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COME BACK FOR A NEW POST OF GEMS FROM THE GOSPEL TOMORROW AFTERNOON! WE ARE PUSHING THROUGH BUT HAVE BOTH BEEN NOT FEELING UP TO PAR THIS WEEK. 

Gems from the Gospels: Mark 9 – Luke 4

Gems from the Gospels

Mark 9 – Luke 4

Mark 9 & 10 – Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain where His appearance changed before their eyes. The glory of God shone through Him and His clothes were white as lightening. He spoke with Elijah and Moses, and Peter wanted to BE A SERVANT by building three shelters for them to stay awhile, but he was not on the same wavelength as the Lord. At that moment, a bright cloud enveloped them, and God said, “This is my Son, whom I love, Listen to Him!” Only Jesus was there when they had their wits about them again, and He told them to tell no one until He rose from the dead. Jesus was going to SERVE us by dying in our place. Jesus explained that John the Baptist had come in the spirit of Elijah as foretold by the prophets. A man had brought his demon possessed son to the disciples, but they could not help him. Jesus SERVED the man and his son by freeing the boy of the demon. The disciples quarreled about which of them was the most important. Jesus explained that in His Kingdom, the first would be last and the last first. He told them that to be a leader meant to BE A SERVANT of all. He taught that following Him required child-like faith. Children trust freely and completely, jumping into their daddies’ arms with no reservations. Jesus told the rich young man to not only follow the commandments but to sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man went away sad. We are to SERVE Him by serving the poor. When Peter pointed out the disciples had left everything, Jesus assured them of eternal rewards as well as peace in this life. Jesus continued to tell the disciples about His upcoming death, burial, and resurrection, but it seemed to go “whoosh” over their heads. James and John wanted to sit at Jesus’s right and left in His Kingdom, but that was only the Father’s to grant. He told all the disciples that he who wants to be first must be the SERVANT of all because He, Himself, came not to be served, but to serve. This passage ended with Jesus SERVING Bartimaeus by healing his blindness completely. Jesus constantly served others. BE A SERVANT!

Mark 11 & 12 – Jesus sent two disciples to borrow a donkey colt for Him to ride into Jerusalem. The owners willingly OFFERED it as soon as they were told Jesus needed it. The disciples GAVE their coats to use as a blanket on its back, and the people OFFERED clothing and branches to smooth out the path for Jesus to ride on. The crowds OFFERED shouts of praise and recognition that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus cursed a barren fig tree, and by the next day it shriveled up completely! He told His disciples they, too, would receive what they asked when they prayed without doubting. Jesus cleared the merchants and money changers out of the temple, reminding everyone that the temple was supposed to be a house of prayer, a place for people to OFFER prayer, praise, and sacrifice to God. The chief priests and scribes asked Jesus who gave Him the authority to teach in this way. He said He would answer them if they would answer the question of where John the Baptist received authority to baptize. They could not answer, so He did not answer them. Jesus told a parable of a man whose tenants would not give him the share of grapes agreed upon from his vineyard. They killed some of his servants and eventual killed his own son. The Pharisees recognized themselves as the tenants, the prophets as the servants, and maybe even Jesus as the Son, and were greatly offended. They kept trying to trick Him. They asked about paying taxes. Jesus answered the famous, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” Sadducees asked him a question concerning levirate marriage and whose wife a woman would be in heaven if she married seven brothers but never had a child. Jesus explained that there is no marriage in Heaven. When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5 that it is to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and said that the second greatest was to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). This passage ended with Jesus watching the people bringing their offerings. Many people gave large amounts, but He praised a widow who gave a tiny amount that represented all she had. Jesus set aside the glory He deserved in Heaven, to be born as a baby on earth. He gave His all by dying on the cross for us. It should be a pleasure to GIVE YOUR OFFERING!

Mark 13 & 14 - Jesus prophesied that the temple would be completely destroyed, and the disciples asked Him what sign would there be that this was about to happen. Jesus warned them not to be fooled by false Messiahs. He said that wars, earthquakes, and famines were only the beginning of birth pains of the millennial reign. Jesus prepared them for the fact that they would be persecuted and on trial before sanhedrins, governors, and kings. He told them not to worry about what to say when this happened because the Holy Spirit would give them the words they needed. Everyone would hate followers of Jesus but they would be enabled to STAND TOUGH, to persevere. He told them of the great tribulation. There would be false messiahs and prophets performing signs and wonders, trying to lead people astray. The sun and moon would no longer provide light, the stars would fall, and the heavens be shaken (Isaiah 13:10, 34:4). There will be no mistaking the second coming of the Messiah because He will come on the clouds in great power and glory to gather the chosen. He told the disciples to stay alert because no one knows the day or hour of His coming. He was dining in the home of Simon, a man who had been cured of leprosy, when a woman came in and anointed Jesus by pouring pure oil of nard on His head. Some were giving her a rough time, saying she could have sold it for a year’s wages and given to the poor. But Jesus praised her for anointing Him for burial ahead of time, and declared that her act of kindness would be remembered everywhere the Gospel was preached. Judas Iscariot went to chief priests and volunteered to betray Jesus for money. Jesus sent two disciples to prepare the Seder, the Passover meal. That evening Jesus and the twelve were reclining at the table when He announced that one of the would betray Him and that it would be the one dipping bread in the dish with Him. That was Judas, but no one seemed to catch on to that fact. Jesus instituted what we call communion or Lord’s Supper when He said the unleavened bread, the matzah, represented His body, and wine represented His blood of the New Covenant, shed on behalf of many people. Then they sang a hymn and went to the mount of Olives, a place they went to pray. Jesus warned that they would soon scatter and deny him. Peter said he would never lose faith, but Jesus told him that he would deny Him 3 times before the rooster crowed twice. They went to Gethsemane. Jesus took Peter, James, and John a little farther into the garden. Telling them He was so sad He could die, Jesus instructed them to watch and stay awake. Three times Jesus fell to the ground and prayed, “Lord, take this cup from Me. Not my will, but your will be done.” In between times he found the three disciples sleeping. Jesus told them, “The Spirit is eager, but human nature is weak” (CJB).  Judas brought a crowd carrying swords and clubs. He betrayed Jesus by greeting Him with a kiss on the cheek. As Jesus was arrested, the disciples scattered as he had foretold. Peter followed at a distance and finally sat down by the fire outside the Chief Priest’s house. The Sanhedrin couldn’t find real evidence to put Jesus to death. They called on people to give false testimony but their stories didn’t jive. Finally, Caiaphas asked Jesus point blank if he was the “Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus replied, “I AM,” using the name God gave when Moses asked whom he should say had sent him. The High Priest tore his clothes and cried, “Blasphemy!” The Sanhedrin declared Jesus guilty and subject to the death penalty. They proceeded to beat and mock him. Meanwhile, back in the courtyard by the fire. People accused Peter three times of being one of Jesus’s disciples. Three times he denied it even pronouncing a curse on himself the third time. At the moment, the rooster crowed, and Peter threw himself down and sobbed. Peter immediately felt shame when He did not stand for Jesus. We have something Peter did not have yet at that time, the indwelling Holy Spirit. Internalize and apply Ephesians 6:10-18 and STAND TOUGH!

Mark 15 & 16 – The Chief Priests, scribes, and elders handed Jesus over to Pilate in chains because under Roman rule, they did not have the authority to execute a prisoner themselves. Otherwise, Jesus would have probably been stoned to death rather than dying on the cross as prophesied. Jesus was silent and did not respond to their charges. Pilate had a custom of releasing one prisoner during the Passover festivities. He gave them a choice between a murderer and insurrection leader named Barabbas and Jesus Christ. The priests urged the crowd to demand Barabbas. Pilate asked, “What should I do with Jesus?” The crowd shouted, “Crucify him!” He had Jesus flogged and sent Him to be crucified. Pilate CONSIDERED the fact that Jesus was innocent yet took the easy way out and appeased the Jews. The Roman soldiers dressed Jesus in a purple robe and smashed a crown made of thorns on His head. They spat on Him, hit Him, and knelt in mock worship. Then they led Him to be crucified. They forced Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross beam to Golgotha (place of the skull). They offered Jesus wine spiced with myrrh to dull the pain which He refused. Then they nailed Him to the cross at about 9:00 a.m. The soldiers gambled for His clothing as people were crucified naked. Two robbers were crucified beside Jesus. Passers by and even the head priests and scribes mocked and taunted Him. From noon until 3:00 p.m. there was darkness. At 3:00 p.m., Jesus cried out “My God! My God! Why have You deserted me?” (Psalm 22:1-2). Soon after that Jesus cried out and gave up His spirit. At that moment the veil in the temple was torn apart from top to bottom. One of the Roman officers declared, “This man really was a son of God!” This man CONSIDERED the facts before his eyes, but we do not know if he chose to believe because of it. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James, and other women followers were there. Joseph of Arimathea, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin begged Pilate for Jesus’s body.  He wrapped Jesus in linen and laid Him in his own new tomb. Mary Magdalene and the other women saw where he laid Him. At dawn on Sunday, Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James took spices to anoint Jesus’s body. When they arrived, the massive stone had already been rolled away. An angel explained that Jesus had risen and was not there. He instructed them to tell the disciples, especially Peter, that Jesus would be waiting for them in Galilee. On their way to do so, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. When she told the disciples that Jesus was alive, they wouldn’t believe it. They did not CONSIDER the times Jesus had told them He would rise from the dead. Jesus appeared to two other followers as they were walking in the country. They also told the disciples but were not believed because the disciples were still not CONSIDERING and remembering that Jesus had foretold His death, burial AND resurrection. When Jesus appeared to the Eleven, He reproached them for not believing Mary Magdalene and the other two followers. He instructed them to proclaim the Good News throughout the world. The Eleven continued preaching and were enabled to perform miracles. CONSIDER HIM and base your actions on all He has done for you.

Luke 1 – The angel Gabriel appears to a priest named Zechariah, a righteous man whose wife Elizabeth was barren, as he burned incense in the temple. He told Zechariah that his wife, now beyond the age of childbearing, would bear a son, he was to name him John, and he would be great in God’s sight, filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mother’s womb. Zechariah as SURPRISED and questioned the veracity of the angel’s prophecy. Gabriel told him because he did not believe him, Zechariah would be unable to speak until it was fulfilled. Soon after Zechariah went home, Elizabeth was pregnant. We are not told whether or not Elizabeth was surprised, but she immediately gave praise to God for lifting her disgrace of barrenness. Meanwhile, Gabriel moved on to Nazareth and told Mary, a virgin espoused to Joseph, that she would have a son and name Him Jesus. Mary asked how this would happen since she was a virgin. Gabriel told her the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and her baby would be called the Son of God. He told about Elizabeth’s late life pregnancy as well. Mary was SURPRISED by the angel’s prophecy but responded in humility and submissive faith, “I am the servant of the Lord, may it be done according to your word.” Mary traveled to Zechariah’s house to visit her relative, Elizabeth. As Mary greeted her, Elizabeth’s baby jumped for joy in her womb. Elizabeth demonstrated her faith by blessing Mary and addressing her as “the mother of my Lord.” The Holy Spirit had revealed to Elizabeth that Mary was pregnant with the Messiah, and Elizabeth believed. Mary burst forth with what is known as the Magnificat. She spoke of the elevation of the humble, care for the poor, and fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, quoting 1 Samuel 1:11, 2:1, Psalm 103:17, and Psalm 111;19. Mary went home after three months. When Elizabeth and Zechariah held the circumcision and naming ceremony for their 8- day-old baby, she told everyone his name was John. Their friends protested that there was no one in their family named John. The people were SURPRISED by this choice of name and asked Zechariah to confirm his wife’s choice. Zechariah wrote “His name is John.” Immediately, his ability to speak returned and he uttered a praise song and prophecy. He spoke of the Messiah in terms of already being on the scene (he, too, knew that Mary’s baby was the One), and he prophesied concerning his own son, John, preparing the way for the Messiah. John grew strong in body and spirit and lived in the desert until his ministry began. DON’T BE SURPRISED when the Lord moved in mysterious ways in your own life. Respond in faith and obedience.

Luke 2 – Because Caesar Augustus decreed a census to be taken, Mary and Joseph had to make an arduous journey to his family home in Bethlehem even those Mary was close to her delivery day. There was no room in the inn, so Jesus was born in a stable, wrapped in strips of cloth, and laid in a feeding troth with fresh hay as His bed. Susan noted that his was the perfect birthplace for the Passover Lamb, and we saw a video online explaining that the shepherds did take the ewes into nearby caves to give birth. Speaking of shepherds . . . there were shepherds nearby staying with their sheep out on the fields. Suddenly the shekinah glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with terror. An angel told them not to be afraid because he came to give them good news. The Savior was born in the city of David (Bethlehem) and they would recognize Him by the fact that he was lying in a manger wrapped in strips of cloth. Then there was a huge army of angels praising God. God had granted simple shepherds His FAVOR in making them among the first to hear the Good News. After the angels went back into Heaven, the shepherds WISELY rushed off to Bethlehem to see this newborn Messiah. They found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus just as the angel had described them. They went about spreading the Good News to the amazement of their listeners and glorified God as they went back to their sheep. Mary mulled all these events over in her heart. She may have been remembering the greeting from Gabriel, “Hail, thou that are highly FAVORED . . .” When Jesus was eight days old, He was circumcised and officially named according to what the angel had instructed Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph took the baby with them to the temple to offer the sacrifices for Mary’s purification and to redeem Jesus as the firstborn son. There was an elderly man named Simeon to whom God had promised he would see the Messiah before he died. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon WISELY obeyed and went into the temple courts and saw Jesus and His parents. He took the baby in his arms and praised God for giving him the peace to die, recognizing that he was FAVORED to see the “consolation of Israel.” He spoke prophecy over Jesus and warned Mary that a sword would pierce her own heart. Then entered Anna, a prophetess also well on in years. She praised God when she recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and went about spreading the Good News. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus returned to Nazareth, When Jesus was twelve, His parents took Him to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. On the caravan home, they realized Jesus was not with them. After searching for Him, they returned to Jerusalem to find Him sitting among the teachers in the Temple, listening and asking questions. Mary told Him they had been worried, to which He replied that they should have known he would be concerning Himself with His Father’s affairs. Mary and Joseph did not understand. Jesus went home with them and was obedient to His parents. Mary continued to store up all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in WISDOM and stature, gaining FAVOR with other people and with God. In James 1:5, we are told to ask God for WISDOM. We are to seek God, to desire His WISDOM AND FAVOR.

Luke 3 & 4 – Luke sets the timeframe by telling that it was the 15^th year of Emperor Tiberius’ reign, Pontius Pilate was governor, and Herod the Tetrarch was ruler of Galilee. He set the religious tone of the time by pointing out that Annas and Caiaphas were the High Priests. This was God’s appointed time for John the Baptist to begin his ministry. He baptized people as a sign that they were turning away from sin and to God. GOD WAS WORKING through John the Baptist to prepare way for the Lord as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3-5. He called the religious leaders vipers. He told the crowds to produce fruit that proved they had turned from their sin and warned that every tree that does not produce fruit would be thrown into the fire. The people asked, “What shall we do?” GOD WAS WORKING in the people, giving them the desire to turn to Him. John told them to share with those in need. He told tax collectors to collect only what the government assessed and soldiers to cease intimidation and false accusations and be content with their pay. They were asking if John could be the Messiah, but he set them straight by say there was One greater than him to come who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Fire purifies, and only God can bring purification. Jesus was baptized by John as an example to others. As Jesus came up from the water and prayed, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove and God spoke from Heaven saying, “You are my Son, whom I love, I am well pleased with you.” Jesus was thirty years old when He began His ministry. Next Luke listed the Genealogy of Jesus proving Him to be a descendant of David and tracing it all the way back to Adam, the first man. God, in His mercy, sent the God-Man, Jesus, to atone for the sin that began with the first man, Adam. GOD WAS WORKING throughout history until “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4) He sent Jesus to earth. The Holy Spirit let Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. He fasted for 40 days and nights. Each time Satan tempted Him, Jesus answered with scripture from Deuteronomy. GOD WAS AND IS WORKING through His word to help His children combat temptation. The temptations and Jesus’s replies:

1.        Turn stone to bread – “Man does not live by bread alone.” (Deut. 8:3)

2.        Worship Satan to gain power and riches of the entire world – “Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” (Deut. 6:13-14)

3.        Cast yourself down and let the angels catch you – “Do not put the Lord your God to the Test.” (Deut. 6:16)

Jesus went back to Galilee and was a respected teacher in their synagogues. He spoke in Nazareth where He grew up and read Isaiah 61:1-2 and Isaiah 58:6 as the reading from the Prophets one Sabbath in the synagogue. This was an honor for a special guest. Jesus sat down to teach and announced that this prophecy had been fulfilled while they were listening. The congregation wondered at the fact that this was Joseph the carpenter’s son. Jesus told them they would say, “Doctor cure yourself” and demand that He do miracles. He said that no prophet is accepted in his home town. He recounted two instances where the prophets Elijah and Elisha were sent to Gentiles rather than the Jews. The people did not like the implication that He would minister to Gentiles instead of them and tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. However, He miraculously walked right through them unscathed. GOD WAS WORKING to protect Jesus until the time He had ordained for Him to die. Jesus went on to teach with authority in Capernaum. He cast a demon out of a man in the synagogue and the people were amazed that He could command demons, and they obeyed Him. When Jesus returned from the synagogue, He found Peter’s mother-in-love sick with a high fever. He stood over her and commanded the fever to leave her. She was instantly completely well, and able to serve Him as her guest. After sunset, the end of the Sabbath, people brought many sick and demon possessed people to be healed by Jesus. GOD WAS WORKING by demonstrating His authority that people might have trust in Jesus.  He always hushed the demons to prevent them from revealing His full identity. Jesus went out to a lonely place to spend time alone with the Father, but the crowd found Him and begged Him to stay in Capernaum. Jesus told them he must announce the Good News of the Kingdom in other towns. GOD IS STILL WORKING today. Be alert and watch for the ways GOD IS WORKING in and through you. Surrender yourself to be an instrument in His hands. 

Gems from the Gospels

Susie was off yesterday due to her aunt's funeral. We hope to have Gems from the Gospels up by tonight.

Gems from the Gospels - Matthew 25 – Mark 8

Gems from the Gospels

Matthew 25 – Mark 8

Matthew 25 & 26 – Chapter 25 begins with the parable of the ten bridesmaids waiting for the procession of the Bridegroom. It was getting dark, and all ten of them carried lamps. Only five were wise enough to take extra oil to fuel their lamps. They all fell asleep waiting. When the announcement came that the Bridegroom was near, the wise ones trimmed the wicks, put new oil in their lamps, lit them and headed out to meet Him. The foolish ones begged for them to loan them some oil, but there wasn’t enough for all of them. Needless to say, the foolish ones were late to the wedding celebration and were not allowed in. Jesus is the Bridegroom and we need to BE PREPARED at all times because we do not know when He will come. We read the parable of the talents wherein the two wise servants doubled their master’s money, but the foolish one buried it out of fear of the master and probably plain, old laziness. The two were rewarded and the foolish servant thrown out. Part of BEING PREPARED is utilizing the resources and skills God has given us for His glory, to multiply His Kingdom. Next, Jesus told the people when He sits on His glorious throne, He will divide us like a shepherd separates the goats from the sheep. The sheep—believers— will be praised for providing for Jesus because each time they did an act of kindness in His name they were doing it for Him. The goats—those who reject the Gospel—will be sent to eternal punishment. BE PREPARED to minister in Jesus’s name, remembering that when you do it for “the least of these,” you are serving Him. In Matthew 26, Jesus was anointed by a woman with expensive perfumed oil while dining at Simon the Leper’s house. He stated that her story would be told wherever the Gospel was proclaimed, and it has been for centuries. She was PREPARED to honor her Savior. Jesus shared the Passover meal with His 12 closest disciples and dropped the bomb that one of them would betray him. He gave them a sign that went whoosh over their heads that the one who dipped his matzah in the bowl with Jesus was the one. As we know, that was Judas. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper or communion when He explained that the bread represented His body and the wine His blood. Peter was confident he would never deny the Lord, but Jesus predicted he would do that very thing 3 times before dawn. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’s three closest friends—Peter, James, and John—fell asleep while He agonized in prayer, surrendering to the will of the Father. Judas betrayed Him with a kiss, and Jesus was arrested like a common criminal. His disciples scattered in fear. Peter did, indeed, deny Him three times. Peter thought he was prepared to face death, but his flesh was weak. Of course, we know that later on, after the resurrection, Peter would become a bold witness and eventually a martyr for Jesus.

BE PREPARED!

Matthew 27 & 28 – The chief priests and elders held a mockery of a trial. Then they took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor, because they did not have the authority to execute anyone while under Roman rule. Meanwhile, Judas had tried to return the money they paid him for the betrayal, and he threw it at their feet. They used it to buy a field to bury foreigners. Judas, overcome with guilt (but not repentance), hanged himself. Pilate found no fault in Jesus, certainly nothing worthy of death. But he succumbed to the crowd who had been worked into a frenzy by the Jewish religious leaders. Pilate sentenced Jesus to death despite a warning from his wife to have nothing to do with it. He symbolically washed his hands of the guilt. The Jewish leaders said, “His blood is on us and our children.” Barabbas, the murderer, was freed. Jesus was brutally flogged and led away to be crucified. Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry His cross. Jesus was mocked by the crowd, the Jewish leaders, and even one of the thieves crucified beside Him. After He died, one of His covert followers, Joseph of Arimathea, was granted His body and laid Jesus in his own new tomb. The women followed to see where He was laid. Early Sunday morning, some of the women went to the tomb, felt an earthquake, and encountered an angel sitting on the stone that had been in front of the entrance. He told them Jesus was alive. The Jews paid the soldiers to say they fell asleep and Jesus’s followers stole the body. But the women encountered the risen Jesus who told them to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee. When Jesus met with the disciples, He gave them what men have called “The Great Commission.” We really liked the translation of it in the Complete Jewish Study Bible:

Matthew 27:18-20 (CJB) All authority in heaven and on the Earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmadim (disciples), immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son, and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And Remember! I will be with you always, yes, even unto the end of the age.

GO AND TELL that CHRIST IS ALIVE!

Mark 1 – John the Baptist proclaimed that the King of Heaven was near and baptized people who confessed and repented of their sins. Jesus was baptized as an example to others. When He came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and the Father’s voice proclaimed, “You are my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with you.” Immediately after His baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, fasted for 40 days, and was tempted by Satan. Angels cared for Him. Jesus began preaching about the Kingdom of God. His main message was the need to repent and believe. Jesus began calling His disciples to follow Him as their Rabbi (Teacher). They IMMEDIATELY left what they were doing and followed. Jesus taught with authority in Capernaum and cast out a demon. The people were amazed and spread news of Him everywhere. Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law and she was immediately invigorated enough to serve Him as hostess. He continued healing sicknesses and casting out demons, moving on to other villages as well. He healed a man with leprosy and sent him to the priests to give the proper offering and be declared “clean.” When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He RESISTED the devil by quoting scripture. Hiding God’s word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) gives us our own arsenal to RESIST SATAN!

Mark 2 – Back in Capernaum such a large crowd gathered to hear Jesus that there was no room left. Susan pointed out that today this would be a violation of the fire code! Four men lowered a paralyzed friend through the roof in order to place him in front of Jesus. Jesus saw their faith and told the man his sins were forgiven. Jewish teachers in the crowd were thinking to themselves that this was blasphemy because only God can forgive sins. To prove He had the authority to forgive sins, Jesus told the man to get up, take his mat, and go home. The man did just that! The amazed crowd exclaimed, “We’ve never seen anything like this!” Susan asked how I would react if she suddenly grew legs, got out of bed, and walked. I told her I would probably have a heart attack, but why should I? Jesus is still able to perform miracles if He so desires. Moving on . . . Jesus saw Levi (Matthew) collecting taxes and called him to follow Him. He shared a meal at Levi’s house and was accused of eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus explained that sick people need a doctor and He came to heal sinners. John the Baptists disciples and the Pharisees were fasting and asked Jesus why His disciples did not fast. He told them while the Bridegroom is present, no one fasts, but when he’s gone they will fast.  Again, the disciples came under criticism for gleaning a few heads of grain and eating them on the Sabbath. Jesus told the Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath rest was for man’s benefit, not to burden him. Matthew left his tax collector’s booth immediately. Peter, Andrew, James, and John left their nets and their boats at once when Jesus called. DO NOT HESITATE to go wherever Jesus leads you.

Mark 3 & 4 – Jesus did another no-no as far as the Pharisees were concerned. He healed a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath. He asked the rhetorical questions whether it was right to do good or evil on the Sabbath, to save life or destroy it? He was angry yet still had sympathy for the stony hearts of the Pharisees. However, the Pharisees and Herod’s henchmen began plotting how to get rid of Jesus. Jesus healed many by the Sea of Galilee and drove out demons who would fall at His feet screaming, “You are the Son of God!” But He hushed them up because as the Gospel of John repeatedly says, “His time had not yet come.” He sent out His 12 closest disciples with the authority to expel demons. Jesus was in a house, and the crowd was so large they couldn’t even eat. His family heard and tried to take custody of Him saying, “He’s out of His mind.” Jewish leaders accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus asked, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” and explained that a house divided against itself will not stand. Jesus’s mother and brothers sent a message for Him to come out to them. He told the messenger and those who were listening to Him, “Whoever does what God wants is my brother, sister, and mother.” In Mark chapter four, Jesus told the parable of the farmer who sowed seed on various types of ground:

• ·  Alongside path – people who hear the message but Satan immediately snatches it
• ·      Rocky soil – people with no root who fall away under persecution
• ·      Among thorns – receive the message gladly but it is choked out by worries of the world, quest for riches, and selfish desires
• · Rich soil – those who hear, accept the message, and bear fruit

Jesus gave them an illustration that a lamp is put up on a lampstand, not under a bushel or the bed. We are to BE LIGHT for everyone around us, not just bask in the light of Jesus for ourselves. The kingdom of God multiplies exponentially like the tiny mustard seed makes a large plant. Our small LIGHT shines brightly like a small candle in a dark room and is multiplied by the power of the Holy Spirit. We do not hold a light—we ARE the light. BE LIGHT!

Mark 5 & 6 – In the region of the Gerasenes (Gadarenes), Jesus cast a legion of demons out of a violent man. He allowed them to enter into a herd of pigs who subsequently jumped into the lake committing Hoggerside or is it Sowerside? They killed themselves. Jesus’s power frightened the people and they asked Him to leave. Most of the time Jesus told people he healed not to tell anyone, but He told the formerly demon possessed man to spread the news. Jesus SAW the demon possessed man and freed him from the grip of Legion. While Jesus was on the way to heal a synagogue official’s daughter, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years touched the tassel on His prayer shawl and was immediately healed. He told her that her faith had healed her. Jesus SAW the bleeding woman, healed her and granted her peace. The synagogue official’s family sent word that his daughter had died. Jesus told Jairus to “keep trusting,” and took Peter, James, and John with him to the man’s house. Jesus told the mourners the girl was merely asleep, and they jeered at Him. Jesus told the 12-year-old girl to get up, and she did. Jesus SAW the grieving heart of a father and raised his little girl from the dead. Jesus taught in the synagogue of His home-town, Nazareth. Even though the people thought His teaching was astounding, they couldn’t get over the fact that He had been their carpenter, the son of Mary, the boy next door. Jesus did not perform many miracles there and was amazed at their lack of trust. Next, He sent out the twelve with authority over demons telling them to take only a walking stick for the trip and to stay as guests in homes. If the people refused to hear their message, they were to shake the dust off their sandals as they left the town. They were learning to SEE THE PEOPLE. Then Mark gives the account of John the Baptist being beheaded because Herodias’s daughter danced and Herod foolishly promised her up to half his kingdom. Herodias told her to ask for John’s head and Herod decided to save face with his birthday dinner guests rather than to save John’s life. The twelve disciples returned and reported about their trip to Jesus. He suggested they withdraw with Him to a quiet place for some rest. However, a large crowd followed and Jesus had compassion on them because He saw them as sheep without a shepherd to care for them. Even when exhausted, Jesus SAW THE PEOPLE and had compassion for them. When it was getting late, the disciples suggested Jesus send the people away to buy their dinner. Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Jesus SAW HUNGY PEOPLE and fed them. Jesus sent the disciples ahead by boat to Bethsaida while He went up to the hills to pray. He saw that the wind was getting up, and the disciples were having a hard time rowing the boat. He walked out to them on the water and gave them a bad start! As He climbed aboard, the wind stopped. The disciples had not gotten the message of His power when He fed the crowd and were astonished that the wind obeyed Him. Jesus SAW the frightened disciples and encouraged them. Many people would simply touch the tassels on Jesus’s prayer shawl and be healed as He walked though towns. Jesus SAW the sick and healed them. Jesus consistently met the needs of people in His path. We are called to follow in His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21) and SEE THE PEOPLE.

Mark 7 & 8 – Disciples did not do the ceremonial hand washing before eating, and the Pharisees wanted to know why they did not honor tradition. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for elevating tradition above the Law by saying their assets were “korban” (gift to God), in order to avoid caring for their parents. Jesus explained that what goes in the mouth and to the stomach does not make a person unclean. What proceeds from the heart and out of the mouth can make a person unclean. Jesus tried to fly under the radar by going to the area of Tyre and Sidon. However, a Syro-phoenician woman followed Him, fell at His feet, and begged Him to cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus told her the children (Jews) had to be fed before the pet dogs (Gentiles). She calmly replied that even pet dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. Jesus granted her request. We can LEARN humility from this woman. In the area of the Ten Towns, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. The people were amazed that He could even make the deaf hear and the dumb speak. The disciples should have LEARNED that nothing is impossible with Jesus. In Mark 8, Jesus fed another hungry crowd of 4000 men plus women and children with only seven loaves and a few fish. The disciples should have LEARNED that Jesus could and would provide everything they needed. However, when Jesus warned them against the leaven (sin and evil) of the Pharisees they thought He was talking about bread! (Sometimes the twelve were absolute osmium heads!) At Bethsaida, Jesus healed a blind man who at first saw men “like trees walking.” Jesus touched him again, and he saw clearly. At Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked who people said He was. The disciples replied, “John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet of old.” When He asked who they said he was, Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus told the disciples of His impending persecution, arrest, death, and resurrection after three days. Peter rebuked Him. But Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan!” Peter was thinking in human terms and not according to God’s divine plan. Jesus told His disciples that in order to be His disciple, one must say “No” to himself, take up his cross, and follow. Those who seek to save their lives will lose them, but those who lose their lives for the sake of the Gospel will save their lives. In surrendering to Jesus, we are giving up our right to ourselves. The disciples walked closely with Jesus but often failed to see the spiritual significance of the things He did. We need to keep our minds focused on Jesus and LEARN FROM ALL our life’s experiences.

Gems from the Gospels - Matthew Chapters 11-24

Gems from the Gospels

Matthew Chapters 11-24

Matthew 11-12 Jesus explained that a house divided against itself would ultimately fall. He was explaining that He could not possibly be casting out demons by Satan’s power because Satan would be divided against himself. I have heard sermons on the unity of the church preached with this as a jumping off point, and that may be valid. What we saw today was that a person cannot be divided within himself/herself. As Elijah said to the Israelites:

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

James called this wavering between opinions being double-minded, tossing back and forth between faith and doubt, leading to instability.

James 1:6-8 (KJV) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:6-8 (VOICE) The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind. Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.

Trust completely in God and not your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). DON’T BE DIVIDED!

Matthew 13 & 14 – We read the parable of the seeds landing on different types of soil and its explanation. The soil is the heart condition of those who hear the gospel preached. Then we learned that a small amount of faith in Jesus can result in mighty things. We saw that there can be “tares among the wheat,” in other words evil ones impersonating Christians. Our focus was drawn to the parables concerning the value of the Kingdom of Heaven—the man who sold everything to buy a field with buried treasure and the one who gave all to buy the most valuable pearl. Susan noted, “Jesus gave up all to purchase our redemption. His Kingdom is worth giving our all—time, gifts, possessions, lives. It is all His, and the only righteous thing to do is to be a good steward of what belongs to Him.” WHAT’S IT WORTH?

Matthew 15 & 16 – These chapters included the fact that what comes out of our mouths is what makes us unclean because our hearts need to be cleansed (1 John 1:9). There was the account of a Canaanite woman who persisted, telling Jesus that even the pet dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Jesus healed her daughter of a demon and praised her faith. Jesus had compassion on those who had listened to Him teach for three days and feed 4000 men plus the women and children from seven loaves and a few fish. He is able to provide what we need. Jesus refused to give the Pharisees and Sadducees a sign except that of Jonah, alluding to His death and resurrection. Peter states that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; and Jesus tells him this was revealed to him by the Father. The disciples could not accept what Jesus told them about His impending death. He explained that those who follow Him must deny themselves and take up their own crosses. Follow the Father’s plan for us as Jesus did. We do not need to rely on our own abilities or the fulfillment of our own dreams. Jesus provides all we need, and God’s will is far superior to our own. HE IS ENOUGH!

Matthew 17 & 18 – Peter, James, and John were witnesses to the glory of God upon Jesus as He spoke with Elijah and Moses on a mountaintop. God spoke from a bright cloud confirming that Jesus was His Son whom He loved and who pleased Him. God commanded them to listen to Jesus. Jesus explained that John the Baptist had come in the spirit of Elijah to fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 3:1, 23-24. When they came down from the mountain, a man brought his son to Jesus to be healed of seizures. His disciples had not been able to heal him because of too little faith. There was a great fish story (LOL) of Jesus telling Peter to pay their temple tax from a coin in the mouth of the first fish he would catch! Childlike humility is necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told the parable of the Shepherd who left 99 sheep to find one who was lost. This reminded us of John chapter ten where Jesus calls Himself “The Good Shepherd.” The focus of the day was forgiveness as we read the instructions for confronting someone who has sinned against you and the parable of the unforgiving servant. The steps to reconciliation are:

1.       Confront the one who has wronged you privately, alone.

2.       If he doesn’t come around, take two to three witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15

3.       If he still cannot see his error, involve the congregation.

How much better might relationships be if we followed this pattern? The unforgiving servant was forgiven a huge debt by his master only to turn around and have a fellow servant thrown into jail over a pittance. We are the servants who have been forgiven an impossible debt—our sin—because Jesus took our punishment on Himself. We are told to forgive as we have been forgiven—completely, freely, even though unmerited. FORGIVE ALL!

Matthew 19 & 20 Jesus taught on divorce and His disciples concluded it would be better not to marry. Jesus explained reasons to remain single. We plan to research this in the future but have concluded that singleness is definitely an accepted option. Jesus told the disciples to let children come to him to be blessed. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the childlike—the hungry, eager, trusting, believing. Jesus told a rich man to sell everything and give to the poor before following Him, and the man went away sad. As Susan pointed out, “to have wealth but not have Jesus is to have nothing.” We are to be living sacrifices, laying our all on the altar for Him (Romans 12:1). Jesus taught the parable about the farmer hiring day laborers. He paid them all equally even though some only worked one hour. When those who worked all day for the wage they had agreed upon grumbled, the farmer told them not to begrudge his hospitality. Jesus again foretold His death, burial, and resurrection. The mother of James and John asked Jesus that her sons be seated at His left and right in the Kingdom which is only the Father’s to grant. The other disciples were outraged. Jesus explained that they were not to be like worldly leaders, lording it over others, but to be servant-leaders. He healed two blind men who had called out to Him as the Son of David. He was not annoyed by their calling out. He was compassionate. Jesus was constantly on the lookout for those who needed His healing touch. As He told the disciples, He came to serve rather than to be served. We are to follow His example and keep an eye open for opportunities to share the Good News and to minister to others. TAKE A LOOK!

Matthew 21 & 22 – Triumphal Entry – Jesus sent two disciples to get a donkey and its colt. He road into Jerusalem on the colt in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. The Crowds shouted, Hosanna (Please, save us) and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” In the name of means in the power and authority of the Lord. Jesus chased the merchants and money-changers out of the temple telling them that they had turned His house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7) into a den of robbers (Jeremiah 7:11). The Pharisees rebuked Jesus for allowing children to sing His praises as Messiah, and He quoted Psalm 8:2-3 about praise from the mouths of infants and children. The Pharisees question His authority to teach and He answered their question by asking by whose authority John baptized. They could not solve this conundrum because if they said God, He would say, “then why weren’t you baptized;” but if they said it was from man, the people would revolt because they viewed John rightly as a prophet. Therefore, Jesus did not answer their question either. He told the parable of the two sons, one who balked but did what his father asked and one who said he would but didn’t. The Pharisees were like the latter. He told the parable of the vineyard owner whose tenants killed his servants and then his son rather than pay him his share. The tenants represented the Jewish leaders, the servants were the prophets, the son was Jesus, and the vineyard owner was God the Father. The focal point of this day was the parable of the king who hosted a banquet for his son’s wedding. The invited guests refused to come, so he sent servants to invite people on the street. God has invited us to enjoy the feast of His grace. DON’T BACK OUT!

Matthew 23 & 24 – Jesus taught His disciples to respect the Pharisees and Scribes as sitting in the seat of Moses, being interpreters of the Law. But he warned them not to act like them. As Susan said, “Don’t imitate these posers.” The Jewish leaders of that day were all about show with no substance. Jesus pronounced several “woes” upon them and even called them “white washed tombs full of bones and rottenness.” He ended this speech by calling them snakes and murderers. Matthew 24 is Jesus’s teaching on the end times. He prophesied the destruction of the temple which would happen in AD 70. He warned of several signs that would be the beginning of the birth pains of the end—wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, false prophets and teachers, and even fake messiahs. Jesus said not to listen if someone tells you the Messiah is over there or in here. When He does return it will be like lightening that is seen from east to west. You won’t be able to mistake His power and authenticity. He ends with an admonition to be constantly alert and ready because no one knows the day or time but the Father. He will return unexpectedly. As Pastor Ben Polson wrote, we need to “keep our minds, attitudes, and action clean.” CLEAN ME UP!

Gems from the Gospels - Matthew Chapters 1-10

Gems from the Gospels

Matthew Chapters 1-10

Matthew 1 – Mary and Joseph had a heritage of faith, for example:

·     Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac because He had faith God could raise him up from the dead

· Rahab (a Gentile from Jericho) demonstrated faith by hiding the spies

·     Ruth (another Gentile from Moab) had faith to trust in Naomi’s God and listen to her mother-in-law’s wisdom

·     David demonstrated faith many times, especially in sparing Saul’s life and waiting on God’s timing to be made king

Mary and Joseph, being in the lineage of King David, would surely have been taught about their heritage from an early age. That still would not have made it easy to trust God with what would appear to others to be a premarital pregnancy. HAVE FAITH!

Matthew 2 – An angel warned both the Magi and Joseph to flee the Herod’s evil plan, and both the Magi and Joseph obeyed. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to flee evil, we should not hesitate. Like the music teacher used to tell our students at Glenview Christian School, “True obedience is immediate, complete, and without complaining.” Joseph packed up immediately and headed to Egypt, and there is no record of him lodging a complaint with the angel.  FLEE EVIL!

Matthew 3 & 4 – As Jesus called the disciples, they left their jobs immediately to follow Him. They job-shadowed Him for three years. They had the benefit of sitting directly under His teaching in order to know how to continue following Him. We have the Bible. Note that Jesus battled Satan by quoting scripture to rebuke every temptation the devil threw at Him. We need to employ the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17) as we seek to FOLLOW HIM!

Matthew 5 & 6 – We are finding some new insights by reading Matthew in the Complete Jewish Study Bible. For example:

Matthew 6:22-23 ‘The eye is the lamp of the body.’ So if you have a ‘good eye’ [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light; but if you have an ‘evil eye’ [if you are stingy] your whole body will be full of darkness.

The notes on this verse went further to explain that the “good eye” meant looking at people positively and the bad eye meant having “negative outlook” toward others. In other words, Jesus was looking at the heart, the attitude, behind the actions. In this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also pointed out that we should love not only our neighbors or those who do good to us but also our enemies, those who misuse us. We can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit in us! LOVE ALL!

Matthew 7 & 8 – Jesus used parables, word pictures, to help us remember the principles of His teaching—trying to take a splinter out of someone’s eye with a log in your own, giving pearls to pigs, Father won’t give you a snake instead of fish, the narrow gate and hard road rather than the broad gate and smooth road. This sermon on the mount gives us many Gems to treasure. We are to build our lives on Jesus and His teaching by obeying, applying, living out what He taught. He says building our lives on Him, the solid Rock, will enable us to withstand the storms of life. Notice that He does not say we will avoid those storms but that we will persevere through them when we follow in obedience to Him. BUILD ON CHRIST!

Matthew 9 & 10 – Jesus did not only say, “I love you.” Jesus demonstrated that love in many ways:

·     Matthew 9:1-8 Forgave the sins of the paralytic and healed him physically as well

·     Matthew 9:9-13 Called a tax collector to follow him and ate with tax collectors and sinners. He quoted Hosea 6:6 “I want compassion rather than animal sacrifices.”

·     Raised the official’s daughter from dead

·     Healed the woman who touched the fringe on His prayer shawl (Called the wings-see Malachi 4:2)

·     Healed 2 blind men

·     Healed a man who could not talk

·     Demonstrated compassion wherever He taught

After Jesus showed His love in all these ways, He sent out the twelve apostles to do the same. We are to love Jesus above anyone else, but we are to follow Him as we SHOW OUR LOVE!

52 DAYS - A CHURCHWIDE JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPELS

Beginning this Sunday, January 7, 2018, the church we attend will embark on a journey through all four Gospels in 52 days. This will be an exciting adventure in daily Scripture reading as we explore the life of our Savior, Jesus, when He walked among people on this earth. We will seek to apply the truths He taught in our own lives. As a part of this journey, we plan to post a few of our favorite insights from the week each Saturday on this blog. 

Beginning this Saturday, January 6th, we will post a suggested memory verse from the passages we are reading on our other blog: www.susiesmusings-ksh.blogspot.com
Along with the decorative memory verse will be a brief devotional thought based on that verse. Join us in hiding God's word in our hearts!