Thy Word:

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

Matthew 16:21-28 NLT

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My Thoughts: I just love Peter, don’t you? Sometimes I find myself acting just like him; I speak when I should be silent, or I pronounce judgement when I have no idea what I’m talking about! In our last lesson Peter had just proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, but here he attempts to protect Jesus from suffering by denying what Jesus says will happen.

Jesus rebukes Peter immediately and says something harsh:

“Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Were you as stunned to hear those words from Jesus as I was? I find myself in Peter’s shoes confused and dismayed. Why were those words of kindness rejected by Jesus as if he believed it were Satan himself talking?

My study Bible tells me that we are to be cautious of advice from a friend whose only goal may be to encourage or protect us from discomfort. The temptation might be to walk away from a situation God had called us to do, especially if we think it might be unpleasant.

Also, we know in this world we will have suffering because we are warned by Jesus himself!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

Peter was only considering the words Jesus spoke from a human perspective which left God out of the picture. That was why Jesus rebuked the words that Peter spoke.

Satan is so conniving and cunning!

As slippery as the slope of sin is for us, it’s encouraging to know that Jesus loved Peter so much he eventually used him in a mighty way despite his failures. That gives me hope I will be used for the Kingdom too! I am aware of how easily I can be deceived if I am not spending time with the Lord and praying. My prayer right this moment is that we all remember when we read the Bible, we are putting on an armor of protection to open our eyes and heart to the wily ways of Satan!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT

(To read more about the Armor of God read Ephesians 6:10-18)

Jesus then speaks very plainly to his disciples when he tells them if you want to follow me you will have to give up your own ways and follow mine, which included carrying a cross. When Jesus used this illustration, the disciples knew exactly what he was saying because crucifixion was a common method of execution for the Romans. A condemned criminal had to carry their own cross through the streets to the execution site.

If. Such a big word with only two letters! Even now, with the disciple’s commitment to give up their livelihood and their families, Jesus gives them another difficult choice to make: are you committed enough to follow me even though it will surely include persecution and possibly even death?

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We have had some tough questions thrown at us from Jesus in our last few lessons: (1) will we believe in him even if we never witness a miracle of amazing proportions, (2) who do we believe Jesus is, and now (3) are we committed enough to Jesus to follow him even though it will not be easy?

My study Bible says this about a true commitment to Jesus:

“Real discipleship implies real commitment—pledging our whole existence to his service. When we give our lives in service to Christ, we discover the real purpose of living.”

The day came when I knew that my life no longer belonged just to me, it belonged fully and completely to Christ. Immediately my commitment improved some relationships in my life and others became more difficult. As much as that breaks my heart, I will not back down from my decision to follow Christ in true commitment. Do I stumble? Oh, yes, I do. But I pick myself up, I dust off the remnants and pain of sin—with the full forgiveness of Christ—and I get right back on the path again.

Have you made a commitment to Christ too? Then what ‘say ye’ about this new question of commitment? Are you willing to go all the way with Jesus even though it means you are accepting a life of hardship and potentially even death?

Here is a big reality if you find yourself waffling about making this decision: see John 16:33 from above! You will have troubles anyway! You will die eventually (the current statistics are one out of one human’s die!) so whose side will you be on when you face troubles and death?

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 NIV

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Closing Prayer: Father God, this post may seem harsh to the eyes of some and I pray if this happens you do a mighty work in their hearts. Father I recommit my heart and my life to you this day and I pray that I am not only an obedient servant but a mighty warrior for the Kingdom. Open my eyes to the wiles of the evil one so that I do not fall into temptation and turn from the path that you have called me to live for you. I pray for those I love, Father, to surrender their hearts and lives to you and walk with you in eternal life and victory. This is my hearts cry forever more. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Thy Word:

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”

Matthew 16:13-20 NLT

*****

My Thoughts: In my last blog we asked ourselves an important question:

“… would we really believe that Jesus is who he says he is even if we witnessed a miracle?”

With or without the benefit of a miracle, Jesus now takes our relationship with him to an even deeper level. He wonders if we know what the people around us say about him. Many thought Jesus was a prophet or a prophet who was raised from the dead. I myself have heard people say that Jesus is nothing more than a prophet.

In spite of the disciples response to his first question Jesus ignores what they tell him and asks what I believe is the single most important question any of us will ever answer:

“But who do you say I am?”

The first time I ever heard about Jesus was when I was seven years old at Vacation Bible School. Unfortunately, although a teacher’s comment was meant to be sweet and encouraging it wasn’t true. That remark hurt me and made me believe that Jesus didn’t like me or my family. During that week of study I learned enough truth about Jesus that I believed in him, I was just mad at him for about 40 years! (Details are in my July 2018 blog titled “The Power of Words” part 1 and part 2.)

I think when children have a misunderstanding about Jesus it is especially heartbreaking for our LORD. I can say that during those angry years Jesus never stopped trying to present himself properly to me and he was always gentle. My refusal to accept those truths was not a reflection of Jesus it was simply evidence of my sin of stubbornness, something that continues to be a struggle for me.

Overall, it’s an important reminder to all of us that we need to be careful what we say.

On the flip side, when a child is properly introduced to Jesus they often express a clear, yet simple understanding about who He is and how much they love Him. That child is oftentimes the very reason their parents come to know and love Jesus too. I’m pretty sure I can say with confidence this brings joy to the Lord!

I think the reason so many adults struggle today with Jesus is we make the answer to our question way too complicated. The late Billy Graham knew even the most educated and knowledgeable man/woman really only needed to understand the basics about who Jesus is and what He represents to gain the ultimate prize: salvation which results in everlasting life. His messages reflected the simplicity of Peter’s words in our verses:

Who do you say I am: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

What Peter gained when he understood the answer: Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Because Peter and the disciples walked with Jesus they came to know and love Him, and most important they knew He was the Messiah. Today our belief is based on faith, the words left for us in the Bible, or shared with us by other believers. Some of my favorite verses that express who Jesus is to me are:

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 NLT

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT

“All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.” 1 John 4:15 NLT

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NLT

The reason I love these verses so much is they validate what I believe about Jesus. They tell me Jesus is the Son of God, He died for my sins so that I can have salvation, God raised Him from the dead three days later, and He made this sacrifice because He loves me.

Although, there is nothing complicated about these truths, we like to make things complicated, especially when it comes to love. We attach all kinds of strings to love. “I’ll love you if…..” or “If you love me you will…” we fill in the “dots” with all sorts of conditions. But because of His perfect love, God asked his perfect son, Jesus, to die for all sinners, because of His love for us; there were no conditions, no fill in the blanks, no dots.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 NLT

There isn’t a single person in this world that deserves the love of God because there isn’t a single day that goes by that we don’t sin! So why should I be so quick to set conditions on my love when Jesus freely gave His unconditionally?

Recently I was faced with a difficult situation and I knew my best response was little or no response until I took it to the LORD first. His reply was quick: ‘Amazing Grace.’

Immediately that song began to flow through my mind:

Amazing grace, How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, But now I’m found, Was blind, but now I see!

I didn’t need to go beyond the first verse of this iconic song before I completely understood what the Lord was telling me!

• Cecilia, it hasn’t been that long since you were a wretched unsaved sinner.
• You once were lost on roads that led to one depraved sin after another, but I came and found you and rescued you.
• You once were blind to your sins! You were even ridiculous enough to believe you had gone days without sinning at one time [see previous blog].

Oh my, my, my. Gently and lovingly again my Lord reminded me that I am and continue to be a sinner but through it all, he saved me and he forgives me.

What hit me the hardest were the words ‘now I see.’ I know perfectly well when I sin because Jesus has given me eyes to see, however, someone who remains blind cannot see at all. That’s when my love and grace should kick in and be extended to those who are blind, just like Jesus did for me.

A few years ago, I felt a tug in my heart to extend an invitation to those I love to join me and my husband for the upcoming Easter service. Most declined, but to my surprise one said they would love to go then added this:

I don’t mind going to church for Easter or Christmas because I see it as my get out of hell free card.

Beloved, there truly is only one way to get out of hell free and it is through Jesus Christ! Going to church, being good, helping your fellow man or any other act that you perform will not save you from an eternity in hell, only salvation through Jesus Christ will give you everlasting life.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NLT

I pray that something in my blog today has tugged at your heart and helped you understand that having a relationship with Jesus Christ is a lot simpler that you may have originally thought. I pray that you ask yourself today:

“Who do I say Jesus Christ is?”

The time to keep quiet about Jesus has gone! As a believer the last thing Jesus said to us before he left the world was this:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NLT

I pray with all my heart that your answer is you have a desire to surrender your heart and life to Jesus today! If that is true, would you pray this with me?

• Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness for my sins.
• Please forgive me.
• Lord, I believe in my heart that you are the son of God, born of a virgin, and you died on the cross for my sins.
• I believe that after three days you were raised from the dead and you now sit at the right hand of God.
• Father thank you for the free gift of your forgiveness through Jesus Christ so that I now have everlasting life with you and the family of believers. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, welcome to the family of God and to everlasting life! I pray that you will join a Bible believing church and surround yourself with like-minded believers to help you as you learn to develop a relationship with Jesus.

*****

Closing Prayer:  Father God, thank you for the words and the courage to write this special message today and I pray that hearts are changed for the Kingdom of God. My soul hears the sound of a clock ticking and the pendulum swinging which says “the time is near” for your return. I pray earnestly that all believers extend the hand of grace so that many more come to know You. Father we are Your witnesses and Warriors and with Your almighty strength and courage may we confidently share this message with those who are blind. Let it be so. Amen.

 

Thy Word:

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

So he left them and departed. When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Matthew 16:1-12 ESV

*****

My Thoughts: Our new chapter starts with a frustrated group of religious leaders demanding that Jesus prove he is who he said he is by showing them a sign in the sky, or from the heavens. Although this was something Jesus could easily do, he continued to refuse to produce miracles on demand.

Miracles…, what a touchy subject and I may be about to step on some toes.

I have had multiple people ask me (since I became a believer) why Jesus no longer performs miracles on earth. They aren’t talking about what they consider to be small miracles, but rather the ‘parting of the Red Sea’ type of miracle. I find it interesting that most of these skeptics have used this same example (with me) of the type of miracle they want to see. They affirm they simply cannot believe until they see the proof of such a magnificent miracle themselves.

Let’s begin by taking a quick look at the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea. This occurs in the book of Exodus when God tells Moses he will be using him to set the Israelite’s free from oppression, tyranny, and slavery handed down by the Egyptians. Before the Red Sea is parted for the Israelite’s to cross and escape from the Egyptians, there were multiple plagues that caused horrible destruction and a lot of people died! After the Israelite’s crossed the sea, the wall of water collapsed and a lot of Egyptians died. If we look at what are considered other big miracles in the Bible I think we will see tyranny and destruction precedes or follows them as well.

Therefore, if Jesus responded to every request to see a Red Sea miracle or just a big miracle, aren’t we really asking for our world to be in a situation of chaos and oppression just so we can say we witnessed a miracle of this magnitude?

Do you know what really boggles my mind? If you read the entire account of Exodus, you will find that although God performs big miracles multiple times for his people, the Israelite’s were still very skeptical. While God is still leading them by a cloud in the daytime and a fire by night, something they witnessed on a daily basis with their own eyes, they went back to worshiping idols and even asked several times to be returned to their old lives as slaves!

So, that being said…, would we really believe Jesus is who he says he is if we witnessed a big miracle today? I wonder?

Besides, who of us can really say that big miracles aren’t occurring every day? Do we truly know what is going on in every teeny tiny place in the world? Do we really believe that God is going to have someone standing by at the ready to snap pictures just to prove to us there are miracles happening every day? Are we really that arrogant?

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Listen, these questions are directed to me as much as they are to skeptics. In my last blog I confessed that I had to get back to the basics of remembering who Jesus is and what he has done in my own life. I will boldly tell you that I’ve experienced and been blessed to see miracles more than once since I became a believer. Those miracles may not seem big to you, but they are to me! Yet I’ve wavered in my faith, I’ve allowed hard things to bring me down, and I’ve even wondered if God hears my prayers because I’ve been praying the same prayer every day for nineteen years.

When I look at these religious leaders demanding to see a miracle, I remind myself of some things we’ve seen about their character throughout the book of Matthew. They really never cared about the miracles that Jesus did, they simply felt threatened by Jesus. They did not like that he was changing the foundation of what they believed because it threatened their livelihood.

But Jesus came for that very reason; so we no longer have to have an intercessory (religious leader) to approach God. We are no longer yoked by all the archaic sacrificial laws to receive forgiveness. Jesus died once for all and Jesus is the final and perfect sacrifice!

So why do we have to see a miracle? What is the basis of our real issue(s) that caused us to require a miracle before we believe? I pray that we all examine our own hearts to find out what is really going on and more than that, seek answers to our questions. However, “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Meaning, do the real research; don’t just ask like-minded people to get the answers you want.

“Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:12 ESV

Finally, what if I told you that it doesn’t really matter if you believe the Red Sea parted to allow anyone to cross over, or if Jonah was swallowed by a whale and spit out after three days? What really matters is this:

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV

Believing these verses in your heart is the real miracle and sometimes when it happens it is a huge miracle!

This is what I hope you spend your time learning, understanding, and ultimately believing. Because if you don’t, that means that I won’t be with you in heaven and I can’t even conceive of that possibility. It’s what keeps me praying the same prayer every night and what keeps me from giving up:

“I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Genesis 17:2

That might not mean anything to you but it is everything to me; it’s a covenant between me and God and I know exactly what He meant when He said it to me nineteen years ago. It’s the hope that keeps me praying the same prayer willingly, every night…, for you.

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Closing Prayer: Father God, I pray that I honored you today with My Thoughts. When you began to unfold where we were going with Thy Words yesterday I wept for the potential persecution, but my goal is to honor and glorify You above anything else. I ask for Your forgiveness when I fail You. Father I pray there are many eyes that read this blog and I pray they ask themselves what is holding them back from surrendering their hearts to You. I pray Father that the hearts of those I love, the very ones that I pray for each and every night, surrender to you and receive that assurance of forgiveness and everlasting life. I pray this in the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Thy Word:

Jesus Heals Many People:

Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand:

Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”

Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.

Matthew 15:29-39 NLT

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My Thoughts: Okay, other than the part where the disciples are acting like they are clueless about how to feed 4,000 people, I love our verses today. If you will remember, Jesus just fed 5,000 people in chapter 14, so I’m pretty sure 4,000 more people wasn’t a problem for him!

Uh-oh. As I type this sass, my spirit said,

“CAREFUL CECILIA! Take a close look at yourself because you are pulling the same clueless stunt now.”

Oh dear!!!! Lately things in my life have been somewhat hectic and I have been in a quandary about what to do or how to best handle them. Before I moved further in writing this blog, I knew there was one specific area in my life that needed to get back on track immediately: I had stopped journaling and spending quiet time with the Lord daily. Oh, I was reading my Bible, and I was literally in prayer all day (picture me whining to the Lord endlessly), but I wasn’t writing down what I learned and asking God to speak to me and I certainly was not listening!

“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9b NLT)

Why do I do that when things go crazy? I know from past experience that when I take my cares to God he is faithful to show up. This clearly shows I can be just as clueless as those disciples. Not a proud moment for me!

In addition to the journaling there were a few other areas of my life that needed to get back on track, so I sat down at my desk with my journal and a pen. As a writer, this can often bring me back to the basics. Even if you are not a writer, I highly recommend this process.

I wrote down the things that were bothering or confusing me and as usual, when I saw them in black and white, they didn’t seem as monumental. I’ve learned when my problems or issues stay cluttered in my mind they always seem bigger. Does that happen to you too? If it does, I highly recommend you remove their power to captivate you by writing them down and asking the Lord to speak to you and MOST IMPORTANT: shut up and listen!

I participate in an online daily Bible reading and the goal is to read the Bible in a year and to learn more about Jesus as I walk through the Word. There are multiple other people from all over the world who are also on the feed and it helps to read their perspectives too. So many times their revelations have been just the answer or direction I need.

When I opened our reading recently, we were taken to 1 Samuel chapters 16 and 17. That brought a huge smile to my face because in these chapters we are introduced to David, as a young shepherd boy, and we also read about David and Goliath.

Rather than read the chapters again, I went back to my journal from a few years ago. I remember asking God to give me fresh eyes to read those chapters because I’ve read and heard this story about David and Goliath many times. To keep myself from skimming through the reading, that prayer was essential. It’s now one of my favorite stories in the Bible because God revealed so much to me!

The main truth that was revealed to me was perhaps my ‘giants’ weren’t really ‘giants’ after all! Perhaps they were just there to taunt me?

Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion [Goliath] strutted in front of the Israelite army. 1 Samuel 17:8a, 16

Isn’t that exactly what happens when we allow our problems to take control of our thoughts and our mind? They endlessly taunt us and become a huge giant! We might even fabricate endless scenarios about what could happen until eventually our problem goes from an issue that needs to be addressed to a horrifying reality!

In our verses today we see that the disciples knew from experience that Jesus could easily feed 5,000 people but they forgot to take that into account when they were faced with the same task again. They allowed it to become a giant in their minds.

Listen, we have to stop throwing up our hands in despair when we are faced with a difficult situation. Why? Because we have seen the mighty work Jesus has done in our lives so let’s stop acting like he won’t be there for us again. Let’s not forget this ‘giant’ lesson and take away the power of our uncontrolled thoughts to continue to hold us captive!

Finally, in addition to our important lesson today, the most important component we see in our verses is how much Jesus loves us. He shows his patience, his healing, his teaching, and even his feeding. He never complains, even when we act like we are clueless or we assume every problem is a huge giant. No one could or would do that for us unless their heart was filled with abundant and unending love for us!

Let’s stop acting clueless and live how Jesus sees us: highly desired and endlessly loved!

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Closing Prayer: Father God, thank you for this amazing lesson today! I don’t normally enjoy getting a kick in the seat to get back on track, but today I needed to hear how I was behaving so I can get back on the righteous path with you. Lord, I pray today that I walk forward remembering your words: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”(2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV) May I remember that when I don’t take control of my thoughts, and run them directly again your word, they become a playground for Satan to have his way with me, then he walks me straight into sin. I rebuke his control over my mind because I belong to you, Father God! In the name of Jesus I rejoice! Amen!

Thy Word:

Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.”

Matthew 15:21-28 NLT

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My Thoughts: If you will remember, although we know Jesus came to offer salvation to everyone, it was for the Jew first (see Matthew 10:5-42 blog: https://tinyurl.com/y65opd79).

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Jesus left Galilee and went to Tyre and Sidon which was primarily Gentile territory and known for a long-standing reputation of wickedness (see Matthew 11:20-24 blog: https://tinyurl.com/y48bzz3r). So, why did Jesus go there if his message was for the Jew first? We aren’t told but in our last blog we learned that Jesus had been approached by the Pharisees and teachers of the religious laws claiming he and the disciples weren’t following Jewish traditions and laws. Maybe Jesus simply wanted to get away from these religious fanatics who were wearing him out with silly accusations?  Maybe he chose these cities because he knew these powerful leaders wouldn’t dare sully their reputation by following him to such a wicked place?

Maybe, just maybe, Jesus knew there was a Gentile woman who had a pure heart and a deep faith and she needed him?

Let’s look at her dialogue to see what we can learn about her:

1. She came pleading for her daughter
2. She came in humility (have mercy on me)
3. She knew Jesus was Lord and also from the line of David which implies she had some knowledge of Jewish teachings (O Lord, Son of David)
4. She came believing that Jesus could heal her daughter

In spite of all of these good and noble qualities, we see Jesus do something a little surprising: But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Matthew 15:23a

At this point who was Jesus testing more with his silence, the Gentile woman or his disciples? Perhaps it was testing for both of them?

Assuming his silence was an indication of disapproval of the woman, the disciples immediately ask Jesus to get rid of her because the begging was bothering them. They had no compassion for this Gentile woman and her cries for help.

Yikes Moment: Hmm, how many times have I been ‘bothered’ by someone who clearly has a real need and pretended I didn’t see them or neglected to exhibit compassion by leaving or ignoring their need? (I’m squirming uncomfortably in my chair right now.)

Jesus completely ignores his disciples and directly addresses the woman telling her that he was there to only help the people of Israel (Jews).

I love what happens next; she didn’t whine, she didn’t get mad, she didn’t warn Jesus that if anything horrible happened to her child it would be his fault for refusing to help her.

She came and worshiped him.

Oh that I would be that woman when I am faced with a time of testing!

Sadly, my reaction when I am faced with opposition isn’t always praiseworthy. Am I alone with this confession? I really do want to remain steadfast and be able to say that I continued to worship Jesus in faith then humbly ask him again, but it requires I stay intentional about praying and worshipping. I can say I don’t turn against God anymore because I didn’t get my prayer answered the way I wanted, but I know I haven’t always honored him with my behavior when I didn’t get my way! Yikes! The lessons I can learn from this woman are innumerable!

To make matters worse, Jesus seems to use some very harsh words against the woman: “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

I wonder if Jesus spoke the words the disciples were actually thinking. I also wonder if those very words made the disciples uncomfortable when they rolled off the tongue of Jesus. Isn’t that sometimes what happens to us? Inside we think something mean and we feel justified about our feelings until someone else actually speaks them and we hear them for the ugliness they truly are. Make no mistake about it this is a specific lesson that relates to the verse I share regularly:

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 NLT

FYI, my NIV Study Bible says this about the use of the word dog: “Dog was a term the Jews commonly applied to Gentiles because the Jews considered these pagan people no more likely than dogs to receive God’s blessing. Jesus was not degrading the woman by using this term he was reflecting the Jews attitude [perhaps the disciples attitude too?] so as to contrast it with his own. The woman did not argue. Instead, using Jesus’ choice of words, she agreed to be considered a dog as long as she could receive God’s blessing for her daughter. Ironically, many Jews would lose God’s blessing and salvation because they rejected Jesus, and many Gentiles would find salvation because they recognized and accepted him.”  (Words in brackets are mine)

At the end of their exchange Jesus rewards the woman with the desires of her heart. This woman’s steadfast desire was to save her child; she didn’t approach Jesus as if he was a magic man who could provide her with treasures or perform magic tricks. She approached Jesus with humility and the full belief that he was who he said he was and he could save her child. The meditations of her heart and her words were absolutely in alignment with the word and will of God.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:21 NLT

*****

Closing Prayer: Father God, this was a hard lesson that made me take a very close look at my response when I am struggling with trials. I ask for your forgiveness Lord for where I have failed you. I pray that I bury the words of this lesson in my heart as a strong reminder that you always bless your children and that often means that when I don’t get my way, it’s because your way is better. Thank you, Lord, for this important lesson that reminds me to be faithful and to worship you in every circumstance.  I love you so much and ask for your favor in making me constantly aware of these lessons as I go about my day.  In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

 

 

Thy Word:

Jesus Teaches About Inner Purity

Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”  Matthew 15:1-20 NLT

*****

My Thoughts: As I read through this lesson two words jump out to me: ‘honor’ and ‘speak.’

Honor: Did my conscious tweak a bit when I read the accusation given to the Pharisees about honoring their parents? Yes it did and I bet yours did too.

Who among us hasn’t said an unkind or disrespectful word about their parents? When we are young adults we tend to believe our parents are old fashioned or clueless about the world and we treat them as if everything they say has no value.

Hilariously, when we have children of our own, our perspectives often take a sudden about-face, wouldn’t you agree? We might find ourselves putting the brakes on our free spirit and reckless habits to jump into that old fashioned parental role to protect our babies. When we spend a long night with a crying baby we might suddenly realize we are the ones who are clueless!

Who do we usually call first? Our parents! I will gladly admit that my Mother and my pediatrician helped me raise my first child because I was too young and clueless to do it without their help!

But then there is the ‘sticky wicket’ about honor and my earthly father. In my testimony I reveal that my father was an abusive alcoholic. I certainly never called him for advice when he was alive. In fact, I rarely spoke about him to anyone except to say he was deceased. I typically ended the story about him right there because of my shame for him. On the rare occasion I would say something about him my words held no honor. To this day I refer to him by his given name and not as father or dad.

I have been a believer since the year 2000—for nineteen years—and this is the second time this year that I have had convictions about how I honor him. Can I tell you that I am confused but am beginning to wonder if the Lord is pricking my heart to let me know I may still be harboring some unforgiveness? I absolutely know that it matters as much to God what I harbor in my heart as well as what I say. God tells us:

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

Are my thoughts, my habits, and my actions about this man pleasing to God? This is a difficult and painful question for me!

There was a time in my life that hate for this man burned deep in my heart and I kept it stoked and alive. Then I heard a message taught on forgiveness and I realized the only one who was getting hurt was me. I had been dragging that hatred around since I was a small girl up into my forties and the man had been dead since I was twenty-one! I think it’s clear that I was the only one being hurt at this point by my unforgiveness! This is not a proud confession, but perhaps someone reading this blog is also harboring unforgiveness too? If you are, I encourage you to get professional help and walk through the process of letting it go, because we all deserve to be free from that burden!

So where do I go from here? How do I find a way to honor this man who did such despicable things to me and to my family? Perhaps I start by seeking memories that might show me that he did something right?

Suddenly a memory just flooded my thoughts as I type these words:

I was in the first grade and a teacher had ridiculed me in front of the class for being left handed. She forced me to write with my right hand for the entire day and said she would do it every day until I finally learned to be right handed. It was a very difficult day and I cried a lot. We lived behind the school and I continued to cry as I walked home with my older sister. For some reason my father was home early and he questioned me about the tears. Taking my hand he walked me right back to the school. The teacher was still there and my father made it clear to her that she would never do that again. His words, “This child is getting her work done and making good grades so why do you care which hand she uses to do the job?” He not only took up for me he made me feel special because he knew I was doing well in school!  

This memory allows me to have an honorable thought about my father! I think perhaps this is a start to help me break away from any remnants I may be harboring about unforgiveness! I’m kind of excited about that!

Before we go any further, if you have also been hurt by one or both of your parents, I’d like to share some words that healed my broken heart: I am so sorry. I never heard those precious words until I heard that teaching about forgiveness. (See my story in “The Power of Words” a two part blog in July 2018 Part 1: https://tinyurl.com/yxnwhrge  and Part 2: https://tinyurl.com/y28d4zlv.) More important than what I say is what God has to say about your pain:

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:42 NIV

“Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt.” Proverbs 18:3

Beloved, I don’t know all the answers but as I write today I can see the Lord wants me to unravel some things about my past that will allow me to be obedient to a very important commandment about honor. I hope you will join me in taking a good hard look at yourself to see if you have some things you need to work on too.

Speak: Oh dear…, this one hit me right in the face too!! How often do I find that my words not only originate with ugliness in my heart but fall from my tongue to become a terrible sin of slander or disgrace? Let’s just say it’s often enough that I realize this must be corrected too! Yikes!

Let’s look at what Jesus said to the people:  “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

In addition to the words that come out of our mouth, what about when we use words on social media that defile others! Social media was created for us to keep up with each other and learn to be social yet we use it as the nastiest weapon in our arsenal of tools to hurt others. We have to stop! The word of God warns us:

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18 NIV

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 NIV

“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” James 3:10 NIV

As you can see, the Lord has a lot to say about the power of our tongue and this is the most important of them all:

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT

The MSG Bible simplifies this verse even further:

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.” 1 Corinthians 13:1 MSG

Bottom line: Jesus wants us to clean up and clean out our mouths! Are the words we speak helping to build others up or are we constantly tearing them down; finding fault with every little thing they do? Then Jesus says we are defiling ourselves when we do that!

“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”  Matthew 15:16-20 NLT

What if the words we spoke every day literally piled up around us wherever we went? Would our personal space have the smell of a sweet bouquet or would it smell more like a sewer?

*****

Closing Prayer: Father God, I’m a little nervous but a lot more excited about our lesson today! I completely understand that I if take the time to unravel the areas that I need to bring honor and sweet words into my heart and life, I will not only be more enriched, but I will begin to look more like you! I praise your holy name for helping me to understand this truth! Father if there is one reading my blog today whose heart may be broken by pain from a parent or from careless and ugly words, I pray that you guide them to seek help from a professional and by reading your word that they may be healed and free from the burden of unforgiveness. Thank you Lord for loving us so much you left your Holy Word to guide us. Thank you Lord, for giving us your son, Jesus, that we may have forgiveness and everlasting life. Amen!!

 

Thy Word:

Jesus Walks On Water

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here! ”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

Matthew 14:22-36 NLT

*****

My Thoughts: Soon after everyone ate, Jesus sends the people home and he finally goes off alone to grieve for John and spend time alone with his Father. Jesus also leaves his disciples behind on their boat. Nighttime falls while he is gone.

The disciples just witnessed healing and feeding miracles so their spirits had to have been on an all time high!

But then here comes a storm.

Isn’t that just like life? We barely begin to celebrate the miracles of God and a spiritual high, then a storm comes.

But what I love is Jesus comes too.

We don’t see the disciples calling out to Jesus, we are only told they were in trouble and they were fighting heavy waves.

But Jesus knew and he came.

As believers when we get hit with storms, even before we call on the name of Jesus, he comes. Sometimes we act like Peter and we look for Jesus. This typically happens because we have shored our strength by staying close to Jesus. Therefore, when we see him we run to him and our faith carries us across the water and through the storm.

Unfortunately, sometimes we take our eyes off of Jesus like Peter did and we look harder at the storm. We forget the power of Jesus to overcome the storms in our life and we begin to give the storm too much power and too much importance. With that leeway, the storm begins to destroy our confidence and we are terrified of what could or does happen.

What do we learn from this? When we take our eyes off of Jesus and look into the murky waters, we begin to sink.

Why do we do that? Jesus tells us it’s because our faith is weak and we doubt his power to overcome any storm we face. I also think our fears steer our minds to look for something physical, or worldly, to hang onto in the midst of the storm. It might be money, fame, power, food, drugs, or alcohol, or we might try to put our faith in another person.

However, only Jesus is Jesus and everything else is a poor substitute—a false idol— that will only cause us to sink deeper into the muddy waters of our storms.

Jesus tells us, “When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.” In other words, when we hold onto Jesus we get through the storm, we don’t stay in the storm.

This reminds me of when my daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy as a young girl. It was a very difficult time of tests and more tests, including multiple MRI’s. I never let her go through any test alone but especially those MRI’s because they were so loud they scared her. I donned the same hospital gown she wore and sat in a chair right by her tiny legs sticking out of that massive machine. In between sessions I would caress her legs and speak words of assurance to let her know I was still there.

Jesus does the same for us, you know. Our nature is to want something tangible we can touch or feel to know he is still with us in our storms. If we would just settle down, take a deep breath, and remind ourselves of the promises Jesus gives us in the Bible, we would realize we have what our hearts are seeking to get through those storms.

We will always have storms because we live in a sinful world and people who don’t know the Lord do terrible things. Jesus even warns us we will face hardships so we shouldn’t be surprised when storms come your way.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT

Don’t look for false idols or put too much pressure on another human being to carry you through the storms, because inevitably you both will fall.

“Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.” Jonah 2:8 NLT

Today, let’s choose the power and promises of Jesus to carry us through those storms.

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 NLT

*****

Closing Prayer: Father God, what a rich lesson you gave us today that reminds us to lean on you every day so we have strength in our storms. Father I pray that we also remember as much as we want to be rescued from our storms we gain strength and wisdom when we walk through our storms with you by our side. We love you Lord and as hard as it may be, we thank you for all the storms that teach us valuable lessons and bless us when we cling to you. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Thy Word:

As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

Matthew 14:13-21 NLT

*****

My Thoughts:

The moment Jesus heard about John’s death, he left the area in a boat to be alone and grieve. But the crowds followed Jesus and he extended grace by having compassion on them and healing their sick.

Jesus forfeited his own time alone to grieve and receive compassion from his disciples.

He did it for the sick, for the hurt, for the lost, and even for the undeserving. He did it for all the people.

His compassion didn’t stop with healing and teaching. As evening neared he multiplied what food they had available and fed the masses. Did the people even know it was a miracle? Did they really care about Jesus or did they just want what he could do for them? Did they even want to be fed? It didn’t matter to Jesus; he fed all the people anyway.

I find myself having conflicted emotions right now. I want to be aggravated at ‘the people’ because he wasn’t able to grieve, but then if I were ‘the people’ I’d probably want…, maybe even need, what Jesus had to offer.

In our last lesson (Matthew 14:1-12) we were challenged with a question: what do we do about Jesus?

If our answer was that we surrender to Jesus, then our verses today bring us to a new question: Now that we have Jesus, what do we do for Jesus?

Jesus himself gives us the answer:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Jesus is giving us a living example in Matthew 14:13-21 of our responsibility to and for the people when we become Christians. In this verse in Acts he tells us we are to go and tell all the people about Jesus whether they deserve it or not, or whether we think they deserve it or not!

We are to feed the people the good news about Jesus Christ: That he died for us, and when we believe this and accept him as our savior, Jesus forgives us. Once we are forgiven, we have eternal life with Jesus Christ! He died so we could live and Jesus did that regardless of whether we deserve it.

I don’t know about you, but having a perfect Savior to cover my sins is a huge blessing, because I know I don’t deserve it!

I recently had the privilege of endorsing a new book for a friend of mine who is an author. I have read several of her books, but this one turned my thinking as a believer upside down. The book is:

“Spiritual Orphans” by Erin Olson

It just became available for purchase on Amazon this week. She gets very specific and expands on this topic we are discussing today. Do yourself a favor and get this book ASAP!

There are people all around us who need to know about Jesus, to be asked what to do about Jesus, and then learn about Jesus. Once they understand Jesus, their next logical role is to become an apostle for Jesus; someone who feeds, or shares, the healing and loving news about Jesus Christ. Whether we do this for the people or not (as believers) is a matter of obedience or disobedience, but it is a matter of life or death for those who are lost!

*****

Closing Prayer: Father God, my heart has an urgency to do your work and to share the good news about your son, Jesus Christ! I pray that you spread this blog so your people can be reminded we need to get about the business that you called us to do right now. The hour is late and the time for your return is near. I also pray the book Erin Olson wrote sets the Christian community on fire and we have a revival in our hearts and in our cities to band together to help those who are drowning and desperately need to know about you. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen!

 

 

Thy Word:

The Death of John the Baptist

When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, he said to his advisers, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.”

For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.

But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.”

Matthew 14:1-12 NLT

*****

My Thoughts: We’ve been spending time with very thought provoking parables from Jesus, then suddenly in our new chapter we read about Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee.

When Herod hears about Jesus and his many miracles, his guilt causes him to be concerned that John the Baptist has been resurrected in Jesus. He feels guilty because he killed John when he carelessly offers whatever his daughter desired at a public birthday party. His wife Herodias uses that offer to manipulate their daughter into having John killed.

To give you a little back history, Herod divorced his own wife to marry the wife of his half-brother, Philip. John the Baptist had been preaching in the desert and thousands flocked to hear him. It was no secret that John had rebuked Herod for his adulterous marriage to Herodias. Most people dislike having their sins pointed out, but to do it publically is even more infuriating. Herod hesitates to have John killed because of his popularity, and instead had John put in prison.

What is interesting is that Herod actually liked John. John was probably one of the few people he met who spoke only the truth to him. However, the truth about his sin was a bitter pill to swallow. He couldn’t allow John to continue to constantly remind the people of the leader’s sinfulness, but he was afraid to have John killed, so he put off any decision. Herodias had no qualms about killing John so she used trickery to have John executed.

Now Herod hears about Jesus and it not only resurrects his guilt about John, he is faced with the same quandary for Jesus: what do I do with this man?

This question is certainly not new to anyone since the beginning of time! Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, asks this very question later in the book of Matthew:

“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.” Matthew 27:22 NIV

Do we have an answer for this eternal question? The answer has no neutrality and everyone will eventually have to answer one way or another. Whether we accept Christ or reject Christ, it is the answer to the question…, our answer to the question.

In the book “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, he says this about Jesus:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

What do we do about this eternal question? You can be like C.S. Lewis and search for the answers until you come to the same conclusion:  Jesus was, and is, the Son of God.

Perhaps like Herod you know the answer but don’t want to face your sins? I know from personal experience, the longer we take to face our sins, the longer those sins hurt us.

Maybe you know the answer; that Jesus is the Son of God, but you believe your sins are too great to overcome or be forgiven? The truth is only Satan wants us to believe it is too late to face our sins or that our sins are too great to overcome.

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven.” Mark 3:28

God is a loving God and he doesn’t want any of us to perish!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV

When we accept Jesus, the gift from God that is for everyone, we receive eternal life. How do we receive the gift of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins?

“…if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV

Do you know the answer to the question about Jesus? Never have I felt such a sense of urgency that we all know the true answer to this question! Have you chosen Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior?

*****

Closing Prayer: If you are ready to answer the question and surrender your heart to Christ please pray this prayer with me:

Father God, I surrender my heart to Jesus Christ, your Son. I confess with my mouth that I am a sinner and I have sinned against you. I repent of my sins and surrender my life to you. Father I believe this is only possible because Jesus Christ died for my sins and was raised three days later. From this day forward, help me to live every day for you and in a way that pleases you. I love you Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer today, welcome to the Kingdom of God and eternal life!

If you are still confused, please seek help from a Bible believing church or another believer in Christ to get your questions answered. I cannot stress enough that the time is coming where everyone will make a choice to accept or reject Christ. This is a life-saving decision and I pray you make the right choice!

Thy Word:

Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl:

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! “

Parable of the Fishing Net:

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth:

When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.”

Matthew 13:44-58 NLT

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My Thoughts: Isn’t it magnificent to think that heaven is worth so much we will willingly sell everything we own to gain it? Yet, I know so many people who will not part with their past, let alone their belongings, to gain such a treasure!

I’ve seen several people pass away and they all had one thing in common: not one single earthly treasure left with them. The body may have been wrapped in the richest garments and jewels, a resting place might have been in the finest, ornate tomb, but it only houses an empty shell (our body) because the soul takes nothing when it leaves.

“For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.” Psalms 49:17 NLT

“After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” 1 Timothy 6:7 NLT

Jesus warned: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

This last verse is more personal than I normally like to discuss. You see, I come from a family of hoarders. If asked they would deny they are hoarders because they consider themselves to be ‘bargain treasure seekers.’ Unfortunately many of their bargains hang in their closets with the tags still attached, or stay hidden in drawers never to be used until they rot or turn yellow from age. Worse, often those purchases stay in their original sacks on the floor alongside many more sacks.

When I realized the Lord wanted me to share a story about my Mother it made me incredibly sad. It’s honestly not how I remember her and I hope I can honor her in such a way it’s not the only thing you remember either.

My Mother (God rest her soul), became a terrible hoarder in the last ten years of her life. She and her husband (my step-father) had rooms that were inaccessible, hallways lined with filled boxes and bins, as well as cabinets and drawers that were overflowing. Their kitchen cabinets and the floor around their dining table were filled with every appliance a cook would ever want to try, and there was more food than either of them could ever eat. In fact, many of their food items were expired.

As a reminder, my Mother wasn’t always a hoarder…., but during what I would consider some of the best years of her life, her health took a terrible decline and she became mostly housebound. The claustrophobia and depression that followed increased her ‘desire to acquire’ and decreased her sense of logic. Yes, she was seeing a doctor but that is another nightmare story we won’t address in this blog.

After she passed away, we (her five children) and her late husband had to address the mess of the earthly treasures she left behind. They robbed us all from having a normal grieving process.

Sadly, every single thing she treasured either sold in garage sales for a fraction of the original cost, or were donated to charity. Our only consolation was that we knew Mother was in heaven where she no longer had to suffer from the physical pain and mental illness that brought on these unhealthy habits.

My Mother was the bravest woman I ever knew. She came from an abusive alcoholic family, and unfortunately she married an abusive, alcoholic who was also mentally ill (my father) and had five children. When my baby sister was less than a year old we escaped from him and Mother single handedly raised all five of us. She worked three jobs to make ends meet, and can I tell you the ends never met. When my older sister was 14 and I was 13, we lied about our age and went to work to help pay the bills. Two years later, my brother (at 13) did the same and he also helped with the rising cost of feeding and caring for a family of six. Life was hard, but the memories we all have are the sacrifices she made so we could have a better life, not those last crazy years where she fell into the trap of acquiring earthly treasures.

I suspect many more than just my family suffers from ‘storing up treasures’ in this world. Who among us have garages filled to the max with no room for their cars? Closets filled with clothing and shoes we never wear? Perhaps we have food in our pantries or food that will expire before it can be eaten? I bet there are many reading this blog who have also sought the wrong treasures.

It is time for us to let go of the things that clutter our home, our heart, and our mind, and consider the choice pearls we should be seeking:

• Memories
• Relationships
• Extending compassion for others
• Spending time instead of money

Jesus says “wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” What do the treasures in your life say about the status of your heart?

This brings us right into the next parable of the fishing net. Jesus tells us we also need to take inventory and sort through our own fishing nets (the relationships we treasure in our lives). Are we keeping company with the good ‘fish’ and throwing out the bad? Are these relationships helping us to grow and become better people or leading us into a path of destruction?

Jesus says clearly: the angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace.

Every relationship we have should bring opportunities to grow in righteousness, and likewise, as followers of Christ, we are to be a man or woman who also teach and train in righteousness.

Our last parable seems unrelated, but it is one final warning from Jesus: as followers of Christ we will face rejection. More often than not, the harshest rejection can be from our own family or hometown, the very people who know us and love us.

If you read my testimony, I didn’t become a believer until I was in my 40’s and my children were grown and gone from home. How shocked do you think they and other family members were (and still are!) when I went from being a strong willed, fearful, bitter woman, to a woman who struggles to look and act more like Christ daily because He has called me to be different? It can sometimes be a lonely existence because many no longer feel comfortable around me.

I am not ashamed of my calling, I am not ashamed of the gospel, and I am not ashamed that I am a follower of Jesus. I wish I were a perfect example of what it looks like to be all of those things, but people, I’m still trying to get it right every day and it’s not always easy or painless. But, I will always choose Jesus first, and if I mess up, I get up, I ask for His forgiveness, and I try again. Amen.

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Closing Prayer:  

Father God, thank you for the reminder that we are to be very selective about the treasures we gather in our lives and hearts. I thank You for treasuring me and for providing me and my siblings with an absolutely amazing Mother. She showed us over and over how much she loved and treasured us next to You. I look forward to seeing her again one day in Heaven with You. Father, help us to know what relationships You want us to keep in our lives so we can remain focused on growing in our relationship and witness of and for You. Guide us and comfort us when we encounter opposition and rejection, especially from those we love the most. We love you, Father and pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.