DISCIPLES: HIS TESTIMONY, THEIR TESTIMONY

TEXT: JOHN 1:35-51 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/?q=john1&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE – John 1:35-51

DISCIPLES

The next day when John the Baptist, along with two of his disciples saw Jesus again, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When these disciples of John began following Jesus he asked them what they wanted, they asked him where he was staying and he told them to come and see. After following and spending the day with him, the first thing one of them (Andrew) did was to find his brother Simon to tell him they had found the Messiah after which he brought him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus told Simon his new name was Peter.

Going to Galilee the next day, Jesus found Philip and told him to follow him after which Philip went to find his brother Nathaniel telling him they had found Jesus of Nazareth - the one Moses and the prophets had written about as the coming Messiah. When Nathaniel discounted what his brother told him because where Jesus came from was considered a despicable place, Philip told him to come and see for himself. As Nathaniel approached and Jesus called him a true Israelite - a man of integrity, Nathaniel asked Jesus how he knew this about him to which Jesus said he had seen where he was sitting under a fig tree studying the Law when his brother Philip had come to get him. Amazed at Jesus’ knowledge of this, Nathaniel confessed Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel at which point Jesus told Nathaniel that if he believed he was the Messiah because of this, as a man of greater integrity than Jacob, he would be witness to much greater things to come such as seeing Jacob's dream come alive with heaven opening and God’s angels ascending and descending on the him - the Son of Man.

PRINCIPLES – John 1:35-51

I. John told his first century readers that disciples began following Jesus.

II. What did John tell his first century readers why disciples began following Jesus?

III. John told his first century readers that disciples began following Jesus because of:

A. Jesus’ Testimony
1.. Jesus said “Come and See.” v. 39
2. Jesus said “Follow Me.” v. 43
3. Jesus said to Nathaniel he had seen him under the fig tree. v. 48
4. Jesus said the angels of God would ascend and descend on him. v. 50

B. Other’s Testimony
1. John the Baptist said he was the Lamb of God. v. 36
2. Andrew said he was the Messiah. v. 41
3. Philip said he was the one Moses wrote about. v. 45
4. Nathaniel said he was the Son of God. v. 49

IV. John tells us today that disciples begin following Jesus.

V. What does John tell us today why disciples begin following Jesus?

VI. John tells us today that disciples begin following Jesus because of:

A. Jesus’ Testimony
1.. Jesus tells us “Come and See.” v. 39
2. Jesus tells us “Follow Me.” v. 43
3. Jesus tells us he has seen us. v. 48
4. Jesus tells us the angels of God will ascend and descend on him. v. 50

B. Other’s Testimony
1. John the Baptist tells us he is the Lamb of God. v. 36
2. Andrew tells us he is the Messiah. v. 41
3. Philip tells us he is the one Moses wrote about. v. 45
4. Nathaniel tells us he is the Son of God. v. 49

PRAYER

Our Father, we praise You for Your Lamb.
Our Father, we praise You that Your angels glorify Him.
Our Father, we praise You for Andrew's, Philip's, Nathaniel's & the Baptist's confessions.

Our Father, we thank You that Your Son sees us.
Our Father, we ask when Your Son calls “Come & See” & “Follow Me” we do.
Our Father, we ask as Your Son’s disciples we confess Him as Messiah to others.

Our Father, we pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

THE CHRIST THE NOT-CHRIST

TEXT: JOHN 1:19-34 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=john1&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

THE NOT-CHRIST

When priests were sent to John the Baptist to ask him who he was he told them “I am not the Christ,” so they asked him if he was Elijah or the Prophet and he told them, “No.” When they finally asked him to give them an answer they could take back to the religious leaders in Jerusalem who had sent them, John said, “I am the voice of one calling out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,’ “ using the words of the prophet Isaiah. They then asked John if he wasn’t the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet why he was baptizing people. He told them while his baptism was with water there was someone else among them, who was coming after him, whom he wasn’t even worthy to untie his sandals. This all happened on the other side of the Jordan at Bethany.

THE CHRIST

The day after this, when John saw Jesus coming he called him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and told the people this is who I was talking about when I said there was someone else among you whose sandals I was unworthy to untie. Even though I didn’t know who he was I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed. The one who sent me to baptize with water told me that the one on whom the Spirit comes down from heaven in the form of a dove and remains on is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen this happen and “I testify he is the Son of God.”


PRINCIPLES

I. John told his first century readers who “the Christ” was.

II. How did John tell his first century readers who “the Christ” was?

III. John told his first century readers that “the Christ” was:

A. “Not” John the Baptist, the one who:
(1) Called out in the desert.
(2) Made straight the way of the Lord.
(3) Baptized with water.
(4) Was unworthy to untie his sandals.
(5) Revealed who “the Christ” was.

B. Jesus, the one who:
(1) Was the Lamb of God.
(2) Takes away the sin of the world.
(3) The Spirit came down from heaven on.
(4) Baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
(5) Was the Son of God!

IV. John tells us today who “the Christ” is.

V. How does John tell us today who “the Christ” is?

VI. John tells us today that “the Christ” is:

A. “Not” John the Baptist, the one who:
(1) Called out in the desert.
(2) Made straight the way of the Lord.
(3) Baptized with water.
(4) Was unworthy to untie his sandals.
(5) Revealed who “the Christ” was.

B. Jesus, the one who:
(1) Is the Lamb of God.
(2) Takes away the sin of the world.
(3) The Spirit came down from heaven on.
(4) Baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
(5) Is the Son of God!

PRAYER

Our Father, forgive the sins we commit each day that make us unworthy to be in Your presence without the mercy and forgiveness You show to a repentant and contrite heart.

Our Father, we thank You for Your Lamb that takes away the sin of the world and for Your baptism with water and the Holy Spirit.

Our Father, we ask that Your Holy Spirit empower us to be a voice calling out in our barren world, to those who are spiritually thirsty.

Our Father, we ask that Your Holy Spirit empower us to make straight the way of the Lord to those who are seeking Him and like John, help to reveal “the Christ” as the “Son of God” to others through our witness and testimony.

Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

ETERNAL WORD ETERNAL LIFE

TEXT: JOHN 1:1-18 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=john1&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

In the beginning was Jesus Christ, the Word, by whom all things were created, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus Christ was with God from the beginning. Through him everything was made – without him nothing that was made has been made. In him was life which was the light of men that shines in darkness although the darkness has not understood it. God sent John as a witness to testify about the true light coming into the world to give light to all men so that they might believe. John was a witness to the light not the light itself.

Even though he was in the world he had made, the world did not know him and when he came to his own people they rejected who he was. However, to all who received him by believing in who he was he gave the right to become children of God – children born of God rather than by natural descent.

The Word became flesh in Jesus Christ and he lived among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the Holy Father, from whom he came full of His grace and truth. John testifies to this crying out this is the one of whom I said he who comes after me is greater than me because he preceded me. From the abundance of his grace we have all received many blessings. For while the law was given to Moses grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. And while no one has ever seen God, Jesus Christ, who resides at the Father’s side, has made Him known.


PRINCIPLES

I. John tells his first century readers that Jesus Christ is eternal God who was brought into this sinful world by God the Father to make His righteousness and grace known.

II. How does John tell his first century readers that Jesus Christ is the eternal God who was brought into this world by God the Father to make His righteousness and grace known?

III. John tells his first century readers that Jesus Christ was:

A. The Word of God.
(1) Eternal God.
(2) The Creator.
(3) Life & Light!

C. The Word become flesh.
(1) At the Father’s side
(2) God’s glory, grace & truth.
(3) God Incarnate!

B. The Way to God.
(1) Unrecognized by many.
(2) Received by some.
(3) Eternal Life!

IV. John tells us today that Jesus Christ is eternal God who was brought into this sinful world by God the Father to make His righteousness and grace known.

V. How does John tell us today that Jesus Christ is the eternal God who was brought into this world by God the Father to make His righteousness and grace known?

VI. John tells us that Jesus Christ is:

A. The Word of God.
(1) Eternal God.
(2) The Creator.
(3) Life & Light!

B. The Word become flesh.
(1) At the Father’s side.
(2) God’s glory, grace & truth.
(3) God Incarnate!

C. The Way to God.
(1) Unrecognized by many.
(2) Received by some.
(3) Eternal Life!

PRAYER

Our Father, we thank You and give You praise for Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Word, who is eternal, who is God, who was with You from the beginning, and who is the Creator of all things.

Our Father, we praise You for the Life and Light he brought into the world and we ask Your forgiveness when we hide in the darkness of this world, when instead of coming into his Light and Life, we try to cover our sins because of our shame.

Our Father, we ask that Your righteousness which we have received when we believed in Your Son’s Name, in the Name of Jesus Christ – that Your grace that we have received, lead us to repentance and to not fear returning to the Light and Life that Your Son has brought to our lives.

Our Father, we thank You that Your Son made his dwelling place among us and with our belief in his Name that he makes his dwelling place within us, within our hearts through the power of Your Holy Spirit so that we are never separated from Your Love.

Our Father, we thank You for making Yourself known to us through the grace and truth we have received from Your Son’s sacrifice for our sins, for the Eternal Life that this brings and for the darkness that this brings us out of and the Light that this brings us into.

Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

UNBELIEF

TEXT: MATTHEW 12 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew12&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE

Jesus and his disciples are accused by the Pharisees of doing what is unlawful when on the Sabbath they ate from the heads of grain in the field they are walking through. Reminding the Pharisees what David and his companions did when they were hungry and what the Law says about temple priests on the Sabbath, Jesus tells them that as the Messiah he is greater than the temple and that he is Lord of the Sabbath. Because of this, he tells them that if they knew the meaning of what Hosea prophesied God as saying when he wrote: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” they wouldn’t have passed judgment on his disciples who are innocent in what they have done.

Going into the Pharisees’ synagogue they were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, asking him in the presence of a man with a shriveled hand if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. After contrasting the greater good done on the Sabbath in helping a man rather than a pulling a sheep out of a pit, the man’s hand was completely restored when he stretched it out as Jesus instructed him to do. However, after this the Pharisees went out and plotted how they could kill Jesus.

HOPE OF THE WORLD

Aware of the Pharisees intent, Jesus left that place and many with him as he healed all of their illnesses but warned them not to tell others yet that he was the Messiah. And what Jesus was doing fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah said when he spoke:

This is my chosen servant, Whom I love and delight in, My Spirit is on him, He humbly and gently proclaims My righteousness to the world. So that the harassed, helpless, weary and burdened will not be crushed until My righteousness triumphs. In the name of Jesus the world will place their hope.

BLASPHEMY

When Jesus healed a demon possessed man so that he was able to talk and see, the people were amazed and wondered whether he was the Son of David – the Messiah. Instead, the Pharisees reacted by accusing him of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons – Satan. Knowing this, Jesus tells the Pharisees that it makes no sense for Satan to drive out his own demons because if he does, his kingdom can’t stand in the same way that any kingdom divided against itself can’t stand. He asks them in whose name their people drive demons out and tells them that as the Messiah he is driving demons out by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God has come. In other words, Jesus says that you can’t enter a strong man’s house and take his possessions unless you tie up the strong man first, i.e. Satan. And, after doing this you can then rob his house, i.e. the kingdom of God can forcefully advance.

He tells them whoever remains neutral with respect to whether he is the Messiah is really against him because instead of working with him to build up the kingdom of God they are instead working against him to scatter it. He tells them that all sins and blasphemy will be forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, i.e. anyone who speaks blasphemy against Him will be forgiven but anyone who speaks blasphemy against the Holy Spirit by attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan will not be forgiven either now or at the day of judgment.

Jesus tells them that a tree is recognized by its fruit – with good trees producing good fruit and bad trees producing bad trees – indicating that the Pharisees are a brood of vipers who are evil and thus are unable to say anything good. He says that on the day of judgment they will be held accountable for every careless word they have spoken - words that will either acquit or condemn them.

SIGN OF JONAH

When the religious leaders demanded that Jesus show them some dramatic miraculous sign, he calls them a wicked and adulterous generations for trying to test him after failing to believe in the miracles he had done in their midst. He tells them the only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah – indicating that like Jonah who spent three days and nights in the belly of a huge fish before being released, he will spend three days and nights in a grave before being resurrected. He goes on to tell them that the people of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah’s preaching, will condemn their generation on the day of judgment because even though they have one greater than Jonah preaching to them, i.e. the Messiah, they have not repented. He also tells them that the Queen of the Sheba, who traveled a long distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon, will rise on the day of judgment to condemn their generation because even though one with greater wisdom than Solomon is with them, i.e. the Messiah, they fail to listen to him and believe.

He tells them when an evil spirit leaves a man it travels around trying to find places to rest and when it doesn’t find one it returns to the place it left finding it unoccupied, clean and in order – because there has been no change of heart, no acceptance of him as the Messiah, and only continued self-righteousness. Because of this it gets seven more spirits that are more wicked than itself to come and live there as well and in the end the man’s condition is worse than it was at first. He tells them this is the case with their generation that does not believe that he is the Messiah. .

FATHER’S WILL

While he was talking Jesus was notified that his mother and brothers were standing outside and wanted to talk with him. Pointing to his disciples, he said that whoever does the will of his Father is his brother and sister and mother.

PRINCIPLES

I. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT THE PHARISEES DID NOT BELIEVE JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH.

II. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS JESUS ADDRESSED THE PHARISEES’ UNBELIEF?

III. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED THEIR UNBLIEF BY REVEALING HE WAS:

A. LORD OF THE SABBATH.

B. HOPE OF THE NATIONS.

C. HEALER OF ALL DISEASE.

D. JUDGE ON THE LAST DAY.

E. SERVANT OF THE FATHER’S WILL.

IV. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT THE PHARISEES OF TODAY DO NOT BELIEVE JESUS IS THE MESSIAIH.

V. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US JESUS ADDRESSES TODAY’S PHARISEES’ UNBELIEF?

VI. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS ADDRESSES THEIR UNBELIEF BY REVEALING HE IS:

A. LORD OF THE SABBATH.

B. HOPE OF THE NATIONS.

C. HEALER OF ALL DISEASE.

D. JUDGE ON THE LAST DAY.

E. SERVANT OF THE FATHER’S WILL.

PRAYER

Our Father, we thank You for Your Son, the Messiah and that as Lord of the Sabbath he desires mercy not sacrifice.

Our Father, forgive us when like Pharisees we focus on what we do rather than on what Your Son has done to change our heart purifying it from iniquity.

Our Father, we thank You for Your Son that he is our Hope, that he brought Justice to the World that he is our Salvation.

Our Father, we give you praise for Your Son who gave us the sign of Jonah, by spending 3 days and nights in the ground before You resurrected him to life.

Our Father, we give you praise that Your Son through the power of Your Holy Spirit drives our out demons leaving Your indwelling Spirit behind.

Our Father, help us to do Your will that we will be disciples of Your Son.

Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

FORCEFULLY ADVANCING

TEXT: MATTHEW 11 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew11&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

“R U THE 1”

After Jesus had instructed his disciples and was teaching and preaching in Galilee, John the Baptist, having heard what he was doing, sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was “the” Messiah they had been waiting for. Jesus told John’s disciples to go back and tell him what they themselves had witnessed – that he has been doing exactly what Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would do when he came, namely heal all kinds of infirmities, raise the dead and preach good news to the poor. In light of his fulfilling prophecy in this way, he told them that whoever believes in him as the long awaited Messiah and doesn’t reject him receives the blessing of God.

While John’s disciples were leaving Jesus spoke about John to the people asking them a series of rhetorical questions about who they went out into the desert to see, figuratively raising rhetorical questions that describe King Herod to contrast who Herod is with who John is - a prophet. However, Jesus goes on to say that John is no ordinary prophet because when the prophet Malachi spoke for the LORD Almighty, He said the LORD would send a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah. However, Jesus says that even though among all those born of women no one has risen to a greater stature than John in his role as messenger for the Messiah; in the kingdom of heaven, whoever is least is still greater than John, because the least in the kingdom of heaven doesn’t just prepare the way of the Lord, but testifies to the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord. Jesus says from the time of John’s coming until now, his coming as the Messiah, the kingdom of heaven has been moving powerfully forward in the darkness despite the various types of human and spiritual opposition it has been facing. Jesus says that all Prophets and the Law up to John prophesied about his coming as the Messiah and if the people are able to comprehend the Prophet Malachi, John is the Prophet Elijah Malachi prophesied the LORD as saying He would send to prepare the way of the Messiah for the dawning of the kingdom.

Jesus then asks what he can compare this generation to - stating they are like children in the marketplace who call out to the people: We played our flute and you didn’t dance and we sang a funeral song and you didn’t cry. He uses this comparison to say these children are like those in this generation who say John has a demon because of his simple lifestyle with frequent fasting and at the same time say Jesus is a glutton, alcoholic and sinner through his associations with other sinners because he doesn’t lead a simple lifestyle and fast all the time like John. Jesus tells them that wisdom is proved right by its actions, in that both John and he will be vindicated by the way that they live in contrast to the people who talk out of both sides of their mouths at the same time.

“WOE 2 U”

After this, Jesus charged the cities he performed most of his miracles in with their failure to repent. He cried out in pity for the people of Korazin and Bethsaida, telling them that if the miracles he had done in their midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago. He tells Korazin and Bethsaida that judgment day will be better for the people of Tyre and Sidon than for them. And he tells the people of Capernaum they will see Hell on judgment day, unlike the city of Sodom had the people of that city had the chance to see the miracles because had they, their city would have remained to this day because they too would have repented. Because of their lack of repentance, Jesus tells the people of Capernaum that it will also be better for the people of Sodom on judgment day than for them.

"DISCIPLESHIP"

Then Jesus praised his Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for His good will - for hiding the spiritual truth that he is the Messiah from the religious rulers and others who are prideful, thinking they know everything and so don’t need a Savior and for revealing who he is to those with the humility of children, know they don’t know everything and know they need a Savior. Then Jesus said His Father has committed all things to him, that no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and whoever the Son chooses to reveal Him to. Having identified himself as the Son of God by saying this, Jesus called all who are weary and burdened to come to him so he could give them rest, telling the people to become his disciple and learn from him, telling them he is gentle and humble in heart and that by being his disciple they will find rest for their souls. He says that becoming his disciple is easy and that his disciplines are refreshing.


PRINCIPLES

I. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS HAD TO ADDRESS OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH.

II. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH?

III. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSTION TO HIS BEING THE MESSIAH THROUGH:

A. An assertion about his healings.

C. A pronouncement about John.

D. A Judgment concerning the unrepentant.

E. An offer concerning the weary and burdened.


IV. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT JESUS HAD TO ADDRESS OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH.

V. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH?

VI. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE MESSIAH THROUGH:

A. An assertion about his healings.

C. A pronouncement about John.

D. A judgment concerning the unrepentant.

E. An offer concerning the weary and burdened.


PRAYER

Our Father, We praise You for Your Prophet John who prepared the way of the Lord and for Your Son – the Messiah with whose coming Your Kingdom dawned.

Our Father, We thank You for Jesus’ miracles so we would know he was the Messiah, the Christ, Your Son and would know that we are in need of His Liberation, His Salvation because we are unable to save ourselves.

Our Father, Forgive us when like John we question the Messiah in any way at any time when our faith lacks in anyway – LORD help us with our unbelief.

Our Father, we come to Your Son weary and burdened for rest because He is humble and gentle and our souls are in desperate need of rest, now and forever.

Our Father, we come to Your Son to become His disciples, to learn from Him, to train in His disciplines and to be refreshed by them.

Our Father, we pray that as disciples we will go to all nations in Your Son’s Holy Name so that the Kingdom can continue to forcefully advance in the darkness that remains in the world.

Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

LISTEN UP

LISTEN UP

TEXT: MATTHEW 10 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew10&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

CALLING & INSTRUCTIONS

Jesus called out to twelve to be his disciples, his apostles, including: Simon (Peter) and Andrew (his brother); James (Zebedee’s son) and John (his brother); Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew (the tax collector); James (Alphaeus’ son), and Thaddaeus (Jude); Simon (the Zealot) and Judas Iscariot (the betrayer).
Giving them authority to drive out demons and to heal every disease and sickness He sent them out with the following instructions:

You mission is to the lost of Israel, not to the lost Gentiles or Samaritans and your message is that the kingdom of heaven is near. You are to heal those who are sick, raise those who are dead, purify those with leprosy, and drive out demons from those who are possessed.

And do these things free of charge because you received this message, calling and authority for free. And don’t take any money or extra clothes or anything else which could result in you relying on yourselves for provisions while on this mission because God provides for those who do the work of His kingdom through others.
In each town or village you go to look for someone willing and able to take you in while you’re there and when you enter their home greet them with a blessing of peace, but if it turns out they don’t take care of you, let your blessing of peace return to you. Upon entering a town or village, if no one welcomes you or listens to your message shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that home or town as a sign that because of their refusal to offer hospitality and to hear your message you will not be taking any of their dust from their roads from them as you leave either – a symbolical way of marking them as having rejected the My message. Truly, Sodom and Gomorrah will do better on Judgment Day than for any town that rejects you and the message you bring in this way. You need to keep in mind that since you are being sent out like sheep among wolves you need to be as clever as snakes while at the same time being as innocent as doves so that you can be effective and not undermine the message by being too cautious.

You need to be prepared because some of you will be handed over to the local religious councils and you will be flogged in their synagogues. Because of your preaching who I am, others of you will be brought before the Roman governors and the Jewish kings they appoint and will have the opportunity to witness this to them as well. Don’t worry what or how to say it when you are arrested because the Spirit of the Father will speak through you at that time.

Who I am will not only cause men to hate you, it will cause brother to betray brother, fathers to betray their children, and children to rebel against their parents – all to the point of death. But whoever remains faithful to me to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, there is no logical reason to put up with unnecessary persecution when it is clear you and the message you bring are unwanted. You are on a missionary journey for the purpose of helping to build the kingdom of God so move on to another place where your efforts can be productive – don’t stay where you are being persecuted just so you can be martyred. You will not complete the mission I am giving you to go throughout the cities of Israel before I return in judgment of Israel.

Remember that I’ve been called Beelzebub, the prince of demons, by the religious leaders for casting demons out of demon possessed people. So if I the Son of God have been called Satan, you as my disciples will be called the same thing because students and servants are not above their teachers or masters. You need to be prepared for this and know that strange as it may seem the kingdom message will advance in the world in this way.

But do not fear them because the truth of the good news will be brought out into the open despite what others will call you. What I’m telling you, proclaim for all to hear. Another reason not to fear them is because although they can kill you body, they can’t kill your soul; instead fear God who controls your destiny which can be hell where both body and soul are destroyed. Finally, do not fear them because you are more valuable than sparrows and not one of them perishes without it being the will of God – and He knows you so well that He could tell you how many hairs are on your head.

Those who recognize me before men will be recognized before my Father, but those who deny me before men will be denied to my Father. When it comes to the issue of entering the kingdom, I haven’t come to bring peace but a sword because it is “the” issue that will divide people and result in who does and doesn’t enter the kingdom of God. Therefore, my coming will turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law such that the members of a man’s household will become his enemies when his father, mother, son or daughter learn that he loves Me more than them. If he doesn’t, he isn’t worthy of me - just like anyone who fails to sacrifice his life by dying to himself for the sake of others in following me. And a person who works hard to find their life will actually end up losing it in the age to come, while a person who loses their life in the course of following me will find it in the age to come.

Whenever you are received by others, they are also receiving me and my Father who sent me. In the same way, anyone who receives a prophet receives the prophets reward, anyone who receives a righteous man receives the righteous man’s reward, and anyone who gives a cup of cold water to my disciple, one of these little ones, receives my disciple’s reward – the kingdom of God!


PRINCIPLES

1. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT AFTER JESUS CHOOSE TWELVE DISCIPLES HE INSTRUCTED THEM ABOUT THE MISSION HE WAS SENDING THEM ON.

2. WHAT DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIS DISCIPLES WERE FOR THE MISSION HE WAS SENDING THEM ON?


3. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS INSTRUCTED HIS DISCIPLES:

A. They had authority to drive out demons and to heal every sickness and disease.

B. They were to go only to the lost sheep of Israel.

C. They were to preach the message that kingdom of heaven was near.

D. They were to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers and drive out demons.

E. They have received freely from God so they were to give freely to others.

F. They were not to rely on their own provisions but instead to trust in God’s provision.

G. They were to stay with a worthy person and to give them their peace.

H. They were to leave behind the dust on their feet as a testimony against those who wouldn’t welcome or listen to them.

I. They were to be both clever in the way they operated as well as be innocent in the means they used so they didn’t undermine the message by being too cautious.

J. They were to be aware they would be persecuted in their synagogues & that they would witness to the Gentiles through the power of the Holy Spirit.

K. They were to be aware they would be hated because of preaching who Jesus is and they would need to stand firm in their faith about Him.

L. They were to flee to another place when persecuted by those who obviously wouldn’t accept them or their message rather than make themselves into martyrs and become unable to preach the message about the kingdom.

M. They were to know they wouldn’t finish their mission before Jesus returned in judgment of Israel.

N. They were to know they were not above their teacher so they would not be treated better than he was.

O. They were told to not be afraid because their Father knows them individually and was in control of everything.

P. They were told if they acknowledge Jesus before others He will acknowledge them before His Father.

Q. They were told Jesus has come as a sword in that when people have to decide whether he is first in their lives it creates conflict for them and between them and others in their lives, including in their family.

R. They were told if they don’t sacrifice their lives, die to themselves, for the sake of others they aren’t worthy of him.

S. They were told that if someone doesn’t give their life to Him they will lose it.

T. They were told that anyone who receives them, receives Him and His Father who sent him.


4. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT AFTER JESUS CHOOSES HIS DISCIPLES HE INSTRUCTS THEM ABOUT THE MISSION HE IS SENDING THEM ON.

5. WHAT DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR HIS DISCIPLES FOR THE MISSION HE IS SENDING THEM ON?

6. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIS DISCIPLES TODAY ARE THAT:

A. We have authority to drive out demons and to heal every sickness and disease.

B. We are to go to the lost sheep of all Nations.

C. We are to preach the message that kingdom of heaven is here.

D. We are to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers and drive out demons.

E. We have received freely from God so we are to give freely to others.

F. We are not to rely on our own provisions but instead to trust in God’s provision.

G. We are to stay with a worthy person and to give them our peace.

H. We are to leave behind the dust on our feet as a testimony against those who don’t welcome or listen to us.

I. We are to be both clever in the way we operate as well as be innocent in the means we use so we don’t undermine the message by being too cautious.

J. We are to be aware we will be persecuted in our churches & that we will witness to the secular world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

K. We are to be aware we will be hated because of preaching who Jesus is and we will need to stand firm in our faith about Him.

L. We are to flee to another place when persecuted by those who obviously wouldn’t accept us or our message, rather than make ourselves into martyrs and become unable to preach the message about the kingdom.

M. We are to know we will not finish our mission before Jesus returns in judgment of Israel.

N. We are to know we are not above our teacher so we will not be treated better than he was.

O. We are told to not be afraid because our Father knows us individually and is in control of everything.

P. We are told if we acknowledge Jesus before others He will acknowledge us before His Father.

Q. We are told Jesus has come as a sword in that when people have to decide whether he is first in their lives it creates conflict for them and between them and others in their lives, including in their family.

R. We are told if we don’t sacrifice our lives, die to ourselves, for the sake of others we aren’t worthy of Him.

S. We are told that if we don’t give our life to Him we will lose it.

T. We are told that anyone who receives us, receives Him and His Father who sent him.


PRAYER


Our Father, we praise You for Your Son for His calling disciples and for His giving them authority preach and heal in His Name.

Our Father, we thank You for Your Son for His calling us as disciples and for giving us authority to preach and heal in His Name today.

Our Father, forgive us when we try to do the work of Your kingdom on our own strength, our own words and our own resources, rather than relying on Your provision and the power of Your Spirit.

Our Father, help us to use the minds You have given to us as we do the work of Your kingdom so that we will evaluate who we associate with, we prepare ourselves for the persecution that lies ahead, we cleverly preach with intelligence, we don’t let the ends of Your message justify the means by which we go about presenting it, we testify against those who reject us as Your messengers and Your message, and we leave pointless persecution behind us for another place where eyes, ears and hearts are open.

Our Father, help us to have no fear because You are with use at all times and even though we know that we will be treated no better than Your Son, who was insultingly called the prince of demons, give us peace in knowing that even though You are God, You know us so well that even the number of hairs on our head our known by You.

Our Father, we ask that we remain faithful at all times: never disowning Your Son, placing him first in our lives before all even those in our family, sacrificing our lives for His sake and that of others, losing our lives for Him, and receiving prophets, the righteous and other disciples in Your and Your Son’s Names.

Our Father, our prayer is in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.



freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

"ATTACK"

TEXT: MATTHEW 9 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew9&niv=yes

15 - Get Up and Walk - Trevor Nerva - Producer


PARAPHRASE

“BLASPHEMY”

When some men bring a paralytic to Jesus after crossing over to Capernaum, seeing their faith, he tells the paralytic his sins are forgiven. Some of the teachers of the law accuse Jesus of blasphemy in their minds, but Jesus, knowing this calls them on it, asking them whether they think it is easier for him to say to the man his sins are forgiven or get up and walk? But so they will know that when he told the paralytic his sins are forgiven that he has the authority to do so, he then tells the paralytic to get up, take up his mat and go home – at which point he gets up and goes home – demonstrating that if he has the authority to heal he also has the authority to forgive sins as well. Totally amazed by this, the crowd praises God for giving this authority to men.

“DESPICABLE”

Moving on, Jesus sees a man named Matthew, a tax collector, and when he says to him, “Follow me” he gets up and follows him. During a dinner at Matthew’s house with many tax collectors and sinners the Pharisees ask Jesus’ disciples why their teacher eats with such despicable people? Overhearing this, Jesus tells the Pharisees that in the same way people go to the doctor when they’re sick not when they’re healthy that people who are sinful are in need of mercy and forgiveness. He tells them to go and find the true meaning of Hosea’s words that say, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” And, he tells them he hasn’t come to call those who think they are so good they don’t need his help, but instead those who know they really need it.

“RESISTANCE”

Then John the Baptists’ disciples question Jesus why his disciples aren’t observing the traditional fasts like they and the Pharisees are doing. Jesus tells them his disciples will fast at the appropriate time but for now his presence with his disciples is like that of a bridegroom with his guests at a wedding feast where there is celebration not fasting – a sign of the Messiah’s coming. He went on to illustrate that his presence is new and requires change (it cannot be fit into Judaism) in two more ways, telling them that 1) his presence without change would be like sewing a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment with the patch pulling away from the garment when it is washed, making the tear worse and 2) his presence without change would be like pouring new wine into old wineskins such that when the wine ferments and expands, the old wineskins have no stretch left in them and therefore burst open with the new wine running out because the old wineskins are ruined. He tells them that in the same way that new wine requires new wineskins so that both can be preserved, his coming as the Messiah cannot be contained within Judaism - requiring a new form, a fulfillment of the law, a new covenant so that it can be preserved.

“TAUNT”

While he was explaining this, a synagogue ruler came and knelt before Jesus, telling him his daughter had died, expressing his faith that Jesus can restore her to life by merely touching her. As Jesus and his disciples are on their way to the ruler’s house a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding problem for 12 years “secretly” touches his cloak because being both unclean and a woman she was prohibited from touching anyone let alone a Jewish man. However, she did so having faith that if she was able to just touch some part of Jesus she would be healed by his power. Recognizing he had been touched, Jesus turns to her and says her faith has healed her and from that time on she was healed of her bleeding problem. And, on arriving at and entering the ruler’s house, when Jesus tells those gathered to console the ruler on his daughter’s death to leave because she is asleep, they laugh mockingly at him. However, with the crowd outside, when Jesus takes the girl by her hand she gets up - with the news of this spreading throughout the region.

“DEMONIC”

As he heads home, two blind men follow him, call him “Son of David” in their recognition of Jesus as an earthly Messiah and ask him to have mercy on them. Following Jesus indoors, he asks them if they believe he is able to restore their sight and when they reply, “Yes” he touches their eyes saying, “According to your faith it will be done to you,” at which point their sight is restored. Despite being warned by Jesus not to tell others what had happened they tell people throughout the region. After they leave a man who couldn’t talk because he was demon-possessed is brought to Jesus. But, after Jesus drives out the demon the man is able to speak to the people’s amazement leading them to say, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” However, in contrast the Pharisees accuse Jesus of driving out demons by Satan’s power and authority instead of attributing it to God.

“HARASSMENT”

Going throughout the towns and villages, Jesus’ ministry consists of teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. He had compassion on the people because like sheep, they are harassed and helpless and in need of a shepherd. Because of this, he tells his disciples there are many people to bring the good news of the kingdom to but there are few disciples to preach the good news such that they need to ask him as the Messiah in charge of who enters the kingdom to send disciples to the helpless people.


PRINCIPLES

1. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS WAS ATTACKED WHEN HE DEMONSTRATED HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS.

2. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS WAS ATTACKED WHEN HE DEMONSTRATED HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS?


MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT:

A. The teachers of the law accused Jesus of blasphemy when he forgave a paralytic’s sins & healed him.

B. The Pharisees questioned why Jesus would associate and eat with tax collectors and sinners.

C. John’s disciples questioned Jesus why his disciples didn’t fast like they and the Pharisees did.

D. The flute players & noisy crowd mocked Jesus when he told them to go away the girl was asleep.

E. The Pharisees said it was by the prince of demons that Jesus was driving out demons.

F. The religious leaders’ harassment of the people led Jesus to tell his disciples to ask Him for help.


3. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT JESUS IS ATTACKED BECAUSE HE DEMONSTRATES HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS.

4. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY THAT JESUS IS ATTACKED BECAUSE HE DEMONSTRATES HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS?

MATTHEW IS TELLING US THAT:

A. Some believers accuse other believers of blasphemy for forgiving sins and healing in Jesus’ name.

B. Some believers question why other believers associate with prostitutes and drug dealers.

C. Some believers question why other believers drink alcohol, eat meat, dance, play cards, etc.

D. Some believers mock other believers when they tell them Jesus miraculously heals today.

E. Some believers say it is by the power of Satan that other believers are driving out demons.

F. Some believers’ harassment of the people causes other believers to ask Jesus for help.


PRAYER

Our Father, we give You praise for Your Son, the Messiah and his coming into the world with the authority to forgive our sins and heal our sickness and disease.

Our Father, forgive us when we act like the teachers of the law, Pharisees, disciples of John the Baptist, flute players & the noisy crowd, and religious leaders by opposing the Messiah’s work in the world today.

Our Father, change our hearts through the mercy and forgiveness we have received so that we will obediently teach, preach, and heal amongst those the Messiah came for.

Our Father, help us to touch others with Your Son’s touch and use us to help open the eyes of others to who Your Son is and what he has done.

Our Father, we ask Your Son for helpers in carrying out His harvest work for Your Kingdom that began when he came as the Messiah.

Our Father, we especially ask for helpers in the midst of the tragedy that has occurred at Fort Hood - that Your Son’s presence as the Good Shepherd will be known through his helpers in the midst of the shock, grief, and helplessness that exists in the aftermath of the trauma the people are going through.

Our Father, we ask all of this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WHAT KIND OF MAN?

TEXT: MATTHEW 8 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew8&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

“TOUCH”

Coming down from the mountainside where he had been teaching those who believed in him, a man with leprosy, in humility on his knees called Jesus his Lord and said he believed Jesus had the power to heal him if he wanted to. Jesus, doing what others would consider unthinkable, touched the diseased man as he told him he wanted to heal him saying, “Be cured!” at which point the man’s leprosy was gone. After this, Jesus told the man not to tell anyone what had happened but instead to follow the law of Moses by showing himself to the priest and offering a gift so that he could be officially declared cured and restored to society.

“FAITH”

Entering Capernaum, the commander of many Roman soldiers came to Jesus asking him to help his servant who was lying paralyzed and suffering at home. When Jesus said he would go home with him to heal his servant, the commander told Jesus he didn’t deserve to have him come to his home but he believed all Jesus needed to do was speak his words of healing right where they were in order for his servant to be healed. He went on to explain the basis for his belief in Jesus’ authority to heal by describing how as a Roman commander he knows the meaning of authority because being under authority from above, when he speaks to his men, he speaks to them with the authority of the emperor behind him and therefore obey – indicating to Jesus that he believed he spoke with the authority of God behind him such that if Jesus just “said the word” the illness his servant was suffering from would obey Jesus and leave. Jesus was amazed when he heard this and said to his followers he had not seen anyone in the nation of Israel with such great faith as this Roman commander who was a gentile. He told his followers that when the great Messianic feast occurs with the patriarchs there will be many people gathered from across the gentile nations who will come to take their places in the kingdom of God but those from the nation Israel who think they are subjects of the kingdom merely because of their birthright will be thrown out into the darkness where they will suffer eternally.

“FULFILLMENT”

Coming to Peter’s house in Capernaum, seeing Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with fever, Jesus touches her hand at which point her fever left and she got out of bed and welcomed Jesus into her home.

That evening, many people were brought to where Jesus was and he drove evil spirits out of the demon- possessed and healed those who were sick in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about what the Messiah would do when he came, “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

“COST”

Seeing the crowds around him Jesus gave orders to cross over to the other side of the lake as a teacher of the law told him he would follow him wherever he went. Jesus responded to the teacher by telling him that following the Son of Man involved living homeless unlike even animals of the earth like foxes (who have holes) and birds (who have nests). When another disciple said to Jesus he needed to go and bury his father before he could follow him, Jesus told the man that following him comes above everything else and that those who are spiritually dead can bury their family members who are physically dead.

“WHAT KIND OF MAN?”

After getting into the boat with his disciples, a severe storm develops as they cross the lake, threatening them as Jesus sleeps. Waking Jesus up in a panic, the disciples tell him to save them, fearing they are going to drown. Jesus tells his disciples they have “little faith” as he asks them why they are so afraid – getting up and commanding the wind and waves to calm down – which they do just like the illness the commander’s servant had did when it obeyed Jesus’ words. The disciples were amazed at “what kind of man” Jesus was that not only demons and illness obeyed his word, but the larger forces of nature controlled by God did as well.

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY”

Arriving on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men, who were so violent no one would travel near the tombs they lived in, came to meet Jesus. When the demons immediately recognized Jesus as the Son of God they feared being prematurely destroyed before the end of times and so asked Jesus to cast them into a large herd of pigs. When he granted this the demons went into the pigs, the pigs went off the steep bank into the lake and died, those tending the pigs reported what all that had happened in town, and the town’s people came to see Jesus, but after seeing him pleaded with him to leave their region because they were frightened by who he was.

PRINCIPLES

1. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS WAS THE CHRIST (MESSIAH), THE SON OF GOD.

2. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTURY READRS THAT JESUS WAS THE CHRIST (MESSIAH), THE SON OF GOD?


MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT:

A. Jesus touch had the power to heal a leper.

B. Jesus’ word had the authority to heal a Centurion’s servant from afar.

C. Jesus’ touch had the power to heal Peter’s mother-in-law of her fever.

D. Jesus word had the power and authority to drive out demons.

E. Jesus’ healings fulfilled Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy about him.

F. Jesus’ words had authority over the winds and waves.

G. Jesus’ identity as the Son of God was immediately recognizable by the demons.

H. Jesus’ word cast demons from two men into a herd of pigs.

I. Jesus’ holiness was frightening to the people of the Gadarenes.


3. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST (MESSIAH), THE SON OF GOD.

4. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST (MESSIAH), THE SON OF GOD?

MATTHEW TELLS US THAT:

A. Jesus’ touch has the power to heal us today.

B. Jesus’ word has the authority to heal us where we are.

C. Jesus’ touch has the power to heal us of our fevers.

D. Jesus’ word has the power to drive out our demons.

E. Jesus’ healings continue to fulfill Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy about him.

F. Jesus’ words have authority over the storms in our lives.

G. Jesus’ identity as the Son of God is immediately recognizable by demons today.

H. Jesus’ word will cast the demons in our lives away where they too can be put to death.

I. Jesus’ holiness can be frightening today too when it stands next to sin and the demonic, but ultimately is not to be feared because he has overcome both for us through his death on the cross and through his resurrection from the grave.


PRAYER

Our Father, we praise You that is by Your Son’s will that we are healed by Your power and authority.

Our Father, we thank you and give You praise for Your Son and the power and authority You have given to heal through His Name.

Our Father, forgive us for our lack of faith, for fretting in the midst of the storms in our lives when You are right there beside us, and help us with our unbelief.

Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, through Isaiah the prophet about the Messiah and what he would do when he came, that he would take up our infirmities and diseases and that we would know who the Messiah was by his doing this.

Our Father, we thank You that our biggest infirmity, death, has been overcome, has been healed by Your Son’s death and resurrection, his sacrifice for us, his taking our sins upon himself so that we may live eternally.

Our Father, we thank you that those things in life that we fret over and the demons in our life that plague us that bind our lives and keep us imprisoned in a tomb can be cast away by a mere word that is said in the name of Your Son.

Our Father, today whatever is binding us from the past, whatever has deeply hurt us, whatever issues we struggle to let go of, whatever anger that lingers inside, whatever anxiety or panic there may be, we say in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ that it “Go” and that it be gone from this point on and that the complete calmness that came over to the lake after Your Son rebuked the storm come into our hearts and minds to replace the fret and the demons that have been holding us hostage.

Our Father, help us to remember that our battles in this world also take place on a spiritual level so that the issues and conflicts we experience in this world have a spiritual connection as well and thus we are in need of Your protection from spiritual demons in addition to those in our lives that are psychological and physical in nature.

Our Father, we raise these petitions in the Name of Your Holy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Amen.


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

HEARING & LIVING

TEXT MATTHEW 7 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew7&niv=yes


PARAPHRASE


“Judging & Discerning”

Jesus tells his believers that if they go around self-righteously judging others, they will be judged by God and He will use the same standards on them as they use when they self-righteously judging others.

Jesus asks his believers if it makes sense to judge their neighbor for something they are doing wrong when unknowingly or unconsciously they themselves are doing a similar wrong thing but to an even greater degree. He tells his believes that they can’t go around saying to some one something like, you are sinning by your adulterous relationship, when they are struggling greatly with the sin of lust themselves. He tells them to do so turns them into hypocrites and that before trying to help someone with a sin they are struggling with, they need to learn that the sin they see in the other person helps them to become aware of their own sin so they can first do something about so they can then help their neighbor with their sin.

Jesus then warns his believers to discern who they share the sacred and precious news of the kingdom with because if they share it indiscriminately, those who are cruel and evil may end up turning on and doing them great harm.


“Ask, Seek, Knock 4 Gold”

Jesus tells his believers if they ask His Father, He will provide for them; if they seek His Father, they will find Him; and if they knock, the door to the kingdom of heaven will be opened by his Father. He tells them that everyone who asks, His Father receives; everyone who seeks His Father, finds Him; and everyone who knocks on the door to the kingdom of heaven, will have it opened for them by His Father.
Jesus contrasts for his believers earthly fathers, who despite being sinful beings, never deceive their children by giving them stones or snakes when asked for bread or fish; with their Father in heaven, who because He is holy will most certainly give good gifts to those who ask Him for them.
So in giving to others like their heavenly Father does, Jesus tells his believers that in everything they do they are to do things for others as they would like others to do things for them and that this way of treating one another summarizes what the Law and the Prophets say.


“Narrow vs Wide

Jesus tells his believers they must enter the kingdom of heaven through the narrow gate by following the narrow road that leads to it that only a few people find, in contrast to the broad road that leads many people to the wide gate of destruction.


“False Prophets & Messiah”

Jesus goes on to tell his believers to watch out for false prophets who can lead them down the broad road to destruction. He describes them as disguising themselves as shepherds, making themselves appear as if they are looking out for the welfare of the flock, while in reality they are evil wolves whose only interest is in leading the members of the flock astray one by one so they can devour them with the goal of destroying the entire flock. Jesus tells his believers these false prophets can be identified by what their ministry produces. He tells them that the ministries of false prophets produce nothing of value for the kingdom of heaven; they are like thornbushes or thistles trying to bear grapes or figs – something that’s just not going to happen – such that eventually, like nonproductive trees, they will be cut down and destroyed.

Jesus goes on to tell his believers that not all who call on him as “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, that only those who do the will of his Father will enter. He tells them that in addition to calling him “Lord” many people will tell him on the day of Judgment that they prophesied, cast out demons, and performed many miracles in his name, but he will them “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” because although they called on him as an earthly Lord and did all of these things in his name as Messiah, they never did his Father’s will which was to fully believe he was the Christ, the Son of the Living God and have faith in what he had done.


“Foundational Authority”

Jesus ends his words to his believers on the mountainside by telling them that whoever hears his words and lives them out is like a wise man who built his house on a foundation of rock so that it is able to withstand bad weather when it comes in contrast to a foolish man, who having built his house on sand, loses it when it crashes down during a storm.
Having finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at Jesus’ teaching because of its inherent authority, being used to the authority the teachers of law had because of their academic positions.


PRINCIPLES

1. The Gospel Writer, Matthew, told his First Century audience that Jesus told
his believers that hearing and living out his word produces a firm
foundation for life.


2. What did Matthew say that Jesus told his believers a firm foundation for
living does?


3. What does Jesus tell us as believers today a firm foundation for living does?


4. A firm foundation for living helps us to:


- not self-righteously judge our neighbor

- discern who we share the Good News of the kingdom with

- go to the Father in prayer

- treat others as we would like them to treat us

- know there is a narrow path to the kingdom

- know there are false prophets who lead down a wide path to destruction

- be able to identify the ministries of false prophets

- know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God

- know that Jesus’ authority was from above


PRAYER


Our Father, we thank You and give You praise for Your Son’s words to us from the mountainside.

Our Father, we thank Your Son for fulfilling the word of the Law through these words and by what he did for us.

Our Father, forgive us when we self-righteously judge our neighbor, forgive us when we do not treat our neighbor as we would like them to treat us, forgive us when we do not come to you in prayer as you call us to.

Our Father, help us to discern those who would turn on and harm us for sharing the Good News of your Kingdom and to be able to identify the fruitless ministries of false prophets in this world that can lead us and others down the wide road to destruction.

Our Father, help us to know with certainty in our hearts that Jesus is the Christ, and Your Son , for You are the Living God; and help us to know with certainty in our hearts that Jesus is both our Lord and Savior so that we will have no worry about which road we’ve been on or what gate we are at on the Day of Judgment .

Our Father, we thank you for the authority from above Jesus had when he was on earth and we thank You for the authority of Your Holy Word.
And, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we raise this prayer to You today.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

SEEK 1ST

TEXT Matthew 6 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew6&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

“Hypocrisy 1”

Regarding good works, such as giving to those in need, Jesus tells his believers not to show off by giving to those in need and then announce their generosity to impress others so they will think highly of them, but instead to give to those in need in a way that even they barely know what they have given because their giving flows from obedience to God and compassion for people. Jesus tells his believers those who give for the honor of men are hypocrites and receive no further honor while those who give out of obedience to God and compassion for people will be rewarded by Him.

“Hypocrisy 2”

Regarding prayer, Jesus tells his believers not to pray standing in the synagogues or on street corners as if they are on some stage giving a performance or like the pagans who repeat incantations over and over as if God weren’t all knowing. Jesus tells his believers that those who pray like this are hypocrites in that they are looking for applause from humans while his believers are to pray privately and to his Father instead of using prayer to perform like this for humans.

Jesus tells his believers they should pray like this:

Father in Heaven, Your name is Holy,

I pray that Your Kingdom and Your Will
be accomplished here on earth as in Heaven.

Provide us today what we need to live.

We ask You to forgive us our sins just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.

And protect us from pointless persecution,
but deliver us from Satan, the evil one.

Expounding on his prayer, Jesus tells his believers that if they forgive those who sin against them, their Father in heaven will forgive them as well, but if they don’t, their Father won’t forgive them their sins either.

“Hypocrisy 3”

Regarding fasting, Jesus tells his believers when they fast not to show people how much they are suffering by looking so somber and ill, but instead to freshen up by washing their face and by putting oil on their head so no one can tell whether they are fasting or not. Jesus tells them those who make a show of their fasting are hypocrites who receive their full reward from impressing those around them while those who don’t make a show of their fasting honor God by what they are doing and will be rewarded by him.

“Heart & Soul”

Jesus then tells his believers the difference between storing up earthly treasure and heavenly treasure. He says earthly treasures don’t last because moths or rust will decay and destroy them or thieves will break in and take them. However, he says heavenly treasures can’t be destroyed or stolen. Jesus tells his believers if they build up treasure on earth that is where their heart will be, but if they build up treasure in heaven this is where their heart will be.

Jesus tells them their eyes serve as a lamp for their body in that their eyes let light shine inside deep down to their soul. However, he tells them if their eyes don't let light in, their body is dark throughout deep down to their soul and they are living in so much darkness they don't even know it.

Jesus tells his believers that they can’t serve two masters because no matter how much they try they will end up hating and despising one of them and loving and devoting themselves to the other - they can’t serve both God and Money.

“Prolong & Provide”

Jesus tells his believers that God wouldn't give them such great gifts as life and a body and then neglect to provide for their needs when it come to eating, drinking, or clothing. Jesus tells them they can trust in God to provide for them by describing how God takes care of feeding the birds of the air and clothing the fields with lillies even though they are of less importance to Him than people are. Jesus tells his believers that His Father knows what they need so they shouldn’t go around lacking faith and acting the same way as those who don’t believe in God do, worried about what they will eat, drink, or wear. He tells them instead of worrying (something that doesn’t prolong their life), they should instead pursue God’s kingdom and righteousness so that their heart will be right and their soul will be full of light and as a result of this all their physical needs will be met as well. Jesus tells them to stop worrying about tomorrow and to live one day at a time by the grace of God because there are enough issues to deal with in the day at hand for them to be getting ahead of themselves and trying to play out in their minds what might never happen anyway the next day.


PRINCIPLES


1. The Gospel Writer, Matthew, tells his first century audience (and us today) what Jesus told his believers the consequences of a lost heart and dark soul were.


2. What did Jesus tell his believers the consequences of a lost heart and a dark soul were?


3. What does Jesus tell us today the consequences of a lost heart and a dark soul are?


A. Hypocrisy in

(1) Giving

(2) Praying

(3) Fasting


B. Earthly Treasures that

(1) Rot

(2) Get Robbed

(3) You Serve


C. Worries about

(1) Life

(2) Provisions

(3) Tomorrow


PRAYER

Our Father, We praise You for Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness.

Our Father, We praise You that heavenly treasures do not rot, can not be stolen, and are eternal.

Our Father, We praise You that Your Son is the Light of the world who shines into our soul taking away the darkness that otherwise naturally exists.

Our Father, Forgive us when we give, pray, or fast for any reason other than Your honor and glory. Search our hearts and remove all hypocrisy that exists. Cleanse our hearts of all mixed motives and falsehood so that what we do will be in Your Holy Name and not for human attention and praise.

Our Father, We ask that we would be strengthened by Your Holy Spirit so that we would seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness so that we would not lead lives of worry. We ask that we would grow in faith so that we would trust in Your provision and not act as if You did not exist or did not care about us.

Our Father, We ask that our eyes would shine so that others would see You and that You exist and come to know You so well that they too do not need to worry about their life or about tomorrow.

Our Father, we pray all of this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

HOW TO LIVE

TEXT MATTHEW 5 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=Matthew 5&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

“Live This Way”

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up a mountainside and when those beleiving in him came to him he began teaching them using words of blessing;

Blessed are those who have lost their spirit because through their dependence (on the Messiah) they will gain God's kingdom where the last are first.

Blessed are those who are weeping for sins because they will be comforted (by the Messiah).

Blessed are the those who are gentle and self-controled because they will enter the Promised Land - the new heaven and the new earth.

Blessed are those who desire the righteousness and justice of God because they will be filled with it when the kingdom is consumated.

Blessed are those who are merciful to those who are guilty, suffering, and in need because they too will receive mercy from God.

Blessed are those whose hearts have been purified of sin because this makes them fully devoted to the Messiah and able to see God through the eyes of faith.

Blessed are those who make peace because in reflecting God through their acts of reconciliation they will be called His sons.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for their obedience to God because they, like those who have lost their spirit, will gain His kingdom.

Blessed are those who have false things said about them, those who are persecuted, and those who have many false things said about them because of Jesus. Such people can rejoice and be happy in spite of being treated in this way because their reward is ultimately in heaven – their treatment in this world will be like that of the prophets who came before them but who are now rejoicing in heaven.

“Preserve, Flavor, Reveal”

Jesus then told those who believed in him they are like the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And as salt, a preservative and flavoring for food, if they lose their saltiness, they lose their ability to preserve and flavor the world from moral decay as representatives of God’s Kingdom and therefore they are no longer good for anything. Being the light of the world by exposing sin's darkness and witnessing God's kingdom through their acts of comfort, mercy and peace will cause others to praise God in heaven - something that will not occur if they withdraw from the world and hide their light.

“Fulfill & Accomplish”

Jesus goes on to say he did not come to get rid of the Books of the Law or the Prophets but instead to fulfill what they say about him. Furthermore, he says that nothing of the Books of the Law and the Prophets will disappear until everything is accomplished prior to the end of times and that anyone who breaks the least of the commandments and teaches others to do so will be considered the least in the kingdom of God in contrast to those who obey and teach these commands who will be considered great in the kingdom of God. Jesus then warns those who believe in him that unless their righteousness is on a higher level than that of the religious leaders, i.e. their righteousness makes them the salt and light of the world, they too will be left out of the kingdom of God.

“Murderous Heart”

Jesus then begins fulfilling the Law starting with the commandment ‘Do not murder,’ by saying that since anger in the heart underlies murder if those following him are angry with someone in their heart they are subject to judgment in the same way a murderer is. He says that if in their anger they insult someone by calling them “empty headed” they must go before their religious leaders to give account of their sin and if out of anger they call someone a “fool” they are in danger of the fire of hell.

Jesus tells them there are two ways of reconciling their anger depending on whether they are angry with a fellow believer or with an adversary. With a believer, if they are in the process of offering a gift to God and remember a fellow believer has something against them, they are to leave their gift and go and reconcile with their fellow believer and then return to offer their gift to God. With an adversary, they are to settle matters quickly (during all the pretrial proceedings) if they are being taken to court because otherwise at the trial the Judge may rule against them and they will end up being handed over to an officer who will take them off to prison.

“Adulterous Eye”

In continuing to fulfill the Law, Jesus says something similar about adultery, that anyone who looks at a women lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And, using hyperbole to promote the need to radically deal with sin, he tells those who beleive in him that if their right eye (that feeds their imagination) or right hand causes them to sin, cut it out or off because it is better to lose a part of their body than to sin because of it and then for their entire body to end up in hell.

“Exceptional Divorce”

About the sanctity of marriage, Jesus tells his disciples that although Moses said anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce, as the Messiah who fulfills the Law, he says that anyone who divorces his wife, except if she has been unfaithful to him, causes her and anyone who marries her to commit adultery.

“I Say Yes ”

Referring to a statement on keeping the oaths you have made to the Lord from Leviticus, Jesus provides further fulfillment of the law by telling those who believe in him that it is better not to swear by or make any oaths at all - either in the name of heaven (God’s throne) or in the name of Jerusalem (God’s footstool) – or by their own head, because all oaths are really oaths in God’s name and it is better to just be truthful by letting their yes really mean yes and their no really mean no because if it doesn’t, their lack of truth reveals the work of the devil in their lives.

“Respond Paradoxically”

Jesus quotes to his disciples from the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy where it instructs on justice being provided by returning injury for injury. He then fulfills these Scriptures for those who believe in him by telling them not to resist an evil person, instructing them how to respond paradoxically to evil by turning their left check towards the one who strikes them on their right cheek, by giving their cloak to the one who sues them for their tunic, and by going two miles with the one who forces them to go one mile – confronting their evil in these "non-eye-for-an-eye-ways". Jesus also tells those who believe in him to give to those who ask them and to loan to the those who ask to borrow from them.

“Perfect Love”

Jesus tells those who beleive in him that although they have read in Leviticus they are to love their neighbor, they know their culture preaches they are to hate their enemies. However, he tells them in fulfillment of this that they are to love their enemies, especially those who persecute them, because even their persecutors are their neighbors. Jesus reminds those who believe in him that God provides sunshine and rain for both the righteous and unrighteous, the good and the evil. Jesus also reminds them that loving and greeting only those who love and greet them comes so natural that even the tax collectors and pagans do these things. He tells them that their love for people needs to be on a higher level, they need to be the salt and light in the world based on the righteousness of God, their purification from sin, and the compassion, mercy, and peace they have for others – perfected in their heavenly Father.


PRINCIPLES

1. Matthew told his first century readers that while sitting on a mountainside, Jesus taught those who believed in him how they should live.

2. What did Jesus tell those who believed in him 2000 years ago how they should live?

3. What does Jesus tell those who beleive in him today how they should live?

-Jesus says we are to live the blessed way not the cursed way.

-Jesus says we are to live as salt and light in the world not as good for nothing flames hidden under bowls.

-Jesus says we are to live resolving the anger in our heart not with perpetual murderous rage in our hearts.

-Jesus says we are to live cleansing lust from our mind not with adulterous eyes.

-Jesus says we are to live commited to the sanctity of marriage rather than to frivolous divorce.

-Jesus says we are to live speaking the truth not trying to hide behind the oaths we swear.

-Jesus says we are to live responding paradoxically to evil rather than by fighting it.

-Jesus says we are to live loving our enemies who persecute us not by hating them.

PRAYER

Our Father, We give You praise for Your Son’s teaching on the Blessed way to live. We ask Your forgiveness for how short we fall in living this way and we ask that Your Holy Spirit would renew us each day by cleansing us from our sin and would continue to help us grow in Your righteousness so that as Your sons and daughters we can be agents of compassion, mercy and peace in this world.

Our Father, We give You praise that as Your Son’s disciples we are the salt and light of this world. We pray that Your Holy Spirit would strengthen our faith so that our lives will both preserve and shine Your righteousness in this world so that others will come to know You, praise Your Holy Name and enter into Your kingdom.
Our Father, We ask as Your Son’s disciples that when angered, we will not sin, but instead will resolve the anger in our hearts as He instructed – through reconciliation and settlement rather than through insult and damnation.

Our Father, We ask as Your Son’s disciples that we will fight the temptation to feed our imagination with lust as Your Son fought His temptations by the devil in the desert through Your powerful Word. You have told us that when we are tempted you will provide a way out so that we can stand up under it and we ask You help us to prepare our minds with Your Word so that we have an answer for any temptation that seizes us.

Our Father, We praise You for the sanctity of marriage, for two becoming one flesh, and we ask that Your Holy Spirit would protect our marriages and the marriages of others. We ask that past life issues be recognized for what they are and identified when they are infiltrating, being acted out and contaminating the marital relationship and bond. We ask that the deep pains associated with past life issues - the scars they have left behind and the impact these pains and scars can then have on one’s marriage – be healed through Your Power and Love at the deepest levels possible in our lives so that we can be set free of these chains that bind us and which make it seem as if life would be better with someone else.

Our Father, We praise You for being Truth and Your Son for being the Way the Truth and the Life. And, we ask that we would speak the truth instead of trying to cover it up by throwing people off by swearing oaths in an attempt to unnecessarily try to protect ourselves from something we think will make us look bad, will impact our self-worth and diminish our dignity as a human being. You know that we end up thinking these ways because of our distorted view of ourselves based on our concluding certain events in our life mean something (usually bad) about who we are and based on our not fully embracing your creation of us in Your image and Your Son’s dying for us on the Cross as the foundation of our value and worth as a person. We ask that You free us of the distorted conclusions we have made about ourselves and that you transform our thinking so that we fully embrace Your Love for us as the foundation of our value and worth as a person – a Love that never changes and never ends.

Our Father, We ask that Your Holy Spirit give us the courage to respond to evil in a paradoxical way – by giving someone who is evil more than they are demanding and thus making them confront what they are really doing by turning the tables on them so they are no longer in the position of power and control. Keep us from returning evil with evil and from trying to resist and fight evil in our own way.

Our Father, We ask Your Holy Spirit to supernaturally strengthen us so that we can go beyond our natural ability to love and greet those who love and greet us, so that we are able to love and greet our enemies who persecute us. We ask that we are able to grow in Your righteousness as disciples of Your Son so that we become compassionate, merciful and peacemakers to all in this world regardless whether they love and greet us or not because we know You have perfect love, perfect compassion, perfect mercy, and perfect peace as our perfect Father in Heaven.

Our Father, We pray all of this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, AMEN.

EVERY WORD: GOOD NEWS!

OCTOBER 1-4, 2009 THURSDAY-SUNDAY

TEXT MATTHEW 4 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew4&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

“Powerful Word”

After being baptized by John Jesus is led into the desert by the Spirit of God to be tested like Israel was when they wandered in the desert for forty years.
Hungry after fasting for forty days and nights, the devil tempts Jesus to sin by using his power as the Son of God to provide for himself by turning stones into bread instead of submitting to God’s will as the Messiah by living according to His Word. Jesus resists this temptation by quoting God’s powerful Word from the Book of Deuteronomy to the devil, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

After this the devil tempts Jesus to sin a second time by taking him to the top of the Jerusalem temple and using his status as the Son of God to force God into using His power to save him. Trying to turn the tables on Jesus’ use of God’s Word to resist temptation, the devil misapplies a Psalm about God commanding his angels to protect those who trust Him in encouraging Jesus to throw himself off the top of the temple. Recognizing the devil’s attempt to trick him into demanding God miraculously prove He cares for him, Jesus resists this temptation by accurately quoting God’s powerful Word to the devil from another part of the Book of Deuteronomy, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Then, taking Jesus to a place where he shows him all the world’s kingdoms in their grandeur while hiding their sin, the devil tempts Jesus to sin a third time by telling him he can have everything he sees if he bows down and worships him instead of God. Recognizing the devil’s attempt to turn him into a worldly Messiah who avoids the Cross and engages in idolatry, Jesus resists this temptation by commanding the devil to leave as he tells him what it says in God’s Word in another part of the Book of Deuteronomy, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”

And after this the devil left Jesus as angels came to be with him and care for him.

“Preaching Ministry”

Hearing John the Baptizer was now in prison, Jesus returned to Galilee a region of the Gentiles outside Judea. And, after leaving his hometown of Nazareth, he went to live in Capernaum by the Lake of Galilee in the areas of Zebulun and Naphtali which fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy about these Gentile Galilean regions which were considered despicable – “…the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” And from this time on Jesus began his preaching ministry continuing John’s message, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near,” but within the context that with a light having dawned in the darkness of this region of the Gentiles, the kingdom of God was not only near, it had arrived with him – with his baptism and with his testing in the desert.

“Calling Disciples”

Walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus, seeing brothers Simon (called Peter) and Andrew as they are fishing, tells them to “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately leave their nets to follow him. Farther along, Jesus, seeing brothers James and John in a boat with their father Zebedee preparing their nets calls them and they too immediately leave their boat and father to follow him.

“Healing Ministry”

Jesus teaches in the synagogues, preaches the good news of the kingdom and heals every disease and sickness the people have as he goes throughout Galilee. News of Jesus’ healing ministry spreads all over Syria leading to people with various diseases, those with severe pain, those who are demon possessed, those with seizures, and those who are paralyzed to come to him and he heals them all. People from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan make up the large crowds who begin following Jesus. Jesus’ healings further announce the kingdom of God has arrived; that he is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that the good news of the arrival of the Messiah and the kingdom has to do with God’s plan for dealing with sin – what John the Baptizer referred to as Jesus’ purifying baptism of the soul by the Holy Spirit and fire.

PRINCIPLES

1. The Gospel writer, Matthew, tells his first century readers (and us today) that Jesus was prepared for his ministry.

2. How does Matthew tell his first century readers (and us today) that Jesus was prepared for his ministry?

-Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the desert to be tested like the Nation of
Israel had been.

-Jesus fasted for forty days & nights which made him hungry and vulnerable to the
devil’s temptations.

-Jesus fasted alone in the desert for a long time and learned that the Word of God,
not food, gives life.

-Jesus learned the how the devil worked in tempting him to sin:

-by tempting him to follow his own will

-by tempting him to misapply God’s Word

-by tempting him to put God to the test

-by tempting him with power

-by tempting him to worship other gods

-Jesus learned to resist and stand up to the devil’s temptations to sin by using
God’s powerful Word.

3. What does Matthew tells his first century readers (and us today) Jesus’ ministry was?

-Jesus’ ministry was to preach the “repentance of sin”.

-Jesus’ ministry was to be a “great light” shining in the spiritual darkness of
Galilee of the Gentiles

-a great light shining in the spiritual darkness of a despised group of
people

-a great light that would therefore shine in all the nations on earth

-Jesus’ ministry was one of disciples “catching” people so they could be saved from
their sin

-Jesus’ ministry was to “teach” people what the kingdom of God was like.

-Jesus’ ministry was to “preach” the good news of the kingdom

-that the Messiah had come

-that Salvation had come

-Jesus ministry was to physically, emotionally and spiritually “heal” people

-confirming he was the Messiah

-confirming the kingdom had come

-confirming God’s good news for sin

-that Jesus’ baptism by the Holy Spirit & fire purifies the soul of its
sinful nature

PRAYER

Our Father, We thank You for Your Son’s ministry, for the repentance of sin, for His being a light in the darkness to the despised Galilean Gentiles, for his being a light in the darkness to all nations of the world. Father, we praise You for this.

Our Father, We praise You and thank Your Son for his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing. We praise You for Your Son’s teachings about what Your kingdom is like and for preaching the good news about what it means that Your kingdom has come on earth as it is in heaven.

Our Father, We praise You for your plan for sin, for Your Son, the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, who identified with our sinfulness in his baptism, who you prepared in the desert to resist the temptations of the devil in order to obey your will – to follow and obey Your will even to the point of dying on the Cross for our sins – providing us the baptism of the Holy Spirit & fire that purifies our soul of its sinful nature.

Our Father, We thank Your Son for his healings for not only what they announced at the time but for what they mean for us today because of Your plan for our problem with sin.

Our Father, We ask that through the power of the Holy Spirit, Your Son would touch our bodies, minds and souls and cure us from all sickness and disease - that which relates to sin and that which doesn’t – and Your Son would cast out from our lives anything that is binding us, holding us hostage and keeping us from being restored to health. We pray that Your Son will cast out from our lives anything physical, emotional or spiritual that perpetuates any suffering in our lives whether we are aware of it or not. And Father, we give You the glory for forgiving us, restoring us, and for saving us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our Father We thank you for Your Son’s disciples, for those in our lives who helped to catch us as if we were fish in an ocean, who in following and obeying You and Your Son sought us out, found us and witnessed Your great light in this world to us, to our hearts and minds, so that we were able to hear, understand, and accept Your Good News.

Our Father, we ask that You test us, that You place us in the desert and tempt us so that we can be prepared for the ministry you have for us, so that we will be able to obey Your will instead of following our own.

Our Father, we ask that you strengthen us through our time of fasting and when we are alone for 40 days and nights and become hungry and more vulnerable to the devil’s attacks and temptations. Father, help us to know that Your Word is life itself and the only thing that can sustain us, that when tempted by the devil, if not for Your Word, our only option would be death.

Our Father, Help us to discern the devil’s ways of tempting us, the devil’s schemes of trying to get us to follow our will not yours, to misapply and twist Your Word to try and force You to get what we want, to crave worldly power and to worship other gods. Help us to stand up to temptation through Your powerful Word and by telling the devil to flee.

Our Father, Forgive us when we sin, when we fail to recognize the devil’s temptations, when we knowingly or unknowingly give in to them and when we fail to stand firm against temptations with Your Word.

Our Father, Forgive us when we fall short and do not obey You, when we fail to respond to Your Son’s call, when we have not been effective as disciples and when we have not let our light shine in this world.

Our Father, prepare us and use us as Your Son’s disciples, as fishers of men, creating in us the response you did in them when they obeyed Your will, not their own and followed Your son when he called. Help us to not put off Your Son’s calling in our life to some later date or time, help us to immediately go and follow Him when He calls.

Our Father, We pray all of this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, AMEN.

PRAISE Listening to 'Psalm 119 "Man does not live on bread al...' by BDPam @imeem http://x.imeem.com/KVyTR1x1oP