of warfare to give us victory, not defeat. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind
We must be careful with our actions not to cause another person to sin. If our actions are not Christlike, then we will lose our saltiness and will not be beneficial in bringing others into the kingdom of God.
I pray that God will give us His grace to walk in the Spirit, every moment of every hour of every day. Lord help us I pray.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Two Babies, Two Ministries
Day 3
Mark 1
We find the two babies born back in Luke 1, now grown men, stepping into their ministries. Having been being prepared for this all their lives, now those around them start to see more of the prophesies of old being fulfilled However, not every one accepted them as being from God. And so both were challenged as to their authenticity.
We learn from our notes in the Quest that Mark omits many things in his account of Jesus life that Matthew and Luke included in theirs. That doesn't make Luke's account was any less important, in fact, it shows that he was just as important in writing his account as the other three who wrote the gospels.
Sometimes we might wonder why Jesus would be led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted because He is the Son of God and how could he even be tempted because of that. But that is when we must remember that Jesus was not only the Son of God, he was also the son of man and could be tempted in every way we could. If there is one thing of great importance we can learn from Jesus is that He was submitted to the will of God and led by His Spirit at all times. Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, so He had the Spirit of God in Him from birth, but He was baptized in the Spirit after His baptism in water to show us that we too needed not only be baptized in water, but also need the baptism of the Holy Spirit for power to be witnesses in this world. That it is why it is so important for us to be led by the Spirit and not by our flesh. Just like Jesus, if we find ourselves being tempted, He is faithful to keep us as well, as long as we stay committed to His Word. Jesus won His time of temptation by using the Word of God as His weapon. So not only is it important to be led by the Spirit, we must know the Word of God, having our loins girded with the Truth.
I thought the Quest's notation was very good, "The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan to show that temptation doesn't need to end in failure."
After Jesus is baptized in water and by the Holy Spirit, He then begins His earthly ministry. Many were amazed that He had authority over the evil spirits and could heal the sick Sometimes sickness is caused by evil spirits presence in a person, but not all the time. It really takes the gift of discerning of spirits to know that. Jesus was operating in that gift of the Spirit when He healed those bound by an evil spirit.
We see Jesus choosing some of his disciples in this passage We notice right away that when Jesus bid them come, they dropped everything to follow Him.
Maybe that is the big lesson of the day, are we willing to leave everything we are doing, when Jesus bids us come. I pray the Lord give us all grace to do that.
Mark 1
We find the two babies born back in Luke 1, now grown men, stepping into their ministries. Having been being prepared for this all their lives, now those around them start to see more of the prophesies of old being fulfilled However, not every one accepted them as being from God. And so both were challenged as to their authenticity.
We learn from our notes in the Quest that Mark omits many things in his account of Jesus life that Matthew and Luke included in theirs. That doesn't make Luke's account was any less important, in fact, it shows that he was just as important in writing his account as the other three who wrote the gospels.
Sometimes we might wonder why Jesus would be led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted because He is the Son of God and how could he even be tempted because of that. But that is when we must remember that Jesus was not only the Son of God, he was also the son of man and could be tempted in every way we could. If there is one thing of great importance we can learn from Jesus is that He was submitted to the will of God and led by His Spirit at all times. Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, so He had the Spirit of God in Him from birth, but He was baptized in the Spirit after His baptism in water to show us that we too needed not only be baptized in water, but also need the baptism of the Holy Spirit for power to be witnesses in this world. That it is why it is so important for us to be led by the Spirit and not by our flesh. Just like Jesus, if we find ourselves being tempted, He is faithful to keep us as well, as long as we stay committed to His Word. Jesus won His time of temptation by using the Word of God as His weapon. So not only is it important to be led by the Spirit, we must know the Word of God, having our loins girded with the Truth.
I thought the Quest's notation was very good, "The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan to show that temptation doesn't need to end in failure."
After Jesus is baptized in water and by the Holy Spirit, He then begins His earthly ministry. Many were amazed that He had authority over the evil spirits and could heal the sick Sometimes sickness is caused by evil spirits presence in a person, but not all the time. It really takes the gift of discerning of spirits to know that. Jesus was operating in that gift of the Spirit when He healed those bound by an evil spirit.
We see Jesus choosing some of his disciples in this passage We notice right away that when Jesus bid them come, they dropped everything to follow Him.
Maybe that is the big lesson of the day, are we willing to leave everything we are doing, when Jesus bids us come. I pray the Lord give us all grace to do that.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
JOY of the Good News
Just imagine being one of the shepherds in the fields at night, tending their sheep, going about the same oh, same oh, and the heavens light up with a host of angels accompanying the Angel of the Lord. How their hearts must have filled with wonder and amazement at the announcement of this great occasion. The Angel of the Lord delivered one of the most JOYOUS messages of all time.. the Messiah that the prophets had prophesied would come for years, was now here.
You have to wonder what was going through these shepherds minds when they left their flocks to seek out the Saviour...the prophesied one who would wash away all their sins.
Everything is confirmed by one or two witnesses. And we not only know that Mary and Joseph had personally been talked to by Gabriel, the arch angel, but also Elizabeth confirmed it too as she spoke to Mary as "mother of my Lord." Then the Angel of the Lord spoke to the shepherds with a host of angels as his witness to the birth of Jesus as well. As we go farther into chapter 2 of Luke, we see that Simon and Anna both prophesied over Him as the redeemer.
After Luke tells us about Mary and Joseph doing everything acccording to the law, he quickly skips over the childhood of Jesus and takes us to the point where he is 12 years old. Having left Mary and Joseph agasp of not being found amongst them on their journey home, they found him in the temple teaching. Those in the temple, as well as Mary and Joseph, were amazed at His wisdom. Jesus knew He was, the Son of God, and was to be about His Heavenly Father's business, but He also knew He was to be obedient to Mary and Joseph. There was a time and season for His earthly ministry to begin. So He went back to his parents' home , growing in stature and wisdom until His time of ministry began.
You have to wonder what was going through these shepherds minds when they left their flocks to seek out the Saviour...the prophesied one who would wash away all their sins.
Everything is confirmed by one or two witnesses. And we not only know that Mary and Joseph had personally been talked to by Gabriel, the arch angel, but also Elizabeth confirmed it too as she spoke to Mary as "mother of my Lord." Then the Angel of the Lord spoke to the shepherds with a host of angels as his witness to the birth of Jesus as well. As we go farther into chapter 2 of Luke, we see that Simon and Anna both prophesied over Him as the redeemer.
After Luke tells us about Mary and Joseph doing everything acccording to the law, he quickly skips over the childhood of Jesus and takes us to the point where he is 12 years old. Having left Mary and Joseph agasp of not being found amongst them on their journey home, they found him in the temple teaching. Those in the temple, as well as Mary and Joseph, were amazed at His wisdom. Jesus knew He was, the Son of God, and was to be about His Heavenly Father's business, but He also knew He was to be obedient to Mary and Joseph. There was a time and season for His earthly ministry to begin. So He went back to his parents' home , growing in stature and wisdom until His time of ministry began.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Starting "The Quest" Bible
Three years, six months, and two weeks seems like a very long journey to begin with, but I know it will be amazing how soon that journey will end. So today, August 13th, I take that first step in my quest to accomplish this feat.
If you are unfamiliar with the Quest Bible, it is written with questions and answers of the many passages on the edge of the Bible pages. It has many additional features of helps.
So here we go.
Course 1-Day 1
Luke 1
Well, I thought it very interesting that three times in this passage the word JOY came up, since that is the title of my blog. And having had God give me that word JOY a couple of months before Christmas, I think it is amazing that the Joy in Luke 1 is surrounded around two babies, Jesus and John the Baptist. At Christmas, I found out that Judah and Glorybel were expecting a baby, and in our Christmas pictures, the JOY ornament that Mahala and Keith gave me, was right above the head of Glorybel, who was carrying our 4th grandchild.
I was fascinated by the facts presented in "The Quest" about priests serving only twice a year for a week at a time and them preparing the sacrifice only once in their priesthood. God definitely had it worked out that Zechariah would be on duty to prepare the sacrifice when He told him the good news that after all those years of having a barren wife, he was going to be a father. I don't think Zechariah's response to the news is probably much different than a lot of ours, and I don't understand how that Mary's response was much different as she asked "How can this be" since she was a virgin. But their questions were different somewhat as Zechariah asked, "How can I be sure of this? " and Mary asked, "How can this be?" Mary didn't ask for a sign after the angel Gabriel explained to her how she was going to conceive the Son of God, she just humbled herself to be God's vessel to bring His Word to pass.
The JOY I see is that we too can be blessed. In Luke 11:27-28, As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." "He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it."
I was intriqued by the notation from the Quest that said that Zechariah apparently had become mute because of his lack of faith. However, they went on to say that by God making Zechariah mute, it increased his faith. By the time John the Baptist was born, despite his family's objection to the name Elizabeth said his name was to be, Zechariah's faith in the Word of the Lord was sealed, and he adamantly wrote on the writing tablet, "His name is John."
I think after we are disciplined by the Lord, we have a greater faith in His Word!
Hebrews 12:5-6..."My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Thank God for His discipline in my life, otherwise, I would not be where I am today in my walk with my Heavenly Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Joy in the Journey is walking in His presence, moment by moment, day by day.
If you are unfamiliar with the Quest Bible, it is written with questions and answers of the many passages on the edge of the Bible pages. It has many additional features of helps.
So here we go.
Course 1-Day 1
Luke 1
Well, I thought it very interesting that three times in this passage the word JOY came up, since that is the title of my blog. And having had God give me that word JOY a couple of months before Christmas, I think it is amazing that the Joy in Luke 1 is surrounded around two babies, Jesus and John the Baptist. At Christmas, I found out that Judah and Glorybel were expecting a baby, and in our Christmas pictures, the JOY ornament that Mahala and Keith gave me, was right above the head of Glorybel, who was carrying our 4th grandchild.
I was fascinated by the facts presented in "The Quest" about priests serving only twice a year for a week at a time and them preparing the sacrifice only once in their priesthood. God definitely had it worked out that Zechariah would be on duty to prepare the sacrifice when He told him the good news that after all those years of having a barren wife, he was going to be a father. I don't think Zechariah's response to the news is probably much different than a lot of ours, and I don't understand how that Mary's response was much different as she asked "How can this be" since she was a virgin. But their questions were different somewhat as Zechariah asked, "How can I be sure of this? " and Mary asked, "How can this be?" Mary didn't ask for a sign after the angel Gabriel explained to her how she was going to conceive the Son of God, she just humbled herself to be God's vessel to bring His Word to pass.
The JOY I see is that we too can be blessed. In Luke 11:27-28, As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." "He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it."
I was intriqued by the notation from the Quest that said that Zechariah apparently had become mute because of his lack of faith. However, they went on to say that by God making Zechariah mute, it increased his faith. By the time John the Baptist was born, despite his family's objection to the name Elizabeth said his name was to be, Zechariah's faith in the Word of the Lord was sealed, and he adamantly wrote on the writing tablet, "His name is John."
I think after we are disciplined by the Lord, we have a greater faith in His Word!
Hebrews 12:5-6..."My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Thank God for His discipline in my life, otherwise, I would not be where I am today in my walk with my Heavenly Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Joy in the Journey is walking in His presence, moment by moment, day by day.
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