14:2ff - Basically Herod doesn't like being called out for sleeping with his brother's wife, so he arrests John for being a magical zombie (Herod thinks John has miraculous powers because he has been raised from the dead). Instead of being a man of integrity and listening when God has put someone in his life who is willing to hold him accountable to his actions - he silences John. When I have been called on the carpet before, my initial reactions are to make excuses and mentally try to discredit the person holding me accountable...hmmm, I sound a lot like Herod. I hope that I can be the kind of man that listens to people who actually love me enough to tell me when I'm screwing up.
14:13 - When Jesus hears about the death of John the Baptist, he withdraws to a desolate place by himself. I am always moved when Jesus shows the grief he feels over death. Jesus is God - he knows that John is a godly man and he knows that John's place in the world to come is secure, but he still hurts for him. He grieves because Jesus knows that death was never meant to be a part of the human experience...sin brought death into existence. Every time Jesus comes in contact with death he hurts for the brokenness of man, and he was willing to give everything to end that destructive cycle.
14:22ff - This has always been one of my favorite stories, and however you interpret it...it makes a strong point. If Peter sinks into the water because he has taken his eyes off of Jesus and starts worrying about the waves...then we see a great picture of Christian life - whenever you take your eyes off of Christ you fall away. If Peter sinks into the water because he loses faith in himself being able to do what the son of God does (Maybe part of the reason Jesus call him, "Little Faith.")...then we have an inspiring picture of the fact that God has trusted us with a lot; God trusts that we can do incredible things for His kingdom (Through the power of the Holy Spirit of course); and maybe we should remember that God has put the great commission into the hands of messed up people like us...He thinks we can do it! Powerful imagery either way, with powerful lesson for our lives.
14:36 - I love the faith of these people...they beg Jesus just to let them touch the hem of his cloak because they believe so fully in his power. It seems like I am always asking for more and more from Jesus - it's like I can never get enough - I want to trust so fully in him that I live in a state of fullness and satisfaction because he always give me what I need.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Matthew Chapter 13 - January 30, 2008
13:29-30 - I love this imagery...we see a patient God who is willing to give "weeds" a chance to become "wheat." Sometimes it is easy to ask why God just doesn't destroy all the evil people in the world (Always choosing to ignore that we often find ourselves in the ranks of the evil), but God loves His created people and He wants to give the kingdom of heaven a chance to take hold in as many lives as possible. How many sinful and evil people as their lives rolled on have eventually found the true way?
Mustard Seed/Yeast - Again, great imagery. He uses two seemingly insignificant objects that do incredible things. The tiny mustard seed grows into a tree, and a little bit of yeast spreads until it is in every area of the bread dough. The message of Jesus lived out in the lives of normal, everyday, "insignificant" people like you and me - is pure world-changing power! Pretty cool, huh?
Hidden Treasure/Pearl - Here he goes again, Jesus is making me uncomfortable. Both of the men in these stories are willing to give everything...EVERYTHING, to get the prize they desire. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven - His Way - is the prize that should be every heart's desire. Is that the way I live? Is that the commitment I have made to His Way...that there is nothing I withhold?
Mustard Seed/Yeast - Again, great imagery. He uses two seemingly insignificant objects that do incredible things. The tiny mustard seed grows into a tree, and a little bit of yeast spreads until it is in every area of the bread dough. The message of Jesus lived out in the lives of normal, everyday, "insignificant" people like you and me - is pure world-changing power! Pretty cool, huh?
Hidden Treasure/Pearl - Here he goes again, Jesus is making me uncomfortable. Both of the men in these stories are willing to give everything...EVERYTHING, to get the prize they desire. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven - His Way - is the prize that should be every heart's desire. Is that the way I live? Is that the commitment I have made to His Way...that there is nothing I withhold?
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Matthew Chapter 12 - January 29, 2008
12:6 - "...something greater than the temple is here." Beautiful! Something greater than temples and churches and cathedrals and minters and ministries is here with us now...the kingdom of heaven brought by Jesus Christ. These things can be a part of His way, but His way is soooooo much bigger. Ministry should be going on everywhere. We are called to walk in his footsteps and reflect His image in ever corner of our lives. With the Spirit inside you, the way that you live your life can be greater than the temple or the church building - you are the church.
12:11 - Excuses, excuses! Again the Pharisees are trying to find any possible means of derailing Jesus ministry, which they are only doing because they don't want to change the way they live. They are looking for any possible excuse to discredit Jesus, "Uhhh...he heals on the Sabbath...yeah, that's it...he's evil because he miraculously heals a man's withered hand on the day...(words quietly trail off as they realize how stupid they sound)." How often do we look for any possible excuse to latch onto so that we don't have to change our lives?
12:29 - I love this verse! I think it is talking about how Jesus came down and whipped Satan so that he could plunder Satan's house - the fallen world. We are worth fighting for! We are the plunder that Jesus defeated the prince of lies to attain. May I live a life worthy of being a treasure worth fighting for.
12:31 - I have always taken blasphemy of the Holy Spirit to mean - believing something godly is satanic (i.e. - the Pharisees accusing the son of God of serving Satan). I think it is unforgivable, because of the state someones heart has to be in to say something like that. If you understand who God is...and you see the Holy Spirit at work, and then you can still call it evil - your heart is in a place that is irredeemable. These Pharisees where men who knew the word of God backwards and forwards - they probably had all the Messianic prophecies memorized - yet when the son of God was standing before them, all they saw was a threat to their way of life. The saw the power of the Holy Spirit...the power of the Kingdom of God in all it's glory and they called it evil. What does it say later on in this chapter, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks," hmmm...sound familiar? I saw a website where atheists were encouraging young people to make a Youtube video blaspheming the Holy Spirit to show that they didn't believe in God. I believe there is still hope for these kids. They don't know what they are talking about. They don't know the Spirit that they are supposedly blaspheming against. I think they can still be saved. The people I fear for, are the ones who have come in contact with the true way of Christ...the people who have experienced the Spirit of God moving in this world and can then call it evil.
12:36 - Ouch. Every careless word - that is not going to be a fun day. Carelessness with our minds and our mouths basically means that we could care less about honoring God with the bodies that He has given to us...the body, soul and mind that He holds together in existence. God please forgive me for the way I have misused what you have given me, and give me the strength to honor you with my mouth and life.
12:43-45 - This always seemed like a freaky and confusing passage to me when I was growing up, but I think I know what it means. It is not sufficient for you to clean your house (i.e. your heart, your life, etc.) through your own power...then you will just have a clean space that can easily be taken over again. You have to allow Jesus Christ to scour you clean and take residence in your heart. That's a home security system! That is how you keep from returning to your sinful ways even more wildly than before. The Pharisees where all about self-cleaning...but the emptiness inside them left room for pride and temptation and evil. Jesus calls them white-walled tombs later, because they focus so much on looking clean, but they are filled with death. How do you focus on being filled with Christ?
12:11 - Excuses, excuses! Again the Pharisees are trying to find any possible means of derailing Jesus ministry, which they are only doing because they don't want to change the way they live. They are looking for any possible excuse to discredit Jesus, "Uhhh...he heals on the Sabbath...yeah, that's it...he's evil because he miraculously heals a man's withered hand on the day...(words quietly trail off as they realize how stupid they sound)." How often do we look for any possible excuse to latch onto so that we don't have to change our lives?
12:29 - I love this verse! I think it is talking about how Jesus came down and whipped Satan so that he could plunder Satan's house - the fallen world. We are worth fighting for! We are the plunder that Jesus defeated the prince of lies to attain. May I live a life worthy of being a treasure worth fighting for.
12:31 - I have always taken blasphemy of the Holy Spirit to mean - believing something godly is satanic (i.e. - the Pharisees accusing the son of God of serving Satan). I think it is unforgivable, because of the state someones heart has to be in to say something like that. If you understand who God is...and you see the Holy Spirit at work, and then you can still call it evil - your heart is in a place that is irredeemable. These Pharisees where men who knew the word of God backwards and forwards - they probably had all the Messianic prophecies memorized - yet when the son of God was standing before them, all they saw was a threat to their way of life. The saw the power of the Holy Spirit...the power of the Kingdom of God in all it's glory and they called it evil. What does it say later on in this chapter, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks," hmmm...sound familiar? I saw a website where atheists were encouraging young people to make a Youtube video blaspheming the Holy Spirit to show that they didn't believe in God. I believe there is still hope for these kids. They don't know what they are talking about. They don't know the Spirit that they are supposedly blaspheming against. I think they can still be saved. The people I fear for, are the ones who have come in contact with the true way of Christ...the people who have experienced the Spirit of God moving in this world and can then call it evil.
12:36 - Ouch. Every careless word - that is not going to be a fun day. Carelessness with our minds and our mouths basically means that we could care less about honoring God with the bodies that He has given to us...the body, soul and mind that He holds together in existence. God please forgive me for the way I have misused what you have given me, and give me the strength to honor you with my mouth and life.
12:43-45 - This always seemed like a freaky and confusing passage to me when I was growing up, but I think I know what it means. It is not sufficient for you to clean your house (i.e. your heart, your life, etc.) through your own power...then you will just have a clean space that can easily be taken over again. You have to allow Jesus Christ to scour you clean and take residence in your heart. That's a home security system! That is how you keep from returning to your sinful ways even more wildly than before. The Pharisees where all about self-cleaning...but the emptiness inside them left room for pride and temptation and evil. Jesus calls them white-walled tombs later, because they focus so much on looking clean, but they are filled with death. How do you focus on being filled with Christ?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Matthew Chapter 11 - January 28, 2008
11:2-3 - It has always seemed strange to me that John the Baptist sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the real deal. Remember, John has already baptized Jesus and seen the Holy Spirit come down on Jesus. In the book of John, John the Baptist makes a declaration of Jesus being the son of God that has come to save the world (John 1). Why does he question Jesus now? I think it is good for us to see that even prophets experience doubt. Just as Elijah - days after defeating the prophets of Baal (With a "little" help from God - sarcasm hopefully noted)...runs likes a baby from the evil queen...I think John is second guessing Jesus as God's son. Where is the revolution? Where is the new nation of Israel? This guy just heals people and talks about this impossible way of living. I think it is good for us to see that even John had doubts. It is okay to have doubts...it is okay to question God...but never give up...never lose hope - I think a really smart guy once said, "Seek and you will find." John found out that his doubts were just his screwed up human side getting in the way and you will too.
11:18-19 - This is such a typical human issue...the Pharisees and teachers of the law are seeing a change to the way that they think following God should be done, so they do what everybody does when they start to lose control...they try to convince people that anyone who thinks differently then them is evil. John comes fasting and preaching repentance and they call him a demon. So Jesus comes feasting and throwing a huge party because the kingdom of heaven has just come crashing to earth and the salvation of the entire world is about to be worked out, and they call him a drunken lecher. Nothing could please them...they didn't want their way of living changed...they didn't want to lose their places of importance based on following man made rules...they didn't want the true message of Jesus Christ - they only wanted God if He fit nicely into the little box they had made for him. Sound familiar? That couldn't possibly happen in modern day Christian churches ("Hello, I'm dripping!" - Sarcasm)!
11:20-24 - This reminds me of the people I have seen who went to church their entire lives and never really got it (I know these people well, because I was one of them until the age of 19). They played the church game and did the church thing, but never really believed that God was moving in their life because they never really lived like it outside of church. All around them, God was doing the miraculous and they were too caught up in themselves to see it. Contrast that with people I have seen come into churches after living a life separated from God and the Christian community. Those people see the difference. They see God at work in the everyday. They see the power of God to bring life change and because of that power, they do whatever it takes to walk the path of Christ. I strongly believe that there will be some woes set aside for those who spent a lifetime in church and never really saw God. God, let me open my eyes to see your power and majesty daily.
11:30 - We have talked in chapter after chapter about how the way of Jesus is hard, yet right here he says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light - what gives? The yoke IS easy...it goes something like this, "Trust in Jesus. Quit trying to save yourself and let go - let Jesus strength cover over your weakness. Let his blood cover over your sin." The hard part comes when you try going against everything your culture tells you is important. The hard part comes when you try setting down your pride and accepting the fact that you are helpless against sin. The hard part comes when you try to overcome your guilt and accept that God loves you. After that - the burden is easy, because the son of God is carrying it.
11:18-19 - This is such a typical human issue...the Pharisees and teachers of the law are seeing a change to the way that they think following God should be done, so they do what everybody does when they start to lose control...they try to convince people that anyone who thinks differently then them is evil. John comes fasting and preaching repentance and they call him a demon. So Jesus comes feasting and throwing a huge party because the kingdom of heaven has just come crashing to earth and the salvation of the entire world is about to be worked out, and they call him a drunken lecher. Nothing could please them...they didn't want their way of living changed...they didn't want to lose their places of importance based on following man made rules...they didn't want the true message of Jesus Christ - they only wanted God if He fit nicely into the little box they had made for him. Sound familiar? That couldn't possibly happen in modern day Christian churches ("Hello, I'm dripping!" - Sarcasm)!
11:20-24 - This reminds me of the people I have seen who went to church their entire lives and never really got it (I know these people well, because I was one of them until the age of 19). They played the church game and did the church thing, but never really believed that God was moving in their life because they never really lived like it outside of church. All around them, God was doing the miraculous and they were too caught up in themselves to see it. Contrast that with people I have seen come into churches after living a life separated from God and the Christian community. Those people see the difference. They see God at work in the everyday. They see the power of God to bring life change and because of that power, they do whatever it takes to walk the path of Christ. I strongly believe that there will be some woes set aside for those who spent a lifetime in church and never really saw God. God, let me open my eyes to see your power and majesty daily.
11:30 - We have talked in chapter after chapter about how the way of Jesus is hard, yet right here he says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light - what gives? The yoke IS easy...it goes something like this, "Trust in Jesus. Quit trying to save yourself and let go - let Jesus strength cover over your weakness. Let his blood cover over your sin." The hard part comes when you try going against everything your culture tells you is important. The hard part comes when you try setting down your pride and accepting the fact that you are helpless against sin. The hard part comes when you try to overcome your guilt and accept that God loves you. After that - the burden is easy, because the son of God is carrying it.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Matthew 10 - January 25, 2008
Again, there is so much rich, challenging stuff in this chapter, I am not going to do it justice. I am just going to pick out a few things that really spoke to me.
10:14-15 - It is so hard for me to "shake off the dust" of the people who refuse to listen to the truth of God. As a youth minister, it is my job to impart the word of God into the kids lives in such a way that it brings about life change and Christ-like behavior. I know I am not the greatest communicator that has ever lived and I have plenty to work on, but it is really hard for me to shake off the pain of rejection that I experience when it seems like kids just don't get it or just don't want to get it. I take it so personally, and sometimes it can be detrimental to my ministry. I need to understand that everyone makes their own choice with regards to what they believe and how they live that out, and while I need to continue to fight for the souls of students, I also need to realize that sometimes you shake the dust off your feet and move on (That sounds insanely harsh, but it is true).
10:16 - I thought these words of Jesus were very interesting...we need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. I think that many times Christians pull towards one side or the other. They either focus completely on spiritual intellect and getting things done, while neglecting a pursuit of mercy and innocence (And they often consider people that chase after those things naive idiots). Or they separate themselves so much from the world in a pursuit of innocence that they really are clueless about how much the world needs intelligent and dedicated followers of Christ. As disciples of Christ we need to be people that constantly challenge ourselves to grow in knowledge, maturity, and looking at life realistically while never losing the hope that God is moving powerfully in this world and a dedication to personal righteousness.
10:25 - Interesting tid-bit: one of the names associated with the false god Baal, was Beelzeboul which meant "lord of the heavens." The Jews had a cool little term for mocking Baal, by calling him Beelzebub, which means "lord of the flies (Sweet book, by the way...PIGGY...NOOOO!)." Funny name for a man-made lame-o god. Anyway, what Jesus is saying in this verse is this, "If the Pharisees have enough evil within them to call me, the son of God, Satan (i.e. The Lord of Flies), they are gonna hate my followers even more." Basically we see throughout the Gospels that Jesus tells it like it is. He doesn't tell us how wonderful and easy and blessed life is going to be following him...he tells us how stinking hard it is going to be following him. I've said it before and I will say it again - God loves you and He has a difficult plan for your life (I totally ganked that from "Jesus, Mean and Wild").
10:37-39 - This is really hard teaching for me. I love my wife and my sons so much, and they are present, visceral, real, in my life everyday. It is easy to love them with everything I have. It is easy for me to say that I would give my life for them. My question is, do I love God even more? Am I serious enough about my faith and my God that I would put Him above everything...even my wife and kids...even my own life? Jesus is very in-my-face and clear right here - if I am ever to be considered worthy of carrying the name Christian...I have to love Him more than anything or anyone, including myself. God...help me let go...help me love you.
10:14-15 - It is so hard for me to "shake off the dust" of the people who refuse to listen to the truth of God. As a youth minister, it is my job to impart the word of God into the kids lives in such a way that it brings about life change and Christ-like behavior. I know I am not the greatest communicator that has ever lived and I have plenty to work on, but it is really hard for me to shake off the pain of rejection that I experience when it seems like kids just don't get it or just don't want to get it. I take it so personally, and sometimes it can be detrimental to my ministry. I need to understand that everyone makes their own choice with regards to what they believe and how they live that out, and while I need to continue to fight for the souls of students, I also need to realize that sometimes you shake the dust off your feet and move on (That sounds insanely harsh, but it is true).
10:16 - I thought these words of Jesus were very interesting...we need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. I think that many times Christians pull towards one side or the other. They either focus completely on spiritual intellect and getting things done, while neglecting a pursuit of mercy and innocence (And they often consider people that chase after those things naive idiots). Or they separate themselves so much from the world in a pursuit of innocence that they really are clueless about how much the world needs intelligent and dedicated followers of Christ. As disciples of Christ we need to be people that constantly challenge ourselves to grow in knowledge, maturity, and looking at life realistically while never losing the hope that God is moving powerfully in this world and a dedication to personal righteousness.
10:25 - Interesting tid-bit: one of the names associated with the false god Baal, was Beelzeboul which meant "lord of the heavens." The Jews had a cool little term for mocking Baal, by calling him Beelzebub, which means "lord of the flies (Sweet book, by the way...PIGGY...NOOOO!)." Funny name for a man-made lame-o god. Anyway, what Jesus is saying in this verse is this, "If the Pharisees have enough evil within them to call me, the son of God, Satan (i.e. The Lord of Flies), they are gonna hate my followers even more." Basically we see throughout the Gospels that Jesus tells it like it is. He doesn't tell us how wonderful and easy and blessed life is going to be following him...he tells us how stinking hard it is going to be following him. I've said it before and I will say it again - God loves you and He has a difficult plan for your life (I totally ganked that from "Jesus, Mean and Wild").
10:37-39 - This is really hard teaching for me. I love my wife and my sons so much, and they are present, visceral, real, in my life everyday. It is easy to love them with everything I have. It is easy for me to say that I would give my life for them. My question is, do I love God even more? Am I serious enough about my faith and my God that I would put Him above everything...even my wife and kids...even my own life? Jesus is very in-my-face and clear right here - if I am ever to be considered worthy of carrying the name Christian...I have to love Him more than anything or anyone, including myself. God...help me let go...help me love you.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Matthew Chapter 9 - Jauary 24, 2008
Sorry about the late post, it was a crazy morning.
9:2-6 - I find it really interesting that when the paralyzed man's friends bring him before Jesus (Most likely to have him physically healed) - Jesus forgives the man of his sins. The Pharisees balk at this, but Jesus confronts them by saying, "What I just did was so much more important than physical healing! But, so you knuckleheads can understand that I have the authority to forgive sins - ZAP! (Jesus heals the man)" The real miracle was the forgiveness of sins...Jesus did that first because that was what was truly important. I think I lose focus on what is important pretty frequently in my own life - I look to the discomforts and "needs" obsessively and take for granted that I am a sinner that has been forgiven. The worst of this life - sin, guilt and eternal separation from God - have been taken care of, the rest is just a bad nights stay in a cheap hotel as I am passing through the world(I totally ganked that from C.S. Lewis).
9:13 - I am really challenged by this verse, because something in me always wants to earn my salvation. I want to give up and suffer for Christ, and that is not really what it is all about. Am I called to sacrifice - yes. Am I going to suffer in this world - yes. But what I am really called to do is fully realize that it is impossible for me to save myself and accept the mercy of God. In turn, I treat others with the mercy that God has so graciously shown me. The Pharisees didn't get that...and I miss the point pretty frequently myself.
9:17 - The way of Jesus couldn't just be worked into the way of the Pharisees...his way was too huge, too earth-shattering, too powerful to be contained within any man-made system. I think that we in American churches need to understand a little more deeply that Jesus does not fit into our idea of what church is all about...his message and life transcend anything we have ever put out there. We should live our lives and guide our churches to be constantly changing and growing to walk in the insanely huge footsteps of Christ (Luckily we have that awesome mercy thing when we screw it all up - thanks God).
9:36 - I think this verse is so beautiful...he looked at the crowds of people and he didn't see the diseased and broken and sinful and sick and disgusting...he hurt for the sheep that were wandering lost through their lives. It gives me such joy to think that when Christ looks at me with all my flaws and failures...he loves me and he wants to lead me into "the Way". May I chase after that beautiful way, and may I look with compassion and not judgement on the brokenness I see in this world.
*I know I skipped over so much, but this chapter is huge and I am just hitting on the stuff that really jumped out at me. If other verses spoke to you - please, comment...(whispering) "That's what this is all about."
9:2-6 - I find it really interesting that when the paralyzed man's friends bring him before Jesus (Most likely to have him physically healed) - Jesus forgives the man of his sins. The Pharisees balk at this, but Jesus confronts them by saying, "What I just did was so much more important than physical healing! But, so you knuckleheads can understand that I have the authority to forgive sins - ZAP! (Jesus heals the man)" The real miracle was the forgiveness of sins...Jesus did that first because that was what was truly important. I think I lose focus on what is important pretty frequently in my own life - I look to the discomforts and "needs" obsessively and take for granted that I am a sinner that has been forgiven. The worst of this life - sin, guilt and eternal separation from God - have been taken care of, the rest is just a bad nights stay in a cheap hotel as I am passing through the world(I totally ganked that from C.S. Lewis).
9:13 - I am really challenged by this verse, because something in me always wants to earn my salvation. I want to give up and suffer for Christ, and that is not really what it is all about. Am I called to sacrifice - yes. Am I going to suffer in this world - yes. But what I am really called to do is fully realize that it is impossible for me to save myself and accept the mercy of God. In turn, I treat others with the mercy that God has so graciously shown me. The Pharisees didn't get that...and I miss the point pretty frequently myself.
9:17 - The way of Jesus couldn't just be worked into the way of the Pharisees...his way was too huge, too earth-shattering, too powerful to be contained within any man-made system. I think that we in American churches need to understand a little more deeply that Jesus does not fit into our idea of what church is all about...his message and life transcend anything we have ever put out there. We should live our lives and guide our churches to be constantly changing and growing to walk in the insanely huge footsteps of Christ (Luckily we have that awesome mercy thing when we screw it all up - thanks God).
9:36 - I think this verse is so beautiful...he looked at the crowds of people and he didn't see the diseased and broken and sinful and sick and disgusting...he hurt for the sheep that were wandering lost through their lives. It gives me such joy to think that when Christ looks at me with all my flaws and failures...he loves me and he wants to lead me into "the Way". May I chase after that beautiful way, and may I look with compassion and not judgement on the brokenness I see in this world.
*I know I skipped over so much, but this chapter is huge and I am just hitting on the stuff that really jumped out at me. If other verses spoke to you - please, comment...(whispering) "That's what this is all about."
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Matthew Chapter 8 - January 23, 2008
8:2 - I love the attitude of the leper here...he doesn't come up begging or demanding to be healed...he says, "If it is your will, let me be healed." Do I go into my prayer life and my relationship with God with a focus on God's will or mine? Is our relationship about me trying to get God on board with my plans, or about me desperately trying to get my life aligned with God's will? I want to strive for the latter.
8:10 - Jesus marveled at a man's faith! Talk about a compliment. The Roman centurion had such incredible, life-altering faith that the Son of God marveled at him. If you were the one forming the universe with your hands, it seems like it would take something unbelievable to cause you to marvel...to Jesus the amazing is a sold out faith. We spend our lives chasing after being incredible, being the best, being a cut above...but being incredible has nothing to do with looks or talent or possessions; truly amazing living comes from trusting fully in God. May I have the guts to do that.
8:17 - More fulfilled prophecy...again, Jesus is who he said he was - deal with it.
8:20 - Jesus was homeless and completely unconcerned with worldly possessions...we on the other hand find ourselves in the richest 2% of the world with the biggest housing square footage per capita on earth and a penchant for being completely absorbed with "stuff." Is there anything wrong with that picture?
8:22 - This seems like a completely harsh statement by Jesus, "Let the dead take care of themselves." I have heard this explained by talking about how the Jewish mourning process would take a long time and maybe the father wasn't even dead yet...so the guy could be talking about years. That sounds like a good explanation, maybe that's right. But maybe, Jesus is just really stinking serious about walking his path now. There will always be something in your life that you can use as an excuse to put off giving Jesus everything...at some point you have to choose. Jesus knew he had a short time on earth and that guy was about to miss the party. Do I let really good excuses get in the way of giving him everything?
8:31 - I find it pretty interesting that Jesus even showed mercy to a group of demons. Maybe I should remind myself of that the next time I'm feeling like somebody doesn't deserve my mercy.
8:34 - Jesus performs an exorcism on the wild demon possessed guys that keep everybody from coming into town, and the grateful town greets him at the city gates to throw a party, right? Oh, yeah that's right, they bar him from coming in and ask him to leave. Maybe they were really happy with the status quo, and didn't want anything to change. The power and message of Christ have a way of utterly destroying status quos. Are there areas of my life that I like to bar Jesus from, so that I can just "keep on keeping on"? Are there areas that I don't want to change? Time to open the gates.
8:10 - Jesus marveled at a man's faith! Talk about a compliment. The Roman centurion had such incredible, life-altering faith that the Son of God marveled at him. If you were the one forming the universe with your hands, it seems like it would take something unbelievable to cause you to marvel...to Jesus the amazing is a sold out faith. We spend our lives chasing after being incredible, being the best, being a cut above...but being incredible has nothing to do with looks or talent or possessions; truly amazing living comes from trusting fully in God. May I have the guts to do that.
8:17 - More fulfilled prophecy...again, Jesus is who he said he was - deal with it.
8:20 - Jesus was homeless and completely unconcerned with worldly possessions...we on the other hand find ourselves in the richest 2% of the world with the biggest housing square footage per capita on earth and a penchant for being completely absorbed with "stuff." Is there anything wrong with that picture?
8:22 - This seems like a completely harsh statement by Jesus, "Let the dead take care of themselves." I have heard this explained by talking about how the Jewish mourning process would take a long time and maybe the father wasn't even dead yet...so the guy could be talking about years. That sounds like a good explanation, maybe that's right. But maybe, Jesus is just really stinking serious about walking his path now. There will always be something in your life that you can use as an excuse to put off giving Jesus everything...at some point you have to choose. Jesus knew he had a short time on earth and that guy was about to miss the party. Do I let really good excuses get in the way of giving him everything?
8:31 - I find it pretty interesting that Jesus even showed mercy to a group of demons. Maybe I should remind myself of that the next time I'm feeling like somebody doesn't deserve my mercy.
8:34 - Jesus performs an exorcism on the wild demon possessed guys that keep everybody from coming into town, and the grateful town greets him at the city gates to throw a party, right? Oh, yeah that's right, they bar him from coming in and ask him to leave. Maybe they were really happy with the status quo, and didn't want anything to change. The power and message of Christ have a way of utterly destroying status quos. Are there areas of my life that I like to bar Jesus from, so that I can just "keep on keeping on"? Are there areas that I don't want to change? Time to open the gates.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Matthew Chapter 7 - January 22, 2008
No matter how many times I have read that I must first focus on the log in my own eye before I point out the speck in another person's eye, I struggle with this. I love to trivialize my own sin in the light of other's "much more serious sin"...I need to quit looking for excuses to ignore my sinfulness and go to war with it. Instead of delighting in the sin of others "which far outweighs my own (sarcasm hopefully noted)," I can hopefully weep for the brokenness of man and pray that we will accept the redemption of Christ and chase after his path.
*Aside - I have always found it strange that the pearls before swine line directly follows the bit about judging others. Now that I have been in ministry for 7 years and have had to confront sin issues in people's lives from time to time...I think this may be the perfect place to put this verse. Sometimes you need to realize that there are people that do not want to hear what you say, no matter how godly your motivation. You can come to someone out of love and accountability and be met with defiance and venom, and it can be devastating to the heart. I think Jesus may be telling us to be judicious with the people we put ourselves out on a spiritual and emotional limb to confront.
Matthew 7:14 - Jesus doesn't bat around the bush. Never buy in the the false-teaching that says that following Jesus will make your life easier. It will make life better, but not easier if that makes sense. His path is hard. His path is narrow. Few truly choose to walk in his footsteps. God please let me be one of the few that chooses to honestly chase after the path of Jesus.
Matthew 7:16-17 - Sometimes I look around online at different Christian blogs and websites and I see a lot of hatred...when somebody has some theological differences with them, they call the people false teachers, false prophets, or some other derogatory term. Are there false teachers out there - yes? But Jesus tells us that we will know where people stand according to their fruits. Constant hatred, degrading talk and hyper-egomania don't seem like fruits of the spirit to me. Before we make snap judgments about people, we need to look at their fruits...we need to look at which path they are walking with their lives.
Matthew 7:26 - For three chapters we have read some of the most challenging, life-altering instructions that have ever been uttered on the face of the earth. And Jesus closes out by telling us that if we hear these words and do not make them a reality in our own lives we are building on a foundation that will collapse from under us. Throughout the sermon on the mount, Jesus has told us to live like this world is not our home...it is not about who we impress on earth, it is about living for God; it is not about the things we acquire on earth, it is about heavenly treasure; etc...living for anything in this world we only let us down in the long run. May I chase after the things of God and flee from the things of men.
*Aside - I have always found it strange that the pearls before swine line directly follows the bit about judging others. Now that I have been in ministry for 7 years and have had to confront sin issues in people's lives from time to time...I think this may be the perfect place to put this verse. Sometimes you need to realize that there are people that do not want to hear what you say, no matter how godly your motivation. You can come to someone out of love and accountability and be met with defiance and venom, and it can be devastating to the heart. I think Jesus may be telling us to be judicious with the people we put ourselves out on a spiritual and emotional limb to confront.
Matthew 7:14 - Jesus doesn't bat around the bush. Never buy in the the false-teaching that says that following Jesus will make your life easier. It will make life better, but not easier if that makes sense. His path is hard. His path is narrow. Few truly choose to walk in his footsteps. God please let me be one of the few that chooses to honestly chase after the path of Jesus.
Matthew 7:16-17 - Sometimes I look around online at different Christian blogs and websites and I see a lot of hatred...when somebody has some theological differences with them, they call the people false teachers, false prophets, or some other derogatory term. Are there false teachers out there - yes? But Jesus tells us that we will know where people stand according to their fruits. Constant hatred, degrading talk and hyper-egomania don't seem like fruits of the spirit to me. Before we make snap judgments about people, we need to look at their fruits...we need to look at which path they are walking with their lives.
Matthew 7:26 - For three chapters we have read some of the most challenging, life-altering instructions that have ever been uttered on the face of the earth. And Jesus closes out by telling us that if we hear these words and do not make them a reality in our own lives we are building on a foundation that will collapse from under us. Throughout the sermon on the mount, Jesus has told us to live like this world is not our home...it is not about who we impress on earth, it is about living for God; it is not about the things we acquire on earth, it is about heavenly treasure; etc...living for anything in this world we only let us down in the long run. May I chase after the things of God and flee from the things of men.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Matthew 6 -January 21, 2008
Again, this is THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT - I could do a thousand separate daily devos over this chapter alone, but I will simply share how God spoke to me, and I hope you will do the same in your comments.
Leave it to Jesus to write with such beautiful continuity. Matthew 6:19 says that we should not live our lives focused on getting earthly stuff...we should instead be focused on our future reward in heaven. That sums up the whole chapter! Everything in the chapter is comparing earth vs. heaven. Don't act like an arrogant super-Christian, pointing out to anyone you can find how beautifully you can pray, how generous you are with your time and money, how holy you were during your last three day fast...the only reward you will get there is earthly. You are doing that stuff, not because you are so in love with God and obsessed with honoring Him; but because you are obsessed with honoring yourself. Earth vs. Heaven. When we allow ourselves to be eaten alive with worry (Which by the way, has never helped anyone, in any way, EVER! I know this from personal experience), we are truly saying that we do not trust God. We are saying God, I don't like your timing here - so I am going to solve this problem by immobilizing myself through worry. Man's obsession with having everything we desire now vs. trusting in God's timing and power. Earth vs. Heaven. I need stop living my Christianity for myself and for others and start living out my faith for God and God alone. I need to stop lying away at night worrying about this and that, and trust that the all-powerful creator and sustainer of the universe has probably got things under control.
Changing directions...I love the Lord's Prayer. If you are someone, like myself, who has always wanted some guidance in the prayer department - "How do you keep from praying selfish prayers that focus totally on me and what I need?" - then here you go...Jesus himself has taught us how to pray. He gives us a great outline to start with. "Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Start out your prayers with a God love-fest. Tell God what He means to you. Tell God about how incredible and holy you think He is (Yeah, your words don't do Him justice, but it is a great way to start the prayer off with a God-focus not a me-focus). "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." Spend some time praying for God's will to be done in your life, in your family, in your church, in this world. Focus your prayer again on God and doing His will as opposed to yourself. "Give us this day our daily bread." Pray for your needs - true NEEDS, not wants. Thank God for the blessings that He has already poured out on your life...thank Him for the little things that we take for granted, that are life-sustaining. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive those how have debts against us." Confess your sins to God. Search your heart and your life and pray for forgiveness. Beg for strength to truly repent...to turn away from the sin that plagues your life. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Pray finally for the strength to fight back against the temptations we face at every corner of our lives. Pray that you will have the will to take the opportunities that God provides for you to walk away from sinful behavior. Pray that you will listen to the Spirit as He clues you in on destructive behavior. It is a simple prayer that we all know by heart, which gives us an incredible outline of prayer to work with.
Leave it to Jesus to write with such beautiful continuity. Matthew 6:19 says that we should not live our lives focused on getting earthly stuff...we should instead be focused on our future reward in heaven. That sums up the whole chapter! Everything in the chapter is comparing earth vs. heaven. Don't act like an arrogant super-Christian, pointing out to anyone you can find how beautifully you can pray, how generous you are with your time and money, how holy you were during your last three day fast...the only reward you will get there is earthly. You are doing that stuff, not because you are so in love with God and obsessed with honoring Him; but because you are obsessed with honoring yourself. Earth vs. Heaven. When we allow ourselves to be eaten alive with worry (Which by the way, has never helped anyone, in any way, EVER! I know this from personal experience), we are truly saying that we do not trust God. We are saying God, I don't like your timing here - so I am going to solve this problem by immobilizing myself through worry. Man's obsession with having everything we desire now vs. trusting in God's timing and power. Earth vs. Heaven. I need stop living my Christianity for myself and for others and start living out my faith for God and God alone. I need to stop lying away at night worrying about this and that, and trust that the all-powerful creator and sustainer of the universe has probably got things under control.
Changing directions...I love the Lord's Prayer. If you are someone, like myself, who has always wanted some guidance in the prayer department - "How do you keep from praying selfish prayers that focus totally on me and what I need?" - then here you go...Jesus himself has taught us how to pray. He gives us a great outline to start with. "Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Start out your prayers with a God love-fest. Tell God what He means to you. Tell God about how incredible and holy you think He is (Yeah, your words don't do Him justice, but it is a great way to start the prayer off with a God-focus not a me-focus). "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." Spend some time praying for God's will to be done in your life, in your family, in your church, in this world. Focus your prayer again on God and doing His will as opposed to yourself. "Give us this day our daily bread." Pray for your needs - true NEEDS, not wants. Thank God for the blessings that He has already poured out on your life...thank Him for the little things that we take for granted, that are life-sustaining. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive those how have debts against us." Confess your sins to God. Search your heart and your life and pray for forgiveness. Beg for strength to truly repent...to turn away from the sin that plagues your life. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Pray finally for the strength to fight back against the temptations we face at every corner of our lives. Pray that you will have the will to take the opportunities that God provides for you to walk away from sinful behavior. Pray that you will listen to the Spirit as He clues you in on destructive behavior. It is a simple prayer that we all know by heart, which gives us an incredible outline of prayer to work with.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Matthew Chapter 5 - January 18th
This is the first chapter in Jesus' sermon on the mount...we could have a separate blog for every paragraph in chapter 5! But alas, I am just going to hit on a few points that jumped out at me and you can comment on the things that really jumped out to you.
5:2-11 - It blows my mind to look at the description of the people that Jesus calls blessed. The picture they create is exactly the opposite of everything we strive for in our culture. We do anything we can, including making ourselves slaves to jobs, to not be poor; we are completely paralyzed and fearful of death and do anything to stay away from being sad; we do anything we can to show that we are not weak; we work really hard to not stand out in any way...the self-reliant and perfection seeking culture we have created does little to promote our absolute need for God. Maybe I need to spend a little time removing layers of protection I have built up and connecting with my brokenness so I will always reach out to the grace of God.
5:13 - To accept the message of Christ and make no changes in your life or no difference in the lives of people around you is a sure sign of dead spirituality.
Starting to think you can save yourself because you are a good person? (I hope you don't, I'm just making a point) Well try this on for size...
- Do not murder...that's not really the point, the sinfulness starts at anger and harsh words (probably common things in most of our lives)
- Do not commit adultery...this is just about physical stuff, adultery starts in the mind and heart
- Eye for eye tooth for tooth...no retaliation and you need to take it to the next level and actually love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
- Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect...that's a tough job
The kingdom of heaven that we are supposed to be living has some wildly different expectations of its people than the kingdom of the world has. We can be the salt and light in this world when we strive and fight against our sinful human nature to walk the path of Jesus. We will fail frequently and we must frequently rely on the incredible grace of God. Only perfection can be in the presence of God and we cannot attain that without the blood of Jesus Christ.
5:2-11 - It blows my mind to look at the description of the people that Jesus calls blessed. The picture they create is exactly the opposite of everything we strive for in our culture. We do anything we can, including making ourselves slaves to jobs, to not be poor; we are completely paralyzed and fearful of death and do anything to stay away from being sad; we do anything we can to show that we are not weak; we work really hard to not stand out in any way...the self-reliant and perfection seeking culture we have created does little to promote our absolute need for God. Maybe I need to spend a little time removing layers of protection I have built up and connecting with my brokenness so I will always reach out to the grace of God.
5:13 - To accept the message of Christ and make no changes in your life or no difference in the lives of people around you is a sure sign of dead spirituality.
Starting to think you can save yourself because you are a good person? (I hope you don't, I'm just making a point) Well try this on for size...
- Do not murder...that's not really the point, the sinfulness starts at anger and harsh words (probably common things in most of our lives)
- Do not commit adultery...this is just about physical stuff, adultery starts in the mind and heart
- Eye for eye tooth for tooth...no retaliation and you need to take it to the next level and actually love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
- Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect...that's a tough job
The kingdom of heaven that we are supposed to be living has some wildly different expectations of its people than the kingdom of the world has. We can be the salt and light in this world when we strive and fight against our sinful human nature to walk the path of Jesus. We will fail frequently and we must frequently rely on the incredible grace of God. Only perfection can be in the presence of God and we cannot attain that without the blood of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Matthew Chapter 4 - January 17th
I talked about this last week in High School class, but I really do think this is important, so I will say it again. Right after God says he is well pleased with Jesus at the end of chapter three, He drives Jesus into the desert for fasting and temptation at the hands of Satan. We need to always remember that faith is not easy - our path as Christians is not supposed to be Candyland - God loves you and He has a difficult plan for your life, that requires reliance on Him. I must never forget this.
In Matthew 4:3 we see that Satan loves to attack when we are at our weakest. Jesus is probably more physically and mentally exhausted than he has ever been in his life and guess who shows up. When we are running ourselves ragged in this world and exhausted relational, physically, mentally, spiritually...be ready for an attack.
Satan comes at Jesus from every angle...first he tries to tempt Jesus physical appetite - what appetites pose a weakness for me? Next he tempts Jesus relationally...tries to get him to test his Father's love - do I get so caught up in what others think of me that I am willing to turn my back on God? Finally he tempts the ego by saying he will give Jesus rule over the whole earth - do I fall prey to temptations that put myself above all others? Jesus stands up to every attack. Does he fight back with his super Jesus powers, utterly beating Satan down? No, he uses something that every one of us can call on - God's word. He simply answers each temptation with scripture. To think that you will be able to stand for God in this world and fight temptation without God's word on your heart is complete folly. We need to put God's word in our hearts.
4:17 - I love that Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is at hand...it is there...he brought it with him. The kingdom of heaven has come crashing to earth through the life and message of Jesus Christ, and you and I can bring a piece of heaven to this sin-filled planet by walking in the footsteps of Christ.
4:20 and 22 - Jesus calls his first disciples and they leave everything to follow him - immediately. They leave it all behind...family, friends, jobs, all of it. Do I have the guts to put my selfishness and fear aside and truly answer the call of Jesus?
Hope you enjoyed reading chapter 4 today. Read chapter 5 tomorrow and then our next reading will be chapter 6 on Monday (Feel free to read the bible on the weekend too!). Please comment on how God spoke to you through chapter 4. Peace be with you.
In Matthew 4:3 we see that Satan loves to attack when we are at our weakest. Jesus is probably more physically and mentally exhausted than he has ever been in his life and guess who shows up. When we are running ourselves ragged in this world and exhausted relational, physically, mentally, spiritually...be ready for an attack.
Satan comes at Jesus from every angle...first he tries to tempt Jesus physical appetite - what appetites pose a weakness for me? Next he tempts Jesus relationally...tries to get him to test his Father's love - do I get so caught up in what others think of me that I am willing to turn my back on God? Finally he tempts the ego by saying he will give Jesus rule over the whole earth - do I fall prey to temptations that put myself above all others? Jesus stands up to every attack. Does he fight back with his super Jesus powers, utterly beating Satan down? No, he uses something that every one of us can call on - God's word. He simply answers each temptation with scripture. To think that you will be able to stand for God in this world and fight temptation without God's word on your heart is complete folly. We need to put God's word in our hearts.
4:17 - I love that Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is at hand...it is there...he brought it with him. The kingdom of heaven has come crashing to earth through the life and message of Jesus Christ, and you and I can bring a piece of heaven to this sin-filled planet by walking in the footsteps of Christ.
4:20 and 22 - Jesus calls his first disciples and they leave everything to follow him - immediately. They leave it all behind...family, friends, jobs, all of it. Do I have the guts to put my selfishness and fear aside and truly answer the call of Jesus?
Hope you enjoyed reading chapter 4 today. Read chapter 5 tomorrow and then our next reading will be chapter 6 on Monday (Feel free to read the bible on the weekend too!). Please comment on how God spoke to you through chapter 4. Peace be with you.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Matthew Chapter 3 - Januray 16th
John practiced what he preached. He completely separated himself from the religious hypocrisy of the day and lived out his belief in God boldly. While the Pharisees were focused on what they looked like and what people thought about them, John was focused only on winning converts to God and preparing the way for the Messiah (John didn't spend too much time worrying about fashion - i.e. camel skin). Is the life I am living helping to prepare others for the message of Jesus? Am I walking the talk? Do people know who I serve and what I believe by the way I live my life?
Verse 11 and 12 reminded me of a sermon I heard from my man crush Rob Bell, "The flames of heaven are hotter than the flames of hell." Meaning that some people will think the ideals of God's kingdom are tortuous because they go against what they personally strive after. The gospel of Jesus is beautiful, but his message has bite to it. John knew that the Messiah that was coming, was bringing a message that flies in the face of human ideals. "Put others above yourself. If you follow me - life is going to be hard - people will hate you. Take up your cross daily." The fire of Jesus message quickly burns away those who are uninterested in leaving selfishness and self service behind. Are there expectations that Jesus has for his followers that I ignore because I like the way I am living now?
When Jesus came to John for baptism - John felt completely unqualified - like he shouldn't be doing it. He even tells Jesus, "You should be baptizing me!" But Jesus honors John's ministry by allowing him to baptize the perfect son of God. There will be times that we feel we are unqualified to serve God...to lead people towards God; but we are the hands and feet of God in this world and qualified or no, if we put our faith in Him and rely on His power, He will use us to further His kingdom.
Why did Jesus, who was perfect, have to get baptized? Well there are a lot of possible reasons. He was confessing the sin of the entire Nation of Israel. He was showing his support for John's ministry. He was kicking off his public ministry with humility which stood in direct opposition to the arrogant religious leaders of the day. He was perfect and did not need to be cleansed of sins, but he allowed John to baptize him to show his obedient service to the father which would continue as he walked through his life towards the cross. What can I do in my life, to go out of my way to bow to the will of God?
Verse 11 and 12 reminded me of a sermon I heard from my man crush Rob Bell, "The flames of heaven are hotter than the flames of hell." Meaning that some people will think the ideals of God's kingdom are tortuous because they go against what they personally strive after. The gospel of Jesus is beautiful, but his message has bite to it. John knew that the Messiah that was coming, was bringing a message that flies in the face of human ideals. "Put others above yourself. If you follow me - life is going to be hard - people will hate you. Take up your cross daily." The fire of Jesus message quickly burns away those who are uninterested in leaving selfishness and self service behind. Are there expectations that Jesus has for his followers that I ignore because I like the way I am living now?
When Jesus came to John for baptism - John felt completely unqualified - like he shouldn't be doing it. He even tells Jesus, "You should be baptizing me!" But Jesus honors John's ministry by allowing him to baptize the perfect son of God. There will be times that we feel we are unqualified to serve God...to lead people towards God; but we are the hands and feet of God in this world and qualified or no, if we put our faith in Him and rely on His power, He will use us to further His kingdom.
Why did Jesus, who was perfect, have to get baptized? Well there are a lot of possible reasons. He was confessing the sin of the entire Nation of Israel. He was showing his support for John's ministry. He was kicking off his public ministry with humility which stood in direct opposition to the arrogant religious leaders of the day. He was perfect and did not need to be cleansed of sins, but he allowed John to baptize him to show his obedient service to the father which would continue as he walked through his life towards the cross. What can I do in my life, to go out of my way to bow to the will of God?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Matthew Chapter 2B - January 15th
Other interesting stuff...
- Who were these wise men? They could have been Jewish scholars that had stayed in Babylon and knew the prophecies. They could have been Persian astrologers that studied ancient manuscripts from around the world and equated signs in the heavens to their knowledge of Jewish scriptures. They could have been told by God to go to Jesus. It doesn't matter! What matters is that they answered the call and went to worship the son of God. They spent two years and unbelievable amounts of resources to get to Jesus. Am I willing to worship him at any cost?
- Why did Herod want to kill Jesus? Why do people do any of the stupid things that we do? Selfishness. He was a prideful egomaniac that didn't want to lose his power. He feared that the promised Messiah would unite the people against him and he wanted to snuff him out no matter what the cost (The lives of all the children 2 and under in Bethlehem). Are there areas of my life that I shut Jesus out of because I just want things to stay the same...area where I just want to keep serving myself?
As you read through the chapters each day, look for how God is speaking to you. The bible is full of infinitely challenging, in-your-face scriptures...ask God to change you as you read. Leave your own personal comments in the "comment" section and read Matthew chapter 3 tomorrow.
- Who were these wise men? They could have been Jewish scholars that had stayed in Babylon and knew the prophecies. They could have been Persian astrologers that studied ancient manuscripts from around the world and equated signs in the heavens to their knowledge of Jewish scriptures. They could have been told by God to go to Jesus. It doesn't matter! What matters is that they answered the call and went to worship the son of God. They spent two years and unbelievable amounts of resources to get to Jesus. Am I willing to worship him at any cost?
- Why did Herod want to kill Jesus? Why do people do any of the stupid things that we do? Selfishness. He was a prideful egomaniac that didn't want to lose his power. He feared that the promised Messiah would unite the people against him and he wanted to snuff him out no matter what the cost (The lives of all the children 2 and under in Bethlehem). Are there areas of my life that I shut Jesus out of because I just want things to stay the same...area where I just want to keep serving myself?
As you read through the chapters each day, look for how God is speaking to you. The bible is full of infinitely challenging, in-your-face scriptures...ask God to change you as you read. Leave your own personal comments in the "comment" section and read Matthew chapter 3 tomorrow.
Matthew Chapter 2 - January 15th
Matthew does a great job of laying down the evidence for his Jewish readers, that Jesus is the promises Messiah. In chapter 1 we find that he was from the line of David and he was born of a virgin. In chapter 2 we see that Jesus was born in Bethlehem as prophesied; is called out of Egypt as prophesied; and has Nazareth as a hometown as prophesied (And he was called Nazarene for the rest of his life). As we continue to read through the New Testament, we will see prophecy after prophecy fulfilled by Jesus Christ. To fulfill one or two or three prophesies could be a coincidence, but Jesus and his church fulfill over a thousand prophecies about the Messiah and the coming of the Messiah recorded in the Old Testament. The probability of one man fulfilling even 60 of the prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 895th power - which looks like this 1 out of 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
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So...not very good odds, huh? And that is by fulfilling only 60 prophecies - we can't even do the math on what over 1,000 prophecies would look like. This is pretty much the long way of saying, Jesus is who he said he was!
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So...not very good odds, huh? And that is by fulfilling only 60 prophecies - we can't even do the math on what over 1,000 prophecies would look like. This is pretty much the long way of saying, Jesus is who he said he was!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Matthew Chapter 1 - January 14th
Traditionally when giving the genealogy you would follow the male line, and only the male ancestors in that male line...Matthew includes five women in the line of Jesus. Three of these women where not Jewish. Tamar pretends to be a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law. Rahab was a prostitute. Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah who David lusted after and impregnated. On top of this, each of the men in the line of Jesus was a sinner, just like all of us are. I love that Matthew highlighted the diversity and the flaws and sin-filled background of Jesus family, and then bookended it with verse 21, "...for he will save the people from their sins." Jesus came to earth to give his life for all - all ethnicities, all people no matter how screwed up and Matthew points that out from the beginning. Matthew is not ashamed to show Jesus background, because Jesus came to re-write his family history and every family's history! It throws down a great challenge for me: don't be ashamed of what you have done or where you have come from...accept the life-changing sacrifice of Christ and write a new history following in His footsteps.
Matthew chapter 1 also paints a great picture of Joseph as a godly man. In the ancient Jewish world, when a couple was engaged or betrothed they were considered legally married. They would not have had sexual relations, but by their community and by the Jewish legal system - Mary and Joseph were married. One of the punishments for marital unfaithfulness was death by stoning. Joseph could have humiliated Mary and had her stoned when he found out she was pregnant, but instead of seeking to cover over his wounded pride he was going to divorce her quietly. Then, when the angel comes to Joseph to explain to him what really happened, he readily accepts the truth and continues to honor his commitment to Mary. What a great man. I hope that when I am confused and don't understand why things are happening in my life, I will have the strength to trust God and honor Him through whatever He brings my way.
Please comment with your own thoughts on how God spoke to you through Matthew chapter 1. Have a great day and don't forget to read Matthew chapter 2 tomorrow. Peace be with you.
Matthew chapter 1 also paints a great picture of Joseph as a godly man. In the ancient Jewish world, when a couple was engaged or betrothed they were considered legally married. They would not have had sexual relations, but by their community and by the Jewish legal system - Mary and Joseph were married. One of the punishments for marital unfaithfulness was death by stoning. Joseph could have humiliated Mary and had her stoned when he found out she was pregnant, but instead of seeking to cover over his wounded pride he was going to divorce her quietly. Then, when the angel comes to Joseph to explain to him what really happened, he readily accepts the truth and continues to honor his commitment to Mary. What a great man. I hope that when I am confused and don't understand why things are happening in my life, I will have the strength to trust God and honor Him through whatever He brings my way.
Please comment with your own thoughts on how God spoke to you through Matthew chapter 1. Have a great day and don't forget to read Matthew chapter 2 tomorrow. Peace be with you.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Bible study start date...
We will kick off the bible blog study by reading Matthew chapter 1 on Monday, January 14th. Simply read the chapter and write a few comments about how God spoke to you, what you found interesting, what somebody else had to say (Be nice), etc. I look forward to studying through the bible with you guys - thanks for being willing to blog with me.
Peace be with you - Brando
Peace be with you - Brando
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