Matthew 9:1–38 (Continued)

April 19, 2012

Comparisons. Never a good idea. John the Baptist's followers came to Jesus and asked, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast but your followers don't?" You've got to wonder—Why did it matter? If you are fasting for the right reasons it doesn't matter who else is fasting or why.

Fasting is a time of prayer and worship to God. Jesus was God. His disciples were with God. There was no reason for them to fast when they were already in the presence of God/Jesus. The need for fasting would come later, after Jesus was gone. Fasting—not an outward show but an inward time of focusing on prayer and worship. Fasting can take on many forms, but it always involves giving up something and replacing it with prayer and worship. Fasting should be a very private act.

There have been different times in my life when I felt I was supposed to fast about a situation in my life. One of the main things fasting accomplishes is making sure the

God

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Man

relationship is in the right order. Fasting also helps us understand that while we are giving up something, only God can show us what His will is and what He wants us to do.

 *****

Little Miss A caused a great deal of excitement today. She swallowed a coin while I was with her. After hours in the emergency room, an x-ray showed it was lodged in her esophagus. They took her to surgery around 6 P.M. and removed the coin which turned out to be a dime. Thank you Jesus for protecting her and for the doctor being able to retrieve it. PTL—we did not need to take her to an Indy hospital as the doctor feared!!


Next Entry: Matthew 9:1–38 (Continued)

Matthew 9:1–38 (Continued)

April 18, 2012

Jesus calls Matthew (a despised tax collector) to follow Him—and Matthew did. Jesus went to Matthew's house and had dinner with other tax collectors and "sinners." The holier-than-thou Pharisees were shocked. They asked, why does your Master/teacher eat with "sinners"? Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick." Then he continued, "Go and learn what this means: (and then Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6) I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices. I want people to know me more than I want burnt offerings." (Matthew 9:12-13)

Jesus came for sinners. The problem is the Pharisees didn't think they were sinners. They didn't think they were in need of a Savior. After all, they were more than "good" people. Why, they interpreted the laws; they were the wise ones; and they even added new laws to God's law. Why would they need a Savior? And Jesus says, "I didn't come for the good" not because the "good" didn't need a Savior but because the "good" didn't recognize their need for a Savior. And Jesus tells them to go and figure out what this means, which is kind of funny since the Pharisees already thought they knew the meaning of everything. (You have to believe they were, "we are on the cutting edge of everything" type people.)

I want your faithful love. I want you to know me. This is what I want. I don't want your rituals without a changed life. I don't want outward appearances of obedience and being "good" by you going through the motions. I want changed lives. I want lives that match what you say you believe. I want faithful love. I want you to know me!!


Next Entry: Matthew 9:1–38 (Continued)

Matthew 9:1–38

April 17, 2012

The people asked Jesus to leave, so He left. He went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought a man who was paralyzed to Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith He said, "Be encouraged, young man. Your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9:2) Jesus had a reason for forgiving him spiritually without healing his physical body. There was a lesson He wanted to teach those who were witnessing this encounter, and there is also an important truth for us to learn. The most important healing is our spiritual healing and not our physical healing. Not only is it the most important, but often it is the most difficult as well. 

The Pharisees (teachers of the law) who prided themselves on knowing and following the letter of the law were outraged. How dare Jesus! How dare He say to someone that their sins were forgiven. There were rules and protocol to follow! How dare He break them! How dare Jesus act as if He is God! They felt Jesus' actions brought shame to the "law" and therefore to God. Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked them, "Why are you thinking evil thoughts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven', or to say, 'stand up and walk?' " (Matthew 9:4-5) It is easier to "say" your sins are forgiven because it is an inward action.

Obviously the forgiveness of our sins required the very costly death of Christ. I am not discounting that in any way. But, it is easier to "say" something that is unseen that to say and do what is visible to the human eye. So Jesus said, "I'm going to do what you can see so that you will believe I can do what you cannot see and only what God can do. Young man—stand up, pick up your mat, and go home." And the people were amazed.  


Next Entry: Matthew 9:1–38 (Continued)

Matthew 8:1–34 (Continued)

April 16, 2012

Keep your eyes on Jesus and HE calms the storm.

Jesus and his followers are in a boat when a great storm rolls in and the waves began covering the boat. His followers were terrified. And where was Jesus? He was fast asleep. They woke him up saying, "Lord, save us! We will drown!" And Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid? You don't have enough faith." (Matthew 8:26) Then Jesus got up and commanded the wind and waves to become calm—and they did. The disciples had witnessed Jesus healing people, but now they were witnesses to the very forces of nature obeying His voice. Jesus was the instrument the LORD used to reveal Himself to them.

I love how Max Lucado, in Six Hours One Friday, describes the storms of life.

"If you lose your faith, you will probably do so gradually. In tiny increments you will get spiritually sloppy. You will let a few days slip by without consulting your compass. Your sails will go untrimmed. Your rigging will go unprepared. And worst of all, you will forget to anchor your boat. And, before you know it, you will be bouncing from wave to wave in stormy seas...

Stability in the storm comes not from seeking a new message, but from understanding an old one. The most reliable anchor points are not recent discoveries, but are time-tested truths that have held their ground against the winds of change... Attach your soul to these boulders and no wave is big enough to wash you under."

It is not enough to just believe that Jesus is God. Even the demons believe that. What matters is if we have sought forgiveness from Him and whether our lives are surrendered to Him.

After calming the storm, they arrive to the other side of the lake and two men who lived in the burial caves came out to meet him. These were violent and dangerous men who harassed anyone who dared to walk down their road. They shouted to Jesus, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the right time?" They knew who Jesus was, and they knew what their final outcome was going to be. Jesus—the Son of God. Hell—their final destination. They said to Jesus, "If you make us leave these men, please send us into the herd of pigs." "If you make us..." They knew Jesus had authority over them. But they weren't "ready" to be released from Satan themselves, so they asked to be sent to the herd of swine so their violence could continue. Jesus told them to "Go!" They went to the swine, and the herd ran down the hill and into the lake and drowned.

The reaction of the people? Were they grateful the men were released from their demons? No, they were upset their herd of swine was gone. Ministry can be messy. People will not always understand or support the truth being revealed. 


Next Entry: Matthew 9:1–38

Matthew 8:1–34

 April 13, 2012

Jesus has the power, the strength, the ability, and the authority to free us from anything that holds us bondage. Not only does He have the ability, He wants to do it. "Lord, you can heal me if you will." And Jesus replies, "I will."

In Matthew 8 a man with leprosy went to Jesus; a Roman soldier went to Jesus; people with demons and other illnesses were taken to Jesus. We need to go to Jesus with whatever obstacle we are facing. He is willing. We need to have the desire. There was also another healing in this chapter. Jesus went to Peter's house and saw that his mother-in-law was ill. Jesus touched her hand; she was healed; and she go up and began to serve Jesus. I call this a "just because" healing. Jesus knew what she needed and He did it, just because. She was healed and then she began to serve Jesus. 

When Jesus healed the man of leprosy He told him not to go and tell others about it. He instead told him to go and follow the laws Moses (God) commanded in the Old Testament, once again linking the Old Testament to the New Testament. By following the commands of the Old Testament, Jesus and His authority, would be revealed.

The Jews, even though they were God's chosen people, were now living under Roman rule because of their ancestors choices. A Roman soldier comes to Jesus to seek healing for his servant. A Roman! This was not someone who was raised with knowledge of God. He was not someone who was part of God's chosen people and therefore knew (or should have known) about Jesus' coming as foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament. No. He was someone who was in power over God's people, but he humbled himself, sought Jesus, and asked for healing for his servant. Jesus offered to go and heal him. The Roman soldier replied that he wasn't worthy for Jesus to come to his house. He said, "You only need to command it, and my servant will be healed." An outsider understood the power Jesus had, believed Him, and had faith in Him. And Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this is the greatest faith I have found, even in Israel." (Matthew 8:10)

Jesus' next statement is sobering. There will be many people, even "His" people, who knew of Him but did not know Him who will be left outside the gate.

Matthew 8:12 - "But those people who should be in the kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness, where people will be cry and grind their teeth with pain." 

We can't put our faith in going to church. We can't claim safety because of a long ago sinners prayer. We must know Him. We must live out our faith. We must surrender ourselves to Him. We must believe. Our actions must match our words. And Jesus said to the Roman soldier, "Go home.  Your servant will be healed just as you believed he would." (Matthew 8:13) And his servant was healed that same hour.

There is a cost to following Jesus. Great crowds began to follow Jesus. People were enthused by all He was doing and saying. They wanted to join in on the movement. Jesus warned them. There is a cost in following me. You will have to give up your dreams and your security to follow me. This is not a "get well" quick movement. This is not a "get rich" quick scheme. This is a take up your cross and follow ME movement. It will cost you, but it will be worth it all.

Addendum: Today is Thanksgiving 2015. We had a wonderful time with family. We are so thankful for all God has done for us and for giving us the strength and stamina to survive these last nine years of "the storm."


Next Entry: Matthew 8:1–34 (Continued)

Matthew 7:1–29 (Continued)

April 12, 2012

Matthew 7:12 - The Golden Rule. The most important rule. "Do to others what you want them to do to you." Sounds simple enough doesn't it? But it is very profound statement. The law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets in the Old Testament are summed up with those simple words, "Do to others what you want them to do to you."

It is impossible to have "self" on the throne and obey this command at the same time. "Self" is the biggest obstacle that keeps us from obeying the very first commandment of "you shall have no other other gods beside me,"(Exodus 20:3) and what causes us to want gods in addition to God (Exodus 20:23). When "self" is on the throne everything is about you and revolves around you. What you want, you go out and get, and it doesn't matter who or what is in your way. It never occurs to that kind of person to look at the situation through the other person's eyes. The only thing that matters is self. That's it. No-one or any-thing else. That type of person also rationalizes why it is okay to be doing what they are doing.

This explains so much to me. I've always wondered how people can believe it is okay to lie, cheat, steal, take advantage of others, etc. How? Rationalization. They come up with enough reasons to justify their actions that it doesn't matter what they have to do, or who they do it to as long as they get what they want.

Rationalizations as to why it is okay to have "self" on the throne (and how devious actions are acceptable), comes about because God's very simple and yet profound command, "Do to others what you want them to do to you" is not followed. To think about others means you cannot be only focused on yourself. To think about others means rationalizations has to go. It means getting honest with yourself about your motives and actions. It means you build into your life guidelines and practices to help you remember to think about others if you are the kind of person where empathy doesn't come easily or naturally.

So many memories are running through my mind right now. We found out so many things about my sister and brother-in-law through the discovery process of the lawsuit; instances where rationalizations were used to excuse their behaviors. But there are other memories too. Why did I make excuses for my sister's sometimes inexcusable behavior? Why was my attitude, "Oh, that's just ____ and that's the way she has always been?" Why did I tolerate that kind of behavior? There were warning signs. Why did I ignore them? Why didn't I call sinful behavior what it is—sin?

With some people you can't win, lose, or draw. It is either their way or you are wrong and there is no way to have a civilized disagreement. Why then didn't I just walk away and accept the fact that some people are just plain toxic? Sure she was family (I wouldn't have put myself through the dysfunction with anyone else), but it was more than that. I felt sorry for her. Without me who would she have? She didn't have a close nucleus of friends. She didn't have close family ties with anyone else in our family. I would have felt as if I was abandoning her. I felt responsible for her, which is really strange since she is four years older than me and she is college educated and I am not.

I think part of the reason I didn't just walk away was because of the Golden Rule: "Do to other what you want them to do to you." I'm learning you have to be careful though. Some people will abuse your kindness. Following the Golden Rule doesn't change the actions of others (hence them filing a lawsuit against us) but it does bring peace, contentment and happiness to your own soul. Even though I choose to follow God's principle of treating others as yourself, I should have set healthy boundaries. I still should have called sin what it is—SIN.

Addendum:  11/25/15 ~ I can now clearly see what I was blinded to in the past. My relationship with my sister was much more complex than I could have ever imagined, and very unhealthy. I now realize I was manipulated for much of my life. Learning more about narcissistic behaviors explained so much.

My sister knew I had a tender heart and had empathy for others, so she would create situations to make sure I would stay loyal to her and under her control. The "joke" of calling herself the queen and me the servant, wasn't a "joke." It was the way she viewed our relationship. One simple (albeit ridiculous) but classic example of how she created situations to make sure I stayed loyal to her was family birthdays. My sister would claim that she could never remember Mom and Dad's birthdays, anniversary, etc.  So, every time there was a birthday or anniversary, I would call her and remind her so she could call them. Her response was always the same. "Thank goodness you called me... I would have never remembered." Even though I haven't called to remind her during the eight and one half years (and counting) of the lawsuit, she hasn't "forgotten" any of their birthdays or anniversaries. Not even one single time. Her "forgetfulness" wasn't real, it was a way for her to manipulate me into feeling responsible for "taking care" of her and faking a dependence on me in order to maintain control..

I mentioned that I never went to college and that she graduated from college. Yet, just shortly before their lawsuit was filed, my sister said something that shocked me. She randomly mentioned that in grade school my IQ testing was higher than hers. How would someone remember that 40 plus years after the fact? Why on earth did it matter? Why did she carry that information with her into adulthood? I had no idea my IQ score was higher than hers, and it didn't matter to me. I went all those years never realizing there was a "competition" between us. There wasn't from my end, but she had never gotten over the fact that I tested higher then her in grade school. Even though she graduated from college with honors and I never attended college.

Looking back, I can now see the competition. Not only with myself but with her obsession with my brother and her interactions with others. This lawsuit (from her point of view whether admitted or not) is a competition on several levels. Nothing about it makes logical sense. They have spent far more money then they could ever hope to recoup even if they are successful in pursuing their trickery and false accusations. Yet, if she can take from me the material possessions God has given to us, she will feel as if she has "won." She doesn't realize that even if she was successful in "winning" our material possessions, she can't take from me what she wants the most—my inner peace, joy, happiness, and contentment.

While this lawsuit was filed for all the wrong reasons, God has used it to free me from the power she held over me. I'm not sure I would have ever been strong enough to break the toxic relationship on my own. What was meant for my harm God has used for my good, and I am grateful.   

I've come to realize only the Great Physician can heal someone who is broken psychologically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. I (and you) can't fix it. I tried for years—and it doesn't work. All we can do is release them to God's hands, and that is what I have done. HE is the Great Physician; only HE can fix brokenness.


Next Entry: Matthew 8:1–34

Matthew 7:1–29 (Continued)

April 09 and 11, 2012

Ask—and God will give to you.
Search—and you will find.
Knock—and the door will open for you.

"Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened." Matthew 7:7 

This is another passage of scripture that is often misused and abused. Jesus is not saying that anything "we" want; anything "we" search for; anything "we" desire; is what He will give us. He wants us to have a heart that asks, searches, and knocks—for HIM—and not our own selfish desires.

When we search after holiness we will find it. (Jeremiah 29:13) What we think we want, and what HE knows we need may be as opposite as night and day. When we ask, search, and knock for Him, HE reveals Himself to us and HE gives us what we need—HIM. Hosea 14:8 - "I, the Lord, am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a green pine tree. Your blessings come from me." He knows what we need. "How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11) Not "things" as in the way the world views things such as wealth and possessions, with the "one who dies with the most toys wins" philosophy. No. Jesus is talking about providing for us the things we need. Salvation. Blessings. Protection. A glimpse of His own heart.

Jesus goes on. There are two kinds of people. People who build their lives upon Him and His principles and those who are do-it-your-self-er's, people with an "I'll do it my way" attitude who build their lives upon their own selfish dreams and desires. A classic IF—THEN.

"Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock. Everyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit the house, and it fell with a big crash."  Matthew 7:24-27

The power of self-deception is amazing. We (people) choose to believe nothing bad will happen to us. But think about it!! Why wouldn't it happen to us if we are deliberately disobeying God's words? What would ever possess us to think we are somehow exempt? It is lies from the devil himself. If he can get us to be self-sufficient instead of God-reliant, then he has us right where he wants us—under his control.


Next Entry: Matthew 7:1–29 (Continued)

Matthew 7:1–29

April 05, 2012

"Don't judge other people, or you will be judged." (Matthew 7:1)

This is one of the most misused and abused scriptures in all of the Bible, and it is usually by people who are living contrary to scripture and are not wanting to be held accountable for their actions. They somehow choose to ignore Jesus' words which are found in the same chapter as the verse they love to quote so much. Matthew 7:16 - "You will know them by their fruit."

Jesus is saying: Don't get the relationship out of order. It is

God 

↓

Man.

It is not your position to "judge" someone else. It is mine. Your responsibility is to be looking at your own life. Confess what you need to confess. Repent when you need to repent. Turn from what you need to turn from. Take responsibility for your actions. Make sure you have died to self. Make sure you have no other gods beside me or in addition to me. Take care of yourself and leave the other people to me. I will judge. I will convict. I will avenge. I am in control.

While we are not the judge, Jesus does want us to be smart. Jesus says—I want you to discern the hearts of others, and this is how I want you to do it:

• Be careful—some people look like sheep but they are really wolves
• You will be able to tell what the truth is (discern) by their actions
• Grapes don't come from thorn bushes and figs don't come from thistles
• A good tree produces good fruit (actions)
• A corrupt tree produces bad fruit (evil actions)
• A good tree cannot produce bad fruit
• A corrupt tree cannot produce good fruit

So, I want you to be smart. I want you to discern. Judging someone is not your job—it is mine. I will decide judgment. You are to look at the fruits. Then you will know what kind of person you are dealing with. "By their fruits you will know them." (Matthew 7:15–20)  

Jesus makes it very clear, it is not our responsibility to judge and/or pronounce judgment, but it is our responsibility to determine what people are like—and the way we do that is by the fruit they produce. What kind of fruit are we (they) producing? Do our (their) life actions and our (their) words match? People are watching. We may know all the right words to say, but it is our actions that will reveal whether there has been a heart change and a new way of thinking in our lives.

Jesus goes on to say, "Not all those who say I am their Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do what my Father in heaven wants." (Matthew 7:21) It is not enough to "say," we must also "do." The way to heaven isn't easy. It is a narrow road and gate and only a few people will find that road. (Jesus' words, not mine.) Wide is the road that leads to destruction and many people will enter that gate. Unfortunately, I believe there are many people traveling down the wide road that leads to destruction who think they are on the narrow road. They say that the Lord is their God and they say, "Lord, Lord, we spoke for you." But instead of hearing, "Well done my good and faithful servant" they hear, "Then I will tell them clearly, 'Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you.' " (Matthew 7:23)

We must "do." Our actions/fruits will reveal the truth of who we are. We are known by our actions and we are to discern the actions of others.


Next Entry: Matthew 7:1–29 (Continued)

Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)

April 4, 2012

Don't worry about the things you need. God knows what you need.

There is a constant struggle within one's self to be self-sufficient. It's disguised in many ways. We try to rationalize it by saying we don't want to bother God with trivial things. We even try to promote it. Look at all the emphasis we place on self-esteem in our culture. We applaud someone who is a "self-made man." We have it all wrong.

God does not want our self-sufficiency. He wants us to rely on Him. He wants our view of ourselves to be from His eyes. He wants us to "get it." We are nothing without Him and everything comes from Him. He wants us to understand and surrender to the

  God

  ↓

  Man

relationship He ordained. He takes care of everything He has created. The birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the grasses of the field. We are so much more than the "things" God created. We were created in His image. We were created to worship Him. He loves us so much that He sent His own son to die so that we could have life.

He is a God of details. He knows what we need—and He will provide it. But when we have ourselves on the throne we become worried. What if? Will there be enough? Jesus says, "You cannot add anytime to your life by worrying about it." (Matthew 6:27) So then if that is true, why do we do it? It is wasted time and energy. Jesus says, "Don't have so little faith! Don't worry and say, 'what will we eat?' or 'what will we drink?' or 'what will we wear?' " (Matthew 6:31) Our worries show the problem—it is all about me/we. Matthew 6:32 - "The people who don't know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them." Trying! Self effort. Trying to do for ourselves what God is willing (and far more capable) of doing.

"The thing you should want most is God's Kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you." (Matthew 6:33) We should want what God wants and not what we want. When we get the

God 

↓

Man

relationship in the correct order; when we understand we are not equal to God; then we understand it is not God = man, it is not man > God; it is

God

↓

Man.

When we want Him more than anything else, THEN—"All these other things you need will be given to you." When we search for Him with all our hearts, "You will find me!  I will let you find me..." (Jeremiah 29:13) But, when we try to do it on our own, "You will look for me, but you will not find me. It is because you rejected knowledge and did not choose to respect the LORD. You did not accept my advice and you rejected my correction." (Proverbs 1:28)

What we receive in life is our choice. Surrender to God and we receive everything we need. Try to go it alone—and we are alone. Life is not about we/me. It is about God. He is in control. Our job is to trust Him. 

"So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Next Entry: Matthew 7:1–29

Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)

April 03, 2012

God is more important than money or anything else. (Matthew 6:19–24) Jesus says, "Don't store up treasures for yourselves here on earth..." It is totally useless and a waste of time and energy. It consumes you. It absorbs your full attention. Do I have enough? Can I keep it safe? Will people try to take my things? I want more. Does someone else have more than me? You can see the problem with all the underlined pronouns. I... I... I... me... me... me. Our focus cannot be on God if our focus is on I... me... mine.  

"Your heart is where your treasure is" or say it in reverse, "Your treasure is where your heart is." The problem is people convince themselves that they don't have a problem. They label it as being wise and good stewards. Stewards are what we should be of what God has given us. But most the time we (people) view ourselves as being self-made. It's all about what we have done, accomplished, or attained. The lies of Satan are subtle, and we convince ourselves that darkness is light. Jesus says it this way, "The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness." (Matthew 6:22–23) It is the worst kind of darkness because you think it is light. And when you believe that, you can no longer see and know truth.

This has been shown to us over and over throughout these last five years. How clearly I remember driving home from my sister and brother-in-laws depositions in Indy (2009) and my husband and I understanding for the first time that there was no truth in them. They no longer knew truth. What they thought was light was actually darkness, and it's the worst kind of darkness. Up until that day we thought they "knew" truth and were just choosing to further their own gain by using lies, trickery, manipulations, false accusations, etc. to get what they wanted. When someone knows truth they can return to it. But during their depositions we realized they no longer knew truth. It was gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, and difficult to watch. We spent the time driving home crying out to the Lord on their behalf. "And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness." 

Chuck Swindoll in "Simple Faith" says it this way:

"In the light of truth, you and I are able to see both truth and lie, both light and darkness – that which is simple, pure, and clear and that which is deceptive. But enslaved to darkness, and plunged into the pit of the lie, we no longer see truth. We have no other option but to believe the lie."

Believing the lie and no longer knowing the truth—truly the worst kind of darkness. You cannot straddle the fence. Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters. The person will hate the one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches." Cannot. It doesn't say it will be hard or you might fall off the fence. No. Pure and simple—CANNOT.

We cannot serve "things" in addition to God. (Exodus 20:23) Either God is God of ALL or He is God of nothing. If we try to serve anything in addition to God (self, money, family, things, etc.) it will take over and become the most important to us. You cannot remain on a fence. Eventually what we think is light is actually darkness, and it is the worst kind of darkness because we are fooled into thinking it is light and we do not realize we are living in darkness. 


Next Entry: Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)

Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)

April 2, 2012

Forgiveness—the gift you give yourself and an attitude God honors.

"Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But if you don't forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins."

Life is not about you/me. It is not up to us to decide if someone is "worthy" to be forgiven. God is the judge. When we refuse to forgive, we are attempting to put ourselves on the throne that only HE has the right to occupy and our actions show we are not surrendered to the Lordship of God. In our selfishness we decide we will be in control. We will hold on to the hurts, we will hold on to our anger, etc. Our actions are the evidence of what "truth" is. We have either given over the "wrongs" to God—or we haven't. We have either chosen to trust God—or we haven't. We have either surrendered to God—or we haven't.

God is saying—Look! I want you to understand this! You are not in control! You are not God! I AM. Keep your hands off. Surrender to me. I am the judge, so you quit trying to judge. I am the One who avenges, so let go of your revenge  I will decide if there needs to be vengeance. If there does it will be my holy vengeance and not your human spite. Don't come to me half way, I won't have it. (Revelation 3:15,16) Don't say I am your Father in heaven when your actions show you are your own god. If you want my forgiveness—give forgiveness. If you want me to be your Father in heaven—then be my child. The child does not decide what the Father should or should not do. The child surrenders and trusts, KNOWING the Father loves him and will do what is best for him.

*****

Today, our grandson (our son's son) asked me to help him pray for Jesus to forgive his sins. Woo Hoo!! What a precious gift and how appropriate with what I am writing about tomorrow. Nothing this world can offer compares to loving God. Thank you Jesus for his willingness to surrender his heart.  


Next Entry: Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)

Matthew 6:1–34

March 30, 2012

Be careful of your motives. Why do you do what you do? Is it to bring "self" honor? Or is your purpose to honor God? Are you drawing people to your "self," or to God? Three times in this chapter (Matthew 6:2,5,16) Jesus says when we do things for the wrong motive (self) that we "already have their (our) full reward."

What a statement. When our actions are meant to bring glory and honor to ourselves, all we get is fleeting, temporary, and earthly pleasure. And worse than that, we are leading people away from God instead of drawing people to God. When our actions glorify God then the reward is lasting and eternal for not only ourselves but others as well. Nothing good comes from pleasing "self." It is only when we bring Glory and Honor and Praise to our LORD, Savior, God and King that we fulfill what Jesus asks us to do and our life is fulfilling. Fulfilling both now and forevermore. 

Three times in this chapter (Matthew 6:4,6,18) Jesus says, "Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you." He knows. Nothing is hidden from Him. If you are doing evil—He knows. When you are living your life in obedience to His calling—He knows. We can rest in His promise and of the assurance of "He will reward you." He knows. Justice is His. Accountability is His. And that is all that matters.

When you pray—

Don't be like the hypocrites who know the right words to say but don't live it.

When you pray—

Don't be a liar. Don't act like you know God and go on and on thinking God will hear you because of who you are.

Matthew 6:8–15 - "Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. So when you pray you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, may your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And do not cause us to be tempted, but save us from the Evil One.

Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But, if you don't forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins."

When you live your life in an attitude of praise and awe for who HE is, this prayer takes on new meaning. Jesus' instructions for how we should pray clearly shows the

God

↓

 man

relationship. It is ALL about you God, ALL about you! You are our Father. May we always praise you. You are in heaven. It is your kingdom. May we put self aside and surrender to what you want to do in and through us. It is you that provides for us. It is you that forgives us. It is you that protects us. It is you Father. Our lives exist to bring honor and glory to you. We worship and praise you!

And when we do that our lives are blessed by Him.

Hosea 14:8 - "I, the LORD, am the one who answers your prayers, and watches over you. I am like a green pine tree. Your blessings come from me." 


Next Entry: Matthew 6:1–34 (Continued)

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 29, 2012

Don't fight back. These verses aren't saying that as Christians we should be wimps or be so passive that others walk all over us. Jesus is saying, what I want you to understand is this. It is not about "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." Vengeance for evil is mine, not yours! I don't want you seeking revenge. A heart full of revenge is a heart full of poison. Anger and revenge are cancers of the soul. Let go. Let me. This is not about "you" being in control. This is about you dying to self and allowing me to be in control.

God wants our submission. When He has that He will do the rest. He will protect. He will avenge. Submission is not being a wimp, it is not insecurity, and it is not passive. No. It is being strongly and boldly submitted to God with a full assurance of His protection, His power, His strength, and His justice. There is no need to be self-sufficient when you are God-reliant.

Jesus emphasizes the importance of sharing. It's not about "me" or "mine." Everything we have is God-given and not "ours" so sharing comes naturally. Not just sharing of things, but sharing of self and time as well. Jesus tells us it is not enough to just love our friends. We are to love those who try to harm us as well. Matthew 5:44-45 - "Pray for those who hurt you. If (when) you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven." 

I love how God puts checks and balances in place. When you are praying for those who have hurt you, it is impossible to harbor hurt, anger, or revenge in your heart. Impossible. God wants us to be holy as He is holy. He has given us everything we need to live a holy life. 


Next Entry: Matthew 6:1–34

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 28, 2012

Jesus goes on and talks about divorce, making promises, fighting back, and loving people. God's design—God's plan—is for one marriage for one lifetime. A happy marriage is the best gift you can give your children. Not just a happy marriage, but a Christ-centered happy marriage. The triangle effect: the closer you become to God, the closer you are to each other.

The same thing that divides us from Christ (our need to be in control), is the same thing that divides marriages. Jesus says the only reason for divorce is adultery. I like how our Pastor describes divorce. He describes it as scrambled eggs. You cannot undo the damage. Once it is scrambled, it is scrambled. Instead, our goal should be to prevent the damage. Die to self. Live life (and do marriage) God's way.

Promises. Make your yes—yes. Make your no—no. That simple. Nothing "fluid" about it. Keep your word. Keep your promises. No need to swear by the heavens, they aren't yours—they are God's. No need to swear by Jerusalem/temple/church, they aren't yours—they are God's. No need to swear by your own head, it isn't yours—it is God's. When you say "yes" then it is yes. When you say "no" then it is no. Your walk should match your talk. Then people see truth, know truth, and trust you. Any "convincing" you need to do according to Matthew 5:37 is from the "evil one."

Nothing "fluid" about it!! Not in business. Not in the home. Not with friends.

Yes. No. That simple. Matthew 5:37 - "Say only yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no."


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued) 

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 26, 2012

Jesus teaches about sexual sin, again talking not just about the letter of the law but of the intent of the law. Someone who follows the letter of the law says I didn't commit the actual sexual act so therefore I did not sin. But Jesus says, I don't want someone who is a rule-follower, I want heart-followers. A heart follower understands the intent of the law, and understands that Christ wants pure hearts, changed lives, and a new way of thinking. (Ezekiel 18:30–32) We only fool ourselves when we think we are hiding our sinful thoughts and evil intentions in our hearts.

God knows our heart and thoughts. Jesus clearly explains that evil thoughts (even without action) is still sin. Thoughts generally turn into action, and Jesus says—get rid of your evil thoughts. Get rid of anything that causes you to sin. Change your hearts. Why live as close to sin as you can and hope not to get burned. Why not instead live as close to the heart of God as you can? Striving each day to be more Christ-like in your thoughts, words, actions, and deeds.

As for me, I choose to learn and grow each day. I choose to live as close to the heart of God as possible, understanding that I will never be finished with growing and learning while I have earthly breath. I choose to be a heart follower of Jesus Christ. 


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 23, 2012

Matthew 5:25 - "If your enemy is taking you to court, become friends quickly, before you go to court." Just like the passage before this one where it talks about leaving your offering at the altar if your brother and sister has something against you, I believe Jesus is talking about the aggressor here and not the innocent party. I have heard this taught, and I have believed the exact opposite of what I now believe Jesus to be saying. Have I only read these verses before through my eyes? Knowing I have not or would not purposely wrong others so I assumed Jesus was talking about a "victim" of someone having something against you or being a "victim" of an enemy who wanted to harm you for whatever reason?

We have an "enemy" who has taken us to court. Even in hindsight, there is not one single thing we could have done to "become friends quickly" or dissuade them from a course of action they were determined to take. Not one single thing. You cannot deter someone else's greed. You cannot put salve on someone who is seeking revenge. You cannot talk rationally with someone who is irrational. You cannot change a persons heart, actions, or evil intents. You cannot—and I do not believe that is what Jesus is saying in this passage or the verses before. Instead, I believe Jesus is talking once again about personal accountability.  You cannot control another person but you can control yourself.  

I don't believe Jesus is saying you should quickly go to the person who is falsely accusing you and is threatening (or actually taking you) to court and try to "fix" things yourself by becoming friends and that you should try to appease them in order to get them to stop their actions when you (and most likely they) know you are innocent of their charges. I believe Jesus is talking about the person initiating the legal action. This is about your actions of trying to take things in your hands. And you better be careful. Your actions may backfire. What you are trying to do to others may happen to you. If you have wronged others, there may be legitimate cause or reason for the law to be enforced upon you. I believe these verses are saying—Own up! Take responsibility for what you have done. Go! Make things right. Be willingly accountable for your actions. Confess. Repent. Turn. (I Chronicles 7:14)

Jesus' teachings follows the teachings of the Old Testament. This isn't something new. This is Christ calling for personal holiness and personal accountability. 


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued) 

Fanning the Flame – 2012

March 20, 2012

At the rate I am going it is going to take me years to get through the New Testament. :)  There is just so much to process with Jesus' own words.

This week is Fanning the Flame services at church. As always, we have really enjoyed them. Dr. Bob Laurent spoke on Sunday night. He is a professor of the Old Testament. I would love to take his classes. He is just fascinating to listen to. Here are a couple of his points.

• Nowhere in the Old Testament does it indicate that the sacrifices were for intentional sins
• The Old Testament points to the need for God's grace
• The Old Testament isn't just about "the law"
• Confession—when you get rid of the sin. God already knows. It is when you are freed.
• You're never closer to God than when you run risks
• Your faith comes alive during battle
• Who are you touching for Jesus?
• The importance of ONE-ness with God.
• Love the unlovely. Touch the untouchable.

Monday - Ron Williams
He spoke about how the Israelites got in such a mess and how Christians today find themselves in such messes. They have lost the "awe" of God. Signs that you may be in danger of losing the "awe" of who HE is.

• You lose sight of God's greatness and goodness
• Your view of sin becomes small
• You choose compromise over conviction
• You choose happiness over holiness
• Your life becomes about "you" and not about God
• Your worship becomes casual

"When we reduce the size of God, we reduce our view of sin." This quote by Ron Williams is a very profound statement. When you don't "get it" and you minimize God, your view of yourself/sin gets distorted. I've written many time before that the most important thing Jane (Her Name Was Jane) taught us was the importance of praise—first and foremost. Praise brings AWE. I never connected the two together until last night. Praise keeps AWE alive and well. It puts everything in the proper perspective. God → man.  Psalm 8 - O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is YOUR name... what is man?

Dr Ronald Smith
Are you on fire or beating the bush? Are we in our own "self" protection program, or are we God-reliant? As a child Moses was saved from certain death by God. When Moses sees the injustice of what is happening to his fellow Israelites (God's people) he takes matters into his own hand and kills the Egyptian. And now here he is (in his own "self" protection program hiding as a shepherd) and God calls him by name. God knows where we are even if we are hiding. God doesn't give up on us. He pursues us. He is there if we will look up and respond, "This is Holy Ground." You never make things better by your own hand! Only God's plan works.

When we get real, God will go to the lowest rung to save us. Moses relied on his rod, again using "self" protection. God told him to throw it down and it was revealed for what it was—a snake (the devil). Any time we are trying to do "self" protection it is a tool of Satan. Once it was revealed for what it was, God told him to pick it back up. Truth was revealed. Now he, (and it) could be used because God gave it to him. It was no longer a rod of "self" protection. It was now an instrument of God. Then Dr. Smith asked this question, "What won't you give up?" What is it that you are trying to use to protect yourself? What is God asking you to throw down? Are you on fire? Or, are you beating around the bush?

Dr. Laurent, Ron Williams, and Dr. Smith ALL emphasized that the Old Testament is not just about the Law. Dr. Smith, "The Old Testament is the Gospel." Look at Hebrews 11, they are all people from the Old Testament. Oh my goodness. My words (my journal from Genesis – II Chronicles 11 that I had to send to my sister and brother-in-law when it got caught up in "the storm") gave them the Gospel! I knew it was God's words and truth was spoken, but I never thought about it as being the Gospel. Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to share the truth about you!

David Leeder
He spoke about relationship. The most important relationship we have in life is our relationship with God. Some people settle for knowing about God. They "know" church, they "know" Bible, they "know" about, but they don't have an active and alive current relationship. The present reality of God in their life is gone. But where is God? How is it possible to lose God? Leeder gave the example of the lost axe head in II Kings 6. We can lose God in our busyness of serving God—doing, but not being. Another way we can lose God is in the midst of adversity. Job lost everything and in Job 23 asked "Where are you?" to God. His third example was Revelations 2 where the people lost their first love. You can lose God when you allow other things to take priority in your life. So, how can we find God again?

Psalm 42 - A renewed longing for Him. You will never experience something you don't long for. "I am desperate for you."
Psalm 63 - Where your treasure is your heart is (Matthew 6).
Colossians 3 - Set your mind/heart on things above.

You will never discover something if you are not searching for it.

Jeremiah 29:13 - When you search for me with all your heart you will find me – I will let you find me.
Psalm 51 - A renewed commitment to Him. Realizing that where I am is not where I should be. Where I am is not where I need to be.

How is it between you and God today? Have you lost God? Where did you lose Him? II Kings 6 - where did you lose it? To find it/God you must go back to where you lost Him. Where you lost the blessing is where you must go back to in order for the blessing to be restored. You must learn to trust God again. There are no short-cuts. You must go back to the fork in the road. Revelation 2:5 - Remember. Repent. Restore.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Fanning the Flame services again. It was beautiful weather each night, but each night the church was full. So glad we went. Now—back to Matthew 5.


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 16, 2012

"So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother and sister has something against you" (Not as a victim of someone else, but as the aggressor; someone who has pursued selfish desires at the expense others.) When you take your gift and remember what you have done because of your selfish desires, and why people legitimately have something against you, then "leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with that person." Own up to your sin; surrender your life; go fix the damage you have caused in the wake of your actions. Quit blaming others. Quit excusing your decisions and actions. Own up to what you have done. Face the truth about yourself.

God already knows the truth. It is not hidden from Him. Confess your sins. Change your hearts and life... "and then come and offer your gift." THEN God will hear your prayers and THEN you will have forgiveness. THEN you will have peace of mind and contentment of soul. What Christ seeks from us is a heart that is like His. HIS! He doesn't want our offerings, He wants us. He wants us to be like Him and we cannot be like Him when "self" is our god. He wants from us what I wrote about on March 7 - Matthew 5:1–48. He wants a changed heart and life. When He has that—THEN and only then—our offering is an act of giving ourselves to Him as a gift in humble worship of the LORD of ALL. To do otherwise, to give an offering without a changed heart, is an inward slap in the face to God while outwardly confessing Him as LORD.

Psalm 51:17 - "The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin." God wants our obedience FIRST and then our sacrifices.


Next Entry: Fanning the Flame - 2012

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 15, 2012

I've been pondering Matthew 5:23–24 for a long time now.

"So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with that person, and then come and offer you gift."

I've been asking Jesus what exactly He means by this teaching. As we know, my sister (in her mind) has "something against me" and has filed a lawsuit accusing us of evil things and seeking harm against us. So, I read these words and I wonder—what is my responsibility here? I want to be obedient to God's words. All of them! Is He asking me to do something? I shouldn't use the word "asking." Is He "telling" me to do something? Because if He is telling me do something I will do it! So, I've been asking God, what exactly is Jesus teaching here? What do these verses mean?

I've heard many sermons where the Pastor uses the phrase, "as much as it depends on you" meaning we are responsible to go and seek peace but we are not responsible for the actions of the other person and whether they forgive, hold on to revenge, or whether the "problem" is only in their minds, etc. I've only ever heard this verse explained in what I view as a "victim" type circumstance. The other person has a problem with you, so you should go try and fix it. It wasn't your action against the other person, it was the other person's problem, but you are responsible to go and try to fix it (I have to wonder now if that is actually how it was preached or if that was how I "heard" it because of my "fix-it" personality.)

I don't think that is what this verse is saying at all. After days of asking what Jesus' teaching means, slowly His teaching became very clear. It's not about the other person at all. It is only about me (and you). It is a continuation of the prophet's teaching in the Old Testament. Let me explain. I've just spent years immersed in the Old Testament. As I am reading Matthew 5:23–24, I suddenly realized I recognized what Jesus was teaching. Jesus' teaching in Matthew is the same message the prophets were teaching in the Old Testament. So, I began to look back through the Old Testament to find the passages.

In Isaiah 1:2–20 - God says over and over "I have had enough... I am not pleased... don't continue to bring me worthless sacrifices... I can't stand your rituals... I hate your offerings." Why did God hate the way they were "doing church"? Because their lives (their walk) did not match their talk. He wanted changed hearts and lives and not just someone going through the motions. Isaiah 58 - God again talks about people who do what they want, whenever they want and then "worship" God "acting" as if they are fair and honest people while the truth is they are unfair, selfish, dishonest, etc.—all things God hates. And God says, "You cannot do these things as you do now and believe your prayers are heard in heaven." This is not what I want. "This is not the way I want people to be sorry for what they have done... I will tell you what I want."

• Free the people you have put in chains
• Be fair
• Be generous
• Be kind
• Stop making trouble
• Stop accusing

THEN—I will accept your offerings and hear you prayers. In Jeremiah 7:1–28 - God tells Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the temple to preach this message: You come through these gates to worship the LORD, but this is what I want, "Change your lives and do what is right... you must change your lives and do what is right." Be fair. Treat others right. Obedience is more that bringing me a sacrifice or an offering. I didn't only give commands about offerings and sacrifices. "I also gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Do all that I command so that good things will happen to you." Obedience is what is important—NOT offerings.

Ezekiel talks about it. Hosea talks about it. Hosea 6:8 - "I want faithful love more that I want animal sacrifices. I want people to know me more than I want burnt offerings." Amos 5 - The LORD calls Israel to repentance. Come to me! Come to me! "You turn justice upside down, and you throw on the ground what is right." You hate truth, you take money to do wrong, and you don't care about justice. And God says, "I completely hate your feasts; I cannot stand your religious meetings. If you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I won't accept them."

There are many, many more references to what God wants recorded by the prophets. He doesn't want our offerings while we continue to pursue our own selfish desires. He wants changed hearts and lives.

I believe Matthew 5:23–24 is a continuation of God's message to His people through the prophets and now through Jesus. Don't bring me an offering while at the same time you are hurting, cheating, stealing, or are in any way trying to harm your brother and sister, because I don't want it, and I won't accept it. Change your hearts and lives; go to them; make it right; and then come and offer your gift.


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 12, 2012

The importance of the Law. Many Christians today want to ignore the Old Testament and focus only on the love and grace of Jesus. But Jesus in His own words said, "Don't think that I have come to destroy the law of Moses (see Exodus 19–24) or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to bring about what they said. I tell you the truth, nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone." (Matthew 5:17–18)

A thorough understanding of the Old Testament is necessary to understand Jesus' ministry and the New Testament. Jesus goes on, "Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other people not to obey that command will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the commands and teachers other people to obey them will be great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19)

The responsibility we carry for ourselves and others is great. It is not enough to know truth. We must live truth! It is not enough to read the Bible, lead a Bible study, and sing worship songs if we do not live what we are reading, teaching, or singing. In Jesus' own words, "I tell you if you are no more obedient that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5:20)

It is not enough to know the Word!  You must obey and do the Word. You can't "fake it" until you "make it"—because you won't make it!

So, Jesus' message so far is:

• Change your heart and lives
• This is what a changed life looks like
• This is what a changed life produces
• Be real. Know and do every command (Old Testament and New Testament)

Jesus continues on and teaches about anger. We are to do more than just follow the letter of the law. We are to follow the intent of the law. When the law says do not murder anyone or you will be judged, it means much more than just the actual act of murder. When you are angry, when you hate, when you accuse or talk bad about others, you may have not broken the letter of the law, but you have broken the intent of the law—and you are guilty and you will be judged. We should all be living as Christ-like as possible, not living as close to the world as possible and yet still make it into heaven. A truly changed heart and life WILL produce what Jesus describes and WILL NOT want to do as little as possible to get by while keeping "self" as their god.

A changed heart and life includes a "new way of thinking." (Ezekiel 18:31)


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

March 09, 2012

Jesus continues to teach:

• Change your hearts and lives
• This is what your changed lives should look like
• This what your changed life should produce

We should be like salt and light. Our changed lived should impact others around us. Be saved—then save. Matthew 5:13 - "You are the salt of the earth." If we have lost our salty taste, then we can no longer be fulfilling our purpose and we can no longer be producing. Our testimony is gone. "It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and walked on." Thrown out, and walked on. What strong words. Value—gone. Usefulness—gone. Purpose—gone. Productivity—gone.

Not only are we to be the salt, we are to be the light. Matthew 5:14 - "You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden." Our testimony cannot be missed. It is obvious to all those around us. It is not hidden. We are not ashamed. Matthew 5:15–16 - "And people don't hide (it) under a bowl. They put it on a lamp stand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven."

LIVE! Live it!  Don't just have the head knowledge. Don't just say the right words. LIVE IT! Make sure your walk matches your talk. Be saved—then save. Produce other followers. Don't seek your own gain. LIVE so it points others to God and not yourself. "Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven."

We are to be God's expression to a lost world. Be salt. Be light. Live it!


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

Matthew 5:1–48

March 07 and 08, 2012

When Jesus began his teaching in Matthew 4, His first words were: "Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near." Now in chapters 5–7, Jesus explains what He means; what changing your hearts and lives looks like; what the kingdom of heaven is like; and what He expects from us.  (Paraphrased)

• I want you to recognize that you have great spiritual needs. When you recognize that, it means you are no longer self-sufficient but instead are God-reliant—and the kingdom of heaven belongs to you.  
• I want you to understand that your self-sufficiency cannot bring you happiness. In fact, one way I can get your attention is for things to happen to you that you cannot fix. For when that happens you will turn to me—and I will comfort you and bring you happiness.
• I want you to empty yourself of "self." I want you to be humble. When you are empty I can fill you and you will be happy and the earth will be yours—not because of who you are but because of whose you are.  
• I want you to hunger and thirst for what is right. In all you do, I want honesty, fairness, and trustworthiness to be your highest goal—no matter what. When you do that, I will be the one who fully satisfies all your needs. Do what is right and wait for me—I will bring you satisfaction.
• I want you to show mercy to others. Don't take revenge. I am the one who avenges! When you set your "rights" aside and show mercy to others—I will show mercy to you.
• I want you to have pure motives and thinking. For when your heart is pure your actions will be pure as well—and my presence will be with you.
• I want you to be someone who works to bring about peace not someone who stirs up strife.  When you do this, not only will you know me—I will know you as my children.
• I want you to continue to do what is good and right, even if it means people treat you badly for doing what pleases me. I know. I see. When you put yourself in the line of fire to faithfully follow me—you will be rewarded. The kingdom of heaven belongs to you.

"People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be happy. Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you." Matthew 5:11–12

The secret of happiness? Simple, and yet the most difficult thing. You have to empty yourself of—SELF. You have to understand and accept the

God

↓

 Man

relationship. Surrendering your ALL to Him so it becomes HIS will, HIS plan, HIS purpose, HIS... only HIS. YOUR will be done, I surrender ALL! THEN God blesses and God provides. 


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)

Matthew 4:1–25 (Continued)

March 05, 2012

The temptation/desert time for Jesus was over—and His ministry began. He first went to Galilee which fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1–2. Then He began to preach. His first message was the same as the prophets in the Old Testament. "Change you hearts and lives" the kingdom of heaven is near. Change! The message is the same as Ezekiel 18:30–32. We must ALL change our hearts and lives, and get a new way of thinking. Someday I want to do a study on all the "change your hearts" in the Bible. It cannot be just an outward surface change. No, it has to be a change of heart and mind, a new way of thinking and a new way of living. That only happens with a heart change.

It is significant that the very first words Jesus spoke in his ministry was the same message as the prophets in the Old Testament. Jesus started with what was most important. Matthew 4:17 - "Change your hearts and lives because the kingdom of heaven is near."

Jesus began to choose His followers. He said to Simon Peter and Andrew, "Come follow me," and they immediately left their nets and followed Him. They were fishermen, but now they were to be fishers-of-men. Then Jesus called James and John, "Come follow me," and they immediately left what they were doing and followed Him.

When Jesus calls it requires a response, and the response should be immediate. Jesus went throughout Galilee preaching the "Good News" about the kingdom of heaven. The "Good News" requires a change of heart and mind. He healed diseases and sicknesses, and the news of Jesus spread. Soon many people were following Him.

Why did so many people follow Him? Were they following Him for what He could do for them? Or, were they following Him because of who He was? Why do we follow Him? Are we following Him for the right reason?


Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48

Matthew 4:1–25 (Continued)

March 02, 2012

More observations:

• If Jesus used Scripture to combat the devil's lies, how much more should we use the same method. This means we have to KNOW scripture in order to be able to use it.
• Jesus was not being disciplined while He was in the desert. He was specifically led there by the Spirit. It is a mistake to think all trials we face are for discipline purposes. We need to be able to discern what God is desiring to teach us.  
• Jesus was being prepared. "Sometimes God has to work in us in order to work through us." (A quote from one of our pastors.) Before Jesus' ministry began He went through the desert and was victorious over temptation.
• Jesus had everything He needed to defeat the devil's temptation. Through Jesus we have everything we need to be able to stand up and stand firm, no matter what attack Satan may try to use against us. We are not powerless. There is no such thing as "the devil made me do it." We are not victims.
• Every one of Jesus' response affirmed submission to God.  

Our biggest enemy is SELF. We must understand and submit to the

God

↓

Man

principle. In ALL things, at ALL times, in ALL places—whether in a desert experience or on the mountaintop. Because of SELF, sometimes the mountain tops are more dangerous than the deserts.

Jesus told the devil to go away—and he left. Immediately the angels came and took care of Jesus. When we deny SELF and stand firm upon God's Word, we can be free of the effects of Satan's attacks and we can rest, literally rest, in God's protection and promises.  


Next Entry: Matthew 4:1–25 (Continued)

Matthew 4:1–25

February 29, 2012

Jesus is baptized. The Holy Spirit descends upon Him from heaven. God the Father says in an audible voice: "This is my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with him."

Was there a celebration to mark the occasion? Matthew 4 tells us what happened next. THEN! "Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil." He didn't "find" himself in this situation, He was led into it by the Spirit himself. For forty days and nights Jesus ate nothing. All alone. Hungry. Miserable. Vulnerable. And then, at His weakest point, the devil attacks by tempting Him to assume God the Father's position by using scripture. "If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread." "IF." The devil was trying to create doubt. Trying to get Jesus to leave His man/servant role. Trying to get Jesus to focus on the "here and now" and not the eternal. Trying to manipulate the situation (tired, hungry, alone, vulnerable) for his own power and control. And Jesus answers him by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 - "A person does not live by eating only bread, but by everything God says."

The devil of course never stops with just one try, so he tries another approach. This time the devil takes him to the Temple, the very place God designed as a place for His people to go for forgiveness of sin and worship. And the devil takes Him there, to this holiest of holy places, and says to Him (quoting Psalm 91:11–12), "If you are the Son of God, jump down, because it is written in scripture: 'He has put his angels in charge of you. They will catch you in their hands so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.' " Again using the word "IF" and trying to cast doubt. Once again trying to get Jesus to leave His man/servant role by trying to get Jesus to focus on the "moment" instead of the eternal. As part of the Trinity, He was standing at the very place meant to honor Him. But that wasn't His role now. His role was to be obedient to the Father so His life would replace the Temple and He would become the Salvation—the Christ—for mankind.

Jesus answered the devil by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 - "Do not test the Lord your God."

The devil tries a third time. He took Jesus to the top of a high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of the world and all their splendor. The devil, the usurping prince of this world, offered to "give" Jesus what was rightfully His if He would accept it right then from him instead of waiting to receive it from God. Jesus replied by quoting Deuteronomy 6:13 - "Go away from me Satan!  It is written in Scriptures, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' "  

When Jesus commanded the devil to leave—he left—and then angels came and took care of Jesus.

A couple of observations:

• The devil's tactic to try and get Jesus as God/man to be self-sufficient instead of God-reliant is the #1 issue in all of our lives. The #1 issue is putting SELF before God, which is breaking commandments #1 and #2—PRIDE. He didn't choose some random temptation. He chose the very things that will trip every single one of us up if we don't respond the same way Jesus responded.
• The devil also appealed to SELF when he promised Jesus immediate satisfaction. How many times do we want to act immediately instead of waiting on the Lord?

Next Entry: Matthew 4:1–25 (Continued)