The Way

Jesus Gave Three Responses To The Pharisees' Challenge

2011-08-12T05:30:00.033-04:00

1) He wasn’t going to be their puppet and try and come up with some miracle that they would accept. Instead He would give them the ultimate sign in just a few years, the resurrection of the dead, victory over death and hell "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40)

2011-08-11T05:30:00.027-04:00

Jesus warned the Pharisees that their words gave evidence of the evil in their hearts. The sin against the Holy Spirit is not a matter of speech; the words spoken are only evidence of a sin-filled heart "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything

What Is The Unforgivable Sin?

2011-08-10T05:30:00.014-04:00

But what is this terrible thing that Jesus talked about next, 23:31-32) Was it limited to the Pharisees, or can such an unforgivable sin be committed today, and if so, how? The context of this passage is the Lord's indictment of the Pharisees for attributing the origin of His power and the validity of His claims to the devil. The unforgivable sin is the rejection of the true power behind

Jesus' Response to the Pharisees In Three Parts

2011-08-09T05:30:00.037-04:00

1) Satan is a formidable enemy. Sometimes a person tries to resist evil without first submitting to God, and Satan pays no attention to that. Jesus said "If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?" (Matthew 12:26)Satan wouldn't be very likely to drive himself out, because that would divide his own kingdom and weaken his base of power. Only someone

The Pharisees Accuse Jesus of Working With The Devil

2011-08-07T05:30:00.027-04:00

The man who was brought to Jesus was in pretty rough shape. He was blind, he couldn’t speak, and he was being oppressed by a demon. When Jesus delivered him, All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” (Matthew 12:23)but the Pharisees accused Jesus of using the devil’s power, They said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out

Blended Gospels: Jesus Casts Out A Demon

2011-08-06T05:30:00.044-04:00

Then [Jesus] went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind." Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when

God Does Not Leave Sin Unpunished

2011-08-05T05:30:00.031-04:00

When John was beheaded, all the seventy people Jesus had sent out with the gospel had also just come back to debrief with Him. They were very tired, having not even had time to eat. It was Passover, there were many more thousands of people than usual in Jerusalem at that time. Emotions were already high. John’s death made matters even worse. They had to have felt shock that John had been

The Night John The Baptist Died

2011-08-04T05:30:00.041-04:00

Finally, one night, Herodias recognized her opportunity. It was right before the Passover, and Herod was having a big party. There was drinking and carousing, and high spirits. Herodias knew she could manipulate her daughter into getting what she wanted. So she sent Salome into the party to do some pole dancing, hoping a drunk and lustful Herod would make rash promises. He did. There

Background on Herod

2011-08-03T05:30:00.002-04:00

On the night that the Lord Jesus was born, Herod the Great ruled all of Palestine. Herod the Great was the one the wise men came to asking about the baby and the star. Herod the Great was the one who ordered the slaughter of all the baby boys in Bethlehem. It was no big deal to him. He had numerous sons and daughters of his own, by ten wives, and he killed them, too, when he thought they

Blended Gospels: John The Baptist's Death

2011-08-02T05:30:00.013-04:00

Finally an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my

Blended Gospels: Women Support Jesus

2011-08-01T05:30:00.024-04:00

Soon afterward Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: 1) Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 2) and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, 3) and Susanna, 4) and many others, who

Jesus Forgives Sin

2011-07-31T05:30:00.138-04:00

The woman who had entered Simon the Pharisee's home to perfume Jesus' feet was a notorious sinner. Traditionally she has been called a prostitute, but the text is not so specific. She was probably not Mary Magdalene, who was introduced after this story. In the ancient world it apparently was common to allow people to enter the home where a meal was being held in honor of a major teacher, or

Blended Gospels: A Woman Bringing Perfume

2011-07-30T05:30:00.015-04:00

One of the Pharisees asked [Jesus] to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the

"Come To Me, You Who Are Weary"

2011-07-29T05:30:00.032-04:00

Having said the negative, Jesus now gave the positive, beginning with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to His Father “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do." (Matthew 11:25-26)Those who come with a childlike heart, open, trusting

Some Thoughts on Judgment

2011-07-28T05:30:00.021-04:00

Jesus' teaching on the fate of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, as compared with Bethsaida, Chorazim and Capernaum, seem to indicate that there are degrees of punishment in the judgment of God. Though there is not a lot written in the New Testament about this teaching, it does show that even in judgement God is just and fair. Judgment is meted out according to the light given to the individual.

Jesus Denounces Coldness

2011-07-27T05:26:00.028-04:00

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than

Jesus Then Taught The Crowds

2011-07-26T05:30:00.002-04:00

What The Lord Jesus said next is difficult to understand, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12)- It could mean that the gospel had been forcefully advancing in spite of opposition. - Or, it could mean that the gospel was being violently opposed. Either way John was like Elijah in that he

Jesus' Answer to John

2011-07-25T05:30:00.005-04:00

Jesus answered John from the prophetic book of Isaiah, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." (Matthew 11:4-5)that’s the text John the Baptist most often preached from. Sinners must be restored first before God will come to rule the

Why Did John the Baptist Question Jesus?

2011-07-24T05:30:00.002-04:00

After sending the disciples off to preach and teach in pairs, Jesus began to teach in the disciples' hometowns. This is where John the Baptist’s disciples found Him and asked Him the question their rabbi, John the Baptist, had given them: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3)John was genuinely doubting whether the message he’d preached was all true, and

Blended Gospels: John The Baptist's Question

2011-07-23T05:30:00.007-04:00

Now when John's disciples reported all these things to him in prison, about the deeds of the Christ, John called two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And when the men had come to [Jesus], they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"

Blended Gospels: A Widow's Son Is Restored to Life

2011-07-22T05:30:00.000-04:00

Soon afterward [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then he came up

Blended Gospels: A Centurian's Servant Is Healed

2011-07-21T05:30:00.001-04:00

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, appealing to him, "Lord, [the centurian's] servant is lying

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Jesus' Authority

2011-07-20T05:30:00.033-04:00

Everyone who heard Jesus recognized that what He was teaching came straight from God And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28-29)The scribes and Pharisees spoke from “the authorities” of past rabbis and experts of the law. But Jesus spoke with the voice of God

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Foundation

2011-07-19T05:30:00.035-04:00

4) The Lord Jesus Christ's fourth warning was to watch out that you don’t build on the wrong foundation for life, which is anything else besides God’s Son The real key to this verse is not hearing, or even understanding Jesus’ teaching. -->The real key, the crux of the matter, is whether you put Jesus’ teaching into practice in your life<-- Wisdom is not the extent of what you know. Ph.D’s in

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Focus

2011-07-18T05:30:00.002-04:00

3) The Lord Jesus Christ's third warning was to watch out for the wrong assumptions about good deeds, which ignore relationship with God’s Son The test for a claim to Christianity is whether or not we have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Teachers

2011-07-17T05:30:00.001-04:00

2) The Lord Jesus Christ's second warning was to watch out for the wrong teachers, who undermine God’s Son's teaching "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15)Not all teachers are true, truth can be violated. False teachers usually conceal their hostility to the gospel, and will try to blend in with true believers. They’

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Is The "Narrow Gate" Legalism?

2011-07-16T05:30:00.026-04:00

How often do you deny yourself in the course of an ordinary day? How often do let go of your own rights, as you view them, for the sake of what’s better for someone else? People, as a rule, don’t like discipline and self-sacrifice, so this narrow way is often accused of being legalism. What have you accused as being legalistic, recently? Legalism exalts law above grace. * Legalism

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Gate

2011-07-15T05:30:00.005-04:00

Jesus’ warnings begin with two gates, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." (Matthew 7:13)God the Father will become the of each person who believes in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Narrow Gate. Watch out for the wrong gate, it won't lead you into the kingdom of heaven, it will lead you to

Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Warnings

2011-07-14T05:30:00.003-04:00

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits, for each tree is known by its own

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Fourth Command, The Golden Rule

2011-07-13T05:30:00.001-04:00

4) The Lord Jesus’ fourth command was to reverence God the Father, Creator of us all by doing to others what we would have them do to us, "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)Just as you and I ask God for good gifts, and He gives them, so we must share those good things with others: * Love, * Forgiveness, *

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Third Command, Ask-Seek-Knock

2011-07-12T05:30:00.001-04:00

How do you and I gain discernment to tell who to talk with and what to talk about? 3) The Lord Jesus’ third command was to pray, Since He is the Sustainer of all things by the power of His word, it is wise to pray to your Father in heaven, Who will give you the good you need “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)Ask –

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Second Command, Keep What Is Sacred

2011-07-11T05:30:00.026-04:00

2) The Lord Jesus’ second command was to Reverence the Father by not giving what is sacred to those who despise God, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6)Pearls are formed slowly over time, layer by beautiful layer, covering a grain of sand that started out as an

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, How Not To Judge

2011-07-10T05:30:00.002-04:00

The Lord Jesus Christ's command not to judge has often been misinterpreted to mean accepting people in every condition without any thought of what is good or bad, true or false, right or wrong. We’re afraid of being called "intolerant" or "phobic." "Not judging" has become, in our society, a completely permissive attitude, afraid to use sober discernment in the matter of right and wrong.

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Judging Others

2011-07-09T05:30:00.005-04:00

If I were to ask you what you thought the biggest need in the Christian community were today, what would you say? What do Christians today need more than anything else? What would you say to wisdom? * Wouldn’t you like to know how to respond to the people in your life in a way that would actually help them? * Wouldn’t you like to know when you should speak, and when you should keep quiet?

Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Judgmentalism

2011-07-08T05:30:00.003-04:00

"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Worry, Continued

2011-07-07T05:30:00.029-04:00

What are you worried about right now? Every time you catch yourself thinking anxious thoughts, ask yourself, • Am I remembering the truth about God? • Do these thoughts honor God? • Is this what God thinks about this subject? • Do my thoughts cast doubt on God’s goodness, do they elevate my own importance or desires? • Would my thoughts bring God pleasure? • Are they grounded in

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Worry

2011-07-06T05:30:00.047-04:00

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25Worry and anxiety aren’t just trivial problems. Worry is really a form of unbelief. Worry is sin. Maybe that feels unfair, but please don’t be discouraged. Recognizing that the emotional pain of

Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Wealth as God's Rival

2011-07-05T05:30:00.071-04:00

If you and I worship wealth, then we will find ourselves emotionally, spiritually and materially impoverished. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19)* We will view the wealth God has given us as really our own wealth and not His, and worry about whether our wealth is secure. * We’ll worry if

Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Wealth

2011-07-04T05:30:00.001-04:00

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Fasting

2011-07-03T05:30:00.031-04:00

Jesus' third example of religious hypocrisy concerned (C) Fasting: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:16)The only fast that God required of His people was on the day of atonement, but the Pharisees fasted twice a week, Monday and Thursday,

Jesus' Sermon: The Lord's Prayer

2011-07-02T05:30:00.036-04:00

The Lord Jesus gave a pattern for prayer to His disciples “This, then, is how you should pray" (Matthew 6:9)(1) Beginning with worship and reverent love, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9)Believe that you are in the throne room of God, kneeling at His feet, with His hand lovingly placed on you. He is your Father, and you are His favored child, part of His family, and

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Prayer

2011-07-01T05:30:00.053-04:00

The second of Jesus' examples of hypocritical religion concerned prayer (B) Prayer: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:5)All prayer is meant to be for God. Prayer is talking with God. You and I speak to God in

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Giving

2011-06-30T05:30:00.002-04:00

The first of Jesus' three examples on hypocritical religion concerned (A) Giving: “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:2)To the Pharisees giving money was the most sacred of all religious acts. In fact the Jews

Jesus' Sermon: Going Deeper

2011-06-29T05:30:00.006-04:00

Let’s pretend that you’re single and you meet the man or woman of your dreams. This person is amazing -- everything you could have ever imagined a beloved could be, and more. All the others just adore him or her, including you. Now let’s pretend you and this person start seeing each other. Yeah! But you begin to notice something kind of funny. Your beloved only pays attention to you when

Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon on the Mountainside, Going Deeper

2011-06-28T05:30:00.002-04:00

"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be

Jesus' Sermon: Daily Application of the Law

2011-06-27T05:30:00.005-04:00

Think of someone you know you're supposed to love, and you can hardly admit to yourself, let alone anyone else, but you just don't love them. You're searching around in your heart, and the love simply isn't there. + Maybe it’s a family member, or an in-law. + Maybe it’s someone you work with, + Or that neighbor you dread seeing. How willing are you to commit, every day, to getting

Jesus' Sermon: The Law of Love

2011-06-26T05:30:00.004-04:00

The overall message you and I should be understanding in this passage is that there is no way we can, on our own, do what Jesus is saying here. Even if we could muster up the kind of faultless and unflagging outward obedience that the scribes and Pharisees prided themselves in, we would still never make it in. We’d have to exceed that kind of righteousness. "Be perfect, therefore, as your

Jesus' Sermon: Perfection in the Law

2011-06-25T05:30:00.016-04:00

(6) Jesus sixth and final illustration in today’s text has to do particularly with love. Each time Jesus says the word “love” in this passage, He is using the word “agape,” meaning God's kind of love: pure, unselfish, sacrificial. * You think about the other person and what would be the very best for them, even if there is a personal cost to you. * The kind of love that flows out from the

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law is Love

2011-06-24T05:30:00.039-04:00

Jesus was saying that love is generous. You and I can recognize that we have received everything in abundance from God, so you we can give liberally, gladly, and freely. We can freely give * love, * help, * money, * care * ... and whatever else God gives us to give. Give what you have, give it generously, give in love and wisdom, just as God gives you what He has, freely and

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Retaliation

2011-06-23T05:30:00.006-04:00

(5) The fifth illustration has to do with retaliation, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' (Matthew 5:38)This was a famous law even in Jesus’ day, what the Romans called the “Lex Talionis,” the law of “tit for tat.” It was an ancient and universal law, found even in the Code of Hammurabi. When God gave this law, it was for mercy. Before this law,

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Contracts

2011-06-22T05:30:00.007-04:00

(4) The fourth illustration has to do with being genuine and keeping our promises. Your character should be so honest that people who know you know they can believe what you say. Words depend on character, and oaths can’t compensate for poor character. You and I are to be trustworthy the way God is trustworthy. As God’s people you and I are to be known as utterly truthful all the time, no

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Divorce

2011-06-21T05:30:00.003-04:00

(3) It makes sense, then, that right after speaking on adulture Jesus went straight into the third illustration, about marriage and divorce. Jesus was referring to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which explains that a man could divorce his wife if she displeased him in some way. All he had to do was give her a certificate of divorce, then they both could move on to marry someone else. But Jesus said

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Adultery

2011-06-20T05:30:00.012-04:00

(2) Jesus’ next illustration is about adultery. Adultery is any sex that happens outside of your marriage. People who love as Christ loves do not commit adultery. When two people allow their physical passions to sweep them away, the reason is not that they love each other too much. The reason is that they each love their own pleasure too much and love each other too little. In real

Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Anger

2011-06-19T05:30:00.004-04:00

Jesus gave six illustrations of what He meant by “righteousness that exceeds the scribes and the Pharisees.” (1) Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the

Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Intention of the Law

2011-06-18T05:30:00.008-04:00

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there

The Beatitudes: Light

2011-06-17T05:30:00.007-04:00

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16The Jews were very familiar with this

Beatitudes: Salt Of The Earth

2011-06-16T05:30:00.003-04:00

It seems like Jesus was starting a whole new subject, about salt and light. But He was actually continuing the theme of true righteousness. The Pharisees were concerned only with external righteousness. They tended to think of themselves as faultless when it came to spiritual matters, faultless before God and before people. In fact, it wasn’t until the former Pharisee, apostle Paul,

Beatitudes: Persecution

2011-06-15T05:30:00.036-04:00

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."(Matthew 5:10-12)* If you are persecuted for

Beatitudes: Purity And Peace

2011-06-14T05:30:00.006-04:00

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)The idea here is of something that has nothing added to it. It’s wine that hasn’t been watered down, gold that is 24 karat. It is unadulterated. It has been purged of everything but itself; it is completely clean. Using that sense of being unadulterated, purity also refers to a singleness of purpose, loving with a whole heart

Beautitudes: Mercy

2011-06-13T05:30:00.007-04:00

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Matthew 5:7)Mercy is always undeserved. If it were deserved then it wouldn’t be mercy, it would be justice. Jesus stated a principle that runs all through the New Testament: Judgment without mercy is given to those who show no mercy. The Bible goes so far as to say that if you refuse to forgive someone, then you are not receiving

The Beatitudes: Hunger And Thirst

2011-06-12T05:30:00.001-04:00

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6)What do you hunger and thirst for? * For a certain someone to love you? * To have a particular house, or job? * To have a baby? * To have more money, or possessions? * To have beauty, or influence, or success? Do you and I want righteousnes as much as we hunger for those kind of things? Do

The Beatitudes: Meekness

2011-06-11T05:30:00.002-04:00

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5) Meekness is submission to God. When you submit to God, you end up rising above your circumstances. You want God so badly, and you are so aware of coming short, that you are able to take any help, any correction, any honest criticism that will help you to come closer to God and become more like Him. You will submit to God’s

The Beautitudes: Blessedness

2011-06-10T05:30:00.007-04:00

In each of these first eleven verses Jesus used the word “blessed.” It was a powerful word to the people who were listening to Jesus. It meant “divine joy and perfect happiness.” * It is the kind of inner satisfaction and sufficiency that God experiences. * It is the kind of serene, untouchable, self-contained joy that stays the same, regardless of what’s happening around you. Happiness

The Beatitudes: Genuine Righteousness

2011-06-09T05:30:00.002-04:00

I was cleaning out my refrigerator the other day. My good refrigerator had some bad food, and even the bad food was disguised on the outside. I cut open some perfectly good looking avocados, perfect color and texture, but they were black inside. I sent my husband to work with some plump, firm green grapes, and when he bit into them, just about every one had gone bad. I opened a bag of

Jesus' Sermon on a Mountainside

2011-06-08T05:30:00.001-04:00

And [Jesus] came down with the [apostles] and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed

God's call

2011-06-07T05:30:00.004-04:00

God calls regular people to work for Him Jesus saw His disciples' potential, He knew what each person was capable of. God sees our potential, too. You and I are regular people, called to share in God’s extraordinary work. Everything He brings into your life is God’s tool to develop your potential and make you an effective laborer in the harvest. God is equipping you right now, even as you

Jesus Named The Twelve Apostles

2011-06-06T05:30:00.001-04:00

The apostles came out of a large group of disciples, possibly a couple of hundred people. One morning, after praying through the night, Jesus carefully selected twelve men, whom He designated as apostles and ...gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. [Matthew 10:1b] God doesn't wait to see what a person is going to decide before

Blended Gospels: Jesus Chooses Twelve Disciples

2011-06-05T05:30:00.000-04:00

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. The names of the twelve apostles he appointed are these: (1) Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter

Jesus Withdrew

2011-06-04T05:30:00.000-04:00

The Pharisees were furious with this challenge to their authority, and their position among the people. They had been demoted and undercut. They made a settled determination to put Jesus to death, which fell squarely withing the rabbinical law that whoever transgressed the Sabbath had to be stoned to death. This was their plan for Jesus, a holy killing. The Lord’s response to their hatred

Blended Gospels: Jesus Healed Multitudes

2011-06-03T05:30:00.002-04:00

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had

How To Really Keep The Sabbath Holy

2011-06-02T05:30:00.007-04:00

Jesus and His disciples had only recently been confronted by the scribes and Pharisees for walking through a field and eating some of the ripe grain along the way. Now, on a Sabbath soon afterwards, Jesus walked into a synagogue, probably to teach. He noticed a man whose right hand was obviously withered. Surrounding Him, and the man, were Pharisees, standing on tiptoe and holding their

Blended Gospels: The Next Sabbath Controversy

2011-06-01T05:30:00.002-04:00

On another Sabbath, [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take

Jesus Gave Four Well-Reasoned Responses

2011-05-31T05:30:00.000-04:00

1) First, He referred to Israel’s history, when king David and his men were hungry. The priest had mercy on David’s men and allowed them to eat the consecrated bread meant only for priests. --> Jesus was far greater than David, He was the Son of God. Didn’t it make sense to show mercy to Jesus’ disciples? 2) Next, the Lord referred to Israel’s levitical laws. It was necessary for the

Scribes and Pharisees Rebuke Jesus for Shucking Wheat

2011-05-30T14:31:00.000-04:00

The Hebrew word “Sabbath” means “repose or rest,” which helps to explain why Matthew put Jesus’ teaching about the Sabbath at this point in his gospel – it comes right after Jesus’ statement at the end of Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find

Healed!!

2011-05-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

Just a short note to let you know that The Way is back up and running and I will start posting again a little later today. Shalom If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment by clicking on the word "comments" below, and join the conversation

Blended Gospels: Jesus and His Disciples Harvest Grain on the Sabbath

2011-05-13T05:30:00.000-04:00

One Sabbath [Jesus] was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he

Court Witnesses That Testify To Jesus' Deity (The Weightiest Witness)

2011-05-12T05:30:00.001-04:00

5) Moses was the weightiest witness of all, to the scribes and teachers of the law "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me." [John 5:45b-46]The Pharisees considered themselves the disciples of Moses and were extremely proud of their connection with

Court Witnesses That Testify To Jesus' Deity (Next Three Witnesses)

2011-05-11T05:30:00.000-04:00

2) The works Jesus had a much greater witness than John the Baptist "But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me." [John 5:36]The works the Father gave to Jesus would include not only the healings He had done so far, but feeding thousands of

Court Witnesses That Testify To Jesus' Deity (First Witness)

2011-05-10T05:30:00.019-04:00

In our day and age of science, we ask: where’s the proof? Why take someone’s word for it? Jesus put forward five proofs, five witnesses to His claims. Of course Jesus was His own witness, but He knew the religious leaders would not accept His word. They were sitting in judgment over the Lord, and would require at least two witnesses. So He mentioned a mystery witness There is another who

Jesus Plans To Raise Many To Life

2011-05-09T05:30:00.051-04:00

God the Father’s plan was to have many more sons and daughters, to be like His Son "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." [John 5:24]The Father makes Himself to be the Father of all who believe in the Lord Jesus. Belief gives evidence to the presence of the Father's

The Unity Of The Father And The Son

2011-05-08T05:30:00.007-04:00

GOD THE FATHER (1) The Father loves the Son and shows Him everything the Father is doing, a carefully planned work that was unfolding just as Father and Son intended. "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel" [John 5:20] The greater things mentioned in this verse would continue to the cross, to

Jesus Reveals Christianity's "E=MC2"

2011-05-07T05:30:00.003-04:00

The most famous mathematical equation in the world today is E=MC2. Einstein figure that out. Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. This is the formula that transforms matter, like plutonium, or uranium, into energy. It’s just a simple little equation, but it has profoundly changed all of our lives. It’s what we talk about – who has nuclear power and what will they with it?

Jesus Re-Casts the Sabbath

2011-05-06T05:30:00.005-04:00

At first the religious authorities were persecuting Jesus because He was, “Doing these things” on the Sabbath. Jesus had already healed a demoniac on the Sabbath, recorded in Luke. He was healing people on the Sabbath, and in Matthew’s gospel, defending His disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath. The Lord was honoring the Sabbath according to the heart of God, but He was also deliberately

Blended Gospels: Jesus Reveals His Identity

2011-05-05T05:30:00.005-04:00

[This is a pretty incredible passage, so even though it's a bit longish, please try to read through the whole thing] And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." Jesus Is Equal with God This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only

By The Bethesda Pool: Keeping The Sabbath

2011-05-04T05:30:00.003-04:00

The apostle John gave an important detail to this story, ...Now that day was the Sabbath. [John 5:9b]All this happened on the Sabbath. Jesus must have gone to the temple to worship, and as He walked out, He saw that great colonnaded Pool of Bethesda and was drawn to all those in need there. What He did was completely in keeping with what God said pleases Him in keeping the Sabbath, as you can

By The Bethesda Pool: Get Up And Walk

2011-05-03T05:30:00.003-04:00

Jesus didn’t offer to help the man get more comfortable! --> He didn’t encourage him to hang in there, maybe he could get to the pool next time. --> Jesus didn’t even offer to help the man get to the pool. --> Instead Jesus told him, “Get up.” I think the man must have been a little startled, right? He'd been lying down for 38 years, unable to do much of anything. But Jesus’ voice had

By The Bethesda Pool....Sick For A Loooooooong Time

2011-05-02T05:30:00.032-04:00

John doesn’t name the feast Jesus went to. Based on the sequence of events, this feast probably was in the early fall (Others surmise that it might have been a little earlier, the Passover Festival in the spring of A.D. 28). As Jesus was in town, He came to a famous pool, the Pool of Bethesda, that was fed by a subterranean spring which caused the pool to rise and fall - to move - at certain

Blended Gospels: Jesus Heals A Man By The Bethesda Pool

2011-05-01T05:30:00.004-04:00

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long

Grace Bursting At The Seams!

2011-04-30T05:30:00.035-04:00

Jesus used three illustrations to explain His answer to John the Baptist's disciples. The first illustration was about how the guests at a wedding couldn't possibly think about fasting with the joyful Bridegroom among them. 2) The second illustration was a well-known parable about the impossibility of mixing the old with the new. Putting a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment would cause

Why Didn't The Disciples Fast?

2011-04-29T05:30:00.028-04:00

Matthew’s banquet drew out another group of people who were having trouble accepting Jesus’ ways: John the Baptist's disciples. They were fasting, as were the Pharisees, yet here were Jesus and His disciples having a big feast. John the Baptist was known for his devout personal discipline, and his disciples admired him for it, they copied John the Baptist. So they asked Jesus "Why do John’s

The Pharisees Have a Problem: Eating With Sinners

2011-04-28T05:30:00.005-04:00

The word used for “sinner” in this passage actually refered to notoriously evil people as well as those who refused to follow the Mosaic law as interpreted by the teachers of the law. Anyone eating with these "sinners" was assigning friendship to them and ran the risk of ceremonial uncleanness. Matthew wanted his friends to be able to experience the same forgiveness and joy that Jesus had

Blended Gospels: A Question About Fasting

2011-04-27T05:30:00.004-04:00

And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and sinners reclining with Jesus, eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And when the Pharisees, and the scribes of the Pharisees saw this, they grumbled and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he

Blended Gospels: Matthew Levi

2011-04-26T05:30:00.036-04:00

[Jesus] went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew (Levi, son of Alphaeus), a tax collector, sitting at his tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. [Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:13-14, Luke 5:27-28 ESV] ----------------------------------------

Which Is Easier: To Forgive or to Heal?

2011-04-25T05:30:00.002-04:00

Some of the teachers of the law didn’t like what was happening, And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." [Matthew 9:3].There were about 6,000 Pharisees, called "separated ones," throughout Israel. They were the teachers in the synagogues, religious examples, self-appointed guardians of the law and its proper observance. They considered their own

Jesus Forgives and Heals

2011-04-24T05:30:00.008-04:00

The Lord Jesus was probably teaching in Peter’s home at the beginning of this chapter, And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. [Matthew 9:2a]What is your response to great need in the people in your life? How involved are you willing to get, to help them? Typically, a Palestinian house had a flat roof accessible by means of an outside staircase. The roof was often

Blended Gospels: Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2011-04-23T05:30:00.004-04:00

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. As he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with

Jesus Touches the Leper, and Heals Him

2011-04-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

Jesus' love and compassion extended to even those ostracized from society, those who were considered so unclean they were not even allowed within the city limits, for no one is beyond the reach of the Lord's love. "You can make me clean," had a double meaning -- to cleanse the leprosy, certainly, but it also meant spiritual cleansing, that his sins might be forgiven -- remember that miracles

Blended Gospels: The Healing of a Leper

2011-04-21T05:30:00.004-04:00

While [Jesus] was in one of the cities, a leper came to him, full of leprosy, imploring him, he fell on his face, [then] kneeling, begged him and said to him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and

Jesus' Training Through Prayer, Teaching And Acts of Mercy

2011-04-20T05:30:00.006-04:00

Jesus’ greatest ministry was to His disciples, training them to carry on the work of the gospel when He would go into heaven. With His disciples now learning from Him, Jesus added teaching to His preaching, explaining what scripture was saying, and how it pertained to Messiah, what Messiah was doing and would do: And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming

Jesus' First Tour of Galilee

2011-04-19T05:30:00.001-04:00

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns,